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NEC, hammered by the global recession, is pulling out of a project sponsored by the Japanese govern-ment to build the fastest supercomputer in the world. NEC was working with Hitachi and Fujitsu on the project, and Hitachi reportedly pulled out just after NECs announcement. The move is the latest by NEC to cut expenses, following the decisions to lay off 20,000 employees and exit the North American PC business. - Struggling computing giant NEC is dropping out of program backed by the Japanese government to build the fastest supercomputer in the world. NECs announcement May 14 that it was exiting the Next-Generation Supercomputer Project to help cut costs during the global recession came two days after the c...

YouTube celebrity and computer scientist Johnny Chung Lee famed for his excellent hacks of the WiiMote talked about life beyond the keyboard and mouse.The afternoon talks at Thinking Digital began with a YouTube star, Johnny Chung Lee. I along with millions of others have seen Johnny create a multi-touch white board with the WiiMote from the Nintendo Wii. It's a brilliant hack, and he basically showed how almost anyone could create a multi-touch whiteboard for $100 and a weekend of work. It's being used all over the world, especially in places where these boards could be useful but were previously unaffordable.I hadn't see the VR display in the video above that used similar concepts to create a 3D display. The objects seem to be projected deep into the screen and jump out of the screen. It's a stunning effect. All of this was possible because the WiiMote actually has computer vision, similar to the technology show in the movie Minority Report.After getting his doctorate in human-comput

(Telecompaper) MasterCard is going to launch its P2P mobile remittance platform for issuers in the US later this month. MasterCard has partnered with The Bancorp Bank for this launch and worked with US mobile payments services provider Obopay to add a mobile channel to its money transfer platform MoneySend. In a first phase, consumers will be able to use MoneySend with a MasterCard prepaid card issued by The Bancorp Bank and link it to their mobile phone number to send or receive money. Banks who will use the platform will enable customers who register for MoneySend to use it with their everyday accounts, including MasterCard debit, credit, prepaid or checking, as determined by their issuer. The platform enables users to send and receive funds via SMS message, mobile web browser or a downloadable MoneySend application. Upon the initiation of the transfer, the sender approves the request by entering the MoneySend mobile PIN which is only known by the accountholder. Subsequently, the rec

Darkstrand, a startup that is working to commercialize a large part of the federally-funded, high-speed optical network LambdaRail, is teaming with the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center to give businesses on the Darkstrand Network access to the centers HPC systems, storage and expertise. Darkstand already has a similar agreement in place with a research facility in California. Darkstrands goal is to give large enterprises that have HPC projects aimed at product development the necessary bandwidth to access the computing power and ex-pertise of the nations top universities and research centers. - Darkstrand, a three-year-old company looking to link enterprises with academic and research facilities, is teaming up with the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center to give businesses on the Darkstrand Network access to the supercomputing capabilities at the center. In the collaboration deal announced M...

jhfry writes 'In an interesting development by an unexpected source, Phoenix Technologies is releasing a Linux-based, virtualization-enabled, BIOS-based OS for computers. They implemented a full Linux distro right on the BIOS chips, and by using integrated virtualization technology, it 'allows PCs and laptops to hot-switch between the main operating system, such as Windows, and the HyperSpace environment.' So, essentially, they are 'trying to create a new market using the ideas of a fast-booting, safe platform that people can work in, but remain outside of Windows.'' of this story at Slashdot.

Google's attempt to roll out new networking addresses as part of the IPv6 transition did not work out as planned this morning, causing widespread service outages for about an hour.

Google's attempt to roll out new networking addresses as part of the IPv6 transition did not work out as planned this morning, causing widespread service outages for about an hour.

Logic That Feels the NoiseAs microchips shrink, the inescapable electronic buzz that emerges from thermal fluctuations, cross talk between wires and other sources can endanger their proper function. A way around that problem could be stochastic resonance, a phenomenon in which noise can boost a weak signal and improve a system’s performance. Certain kinds of structures, such as a sensory nerve, will output a signal only when background noise is sufficiently high. Researchers at Arizona State University constructed logic gates--circuit elements that perform logic functions-- that behave in a similar way. When noise levels are low, the gates perform unreliably; however, at the kinds of noise levels expected for the smallest transistors, they work correctly. Such unusual, nonlinear behavior could help microchips get smaller. Moreover, altering certain applied voltages in the circuit can reconfigure the gate on the fly, thereby creating a morphing processor. Tune in to the March 13 i

My brother (yes, it does run in the family) has a degree in computer science which, by most definitions, makes him a developer. That's the focus of most computer science focused degree programs, much to the chagrin of the myriad other IT-focused specialties like networking, security, and operations. Interestingly enough, he worked his way through college as a sysadmin and his first job out of college was as a sysadmin. And now he's doing a little of both. That's not unlike my own experience in which I often did "dual duty" as both sysadmin and developer, depending on where I was and what the organization needed.read more

BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts on Wednesday banned drivers of trains, street cars and buses from using or even carrying cell phones at work, the toughest such measure imposed by a U.S. state transit agency.