I must say (and thus I blog), this particular news article made "WTF" echo in my mind for some time.
Having learn't a few nuts and bolts about the semiconductor/hardware design industry, I have always appreciated the success of ARM, a behind the scenes company that exists in more devices that most people can imagine. ARM was or probably 'is still' one of the companies I'd like to work with, not because I love the company culture or anything (i dont even know what it is like to work at ARM), but for the reason that they have microprocessor IP (intellectual property) that, probably exists in 90% of the mobile phones people have used (The number is a wild guess)!
Now, away from my first love of hardware design and computer architecture, my latest affair with developing apps for iPhone has kind of "Apple'd" me. I love Apple, I love Apple products, and if Apple was a religion, I'd gracefully accept Steve Jobs as my god (OK, I am exaggerating a little too much now =).
Un-exaggerated: After developing a few apps, getting to know the iPhone OS and the way Apple has developed an eco-system for the developers and the consumers, I truly appreciate the Apple way of running the business. Having created a solid foundation since starting with the 1st generation iPods, the iTunes store, iPhones and then the iPads, Apple is one company that has a clear focus on its source of bread (or should I say, caviar?)
So whats the great WTF moment that I am blogging about? Just read this article "City aflame with takeover talk of ARM" that mentions about this rumor in the London business circles that Apple is interested in ARM.
I am not sure if acquiring PA-Semi wasn't enough (probably just enough to come out with A4 for iPad), but, taking over ARM would do wonders for Apple, while it may end up being really scary for the rest of the mobile (chip) manufacturers!
The latest chip by Qualcomm - SnapDragon is used in most of the latest high end smartphones, like the Google NexusOne, HTC Desire, Sony XPERIA and the HTC Incredible. SnapDragon, like many other processors (used in Droid etc) make up for the majority of all the high end microprocessors with ARM cores.
Its hard to imagine the mobile world without ARM. And hence, the WTF moment, when I imagine a leader in smartphone technology creeping into the microprocessor cores business. That'd make Apple happy if they sell 100 iPhones, and happier if someone else sells 100 phones that contain ARM cores, isn't it?
[All this, provided the rumor is true =]
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Bloom Energy: Green, Cheap, Efficient Energy == Farce? (I dont think so!)
Watch this video to get some insights about the Bloom Energy, which manufactures tiny fuel cells to be used at homes, or big ones that can power up large commercial spaces.
With $400 million funding that it has, I find it hard to think that this will be an epic fail!
Watch CBS News Videos Online
For the original source of the article check this link
http://mashable.com/2010/02/25/bloom-box-videos/
With $400 million funding that it has, I find it hard to think that this will be an epic fail!
Watch CBS News Videos Online
For the original source of the article check this link
http://mashable.com/2010/02/25/bloom-box-videos/
Thursday, February 25, 2010
IEEE Spectrum: Automated to Death
Isn't That Awesome!
The passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines Flight 124 were just settling into their five-hour flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur that late on the afternoon of 1 August 2005. Approximately 18 minutes into the flight, as the Boeing 777-200 series aircraft was climbing through 36 000 feet altitude on autopilot, the aircraft—suddenly and without warning—pitched to 18 degrees, nose up, and started to climb rapidly. As the plane passed 39 000 feet, the stall and overspeed warning indicators came on simultaneously—something that’s supposed to be impossible, and a situation the crew is not trained to handle.
At 41 000 feet, the command pilot disconnected the autopilot and lowered the airplane’s nose. The auto throttle then commanded an increase in thrust, and the craft plunged 4000 feet. The pilot countered by manually moving the throttles back to the idle position. The nose pitched up again, and the aircraft climbed 2000 feet before the pilot regained control.
Read the investigation and also watch the Forensic Simulation of the key moments in that scary flight in the link below (has three other similar accidents discussed, including the Washington DC Metro Accident, the Northwest Airlines flying past the destination by 150 miles etc)
IEEE Spectrum: Automated to Death
The passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines Flight 124 were just settling into their five-hour flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur that late on the afternoon of 1 August 2005. Approximately 18 minutes into the flight, as the Boeing 777-200 series aircraft was climbing through 36 000 feet altitude on autopilot, the aircraft—suddenly and without warning—pitched to 18 degrees, nose up, and started to climb rapidly. As the plane passed 39 000 feet, the stall and overspeed warning indicators came on simultaneously—something that’s supposed to be impossible, and a situation the crew is not trained to handle.
At 41 000 feet, the command pilot disconnected the autopilot and lowered the airplane’s nose. The auto throttle then commanded an increase in thrust, and the craft plunged 4000 feet. The pilot countered by manually moving the throttles back to the idle position. The nose pitched up again, and the aircraft climbed 2000 feet before the pilot regained control.
Read the investigation and also watch the Forensic Simulation of the key moments in that scary flight in the link below (has three other similar accidents discussed, including the Washington DC Metro Accident, the Northwest Airlines flying past the destination by 150 miles etc)
IEEE Spectrum: Automated to Death
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Digital Cameras: Does Size (mega pixels) Matter??
Finally an article that tries to emphasize on the "Size Does Not Matter" thing about Digital Cameras. For quite some time I wanted to explain all this in my own words, but Gizmodo makes it much simpler!
ISO (sensitivity of the sensor to light) is a feature most amateur photographers dont know about. This a good ISO performance in a camera can give better photos than a large pixel count on the sensor!
Read this article for complete understanding of ISO and Sensor size.
Giz Explains: Why ISO Is the New Megapixel - Digital Cameras - Gizmodo
ISO (sensitivity of the sensor to light) is a feature most amateur photographers dont know about. This a good ISO performance in a camera can give better photos than a large pixel count on the sensor!
Read this article for complete understanding of ISO and Sensor size.
Giz Explains: Why ISO Is the New Megapixel - Digital Cameras - Gizmodo
Sugar May Be Bad But This Sweetener Is Far More Deadly
Are 120 Calories from Glucose same for your body as 120 calories from Fructose? (NO, calories from Fructose result in more than 40 times fat than that of Glucose!!!)
After eating fructose, 100 percent of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. But with glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent.
To know more interesting (scary) facts about sugars and calories, read this article on Huffington Post Sugar May Be Bad But This Sweetener Is Far More Deadly
After eating fructose, 100 percent of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. But with glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent.
To know more interesting (scary) facts about sugars and calories, read this article on Huffington Post Sugar May Be Bad But This Sweetener Is Far More Deadly
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