Extreme

DARPA 'exascale' supercomputer in the works

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will develop an exascale supercomputer, as Moore's Law and conventional computing designs begin hitting a wall, the government agency said Friday.

DARPA's Ubiquitous High Performance Computing (UHPC) program seeks "to create an innovative, revolutionary new generation of computing systems that overcomes the limitations of current evolutionary approach," the agency said in a statement. Companies involved in the project include Intel and Nvidia.

The UHPC program addresses priorities set out by President Obama's "Strategy for American Innovation" to achieve "exascale" and energy-efficient computing, DARPA said. One … Read more

Top-10 ultimate high-end speakers

Sales of ridiculously expensive and absurdly powerful cars are holding steady, and the same can be said for extreme, high-end speakers. Granted, there's no practical reason for the existence of the new 450-horsepower Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 Quattro supercar ($161,000), or a Klipsch P-39F tower speaker ($20,000), but if you can afford them, why not? High-end speakers have one very practical advantage over extreme performance cars; they can provide satisfaction on a daily basis. Few Ferrari and Maserati owners use their flashy wheels as everyday rides, and far fewer are brave enough to drive them anywhere near their top speeds! No, these prized possessions remain stowed in garages most of the time.

Prices listed in this top-10 list are for pairs of speakers, and if these are all out of reach, please don't fret, as the next top-10 speaker list will feature the best sub-$1,000 speakers on the planet. Or check out my "Top-10 must-have audio bargains" list.

I've auditioned many of these ultra-high-end speakers personally, so I can attest that they can take you places everyday speakers never go. … Read more

Cubism

We love a good puzzle game, and Cuber Extreme, though simple in design, definitely delivers. Don't be surprised if this fun and challenging game keeps you playing for way longer than you had intended.

The object of Cuber Extreme is to push colored cubes around a board, matching like colors and types so that the cubes disappear and the board is cleared. The rendering of the board is in a 3D style, and the player is represented by a little person who can walk around the board and push the cubes. The cubes come in different colors and different … Read more

Solid performance

As its name suggests, Extreme Picture Find lets you search for and download Web images. Though it took us a few minutes to find our bearings, this tool performed as promised.

Extreme Picture Find opens with a seemingly plain and straightforward user interface, but it took us a little while to get the hang of things. Menu and navigational commands run across the top of the window, and multiple panels take up the rest of the space. We opted to start by checking out the program's online project database, which included a long list of subjects, ranging from architecture … Read more

Amazon.com has the Motorola SURFboard SB6120 3.0 eXtreme Broadband Cable Modem for $89.99, after $10 savings.

Save $10 on the Motorola SURFboard SB6120 3.0 eXtreme Broadband Cable Modem from Amazon.com >> Regular price is $99.99 >> Sale price is $89.99 >> Savings $10 (10.00%) >> Click here for deal

IBM, Dell, HP adopt Intel 6-core chip for IT, games

Intel officially introduced its 6-core processor on Tuesday and both server and game box suppliers are deploying the chip, boasting more speed for gamers and better cost-efficiency for IT departments.

As previously reported, the Core i7- 980X desktop processor, aka the Xeon 5600 for servers, is based on Intel's newest 32-nanometer process technology. Generally, the smaller the manufacturing process, the better the performance. To date, most Intel processors have used "fatter" 45-nanometer technology. More processing cores--six versus the prior generation's four--can also hike performance.

"We've already shipped hundreds of thousands of these (processors). We build up the supply chain (beforehand)," said Boyd Davis, general manager for Server Platforms Group Marketing at Intel. Prices for the 6-core processors range from $999 for the Core i7 980 to $1,663 for the Xeon 5680.

For server customers, the message from Intel is more bang for the buck. "Eighty percent of the (server) installed base is up for a refresh. And the installed base is a lot of old, inefficient, single-core servers," said Davis.

"Take 15 old single-core servers and replace them with a single server based on the Xeon 5600. You get roughly the same performance level and a 95 percent reduction in energy costs. As well as getting a payback in as little as five months," he said.

Intel has also added security. AES-NI, or Advanced Encryption Standard New Instruction, is a technology for improving security by increasing encryption performance. On older chips, encryption processing could bog down a system, AES is more efficient at handling these workloads, according to Davis.

Dell is one of the first major vendors… Read more

Intel debuts six-core gaming chip

Intel has officially introduced its six-core monster for high-end gaming boxes--its first desktop chip packing that many processing cores.

As previously reported, the Core i7- 980X Extreme Edition processor was introduced at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday.

The chip is based on Intel's newest 32-nanometer process technology. Generally, the smaller the manufacturing process, the better the performance. Most Intel processors still use "fatter" 45-nanometer technology.

Like other Core i series processors, it features Hyper-Threading, which can double the number of tasks--or threads--a processor can execute. The technology, which is not offered on prior-generation … Read more

Intel to debut 6-core gaming chip

Intel is expected to introduce a 6-core processor designed to crunch through the most 3D-intensive games in the coming weeks.

The first glimpses of the chip running 3D-intensive games such as Napoleon: Total War could happen at the 2010 Game Developer's Conference next week, according to industry sources. The official roll-out of Intel's 6-core "Westmere" processors, however, is expected later this month.

The Core i7-980X is distinguished primarily by being Intel's first 6-core "Extreme Edition" processor based on the chipmaker's cutting-edge 32-nanometer process technology. Generally, the smaller the manufacturing process, the more … Read more

A tank combat classic is now on the iPhone

Vector Tanks Extreme is a tank combat game that is obviously inspired by the classic stand-up arcade game Battlezone. In the original you used two joysticks to move your tank, with one controlling the left track and the other controlling the right. In Vector Tanks Extreme you use up and down motions on either side of the screen to simulate the two-joystick control method, and touch the middle of the screen to fire your weapons. As you blow away tanks, you'll find powerups that give you new weapons, add to your shield supply, and give you rapid-fire guns for … Read more