IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (Techradar) 10/06/2012

Explained: Nvidia Kepler GeForce GPU architecture explained

Nvidia Kepler GeForce GPU explained

High above the sun-baked streets of San Francisco, in a hotel bar - which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Emperor's throne room on the unfinished Death Star - I find myself talking to a vice president at Nvidia (who shall remain nameless).
When challenged that Kepler was essentially just a die-shrink of the Fermi architecture, his reaction was not the one I expected. The amount of alcohol imbibed by us both may have had something to do with the vehemence with which he countered the argument. Suffice to say, he referred to the previous generation in less than glowing terms - derogatory terms that probably shouldn't find their way onto a site as innocent or polite as TechRadar.
He's right though; while there are definite similarities to the last Nvidia graphics technology, Kepler is still a different beast to Fermi, and is much more than just the actual hardware too. But lets cover that die-shrink first.

Why it would be a travesty if Nvidia's Kepler didn't make it into desktop PCs

Like AMD, Nvidia has taken the plunge and chosen a 28nm production process for this generation of its graphics cards. That means that, compared with the GTX 580, this new GTX 680 can achieve a far smaller die size and still manage to cram in more transistors than ever before.
We're talking about the GTX 680's GK104 GPU as a 295mm2 chip, compared with the 520mm2 GF110 in the GTX 580. That's a smaller chip than the GTX 560, with another 500 million transistors more than the GTX 580. It's also a far smaller chip than AMD's 28nm Tahiti GPU at 352mm2, although AMD is claiming to have packed over an extra billion transistors into its top-end chip.
From those simple figures, you could easily infer that the Nvidia architecture is considerably less power-hungry than either its predecessor or the competition, and you'd be right. The GTX 680 is actually a sub-200w card, operating at its base clock of 1,006MHz at 195W under full load, while the GTX 580 and HD 7970 are 244W and 230W cards respectively.

So many shaders...

Epic's purdy Samaritan demo shows what the GTX 680 can do

Those numbers might look impressive on the surface, but what's actually going on inside and why are we now talking about a GPU's base clock as if it were a CPU?
Despite the ever-bombastic Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford referring to it as 'a simulation CPU' because of the advanced PhysX and Apex effects, this is still very much a gamer's GPU. But Nvidia has taken more than a leaf out of Intel's book - more on that later.
First of all, let's take a look at the make up of the GK104 GPU. Like Fermi, the Kepler GPU is made up of multiple CUDA cores jammed into multiple Streaming Microprocessors (SMs). These SMs act like simple processors, each concurrently taking on an action, making for impressive parallelism a cornerstone of GP-GPU computing.
But these are no longer called plain ol' SMs. Oh no, they're now called SMXs, which by today's nomenclature probably stands for Streaming Microprocessor Xtreme. But compared with the old SMs of the Fermi days, they could easily be deemed 'Xtreme'.
Previously each contained a total of 32 CUDA cores; in Kepler that figure stands at a whopping 192. Even with half the SM blocks of the GTX 580, you're still looking at 1,536 CUDA cores/shaders spread out over 8 SMXs.
Nvidia is claiming a 2x improvement in terms of performance/watt compared with the GTX 580. That figure seems a little conservative considering the GTX 680 comes with three times the CUDA cores, but while they are physically identical to the cores in the Fermi architecture, they are clocked much slower. In fact, they're half as fast because Nvidia has decided not to have a separate shader clock (which has historically been set twice as fast as the GPU clock). Instead we have one solitary base clock covering everything.

Boostin'

And there it is again - that base clock. For every Kepler-based graphics card we're now going to be quoting two separate frequencies; one is the base clock and the second is the Boost clock.
Nvidia has been totally honest and admitted that it copied the idea from Intel - that it's "standing on the shoulders of a great company," as Drew Henry, general manager of GeForce's desktop unit puts it. So we now have Turbo Boost for GPUs - the snappily titled GPU Boost.
In previous GPU generations, the final clockspeed was determined by the worst-case scenario of the application power usage, which meant typically taking the most power-hungry app around and setting the clockspeed to match that power draw. But the draw on the GPU varies massively between different programs. Just taking Fermi as an example, the power required for apps could vary by as much as 50 per cent, so on lower-powered apps there's a lot of GPU headroom not being used.
GPU Boost analyses the amount of power an application is using and boosts the GPU frequency with the amount of extra headroom it has at its disposal. It's also completely application independent - you won't need a new Kepler profile when a game gets released to take advantage of GPU Boost - it's all based on measurements coming directly from the GPU's sensors in real time. Kepler can dynamically alter its clock and voltage every 100ms; essentially every few frames the GPU has a decision to make on clocks and voltage settings.
Since this is just the first generation of GPU Boost, you can expect that to be done more quickly over time. This auto-overclocking doesn't mean an end for traditional overclocking though. "GPU Boost is like overclocking's little buddy… our GTX 680 is a monster overclocker," says Tom Petersen, Nvidia's director of technical marketing.
Each of Nvidia's partner card manufacturers has been given all the API goodness with which to prepare its own overclocking apps, so far we've had chance to try EVGA's Precision tool. There are two sliders, one for altering the base clock and another for allowing the GPU to use extra power - up to just over 260W. GPU Boost will still work when you've slammed both those sliders to the maximum too. You can see just how far in the GTX 680 review.
Just as interesting is the frame rate targeting. You can set the software to target a particular frame rate. This is only used to set a target, not to force the GPU to overclock to get there, but if you give the GPU the frequency headroom and the capability to draw as much power as it can then it will push the clocks up to ensure it hits your specific frame rate.
This is arguably more interesting at the mid-range than the high-end. The prospect of being able to tell your £200 card to hit 30 frames per second in all games will give even the least savvy PC gamer console-like performance with minimal effort. It's a tantalising prospect and shows that Nvidia is really focusing this release on the gamer, not the GPU compute all-rounder that Fermi had been touted as.

Explained: How to study for university courses with the iTunes U app

How to study with the iTunes U app

Don't be ashamed if you've never used or even heard of iTunes U. It's a rare and acquired taste. While it might not be as flashy as app and music downloads, iTunes U is nevertheless an important tool for universities and their students.
In its incarnation as an app, it's also far more appealing to everyday iTunes users with inquiring minds.
iTunes U isn't a new service: it was announced in 2007 as a way for educational institutions to share content to their students and the world at large. Beginning with major universities such as Harvard and Yale, a wide range of courses are made available through iTunes U as audio and video files on the iTunes Store.
Many of these can be subscribed to so users receive the latest classes as they are released. Courses available on iTunes U range from arts and literature to science and technology, and are the exact same lectures given to enrolled students at universities worldwide.
This means, despite the fact you won't end up with a BA, MA or any other form of official educational certificate, you have the option to study an entire university course of your choosing with just an iTunes Store account as your gateway to entry. So, if you fancy yourself as a total swot or just want to learn about a topic that interests you, iTunes has long been a great place to head.
iTunes U has its own section on the iTunes Store and allows you to search by university or a specific topic. And while there are plenty of deep and challenging courses on offer, there are a number of foundation courses too, so all education and experience levels are catered for.
iTunes U 1

Since the initial fanfare at the launch of iTunes U, little has been mentioned of it in releases from Apple or in the press. But it has quietly continued introducing new content and new universities over the past few years. iTunes U now boasts a roster of more than a thousand universities and colleges, offering more than 500,000 audio and video files. And according to Eddy Cue (Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services), iTunes U has seen 700 million downloads in the four years it has been around.
Essentially a series of educational podcasts, any educational body can set up an iTunes U page for free and share courses with anyone wishing to download the content, which is also free.

Old dog, new tricks

You would be forgiven for missing the announcement regarding iTunes U at Apple's January press event that (among other educational topics) primarily concerned iBooks textbooks. The mention was brief and the launch not as spectacular as the complete and free book-authoring platform, iBooks Author, but the new, free iTunes U app is certainly worth investigating.
Rather than having to download and organise iTunes U courses through iTunes (which you can still do if you prefer) the iTunes U app now does much of the work for you - and more besides.
Its key difference, by comparison to accessing iTunes U via iTunes, is how the information is sorted and delivered. Downloading a course through iTunes U is now like downloading an app within an app. Whereas you once had to sync lectures to your iPod, iPhone or iPad and search the web for related course materials and further reading, you can now access courses and materials right from your iOS device.
The app is designed, as with Apple's iBooks and Newsstand apps, around a wooden bookshelf, and offers the same search and download experience as these apps, but for educational content. Courses within the iTunes U app are broken up into assignments such as passages to read, lectures to watch or tests to take, and now follow a more structured path with the emphasis on learning.
As well as lectures, iTunes U gives access to additional course materials such as books, links and apps. In effect, you get almost all the benefits of university learning without the debt.
Accessing a course is now as simple as tapping on the Catalog button in the iTunes U app and selecting a topic that interests you. The preview of a course provides an overview of its key concepts, the option to subscribe for free as well as a list of the materials that will be required.
Unfortunately, there are still a number of courses on the iTunes U catalog that are yet to be optimised for the app and therefore only offer individual lecture downloads and not materials or subscriptions. They can still be used with the iTunes U app, however, and most will likely see updates as the new format catches on.
Once you're subscribed, the course appears in your iTunes U library with a badge on its cover to show how many posts are currently available within it. The badge number changes as you complete stages or when new stages become available.
Inside each course you download is a textbook-style layout that includes tabs for different elements of the course. Tapping on the Info tab, for example, will provide you with an overview of the course, information on the instructor as well as a complete course outline. The university providing the content sets the structure of the course and also links to the materials required to complete it.
More often than not, these are simply audio or video files but, on occasion, additional reading is required, so links to website and PDF files are also included under the Posts and Materials tabs within the iTunes U app's interface.
These additional materials can also mean that a course isn't entirely free. For example, on occasion you may be pointed toward a book download from iBooks or even apps in some cases. Most of the time, however, the materials are free.

Course sections

The meat of a course is found under the Posts tab, with one post being an individual section of the course. Each post focuses on a specific topic and normally includes a video or audio lecture, additional reading, listening or viewing and a test that recaps what you've learned.
Unlike using iTunes U through iTunes, materials such as lectures and PDF documents aren't downloaded automatically, so you will need to add them as you go by tapping the download button for each.
There is, however, an option on the Settings menu under the Materials tab that enables you to turn automatic downloads on. It's also worth bearing in mind that, with most courses offering several lecture video or audio files, an iTunes U course will take up a lot of space on your iPad. If this is this case, materials you no longer need can be deleted by tapping the trash can that appears when you press the Info (i) button next to a material's description under the Posts or Materials tabs.
You also have the option to stream audio and video lectures by tapping on them rather than downloading them. Each element within a post has a checkbox next to it, so you can mark the parts of the course you have completed before moving on to the next to keep track of your progress. As you read through books for the course in iBooks, you can also highlight and bookmark sections of interest that then appear in the iTunes U Notes tab for future reference.
Within the Notes tab you can also add general notes or make additional notes on the book sections you have highlighted. This feature not only makes it easier to organise your learning but also helps you to study more efficiently by bringing all of your notes and important highlights together in one location.

More to come

While only six universities (that had early access to the iTunes U app) currently offer courses compatible with the new format, there are already hundreds that users can choose from. And without doubt, there are plenty more on the horizon. It's also likely that those institutions with standard iTunes U content already available will update their materials to work better with the iTunes U app.
This revamp of iTunes U is a testament to Apple's dedication to improving education and provides benefit to both students and others by not only offering access to world-class lectures but also the resources you need to completely follow the course and learn the topic. Now that downloading iTunes U courses isn't just about listening to or watching lectures, a new world of engagement has been created for those who may have tried and failed to learn with iTunes U before.
Those without the time or funds to attend university can now enjoy a great deal of its benefits from the screen of their iPad. And while you can't put the results of your iTunes U learning on your CV, the knowledge you gain is no less important.
You also don't get support from tutors or receive graded feedback with iTunes U but, for the amount of content available at no charge, the no-feedback-no-fees education isn't something to be sniffed at.
While Apple is just as keen to promote the benefits of iTunes U to universities and students, those who want to study to further their understanding of a given topic will find it a remarkably handy resource. For prospective students and school leavers, iTunes U can be a great help when selecting courses or extending an existing education, as it allows a route to learn and research a topic or prepare for a course without financial restraints.

iTunes U for all

So is iTunes U a hidden gem? While it was an impressive service already, the upgraded iTunes U is a one-stop educational shop for not only students and educators but the general public too.
Whether you want to top up your knowledge, learn a new skill or find out more about a course you are interested in, iTunes U is the perfect place to do just that, and its outlet through a dedicated app only enhances the experience.

Review: iTwin

There are a number of ways to make files on one PC available on another. There's cloud-based software such as Dropbox, which uploads files in a special server onto the internet, then downloads them onto another computer. Any new files, and any changes you've made to the files, are then mirrored across the internet.
There are also hardware options, such as having a network storage device (NAS) that is essentially an external hard drive that is connected to the internet. Your PC uses it as it would a normal hard drive, but you can access the files you store on it from any internet connected PC.
The iTwin takes a different approach. At first glance it appears to be a double sided USB drive, but it's slightly more advanced than that. You begin by plugging one end into your PC. While plugged in, the iTwin software needs to be installed. After that you can access the 'iTwin Local Files' as if it was an installed drive on your PC, dragging and dropping files that you want to access on another PC.
Then comes the interesting bit - you detach one half of the iTwin and plug it into another PC. Once the iTwin software is installed, you can see all the files you've added to the 'iTwin Local Files' folder on the other PC. You can then drag files from the iTwin onto your other PC, and copy files from the new PC onto the iTwin. Any changes are then replicated on the original PC.
It's a fast, easy and intuitive process that works really well. A nice touch is that if you delete a file from the iTwin, on the original PC you are notified, so you can prevent it from being lost. There's added security as well, since only the two parts of the iTwin that are paired with each other can see the files.

Verdict

The combination of physical protection along with the simplicity of the software makes the iTwin an excellent device for syncing files and folders between PCs.

Huawei launches Activia 4G LTE in US through MetroPCS

Huawei is finally launching its first LTE capable smartphone in the U.S. through prepaid carrier MetroPCS.
The Activia 4G isn't the most impressive LTE debut for Huawei, equipped with an 800MHz processor and 3.5-inch 320 x 480 display.
It also sports both a 5 megapixel rear camera and front-facing VGA camera, runs on Android 2.3 and includes a 4GB microSD card.

Price makes the difference

The most notable feature though is its price - selling for $149 after a $50 rebate through MetroPCS without a contract.
The LG Connect 4G is the closest competitor to the Activia 4G in terms of price and costs $100 more.
"MetroPCS is committed to providing customers with advanced, flexible and affordable smartphone options through its no-annual contract services, and is the ideal partner for Huawei's entrance into a new era for smartphones and handsets," said Huawei USA Executive Vice President Michael Chuang.
Even though the Huawei Activia 4G can't compete with other LTE handsets on its specs, the price makes it an attractive offer for those looking for a prepaid 4G smartphone.

20-somethings drive demand for cloud services, SMS integration

It shouldn't come as a surprise, but a poll by tyntec and YouGov found that young adults in the U.S. are the main source of demand for emerging technologies such as cloud-based mobile services.
In addition, two thirds of "millenials" are interested in using tablet computers as phones and SMS integration in social networks.
So young people like new technology, apparently. But millennials are also reportedly the biggest consumer group in history, accounting for 25 percent of the U.S. population and $200 billion in spending power.
The poll queried more than 1,000 U.S. residents aged 18 and up. Among millennials, 64 percent own a smartphone, while only 29 percent of those 55 and older have one.
SMS is by leaps and bounds the most popular feature in the 18-24 group, used by 81 percent of mobile users. Only eight percent of respondents said they access their email from their mobile devices.
Of the 18-24 year-olds, two thirds are interested in using tablets and other devices (iPods, etc.) as phones.

NEW TEXT MESSAGE: You've been poked

Mobile access to social networks, predictably, proved most popular among 18-24 year-olds, with nearly 70 percent regularly using their mobile devices to check social sites.
In comparison, 37 percent of 25-34 year-olds and 53 percent of 35-44 year-olds said the same.
All age groups reportedly expressed openness to or flat-out interest in text messages being integrated with social networks, including receiving profile updates, posts, tweets, and direct messages via SMS.

Is texting better than sex?

Millennials revealed that they're loathe to give up texting, with 71 percent admitting that they'd rather give up alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, exercise, or a toothbrush for a week than lose texting for a year.
But only 12 percent said the same about sex - i.e., they'd rather give up texting for a year than give up sex for a week.
Maybe their significant others were reading this over their shoulders.
"This survey validates that consumers are pushing the envelope to leverage text and mobile in innovative ways to communicate and reach their social networks," said tyntec CEO Michael Kowalzik.
Also, that young adults enjoy sex.

Young adults drive demand for cloud services, social network SMS integration

NEW TEXT MESSAGE: You've been poked

Is texting better than sex?

Tactus demonstrates physical button technology for touchscreens

Touchscreen keyboards could start feeling more like physical keyboards, as Tactus Technology makes its first demonstration for dynamic raised buttons on a touchscreen interface.
Tactus says it uses microfluidic technology to cause physical buttons to rise on the screen when needed, and then recede when no longer in use.
As an example, pulling up a virtual keyboard would cause bumps to form over the QWERTY keys.
The technology can be used for more than just keyboards though, as the dynamic display could allow any virtual button can become a physical one.
YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4eh-Cn3Pzk&feature=player_embedded
Buttons can form in any shape, height, or firmness that the software specifies, with Tactus demonstrating circular domed buttons as well as flat square ones.
The new screen technology won't add any extra bulk to devices since it "replaces a layer of the already existing display stack."
Touchscreens are typically made from display, touch interface, and cover lens layers, with the third layer replaced by a cover capable of dynamic physical buttons.

Ready for demonstration

While this all sounds like sci-fi future tech, Tactus recently performed its first public demonstration of its screen technology at Display Week 2012 in Boston.
The demonstration was done on a prototype Android tablet through a partnership with capacitive multi-touch screen manufacturer Touch Revolution.
Though no devices are announced to use the technology, Tactus is pursuing everything from smartphones, tablets, and e-readers to remote controls, medical devices, and car displays.
There are still many major questions about the Tactus displays in need of answers, such as how easily can developers write software to support it and how it will impact device battery life.
Tactus is hoping we'll be able to get our hands on devices using its screen technology by the middle of 2013, paving the way for the bumpy future of mobile devices.

Oracle enters cloud, CEO Larry Ellison joins Twitter to taunt competitor

Oracle announced this week that the company's comprehensive suite of enterprise applications for businesses will be heading to the cloud, and to celebrate, Larry Ellison joined the more than 600 million people using Twitter.
His first tweet? Why, a jab at competitor SAP, of course.
"Oracle's got 100+ enterprise applications live in the #cloud today," Ellison wrote in his Twitter debut. "SAP's got nothin' but SuccessFactors until 2020."
Oracle spokespeople confirmed that the Twitter account aptly known as @larryellison does indeed belong to Ellison.
But whether it's being run by the man himself or an assistant, that certainly sounds like something he'd say.
And the message has not fallen on deaf ears - in two days, Ellison's amassed more than 25,000 followers. The number jumped by 25 in the last hour.
And that's with only one tweet.

"The most comprehensive Cloud on Earth"

Oracle's cloud strategy involves plenty of boasting, as the press release sent out earlier this week credits Ellison as saying, "We are now announcing the most comprehensive Cloud on the planet Earth."
"Most cloud vendors only have niche assets," Ellison continued.
"They don't have platforms to extend. Oracle is the only vendor that offers a complete suite of modern, socially-enabled applications, all based on a standards-based platform."
Oracle's cloud services focus on platform building (database, Java, web, mobile applications, etc.), application services (financials, human resources, recruiting, sales and marketing, customer service) and social networking and analyzation of social services.
The Oracle cloud platform is meant to be a totally comprehensive suite of tools and applications to enable business "to speed time to market and lower costs," according to the press release.
Like any good cloud, Oracle's will enable customers to move seamlessly between desktop and mobile apps.

"Larry's crystal ball is cloudy"

Ellison's signature confidence seems unshaken by Oracle's recent legal problems, including a potentially devastating loss in a copyright case against Google, and allegations from HP that Oracle owes billions for a breach of contract.
But SAP said in a statement that Ellison's taunt reveals his insecurity.
"As usual, you can tell who Oracle is most worried about by the competitors they criticize most. In this case, Larry's crystal ball is cloudy," the statement said.
"SAP's strategy offers customers a long-term road map of innovation without disruption.
"Oracle customers face a difficult upgrade challenge with Fusion, and we invite them to see who can provide the most business value for their investment."

MacBook Air design patent could spell trouble for Ultrabooks

If you're a manufacturer planning to ape Apple's popular MacBook Air design, you might want to reconsider copying the notebook's unique wedge shape.
That's because a new U.S. patent, D661,296, was issued this week, which allows Apple to stake claim to the swanky design, and they've got detailed drawings to prove it.
Manufacturers making Intel-powered Ultrabooks have routinely "borrowed" from the playbook of Apple's MacBook Air, and with good reason - since being overhauled in late 2010 and dropping in price, the teardrop-shaped computers have been flying off the shelves.

A wedge between competitors

Judging from Apple drawings revealed this week, competitors will have to stay on their toes to avoid raising the ire of the company's patent lawyers.
Copycat Ultrabooks don't only have the unique wedge shape to fear: Certain types of hinges, feet or even the shape of the back could still fall victim to the wide-ranging patent.
The real question is, will Apple use its newfound design patent as a club in the same way they've done with rival smartphone makers? Time will tell.

Available Tags:Nvidia , GeForce , GPU , 4G , Oracle , CEO , Twitter , MacBook ,

Sunday, June 10, 2012

IT News Head Lines (Techradar) 10/06/2012

Nvidia Kepler GeForce GPU explained

So many shaders...

Boostin'

How to study with the iTunes U app

Old dog, new tricks

Course sections

More to come

iTunes U for all

Verdict

Price makes the difference

NEW TEXT MESSAGE: You've been poked

Is texting better than sex?

NEW TEXT MESSAGE: You've been poked

Is texting better than sex?

Ready for demonstration

"The most comprehensive Cloud on Earth"

"Larry's crystal ball is cloudy"

A wedge between competitors

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