Monday, January 19, 2004
China Scraps Plans for Extension of Magnetic Levitation Railway
China has scrapped plans for a high-speed magnetic levitation railway between Shanghai and Beijing, just two weeks after inaugurating a similar system within the city of Shanghai.
The announcement of the cancellation appeared Friday in state-run newspapers. The reports quoted Chinese transportation officials as saying the government would instead seek to modernize China's overextended rail system using more conventional, less-expensive, high speed wheel-track technology, such as that currently used in Japan and France.
The news came as the busy Lunar New Year holiday travel season is approaching. Officials estimate 800 million people will travel to their home provinces in China over the next few days, most of them by train.
At Beijing's main railway station, hundreds lined up Friday in freezing temperatures, hoping to secure tickets for home. With the New Year festival less than a week away, most of the cheaper class fares are already sold out.
Chu Yanyan, a Beijing resident in her 30's, says she is trying to book a seat to Nanjing, but doubts she will find anything she can afford. Everyone, she says, wants the cheaper seats. She says China's decision to abandon plans for the mag-lev railway to Shanghai was not necessarily bad news.
She says, people who travel by train are workers who usually do not have much money, so they would not be able to afford anything like mag-lev tickets. Ms. Chu, says the high speed train might be good for some, but most people fight to get the cheapest tickets.
It was estimated that the Shanghai-to-Beijing railway would have cost China $14 billion to build.
Some people say the government was jumping ahead of itself by proposing such an expensive system at a time when China is still a developing country, with a per capita income of around $1,000.
German companies have spent billions to develop the mag-lev technology, but have had difficulty selling it due - in large part - to its set-up cost.
Two weeks ago, China became the first nation to operate a mag-lev railway commercially, when officials inaugurated a 30-kilometer-long line between downtown Shanghai and the city's airport. Full Article>>>
The announcement of the cancellation appeared Friday in state-run newspapers. The reports quoted Chinese transportation officials as saying the government would instead seek to modernize China's overextended rail system using more conventional, less-expensive, high speed wheel-track technology, such as that currently used in Japan and France.
The news came as the busy Lunar New Year holiday travel season is approaching. Officials estimate 800 million people will travel to their home provinces in China over the next few days, most of them by train.
At Beijing's main railway station, hundreds lined up Friday in freezing temperatures, hoping to secure tickets for home. With the New Year festival less than a week away, most of the cheaper class fares are already sold out.
Chu Yanyan, a Beijing resident in her 30's, says she is trying to book a seat to Nanjing, but doubts she will find anything she can afford. Everyone, she says, wants the cheaper seats. She says China's decision to abandon plans for the mag-lev railway to Shanghai was not necessarily bad news.
She says, people who travel by train are workers who usually do not have much money, so they would not be able to afford anything like mag-lev tickets. Ms. Chu, says the high speed train might be good for some, but most people fight to get the cheapest tickets.
It was estimated that the Shanghai-to-Beijing railway would have cost China $14 billion to build.
Some people say the government was jumping ahead of itself by proposing such an expensive system at a time when China is still a developing country, with a per capita income of around $1,000.
German companies have spent billions to develop the mag-lev technology, but have had difficulty selling it due - in large part - to its set-up cost.
Two weeks ago, China became the first nation to operate a mag-lev railway commercially, when officials inaugurated a 30-kilometer-long line between downtown Shanghai and the city's airport. Full Article>>>
Monday, January 12, 2004
SGI announces low-cost Linux supercluster machine
SGI today announced a new, low-cost Itanium 2-based Linux server, the Altix 350. The new $12,199 machine will dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of shared-memory superclusters -- supercomputers that run a single Linux system image spanning many processors.
An advantage of the Altix architecture is the single Linux system image -- typically a stock 2.4.x kernel with open source high-performance computing patches applied. Applications can be installed and run as if on an ordinary Linux workstation.
SGI is targeting what it says is a $2.6 billion market for midrange servers for scientists, design engineers, researchers, and other technical computing users, a segment that is currently dominated by mid-range machines from Sun, IBM, and HP running proprietary versions of Unix.
The Altix 350 borrows its design from SGI's high-end Altix 3000 series, a high performance computing architecture used for tasks like planetary weather modelling. Since its January 2003 introduction, SGI says it has shipped 10,000 processors to 150 Altix 3000 customers, including a 512-processor machine used by NASA Ames Research Center. Full Article>>>
An advantage of the Altix architecture is the single Linux system image -- typically a stock 2.4.x kernel with open source high-performance computing patches applied. Applications can be installed and run as if on an ordinary Linux workstation.
SGI is targeting what it says is a $2.6 billion market for midrange servers for scientists, design engineers, researchers, and other technical computing users, a segment that is currently dominated by mid-range machines from Sun, IBM, and HP running proprietary versions of Unix.
The Altix 350 borrows its design from SGI's high-end Altix 3000 series, a high performance computing architecture used for tasks like planetary weather modelling. Since its January 2003 introduction, SGI says it has shipped 10,000 processors to 150 Altix 3000 customers, including a 512-processor machine used by NASA Ames Research Center. Full Article>>>
Space station leak located in lab
A leaky hose in a window of the laboratory module Destiny has been blamed for the International Space Station's three-week drop in air pressure.
The hose, used to equalise pressure and eliminate fog between two of the window's six clear panes, has been capped according to NASA. The hose has yet to be unequivocally confirmed as the source of the leak, but the station's air pressure does seem to have now stabilised.
US astronaut Michael Foale and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri have been searching for the leak since they were told about it on 5 January. On 9 January they ruled out a Russian air purifier, and over the weekend they checked airlocks on the US and Russian station segments, as well as the docked Russian Soyuz lifeboat - all of which appeared airtight. Full Article>>>
The hose, used to equalise pressure and eliminate fog between two of the window's six clear panes, has been capped according to NASA. The hose has yet to be unequivocally confirmed as the source of the leak, but the station's air pressure does seem to have now stabilised.
US astronaut Michael Foale and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri have been searching for the leak since they were told about it on 5 January. On 9 January they ruled out a Russian air purifier, and over the weekend they checked airlocks on the US and Russian station segments, as well as the docked Russian Soyuz lifeboat - all of which appeared airtight. Full Article>>>
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Toshiba Readies Truly Tiny Hard Drive
Toshiba has unveiled a prototype hard drive that's smaller than any currently on the market. The drive could start appearing in devices such as cellular telephones and digital music players before the end of this year.
The drive is the same length and width as an SD memory card and is 1 millimeter thicker, says Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba's U.S. storage media division.
A prototype on display at the Consumer Electronics Show here this week has a data storage capacity of 2GB. Toshiba is also planning to produce a sample drive with 4GB capacity around the middle of this year, Brzeski says.
The device itself is a miniaturized version of the kind of drive found inside a personal computer. It features a recording platter, the media part of the hard drive on which data is stored, that measures 0.85 inches in diameter.
Most current desktop computers use drives with a 3.5-inch-diameter platter, while notebook computers usually use 2.5-inch drives. Even smaller drives are used in digital music players--Apple Computer's IPod and IPod mini use 1.8-inch and 1.0-inch drives, respectively--but until now no company has unveiled a smaller device. Full Article>>>
The drive is the same length and width as an SD memory card and is 1 millimeter thicker, says Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba's U.S. storage media division.
A prototype on display at the Consumer Electronics Show here this week has a data storage capacity of 2GB. Toshiba is also planning to produce a sample drive with 4GB capacity around the middle of this year, Brzeski says.
The device itself is a miniaturized version of the kind of drive found inside a personal computer. It features a recording platter, the media part of the hard drive on which data is stored, that measures 0.85 inches in diameter.
Most current desktop computers use drives with a 3.5-inch-diameter platter, while notebook computers usually use 2.5-inch drives. Even smaller drives are used in digital music players--Apple Computer's IPod and IPod mini use 1.8-inch and 1.0-inch drives, respectively--but until now no company has unveiled a smaller device. Full Article>>>
Saturday, January 03, 2004
In search of a slice of life
While U.S. astronomers anxiously await tomorrow's scheduled arrival of their latest probe to search for life on Mars, a study by Australian scientists is casting new light on where to look for advanced life elsewhere in our galaxy.
Their analysis argues that a slice of the Milky Way, including the region around Earth, is a "Goldilocks zone" for life to evolve. "That is, it is not too hot and not too cold; it is just right," jokes Charles Lineweaver, lead author of the study, which appears today in the journal Science.
If the analysis is correct, life in many places could have been evolving for a billion years longer than on Earth.
What the Australian astronomers and physicists did is to look for four physical features they believe are necessary for advanced life to evolve:
There must be enough heavy elements -- notably carbon, oxygen and nitrogen -- to build Earth-like life forms.
Conversely, there cannot be too much of these heavy elements, because they would produce a large number of Jupiter-sized planets. Recent analysis of extraterrestrial planetary systems suggests that the movements of these giant bodies toward their suns would obliterate all Earth-type planets in their path. Full Article>>>
Their analysis argues that a slice of the Milky Way, including the region around Earth, is a "Goldilocks zone" for life to evolve. "That is, it is not too hot and not too cold; it is just right," jokes Charles Lineweaver, lead author of the study, which appears today in the journal Science.
If the analysis is correct, life in many places could have been evolving for a billion years longer than on Earth.
What the Australian astronomers and physicists did is to look for four physical features they believe are necessary for advanced life to evolve:
There must be enough heavy elements -- notably carbon, oxygen and nitrogen -- to build Earth-like life forms.
Conversely, there cannot be too much of these heavy elements, because they would produce a large number of Jupiter-sized planets. Recent analysis of extraterrestrial planetary systems suggests that the movements of these giant bodies toward their suns would obliterate all Earth-type planets in their path. Full Article>>>
Friday, January 02, 2004
Apple-Watchers Mull Reports of Low-Cost iPods
Continuing a Macworld Expo tradition, speculation grew this week in the Mac community about Apple Computer Inc.'s forthcoming announcements at next week's show in San Francisco. While Apple-centric IT professionals hope for news of an updated Xserve platform, consumers and resellers expect a low-cost iPod media player is in the works.
On the consumer front, industry insiders wondered what the introduction of a smaller, less-expensive iPod line would mean for the marketplace, consumers and Apple's bottom line. Although Apple declined to confirm the rumors, some Apple watchers predicted another success for the Cupertino, Calif., company, as others feared that a less-expensive music player could take sales away from Apple's current offerings, which range in price from $300 to $500. Full Article>>>
On the consumer front, industry insiders wondered what the introduction of a smaller, less-expensive iPod line would mean for the marketplace, consumers and Apple's bottom line. Although Apple declined to confirm the rumors, some Apple watchers predicted another success for the Cupertino, Calif., company, as others feared that a less-expensive music player could take sales away from Apple's current offerings, which range in price from $300 to $500. Full Article>>>
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
Apple users threaten to sue over iBook, iPod
Can a few bad apples -- like product quality complaints and potential lawsuits -- spoil the bunch for loyal fans of Apple Computer Inc. ahead of their biggest party of the year?
As enthusiasts devoted to Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people) prepare to descend on San Francisco next week for the annual Macworld conference, at least two online petitions have collected hundreds of signatures from potential plaintiffs seeking to file lawsuits over claims of defects in the iBook laptop.
Another growing source of complaints surrounds Apple's wildly-popular iPod line of digital music players, which many enthusiasts believe will get an upgrade at Macworld with the introduction of smaller, less-expensive models and a range of case colors. Full Article>>>
As enthusiasts devoted to Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people) prepare to descend on San Francisco next week for the annual Macworld conference, at least two online petitions have collected hundreds of signatures from potential plaintiffs seeking to file lawsuits over claims of defects in the iBook laptop.
Another growing source of complaints surrounds Apple's wildly-popular iPod line of digital music players, which many enthusiasts believe will get an upgrade at Macworld with the introduction of smaller, less-expensive models and a range of case colors. Full Article>>>
Queen to knight early Web innovator
Does this mean the Web is his castle? Tim Berners-Lee, the technologist who added hyperlinking capabilities to the Internet to create the World Wide Web in 1990, is being knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
Buckingham Palace said this week that Berners-Lee, 48, a British citizen who lives in the United States, got the honor because of his "services to the global development of the Internet."
In a statement released by the World Wide Web Consortium, an Internet group he directs, Berners-Lee said he considered knighthood an honor that "applies to the whole Web development community." Full Article>>>
Buckingham Palace said this week that Berners-Lee, 48, a British citizen who lives in the United States, got the honor because of his "services to the global development of the Internet."
In a statement released by the World Wide Web Consortium, an Internet group he directs, Berners-Lee said he considered knighthood an honor that "applies to the whole Web development community." Full Article>>>
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Online Sales Reach Record High
Consumers pumped the Internet during the holiday season, pushing online sales to record highs.
From November 1 to December 12, online shoppers forked over more than $13 billion, excluding travel sales. This is a 46 percent jump over last year's total, and the revenue sum is sure to surge even higher after the last two weeks of December are counted. Some of the top sellers on the Web are clothing, videos/DVDs, consumer electronics, toys/video games and books, according to an "eSpending" survey from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Harris Interactive, and Nielsen/NetRatings. (You would think three analyst firms could pool their talents and come up with a better survey name but no such luck.)
While the music industry appears intent on shutting down online sales, its movie industry cohorts should be cheering on the Web. Video and DVD sales surged 89 percent year-on-year to account for $1.2 billion. Clothing makes up the bulk of Internet sales with $2.5 billion in revenue this year - a 35 percent jump from 2002. Toys and video games pulled in $1.6 billion, consumer electronics accounted for $1.4 billion and books brought in an even $1 billion. All categories enjoyed a healthy increase in sales this year. Full Article>>>
From November 1 to December 12, online shoppers forked over more than $13 billion, excluding travel sales. This is a 46 percent jump over last year's total, and the revenue sum is sure to surge even higher after the last two weeks of December are counted. Some of the top sellers on the Web are clothing, videos/DVDs, consumer electronics, toys/video games and books, according to an "eSpending" survey from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Harris Interactive, and Nielsen/NetRatings. (You would think three analyst firms could pool their talents and come up with a better survey name but no such luck.)
While the music industry appears intent on shutting down online sales, its movie industry cohorts should be cheering on the Web. Video and DVD sales surged 89 percent year-on-year to account for $1.2 billion. Clothing makes up the bulk of Internet sales with $2.5 billion in revenue this year - a 35 percent jump from 2002. Toys and video games pulled in $1.6 billion, consumer electronics accounted for $1.4 billion and books brought in an even $1 billion. All categories enjoyed a healthy increase in sales this year. Full Article>>>
The future is now
The ubiquity of the iPod, the return of the Mac, and the simplicity of the portable memory stick are just some of the developments that could change our lives in 2004. Charles Arthur offers his predictions for a year of innovation
There's a gleam in technology enthusiasts' eyes when they look forward to 2004. Since the computer industry started plummeting, around the beginning of 2001, there has been much innovation yet nobody has been able to persuade consumers or business to buy anything in large enough volumes to turn things around.
That's ready to change. The pace of innovation is still dramatic; but now people and companies are ready to take it on board. So here's your look forward to what's going to happen, and not happen, in 2004 - followed by my advice on what to do and what not to do. Full Article>>>
There's a gleam in technology enthusiasts' eyes when they look forward to 2004. Since the computer industry started plummeting, around the beginning of 2001, there has been much innovation yet nobody has been able to persuade consumers or business to buy anything in large enough volumes to turn things around.
That's ready to change. The pace of innovation is still dramatic; but now people and companies are ready to take it on board. So here's your look forward to what's going to happen, and not happen, in 2004 - followed by my advice on what to do and what not to do. Full Article>>>
