Entries Tagged 'Laptop Accessories' ↓

Are we approaching the final Kodak moment? Following last week's torrid time for shares of Eastman Kodak – they fell 54 per cent to 78 cents a share – the firm felt obliged to issue a statement denying it is filing for bankruptcy as the BBC reports here.

Some of the bankruptcy speculation came about because Eastman Kodak is aiming to sell many of its patents valued at around £3bn, but potential buyers are concerned that the firm may be technically insolvent. This could then mean that the patent deals represent a 'fraudulent conveyance', which would mean that creditors of a subsequently insolvent business, could sue to try and get more money from the deals.

Economic Times reports that one way to avoid legal difficulties over patents would be for Eastman Kodak to file for bankruptcy. News also broke last week that the firm had hired consultancy Jones Daley, which among other things, specialises in bankruptcy strategies.  This spooked the markets further though there was some recovery this morning.

The credit markets and agencies are similarly bearish. as the Economic Times reports, credit default swaps on the firm's debt now stand at 66.5 per cent a huge premium. Kodak's debt is rated CCC by Standard & Poor's and Caa2 by Moody's Investors Service. the ratings are the eighth levels below investment grade.

Last week, some investors were urging to firm to sell itself. The Economic Times reports that Investment Partners which owns some Kodak convertible bonds and about 220,000 shares, has written to the board suggesting a sale.  a spokesman for Kodak has however dismissed talk of the bankruptcy. Gerard Meuchner said: "as we sit here today, the company has no intention of filing, and there is no change in our strategy to monetize our intellectual property. We're not concerned about fraudulent conveyance in regards to the sale of our IP portfolio."

Last week in Amateur Photographer Kodak also had to refute claims by analyst Chris Green at the Davies Murphy Group, who suggested the firm was in danger of becoming obsolete. However, whether it survives or not, the former photographic and film giant, is viewed a salutary tale about how not to adapt to changing circumstances.

In Forbes magazine, David da Silvo identifies two key distractions in the firm's history. In the 1980s, it bought Sterling Drugs – a drug company which did at least have a lead in diagnostic imaging technology, and rather bizarrely made a move into the battery market before being fought off by Eveready and Duracell. It sold out of both drugs and batteries having lost money, but it was less that and more the fact it was a huge distraction just as it should have been competing in emerging digital photography market according to da Silvio. he writes: "the problem Kodak would face in all of these new ventures is that it was too late to own any facet of the market. Whether fighting for territory in the printer or digital camera markets, it was always perilously behind well established players. the investment required to ramp up in those markets generated a debt load that outpaced the company's ability to generate revenue, and that cycle can continue for only so long." he hopes other established US brands are learning the lesson.

On International Business Times David Zielenziger lists five reasons why it would be a shame to lose Kodak one of which at least is for reasons of patriotism. First, he writes: "Japanese rivals — like Fuji (film); Canon, Nikon and Olympus (cameras); and Panasonic and Sony (consumer electronics) — are ubiquitous in all kinds of imaging. to be sure, they have great technologies and sales abilities, but those are all things they learned from Kodak. If Kodak does seek bankruptcy and then asks Lazard for help in selling off units, these companies would be first in line to pick up the valuable pieces."

Second – "It would prove that even a perception of value was wrong. Several years ago, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, the private equity giant that may be best known for masterminding the RJRNabisco buyout, bought into Kodak and won two seats on the board. obviously, KKR wouldn't have risked its cash for no reason."

Finally here is a rather brilliant slide show from Chris Sandstrom of the Royal Institute of Technology assessing the decline although interestingly he is not sure it could have behaved much differently in facing the digital threat. 

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Enevate Triples Space with 22,000-Square-Foot Lease

October 04, 2011 09:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

IRVINE, Calif.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Enevate Corporation, a developer of next-generation rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for smartphones, tablets and other applications, has leased about 22,000 square feet of space at the Irvine Company’s University Research Park, a 185-acre campus designed to foster collaboration between industry and academia.

“101 Theory Drive: a Neuroscientist’s Quest for Memory.”

The company is relocating its headquarters in January to 101 Theory in University Research Park from the Irvine Spectrum area, where it now has about 7,000 square feet of space. Enevate has about 30 employees and is looking to grow to more than 50 by the end of 2012.

Enevate develops advanced lithium-ion batteries utilizing its novel HD-Energy™ Technology that enables significantly higher energy density when compared to today’s conventional batteries. Enevate’s HD-Energy batteries for smartphones and tablets are smaller, significantly thinner and provide for longer runtime, addressing major consumer complaints.

The company selected University Research Park for its proximity to John Wayne and Los Angeles International airports, major freeways, the area’s pool of employees and to be next to the University of California, Irvine, according to Brian Wong, Enevate’s president and chief executive officer.

“Enevate intends to revolutionize 3G and 4G smartphones and tablets by achieving significantly longer battery runtime and with thinner form factors, while also powering the next-generation of hardware features and software capabilities,” Wong said. “University Research Park, alongside a university that is a leader in energy storage, is the perfect setting to do that.”

Enevate evolved from UCI research. Dr. Benjamin Park, Enevate’s cofounder and chief technology officer, earned his doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering from UCI, where he worked on the technology behind Enevate’s batteries with Professor Marc Madou, who sits on the company’s technical advisory board and also is a cofounder.

The company picked the facility at 101 Theory for the building’s existing chemical laboratory space that Enevate plans to utilize and customize for energy storage research and development. The building once was used by UCI neuroscientist and entrepreneur Gary Lynch, who was profiled in the book “101 Theory Drive: a Neuroscientist’s Quest for Memory.”

Opened in 1996, University Research Park was developed by the Irvine Company in partnership with UCI. Enevate joins other technology companies at University Research Park, including Broadcom Corp., Cisco Systems Inc. and Intel Corp.

“With cutting-edge products and ties to UCI, Enevate is ideally suited to University Research Park,” said Steve Case, executive vice president of Irvine Company Office Properties. “Enevate showcases URP’s role as a hub for growing companies and for research done in collaboration with UCI.”

Lease terms at 101 Theory weren’t disclosed. Craig Knox of Hughes Marino Inc. and Drew Netherton of UGL Services represented Enevate. Jeff Shaw represented the Irvine Company in-house.

About Enevate (enevate.com)

Enevate Corporation is a leading rechargeable energy storage technology company based in Irvine. Enevate has breakthrough technology delivering the promise of tomorrow’s battery capacity in today’s standard Li-ion ecosystem focused on 3G and 4G smartphones and mobile consumer electronics. Enevate’s batteries are based on innovative materials and battery structures that deliver higher capacity in smaller sizes while maintaining plug-and-play compatibility with existing Li-ion battery applications. The company is privately held; investors include Mission Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Enevate, the Enevate logo and HD-Energy are trademarks of the Enevate Corporation.

About the Irvine Company

Founded in 1864, the Irvine Company is an internationally renowned real estate development company known for its award-winning master-planned communities, its vast portfolio of high-quality investment properties, and its leadership in conservation and natural resource management. The growing real estate portfolio encompasses office, apartment, retail and resort holdings located throughout California’s premier markets, including assets in San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties, and holdings in Northern California. As a steward of some of America’s most beautiful and scientifically important open space and parklands, the company has donated to Orange County more than half of the historic 93,000-acre Irvine Ranch in Orange County — 50,000 acres — to permanently preserve these lands. The U.S. Department of Interior and the State of California have designated these parklands as “Natural Landmarks,” one of the most prestigious land preservation designations. The privately held, diversified company traces its roots to the 1860s with the formation of The Irvine Ranch® from Mexican and Spanish land grants.

MacFixIt answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed by our readers.

This week people wrote in with questions on proper battery usage habits, PowerPC applications showing up when checking for compatibility with Lion, cloning hard-drive upgrades, and transferring files from Windows to Lion systems. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Proper battery usage habitsMacFixIt reader Alice asks:

I primarily run my MacBook Pro on AC. Is it advisable to run on battery only occasionally? Is it advisable to let the battery run all the way down on occasion or was that only true in days gone by?

Answer:It is good to regularly use your battery and not always keep it in a fully charged or discharged state. if you rarely use your battery, then it is good to periodically calibrate it (every month or two).

Question: PowerPC applications showing up when checking for Lion compatibilityMacFixIt reader Lee asks:

I am planning to upgrade to Lion. I checked to see if I had any apps that were “PowerPC” apps. I had two come up. they were “open XML for charts and open XML for Excel.” I have a late 2010 iMac and Office 2011. Microsoft says that I will have no problems running Office 2011 after the upgrade, even though these apps are shown as PowerPC. has anyone else encountered this?

Answer:These applications were likely distributed with Office 2004 or 2008. if you had those on your system at some point, then they would have installed the PowerPC-based tools. Office 2011 and all of its required components are Intel-only, so you should have no problem running it in Lion. I use Office 2011 regularly on Lion.

Question: Cloning hard drives for upgradingMacFixIt reader Richard asks:

I am maxed out of disk space on my MacBook Pro hard drive and want to install a larger hard drive. I have a BootCamp partition running 64-bit Windows 7, and an OS X partition running 10.7.1 (Lion). from what I have read, Winclone is no longer a viable option in this configuration, and I am at a loss as to how I can accomplish what I was hoping to be a relatively straightforward process. I already have a 750 GB drive on hand to replace a 250 GB drive currently installed, as well as an external chassis to mount the “spare” drive while I am doing the upgrading.

Answer:Without Winclone you would need a cloning utility that can do a device-level block clone of the drive to exactly mirror its entire partition structure and data layout from one drive to the next. in theory, this should make the secondary drive be identical to the first and preserve both the OS X installation and the Windows partition, but I have not done this type of transfer myself and am not sure what tools would best do this. Some block-level cloning tools do not properly manage full partition tables and only preserve the data layout of a volume (for data recovery purposes).

Two potentially useful programs are Stellar Drive Clone and Clone X, both of which have free trial periods.

Because block-level cloning needs full access to all aspects of the drive, you will likely need to install OS X to a secondary drive (an external FireWire or USB drive, or even a USB flash drive that’s large enough) and then install the cloning utility to this drive. then use the utility to access your main boot drive and clone it to the destination drive.

(Richard asked about block-level cloning resulting in volumes of the same size, and while this is true you can use Disk Utility to expand the disk’s partitions to take advantage of available space.)

Question: Transferring files fromWindows 7 to a LionMacMacFixIt reader Stephen asks:

Answer:There may be some group policies on the domain that prevent access to certain systems. OS X does have a new windows networking service in Lion that will likely have a few initial bugs, but at its basics it should work. One option you can use is to enable “Remote Login” on the Mac in the Sharing system preferences, and then use an FTP client to connect to the Mac’s IP address using the SFTP protocol. When you enable this service you can add a new “Sharing only” account to the list of users, so you don’t have to create a new full account on the system for people to connect with (a sharing-only user can be created in the Users & Groups system preferences). This is a secure method of transferring files, but is not auto-configurable or auto-discoverable like Microsoft or Apple’s networking protocols.

Questions? Comments? have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.

The accompanying photograph brings together the old and the new — along with 8.1 gigs of total storage capacity.

The old part of the photo is the Zip disk. When it was introduced by Iomega in 1994, its 100 megabytes of storage made it the big Daddy of the portable-storage devices. it could hold about the same amount of data as 100 floppy disks — the plastic 3.5-inch disks that once were king of portable storage.

Both have been replaced by the flash drive. unlike the Zip drive, which required an external box to read it, flash drives plug into the USB port already contained on computers.

Which brings us to today’s well-dressed Zip disk in the picture. Attached to the drive are two fashionable cuff links.

But wait! That’s not all! Each cuff link conceals a flash drive capable of holding 4 gigabytes of data. it would take 2,845 floppy disks to hold 4 gigs of data — the amount held by one cuff link. And it would take 80 of the Zip disks pictured to carry the information contained on the two cuff links attached to it.

The cuff links pull apart (also pictured), and come in several styles and finishes, including silver, gold and gunmetal. Prices start at $195 the pair. Engraving with up to eight letters is available for an additional charge.

The side of the cuff link holding the memory fits snuggly into the other half of the cuff link, which can remain on the shirt cuff while the USB part is in use. I wouldn’t be concerned about the links accidently coming loose.

The memory part is small — about the size of a thumbnail and the thickness of a pencil. I would be careful about leaving it behind in a computer’s USB port.

The cuff links were designed by Ravi Ratan, whose family has been in the clothing store business. Ratan was working in another field when, in 1999, he bought the online name of cufflinks.com, The USB cuff links and dozens of other clever designs are for sale there. (They are available at some major retail stores as well.)

“I didn’t really do anything with it (the website) at first,” Ratan told the Dallas Business Journal in an interview this summer. “After a slew of emails about cuff links, I went out to stores and bought cuff links. I bought them at retail price and shot the pictures and sold them online in two days. this was a side job for a bit.”

It is a side job no longer. Cufflinks.com has five house brands with prices ranging from $40 to $5,000. The website has every type of cuff link imaginable. The pirate flag of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is available ($40), as are the logos of every other NFL team. Other sports are represented as well.

A set of cuff links for the Detroit Tigers is unique. The stitching from a baseball is set into the cuff links ($170). The website explains: “The stitches of authentic game-used balls from an actual Detroit Tigers game, set in sterling silver cuff links. … own a piece of history and proudly display your team spirit. every pair includes a hologram number. Search at mlb.com/authentication to find out more about the ball that was used to make your pair of cuff links.”

Really? a Cufflink.com spokeswoman supplied me with a holograph number from a set of those links. The authentication number, entered into the Major League Baseball website, tells me the ball was last used in Detroit’s Comerica Park in a game against Boston on May 8, 2008, when Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett threw a warm-up pitch in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth inning.

There are cuff links with “BUY” on one link and “SELL” on the other for stockbrokers (or a bull and bear for the more symbolic). there are donkeys and elephants to proclaim political parties. there are cuff links that are replicas of manhole covers from various cities, including Seattle, Chicago and Paris.

Like the Beatles? a Royal Mail postage stamp featured the Abbey Road album cover in a set issued in early 2007. two of the stamps have been made into a set of cuff links ($85).

There are cuff links with an abacus, poker chips, wine casks and the scales of justice. The company even has a cuff link commemorating Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, published in 1953.

Had computers been around in those days, Q would have been sure 007 had a set of USB cuff links up — or rather on — his sleeves.

[ Lonnie Brown can be reached by email at . ]

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) October 17, 2011

Las Vegas real estate homes and condo sales have risen for five consecutive month largely because of investor and cash-only purchases in the resale market. August 2011 Sales of Las Vegas condominiums and townhouses posted their best sales month ever with 987 units sold according to reports from the Las Vegas Board of Realtors. Some areas such as the Lake Las Vegas real estate market are going unnoticed.

Lake Las Vegas is a community 17 miles from the world famous Las Vegas strip, tucked away in a picturesque canyon with a large 320 ACRE man-made lake. The Lake community is surrounded by a European-style local village with shopping, casinos, three golf courses, restraunts and five condo/townhouse developments. These condos are at an all time low starting with the Luna Di Lusso community located in MonteLago village situated across the Pontevecchio bridge startinig at $39,500.

Ashley McCormimck or Realty One, Nevada’s number one real estate company, recntly completed a local triathlon at Lake Las Vegas allowing her to swim the lake, bike the community and jog the trails. McCormick feels that experiences like this allow her to really understand what a community has to offer. All Lake Las Vegas condos are near the Reflection Bay Golf Club and residents enjoy sweeping views of the lake, golf course and surrounding mountains. McCormick feels that for the money, Lake Las Vegas homes and condos are currently undervalued for the lifestyle it delivers.

While some of these condo communities are categorized as Las Vegas high rise condos, they incorporate more of an open village feel. Residents can access the SouthShore Yacht and Beach Club, tennis courts, beach, marina, casino and restaurants all in village style walking distance. The V at Lake Las Vegas townhomes featuring two story estate-style villas perched on terraces cascading down the village hillside start at $92,000.

McCormick encourages buyers and investors to do their own research so they can be confident in their purchase. According to Trulia research Las Vegas homes for sale are #1 in the US for price to rent ratio. Investors or interested home and condo buyers can contact Ashley McCormick for more information at 1-888-920-2292. Las Vegas real estate to include Lake Las Vegas homes and condos for sale thru the MLS are available online at LasVegasRealEstate.org

Read the full story at prweb.com/releases/2011/10/prweb8883066.htm

Published on 26/09/2011

Could the sprawling business empire of Naushad Merali be crumbling?

This is the question quietly doing rounds in business circles, as it emerges that one of his bastions — Kenya Data Networks (KDN) — is beset with financial difficulties and shareholders could be preparing to fire its entire management team.

Naushad Merali

KDN’s managing director Rikus Mattyser has barely lasted one year on the job. It even seems unfair to blame him or his management team for the firm’s perceived financial difficulties, but the fact that Merali has over the past four years sold substantial portion of the company he virtually owned to Allied Technologies Ltd (Altech) of South Africa shows a trend that has become a hallmark in his business dealings. Sameer ICT— a subsidiary of Merali’s investment vehicle Sameer Group — owned 96 per cent of KDN while the firm’s former managing director, Kai Wulff held a four per cent stake, until 2008, when Altech bought a 51 per cent share in the company. Sameer, which is named after Merali’s son, offloaded more of its shares in KDN last year.

Altech bought the shares and increased its shareholding to 60.8 per cent. Incidentally, KDN announced a pre-tax loss of close to Sh170 million for the year that ended February last year.

The question is: did Sameer cash out to limit the impact of KDN’s perceived dwindling fortunes on its balance sheet, or it was a case of Merali’s diminishing options?

“I don’t think it is his empire crumbling. Merali is a suave business mind. He is simply making a smart business move. This is what he did with Eveready and Celtel. His empire is so vast, this wouldn’t dent it in any way,” says the director of an investment bank in Nairobi, who requested not to be named because his firm handles some of Merali’s investments.

The idea of offloading substantive shares in companies that are seen to be performing well, but whose fortunes start to dwindle immediately thereafter is a trajectory that mirrors just about every element of Merali’s business interactions.

He has often pulled some of the smartest business moves in corporate Kenya, but the deal that made him newspaper fodder happened in March 2004 and could as well go into history as the largest profit ever made by an individual businessman in the shortest time possible.

The out-of-the-ordinary deal took place when an executive from French mobile firm Vivendi, which was Merali’s co-shareholder in then Kencell flew down to Nairobi to inform him that they had signed a contract agreement to sell their 60 per cent stake to MTN for Sh18 billion. At the time, MTN was said to be so confident about clinching the deal that they even leaked out stories to the South African press about the same.

Merali was not happy with the South Africans and by virtue of the fact that he owned 40 per cent of Kencell he had pre-emptive rights to buy the shares from Vivendi. But he couldn’t raise the Sh18 billion MTN was willing to pay for Vivendi’s shares in Kencell.

Somehow, he got into an arrangement with Mo Ibrahim who owned Celtel, got a loan and acquired Vivendi’s shares at Sh400 million more than what MTN had offered. He paid Sh18.4 billion ($230 million)— calculated at then dollar price of Sh80 at around 7.00pm of the material date. He now owned 100 per cent of the company.

But as he was finalising the deal with Vivendi, the Celtel group was waiting in another room. after buying the shares, Merali and his team rushed to meet the Celtel team led by Mo Ibrahim for another round of negotiation.

According to past reports, two hours after sealing the Vivendi deal-at around 9 pm to be precise, Merali sold the shares to Celtel for Sh20 billion coming out with a cool Sh1.6 billion profit.

Such is the genius of Merali, the man variously referred to as Kenya’s Donald Trump-because of his business acumen that many have likened to the US investment mogul’s style.

“He rarely makes business mistakes,” says the investment banker.

“The lesson corporate Kenya should learn from his past dealings is that when you see Merali selling, there could be fire on the mountain. You’d probably be advised to think twice before you buy because those who’ve bought from him in the past did not succeed with those businesses.”

He gives the example of Eveready batteries where a firm associated with Merali reduced their stake from 51 per cent to 35.1 per cent during the firm’s Initial Public Offer (IPO) about five years ago.

The battery maker was profitable by the time of the issue. from a modest profit of Sh186 million ahead of the November 2006 IPO, the company returned a loss of Sh54 million after-tax in the six months ending March 2007 to dim investors hopes.

Today, that kind of profit level for Eveready has all but turned into a mirage as the firm reportedly mulls over sustainability of its operations.

According to our source, the only exception so far to Merali’s art of disposing off companies that don’t do well is East African Cables, which he bought in October 2000 from Delta Group Plc of UK, which wanted to get out of Kenya.

He bought out Delta’s 75 per cent equity in the company for a reported Sh6.8 per shares, which amounted to a total of Sh104 million.

In late March 2004, Merali sold off the company to local investment group, Transcentury for Sh15 per share — a total market purchase price equivalent to Sh230 million. This arbitrage opportunity netted Merali a cool profit of Sh126 million.

Although the events of the past few years could be indicative of a trend, the jury is still out and suggestions that Merali’s business empire is taking a nosedive could be premature.

Merali still owns a large business empire managed under the Sameer Group.

He is involved in diverse economic sectors including agriculture, construction, energy and power.

He also has diverse interests Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Information Technology, telecommunications, finance and transport.

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Update on the sequel to a Nicholson classic

Director Richard Linklater (“A Scanner Darkly”) tells MTV that he’s still developing the sequel to the Jack Nicholson classic, “The last Detail”. Just one thing – he hasn’t told Jack about it yet.

“I haven’t even talked to Nicholson about it yet; I don’t even know if he’s read it. … it hasn’t gotten that far down the line. They haven’t made an offer to him yet or anything like that”, he says. “[But] you can’t do it without the bad Ass,” he laughed, referring to Nicholson’s surly character Billy “bad Ass” Buddusky.

You also couldn’t do it without Randy Quaid – thankfully, he does have the script. “I sent [Quaid] the script, and he’d be great. I hope he’ll [do it].”

The sequel, “last Flag Flying”, has Buddusky running a bar and Quaid’s Larry Meadows reuniting with him after the Iraq war takes his son’s life. Rumours persist that Morgan Freeman is interested in taking over the role of Mule from the deceased Otis Young.

“I’m kind of in limbo….”, Linklater laughed.

Figure 1: Resource Pool Architecture

Fujitsu Laboratories Limited today announced the construction of a next-generation server that, using resource pool architecture, is the world’s first to succeed in the simultaneous delivery of high performance and flexibility.

In datacenters used to provide cloud services, ICT systems are configured to enable the efficient delivery of web services and other tasks. as cloud services become increasingly diverse, however, the ability to configure systems to upgrade performance and flexibility has become a pressing issue.

Figure 2: Variety of server/storage resource configurations in one system

This technology makes it possible to configure high-performance ICT infrastructure that can flexibly handle a variety of services. by consistently being able to rapidly configure optimal server and storage resources to fit the unique requirements of the task at hand, whether it is delivering the type of web services currently provided via the cloud, or new services yet to emerge, the new architecture makes possible higher value-added services. as a result, a variety of services are anticipated, including new ICT services, such as those involving the processing of huge sets of data, known as “big data,” an essential component of human-centric computing.

With the spread of cloud computing, the role expected of datacenters delivering cloud services is significantly changing. For example, in addition to traditional web services, new services being offered are making backend technologies ever-more important. furthermore, big data, transmitted by large volumes of sensors in such fields as lifelogging, medicine, and agriculture, is collected in datacenters and put to use. Those changes drive the datacenters to meet the needs of efficient and flexible processing for an increasing diversity of services.

In datacenters that deliver cloud services, the ICT infrastructure is built by connecting multiple servers and storage machines through a network. in most cases, the configuration of these servers and storage machines is tailored to the delivery of cloud-based services, such as web services. now, however, in line with the diversification of cloud services, the need to offer services from datacenters is rising. This includes database services requiring high I/O performance or large-scale data processing tasks that use the local disks of servers, as well as for other services requiring a level of performance that had been difficult to satisfy with configurations geared toward traditional cloud systems.

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a resource pool architecture in which the hardware components, such as CPUs and HDDs, are linked together with high-speed interconnects (Fig. 1). This marked success in building the world’s first next-generation server prototype that can be configured either as a server equipped with local disks or as a system with built-in storage capabilities.

Figure 3: Next-generation server prototype

In comparison with typical system configurations tailored to traditional web services, the new prototype delivered a benchmark performance of approximately four times higher I/O throughput as well as increased performance of about 40% when running actual applications.

Features of the newly developed technology are as follows:

1. Pool management feature In accordance with user requirements for CPUs, HDDs and other needs, the pool management feature allows for necessary resources to be allocated from the pool, the deployment of OS and middleware resources, and the on-demand provision of servers in a required configuration.

2. Middleware that offers storage function using servers apportioned from pool Using server resources from the pool, storage capabilities are delivered by configuring the middleware, which controls HDD management and data management functions. whether it is a server with multiple local disks tailored for large-scale data processing tasks, or RAID functions for improved data reliability, the system can be flexibly configured to meet performance and power consumption requirements.

3. High-speed interconnect technology that connects the disk pool The disk pool comprised of multiple HDDs is connected to the CPU pool via a high-speed interconnect disk area network. The HDDs linked to the CPUs through the disk area network have the same disk access capabilities as the local disks in a typical server, and their performance is not affected by other CPUs. a disk area network was created using prototype interconnects that connect a CPU to a given HDD at a speed of 6 Gbps without any mutual interference.

This technology enables the creation of datacenter ICT systems that deliver both high performance and flexibility. For the delivery of existing web services via the cloud, or even for new services yet to emerge, the optimal server and storage units can be consistently configured to fit the unique requirements of the task at hand, swiftly enabling the delivery of ever-higher value-added services. by leveraging the technology’s unique flexibility to adapt a system’s configuration, capacity planning requirements for the budgeting of essential resources are eliminated when designing a system for a new service for which it is difficult to accurately predict swings in load requirements.

Similarly, for cases in which the proportion of the workload accounted for by web services, database functions, or large-scale data processing tasks varies from day to day or year by year, by simply changing the server/storage configuration, optimal services can be delivered at all times with the same ICT infrastructure, resulting in improved datacenter utilization rates.

Moreover, even if any of the CPUs, HDDs or other hardware fails, simply switching the connections to the failed parts will reduce replacement frequency and lower maintenance costs.

The technology’s functionality and performance will be verified with a goal of commercially launching the technology in fiscal 2013. Providing flexible and high performance IT infrastructure will contribute to processing big data and the realization of new ICT services.

Since I last ran a reader Q&A a few weeks ago, I’ve received another compelling question. Reader Robert has an older Emachines desktop that recently developed a problem: “I installed a driver updater tool, and when I deleted it, it did something that changed my BIOS. the black screen appears when I boot up and reads: ‘System BIOS shadowed. Check time and date settings. System CMOS checksum bad–default configuration used.’”

Robert says he’s tried contacting both Phoenix Technologies (maker of the BIOS) and Emachines, and neither company could help. (The BIOS dates back to 2003, and the system itself is long out of warranty.)

Fortunately, this sounds like a pretty easy problem to fix. I don’t think the driver-update utility is to blame here, but rather a poorly timed CMOS-battery failure. See, most desktop motherboards have a small battery that supplies power to the BIOS even when the machine is turned off. This battery might last two years or it might last 10, but when it fails, you’ll often see an error message like the one above. (Your system will also fail to keep proper time, as the clock is one of the elements powered by that battery.)

Most CMOS batteries are standard CR2032 “button” cells, which cost no more than a few bucks at your local drugstore, but check your motherboard documentation just to be safe. Replacing one is usually a two-minute job: pop out the old one, pop in the new one, and you’re done. After that, you’ll probably need to venture into the BIOS to reset the clock and double-check other system settings (like boot priority).

Just be glad this didn’t happen to your laptop. Laptops use CMOS batteries just like desktops, but on most models they’re difficult–if not impossible–to replace. which begs the question: After all these years, why haven’t laptop manufacturers figured out a better way to power the CMOS?

Not long ago a neighbor came to me with a malware-infested laptop. Some particularly nasty trojan had made its way onto the system (despite the presence of a certain big-name security suite, cough, ahem), rendering it more or less inoperable. the Start menu wouldn’t work, programs wouldn’t run, and I couldn’t even get Task Manager to appear.

In cases like these, I always turn to my trusty flash drive, which I keep equipped with a few of my favorite malware-busting security tools. And the best way I’ve found to make sure I have the latest versions of those tools is with SSDownloader (short for Security Software Downloader).

This open-source utility reminds me a lot of Ninite, the fab freebie that downloads and installs your favorite software. SSDownloader works much the same way, but obviously focuses exclusivley on security. the app is portable, meaning it runs fine from a flash drive. (There’s no installation required.)

When you launch it, you’ll see five pretty self-explanatory tabs: Free Antivirus, Security Suites (Trial Versions), Malware Removal, Firewalls, and other Tools. Within these tabs you’ll find around 50 programs; check the box next to the ones you want to fetch, then click Download. It’s that simple.

Impressively, SSDownloader can auto-detect your operating system (Windows XP or Vista/7) and even whether it’s 32- or 64-bit; it’ll download the correct software versions accordingly. It doesn’t run or install any of them, though–that part’s up to you.

Here’s a random sampling of what’s available: Avast Anti-Virus Free, Panda Internet Security (trial), Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (a personal favorite), HiJack This, Comodo Firewall Free, WinPatrol, LastPass, and CyberGhost VPN. In other SSDownloader makes it a snap to download a wealth of essential software–most of it freeware.

The interface is a little rough around the edges, but I can’t recommend this tool highly enough.

If you’ve got a hassle that needs solving, send it my way. I can’t promise a response, but I’ll definitely read every e-mail I get–and do my best to address at least some of them in the PCWorld Hassle-Free PC blog. my 411: . You can also sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.

The Ultrabook, a new class of ultraportable laptops defined by Intel, has been making waves lately as the next major step in laptop design. these ultraslim and lightweight laptops promise to combine the conveniences of tablets with the functionality of larger notebooks. if Intel and Ultrabook manufacturers can get the design and technology right, Windows users may finally have relatively affordable and varied alternatives to the reigning ultrathin laptop, Apple’s MacBook Air. In addition to the much thinner and lighter laptops we’ll see this fall, you can expect combo devices with sliding or removable multitouch screens for true all-in-one versatility. Here’s what you need to know about Ultrabooks and whether you should prepare to purchase one.

Ultrabooks are laptops based on reference designs that Intel announced at the Computex trade show in May. Although Intel makes computer chips, not entire laptops, the company has provided the Ultrabook specification (five different ones, actually) to laptop manufacturers so that they can produce a new army of “thin, light, and beautiful” portables.

Intel defines Ultrabooks as having Intel Core processors, a thickness under 21mm (0.8 inches), and a long battery life (initial Ultrabook models are rated for at least 7 hours). they also share 11- to 13-inch displays, a weight under 3 pounds (closer to 2.5 pounds), and a near-instant resume from sleep, thanks to their solid-state drives. Ideally–and this is the kicker–Ultrabooks should be priced at under $1000.

In short, Ultrabooks are designed to be inexpensive, high-performance, and svelte laptops.

Toshiba Portege Z830 UltrabookIn concept, Ultrabooks aren’t really new: after all, the MacBook Air meets the criteria, and Apple revealed it in 2008. and the laptop industry as a whole was already racing to thin-and-light long before the MacBook Air made skinny popular; five years earlier, for example, we had the 2-pound Sony VAIO x505.

Some people might argue that the MacBook Air is an Ultrabook, but “Ultrabook” is also a marketing term that Intel trademarked this year–a term that describes the laptop PC’s comeback attempt in a world of rising tablet and smartphone fame.

To date, if you wanted a well-designed, high-performance ultraportable laptop–something that you could easily carry everywhere without having to worry about looking for an outlet every couple of hours–and specifically one that cost about a grand, you’d have to turn to the MacBook Air. as PCWorld laptops editor Jason Cross has pointed out, Windows laptop makers haven’t been able to keep up with Apple in its innovation, marketing, and pricing for the MacBook Air.

Ultrabooks, however, may be the first worthy MacBook Air rivals, machines that can compete on all levels: design, hardware specs, and price. and Intel is pushing for innovation beyond the MacBook Air model.

Acer Aspire S3 UltrabookThe first Ultrabooks are coming this fall, from Asus, Acer, Lenovo, and Toshiba. (You might also consider the Samsung Series 9 to be an Ultrabook, but it debuted before Intel announced the Ultrabook concept.)

Asus UX21: The first Ultrabook to be introduced, this 2.4-pound laptop has an 11.6-inch display, a 0.66-inch thickness, and an Intel Core i7 processor. It’s expected to start at under $1000 and launch this month.

Toshiba Portege Z830: Billed as the “world’s lightest 13-inch laptop,” the Z830 starts at just under $1000, is 0.63 inches thin, and weighs under 2.5 pounds.

Acer Aspire S3: Launching at 799 euros ($1134) and promising to capture the MacBook Air feel, the 13.3-inch Aspire S3 offers a Core i3, i5, or i7 processor and a choice between a traditional hard drive or an SSD.

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s: This 13.3-inch Ultrabook is expected in November starting at $1200. The U300s will be available in Core i5 and i7 models, and will have a Clementine color option.

Intel has indicated that the potential of Ultrabooks exceeds what we’ve seen in current ultraportable laptops. after the initial Ultrabook models (the Windows MacBook Air clones) come out this year, we should see a second wave based on Intel’s next-generation Ivy Bridge chips–systems with touchscreens that swivel or slide out of the way. In other words, they’ll be superthin, convertible tablets. Intel is calling Ultrabooks a “new category of what promises to become the must-have, most complete and satisfying computing devices over the next couple of years.”

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s UltrabookThis year’s Ultrabooks are truly attractive laptops–for both business and personal use, and especially for travel. They’re powerful, flexible, incredibly thin, light, and durable. if you need a laptop right now, these are among your best options.

However, at the moment Ultrabooks aren’t the great value we first envisioned (due to manufacturers’ issues with high costs and limited supplies), and laptop makers are taking a wait-and-see approach to this new portable category, despite Intel’s $300 million investment in the project.

If you have a couple of months to wait, you could see these Ultrabooks drop in price and become even more attractive. Alternatively, you might prefer to get in touch with Windows 8 Ultrabooks next year, or hold out for Ultrabooks with 24-hour battery life, which are due in 2013.

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