Torvalds: Linux ready to go green
The infrastructure and tools required to make Linux a green operating system are now in place, according to Linus Torvalds, who was in Melbourne this week attending Australia’s largest Linux conference.
In an interview at the linux.conf.au conference, Torvalds admitted that Linux was lagging behind on power-management and energy-diagnosis tools.
“It is an area we were pretty weak in a few years ago and just building up the infrastructure took a long time, but now we are at a point where we have most of it done,” said Torvalds.
“That doesn’t mean we are done. Now we have an infrastructure in place… we have the tools to measure power and notice when the power is higher and why that is, which is pretty important. Before, it used to be a black box,” said Torvalds.
Linux safe with or without Linus
Speaking about the future of Linux, Torvalds said he is pleased that there is no more pressure on the kernel due to its stability and the community of people helping to keep it maintained.
“We are still working on a lot of stuff, especially with new hardware. But I think, on the whole, a lot of the basics are there. What we work on is better maintainability, improving code so we can add features more easily,” Torvalds said.
When asked about retirement, Torvalds said he has no intention to move on and, even if he did, users would be “unlikely to notice”, as the operating system has such a strong support community.
“The question comes up but it is not something I really worry about. There are other people who could take over what I do. I would like to think that they would be worse at it, but it is not like [Linux] would go away or be in trouble,” said Torvalds.
Celebrating the death of DRM music
Torvalds also revealed he is glad to see the apparent demise of music protected by digital rights management (DRM). In an interview last year, Torvalds said he believed DRM was a “lot of hot air”, a comment that he said has now been proved right.
“I think I have been vindicated somewhat. DRM is so anti-consumer that I don’t see it really ever taking off,” said Torvalds.
Torvalds’ comments come just weeks after Sony BMG said it will begin selling music without any copy protection. EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal have also already begun dropping DRM in the US.
by zdnet
Reference: Linux is a a family of Unix-like computer operating systems that are based on the Linux kernel. The Linux kernel is implemented in so called Linux distributions that can be used on a personal computer or on a server. Examples of such distributions are Ubuntu or PCLinuxOS.
Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development; typically all underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone.
The name “Linux” comes from the Linux kernel, started in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. The system’s utilities and libraries usually come from the GNU operating system, started in 1983 by Richard Stallman. The GNU contribution is the reason for the alternative name GNU/Linux.
Today in a surprise announcement in New York City, Garmin whipped out the nuvifone, a full-fledged GSM HSDPA smartphone built on its own operating system with GPS navigation at its core—but e-mail and web browsing close to its heart, and a camera built in too. No pricing or carrier announcement has been made yet, though its likeliest compatible network is AT&T given the technology. (When T-Mobile launches HSDPA, it too will be suitable, and possibly more attractive than AT&T.)
Features include:
• Google local search
• Garmin Online services - traffic, weather, fuel prices, hotel discounts, etc.
• nuvi-like navigation on the road or in pedestrian mode
• Email, text, IM functions
• Camera, video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC
Garmin is promising to deliver it in the 3rd quarter, and says that while the PND market isn’t dying, the cellphone is clearly a ripe opportunity. Only one problem, as quipster and NPD analyst Ross Rubin pointed out: “Hello and Welcome to nuvifone!” Damn, now I’ll never get that voice out of my head. Have a look at all those pictures and the official press release below.
Garmin n vifone Takes Personal Navigation and Communication to the Next Level
New York/January 30, 2008/PR Newswire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) and the world’s leading GPS manufacturer, today announced its entrance into the mobile phone market with the n vifone, an all-in-one, sleek and slim, touchscreen device that combines a premium phone, mobile web-browser, and cutting-edge personal navigator. The n vifone is a work of art in features, design and functionality and is destined to transform how individuals connect, communicate and navigate their life.
“The n vifone is an all-in-one device offering unmatched integration of utility and function in a single mobile device,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for — a single device that does it all.”
The n vifone is an innovative mobile phone that has a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device is the first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device. When powered on, the 3.5-inch touchscreen display reveals three primary icons — “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map” which allow the user to effortlessly master the n vifone’s functions.
The n vifone is the ultimate multi-tasker. Calls are easily initiated by tapping the “Call” button and selecting a name from the contact list or by using the on-screen keypad. When the user is trying to juggle talking on their phone while entering their vehicle to start a trip, the n vifone makes the transition simple. When the n vifone is docked onto the vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling so that the user never misses a beat in the conversation and is able to begin routing to their destination with ease.
Customers familiar with Garmin’s industry leading n vi product line will feel right at home using the n vifone’s personal navigation features. It includes preloaded maps of North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or both, and allows drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment’s name or search for a destination by category using the n vifone’s built-in database with millions of points of interest. Turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions guide the user to their destination. If they miss a turn along the route, n vifone automatically recalculates a route and gets them back on track, speaking the names of the streets along the way.
The n vifone is Garmin’s first device to include Google local search capability, which harnesses the vast point of interest information available from the world wide web. N vifone users can search for locations like “coffee shops” and Google will sort the results based on the user’s current location and relevance. Information provided by Google includes a web-based rating so that users can select the most appropriate destination and route directly to it. In addition, the n vifone includes a web browser incorporating premium features and touchscreen operation for an optimum mobile browsing experience. The n vifone also includes personal messaging functions, including email, text, and instant messaging.
For the ultimate in safety, the “Where am I?” feature lets users touch the screen at any time to display the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. The n vifone also helps drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or crowded parking lot by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount.
In addition to navigation, the n vifone includes access to Garmin Online , an online service offering constantly-updating information such as real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts.
The n vifone also includes numerous mobile entertainment applications. The built-in camera allows individuals to take a picture that will automatically be tagged with the exact latitude and longitude reference of where the image was taken. The user may then save the image so they can navigate back to the location, or email the image to a recipient who can navigate directly to the location. The n vifone also provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google’s Panoramio picture sharing site. The Panoramio photo search feature enhances the enjoyment and adventure of sightseeing in an otherwise unfamiliar location. Other multimedia functions of the n vifone include a built-in video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC.
Garmin anticipates that the n vifone will be available in the third quarter of 2008. Specific details about pricing and sales partners will be announced in the future. Additional information about n vifone is available at www.garmin.com/nuvifone.
by gizmodo
We know, it’s not like the nuvifone is a total surprise any longer, but just in case you tend to rest easier after digesting information straight from the source, here goes. Garmin’s recently (and abruptly) announced handset obviously marks the firm’s first solo foray into the cellphone arena, and according to Cliff Pemble, the firm’s president and COO, it’s the “breakthrough product that cellphone and GPS users around the world have been longing for.” That being said, the unit will feature a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a trio of primary icons — Call, Search and View Map — along with an internet browser, HSDPA support and preloaded maps of North America and / or Eastern and Western Europe. Furthermore, it houses “millions” of POIs, doles out turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions and becomes Garmin’s first device to include Google’s local search capability. As for pricing and availability? We’re looking at a Q3 2008 release, but we’ll have to wait things out before finding out a price and who exactly will be carrying it. Check out the gallery below for shots of the device and its UI, and head on past the break for lots more dirt.
by engadget
A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and could hit the Earth in late February or March, government officials said Saturday.
The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret.
“Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation,” said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the situation after it was disclosed by other officials. “Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause.”
He would not comment on whether it is possible for the satellite to be perhaps shot down by a missile. He said it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics at this time.
A senior government official said that lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.
Such an uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of U.S. secrets, said John Pike, a defense and intelligence expert. Spy satellites typically are disposed of through a controlled re-entry into the ocean so that no one else can access the spacecraft, he said.
Pike also said it’s not likely the threat from the satellite could be eliminated by shooting it down with a missile, because that would create debris that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground.
Pike, director of the defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, estimated that the spacecraft weighs about 20,000 pounds and is the size of a small bus. He said the satellite would create 10 times less debris than the Columbia space shuttle crash in 2003.
As for possible hazardous material in the spacecraft, Pike said it might contain beryllium, a light metal with a high melting point that is used in the defense and aerospace industries. Breathing beryllium can lead to chronic, incurable respiratory problems.
Jeffrey Richelson, a senior fellow with the National Security Archive, said the spacecraft likely is a photo reconnaissance satellite. Such eyes in the sky are used to gather visual information from space about adversarial governments and terror groups, including construction at suspected nuclear sites or militant training camps. The satellites also can be used to survey damage from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.
The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was Skylab, the 78-ton abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979. Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia.
In 2000, NASA engineers successfully directed a safe de-orbit of the 17-ton Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, using rockets aboard the satellite to bring it down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.
In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound science satellite smacked into the Earth’s atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would plummet.
by Associated Press
Charles Baldwin, a retired environmental-health engineer, explains his role in developing the biohazard symbol, which is now showing up everywhere.
I was working with the Dow Chemical company at the time, in 1966, developing containment systems for the Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. And it became obvious to us that there were a lot of different so-called warning symbols in the various laboratories that we visited, but there was no standardization. We saw a need for this kind of a symbol and proceeded to develop some symbols with the help of the Dow marketing people — the package-design department, I think it was called. The only parameters that I set down for them to noodle through were, it had to be unique and something that would be striking enough that it would be remembered. We wanted something that was memorable but meaningless, so we could educate people as to what it means.
”We tested the sample symbols across the country — the marketing department had survey groups to test different labels for Dow products. There were half a dozen of our original symbols in this survey of 24 different symbols. The rest were recognizable, like the peanut man for Planter’s peanuts, the Texaco star, the Shell Oil symbol, the Red Cross and the swastika. They were asked to look at them and then asked to guess at what each one meant. The biohazard symbol got the fewest guesses. Then we went back one week later to the same set of people and the same set of symbols, plus 36 more common ones, and asked them which of these did they remember the best. And they picked out the biohazard symbol.
”The color was blaze orange, one of the colors chosen in Arctic exploration as being the most visible under the most conditions. It was three-sided because if it were on a box containing biohazardous material and the box was moved around, transported, it might wind up in different positions. Another thing — we needed something that was easily stenciled.
”The next major step was presenting it to the scientific community. I did that by writing a paper in the journal Science. The next was to get the authorization from the various people that would be using it. As soon as it was adopted by the Centers for Disease Control, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institutes of Health, that’s pretty good acceptance. And that was it.
”Every time I go into the doctor’s office or the dentist’s office or a hospital anywhere, I’ve always got my eye out for it. Naturally, I’m proud of the fact that I was able to come up with something, or direct a program that evolved into this symbol that’s so widely recognized, so helpful. But I ran into a peculiar situation one time a couple years ago when someone was putting on a seminar on biohazards. As gifts for the participants, he devised a beautiful tie with little biohazard symbols all over it. This got me upset, and I sent him kind of a nasty letter saying this symbol was not designed to be used sartorially.”
by NY Times
Reference: A biological hazard or biohazard is an organism, or substance derived from an organism, that poses a threat to (primarily) human health. This can include medical waste, samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can impact human health. It can also include substances harmful to animals. The term and its associated symbol is generally used as a warning, so that those potentially exposed to the substances will know to take precautions. There is also a biohazard HCS/WHMIS logo which utilizes the same symbol.
EDITOR’S VIEW: The PlayStation 3 Rebirth
It has endured a horrible introduction to the world, but PlayStation 3 has survived. Now it’s set to prosper. Next-Gen’s editor-in-chief Colin Campbell explains…
The thing about brands? They’re all about reputation. And PlayStation’s reputation has taken a beating.
We need not go into detail here, but it’s sufficient to make the point that Sony’s dominance is over forever and its survival in the game industry at all has seemed, at times, less than certain.
Many brands would not have lived through the ignominious introduction of PlayStation 3.
But the PlayStation brand and the Sony brand have survived. They have clung on. They are still here. And now they are going to come back into play. The battle against Xbox 360 (let’s leave Wii aside for now) is not over. In fact, it’s only just beginning. And PlayStation will be the ultimate winner, although what that actually means is something I reckon is worth analyzing in its own right.
Here’s why PlayStation 3’s fortunes are turning.
PlayStation has, rightly, been losing because its software line-up is not as compelling as Xbox 360.
If you look at the best games of the last year, Xbox 360 had a better year of it than PlayStation 3. Next-Gen placed four platform-exclusives from both consoles in our end-of-year top 30, but the Xbox 360 games’ average position was 10th while the PS3’s was 19th. The former had two games in the top ten; the latter had none.
However, a look at the big games for 2008 offers some promise for PS3. Apart from Metal Gear, Tekken 6, GT5 and the Final Fantasies we have two good FPS games in Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 and, perhaps most crucially, two delightful mainstream offerings in SingStar and Little Big Planet. Xbox 360 has a good line-up too, but it’s no better and, you could argue, a bit less thrilling, than its blue-chip 2007 offerings.
Microsoft has been fighting its console battle according to the tried and trusted rules of an age when consoles were largely sold based on their merits, chief among which was their games library. And it’s done very well. But PlayStation’s software offering is in the ascendancy and, anyway (here comes a heresy) sometimes it really isn’t about the software. “What?” – you splutter with incandescent bellicosity. “Not about the software? You sir, are a buffoon and a scoundrel.” Wait. Hear me out.
BLU-RAY
This is the real nub of the hardware war. It always was. For Sony, it has proven a dreadful disadvantage these past two years. It will prove the company’s most fearsome weapon in 2009 and onwards, and it will begin to make a difference in 2008.
The decision to go with Blu-ray as PS3’s drive was simultaneously a bad decision and a good one. It was bad because it hiked the price of the hardware. It was bad because it caused technology challenges and delays. It was bad because no consumers – none – were asking for it. It was bad because it looked like the company was trying to use its leverage in the game business to further its bigger picture ends.
It was good because Blu-ray is going to emerge as the winning platform in the war against HD-DVD. It was good because millions of people will be upgrading to hi-def over the next five years. It was good because a significant percentage of them will make PS3 a central part of that upgrade process.
For Jack Tretton and his pals at Sony, 2008 has begun with the sun shining and the birds singing – Las Vegas style. At CES Warner quit HD-DVD; the HD-DVD booth was way quieter than the neighboring Blu-ray booth. The consumer electronics zeitgeist declared the war over and Blu-ray the victor.
It’s not the end of the war, but it is the beginning of the end, and Blu-ray is the one going forwards. The end of this foolish war will usher in a period of growth triggered by consumers relieved that they can make a purchase and not get screwed by this dim-witted squabble.
Consumers are replacing their TV sets with high-def flat-screens. They will also replace their DVD players with Blu-ray players. They will seek the machine that is noted for its quality; the one that is future-proof; the one with the trust-worthy brand name; the one that, wow, also plays games. They will invest in PlayStation.
So is it all over for Xbox 360? No, the sales numbers are still in that platform’s favor. But sales numbers change quickly. I’m going to predict that, at some point in 2008, Xbox 360 will enjoy its last ever month outselling PlayStation 3. It will be Blu-ray, not Metal Gear Solid, that makes this happen.
PRICE
Up until this point, Xbox 360 has represented the best value. No longer. PS3 is $50 more expensive than Xbox 360 but you get a bigger hard drive, you get a Blu-ray drive and you get to play online for free. It is becoming extremely difficult to argue the case that Xbox 360 is better value than PS3.
In fact, Microsoft is the one most under pressure to cut price. Its paid-for system on Xbox Live looks wholly unsustainable and its lack of a Blu-ray drive is not compensated by that $50 differential (we don’t count the Arcade Pack – does anyone?).
It may be that Microsoft will cut its price to sustain its lead, but two can play at that game (PlayStation 3’s manufacturing costs are dropping substantially) and, anyway, market-share is not as valuable as it once was, certainly not valuable enough to persuade Microsoft to take a big loss on its hardware so far into the console’s life.
BRAND
PlayStation 3, as a model, looks, to me like a pregnant platypus. But some people see beauty in its lines. (I think all the hardware boxes this generation are pug-ugly, but that’s a different point.)
For many people, it looks like a tres-moderne piece of under-the-telly technology. And, what‘s more, it carries the Sony logo and the PlayStation logo. For those of us entrenched in the biz, both these brands carry baggage. But for them out there – the Year 3 Console Adopters, the people who bought a DVD player after the Millennium – these are brands to trust. They speak of sophistication and quality.
I don’t even posit this as an argument against Microsoft or Nintendo, simply as a point about Sony and its relationship with consumers. Sony still means something to billions of people, and so does PlayStation.
HOME
Will PlayStation Home make a difference? When I saw it a year ago, I was convinced that this piece of software would play a major role in the console wars. I still believe it has a touch of genius, the common touch, to take virtual living out of the machismo ghettoes of Xbox Live or the vacant loonyness of Second Life. If it works, it’s an amazing thing.
So, for the first time, Sony is holding some decent cards, even if its chip-stack has been eroded these past few years. It should go on to rack up a hardware base that rivals and then overtakes Xbox 360.
All the above looks like some sort of prediction that PlayStation 3 is going to “win” the hardware wars. It really isn’t, because winning doesn’t mean what it used to mean.
This hardware cycle has confounded most of what we thought we knew about the console games market. We used to believe that there would always be an ultra-dominant console and a distant second-place. We used to believe that third place was no-where. It was once a central belief that games consoles ought not try and be something else; that convergent devices were anathema.
Those things don’t seem to hold any longer. All three console manufacturers are in a strong position to take a win from this generation; simultaneously.
There was a time when “winning” meant creating a big enough share that third parties would work exclusively with the publisher, thereby guaranteeing the growth of that share. Those days are gone. That fight is no longer relevant. Third-parties no longer see value in exclusives. Hell; there’s almost an argument for first-parties to tickle their rivals with certain game releases.
Now, each company must win or lose according to its own criteria.
Nintendo will sell more hardware units than anyone else, and it’ll make a heap of money. In pure numbers on the ground terms, Wii may well win.
But this isn’t a big win for the game industry as a whole, because Nintendo takes such a huge percentage of the software market. Even with today’s massive installed base, we don’t believe Nintendo’s third-party partners can sell much more than 500,000 units of any game in first three months on sale (in either North America or Europe), whereas Nintendo games can and do sell millions.
Microsoft has broken into the games console club and, crucially, created itself a solid reputation as an entertainment brand. It has a larger installed base than PS3 and will continue to enjoy that lead for many, many months to come. Xbox 360 is also going to be a player – albeit not the dominant one – in the emerging entertainment download hub revolution. Crazily, Microsoft might actually make some money from its console adventure. That’s got to be a win even if it sells fewer consoles than its rivals.
PlayStation 3 won’t repeat the successes of the previous two cycles. It won’t dominate the market with solid gold exclusives. It may well spend a significant proportion of this cycle as the console with the smallest installed base. But it will succeed in aiding Blu-ray’s march onwards. That, arguably, is the most crucial factor in its play. As a corporate goal, it diminishes any rivalry with Microsoft to almost zero.
PS3 will one day be seen as a great product – certainly getting a 40% share this generation is a much more challenging proposition than an 80% share in the 1990s (against weak-assed Sega and stubbornly cartridge-a-phile Nintendo, for Chrissakes).
PlayStation 3 is set for greatly improved fortunes in 2008. Blu-ray is the factor that is tipping the balance. For Sony, there remains the enormous challenge of making sure those Blu-ray / PS3 owners engage in PlayStation 3 as more than just a fancy hi-def movie player.
By Colin Campbell (next-gen)
Reference: The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3, commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game systems.
A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, which contrasts with Sony’s former policy of relying on games’ developers for online play. Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the PlayStation Portable, and its use of a next-gen optical format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.
The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania, with two stock keeping units (SKUs): a basic version with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD), and a premium version with a 60 GB HDD and several additional features. (The 20 GB version was not released in Europe or Oceania.) Since then, the console has had several revisions made to its available SKUs and has faced stiff competition from the other seventh generation consoles. As of December 2007, the PS3 is in third place in sales for its generation.
A confidential informant says Google will stop monetizing all domains if they are less then five days old. This potential new policy change by Google could stop all Domain Tasting in its tracks. The Add Grace Period (AGP) is a time period when registrars can delete a domain at no cost, but in this time frame a registrant could register millions of these temporary domains and place Google Adsense for Domains on them. The result is the ability to produce millions of temporary websites that literally generate millions of dollars in income per week for Google. It was disclosed in court that one partner that Google had was generating as much as $3 million dollars a month from the practice and that was after Google’s revenue share. Oversee.net and other companies have been using this practice for years and it will have a direct impact on them. The gravy train of free money might be coming to a halt very fast. This policy change at Google should be announced to the channel partners soon and it will have a huge echoing impact on the Industry.
The Good news is that the Quantity of advertising will be spread among fewer domains now and so those domain owners that actually own real full domains should receive more money if bid prices start to rise as a result of this. However some advocates of Domain Tasting say that perhaps no one will be able to serve the niche for some ads and no one will make money on the unserved ads.
I think this is a return of the “Be Good” motto Google had a few years ago. Google has been quietly enabling this practice for years now. This is a smart policy move on Google’s part to ward off impending litigation that might have hit them in the coming months. Trademark lawyers have been getting crafter at taking down Kiting by suing under other laws. The new weapon of choice is not using Trademark laws but Forgery laws. The penalty for forgery is much worse and cares a much higher fine per article that is forged. Dell, Yahoo, and BMW have all filed lawsuits in the last two months that ask for millions of dollars of damage from Google partners and I think Google sees the writing on the wall, they might be named next.
The question that remains, will Yahoo follow suit and block all advertising on domains less then 5 day old as well? I have a feeling Yahoo will because Yahoo was one of the groups that is suing Domain Tasters using the Forgery law tactic. Most of the big Domain Tasters are using Google ad syndication feeds to monetize the traffic right now and the money will come knocking on Yahoo’s door now.
by Domaintools
Reference: Domain tasting is the practice of a domain name registrant using the five-day “grace period” at the beginning of the registration of an ICANN-regulated generic top-level domain to test the marketability of the domain. During this period, when a registration must be fully refunded by the domain registry, a cost-benefit analysis is conducted by the registrant on the viability of deriving income from advertisements being placed on the domain’s web site.
Domains that are deemed “successes” and retained in registrant’s portfolio often represent domains that were previously used and have since expired, misspellings of other popular sites, or generic terms that may receive type-in traffic. These domains are usually still active in search engines and other hyperlinks and therefore receive enough traffic such that advertising revenue exceeds the cost of the registration. The registrant may also derive revenue from eventual sale of the domain, at a premium, to a third party.
Domain tasting should not be confused with domain kiting, which is the process of deleting a domain name during the five-day grace period and immediately re-registering it for another five-day period. This process is repeated any number of times with the end result of having the domain registered without ever actually paying for it.
Microsoft offers to buy FAST for $1.2 billion
Microsoft said Tuesday that it will offer $1.2 billion in cash for Fast Search and Transfer (FAST), a big player in the enterprise search market.
The move is sure to shake up the enterprise search market, which thus far has been dominated by a series of smaller players like FAST, Autonomy and Vivisimo. Google has made some inroads, but for the most part the market is the realm of niche players. Microsoft is about to change that with FAST. You can expect Google to make a purchase in enterprise search along with traditional enterprise players like HP, IBM and the usual suspects.
In a statement, Microsoft said its offer is a 42 percent premium to where FAST shares trade in Norway. FAST’s board of directors has recommended that shareholders take the offer and the company’s two largest shareholders–Orkla ASA and Hermes Focus Asset Management Europe–are on board with the deal. The transaction should be completed in the second quarter.
FAST counts Comcast, Disney, Microsoft, Pfizer, UBS and others as customers. In its most recent third quarter, FAST had revenue of $35.6 million, up 4 percent from the second quarter. Third quarter recurring revenue was up 65 percent from a year ago. Fiscal 2006 revenue topped $162 million, according to FAST’s annual report. The company is profitable and had $137.9 million in cash at the end of its third quarter.
Microsoft is likely to raise a ruckus in enterprise search and force consolidation among FAST’s rivals. Microsoft can bundle FAST with its Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and probably poach some features for its consumer search if warranted. And Microsoft will gladly take FAST’s search engineering talent. I did an overview of enterprise search last year and highlighted how long it takes to deploy. In a nutshell, enterprise search is more complicated than slapping in a search appliance because you have unstructured data.
by ZDNet
Microsoft Buys Search Engine FAST, Won’t Fix Microsoft Live
FAST is a profitable enterprise search company based in Norway with about $400 million in revenue ($333 million in 2006). Microsoft offered $1.2 billion for the company, approximately 42% more than the share price.
The acquisition plays to Microsoft’s core strength–the enterprise–and therefore makes sense. However, it will not directly help improve Microsoft’s position in consumer search. FAST does provide OEM search to LookSmart and others, but Microsoft’s problem in consumer search is not technology–it is habit and brand. So even if FAST’s technology represents a major improvement, this will not likely result in search-share gains.
by AlleyInsider
Microsoft acquires corporate search engine firm
Microsoft Corp. is spending $1.2-billion (U.S.) to take over a key player in an expanding search engine niche: helping companies sort out and retrieve internal corporate data.
The software giant has agreed to buy Norway-based Fast Search and Transfer ASA, a company that specializes in “enterprise search” software that helps workers in large corporations find crucial internal information.
The Fast software will complement Microsoft’s existing SharePoint products, which organize corporate data, documents and websites.
While enterprise search has a far lower profile than other retrieval software technology - such as Google’s ubiquitous Internet search engine - it is a huge and growing business.
Enterprise search “will be for workers tomorrow what Internet search is for consumers today,” Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft’s business division, told analysts on a conference call.
This software will be an “indispensable tool that will help [employees] find the information they need,” he said, citing studies that suggest as much as 70 per cent of any company’s information is inaccessible, because its locked up in some kind of corporate repository.
A company that employs 1,000 workers who deal with information can expect to waste $5-million a year in salary costs, because of unproductive time used to look for data that’s hard to find, he said.
“Today you can find football scores online in five seconds, but inside somebody’s company it can take five hours to track down last year’s business plan.”
Solving this problem is potentially lucrative, analysts say.
“There may be just as much money in the enterprise search market as there is in the Web search market,” said Ken Poore, a senior analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in Cambridge, Mass.
Fast was the second-largest player in this business, after Britain’s Autonomy Corp. PLC.
Now that Microsoft has picked up Fast, Mr. Poore said, Autonomy and other players such as U.S.-based Endeca Technologies Inc. may also be in play, because companies such as IBM Corp., Oracle Corp. and Google Inc. are trying to expand their enterprise search businesses.
While Fast usually deals with big corporate customers, its software does sometimes come into contact with individual consumers.
That’s because Fast search engines are used to operate the websites of some major retail organizations such as AutoTrader.com, TVGuide.com or WeightWatchers.com. When consumers enter those firm’s websites to search for a car, television show or recipe, they are using Fast software to find what they are looking for.
Still, enterprise search occupies a very different niche from that of general consumer search engines such as Google.
On the consumer side, players have had a very tough time carving out specific markets for “vertical” search engines that do one thing very well, said Jeffrey Lindsay, senior Internet analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein in New York.
That’s partly because Google itself has managed to create an “all-appealing branded search that people have got used to and developed a level of comfort with,” Mr. Lindsay said.
Because Google incorporates clever vertical-market software behind the scenes, consumers don’t need to use specialty search engines, he said.
“A lot of scientists use Google to do research on really hard subjects, kids use it for their homework, and people use it socially to look up facts and figures or to find restaurants.”
Still, that hasn’t stopped developers from trying to displace Google from some markets.
Wikia Inc. for example, recently launched a new search engine called Wikia Search, which is supposed to use social networking tools to rank results in a more usable way.
by TheGlobeAndMail
by NASA
Comparison Test: 2008 Subaru WRX STI vs. 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution GSR
Ladieeeez and gentlemen, welcome to the octagon for the main event, a grudge match of epic proportions pitting the top two contenders in world for the title of all-wheel-drive, turbo four-cylinder champion.
In the red corner, weighing in at a trim 3356 pounds, is a black belt with the heart of a boxer: the all-new 2008 Subaru WRX STI.
Wearing gray and also hailing from Japan is the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR, a 3546-pound track master capable of throwing down in conditions ranging from tarmac to gravel to snow.
Like human mixed-martial artists, the Lancer Evolution and WRX STI are multitalented warriors that excel in all forms of combat. They both see regular competition around the world in everything from rally to enduro racing, autocross to circuit racing, even drifting and street racing. Pound-for-pound, dollar-for-dollar, these two are the most versatile sport sedans in the world.
They’ve slugged it out before in the pages of this magazine. When they first met in our October 2004 issue, the 2005 Lancer Evolution MR took the title. In our December 2005 issue, the rematch favored the 2006 WRX STI. This time around, a knockout may be in the cards, as each contender has been completely redesigned.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Subaru’s WRX STI steps into the octagon with two significant advantages over its rival: less weight and more power. It certainly looks the part, too. The five-door Impreza wagon is a no longer a skinny shrimp; flared fenders, broadened bumpers, and quad exhaust tips give it a chiseled physique. Underneath this impressive musculature is a 305-horsepower, 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine and all-wheel-drive system carried over from the larger Subaru Legacy sedan.
In the name of more stringent safety standards, Mitsubishi’s 2008 Lancer Evolution is larger and heavier than it’s ever been-and a full 3.2 inches longer than the STI. Power comes from an all new, all-aluminum, 291-horse, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Though it’s down 14 horsepower and weighs 190 pounds more than the STI, this is no wheezin’ Butterbean; what the Evo lacks in power and displacement, it makes up in electronic trickery. At its core is a system called Super-All Wheel Control, a complex array of structural and dynamic improvements, most notably Active Yaw Control (AYC), that could very well be the Evo’s secret brass knuckles.
Fighters, are you ready? Then let’s get it on!
ROUND 1: California Speedway, Fontana, California
Two issues ago, we ran an exclusive test of the new Lancer Evolution GSR (”Razor’s Edge,” January 2008) and it performed, well, miserably. Mitsu blamed the problems on an early preproduction car plagued by electronic gremlins. All we know is it managed to squeeze out a 5.4-second 0-to-60-mph time, making it one of the slowest Evos we’ve ever tested.
This time around, our Evo is clearly in fighting condition, needing only 5.2 seconds to sprint to 60 and only 13.9 seconds for the quarter mile. Problem is, the STI is even more fit-4.7 seconds is all the STI needs to hit 60 mph, and the quarter mile arrives in 13.4 seconds.
The STI smacks the Evo around in the braking test as well, needing five fewer than the Evo’s 111 feet to stop from 60 mph, even though the Evo sports larger-diameter brake discs. Must be those extra 190 pounds of curb weight.
The Evo battles back on our figure-eight course, running three-tenths quicker at 25.1 seconds. The big surprise is on the skidpad; while the STI shucks and jives to a 0.94 g, the Evo stings it with a 0.99 g. Credit the Active Yaw Control torque-vectoring element of the Evo’s slick S-AWC system, because it can’t be the shoes; these two wear the same size wheels (18 x 8.5) and tires (245/45R18) with similarly sticky compounds.
ROUND 2: K&N Dyno Facility, Riverside, California
Immediately after Round 1, we send our fighters to K&N Engineering, Inc., to make sure they’re not juiced. The aftermarket air-filter manufacturer’s headquarters are just down the road from our test track, and they generously give us time on their dual side-by-side in-ground dynamometer setup.
The STI runs first, and lays down three passes that average out to 255 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. Subaru claims 305 horses at the crankshaft, and with approximately 15 percent lost to drivetrain inefficiencies, these are numbers that seem spot on. The Evo’s 245-horsepower and 259-pound-foot of torque average are also in line with its claimed 291 crankshaft horsepower.
So does this round automatically go to the STI because of its greater power figure? Not so fast, because the Evo manages to hang with the STI despite being half a liter down in engine displacement. Fact is the Evo’s 122 horsepower per liter easily bests the STI’s 102 horsepower per liter.
But it’s not that simple either, as another important ratio to examine is weight to power. And no matter where it’s measured-from the crankshaft or wheels-the STI has at least a 1.2-pound-per-horsepower advantage over the Evo. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but with fighters so evenly matched, that could very well be enough.
Looks like it’s going to come down a decisive round three at the track.
ROUND 3: Buttonwillow Raceway East Loop, Buttonwillow, California
So far, it doesn’t look good for the Evo. It’s been bloodied and bruised by the STI’s greater power, straight-line speed, and braking ability. Sure it has better cornering ability, but will that be enough around the short 1.04-mile East Loop of Buttonwillow Raceway?
Maybe, says one of the ringside judges, senior editor Ron Kiino. “The Evo handles much sharper than the STI, with crisper turn-in and better steering feel throughout the range. The Evo also allows for more rotation, which lets you to attack corners harder. AYC takes some getting used to, but once you trust the sensations it creates (oversteer), it becomes fun and addictive.”
In comparison, the STI feels like a blunt instrument-more ground and pound to the Evo’s slice and dice. Continues Kiino, “The STI’s steering offers decent feel, but it’s less organic than the Evo’s. It also exhibits more understeer, as if it’s protecting you out there and won’t let you seriously screw up.”
The Evo’s sharper steering and better turn-in are a product of the S-AC system, notably AYC, which actively splits torque between the rear wheels in hard cornering situations. AYC accelerates the outside rear wheel in tight corners, rotating the car faster and allowing for earlier throttle application.
The STI’s fancy electronics consist of Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive) and a manually adjustable Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) all-wheel-drive system. SI-Drive optimizes engine response by tweaking the electronic throttle. In its most hardcore mode-Sport Sharp-throttle response is markedly improved. DCCD isn’t as helpful; though this system has three modes (auto, - and +) and six manual differential locking settings, their purpose and benefit is felt more on surfaces other than dry pavement.
While Subaru’s DCCD system offers more manual control, it doesn’t address overall handling with the same precision, clarity, and focus on driving pleasure as Mitsubishi’s S-AWC system-a point driven home on the East Loop’s uphill corner; while the STI defaults to speed scrubbing, fun-killing understeer, the Evo can be coaxed into exhilarating powerslides.
And then there’s this devastating blow: The Evo is simply faster around the track. Road test editor Scott Mortara’s fastest lap in the Evo stops the hands at 57.6 seconds. The STI finishes exactly one second behind.
MR FOR YOUR MONEY
For round three of our title fight, we’ve also evaluated a preproduction 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR. The key difference with this model over the base GSR is the ultra-quick-shifting, six-speed dual-clutch transmission Mitsubishi calls TC-SST (Twin Clutch-Sport Shift Transmission).
Test ace Mortara steps out of the car singing the praises of the MR, particularly the TC-SST’s Super-Sport, which was purpose built for track days like this. While Mortara swears his MR time is the fastest of them all, that’s not the case. The MR’s 58.2-second lap time puts it just ahead of the STI, though it could have beat the GSR had our test vehicle not been plagued by a high-rpm hesitation. Mitsubishi claims to have already solved this problem and finalized the ECU software that has delayed the release of this MR. Look for a full test shortly.
By Motortrend
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car that has been manufactured by Chevrolet since 1953. It is built today at a General Motors assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but in the past it was built in Flint, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri. It was the first all-American sports car built by an American car manufacturer. The National Corvette Museum and annual National Corvette Homecoming are also located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
This is it. The speculation, rumors and half-truths can now be set aside — this is the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, officially revealed for all the world to see. Powered by a supercharged LS9 6.2L small-block engine, the ZR1 hasn’t even received an official horsepower number from the engineers toiling away at the General. All Harlan Charles, project manager for the Corvette team was able to tell us last week was the new high-powered ‘Vette engine is “capable of producing at least 100 horsepower per liter. That’s at least 620 horsepower, and approximately 595 lb.-ft. of torque.” Chevrolet wasn’t even able to give us a time on the 0-60. Charles was only willing to say “it’s in the low three seconds.” The small-block engine under the hood is only able to hit those massive numbers due to the addition of the positive-displacement Roots-type supercharger with a new, four-lobe rotor design plus an integrated charge cooling system that reduces inlet air temperature for increased performance. That’s the “go” end, but the “whoa” end is just as impressive. The ZR1 gets some simply huge carbon-ceramic, drilled disc brake rotors. They’re so big and are required to be so powerful they’re using the same 15-inch-diameter discs found on the front of a Ferrari 599. Except on the ZR1, they go on the 20″ tires in the rear. In the front, they’ll be getting even larger 15.5-inch-diameter rotors. Yup, they’re simply breathtaking to see up-close. For the time being everyone else will have to check out the gallery below or the full press release after the jump.
