the performance of AMD Bulldozer CPUs is slower than expected," the article states, and explains that Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 do not support AMD's Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) scheduling feature.
The #2592546 fix solves the problem, according to Microsoft, and boosts the performance of the chip "to the expected performance level". However, as it is a hotfix and not an official patch yet, Microsoft says it may require further testing and only supplies the software upon special request and recommends that it should only be used by those who are "severely affected by this problem".
If that is not the case, the advice is to wait until the next software update is issued. In any case, the hotfix requires an installed Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1).
First tests of the patch reveal a mixed bag of results on AMD's FX-8150 processor. At least those benchmarks suggest that some games will see a slight improvement of performance, while others will decline. The strongest gains are apparently seen in PCMark7 (+14.0 percent) as well as ScienceMark (+10.4 percent).
It's been nearly three weeks since the launch of the iPhone 4S, and in case you think that Sprint and Apple have forgotten about the slow data complaints on the network of the nation's third largest wireless carrier, the answer is no.
Fared Adib, head of product development for Sprint, told CNET on Tuesday that "We're taking the reports of problems from a small number of customers seriously. There's nothing of significance to report yet."
The reason there's nothing to report yet is that Sprint is finding it difficult to reproduce the issue, itself. It's not surprising. We tried several sprint iPhone 4S devices, and none of them exhibited a problem with data speed. They were all consistently close to Verizon's speed (remember that the iPhone 4S does not support WiMax or LTE, so both Sprint amd Verizon have to rely on 3G CDMA).
Given that for once Sprint can't leverage its relatively mature WiMax as a positive for the iPhone 4S, Sprint has relied on the fact that it is the only remaining carrier to continue to offer unlimited, unthrottled data to its subscribers.
While AT&T and Verizon grandfather unlimited data plans in for some, new subscribers have data tiers to deal with. However, both of those carriers will throttle data when users reach a certain percentile of usage.
T-Mobile, on the other hand, advertises unlimited data to all subscribers, but also throttles.
Despite the fact that Sprint says the number of affected iPhone 4S users is still in the single-digit percentage of iPhone 4S users, there is a possibility that the issue will cast a pall on the company. Maribel Lopez, an analyst at Lopez Research said,
"The real issue for Sprint will be how quickly they can repair any perceptions of issues and actual issues. If there is even the lightest perception of a stumble the market will latch on to it and declare Sprint dead."
If you wonder who might want to acquire NVIDIA, one company that also has an interest in that areas is Microsoft. The company has a deal in place with NVIDIA that basically gives the company the right of first refusal on an NVIDIA acquisition if any other company tries to buy it.
In fact, the deal, according to an SEC filing reviewed by Information Week, says that Microsoft has the exclusive right to match any offers by others for 30 percent or more of NVIDIA's outstanding shares. The deal effectively prevents any other company, aside from Microsoft from acquiring NVIDIA, at least if the Redmond-based company so deems it.
In the filing, dated May 27, NVIDIA said:
"Under the agreement, if an individual or corporation makes an offer to purchase shares equal to or greater than 30% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, Microsoft may have first and last rights of refusal to purchase the stock."
NVIDIA makes graphics components for desktops and laptops, but it also makes the Tegra 2 ARM-based system-on-a-chip (SOC), which is appearing in many mobile devices, including tablets such as the Motorola Xoom and LG G-Slate.
Microsoft showed off Windows 8 earlier this week, and the new OS will have the ability to run not just on Intel- and AMD-based computers, but also on ARM-based processors. Also, NVIDIA showed off its Kal-el quad-core SOC, which will ship later this year. Certainly Microsoft wouldn't want some other company to buy NVIDIA and disrupt its tablet plans.
As excited as IW was about the issue, in reality the pact isn't about tablets and NVIDIA, though it certainly protects Microsoft's interests in that area. The deal is more than a decade old. It was negotiated as part of a broader agreement under which Microsoft licensed NVIDIA GPUs for use in Xboxes.
It's apparently still in place, despite the fact that NVIDIA later lost the contract to provide Xbox GPUs to ATI in 2003. ATI was later acquired by AMD, in 2006.
NVIDIA and AMD are competitors in the GPU market, that's no secret, and they have their own competing multi-GPU technologies (SLI and CrossFireX) as well. Until now, NVIDIA has only licensed SLI on Intel motherboards, but that's changed, as of now.
In their blog post, NVIDIA says "You asked for it, you got it: SLI for AMD." They go on to give some history in the matter. There was, as NVIDIA notes, a time when AMD overtook Intel as the gamers' choice for CPUs, but that prominence fell by the wayside as Intel fought back. However, as NVIDIA said,
However, we’ve been recently hearing chants of “SLI for AMD CPUs”, and figured that now is a great time to do it. After all, we want to make sure gamers can benefit from the new CPU competitive landscape and ensure they have NVIDIA SLI – the highest performance, most stable multi-GPU solution - to game on! According to Steam, 93% of all multi-GPU systems in use today use SLI.
So today, we are pleased to announce that SLI has been licensed to the world’s leading motherboard companies for integration onto their upcoming motherboards featuring AMD’s 990FX, 990X and 970 chipsets. ASUS, Gigabyte, ASRock, and MSI are among the first motherboard manufacturers to offer this new capability, with more coming on board shortly.
It's a good time for NVIDIA to do this, in fact. It's no longer in the chipset business, and AMD's Llano and Bulldozer-based processors are said to be competitive with Intel's Sandy Bridge. More choice certainly can't hurt the consumer.
A San Francisco Muni bus driver was caught by a passenger, texting while driving, and then proceeded to be defiant, and to even promise to never pick up that passenger again.
The Muni driver was on the 24-Divisadero line. Shawn Higgins is a jewelry store owner in the Castro who rides the 24 to work daily, and he saw her text messaging at an iPhone in her lap. That sort of behavior is illegal in California for all drivers, more than just public transit workers.
Higgins tried moving across from the driver, so he could record her texting. However, she noticed him and stopped. Instead, Higgins decided to use the bus' rear view mirror to capture the texting action.
[Obviously the video (embedded below) is not crystal clear, given the vibration in the bus. It is clear enough, however, to make out the driver texting.]
Higgins then confronted the driver, and she then pulled the bus over at the intersection of 15th and Castro streets, amd started recording him with her iPhone. She then said,
"I'll never pick you up again a**hole."
Muni Spokesman Paul Rose told KCBS and KTVU that the driver was violating Muni policy (in addition to California law). He added that an operator does not have the authority to decide who they will or will not pick up.
The incident occurred in February, but only on Wednesday was it raised to local media. The driver, who has 9-years of service with Muni, was placed on a 3-day unpaid suspension and has since returned to work.
There comes a time in each parent's life when they have to have "the talk" with their children. Sometimes, this video shows, the talk it not necessarily about the facts of life.
In this case, the video below shows "the talk" about desktop video cards. The foolish son is looking at an NVIDIA card when the video begins, but the father wants him to use an AMD Radeon HD 6990 video card (which has 2 GPUs and super-keen overclocking potential, the video says) instead.
"I thought I raised you better than this," the father says. In addition, don't forget, that "using an inferior graphics card can make you go blind," the video warns.
Interestingly, despite the fact that overclocking is made part of the video, in a "keen" way, the video ends by warning that damage caused by overclocking is not covered by a user's AMD warranty, even if the overclocking is enabled by AMD software.
As expected, at CES Microsoft announced that the next major version of Windows (Windows 8?) will finally support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM-based systems from NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments. Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky was present at the press conference, held a few hours before CEO Steve Ballmer's CES keynote.
It's obvious why Microsoft is finally supporting ARM. ARM processors are well-suited for tablets, and tablets are one of the form factors Microsoft plans to target with the next generation of Windows. Indeed, there will also be an ARM version of Office.
Interestingly, Sinofsky explicitly forbade anyone from video taping portions of the demonstration.
You can read the full press release below:
Microsoft Announces Support of System on a Chip Architectures From Intel, AMD, and ARM for Next Version of Windows
LAS VEGAS — Jan. 5, 2011 — Microsoft Corp. today announced at 2011 International CES that the next version of Windows will support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM-based systems from partners NVIDIA Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. On the x86 architecture, Intel Corporation and AMD continue their work on low-power SoC designs that fully support Windows, including support for native x86 applications. SoC architectures will fuel significant innovation across the hardware spectrum when coupled with the depth and breadth of the Windows platform.
At today’s announcement, Microsoft demonstrated the next version of Windows running on new SoC platforms from Intel running on x86 architecture and from NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments on ARM architecture. The technology demonstration included Windows client support across a range of scenarios, such as hardware-accelerated graphics and media playback, hardware-accelerated Web browsing with the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer, USB device support, printing and other features customers have come to expect from their computing experience. Microsoft Office running natively on ARM was also shown as a demonstration of the potential of Windows platform capabilities on ARM architecture.
Windows will continue its industry-leading support across the widest possible set of devices, delivering the breadth and choice that customers demand. Intel and AMD continue to evolve and improve the x86 platforms, including new low-power systems, and advance new designs such as the recently announced 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processor family and AMD’s Fusion accelerated processing units (APUs). NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are joining Microsoft to provide ARM-based designs for the first time.
“With today’s announcement, we’re showing the flexibility and resiliency of Windows through the power of software and a commitment to world-class engineering. We continue to evolve Windows to deliver the functionality customers demand across the widest variety of hardware platforms and form factors,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft.
SoC architectures consolidate the major components of a computing device onto a single package of silicon. This consolidation enables smaller, thinner devices while reducing the amount of power required for the device, increasing battery life and making possible always-on and always-connected functionality. With support of SoC in the next version of the Windows client, Microsoft is enabling industry partners to design and deliver the widest range of hardware ever.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Silicon Partner Quotes
AMD
“We are entering a new era of computing where HD content and 3-D user interfaces are commonplace, from high-end gaming and content creation to video playback and Web browsing. Together, AMD and Microsoft enable these vivid and engaging PC experiences on x86-based devices, ranging from high-resolution, multidisplay desktops to ultrathin notebooks, netbooks and tablets, and we look forward to a new wave of innovation made possible by Windows and AMD Fusion APUs. Windows and AMD Fusion APUs bring to life outstanding Internet experiences, smooth video playback of HD and 3-D content, and acceleration of popular productivity applications.”
“We are excited by today’s announcement, which marks a significant milestone for ARM and the ARM Partnership, and we look forward to working with Microsoft on the next generation of Windows. Windows combined with the scalability of the low-power ARM architecture, the market expertise of ARM silicon partners and the extensive SoC talent within the broad ARM ecosystem will enable innovative platforms to realize the future of computing, ultimately creating new market opportunities and delivering compelling products to consumers.”
Warren East CEO ARM
Intel Corporation
“Even conservative predictions show billions of devices coming online in the next few years. One need only look at the creation and rapid growth of the netbook category to grasp what an Intel and Microsoft combination can deliver. While still in the future, what is so exciting is how our two companies will be able to match a tailored, low-powered Windows operating system with future generations of our popular Intel® Atom™ processors to deliver unique, PC-like experiences that offer the best battery life, performance and security around.”
Douglas L. Davis Vice President, General Manager, Netbook and Tablet Group Intel
NVIDIA Corp.
“Windows on ARM represents a seismic shift for the computing industry. ARM is already the largest and fastest-growing CPU architecture in the world, and today’s major news of Windows will only accelerate its adoption. We look forward to working with Microsoft to create amazing new computing devices with Windows.”
Jen-Hsun Huang President and Chief Executive Officer NVIDIA
Qualcomm Inc.
“Today signals a significant step forward for the future of computing. We at Qualcomm are excited about continuing our relationship with Microsoft to extend the reach of Windows to more Snapdragon-powered devices, offering high-performance mobile solutions with always-on connectivity.”
Rob Chandhok President, Qualcomm Internet Services President, Qualcomm Innovation Center Inc.
Texas Instruments (TI)
“Texas Instruments (TI) is pleased to collaborate with Microsoft to make Windows on mobile devices a reality. TI has long believed that low power is the fundamental of fundamentals when it comes to mobility, and we look forward to taking our popular OMAP™ platform, with the ideal balance of high performance and low power, into exciting new mobile computing devices.”
Remi El-Ouazzane Vice President and General Manager, OMAP Platform Business Unit TI
Acer held a major media event on Tuesday, in New York City, and among the announcements were some products that surprised just about no one: tablets, tablets, and more tablets. Two of them will be Android and one will be Windows.
There will be two 10.1" tablets, one with Android, and one with Windows. The Windows tablet will launch in February 2011. The Android version will launch in April of 2011. The Android version is described as 13.3mm thick, while the Windows version is 15mm thick.
Acer Windows tablet
Meanwhile, CPU-wise, the Android will sport a dual-core 1GHz processor. It will also have native 1280 x 800 screen resolution and have HDMI and 1080p support. The Windows version will sport an AMD CPU, and a "high resolution display," although the press release did not detail how high that was.
Also launching in April will be a 7" Android tablet. That tablet will have a 1280 x 800 screen, DLNA support, HDMI support, a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm CPU, and Dolby Mobile Technology.
As yet, it is unclear which Android version the Android tablets will ship with, or what pricing will be on any of these.
Acer also announced a cloud-based media-sharing service called Clear.fi. According to the company,
[...] works straight out of the box, automatically detecting the Clear.fi-enabled devices connected to the wireless home network, and then allowing all digital content stored on any of these to be shared seamlessly with the other devices using the Clear.fi media interface.
It's unclear when Clear.fi will launch. You can read the full press release on the new tablets below.
Newegg, one of the largest computer and electronics retailers on the Web, has announced a Black Friday sale that includes the days of Monday - Thursday, and the weekend as well. The company calls the sale "Black November."
Newegg describes the sale as follows:
Why wait until the end of November (meaning, Black Friday) for big savings? At Newegg you'll find category-wide deals on exciting products like PC upgrades, home theater components, electronics and more right now! A new product category will be discounted every day, so come back as often as possible so you don't miss out on these amazing savings. Best of all, you get the best deals without standing in line. Start shopping Newegg today!
Each day, a different "category" of deal will be unveiled. For example, on day one, the first 10 percent off Games (using the BFGAMES code, excludes pre-orders), 15 percent off Gaming accessories (GMACC code, excludes pre-orders), 10 percent off AMD and Intel motherboards (using the BFMB code).
As part of the Black November "Black Friday Every Day" sale, Newegg also has its Shell Shocker deals, which are deals run over time periods (and while supplies last) 3 times a day. For example, Shell Shocker Deal 1 runs (all times Pacific) 00:00 - 9:59, Deal 2 10:00 - 12:59, Deal 3 13:00 - 23:59. Newegg also has its "Daily Deals," much like Amazon.com's GoldBox Daily Deals. Today's Daily Deals fill four web pages of Newegg's website.
Newegg describes the Black November sale as "Black Friday Deals ... all month long." Whether or not they live up to that billing remains to be seen. It's also unclear if when Black Friday, Nov. 26 rolls around, Newegg will swap out its Black November sale for an actual Black Friday event.
Newegg is one of the largest technology retailers. It has attempted to spread to a larger market with the opening of NewEggMall.com, which occurred in 2008.
It's been rumored, and it's true. One of the halcyon brands of the PC video card industry is about to be retired. AMD, which acquired ATI in 2006, and which has maintained the brand for its graphics operations, has decided to kill it.
The reasons appear to be varied, but does include internal research by AMD. While the details of the research were not revealed, the following bullet points were:
1) AMD brand preference triples when the person surveyed is aware of the ATI-AMD merger. 2) The AMD brand is viewed as stronger than ATI when compared to graphics competitors. 3) The Radeon and Fire Pro brands themselves are very high as is.
The company noted that the results were "permission" to consolidate under the AMD brand.
Reportedly, existing products will not be renamed. The first products to carry the "AMD Radeon" label will be introduced later this year.
Research or no, its still sad to see ATI go, though admittedly, we used mostly NVIDIA GPUs in our systems. That said, NVIDIA's missteps with some of its GPUs have given ATI, er, forgive us, AMD, some headway in the graphics business.
To be honest, AMD has a better chance in graphics than currently in processors, where Intel has again taken a significant "lead" in the minds of performance oriented consumers.
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