text:
Why IBM
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About Diyotta
Diyotta is leading the Big Data Integration movement by giving you the ability to readily integrate and make available high value information across your internal and external data sources, rapidly enabling critical insights for strategic and competitive advantage with significantly less cost and effort than traditional data integration and ETL tools.
Their leadership team has more than 60 years of combined experience successfully delivering comprehensive BI/analytical and large-scale data warehouse solutions to many of the largest enterprises in the world. Diyotta is focused on solving the most challenging big data challenges you have as data gets bigger and bigger.
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Priority code: Analytics Platform


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A massive gene-hunting effort involving hundreds of scientists has identified 74 newly discovered regions of DNA that are associated with breast, ovarian and prostate cancers — diseases that strike about half a million Americans every year.
The international project, known as the Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment Study, or COGS, nearly doubled the number of genetic markers known to be linked with the three cancers, scientists reported Wednesday. Their findings could lead to more effective ways to screen, study and treat these diseases.
"While these papers may not be what the average person is looking for — e.g., a cure for cancer — they have important near-term value" for medical researchers, said John Witte, an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco and co-author of a commentary on the work that appeared in Nature Genetics, one of five journals that published 13 studies detailing the COGS results. Witte was not a member of the collaboration.
For the last decade or so, cancer researchers have been working hard to ferret out the DNA changes associated with cancers and other common afflictions. They examine the DNA of large groups of people with and without certain diseases to see if any genetic variations can be linked to particular conditions.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Last season when Dave Trembley was fired and Juan Samuel took over, I argued (an argument that was met with much criticism from our morning show hosts) that the O's had a chance at a new beginning.
They were stuck in a rut. The trend couldn't be bucked.
I'm a big believer in a changed variable being a potential spark that pushes a group of people or a team forward and out of their fixed ways. While I was wrong about the Samuel hire being much of a jolt, even though the team did play a tiny bit better under his leadership, that theory was proven right a little over a month later when Buck Showalter led one of the worst teams in baseball to a 34-23 clip to end the season.
In 2011, things seemed to be rolling along fairly okay during the first two months. The games were close, the team was respectable, and the fans still somewhat cared. Then came the annual June swoon and July tailspin, and now the Orioles are staring down the barrel of a totally lost season here in the middle of July.
The All-Star break came at a great time for the O's. In the games leading up to the break, Buck Showalter talked often about just needing to get to the break for an opportunity to regroup.
With three games off, Showalter could have come back with a new something. New lineup, new rotation, new bullpen roles, new left fielder…anything. He changed the lineup a bit, but nothing too dramatic. (Vlad was hurt, so we'll see if he hits cleanup when he comes back)
Even without any earth-shattering changes, the O's had a chance for quick fresh start. It wouldn't be out of the question for them to regroup and come out for the second half with renewed energy, confidence, and purpose. Jeremy Guthrie, the O's best, most consistent pitcher over the past few seasons, was on the mound. They returned home for a long home-stand against a good but not unbeatable team.
If the O's were going to make one final, last-ditch run, this was going to be the time to do it.
I wasn't home in time for the first pitch Thursday night, but I have "ESPN ScoreCenter" on my iPhone. The game started at 7:05. By 7:11, the Orioles were down 3-0.
Same story. Bad pitching. Getting down early. Having to adjust how they hit because they are down in such a big hole.
Nothing changed. Nothing.
Three days off. No difference.
Any slight renewed interest that fans may have had after a three day relief from O's baseball was crushed after six minutes. Seriously…six minutes.
It's a new half of Orioles baseball, but the same old Birds showed up. The same Birds that have been showing up for 14 years.
Lucky Baltimore.


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News Archives for February 2011
Hardware Roundup: Tuesday EditionPosted: February 1, 2011 @ time: 06:10AM
Author: Nemo
Normally we dedicate our roundup to articles and reviews from our affiliates but there is some breaking news included in today's roundup as well. As we reported yesterday, Intel has discovered a flaw in its 6-series chipset used on motherboards supporting its latest Sandy Bridge processors. You can read more about it here as well as some of the fallout that is already occurring. We also get another opportunity to check out the Zalman S-Series 128GB solid state drive along with a bunch of other reviews we link to below.
Crysis 2 Multiplayer Demo Xbox 360 Preview @ TweakTown
Intel finds flaw in 6-series chipsets, halts shipments @ Tech Report
Intel halts production/shipment of 6-series chipsets with SATA flaw found @ PC Perspective
Newegg pulls Sandy Bridge CPUs and P67 MBs while NVIDIA snickers quietly @ PC Perspective
Preview: Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5126 AMD E-240 15-in Notebook @ PC Perspective
Operating Systems
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Gaming Performance Analysis @ TweakTown
Storage/Hard Drives
Zalman S-Series 128GB Solid State Drive @ ThinkComputers
Trade Shows/Convemtions
MacWorld Expo 2011 Show Coverage @ Benchmark Reviews
Palit GeForce GTX 560 Ti SONIC Edition @ Neoseeker
Complete Story
HighPoint Launches RocketHybrid HBAsPosted: February 1, 2011 @ time: 05:02PM
Author: CheeseMan42
HighPoint, an industry leader in many hard drive technologies, has launched a new line of host bus adapters, or HBAs. The RocketHybrid HBA series is powered by Marvell HyperDuo technology and SATA 6Gb/s chips. This series of HBA combines solid state and traditional hard drives into a single PCI-E 2.0 card. This combination gives the benefits of both, speed for SSD, and capacity for mechanical drives. Users will be able to plug in one of each drive into the HBA in both internal and external SATA models.
Complete Story
Choiix Launches New Additions to Power Fort SeriesPosted: February 1, 2011 @ time: 05:11PM
Author: bp9801
Choiix has just unveiled its newest addition to its line of products which are aimed at mobile devices. Choiix's new additions are portable power products, namely in the Power Fort series, which are aimed at providing extra power for your smartphone or media player while you are out and about. So long as your device has a micro or mini USB port, you can take advantage of the Choiix Power Fort series. Choiix already has the 10Whrs and 5.5Whrs Power Fort products, and now there are two new products aimed at iPhone/iPod users. The Power Fort Solar iPhone 4 Backpack attaches to your iPhone 4 and provides power via the solar cells on its back. The other new product is the iPower Fort which has aesthetics to match your iPhone or iPod with its aluminum casing. Both products are designed to provide clean power to the device's battery without damaging it upon disconnecting.
Both new Power Fort products are expected to launch before the first half of the year ends though no prices were announced.
Complete Story
No DRM for Dragon Age II, Needs Online Verification Every Few DaysPosted: February 1, 2011 @ time: 05:35PM
Author: bp9801
Dragon Age II is getting closer to release and today BioWare has discussed its DRM strategy for the much anticipated RPG. The Steam version of DA2 will have the usual Steam DRM, but the non-Steam version gets a little interesting. You don't need the disc in your PC to play and there is no limit to how many machines you can install it on, both of which are good features. Each install requires you to log into your EA account and you are only allowed to play the game on five machines inside of 24 hours. What's more is that the game requires online verification every few days, but the details of that are still being worked out. BioWare also pointed out that DA2 does not use SecuROM but has something called Release Control which prevents you from playing the game until it is released, a measure to stop it from being pirated it seems. Once that release date hits, then Release Control will no longer function.
Dragon Age II will release on March 8th for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Complete Story
LG G-Slate Outlined, to Feature 3D Playback and RecordingPosted: February 2, 2011 @ time: 12:30AM
Author: premiumgfx
T-Mobile has released some new information regarding LG's upcoming G-Slate tablet, revealing the new tablet's specifications. The G-Slate will be powered by a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 CPU backed by 32GB of flash memory for storage, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer. Interestingly the tablet will support 3D video recording, thanks to two rear-mounted stereoscopic 1080p video cameras. Additionally, 3D playback will be possible on the tablet's 8.9" display with the use of 3D glasses or via HDMI to another display. One of the two rear cameras will also serve as a 5MP still camera. A front facing 2MP video camera enables easy video chatting. The G-Slate should be available "this spring," although the pricing of the tablet has not been announced.
Complete Story
Hardware Roundup: Wednesday EditionPosted: February 2, 2011 @ time: 05:57AM
Author: Nemo
As sometimes happens, our roundup today contains two reviews covering identical topics which happens to be overclocking the Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti GC video card. It seems as if every component manufacturer is now offering a power supply, whether or not that lies within its normal core component area and today we have units from ADATA and XFX. We also picked up another review on the NZXT Bunker USB lock system. You can gain access to all the articles in our roundup by following the links posted below.
NVIDIA, ARM, Tegra 3, and Beyond @ PC Perspective
Intel Sandy Bridge CPU In-Depth Look At Overclocking, Memory Timings and More @ Madshrimps
NZXT Bunker @ Neoseeker
Zotac IONITX-P-E Mini-ITX Motherboard @ ThinkComputers
Optical Drives
Samsung BD-C6900 3D Blu-Ray Player @ Tweaknews
Power Supplies
ADATA HM-1200 1200W Power Supply @ TweakTown
XFX Pro Series Core Edition Power Supply @ [H]ardOCP
Storage/Hard Drives
Muskin Callisto Deluxe Solid State Drive @ Benchmark Reviews
Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB GC Video Card Overclocked @ TweakTown
Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti GC Overclocking @ [H]ardOCP
The TR Podcast 80: Titanium graphics and Sandy Bridge goes mobile @ Tech Report
Complete Story
OCZ Introduces New ZX Series of Power SuppliesPosted: February 2, 2011 @ time: 02:02PM
Author: bp9801
OCZ is a leading manufacturer of solid state drives and power supplies, so when something new comes from out of its workshop, you know it will be a great performer. As such, OCZ is introducing its newest line of PSUs, the ZX series. The ZX series is designed to deliver high wattage output while being highly efficient so it is no wonder that this series boasts an 80Plus Gold certification. That means these units are going to be reliable for whatever system you want powered. The ZX series is 100% modular which allows you to connect only the cables you need and will help to eliminate excess clutter in your case. The ZX series comes in 850, 1000, and 1250 watt capacities and each one is 92% efficient at a typical load, hence the 80Plus Gold stamp. There is a single +12v rail, multiple connections for CPU, PCI-e, and SATA, 140mm ball-bearing fan, plus active PFC to help maintain stable power no matter what you are doing on your rig. OCZ even claims that each ZX PSU is ready to support three video cards, so there should be no limit on your SLI or Crossfire setup.
The OCZ ZX PSU line is backed by a five year warranty though no information was revealed on a launch date or price point.
Complete Story
Android Market - Now On the InternetPosted: February 2, 2011 @ time: 03:06PM
Author: bp9801
Google had been talking about getting the Android Market available on the Internet, and now it has. The Android Market is now accessible via a computer or any web-connected device and lets you browse the entire Market for any apps you wish. Once you find an app that you want, you purchase it, and then it sends the app to your Android phone over-the-air. You can make a nickname for your phone to make it easier to find, such as if you have multiple phones tied to the same account, or for just general ease of use. Also, Google announced that in-app purchases will soon be a reality as the SDK for that is being released to developers today. Google cites widespread developer interest as the reason for allowing in-app purchases, so it shouldn't be long before microtransactions take hold for apps that wish to have it.
To check out the Android Market on your PC, simply head on over to the store and browse away.
Complete Story
Mionix Updates NAOS 5000 MousePosted: February 2, 2011 @ time: 03:53PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Mionix has announced a software update to its NAOS 5000 gaming mouse, reviewed here by OCC. Version 1.17 offers a few updates, as well as a new feature. The new feature is called angle snapping, and aims to improve the path the mouse takes. Angle snapping can sense the tiny deviations when making vertical and horizontal movements, and corrects them to straighten the path the mouse takes. No predictions about future movement are made, only corrections to past movements. The software updates come in the form of an updated GUI and fixing a bug with 125Hz mode.
Complete Story
Apple and News Corp Launch MagazinePosted: February 2, 2011 @ time: 04:04PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Rupert Murdoch of News Corp has finally brought his magazine, The Daily, to the iPad. This magazine is available only on the iPad, and will combine "the best of traditional journalism" with "the best of contemporary technology." New content will be available every day, and this seems to be a great value for those that still like to get their news from a newspaper. Subscriptions will cost 99 cents per week, or $39.99 per year. It will also feature Facebook and Twitter integration, though your friends won't be able to access all content you share on your page. Team schedules, scores, and news will be available for your favorite sports teams as well. As an added bonus, Verizon will be covering the costs for the first two weeks starting today.
Complete Story
Enermax Launches Aeolus Premium Notebook CoolerPosted: February 2, 2011 @ time: 09:20PM
Author: premiumgfx
Enermax has launched its latest notebook cooler, the Aeolus Premium. This new cooler is made out of brushed aluminium and steel mesh paired with a 250mm fan running between 650 and 850RPM. The fan produces up to 20dB of noise and is also dotted with 15 blue LEDs which can be toggled on or off. The Aeolus Premium notebook cooler is USB-powered and features two USB ports for peripherals, such as a mice and keyboards. Measuring 350x335x45mm (LxWxH) and weighing in at 1.3kg, the cooler supports up to 17" notebooks. The Aeolus Premium notebook cooler will be available next week in black or titanium grey for approximately US$60 (£36.90).
Complete Story
Hardware Roundup: Thursday EditionPosted: February 3, 2011 @ time: 06:21AM
Author: Nemo
If you haven't heard about the problems discovered with Intel's Sandy Bridge chipsets, you probably need to take a moment to brush up on recent news. For the rest of you, we have more information about Asus's and Gigabyte's plans for handling customers' problems along side of a review of the ASUS P8P67 Pro LGA 1155 ATX motherboard. We also picked up a review of the CM Storm Strike Force SF-19 laptop cooler. In storage, there is a review on the LSI MegaRAID 9280-24i4e RAID controller card and a look at Seagate's Barracuda Green 2TB hard drive.
Fractal Design Define XLR @ XSReviews
CM Storm Strike Force SF-19 Laptop Cooler @ Benchmark Reviews
Asus and Gigabyte detail plans for those bitten by 6-series chipset bug @ Tech Report
ASUS P8P67 Pro LGA 1155 ATX Motherboard @ PC Perspective
Logitech G35 Surround Sound Headset @ ThinkComputers
Storage/Hard Drives
LSI MegaRAID 9280-24i4e RAID Controller w/ 24 Crucial RealSSD C300s @ TweakTown
Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB @ Bjorn3D
Palit GeForce GTX 560 Ti Sonic Video Card in SLI @ TweakTown
Complete Story
Battlefield 1943 Canceled for the PCPosted: February 3, 2011 @ time: 01:02PM
Author: bp9801
The Battlefield franchise is one of the most popular FPS series out there with countless iterations released over the years. One of the latest games, Battlefield 1943, was a remix of popular maps from Battlefield 1942 done with a modern game engine. That game was announced for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, and was even released on the two consoles last year. DICE, makers of the Battlefield franchise, kept saying that the PC version was coming and we wouldn't have that long of a wait. Well, now that wait won't end as DICE announced that Battlefield 1943 for the PC has been canceled. Not only that, but Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Onslaught cooperative pack for the PC has been canceled, so PC gamers are dealt a blow. The reason for the cancellations are so DICE can better focus its effort on Battlefield 3, which at this point still has no solid release date. Hopefully with the cancellation of the other PC titles DICE can get it in our hands sometime this year, albeit at our own expense.
Complete Story
CyberPower Announces Sandy Bridge Solution for Affected CustomersPosted: February 3, 2011 @ time: 02:01PM
Author: bp9801
By now, I'm sure everyone is aware of Intel's recall and refund program for the flaw on Sandy Bridge motherboards. There is a degradation problem with the SATA 3Gbps ports on the P67 and H67 motherboards, which means Intel is having to recall all the affected boards and get a replacement out. People have received notices from Newegg and I am sure various other stores, but what about the crowd who bought a rig fully assembled? Well, if you bought it from CyberPower, you are in luck as it has announced its Sandy Bridge Solution program for any of its customers who bought or recently ordered a Sandy Bridge computer.
For customers that have received a computer already, CyberPower is extending the warranty an additional three years (provided the invoice date is between January 9th, 2011 and February 14th, 2011) and will also cover any hardware replacements and shipping charges when the revised motherboards appear in March. If you don't want to partake in that, you can go for the Sandy Bridge Upgrade Solution which will swap your Sandy Bridge system for an Intel Core i7 950 system with 6 or 12GB of RAM and a motherboard from the same manufacturer of your Sandy Bridge one.
For customers who are still awaiting arrival of their new CyberPower system, you can have it shipped as configured and get an extra three year warranty plus the coverage on any new parts and shipping costs. You can also opt for the Upgrade program and leave Sandy Bridge behind for the X58 platform.
The Upgrade Solution will let anyone with a Core i7 2600K, 2600, i5 2500K, 2500, 2400, or 2300 to upgrade to a Core i7 950 processor. If you have 4GB of RAM, you'll be getting 6GB while 8GB on the P67/H67 motherboard will get you 12GB for the X58 motherboard. CyberPower will match up motherboards between brands, so if you have an ASUS P67 board then you will get an ASUS X58 board. Core i5 customers will have to pay the difference between their CPU and the i7 950, while the i7 2600K/2600 customers will get it free of charge. All claims for the upgrade program must be made by February 15th, 2011, so if that appeals to you then contact CyberPower immediately.
Complete Story
Modding Web Show Coming SoonPosted: February 3, 2011 @ time: 05:38PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Case modding is one of the coolest things you can do to your PC, and is sure to make your PC stand out as unique. The guys from Mnpctech are working on a web show that will air on YouTube documenting the build of a water cooled PC from start to finish. The show is called Mod Men, and will be hosted by Bill Owen. Along the way, Bill will give tips on mods, product reviews, and industry perspectives. The show is being described as "American Chopper for Geeks," and you can check out the trailer here.
Complete Story
Multiple Manufacturers Issue Response to Sandy Bridge SituationPosted: February 3, 2011 @ time: 06:02PM
Author: CheeseMan42
The current situation regarding the new Sandy Bridge processors from Intel has been getting a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Several manufacturers of motherboards have released official statements on how they are proceeding with the matter. The affected motherboards feature the Intel 6 Series Express chipsets, with the B2 stepping.
ECS is halting all sales of the affected boards, and is expecting to have the new B3 stepping boards in April. The following ECS models are affected, P67H2-A(1.1), P67H2-A2(1.0), P67H2-A3(1.0), H67H2-M(1.1), and H67H2-M3(1.0). Additionally, there are a number of options for getting new boards. Customers can get a full refund or exchange for a different board. E-mail is the preferred method for contacting ECS on the issue.
Gigabyte is also ceasing the sale of all B2 motherboards. All authorized retailers will accept returns of boards. Gigabyte will also begin selling the new boards starting in April.
MSI has stopped selling the affected boards, and set up a site to facilitate returns and exchanges of boards. Affected units include HM67 gaming notebooks, P67 motherboards, and H67 motherboards. MSI will also provide free 3 day UPS shipping labels for returns and when sending new boards out.
Complete Story
Roccat Prepares Alumic Double-Sided MousepadPosted: February 4, 2011 @ time: 02:50AM
Author: premiumgfx
Roccat is preparing its newest mousepad, the Roccat Alumic. The Alumic features a double-sided design, allowing users to switch between the control and speed sides to suit their style of gaming. The control side has a smoother surface to support quick, sweeping movements where as the speed side is rougher in texture to assist gamers using high-resolution mice. The mousepad also includes four rubber non-slip feet and a gel wrist-pad for comfortable gaming. The Alumic also has an aluminium core to prevent deformation, measures 331x272mm and is 3mm thick. The Roccat Alumic mouspad will be available later this month for approximately US$55 (€39.99)
Complete Story
Hardware Roundup: Friday EditionPosted: February 4, 2011 @ time: 06:25AM
Author: Nemo
It's the end of the week and we're pleased to bring you the latest from around the web. We get another opportunity to check out the NZXT Bunker USB locking device. We also picked up a pair of reviews on memory kits from Patriot and G.Skill. We also have reviews covering the Titan Hati CPU cooler and more which you can find using the links below.
In Win IronClad Case @ Tweaknews
TITAN Hati CPU Cooler @ Neoseeker
NZXT Bunker USB Locking Device @ TweakTown
Patriot Viper Xtreme Division 2 DDR3-1866 8GB Dual Channel Memory Kit @ ThinkComputers
Quick Review: G.Skill Ripjaws-X Series PC3-17066 4GB Kit @ TweakTown
ASRock P67 Extreme6 Motherboard @ Madshrimps
PCPer Podcast #140 @ PC Perspective
Gunnar Optiks Shredder Digital Eyewear @ Benchmark Reviews
Complete Story
Battlefield 3 TeasedPosted: February 4, 2011 @ time: 12:18PM
Author: bp9801
Hot on the heels of announcing the cancellation of Battlefield 1943 for the PC comes this bit of news concerning Battlefield 3. EA has teased some information about Battlefield 3 and what was revealed sounds highly promising. There will be jets, destruction, and 64 player online battles on the PC version. The game makes use of the Frostbite 2 engine, improved version of what's in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, so the environments should be chock full of destructability as you hunt down the other 63 (or 31) players online. EA also says that prone makes a return to the game, something that has been missing in the last few games to bear the Battlefield name. There is also a full-featured single player campaign and a co-op campaign, so hopefully the story works well for both aspects.
Battlefield 3 will be out this fall for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, with more details being revealed at the upcoming Game Developers Conference.
Complete Story
DreamPlug PC Launches, Provides Low-Power Computing in a Small SizePosted: February 4, 2011 @ time: 03:51PM
Author: bp9801
Everyone always wants a computer with tons of power to play the latest and greatest games, but what if you need something a bit more laid back? That is where the DreamPlug comes in, a low-powered PC that attaches directly to a wall outlet to greatly reduce its footprint. The DreamPlug uses a Marvell Sheeva SoC running at 1.2GHz that is paired with 512MB of DDR2 RAM. It won't win any performance contests but then again, this computer is aimed at those who need a remote client for their server or just a streaming device. The DreamPlug runs on Linux and has 2MB of Flash for uboot, plus an integrated 1GB microSD card for some light storage. It features two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port, an SD card slot, audio in/out, optical out, WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The whole thing can be plugged into a wall socket or you can detach the top portion and run a cable between them to provide the power.
The DreamPlug will run you $149 though no mention was made of when it'd be available.
Complete Story
Hardware Roundup: Monday EditionPosted: February 7, 2011 @ time: 06:38AM
Author: Nemo
We begin the new week with a pair of gaming mice from Cooler Master's Storm product lineup. The first offering is the CM Storm Spawn (recently reviewed by OCC here). We also have a chance to check out the CM Storm Inferno (also reviewed by OCC here). Another product being covered by a pair of reviews today is Corsair's SP2500 2.1 speaker system. In video cards, we have a comparison review of the GTX 480 SOC and GTX 580 cards as well as a review of the Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 Vapor-X Edition card.
Thermalright Shaman GPU Cooler @ [H]ardOCP
Victorinox SwissFlash Laser 2GB Pocket Knife with Laser (4.6027.TG2) @ Madshrimps
Dead Space 2 Xbox 360 @ TweakTown
Input Devices
Coolermaster CM Storm Spawn @ XSReviews
CM Storm Spawn Optical Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews
CM Storm Inferno Gaming Mouse @ Bjorn3D
iHome iP41 Rotating Alarm Clock for iPhone & iPod @ Madshrimps
GIGABYTE E350N-USB3 Fusion Benched, Overclocked and Examined @ TweakTown
Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 2.1 Speaker System @ TweakTown
Corsair SP2500 2.1 Speaker System @ Tweaknews
Hitachi XL3000 Desk 3TB USB 2.0 External Drive @ Madshrimps
Lexar Professional 133x 16GB SDHC Card @ Madshrimps
GIGIGABYTE GTX 480 SOC: Faster Than The GTX 580? @ Bjorn3D
Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 Vapor-X Edition @ Neoseeker
Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti GC Overclocking @ [H]ardOCP
Complete Story
Gigabyte Releases Intel 6 Series SATA Check UtilityPosted: February 7, 2011 @ time: 04:40PM
Author: bp9801
By now everyone is aware of the problem affecting Intel 6 Series motherboards and what manufacturers are doing to fix the problem. You may not know if you need to send in your motherboard to be fixed, but how do you find out? Well, if you have a 6 Series motherboard, you can download a handy SATA check utlity to find out for sure. Gigabyte has created the utility and it should prove invaluable for P67 and H67 owners. If you only have a couple SATA devices, then you shouldn't have to send in the board since you can just move the connectors over to the unaffected SATA 3 ports. But if you have multiple devices then the Gigabyte SATA check utility will diagnose whether or not you need to apply for an RMA. Simply download the program and it will tell you if the connected SATA devices are on the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports.
If you don't have any devices connected to the afflicted ports, then the program tells you everything is OK. If you do have something connected to them, then it will tell you to move them over to the SATA 3 ports. However, if you have something connected to the SATA 2 and 3 ports, then the program tells you having devices connected to the SATA 2 ports is not recommended. At this point, you will be able to determine whether or not you need to send in your motherboard, but the Gigabyte program comes in handy to help you determine the proper action. Feel free to download it if you are curious on whether or not your Sandy Bridge motherboard is affected.
Complete Story
BlizzCon Dates AnnouncedPosted: February 7, 2011 @ time: 05:51PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Blizzard has announced the dates for its annual gaming convention, BlizzCon. This year it will be taking over the Anaheim Convention Center on October 21st and 22nd. Tickets will once again be given out using a random lottery system, and prices have yet to be announced. Expect an announcement as it gets closer to the date. Blizzard has made big announcements at BlizzCon in the past, and we can only hope that this year brings more of the same. Be sure to keep an eye out for the lottery if you are interested in going this year.
Complete Story
Sprint's Kyocera Echo - World's First Dual-Touchscreen SmartphonePosted: February 7, 2011 @ time: 08:23PM
Author: bp9801
Sprint held an event today in which it unveiled a very interesting new phone, the Kyocera Echo. What makes the Echo unique is that it features two 3.5" 480x800 touchscreens, making it the world's first dual-touchscreen smartphone. The two screens can combine to form one massive 960x800 resolution, 4.7" screen, or be set up in the laptop-style fashion as seen in the photo. You can even close the device and use just a single screen. The sliding mechanism for the screens is something Kyocera calls a liquid-metal hinge, which it has filed several patents on, and seems to operate smoothly. Powering the whole thing is a 1GHz second-gen Snapdragon processor though no mention was made of how much ROM or RAM. There is 1GB of internal storage plus an included 8GB microSD card in the external slot, though you can expand that with up to a 32GB card. The phone is running Android 2.2 which Kyocera had to extensively customize to utlize the two screens.
There are seven core apps that have reconfigured to use the dual screens, apps like the Internet browser, email, and messaging. You can have a digital keyboard on the bottom screen and have the top screen display what you are typing, or have the browser appear on both screens for a much larger experience, or even have email open on the lower screen and the browser on the top. However, third-party apps use the entire display though Sprint and Kyocera say an SDK is forthcoming so other developers can utlize the dual screens. There is even a dual-screen app manager which is accessed by tapping on both screens simultaneously.
The phone uses Sprint's 3G network instead of the faster 4G WiMax one, but that shouldn't be too much of a hassle for most. There is a five megapixel camera with flash on the rear and you can even record in 720p with it. The Kyocera Echo will be available for $199 after a $100 rebate when it launches in the next few months. Sprint will sell you an extra battery pack and charging dock as well, though Kyocera expects the Echo to hold a charge for over a day with use.
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Enermax Launches NAXN PSU SeriesPosted: February 7, 2011 @ time: 09:36PM
Author: premiumgfx
Enermax today launched its latest power supplies as part of its NAXN series. The NAXN series is targeted at the gaming market and comprises of both modular and non-modular models. All of the new PSUs include Enermax's HeatGuard technology, in which the 120mm PSU fan continues to operate for 30-60 seconds after the unit is turned off. This removes excess heat to prolong the life of the PSU. Other features such as active PFC (Power Factor Correction) and voltage protection circuitry are enabled across the entire series. The NAXN 80+ power supplies are non-modular and will come in 350W ($44), 450W ($49), 500W ($64) and 600W ($74) models, the latter two being 80 PLUS certified. The higher-end NAXN 82+ power supplies will be available in two models, a dual 12V rail 750W and an 850W, both with 80 PLUS Bronze certification. The 750W model will be priced at $134 with the 850W version's pricing still to be announced.
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Hardware Roundup: Tuesday EditionPosted: February 8, 2011 @ time: 06:32AM
Author: Nemo
Today we get the opportunity to check out a trio of power supplies spanning a range of capacities from 560W to 1000W. First up is the Seasonic X Series 560W, a smaller sibling to the Seasonic X Series 760W we reviewed last month. Moving up the capacity scale we have the Sparkle SCC-750AF Gold Class 750W followed by the Xigmatek NRP-MC1002 1000W. OCZ got out of the memory business to focus on solid state drives and today we have a review on its Vertex 2 120GB 3.5-inch SSD. We also have several CPU coolers on tap starting with the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus and Hyper TX3 coolers along with an updated review on the Noctua NH-C14 cooler. We also picked up another review on the Corsair Hydro H70 water cooling kit.
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus and Hyper TX3 CPU Coolers @ Madshrimps
Updated Noctua NH-C14 Lower Noise Heatsink @ Frostytech
Corsair Hydro H70 Water Cooling Kit @ Benchmark Reviews
Ooh Shiny - Why DLC is treating gamers like idiots @ XSReviews
Input Devices
Thermaltake Meka G1 Mechanical Keyboard @ Neoseeker
Operating Systems
Windows 7 Jump Lists Fix and Tricks @ TechSpot
Power Supplies
Seasonic X Series 560W Power Supply @ PC Perspective
Xigmatek NRP-MC1002 1000W Power Supply @ [H]ardOCP
Sparkle SCC-750AF Gold Class 750W Power Supply @ TweakTown
Storage/Hard Drives
Thermaltake's BlacX 5G USB 3.0 docking station @ Tech Report
OCZ Vertex 2 120GB 3.5-inch Solid State Drive @ ThinkComputers
Quick Review: Phosphor World Time Curved E Ink Watch @ TweakTown
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New Sandy Bridge Chipset is ReadyPosted: February 8, 2011 @ time: 03:00PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Intel has recently come under fire due to a flaw in its 6 Series chipset, used for the motherboards supporting the new Sandy Bridge processors. While several manufacturers are accepting returns, exchanges and refunds, Intel has been hard at work to fix the hardware issue at the heart of all this. The SATA ports found on the motherboards would have degraded over time according to Intel. Intel has fixed the problem, and has begun manufacturing the new chips. The chips should begin shipping in mid February, a few weeks earlier than initial estimates.
Joining the ranks of manufacturers that have set up plans to handle the issue, ASUS has set up a site for owners of the products in question. ASUS will be offering replacements on all the motherboards, and encourage customers to return the product to the place of purchase if they don't want an exchange.
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Smartphones Outsold PCs in Last Quarter of 2010Posted: February 8, 2011 @ time: 03:47PM
Author: bp9801
If you ever had any doubt about smartphones replacing a PC, look no further than the latest sales numbers from IDC. The analysis firm shows that smartphones sold 100.9 million units in the fourth quarter of 2010, while there were only 92.1 million PCs sold in that time. Now, that is a record number of PC sales but it is overshadowed by the sheer number of smartphones sold around the holiday season. This is the first quarter ever that smartphones have outsold PCs and with the recent trend, it doesn't seem like PCs can overtake the lead anytime soon. IDC and other firms may have to redo the nomenclature depending on where the smartphone market heads in the next few years, and considering that some of them are as powerful as PCs, I can see why.
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Microsoft Adds H.264 Support to Chrome Via an ExtensionPosted: February 8, 2011 @ time: 05:10PM
Author: bp9801
Google announced last month that its Chrome browser would no longer have H.264 codec support since Google was switching it over to just WebM. Well, Microsoft didn't really like that since H.264 support is built directly into Windows 7, so the folks at Redmond took it upon themselves to make an extension for Chrome that adds H.264 support. In a blog post, Microsoft explains that adding the support back in was as simple as writing an "extension that parses HTML5 pages and replaces Video tags with a call to the Windows Media Player plug-in so that the content can be played in the browser." Basically, you'll just need to grab this extension if you're a Chrome user and then when you try to play a video in the H.264 codec, it'll call up the Windows Media Player plug-in to play it. It sounds like a simple fix but it is just odd seeing it come from Microsoft. In any case, Chrome users can now enjoy H.264 videos once again.
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Sharkoon Unveils Flexi-Drive Accelerate Duo USB 3.0 Flash DrivesPosted: February 9, 2011 @ time: 12:55AM
Author: premiumgfx
Sharkoon has unveiled two new USB 3.0 flash drives as part of its Flexi-Drive Accelerate Duo series. The new series consists of one 32GB model and one 64GB model, both rated to offer data speeds of up to 110MB/s (read) and 70MB/s (write). Sharkoon's internal testing also showed that the drives are capable of sequential data speeds of up to 130.5MB/s and 83.76MB/s for the read and write functions respectively. These two flash drives follow Sharkoon's initial launch of one 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive last December, and offer consumers additional capacity options to meet their data storage requirements. Both drives in the Flexi-Drive Accelerate Duo series weigh in at 16g and measure 72x19x8mm (LxWxH). The 32GB version will retail for approximately $96 (€70) while the larger 64GB model will be priced at $171 (€125).
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Hardware Roundup: Wednesday EditionPosted: February 9, 2011 @ time: 06:55AM
Author: Nemo
The middle of the week finds us with a few enclosures to examine. The trio of cases comes from BitFenix with its Survivor enclosure while Corsair's Graphite Series 600T is also reviewed as is the Galaxis Atlus mid-tower chassis. We also have a pair of CPU coolers from Sunbeamtech and Xigmatek and a host of other reviews you can check out using the links posted below.
BitFenix's Survivor enclosure, take two @ Tech Report
Corsair Graphite Series 600T Case @ ThinkComputers
Galaxis Atlus Mid Tower Chassis @ TweakTown
Sunbeamtech Twister 120 @ XSReviews
Xigmatek Aegir Cooler @ Tweaknews
Input Devices
Razer Naga Epic Mouse and Ironclad Mouse Mat @ OCAU
ASRock Fatal1ty P67 Professional @ OCAU
Corsair CA-HS1NA USB Gaming Headset @ Benchmark Reviews
Storage/Hard Drives
Quick Review: Super Talent USB 3.0 Express RAM Cache Flash Drive @ TweakTown
ADATA Superior Series S102 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive @ Madshrimps
Max5G Active Cooling 3.5 External Enclosure @ Bjorn3D
MSI R6850 Cyclone Power Edition Video Card @ [H]ardOCP
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HP Unveils Several New Devices at 'Think Beyond' webOS EventPosted: February 9, 2011 @ time: 12:52PM
Author: bp9801
HP had sent out notices it would be holding an event today to reveal a new product. Well, that event, the "Think Beyond" webOS event, has unveiled not one but three new products. We have a tablet and then two different smartphones, so HP is certainly catering to everyone with these devices.
First up is the tablet, the HP TouchPad. It features a 9.7" screen with a 1024x768 resolution, which makes it virtually identical to the iPad. Even its 1.6 pound weight and 13.7mm thickness make it a near perfect match for the iPad, so for those expecting a bigger slate to be a little easier to carry, you are still going to have to wait. Powering the TouchPad is a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU, built-in gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, and either 16 or 32GB of internal storage. No mention was made of the RAM for the tablet, but HP promises it has twice the amount of the Pre 2 smartphone (which has 512MB). There are also stereo speakers since HP has worked in its Beats audio engine to deliver some great audio from the TouchPad. There is even a feature called Tap-to-Share which lets you transfer a document, video, or other item between the tablet and an HP phone simply by tapping the two devices together. The TouchPad relies on the cloud, plus HP teased that this is only the first in a line of webOS tablets. The TouchPad runs on webOS and has some nifty new features, like a new email application, a new pop-up notification system, and even the ability to talk to the new Pre 3 phone when both are connected to the Touchstone.
The first new phone is the HP Pre 3, the successor to the Palm Pre 2 that is just about ready to debut. The Pre 3 keeps the same QWERTY slide shape but packs in a wealth of new features, most noticeably a 3.6" 800x480 resolution touchscreen. There is a five megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, plus the ability to shoot HD video and a front-facing camera for video calling. HP has even added in a mobile hotspot feature to the phone. Powering the Pre 3 is a Qualcomm 1.4GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, and HSPA+ and EVDO Rev. A radios so the phone should work all over the world. It'll work with the Touchstone and switch into Exhibition mode when connected, which will display pictures and appointments. Plus, like it was mentioned, will have the ability to talk to the TouchPad tablet when both are connected via the Touchstone, including letting the tablet take phone calls. It will be available with either 8 or 16GB of internal storage.
The other new phone is the HP Veer. It includes a 2.6" 320x400 touchscreen which makes it the smallest phone to run webOS. The Veer packs a 5 megapixel EDoF camera, 8GB of storage, an accelerometer, proximity and light sensors, Touchstone support, and mobile hotspot functionality. It will have an HSPA+ radio while there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7230 CPU running at 800MHz powering it all.
The HP TouchPad and Pre 3 will be available later this summer though no price was mentioned. The HP Veer will be available this spring but once again, no price was mentioned. What was mentioned was that the tablet would be running webOS 3.0 while both phones will run on webOS 2.2.
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Activision Disbands Guitar Hero Franchise, Cancels True Crime: Hong KongPosted: February 9, 2011 @ time: 05:18PM
Author: bp9801
It seems Guitar Hero's run as the premiere music video game has finally come to a close as Activision announced today that it is disbanding the franchise and canceling all future projects. Some may argue that Guitar Hero had been supplanted by rival Rock Band, and the mediocre showing of the previous game can speak to that. Activision decided to disband the team and cancel the upcoming game due to a decline in music game sales, and I feel that Activision's decision to turn every franchise into an annual one is also to blame. Without proper innovation for each release, people can only take so much of a game before it becomes stale. In Guitar Hero's case, the team will no longer exist to try and produce a better game next year. On the cancellation front, the upcoming True Crime: Hong Kong game has also been canceled. The reason for that is so Activision can focus on its current crop of games rather than risk a new one, even trying to revive an older franchise in the case of True Crime. At any rate, it looks like Activision is consolidating its focus for the money makers, namely Call of Duty.
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Win Video Cards From SapphirePosted: February 9, 2011 @ time: 06:49PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Sapphire is giving away three of its video cards in a contest. You can win an HD 6970, HD 6870 VaporX, or a HD 6850 by entering the contest. However, you must be a member of the Sapphire Select Club. In another contest, TweakTown is giving away a complete system in support of the victims of the recent flooding in Australia. The system features parts from Sapphire, Corsair, and Thermaltake among others. Additionally, Gold members of the SSC can get Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam when purchasing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 from the EA Store.
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Cooler Master Unveils New Turbine Master Case FansPosted: February 9, 2011 @ time: 07:09PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Cooler Master has announced a new model of case fans, the Turbine Master. The 120mm fan features Barometric Ball Bearing technology, allowing for longer lifespan and lower noise. The Turbine Master sports a design resembling a turbine engine and features 16 blades that move at 1800RPM. An easy to remove design allows for easy cleaning. The combination of all of the above allow for high airflow and low noise.
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Packard Bell Launches Maestro LED 23" Asymmetrical DisplayPosted: February 9, 2011 @ time: 11:19PM
Author: premiumgfx
Packard Bell may not be the first name that comes to mind when looking for a display, but that hasn't stopped the Taiwan-based manufacturer from launching an interestingly designed high definition monitor. The new 23" display, named the Maestro LED 230, is crafted out of clear plastic and aluminium but most notably features an eye catching asymmetrical stand. Design aside, the Maestro is equipped with a LED-backlit 1920x1080 pixel panel, a 5ms response time and a quoted contrast ratio of 12,000,000:1, although I'd take the latter with a pinch of salt. Packard Bell has taken an environment-friendly approach with this monitor, choosing to exclude mercury and halogen gases in the manufacturing process of the Maestro. The Packard Bell Maestro LED 230 display should be available in May for around US$272 (€199).
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Hardware Roundup: Thursday EditionPosted: February 10, 2011 @ time: 05:56AM
Author: Nemo
We're back again with another review roundup and today we have more CPU coolers for you to check out. First in line are a pair of heat sinks from Noctua with reviews on the NH-C12P and NH-C12P SE14. To add to the mix, we also picked up a review on the Noctua NH-C14 CPU cooler. If you're ready to think about liquid cooling, you can check out the review on the Antec Kühler H2O 620 water cooling system. You may be waiting while Intel works out the kinks in its Sandy Bridge chipset, but you can still check out some of the new boards that support the new processors and we have two in our roundup today.
Noctua NH-C12P and Noctua NH-C12P SE14 CPU Cooler @ Madshrimps
Antec Kühler H2O 620 Water Cooling System @ Benchmark Reviews
Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler @ ThinkComputers
Quick Review: Patriot Viper Xtreme Division 2 PC3-15000 8GB Kit @ TweakTown
Exploring the impact of memory speed on Sandy Bridge performance @ Tech Report
ASUS P8P67 Deluxe (Intel P67 Express) Motherboard @ TweakTown
ASRock Fatal1ty P67 Professional @ Neoseeker
Corsair SP2500 2.1 Speaker Review - Corsair enters another market @ PC Perspective
TweakTown's Aussie Flood Appeal Dream System Built and Tested @ TweakTown
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Thermaltake Level 10 GT Chassis Avalable NowPosted: February 10, 2011 @ time: 05:22PM
Author: Nemo
Thermaltake showcased its new Level 10 GT case at CES last month and OCC was there to check it out. This case is the follow on to the original Level 10 case, a collaborative effort between Thermaltake and BMW Group DesignworksUSA, which was introduced at CES 2010.
Now, Thermaltake is announcing immediate availability of the Level 10 GT chassis. Just to give you a quick run down on the features, the Level 10 GT has unmatched cable management which allows you to properly separate cables and channel them through the grooves strategically placed on the back of the case. For extreme cooling, Level 10 GT features a removable top meshed panel with included true 200mm exhaust fan that can be removed to accommodate up to a 240mm radiator for water cooling systems. The case also is equipped with a hinged side-panel door where 200mm intake fan's power connector automatically disconnects itself without any user intervention. The chassis comes equipped with hot-swappable drive caddies, three 200mm fans with an additional 140mm TurboFan into the back of the Level 10 GT. To top things off, it also features two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports on top as well as an eSATA port with four additional USB 2.0 ports located on the front bezel.
Thermaltake means it when they said 'immediate availability" as the Level 10 GT is available from e-tailers right now at an MSRP of US$269.99.
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CyberPower Builds New System Around Thermaltake Level 10 GTPosted: February 10, 2011 @ time: 05:57PM
Author: CheeseMan42
CyberPower is piling on the release of the new Level 10 GT case from Thermaltake, announcing a new line of desktops to be housed within it. The two new systems, the Gamer Xtreme FTW and Gamer Ultra FTW, are clearly aimed at those consumers that want high powered machines for gaming. The Xtreme is powered by Intel and Nvidia, while the Ultra comes stocked with AMD and ATI. Full specs are listed below. The systems come with a 3-year limited warranty and lifetime phone support. Both will be available for purchase at Newegg, Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers.
Gamer Xtreme FTW
Gamer Ultra FTW
Intel Core i7-960 3.20 GHz
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8 GHz
Intel X58 Motherboard
AMD 870 Motherboard
NVIDIA GTX 560 Ti 2 GB
ATI Radeon HD 5770 1 GB
Liquid Cooling
2 Terabyte SATA 6.0 Gb/s
1 Terabyte SATA 6.0 Gb/s
12X Blu Ray Combo Drive
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit w/ SP1
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Overclockers Set Record in MaxxMemPosted: February 10, 2011 @ time: 06:16PM
Author: CheeseMan42
Corsair has announced that a pair of overclockers, "splmann," aka Roger Tanner, and "Mat", aka Matthias Zronek have broken the record in MaxxMem. Using Corsair Dominator GT memory paired with a Sandy Bridge processor from Intel, they achieved 2711.5 marks, breaking the old record of 2502.4 marks. Pictures of the setup can be found on HWBOT. The memory was pushed to a maximum overclock of 1,148MHz at CL7-7-6-21-1T.
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MSI Launches R6870 Hawk with Propeller Blade TechnologyPosted: February 10, 2011 @ time: 08:41PM
Author: bp9801
MSI is certainly no slouch when it comes to equiping video cards with custom coolers and even custom PCBs. The newest card to get the treatment is the R6870 Hawk, an AMD HD 6870 with a custom cooler that MSI claims delivers 20% more airflow and thus, lower temperatures by up to 21 degrees C. The R6870 Hawk comes with an advanced Twin Frozr III cooler that is the world's first to use propeller blade technology. Compared to a traditional fan, the ones with the propeller blade design increase airflow up to 20% which drops the temperature by as much as 21 degrees. The R6870 Hawk also has an 8+2 phase PWM design to provide plenty of stable power for your overclocking. What's more is that the Hawk also has triple overvoltage functions to allow for even more fun while overclocking. The R6870 Hawk also makes use of Military Class components providing for maximum lifespan and improved efficiency.
There was no mention of when the R6870 Hawk would launch or for how much, but expect that information to be revealed soon.
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In Win Announces BUC CasePosted: February 10, 2011 @ time: 09:47PM
Author: bp9801
Choosing a computer case can be quite an ordeal for some since there are plenty of variables to consider to get the right one for you. In Win is a company to consider for a new case and its latest, the BUC, is sure to to appeal to many. The BUC has a shield logo which is carried on throughout the case, from the SECC steel chassis to the rugged look, the BUC looks set to perform. A key component of the case is its E-Z Swap HDD drive bay that features a lockable door for access to three hard drives without removing the entire side panel. Each drive bay is tool-less so whether you are swapping out the drives or just installing them, you should have no trouble accessing them. There are three external 5.25" drive bays included as well. On the front you will find USB 3.0, USB 2.0, e-SATA, and audio in/out ports to connect any number of devices easily. Internally, you will find three included 120mm fans plus spots for several others so cooling should not be a problem with the In Win BUC.
There was no word on a launch date or pricing for the In Win BUC case, so keep on the lookout for more information.
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EcoMaster Releases LEPA 80 Plus Gold Power SuppliesPosted: February 11, 2011 @ time: 01:04AM
Author: premiumgfx
EcoMaster today released a new line of 80 Plus Gold certified power supplies, which is a US distribution agent for Enermax and LEPA brands. The new series comprises of 500W, 700W and 900W models, allowing users to choose an efficient power supply to meet their computing needs. All models pass the 80 Plus Gold standard and are rated to be up to 93% efficient. Standard features across the series include sleeved, modular cables, a 139mm cooling fan and four 12V rails. The LEPA 80 Plus Gold power supplies will retail at $119, $159 and $189 for the 500W, 700W and 900W models respectively. EcoMaster simultaneously released a lower-end EcoMaster LEPA 850W variant, which features 80 Plus Bronze certification for $139.
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Super Talent Prepares DataGuardian Password-Protected USB DrivesPosted: February 11, 2011 @ time: 01:34AM
Author: premiumgfx
USB flash drives have evolved greatly over the years, overtaking the humble CD-ROM and floppy disk as a portable storage medium. Many people rely on flash drives to transport data, and this new-found convenience has come at a great cost; security. Chances are that your USB flash drives are not protected against unauthorized users or malware attacks. Super Talent is aiming to rectify this problem among flash drive users and is preparing a solution; its upcoming DataGuardian USB flash drive series. The new series is password-protected via an onboard utility, allowing your data to be accessed by you when you need it. The drive also blocks auto-run malware attacks, which are the number one method of distributing viruses on USB flash drives. Chief Operating Officer of Super Talent, CH Lee went on to say:
"We developed the DataGuardian based on input from our customers. Security is a basic need for portable data storage and so is the ability to use it anywhere. The challenge was to make it simple. The DataGuardian does just that".
The DataGuardian series uses a USB 2.0 interface and will be available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB variants.
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Hardware Roundup: Friday EditionPosted: February 11, 2011 @ time: 06:04AM
Author: Nemo
While the problems with Intel's Sandy Bridge motherboard have been fixed, there is still some life left in its predecessor and today we have another look at the Sapphire Pure Black X58 motherboard. We also turned up several mobile-related items today with two tablet-related articles, a mobile charging device from Choiix along with an iPhone GPS app. Also included in our roundup today is a look at the Cooler Master Spawn gaming mouse, the Zalman N-Series Sandforce SSD, a power supply from Super Flower and more.
Input Devices
Cooler Master Storm Spawn 3500 DPI Gaming Mouse @ ThinkComputers
HP's TouchPad – What You Should Know @ ThinkComputers
ChoiiX Power Fort 5.5whrs @ XSReviews
Quick Review: NAVIGON GPS iPhone App @ TweakTown
Tablets of 2011: What to Look For @ TechSpot
Gloss begone @ Tech Report
We take a closer look at Gigabyte's Mini-ITX Fusion mobo @ Tech Report
Sapphire Pure Black X58 @ Neoseeker
Power Supplies
Super Flower Golden Green SF-800P14XE 800W Power Supply @ TweakTown
Storage/Hard Drives
Zalman N-Series Sandforce SSD Tests @ Benchmark Reviews
PCPer Podcast #141 @ PC Perspective
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ARCTIC Announces Freezer 13 PRO CPU CoolerPosted: February 11, 2011 @ time: 07:39PM
Author: bp9801
ARCTIC's Freezer 13 CPU cooler hasn't been out for too long, but that isn't stopping ARCTIC from releasing a new flagship version of it. The ARCTIC Freezer 13 PRO CPU cooler builds on the design of the Freezer 13 by adding a new technology it calls Cross-Blow. What makes the Cross-Blow technology unique is that ARCTIC has added a 50mm PWM fan to the base of the cooler which generates airflow to cool down the Northbridge and other chipset parts. The Freezer 13 PRO can generate up to 300W of cooling capacity which is far more than enough for even the hottest running processors. There are four U-shaped 8mm copper heatpipes on the Freezer 13 PRO that lead up into the aluminum fins. Cooling it all is a 120mm PWM fan that generates 49.7 CFM. The Freezer 13 PRO uses push pins to install on to your motherboard plus ARCTIC has pre-applied some of its MX-4 thermal compound to the base which will make installation that much easier. The cooler is compatible with all Intel and AMD sockets, including Intel's latest 1155 socket.
The ARCTIC Freezer 13 PRO CPU cooler will launch at $54.90 or €39.90. No word on how soon it will launch, but it is covered by a six year warranty.
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Nokia Announces Partnership with Microsoft, Future Phones to Run Windows Phone 7Posted: February 11, 2011 @ time: 08:35PM
Author: bp9801
At Nokia's Capital Markets Day today, it announced something that had been rumored for a little while now. Nokia and Microsoft have announced a partnership, one that will see Nokia using Windows Phone 7 as the primary OS which makes for a dramatic turn of events for the Finnish phone maker. Nokia will also embrace various other Microsoft services, like Bing. What this means for Symbian and MeeGo is not good, as Symbian will basically be abandoned and phased out by year's end for smartphones. Some of the Symbian developers seem interested in moving to Android even. As for MeeGo, Nokia is planning on releasing one product by year's end and having it turn into an experimental platform with a diminished staff. The partnership means that Nokia's strong hardware will be getting the benefit of Microsoft's potentially strong software, though WP7 is still in its infancy and there is no telling how well received it will be later on.
Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop has said that 2011 and 2012 will be "transitional" years for his company and there was no firm date on when we'd all see a Nokia-based Windows Phone 7 device. As for Microsoft, having one of the strongest hardware makers could be highly beneficial but then again, it could scare away other companies depending on how successful Nokia is. At any rate, it is a bit of a gamble for Microsoft and Nokia to join up but if it pays off, the rewards could be huge.
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Thecus N16000Posted: February 13, 2011 @ time: 08:32PM
Author: Nemo
We've been fortunate enough to review a couple of storage devices from Thecus, such as the Thecus N4100PRO NAS Server and the Thecus N3200PRO NAS Server. We found these units quite capable of offering secure storage for workgroups, the SMB market and even homes.
Now Thecus is moving into the enterprise market in a rather big way with the announcement of its 3U rackmount N16000 NAS server. The N16000 offers some serious storage via its 16-bay setup that supports both SATA III and SAS 6G for ultra-fast data transfers. Since this is a enterprise-class storage device, you can expect some serious hardware inside the N16000 and you won't be disappointed. The unit features a 3.06GHz Intel Xeon X3480 processor, an LSI 2008 PCI-e (x8) HBA card and 8GB DDR3 SDRAM. It also features RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 and JBOD support as well as auto-rebuild, dedicated hot spare and online RAID migration/expansion.
All of that is great for keeping your data safe, but to ensure complete access the N16000 also comes equipped with High Availability (HA) which keeps your data safe and within reach at all times by running two parallel NAS. This allows constant synchronization between the two and protects you from even a momentary loss of access.
According to Thecus, you should expect to see the N1600 appear at the end of February with an MSRP of US$5,920.
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Hardware Roundup: Monday EditionPosted: February 14, 2011 @ time: 05:57AM
Author: Nemo
Let's get things started this week with a look at a pair of video cards. The first product up for review is the ASUS GTX560 TI DirectCUII TOP ENGTX560 video card. We follow that up with the MSI Radeon HD 6870 1GB HAWK video card. Also in our roundup today is a hard drive docking station from Zalman, a set of 2.1 3D speakers from Antec's soundscience product line and more.
Quick Review: OCZ Platinum XTE Series PC3-16000 4GB Kit @ TweakTown
Jetway Mini-ITX NC98-525E-LF Motherboard MultiMedia @ Madshrimps
soundscience rockus™ 3D | 2.1 Speaker @ [H]ardOCP
Storage/Hard Drives
Zalman ZM-MH200 Dual HDD Docking Station @ PC Perspective
ASUS ENGTX560 Ti DCII TOP Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews
MSI Radeon HD 6870 1GB HAWK Overclocked Video Card @ TweakTown
The Star Wars Saga Blu-rays - Will The Force Be With Us? @ TweakTown
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Roccat Launches Kulo Gaming HeadsetPosted: February 14, 2011 @ time: 02:09PM
Author: bp9801
Roccat has just announced its newest gaming periphereal, this time in the form of a gaming headset. The Roccat Kulo gaming headset features 40mm drivers with neodymium magnets so your game audio should sound as realistic as possible. It features Mylar membranes for comfort and padded ear-cups to isolate sound, ensuring your game or music is all you hear. It features a noise-filtering microphone on a foldable boom, plus there is an in-line volume control to give you precise control over the audio level. It connects via two 3.5mm jacks to your computer.
The Roccat Kulo gaming headset will be available this April for €59.99.
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text:
Dogged 'Dogs take early River lead
As Batavia and the rest of its Upstate Eight Conference River Division counterparts take a break from league play, the Bulldogs are showing no less intensity.
"Every year, you kind of feel a different dynamic, and every girls wants it more than anything this year," senior point guard Liza Fruendt said. "We're all just very tied together, and it's just a different dynamic. Everyone works so hard every single day, and when you have 11 girls working hard every single day, good things are only going to come out from it."
Batavia carried only eight players on last season's team but still prospered, jumping from 13 victories to 18 while challenging for the UEC River crown until late in the season.
Fruendt and senior post Erin Bayram – best friends since elementary school – pledged to make the most of their final campaign together during summer workouts. Committing to NCAA Division I programs just before the season – Bayram to Boston University, Fruendt to Missouri State – only stoked the urgency.
"Honestly, since we're such a young team, we have fire in our belly," Bayram said. "We want to prove that we're the team to beat, and we just want to go out there every game and have fun and just enjoy."
Batavia has zoomed to a 3-0 start in UEC River play, including its first victory against Geneva since the 2007-08 season.
BC seeks earlier bursts
While Burlington Central enters next week's Dundee-Crown Christmas Tournament with a 9-0 record, the Rockets have had to channel their resilience more often than coach Mark Smith would like.
BC recovered from sluggish starts against Hampshire and Rockford Christian last week, but is hoping to keep cruising behind more even play.
"We're looking for some consistency," Smith said "We're starting off games a little bit slow, and you can't do that at Dundee-Crown. We've got to hopefully learn our lesson."
In addition to the Rockets, who won 27 games and reached a 3A supersectional last season, top competition at Dundee-Crown includes Barrington, Evanston, New Trier and Prospect.
In your face
Natasha Brown's eye-popping rebounding totals haven't been the only constant during Aurora Christian's early-season surge.
Harassing – and fluctuating – defense also has helped the Eagles win seven of their first 10 games entering this week. Aurora Christian has allowed no more than 48 points in its current four-game winning streak.
"The defense is starting to come together again," Eagles coach Jerry Tokars said. "We're usually a pretty strong defensive team. Our defense is once again showing its colors, which is good."
Aurora Christian always has played a combination of defenses under Tokars and continues that trend, showing looks in man-to-man, man-press and zone-press depending on matchups and situations.
– Kevin Druley, email@example.com
Liza Fruendt
Batavia, Sr., G
What she did: Fruendt contributed a career-high 37 points in Monday's 76-53 win against Proviso East at the Oswego Tournament. On Saturday, she opened the tournament with 24 points to help the Bulldogs defeat Naperville Central.
Janie McCloughan
Geneva, Jr., F
What she did: Provided plenty of production inside to give Geneva its first Upstate Eight Conference River Division win. McCloughan tallied a game-high 19 points to boost the Vikings past St. Charles East, 60-38, on Friday.
The Geneva-St. Charles East rivalry is trending away from nail-biters. The Vikings have won comfortably in the past two meetings after the teams split a pair of overtime games during the 2012-13 regular season. Geneva cruised by 22 points at home Friday, and will go for the season sweep when it visits East on Jan. 25.
More about how teams fare in holiday tournament play. It's beginning to look a lot like the middle of the regular season, as brackets come into view more than conference standings, at least in the short-term. Morning tip-offs and hospitality rooms also enter the equation.
That's some mighy fine roundball being played on Rocket Hill, with just one loss between Burlington Central's girls and boys teams with almost two-thirds of December gone.
Many expected a sterling run from the BC girls after last season's breakthrough, but there's something to be said about keeping up appearances, too, especially with a young team.
Sly's excited to see how the Rockets respond in the Dundee-Crown tourney and beyond.


text:
Try a Dell server.
Official Linux support - check
Redundant power supplies - check
Remote LAN console - check
Server-class motherboard with loads of bandwidth - check
Rack-mountable - check
Yeah, a remote LAN console that is atrocious if you want (god forbid) use something other than their toy web-GUI to admin it, buggy as hell (prone to lockups), plus it shares the main ethernet port, making out-of-band management impossible (a right PITA if you lose network at the link level).
I've worked on a mix of DELL, HP, IBM, and Sun hardware, and DELL's were by far the most problematic and difficult to admin, but they were a lot cheaper than the others. I guess you get what you pay for...
Oh, and I thin
If they want networking hardware, linux *ISN'T* the way to go.
Juniper, Cisco, others.... (I dunno anymore but there is I'm sure).
As you said yourself, you get what you pay for. If you buy crap, you'll get crap throughput.
Cisco is crazy overpriced for the throughput you get. A cheap linux server acting as a router can easily beat many cisco devices.
Trying to compete with switches on the other hand is crazy talk.
Layer 2 is switching. Layer 3 is routing.
No matter what the marketing morons say.
That's the classical definition but the meaning is evolving, these days I would say it's more accurate to consider hardware forwarding decisions is switching and software/CPU-based forwarding is routing.
As for the original question, lots of networking kit uses Linux behind the scenes. Checkpoint splat platform is Linux (IPSO is FreeBSD), I think Mcafee Sidewinder is too, Cisco ASA was a Linux kernel with an IOS-like shell stuck on it (not sure about the new ones). Bluecoat SGOS is very Linux-like but not su
Layer 2 is bridging. Layer 3 is routing. Switching used to be doing bridging fast and cheaply using specialized hardware, but if they want to throw in routing features in the same box, that's still fine. And usually the routing in a Layer 3 switch is dumber than the routing in a router, though that's usually deliberate marketing (leaving out BGP so you still get to buy a Real Router.)
2nded, 3rded and 4thed.
The Cisco 800 and 1800 series can easily be replaced with a linux box. The 800 is just a SOHO router and the 1800 has 2 EHWIC slots for various WAN cards.
The 2800, however, has 4 EHWIC Slots, and going up from that you have the 3900, 4500 series and 7200 which do different things. The 3900 has lots of EHWIC Slots, the 4500 is a 10-slot backplane router designed for telco systems (e.g. you want 2 backplane computers, then you want 6 backplane cards with 10, T1 ports apiece and 2 back
On the low-end, you are right. But anywhere that you actually use the features that set a Cisco router apart (enterprise-scale redundancy, failover, etc) you will be glad you bought Cisco. Plus, with dedicated hardware, I can take a failed device, pull the config from backups, drop it on the new device and be back up and running in minutes.
In the sub-$1000 market, there are plenty of better options than Cisco. I'm a big fan of Fortinet; their cloud management features are pretty slick, and their devices off
If they want networking hardware, linux *ISN'T* the way to go.
Juniper, Cisco, others.... (I dunno anymore but there is I'm sure).
As you said yourself, you get what you pay for. If you buy crap, you'll get crap throughput.
Actually, that isn't true at all. Linux can compete toe to toe with Cisco, Juniper, Big Iron, and others. This is specifically why Vyatta [vyatta.com] has so much invested in it. Vyatta has come up with a Linux distro that is designed to replace this proprietary hardware. To boot, Vyatta has scored several major Fortune 500 players. Additionally, OpenBSD [openbsd.org] has routing facilities that are a force to be reckoned with. Several of my clients use Lenovo M71e's with OpenBSD as routers that I built. I replaced the traditional HD with an SSD and bought high-end intel networking boards. Contrary to "conventional" wisdom, these have been near perfectly reliable. They use BGP and IPSEC to interface with my Amazon VPC.
Want to use anymore buzzwords in what you just said.
I do need to look into Vyatta...... but my point is the questioner doesn't know wtf they want. They don't specify. If they want switches. HAHAHAHA. We know thats laughable.
I did forget the BSD's, but thats because I rarely use them. I use linux alot at home and at work, and yes my home router runs linux and so will my new one (which happens to be a Alix board similar to those that were linked in the summary.)
There is also Mikrotik http://www.routerboard.com/ [routerboard.com]
Mikrotik can also run on PC based hardware, so if you have some task that requires a pile of power, you can find the hardware to do it.
http://mikrotik.com/ [mikrotik.com]
If they want networking hardware, linux *ISN'T* the way to go.
That depends on what you want. The most useful part of having Linux on my router is that I can make it do what I want it to do. QOS, firewalling, those just scratch the surface. Someone who knows Linux networking well, or is willing to put a little work into it, can make a router that does virtually anything.
You must not interact with Cisco gear.
The Nexus 7000s run Linux as their Supervisor OSes
The Nexus 5K
Storage platforms
I run a 50/50 mix of Dell and HP Proliant servers. About 30 of each brand. All of these are fairly new, within a few years of age.
By far, the Dells do break down more often. The HPs seem to only lose hot-pluggable hard drives every now and then, but the Dells lose drives, PSUs, cooling fans, RAID controllers and even had a motherboard fail. However, the latest batch of Proliants I bought seem to not be built as good as in the past either. We'll see how well they hold up. It's all Foxconn junk nowadays. The
However I agree with you that a complete server would be a waste of resources for this scenario so it's kind of a m
Or just get a Power Router running Mikrotik OS (Linux based)
http://www.mikrotikrouter.com/ [mikrotikrouter.com]
These look like they would be nice if they would open their drivers so I can build my own kernel and system with special features I want to add. So I'm continuing to look around for an open, big-endian, platform which Linux supports, and for which it is easy to build in a lot of gigabit and up ethernet ports in a small size (1U).
What is the reason for big-endian requirement, you will have hard time finding something that could be called "open platform". Did you look into x86 network appliances? Something like these (other embedded vendors have similar offerings):
http://emea.kontron.com/products/systems+and+platforms/communication+rackmount+servers/ip+network+servers/ip+network+server+nsw1u.html [kontron.com]
http://www.msi.com/product/server/#/?sk=Security%20Board [msi.com]
http://www.ibase.com.tw/2009/fwa8207.html [ibase.com.tw]
http://www.nexcom.com/Products/network-and- [nexcom.com]
Try common of the shelf PC hardware.
We have been running OpenBSD on old AMD dual core MBs for quite some time now. The machines are fitted with an intel quad port GB adapter. but otherwise there completely standard PC's. We have a bunch of these MB's and every component is easily replaceble. We have two identical machines running side by side, so when its time to upgrade, we yank the cables from one box to the other. We have been contemplating to use CARP for failover, but i'm a firm beliver in simple thing
checkpoint, xangati and a bunch of others i've seen use linux. have you even looked?
Of course they haven't. Ask Slashdot is the place for incompetent IT monkeys to get told how to do the basic tasks of their job.
I've looked around widely for what I want. Several companies come close, but each has one or two issues that are show stoppers and they won't budge on them. For example, I want my 16 port gigabit layer 3 v4/v6 switch based on Linux with all open source drivers to be in a 1U form factor, like normal switches are. A multi-core big-endian processor would be a plus.
http://www.vyatta.com/solutions/physical/appliances [slashdot.org]
How about some hardware in the "16 ports in 1U" class machines on which Linux can run and use all parts with only open source drivers? I can make my own customized system to do what I want it to do once there is an open hardware platform to do it on. But that needs to be a company that is not dedicated to pushing their own software. It needs to be a company that is smart enough to make money selling hardware.
I've used Supermicro equipment for years. Their 1U Atom based systems work great for firewalls, routers, or any other kind of Linux network device. Low power, mostly fanless (power supply has a fan), expansion slots, decently priced. You can go up the line to full blown Xeon based systems with all the redundancy you need.
Their support is good also. You get to talk to knowledgeable people who speak English.
Supermicro website [supermicro.com]
Dude said enterprise. Supermicro does not provide enterprise support, they have fine phone support but replacements are slow to arrive and unreliable. Hell their build quality is dodgy at best. (Stuff may not fit identically unit to unit, poorer quality fans, etc) I like them a lot, used them for a 400 server build a couple years back, the cost/value is fantastic, but they are not "enterprise" by any stretch. Just reasonably priced Chinese server gear.
Supermicro does make great stuff. But I haven't found anything they make do be suitable for a network switch. The standard model here is 1U rack space, flash device for the OS (preferably internally removable, like maybe CF or SDHC on the board inside), and 16 gigabit ethernet ports (a couple of them being ten gigabit a plus, and being fiber a plus-plus). Also, a leaner CPU that runs cool, like ARM, MIPS, or PPC, would be great (but this is outside Supermicro's current area of expertise). So we are talk
I have a friend who operates a small ISP in rural Iowa. I believe he's using ImageStream [imagestream.com] routers. Just a quick look at their lineup and I'm guessing that they can cover small to mid size businesses. They claim to be able to replace Cisco 3945 and 7206 routers. I'm not sure about hardware redundancy though.
Pretty most software devices I've seen have either been a rebadged Dell or Supermicro, with the top end running custom cases, and the low end doing whitebox.
In terms of "real" networking kit though, there is a bunch of switches that run linux:
Arista (everything)
Extreme (everything running XOS, which is all current models)
Cisco (everything running IOS XE, the only switch being the 4500-X)
All Juniper devices that run JunOS are FreeBSD, this includes both the EX and QFX switch lines, as well as their SRX firewalls.
Also most of the openflow-aimed switches run Linux, eg http://www.pica8.com/ [pica8.com]
Just as a point of reference, the Juniper Secure Access (SA) switched from BSD to Linux in firmware >= 7.x.
while this is true, theres a fundamental difference between a linux box with a 4-port quad card and say a cisco or juniper with 4 1 gig network ports. The primary purpose of the OS (bsd or linux) on these devices is to:
1) store configuration
2) provide a management interface
3) program asics
if, for example you took a whitebox, shoved two quad-port 1gig network cards in it and installed junos on it, it would be nothing like an srx210 - same port count, even same capabilities, but what you dont have is a bunch
actually this is even true on the general consumer focused firewall/routers you get down the shop for $50. Take the tp-link tl-wr1043nd (http://www.tp-link.com.au/products/details/?categoryid=238&model=TL-WR1043ND) internally its a 6-port switch, entirely asic driven, and programmed from the os (if your running openwrt you can run swconfig and play with the switch config). the switch does vlaning, and everything you expect from a basic switch. So everything layer 2 is done in asics...
One of the ports on
There's plenty of options, but relatively few that an individual might be able to purchase for a pet project or for a small number of prospective clients.
Off the top of my head, Dell offer an OEM scheme [dell.com] whereby they'll rebrand one of their servers with your logo and install your software on it before shipping it out to your customer; another company called NEI [nei.com] will do something similar. I've actually got an NEI box right next to me now - I'm the customer of a company that uses them.
We've had good results with boxes from Penguin Computing. We get boxes with redundant power supplies, redundant NICs, and RAID. We've spent a lot of time qualifying these boxes before deploying them to our customers and currently have a lot of them in the field.
I need to qualify this as our needs may not be yours so their offerings may not be suited to your task.
...but I use Sun Microsystems hardware for this task.
The X2100, X4100 series servers more than meet my needs, and are available on the used market for a song these days.
The lights-out management works great, the rackmount kits and cable management arms are first-class, the hardware is well-made, and they look cool. Heck, they're even certified to run RHEL 5 or so.
Best of all - buying used Sun gear and putting Linux on it pisses off Larry Ellison. What more could you ask for?
Would putting Oracle Linux on it piss off Larry? Since Oracle Linux is rebranded Red Hat Linux. Or does Oracle Linux not support Sparc, even though Red Hat does? That would be too funny.
Or were you talking about putting a non-Oracle Linux, such as either Red Hat itself, or something like Debian or something else? If you put on it BSD flavors like OpenBSD, pFSense or Monowall, that would be like dragging it from its SVR4 roots back to its BSD roots, and would be even funnier.
Not sparc, for Linux I use AMD Opteron Suns. These are very high-quality rackmount PCs.
And I put CentOS on 'em.
That oughta get Larry steaming.
Ok first thing first, I work for ImageStream as the Technical Support manager. So I might have a slightly biased viewpoint when it comes to the place I have been working for the last 16 years... But we have been doing Linux Based networking for the last 14 years.
What the OP wants to do is rather difficult for a few reasons. First, after shipping thousands of Linux based routers I can tell you that redundant power supplies that fit into standard PC hardware have a much higher failure rate than a standard Power Supply. Granted, if you have a failure you still have a functional power supply(which is now working twice as hard and is even more likely to fail).
Second, standard PC hardware just doesn't support multiple redundant components. Sure you can get redundant power supplies, but redundant buses or Cpu's your talking different about a totally different class of hardware(see below).
Third, If you truly have an Enterprise application, and your asking about hardware to support your application you are already in over your head. Sorry it's just the truth. The OP is talking about building a custom solution for a mission critical application and they have to ask on slashdot about hardware solutions. What happens when(not if) the OP has a problem. The real reason that many people buy our(ImageStream's) hardware is for the support. If something doesn't work they don't have try and troubleshoot a strange Pci bus condition or an obscure Linux Kernel issue that you only see when you have +5,000 networking interfaces in a system. It's one thing if your a Google and you want to build something that just doesn't exist like the OpenFlow switches they are using in their Gscale network. But for a normal organization you are going to spend money and time to develop your custom solution and in the end if anything doesn't work, you will spend more time fixing it.
Now if the OP still wants to do this... I would look at an ATCA (AdvancedTCA ) chassis. You can get support for a redundant dual loop back plane, multiple CPU cards, redundant power supplies and in most cases a out of band management module for the chassis. But this is VERY costly hardware. If your not budgeting at least $20k in hardware your likely not going to end-up with anything that had real redundancy.
Current state-of-the-art in off-the-shelf ATCA gear (chassis, switch cards, compute cards, etc.) provides redundant 40-gigabit backplane connectivity on the data fabric. It's available with linux support.
It's telco-grade stuff, so redundant power supplies, redundant fans, redundant networking, redundant shelf management, etc.
You're going to pay for it though.
You don't define precisely what you mean by these things.
* If we're talking about switches, forget it. Cisco does it better and faster, easier to manage, with more robust hardware and a better service plan (limited lifetime warranty on all fixed configuration switches!). A non-Cisco switch doing anything of value on your network is a surefire way to convince me that you are bush league.
* Routers - it really depends. What are you going to do? Just route traffic between LAN interfaces? A Cisco L3-capable
Here is something different to all the other experts.
It is absolutely useless to have redundant hardware, eg: Dual PSUs, Dual CPUs, Dual Motherboards, etc. on the same computer. You will never be able to 100% protect against a hardware failure as they will invariably share hardware to allow the interconnection between the redundant components to occur, it is unlikely to protect from things like a short circuit/power surge which would take out everything until the UPS. Then if a component does fail, to repair it your are going to have to take it offline to restore that redundancy anyway.
You are far better off getting two (or more) completely separate servers, geographically diverse if possible, which uses software to provide redundancy. If one goes down, the other(s) would be powerful enough to handle all the load, and when everything is rosey, it just load balances.
The real world difference is you are looking at a $5000 server with identical specs as a $20,000 but without all the redundant PSUs, etc. but you would be better off buying two $5,000 servers ($10,000 total), set them up to have redundancy of each other (So you truely have two COMPLETELY separate sets in redundant hardware of all components, and geographically separate too if possible), and as a bonus you have twice as much computing power (or scale down power draw when not needed) for when both servers are working. If you need to pull one down for maintenance, you don't need to shut off the whole thing.
If you are into Dual PSUs, etc. equipment in addition to also load balancing/fallover between other servers which also have redundancy, this is pointless because you should have ability to cope with the complete failure of a "redundant" server anyway, for the time it takes to replace the defective part the window that the other server(s) will have a failure in that time is not very high.
The only exception to this is Hard Drives, Hard Drives make sense for redundancy, not just because of their high rate of failure, but the fact that if there is a failure, it is a lot more work to recover from (Whereas other components are just a straight hardware swap) so it is saving extra work in the long run.
For a smaller environment where a small amount of downtime would be acceptable, You can even have a Cold Server, an exactly clone of the Main Server ready to go with all the software setup but powered off until needed if there is fault with the main server, the Cold Server can then be powered on to take over. There is no redundancy or fall over with this, but then again, in a smaller environment, your app might not support any kind of redundancy. With a Cold Server, just turn off the faulty server, switch on the cold server, restore the latest data set, and off you go. Microsoft doesn't require that Cold Servers hold a separate license either.
Yeah, I was wondering where this was going to be in this thread. Linux isn't the right software for a switch because the right hardware doesn't exist. But it's good software for a router. A router is usually a good candidate for duplication and hot failover, as opposed to a switch, so this is perfectly good advice.
In principle I agree with you, but take exception to your dismissal of dual PSUs.
All our servers run affordable dual PSU units, with single backplanes and modular PSU trays. These fit into standard ATX PSU bays so special cases aren't needed. These weren't purchased due to anticipating PSU module failure, but upstream power source failure. We can power down any one UPS in our server room without affecting any servers. Given the reliability of UPSs and the occasional need to move cables, etc, this is a d
However, the company used FreeBSD, not Linux.
Still, it was one of the best routers the company I worked for (100.000+ employees hi-tech company) ever installed. We had mostly Cisco gear, but the FreeBSD-based routers (they used some special motherboards) were a pleasure to admin and came with some service-level routing capabilities as added bonus. Performance was stellar for the time.
These guys make the hardware that $VENDOR rebrands and sells as an appliance.
http://www.nexcom.com/Products/network-and-communication-solutions/mainstream-appliance [nexcom.com]
Go with the cheap router and buy TWO or more.
Deploy using VRRP or other active/standby or active/active configuration.
This probably isn't the right path for the OP, but throwing this out since this is an option that might be suitable for some readers.
More "industrial grade" than "enterprise grade", but if you need a flexible high-slot-count solution you may want to look into PICMG 1.3 (System Host Board) based hardware. Instead of a motherboard with PCIe expansion slots, there is a passive backplane consisiting for a system slot and some number of PCI and/or PCIe slots (anywhere from 1 to 20 depending on the particular bac
Hover over the Products tab. You get choices for the various product line numbers. But this is obscurity for the public market. The marketing director might know exactly what all those numbers mean. But those who are new to this company will not. That's not to say they must not list their products by number somewhere. But I am saying they need to list their products by what functions they do and what problems they solve, so that new customers can go right to the correct pages. Potential customers won
Dont try and beat companies for switching with linux grade equipment - there just isnt a good reason to. I love junos, screenos and ios - they kick arse... I also like what huawei do (they are a little cheaper, but at the switching side, they're very good). I've been doing networking for 15 years as a job and i've been doing linux since '92.
However, im also very VERY keen on linux at the routing side... I've even written my own firewall/routing software for linux. At the layer 3, linux has one advantage cis
The party adjourned to a hot tub, yes. Fully clothed, I might add. -- IBM employee, testifying in California State Supreme Court


text:
Getty Images
It's been difficult to keep track of the various candidates for the Jets G.M. job because, well, there are just too many of them.
There's another one who previously had been unknown.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that former Saints and Dolphins G.M. Randy Mueller was interviewed for the job. He's the third former General Manager to interview, with former Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo and former Broncos G.M. Ted Sundquist also being considered for the job.
Mueller has served as a Senior Executive with the Chargers since 2008. He was considered for the Colts G.M. position in 2012.
Per Mehta, the Jets apparently will not be hiring Mueller, Angelo, or Sundquist.


text:
Today's lesson is about tree training. If you lop off a branch so your gordonia doesn't scratch your car as you back down the drive way, you are tree training. If you're lopping off a few branches every 18 months or so to protect your sea view, you're tree training. If you trim the middle out of your feijoa to open the canopy up, you're tree training. If you trim your bay laurel into a nicely formed ball or clip the buxus into a poodle or your thuja pyrimadalis on to a spiral or your griselinia lucida into a plant wall (commonly referred to as a hedge) then you are tree training. Shaping and bending a tree to your bidding as you would a dog, a child or a vacuum cleaner hose; moulding them to your cast iron will ... that's what training is all about.
In most residential gardens a certain amount of tree training is required and much of it is for practical purposes. To avoid a lot of unnecessary maintenance, plant selection is important in the first place. When you plant trees you need to think long term. It's tempting to plant something fast-growing to form a hedge, for example, but this often ends with a lot of annoying tree work because fast growth doesn't stop just because the tree has reached the perfect height to block out the unsightly view. Fast-growing means left unchecked, your hedge could spoil 90 per cent of the day, casting your section in deep shade. You are often better off planting a more desirable, slower growing species of tree and waiting that little bit longer to gain your privacy.
Another practical training method is espalier, which is a great way to keep trees in a small garden. Instead of being planted in the middle of the garden or in an open orchard, the trees are trained to grow against the sunny side of a wall or fence. Usually fruit trees are favoured but it's not a hard and fast rule. As well as saving space, the wall used for the espalier will provide a thermal mass - more heat - that will improve yields for fruiting trees. Espalier is usually done in regular lines but clever pruning and some long-term planning can produce some interesting diagonal thatched effects, even waves.
Of course plant training is not just practical, it is also for the enjoyment of many a pleasure gardener (with time on their hands). The beautiful art form of bonsai is a classic example of this, being as much a meditation as it is a gardening skill. The aim here is to produce a tree of an almost spiritual dimension, twisted and bound to convey the ultimate beauty in nature, but in miniature. Not only is the foliage clipped and preened but the roots are also regularly and carefully trimmed. The vessel containing the tree is also important. It's usually shallow, making removing the tree relatively easy, and is ornately decorated.
The whole bonsai ensemble has a certain gravitas, a state of affairs that topiary doesn't manage, but topiary doesn't need to. Topiary is often a jolly, laissez-faire embellishment to a garden or patio. Yes, there are the formal academic boxes and balls endlessly repeated one after the other to produce a scene of control in your classical garden. But more contemporary exponents of the art use random shapes to give an eclectic mixture of form and volume. This is abstract topiary. Next time you bust out the hedge-trimmers or the secateurs, perhaps you might want to extend yourself a bit and get creative. You might not be Edward Scissorhands, but good things take time.


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