IBM introduces their new Power 575 supercomputer using the POWER6 processor and hydro cluster water cooling technology to achieve record speeds up to 5 GHz. According to IBM it is equipped with “448 processor cores per rack offers users nearly five times the performance and more than three times the energy efficiency of its predecessor.”
The N96 is the latest ‘multimedia computer’ offering from Nokia, set to be released in Q3 2008. The mobile phone is designed to be more video oriented with a huge 16GB of internal memory and a 2.8” screen. Other highlighted features includes an integrated DVB-H receiver to receive live video broadcasts in certain markets, WLAN, HSDPA, Carl Zeiss lens 5 megapixel digital camera, a kickstand for video watching and A-GPS. The estimated retail price is 550€. link
US spy satellite USA 193 was launched on December 14, 2006 but malfunctioned shortly after being placed in orbit. In January the satellite was reported to have lost orbit and falling back to Earth. This prompted the US government to form a plan to destroy the satellite with a missile due to the 1000lbs of toxic hydrazine fuel stored onboard.
The USS Lake Erie will fire a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) missile at the satellite 130 miles above the Earth. The impacts of the two objects colliding will hopefully destroy the target. link: 1, 2
UPDATE: US Department of Defense confirms that on February 20, 2008 at approximately 10:26PM EST the SM-3 missile was launched and hit the satellite USA 193. link
HP has recently launched the new iPAQ 210 Enterprise PDA at the pricey MSRP of $449USD. The unit is equipped with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6, Marvell PXA310 624MHz processor, 128MB SDRAM, 256MB flash ROM, SDIO & CF expansion slots, 4 inch transflective VGA resolution display, 802.11b/g wifi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a high capacity 2200mAh lithium ion battery. link
The recent fall of HD-DVD:
Feb 11, 2008: Netflix, Citing a Clear Signal From the Industry, Will Carry High-Def DVDs Only in Blu-ray Format
Feb 11, 2008: Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray as the Customer’s Digital Format Choice
Feb 15, 2008: Wal-Mart Moving Exclusively Toward Blu-ray Format Movies and Players
Feb 19, 2008: Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses
The Shadow Robot Company has developed an unique robotic hand which can mimic human hand movements. Using 40 air muscles and integrated sensors the hand is sensitive enough to handle fragile objects and accurately perform tasks. The dimensions of the hand are that of an average human male. link
The Tesla Roadster runs only on electricity but can accelerate 0-60 in about 4 seconds, has a 248 hp electric motor with a top speed of over 130 mph and has a range of 250 miles on a single charge. The 2008 base model starts at $92,000 USD. link