Finally getting the street cred that its creators have so long desired, the multi-platform, distributed computing network known as is to be recognized by Guinness World Records. According to the group, the network is now the most powerful distributed computing cluster in the world. The system, which utilizes the power of more than 670,000 PS3s, PCs, and lawnmower motors to crunch data, has overall computational capabilities greater than a petaflop (which is a ton of flops). The linked consoles tackle a number of tasks, and scientists harnessing the network’s power are able to study complex medical problems — such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s — much more quickly. Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and head of the Folding@home project says, “Without them [the Folding@Home users] we would not be able to make the advancements we have made in our studies of several different diseases.” Now that Guinness has recognized the system, it can proudly stand next to luminaries such as the man with the longest fingernails, and fastest land animal.
Posted Oct 31st 2007 7:57PM by
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Posted Oct 31st 2007 5:45PM by
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We had a hunch that this between wouldn’t just fade away into the sunset, and sure enough, HP is on the receiving end of the latest scuffle. Most recently, Acer has filed patent counterclaims in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin and with the US International Trade Commission, alleging that HP “infringed on patents related to personal computers, servers and peripheral devices.” Unfortunately, that’s about the extent of it, but Acer did go on to state that it would “take all necessary steps to protect and enforce its patented technologies.” If the gloves weren’t already off, we’d say they are now.
There’s nothing fun about wearing a medical device on your person 24/7, so Belgian nanotech specialist IMEC is trying to minimize the discomfort of those folks with heart conditions who require constant monitoring. Still several years away from a commercial release, the company’s flexible, wireless patch — also capable of serving as a dedicated heart rate monitor — sends ECG or EMG (muscular) data in a continuous stream to either a PC or data logger for later downloading. The 175mAh battery is said to last an entire day in regular mode or several days when collecting only heartbeat data, a boon to the active lifestyle crowd for which this product is intended.
Posted Oct 31st 2007 3:26PM by
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You’ve already heard our ; we won’t go over that again. You know all the ; we’re not going to rehash them here. This is just a quick heads up that today is your last chance to contribute to the on , as well as a gentle reminder that we’re still far from our goal. Forty-nine generous souls have banded together to donate almost $6,800 as of this writing, funding a variety of projects that will impact over one thousand disadvantaged public school children. But our goal is $25,000, meaning that as it stands, thousands of additional students will go without the critical technology they need to start life on an even playing field. Please, do whatever you can to help this worthy cause reach as many young lives as possible. Thanks for your time, and your selflessness.
Update: The challenge has been extended by 24 hours, although we’re sure you’ll be rushing to click the link below anyway…
Been looking for a PMP that really snaps out of the mold and lightly dances into the realm of the truly daring… and your heart? Feast your eyes on the Shenzhen Shibang New Age Technology S1808 (no kidding), a brand new player that comes across like some retro-future, steampunk-meets-Gundam sidearm from the year 4000. The PMP is housed in a leather-esque casing with an ornate, shielded speaker — which certainly wins it a few points for originality. In reality, the player is nothing special, featuring a 1.8-inch, 160 x 120 screen, storage capacities ranging from 128MB to 2GB, an optional FM radio, and playback of a few of your favorite formats, like WAV, ASF, MP3, and WMA. Oh, yeah — it also has a place to attach a lanyard. No word on price or availability, or what kind of alien robot it transforms into.
Posted Oct 31st 2007 6:35PM by
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