Parallels today announced that a benchmark study from MacTech found Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac "14-20% faster than VMware Fusion" in the majority of its tests. The labs pitted Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac against VMware Fusion 2.0.1 in more than 2500 tests examining the performance of Windows XP and Windows Vista on 4 different Mac models: the "White" MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Pro. The tests revealed Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac is 14% faster for both XP and Vista on the default and thus the most commonly used configuration: 32-bit Windows OS running under a single virtual processor.
The benchmark tested performance of running some of the most commonly used Windows-compatible applications, including Internet Explorer, the default web browser for Windows. In these tests, MacTech found that "VMware Fusion was several times slower than Parallels Desktop in the Internet Explorer tests (across the board)". The full report and results can be viewed on the MacTech website.
When examining how both virtualization tools use the resources of the Mac hardware, the benchmark found that: "Parallels Desktop had a surprisingly small RAM footprint… which was actually typically lower than the amount of RAM configured for the virtual machine." This is because of the adaptive hypervisor and optimized memory management, both of which were introduced with version 4.0 of Parallels Desktop for Mac. The adaptive hypervisor allocates resources as they are needed in real-time, so the virtual machine will only use the amount of RAM actually required to perform the current processes, leaving the rest for Mac OS X. More memory for Mac OS X results in a better performance of the whole system in most cases.
Regarding graphics support, the report concludes: "In our tests, MacBook users will have a better experience with Parallels Desktop". The tests were conducted on an early build of version 4.0, which has since been updated to include support for Vertex Shaders 2.0 and bring graphic support to DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2, enhancing the graphics capabilities even further.
The overview of the report includes the following round up of results:
"For 32-bit Windows OSes, running under a single virtual processor (the default when you create virtual machines in either product, and therefore, the most commonly used configuration), Parallels Desktop runs both XP and Vista 14% faster than VMware Fusion."
"For 32-bit Windows OSes, running under two virtual processors… Parallels Desktop runs Vista 20% faster than VMware Fusion."
"For 64-bit Windows Vista, running under two virtual processors, Parallels Desktop runs 15% faster than VMware Fusion."
"The results of the benchmark support much of the feedback we hear from our users and we’re delighted to see a well-respected industry voice echoing their sentiments," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. "Since the testing began, we have issued an updated build (3810) for Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac and we’re confident that this offers even better performance and graphics support. This is a free update for existing customers of version 4.0 and part of our ongoing commitment to innovating our products to further meet customers’ needs. We invite customers to download the free trial on our website if they want to test the product themselves."
For more information on Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac or to download the free trail, please visit www.parallels.com/desktop.
About Parallels — Optimized Computing
Parallels is a worldwide leader in virtualization and automation software that optimizes computing for consumers, businesses, and service providers across all major hardware, operating systems, and virtualization platforms. Founded in 1999, Parallels is a fast-growing company with 800 employees in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit.
Monday, March 9, 2009
MSI Unveils DDR2+DDR3 Combo Motherboard
MSI is reaching out to touch the memory lover in every gamer with two very unique motherboards: the 790GX-8D and the P45-8D. What's so special about these boards? Dual support for DDR2 and DDR3, on the same board.
MSI showcased two amazing motherboards at CeBIT: its AM3 board 790GX-8D featuring the 790GX chipset, and its socket 775 board P45-8D using Intel's P45 +ICH10/ICH10R chipset. What makes these two boards so extremely hot is their huge memory capacity, both offering four DDR2 slots and four DDR3 memory slots. Nicknamed as the "Memory Lover," both utilize MSI's power saving technology APS as well as its "DrMOS" high quality voltage converters.
Out of the two, the 790GX-8D seems a bit more versatile, compatible with AMD's AM3 processors with DDR2-1066 or DDR3-1333 RAM (using bypass) while also capable of supporting the AM2+ CPU with DDR2 RAM. Up until now, you had to choose between DDR2 or DDR3, but not both.
MSI showcased two amazing motherboards at CeBIT: its AM3 board 790GX-8D featuring the 790GX chipset, and its socket 775 board P45-8D using Intel's P45 +ICH10/ICH10R chipset. What makes these two boards so extremely hot is their huge memory capacity, both offering four DDR2 slots and four DDR3 memory slots. Nicknamed as the "Memory Lover," both utilize MSI's power saving technology APS as well as its "DrMOS" high quality voltage converters.
Out of the two, the 790GX-8D seems a bit more versatile, compatible with AMD's AM3 processors with DDR2-1066 or DDR3-1333 RAM (using bypass) while also capable of supporting the AM2+ CPU with DDR2 RAM. Up until now, you had to choose between DDR2 or DDR3, but not both.
The 790GX-8D also allows overclockers to increase the frequencies at any time using an onboard control dial. Users can even erase the CMOS RAM with the touch of a Reset button or switch into power saving mode by pressing the "Green Power" button.
Additionally, the board offers two PCIe x16 slots, two PCIe x1 slots, and a vanilla PCI slot. Users can easily throw in a CrossFireX configuration using two cards worry-free, and it's even possible to set up a Hybrid CrossFireX configuration using the on-board graphics chipset.
Although the P45-8D does offer loads of memory, it seems less appealing than MSI's AM3 Memory Lover offering. Still, consumers can pick up the Intel-based board online, retailing between $170 - $350.
Core 2 Quad Gets Efficient: Enter The Q8200S And Q9550S : Four Cores For The Power Consumption Of Two
Four Cores For The Power Consumption Of Two
Intel’s Core i7 processor family has been available for a few months now, but despite being the undisputed performance champion, it is not yet ready for the true mainstream. Processors, and especially motherboards, are still too expensive; and the existing models deliver their impressive performance at equivalently impressive power consumption figures. But users looking for the best balance between performance and efficiency have an interesting new option now: Intel has released its first 45 nm Core 2 Quad processors that stay below a specified power consumption of 65 W--the Core 2 Quad S series.
Bringing Power Consumption Down
Although processors have reduced their power consumption by more than 50% since the good old Pentium 4 powerhouse, the addition of processing cores typically increases power consumption, at least during high load conditions. While we believe it is absolutely acceptable to live with a certain power requirement for high performance parts, everything should be done to keep power consumption reasonable while the processor is idle or running at a low load level.
Features Versus Technology
All modern processors implement power saving features. Cool’n’Quiet by AMD and SpeedStep from Intel allow the operating system to lower the clock speed and processor voltage to decrease power consumption. In addition, processors are capable of switching into halt states, which means they may interrupt execution for very short periods of time. Finally, some sections of modern processors can be completely shut down when they are not needed; this has traditionally applied to caches, but is increasingly being used for processor cores as well.
Manufacturing technology keeps improving, and processor manufacturers use these advances to introduce minor improvements to their products. Our article AMD’s Athlon Stepping Improvements, which we published in March of 2008, is a great example. We took four different processors that are all named “Athlon 64 X2 5000+” but are all based on different silicon steppings, and compared them.
Improvements at the silicon level can be used to accelerate processors within particular thermal envelopes, or to decrease processor power. Intel did the latter here, introducing additional Core 2 Quad processors named the Q8200S, Q9400S, and Q9550S. These are as fast as the regular versions, but they don’t require up to 95 W of power. All three models stay below the mainstream thermal envelope of 65 W, which finally makes Intel quad cores interesting for low-power systems.
Asus Stuffs 12 GB of RAM into Gaming Laptop
12 GB of memory in a gaming notebook. Excessive? Asus says no.
It seems like every day there's another company pushing the envelope (and our wallets) with a new high end gaming system. This time, Asus is pulling out all the stops with its newest gaming laptop, the G71gx.
Based on Intel's Centrino 2 platform, the G71gx is a force to be reckoned with in the mobile gaming market. While the specific processor is TBA, older G70 derivatives are outfitted with both Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors, and it would be no surprise if Asus included a Core 2 Extreme option as well.
What we do know for certain is the G71gx will come with Nvidia's newest mobile GPU, the GTX 260M. Supposedly, the 1 GB GTX 260M will offer 50 percent more performance over the 9800M series without using any additional power. Plus, it can be configured for SLI and Hybrid SLI, although the G71gx will initially offer just one of the GPUs. As for RAM and storage, the G71gx can handle up to 12 GB of DDR2 memory over three memory slots and can be configured with up to 1 TB of storage (two 500 GB drives).
G71gx also comes with a 17-inch 1920x1200 WUXGA display as well as HDMI, eSATA, and if the older G71G is any indication, a BD-ROM/DVD-RW drive. No word on price or availability yet, but if you opt for the 12 GB of RAM and dual 500 GB hard drives, be prepared to kiss your tax return goodbye.
If you're looking for something a little more timid (and definitely less expensive), Gateway is also releasing a new gaming notebook. The P-7808u FX will go for a more reasonable $1,699.99, and should still offer some impressive gaming performance. Equipped with Core 2 Quad Q9000 (2.0 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, 6 MB cache), as well as a 1 GB Nvidia 9800M GTS, the P-7808u FX should offer up some decent frame rates in Empire: Total War. Like the older P-7811 FX, this newest offering in the FX series of gaming laptops will come with 4 GB of DDR3 memory, but the hard drive has been bumped up to 500GB. Unfortunately, the 17-inch display comes in at 1440x900, an odd downgrade over the 7811's 1920x1200 option. As for the rest of the P-7808u FX, HDMI, eSATA, and a 1.3-megapixel webcam are all included.
Intel Working on Display Linking Technology
As a part of Intel's "Carry Small, Live Large" initiative, Intel researchers are working on a technology that will enable multiple mobile devices to work together to create a larger display. In other words, the displayed output will span all of the devices.
While there doesn’t seem to be much information to go on at the moment (just that little snippet on Intel’s press site), we love the idea of everyone putting their iPhones or Storms together to check out a video or photos. Like Intel says, “Imagine you and 3 friends placing your mobile devices together while on the road to review the video of the day's events.” Socializing and holiday snaps aside, this could prove a really useful took for buisness folk on the go for the likes of PowerPoint and slide shows.
Intel’s “Carry Small, Live Large” initiative is the company’s efforts to envision the mobile future. Basically, Intel sees mobile computing the same way the rest of us do. Small but powerful. We sent Intel’s PR a wee mail to ask more about the multi-display link post it had on the "Innovation@Intel" pages but we’re still waiting for a response. We’ll update this post as soon as we know more. For now, what do you guys think of the idea?
While there doesn’t seem to be much information to go on at the moment (just that little snippet on Intel’s press site), we love the idea of everyone putting their iPhones or Storms together to check out a video or photos. Like Intel says, “Imagine you and 3 friends placing your mobile devices together while on the road to review the video of the day's events.” Socializing and holiday snaps aside, this could prove a really useful took for buisness folk on the go for the likes of PowerPoint and slide shows. Intel’s “Carry Small, Live Large” initiative is the company’s efforts to envision the mobile future. Basically, Intel sees mobile computing the same way the rest of us do. Small but powerful. We sent Intel’s PR a wee mail to ask more about the multi-display link post it had on the "Innovation@Intel" pages but we’re still waiting for a response. We’ll update this post as soon as we know more. For now, what do you guys think of the idea?
Collection of terms used in today’s virtualization language…
I decided to put on a little collection of terms from the virtualization business. There is many technical terms used today in all over the place, and the newcomers are often lost. Who was not at the beginning? So I thought that if I put a post trying to regroup all those terms, it would help some people to learn a little bit more about Virtualization and IT in general. Feel free to add some more in the comment section. I can do an update later…
CFS - Clustered file system
CVM - Clustered volume manager
DRS - Distributed Resource Scheduler
ESX server - The hardware on which the VI3 software is loaded and running.
Extent - Part of a larger allocation of a resource or an appendage to an existing resource.
Fibre Channel - An ANSI-standard, gigabit-speed network technology used to build storage area networks and transmit data. Fibre Channel components include HBAs, switches, and cabling.
HA - High Availability.
iSCSI - Internet Small Computer Serial Interface.
LUN - Logical Unit Number, what the server sees as a single disk resource.
MSCS - Microsoft Cluster Services.
P2V - Physical to Virtual conversion utility. Like VMware Converter.
RAID - Redundant Array of Independent Disks.
RDM - Raw disk map.
SAN - Storage area network.
SCSI - Small Computer Serial Interface.
VCP - VMware Consolidated Backup.
VI Client - Virtual Infrastructure Client, a browser-based management access point.
VI3 - Virtual Infrastructure 3.
Virtual Center - Centralized management utility for ESX Server (or rather say servers…)
VM - Virtual Machine.
VMDK - Virtual Machine Disk.
VMFS-3 - Version 3 of the Virtual Machine File System.
vmkernel - Core management component of the ESX server system.
Vmotion - A means by which the virtual machine can be moved from one ESX server to another without any
downtime.
CFS - Clustered file system
CVM - Clustered volume manager
DRS - Distributed Resource Scheduler
ESX server - The hardware on which the VI3 software is loaded and running.
Extent - Part of a larger allocation of a resource or an appendage to an existing resource.
Fibre Channel - An ANSI-standard, gigabit-speed network technology used to build storage area networks and transmit data. Fibre Channel components include HBAs, switches, and cabling.
HA - High Availability.
iSCSI - Internet Small Computer Serial Interface.
LUN - Logical Unit Number, what the server sees as a single disk resource.
MSCS - Microsoft Cluster Services.
P2V - Physical to Virtual conversion utility. Like VMware Converter.
RAID - Redundant Array of Independent Disks.
RDM - Raw disk map.
SAN - Storage area network.
SCSI - Small Computer Serial Interface.
VCP - VMware Consolidated Backup.
VI Client - Virtual Infrastructure Client, a browser-based management access point.
VI3 - Virtual Infrastructure 3.
Virtual Center - Centralized management utility for ESX Server (or rather say servers…)
VM - Virtual Machine.
VMDK - Virtual Machine Disk.
VMFS-3 - Version 3 of the Virtual Machine File System.
vmkernel - Core management component of the ESX server system.
Vmotion - A means by which the virtual machine can be moved from one ESX server to another without any
downtime.
Red Hat Moves to Expand Server Virtualization Interoperability
Today we made an announcement that I think is going to generate a lot of interest. Red Hat and Microsoft are working together to ensure virtualization interoperability. This is big news. Companies deploy virtualization to make their infrastructure more efficient. By allowing Windows Server to run as a guest on Red Hat virtualization, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux to run as a guest on Windows virtualization, customers gain new level of compatibility, interoperability and support. This is a major step forward for the industry.
Both Microsoft and Red Hat now have the capability to provide complete end-to-end virtualization solutions, from hardware to operating system, on the two industry-leading operating environments, which IDC says represent about 80 percent of today’s virtualized operating systems. This breaks through a major hurdle to more widespread adoption of virtualization.
Of course, it is also big news because it is rare that these two companies publicly work together. The companies continue to compete vigorously. But virtualization interoperability is very high on customers’ wish lists, and I’m pleased both companies have been able to respond in this cooperative fashion.
But for the record, it isn’t the first time Red Hat and Microsoft have cooperated. For example, Microsoft has recently joined the open source AMQP high performance messaging project, of which Red Hat was a founding member. Red Hat customers are already deploying AMQP technology with Red Hat’s Enterprise MRG product. The messaging element (the “M” in MRG) provides messaging up to 100 times faster than some legacy technologies.
One of the big questions on the minds of many members of the open source community is whether Red Hat has compromised its ideals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Red Hat’s growth, and its differentiation, come from its belief in and commitment to, the open source community model. It is our view – and this view is institutionalized throughout our company – that we have to serve the community, as well as our customers, shareholders, and employees. The moment we stop doing so, we eliminate the differentiation which drives our growth.
So we undertook this interoperability effort with strict adherence to our principles. The companies signed two agreements: One in which Red Hat joined the Microsoft Server Virtualization Validation Program (SVVP), which validates Windows Server guests running on Red Hat Enterprise virtualization technologies, and the other which certifies Red Hat Enterprise Linux guests running on Windows Server Hyper-V.
The agreements contain no patent or open source license components. There are no financial clauses beyond simple certification testing fees. These are straightforward certification and validation agreements.
I am excited about this step forward for the industry. And I am pleased we did it without compromising our commitment to open source. That’s leadership we can be proud of.
Both Microsoft and Red Hat now have the capability to provide complete end-to-end virtualization solutions, from hardware to operating system, on the two industry-leading operating environments, which IDC says represent about 80 percent of today’s virtualized operating systems. This breaks through a major hurdle to more widespread adoption of virtualization.
Of course, it is also big news because it is rare that these two companies publicly work together. The companies continue to compete vigorously. But virtualization interoperability is very high on customers’ wish lists, and I’m pleased both companies have been able to respond in this cooperative fashion.
But for the record, it isn’t the first time Red Hat and Microsoft have cooperated. For example, Microsoft has recently joined the open source AMQP high performance messaging project, of which Red Hat was a founding member. Red Hat customers are already deploying AMQP technology with Red Hat’s Enterprise MRG product. The messaging element (the “M” in MRG) provides messaging up to 100 times faster than some legacy technologies.
One of the big questions on the minds of many members of the open source community is whether Red Hat has compromised its ideals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Red Hat’s growth, and its differentiation, come from its belief in and commitment to, the open source community model. It is our view – and this view is institutionalized throughout our company – that we have to serve the community, as well as our customers, shareholders, and employees. The moment we stop doing so, we eliminate the differentiation which drives our growth.
So we undertook this interoperability effort with strict adherence to our principles. The companies signed two agreements: One in which Red Hat joined the Microsoft Server Virtualization Validation Program (SVVP), which validates Windows Server guests running on Red Hat Enterprise virtualization technologies, and the other which certifies Red Hat Enterprise Linux guests running on Windows Server Hyper-V.
The agreements contain no patent or open source license components. There are no financial clauses beyond simple certification testing fees. These are straightforward certification and validation agreements.
I am excited about this step forward for the industry. And I am pleased we did it without compromising our commitment to open source. That’s leadership we can be proud of.
New AppTitude 3.5 Adds Support for Citrix XenApp Virtualization To Leading Application Compatibility Testing Solution
AppDNA, the worldwide leader in compatibility testing for application environments, today announced the general availability of its AppTitude 3.5 solution. The new release adds support for the Citrix® XenApp™ application delivery solution for both hosted and streamed applications. A beta for the XenApp support was introduced at the Citrix Summit event in October 2008 and was tested by a wide range of Citrix customers and partners. AppTitude 3.5 provides business benefits that include vastly reducing the time, cost and risks associated with deployment of OS migrations, software upgrades, virtualization and other changes.
What’s New in AppTitude 3.5
The new release of AppTitude™ allows organizations to check for application compatibility with XenApp (versions 3.0 through 5) and Windows Terminal Services. The new release has two separate reporting modules – the Server-Based Computing (SBC) Module for compatibility with XenApp hosted and Terminal Services configurations and the Virtualization Manager for XenApp streaming. AppTitude 3.5 supports two types of analysis – static and runtime – including an extended runtime analysis that can import customized OS images. This allows the AppTitude algorithms to adapt to the build configuration of the target OS platforms, which generate more accurate and relevant reporting for those customers with customized applications. It also offers new performance and security analyses that are essential for assessing application compatibility for XenApp and Terminal Services environments. A new 64-bit report in the Server and Desktop Compatibility Manager provides a dedicated view on application suitability for 64-bit computing. New support for external data source lookups enables third party and vendor databases, such as Microsoft’s list of certified Vista-compatible applications, to supplement AppTitude’s direct analysis.
“Companies are looking to application virtualization and XenApp to reduce the cost and complexity of managing and delivering applications,” said Bill Hartwick, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Citrix. “AppTitude 3.5 can help identify up front what changes, if any, need to be made to the application to deliver it with XenApp. By providing rapid and comprehensive visibility into their potential application compatibility issues, AppTitude 3.5 enables our partners to help customers more quickly and cost-effectively manage their applications in our virtualization environment.”
“With AppTitude 3.5, we can now provide unprecedented insight into application DNA for those organizations delivering applications with XenApp,” said Mike Welling, CEO of AppDNA. “With its extended runtime analysis and enhanced reporting capabilities, AppTitude 3.5 provides more accurate reporting and an even more powerful analytic dashboard for dramatically improving XenApp rollouts.”
Pricing and Availability
AppTitude 3.5 for Windows platforms and AppTitude Virtualization Manager for Citrix XenApp are available immediately from AppDNA. AppTitude pricing varies based on configuration, ranging from $5,000 for a typical pilot installation to a starting range of $50,000 for enterprise-wide deployments.
What’s New in AppTitude 3.5
The new release of AppTitude™ allows organizations to check for application compatibility with XenApp (versions 3.0 through 5) and Windows Terminal Services. The new release has two separate reporting modules – the Server-Based Computing (SBC) Module for compatibility with XenApp hosted and Terminal Services configurations and the Virtualization Manager for XenApp streaming. AppTitude 3.5 supports two types of analysis – static and runtime – including an extended runtime analysis that can import customized OS images. This allows the AppTitude algorithms to adapt to the build configuration of the target OS platforms, which generate more accurate and relevant reporting for those customers with customized applications. It also offers new performance and security analyses that are essential for assessing application compatibility for XenApp and Terminal Services environments. A new 64-bit report in the Server and Desktop Compatibility Manager provides a dedicated view on application suitability for 64-bit computing. New support for external data source lookups enables third party and vendor databases, such as Microsoft’s list of certified Vista-compatible applications, to supplement AppTitude’s direct analysis.
“Companies are looking to application virtualization and XenApp to reduce the cost and complexity of managing and delivering applications,” said Bill Hartwick, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Citrix. “AppTitude 3.5 can help identify up front what changes, if any, need to be made to the application to deliver it with XenApp. By providing rapid and comprehensive visibility into their potential application compatibility issues, AppTitude 3.5 enables our partners to help customers more quickly and cost-effectively manage their applications in our virtualization environment.”
“With AppTitude 3.5, we can now provide unprecedented insight into application DNA for those organizations delivering applications with XenApp,” said Mike Welling, CEO of AppDNA. “With its extended runtime analysis and enhanced reporting capabilities, AppTitude 3.5 provides more accurate reporting and an even more powerful analytic dashboard for dramatically improving XenApp rollouts.”
Pricing and Availability
AppTitude 3.5 for Windows platforms and AppTitude Virtualization Manager for Citrix XenApp are available immediately from AppDNA. AppTitude pricing varies based on configuration, ranging from $5,000 for a typical pilot installation to a starting range of $50,000 for enterprise-wide deployments.
Lifeboat Distribution Offers New Virtual Iron and DataCore Virtualization Solution Bundle
DataCore and Virtual Iron "bundle" available through software distributor Lifeboat
Florida DataCore Software, the leading provider of storage virtualization, business continuity and disaster recovery software solutions, and Virtual Iron Software, Inc., a provider of enterprise-class server virtualization and virtual infrastructure management software, today announced that distributor Lifeboat Distribution has unveiled a new promotion for their resellers when they purchase DataCore and Virtual Iron licenses together. Lifeboat will provide their resellers with additional margin and marketing support for selling the new bundle. Lifeboat Distribution is an international specialty software distributor for virtualization and other technically sophisticated products. For more details, resellers should contact datacore@lifeboatdistribution.com.
Resellers now have more cost-effective alternative
Services and solutions provider TelosIT, Inc. already delivers solutions that combine DataCore with Virtual Iron. "Lifeboat’s decision to offer additional margin for using DataCore in conjunction with Virtual Iron is something we will leverage," said Kevin Carlson, CTO, TelosIT. "This represents a very cost-effective option for resellers and the resellers taking advantage of this opportunity will soon see just what high performance solutions are possible when combining these two robust offerings."
The DataCore and Virtual Iron combination benefits customers – virtual storage and virtual servers go hand-in-hand
Solutions provider TelosIT has already enabled Matrix Design Group, an award-winning interdisciplinary firm providing professional engineering consulting, including program management and client representation, for both the private and public sectors, to expand capacity and achieve dual-site data redundancy, while saving tens of thousands on lease renewals on its previous generation SAN with DataCore and Virtual Iron. "With DataCore and Virtual Iron in place both administration and management were simplified greatly and I was able to further reduce my IT spending." said Eric W. Smith, vice president, Matrix Design Group.
About Lifeboat Distribution
Lifeboat Distribution, a subsidiary of Wayside Technology Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTG), is an international specialty software distributor for virtualization, security, application and network infrastructure, business continuity/disaster recovery, database infrastructure and management, application lifecycle management, science/engineering, and other technically sophisticated products. The company helps software publishers recruit and build multinational solution provider networks, power their networks, and drive incremental sales revenues that complement existing sales channels. Lifeboat Distribution services thousands of solution providers, VARs, systems integrators, corporate resellers, and consultants worldwide, helping them power a rich opportunity stream, expand their margin+ services revenues, and build profitable product and service businesses. For more information, visit www.lifeboatdistribution.com, or call +1.800.847.7078 or +1.732.389.0037.
About DataCore Software
DataCore Software, the leading provider of storage virtualization SAN software, fundamentally changes the economics of managing storage with innovative software that combines advanced functions and services with the agility and savings of hardware independence. DataCore lowers the cost and complexity of IT by making storage efficient, fast, flexible, fail-safe and virtual. DataCore's portable storage server software simplifies and automates capacity expansion and centralizes storage management for Windows, UNIX, Linux, MacOS, NetWare, VMware and other leading open system and virtual server platforms. DataCore is privately held and its corporate headquarters are in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, call (877) 780-5111 or visit www.datacore.com.
DataCore, the DataCore logo and SANmelody are trademarks or registered trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. Other DataCore product or service names or logos referenced herein are trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. All other products, services and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
About Virtual Iron Software, Inc. – True Server Virtualization for Everyone
Virtual Iron provides server virtualization software that reduces the cost and complexity of operating and managing IT infrastructure for organizations of all sizes. Leveraging industry standards, open source, and built-in hardware-assisted acceleration, Virtual Iron provides a complete and cost-effective solution including VI-Center, an intelligent virtual infrastructure management platform. Over 2,000 customer organizations worldwide leverage Virtual Iron today to support a broad range of data center initiatives including server consolidation, virtual server management, dev/test optimization, business continuity and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) enablement. The software is available exclusively through Virtual Iron's Channel One partner network. Trial versions of the software are also available for free download at www.virtualiron.com/free. For more information, visit www.virtualiron.com or e-mail info@virtualiron.com.
Florida DataCore Software, the leading provider of storage virtualization, business continuity and disaster recovery software solutions, and Virtual Iron Software, Inc., a provider of enterprise-class server virtualization and virtual infrastructure management software, today announced that distributor Lifeboat Distribution has unveiled a new promotion for their resellers when they purchase DataCore and Virtual Iron licenses together. Lifeboat will provide their resellers with additional margin and marketing support for selling the new bundle. Lifeboat Distribution is an international specialty software distributor for virtualization and other technically sophisticated products. For more details, resellers should contact datacore@lifeboatdistribution.com.
Resellers now have more cost-effective alternative
Services and solutions provider TelosIT, Inc. already delivers solutions that combine DataCore with Virtual Iron. "Lifeboat’s decision to offer additional margin for using DataCore in conjunction with Virtual Iron is something we will leverage," said Kevin Carlson, CTO, TelosIT. "This represents a very cost-effective option for resellers and the resellers taking advantage of this opportunity will soon see just what high performance solutions are possible when combining these two robust offerings."
The DataCore and Virtual Iron combination benefits customers – virtual storage and virtual servers go hand-in-hand
Solutions provider TelosIT has already enabled Matrix Design Group, an award-winning interdisciplinary firm providing professional engineering consulting, including program management and client representation, for both the private and public sectors, to expand capacity and achieve dual-site data redundancy, while saving tens of thousands on lease renewals on its previous generation SAN with DataCore and Virtual Iron. "With DataCore and Virtual Iron in place both administration and management were simplified greatly and I was able to further reduce my IT spending." said Eric W. Smith, vice president, Matrix Design Group.
About Lifeboat Distribution
Lifeboat Distribution, a subsidiary of Wayside Technology Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTG), is an international specialty software distributor for virtualization, security, application and network infrastructure, business continuity/disaster recovery, database infrastructure and management, application lifecycle management, science/engineering, and other technically sophisticated products. The company helps software publishers recruit and build multinational solution provider networks, power their networks, and drive incremental sales revenues that complement existing sales channels. Lifeboat Distribution services thousands of solution providers, VARs, systems integrators, corporate resellers, and consultants worldwide, helping them power a rich opportunity stream, expand their margin+ services revenues, and build profitable product and service businesses. For more information, visit www.lifeboatdistribution.com, or call +1.800.847.7078 or +1.732.389.0037.
About DataCore Software
DataCore Software, the leading provider of storage virtualization SAN software, fundamentally changes the economics of managing storage with innovative software that combines advanced functions and services with the agility and savings of hardware independence. DataCore lowers the cost and complexity of IT by making storage efficient, fast, flexible, fail-safe and virtual. DataCore's portable storage server software simplifies and automates capacity expansion and centralizes storage management for Windows, UNIX, Linux, MacOS, NetWare, VMware and other leading open system and virtual server platforms. DataCore is privately held and its corporate headquarters are in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, call (877) 780-5111 or visit www.datacore.com.
DataCore, the DataCore logo and SANmelody are trademarks or registered trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. Other DataCore product or service names or logos referenced herein are trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. All other products, services and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
About Virtual Iron Software, Inc. – True Server Virtualization for Everyone
Virtual Iron provides server virtualization software that reduces the cost and complexity of operating and managing IT infrastructure for organizations of all sizes. Leveraging industry standards, open source, and built-in hardware-assisted acceleration, Virtual Iron provides a complete and cost-effective solution including VI-Center, an intelligent virtual infrastructure management platform. Over 2,000 customer organizations worldwide leverage Virtual Iron today to support a broad range of data center initiatives including server consolidation, virtual server management, dev/test optimization, business continuity and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) enablement. The software is available exclusively through Virtual Iron's Channel One partner network. Trial versions of the software are also available for free download at www.virtualiron.com/free. For more information, visit www.virtualiron.com or e-mail info@virtualiron.com.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Apple Launches New iMacs, MacMinis, Mac Pros
As had been rumored, Apple this morning upgraded its line of iMacs, MacMinis, and Mac Pros, with improved processor speeds and upgraded storage space. All of the new computers are now available in the Apple store.
Mac Minis received a speed bump as well with 2.0-GHz processors, more disk space, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400 graphics cards. Two new models are available: For $599 you can get a 2.0-GHz Mac Mini with 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive; a version with the same processor speed, 2GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive goes for $799.
Two MacPro models are available as well. A $2,499 model features a Quad-Core 2.66-GHz Intel Xenon Nehalem processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 640 GB hard drive, while a $3,299 model brings you two 2.66-GHz Intel Xenon Nehalem processors (8-Core), 6GB of RAM, and a 640 GB hard drive.
One in Three Kids Have Experienced Cyberbullying
One third of kids have been the victim of cyberbullying, saysanti-bullying charity Beatbullying.
Research by the charity revealed that girls were four times more likely to have experienced online bullying than boys, while 44 percent of children said they would take advice on dealing with the problem from other kids.
"Clearly, cyberbullying is a growing problem affecting millions of children across the UK and to date efforts to tackle the epidemic have fallen short," said Emma Jane Cross, chief executive of Beatbullying.
The research has resulted in the launch of the CyberMentor initiative - a social network that cyberbullying victims can visit in a bid to gain advice and support from other children that have taken a training course.
"CyberMentors is the direct result of feedback given by the young people we have been working with in schools and communities across the country for the past seven years," added Cross.
The initiative comes as another survey by the Teacher Support Network revealed that one in seven teachers have experienced cyberbullying by a pupil.
HP Shuts Down Upline Online Storage Service
Hewlett-Packard Co. Monday said it has closed down its online backup service after less than a year of operation.
HP did not provide a reason for closing the service other than to say, "HP continually evaluates product lines and has decided to discontinue the HP Upline service on March 31, 2009."
Patricia Kinley, a spokeswoman for HP's Personal Systems Group, said the company stopped backing up files as of Feb. 26.
"HP will keep the file restore feature of the Upline service operational through March 31, 2009 ... in order for customers to download any files that have been backed up to Upline," she said in an e-mail response.
HP's Upline service had trouble from the start. Three weeks after opening in April last year, it went down for a week. Users at the time reported problems in the client software to upload and synchronize files with the hosted service -- calling Upline a good idea that was horribly executed.
The Upline service was among a number of subscription-based online backup models that emerged over the past couple of years, including EMC Corp.'s Mozy , Nirvanix , Carbonite , Symantec Corp.'s upcoming SwapDrive , ClunkClick and Robobak , and Yahoo Briefcase , which also announced it will be shutting down this month.
Like many of the other service offerings, HP had acquired the technology for Upline. HP bought start-up Opelin Inc. in November 2007 for its Titanize cloud-based file backup service.
HP's Upline service charged between $4.99 to $8.99 per month for unlimited online storage to home, family and professional users.
IBM Looks to Secure Internet Banking With USB Stick
IBM's Zurich research laboratory has developed a USB stick that the company says can ensure safe banking transactions even if a PC is riddled with malware.
A prototype of the device, called ZTIC (Zone Trusted Information Channel), is on display for the first time at the Cebit trade show this week. IBM hopes to entice banks into buying it for online banking, which saves banks money on personnel costs but is constantly under siege by hackers.
When plugged into a computer, ZTIC is configured to open a secure SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection with a bank's servers, said Michael Baentsch, product manager for BlueZ Business Computing at the Zurich lab.
ZTIC is also a smart-card reader and can accept a person's bank card for verification. Once a PIN (personal identification number) is verified, a transaction can be initiated through a Web browser.
Web browsers, however, are a point of weakness for online banking because of so-called man-in-the-middle attacks.
Hackers have created malicious software programs than can modify data as it is sent to a bank's Web server but then display the information the consumer intended in the browser. As a result, a person's bank account could be emptied. Man-in-the-middle attacks are also effective even if the bank's customer is using a one-time password generator.
The ZTIC, however, bypasses the browser and goes directly to the bank. It ensures that the data exchanged is accurate.
For example, say a bank customer wants to transfer money. The customer will input US$100 into a form in the browser. The bank's servers will then try to confirm the amount. During a man-in-the-middle attack, the attacker is capable of transferring $1,000 but can modify the confirmation message to still show $100.
Since it has a direct secure connection with the bank's servers, the ZTIC will show the amount that actually has been requested to be sent. So even if the browser shows a confirmation for $100, the ZTIC will show $1,000, indicating a man-in-the-middle attack in progress, Baentsch said. The user would know to reject the transaction and press the red "x" button on the ZTIC.
"If malware is attacking your online banking transaction, it will show you something strange has happened," Baentsch said.
IBM expended a lot of effort to figure how to initiate an SSL session within a USB stick, Baentsch said. It takes some processing muscle, and since the USB runs independent of the PC, it does not have access to the computer's processor.
ZTIC uses a chip from microprocessor designer ARM, and the software has been designed so it can quickly establish a SSL session, Baentsch said. Although it is a memory stick, no data can be stored on it, which also prevents malicious software from infecting it.
Using ZTIC would also prevent phishing attacks, where a fraudulent Web site tries to elicit sensitive details from a user, and pharming attacks, where DNS (Domain Name System) settings have been tampered with, Baentsch said. ZTIC checks to ensure that the Web site has a valid security certificate.
IBM has internal figures on how much the ZTIC might cost for banks, but Baentsch wouldn't reveal them, saying that it would depend on the final design specifications of the ZTIC and other factors.
Blaupunkt Car Radios Tune in Internet Stations via 3G Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
For millions of people a trip in their cars means tuning into local radio. But what if you're traveling and want to catch a station from back home? FM stations don't reach more than about a hundred kilometers, so on long journeys you're usually out of luck ... until now.
Blaupunkt has a new pair of car radios that allow users to tune in to any of about 16,000 stations from around the world.
The "New Jersey 600i" and "Hamburg 600i" radios, which are the first such in the world according to the company, are on show at this week's Cebit trade fair in Hanover, Germany.
By connecting over Bluetooth to a cell phone, the radios access a 3G Internet service and then stream almost any station that's online.
Blaupunkt chose to use a cell phone for the connection rather than embedding a 3G modem in the car radio so users have the ability to connect via a carrier of their choice and also so the radio wouldn't have to be modified if a cellular network was different to that back home.
The radios work with the MiRoamer Internet database to grab information about available stations, and then your favorite programs are just a couple of button clicks away.
Beyond the price of the 3G data service it's free to connect and listen to stations online.
Future plans call for the system to be extended to IPTV services so your car might soon rival your living room for entertainment.
Both radios will go on sale in Europe in the second half of the year. The DIN-sized "Hamburg 600i" will cost around €299 (US$375) and the 2DIN-sized "New Jersey 600i" will cost around €399.
Microsoft Testing Kumo Search Engine Internally
Microsoft has confirmed it is testing a new search engine called Kumo, based on technology from its Powerset acquisition, that is likely to be an early version of a soon-to-be-rebranded Live Search product.
"Microsoft is using the Kumo.com URL for internal testing purposes only," the company said via e-mail through its public relations firm Tuesday. "Given the depth and breadth of our current online service offering, we recognize a need to sharply define and align our online brands."
Microsoft added that it has "nothing new to announce at this time." However, the company has been rumored for some time to be renaming its Live Search "Kumo" based on a December trademark application it made for the name and related URLs it has registered.
Though it would not specifically confirm this move, the company did say Tuesday that the Kumo engine being tested "shows a number of technologies in development and is a very early internal preview of directions we're exploring" for its search engine.
"While the experience will improve significantly, we believe it is leading us in the direction of a next generation search engine built to meet customers' unmet needs -- an engine that delivers fast, organized and differentiated results that can help people make more informed decisions," Microsoft said.
That more or less describes the reasoning behind the acquisition of semantic search-engine provider Powerset last June. Powerset developed a technology that attempts to understand the full meanings of phrases people type in while searching, returning results based on that understanding.
Apparently, Powerset co-founder Barney Pell, who is now a Microsoft search strategist and evangelist, posted on his Twitter site that he was testing a soon-to-be rebranded Live Search pre-beta, according to the LiveSide.net blog, which posts news about Microsoft's search and online properties.
The Kumo trademark application and registered URLs suggest Microsoft may use the name for more than just its search engine.
According to the application, Microsoft wants to trademark Kumo for a host of software and services beyond a search engine, including advertising and telecommunications services, education, training, entertainment, and the design and development of computer hardware and services.
According to Whois.Net, Microsoft has registered the kumo.com domain, and through CSC, a company that manages domain names for corporations, also has registered related domains that indicate the Kumo name could be used for other services. Those domains include: www.kumosearch.com, www.kumopics.com, www.kumowiki.com, www.kumogroups.com and www.kumotravel.com.
Kumo is a Japanese word that can be used to mean "cloud," "ceiling" or "sea spider," among other things, according to an online Japanese-to-English translation service.
The Windows Live and Live Search brands are fairly new in and of themselves. Microsoft only gave its online services the "Windows Live" moniker at the end of 2005, later dropping the "Windows" for its search engine but keeping it for other services and Web-based client applications.
Despite hundreds of millions of investment in its search strategy, Microsoft still remains a very distant third behind Google and Yahoo in search-engine usage and advertising revenue.
AMD 3.2GHz Phenom II X4 Coming in April
Chinese website HKEPC said that sources in the Taiwan motherboard industry claim that the 3.1 GHz Phenom II X4 950 will not make it to the market, but will be replaced by the 3.2GHz Phenom II X4 955 in April thanks to better-than-expected yields of the 45nm Deneb quad core processor. Built for the AM3 socket, the processor will have the same 8MB cache and 125W power envelope as the previous 950 processor, but will be 200 MHz faster than the current top-of-the-line Phenom II offering and support DDR3-1333 memory.
In addition to the 3.2 GHz Phenom II X4 955, there's talk that AMD plans to launch the Phenom II X2 500 dual-core line, originally codenamed as Callisto, listed for a release in mid-May. The Phenom II X2 550 will clock in at 3.1 GHz and feature 7 MB total cache, whereas the Phenom II X2 545 will clock in at 3.0 GHz and feature 7 MB total cache as well. Supposedly, the Callisto processor is just the Deneb with two cores disabled; each chip uses 6 MB of shared L3 cache and 512KB of L2 cache per core.
Finally, HKEPC also mentions the Regor, a low-end dual-core Athlon X2 200 which apparently doesn't feature L3 cache like the Callisto, and only has a 65w power envelope compared to the Callisto's 85w power envelope. Although built for Socket AM3, the Regor provides 2 x 1 MB of L2 cache only.
Although AMD plans to release the X4 955, X2 550 and X2 545 during April and May, currently there's no word on the actual cost of each. Stay tuned as AMD officially reveals the processors (hopefully) soon.
Deal: Pickup Core i7's for Less than Core 2's
Browsing through online retailers for the latest prices on CPUs, we came across some good prices on the latest AMD and Intel offerings.
For example, a quick run over to PriceGrabber looking for Core i7 CPUs, lands us with some attractive figures. You can pick up a quad core Intel Core i7 920 for around $$279 but buying a quad core Core 2 Q9650 will set you back $324.99 at the same retailer. Likewise, you can also pick up an AMD Phenom II X4 940 quad core for less than $235.
At this point, if you're looking for parts for a brand new system, a Core i7 or Phenom II would be the way to go. There's no sense still picking up a quad-core Core 2 system when prices are the way they're going. If you're looking to build a budget system or one for HTPC duties, a Core 2 Duo would be a good bargain as well.
Prices above are what we found at the time of this article.
If you're building a high end gaming rig today, which would you vouch for? The latest Phenom II or the latest Core i7? Or skip a PC altogether and go for a console?
Apple Unveils Newer, Faster, Still Little Mac Mini
Faster. Greener. Still mini.
That’s what the tagline reads in Apple’s newly launched Mac mini webpage. Having been on hiatus, the new Mac mini has been a long time coming.
At an entry price of $599, the Mac mini represents the cheapest way to buy into Apple culture, and now it’s also the most energy efficient method as well. Apple claims that the new Mac mini is “the world’s most energy efficient desktop,” drawing less than 13 watts of power when idle. It should be good on cramped desks as well, measuring 6.5 by 6.5 by 2-inches.
Just like the aluminum unibody MacBooks that were unveiled in October 2008, the new Mac mini utilizes an Intel CPU paired with an Nvidia chipset. Both variants of the new Mac mini will come with a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo with 3 MB shared L2 cache, which sits on an Nvidia GeForce 9400M. Also sharing with the MacBooks is a slot-load 8x SuperDrive dual-layer burner, Mini DisplayPort and mini-DVI for video output (adapters sold separately, obviously), built-in AirPort Extreme wireless N, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, gigabit Ethernet. Like in the early leaked images, the Mac mini features a whooping five USB ports – besting the iMac and matching the Mac Pro.
The $599 Mac mini will buy you all of the above with 1 GB DD3, 120 GB 5400 RPM hard drive. Moving to a $799 Mac mini will bump the RAM to 2 GB DDR and a 320 GB 5400 RPM hard drive.
Additional build-to-order options and accessories for the Mac mini include: a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4 GB DDR3 RAM, and 80 GB, 250 GB or 320 GB 5400 hard drives.
The new Mac mini are now shipping and available through the Apple Store and Apple Authorized Resellers.
Intel Making Industrial Strength Atom CPU
While we may know of the Atom CPU right now as the brains inside nearly every netbook on the market, Intel’s got more diverse aspirations for its tiniest current processor.
Newly listed on an Intel webpage are new Atom Z510, Z520 and Z530 chips, running at 1.1, 1.3 and 1.6 GHz, respectively. But what sets the new chips apart is the P or PT suffix at the end of the model name.
The Z510P and Z530P share many of the same specifications as the other chips in the family with the similar name, except that they are packaged as 437-ball FCBGA8 (22x22 mm), as opposed to the 441-ball FCBGA8 USFF (13x14 mm).
Things get even more interesting with the Z510PT and Z520PT. Both share the same package as the ‘P’ processors, but instead of the usual commercial-grade 0 to +70° C, the ‘PT’ chips are designed to operate in industrial temperatures of -40 to +85° C.
Intel hopes that these more hardy Atoms will be of use inside cars, industrial control and automation, media phones and various eco-technologies.
"With the addition of these new products, we can bring the benefits of Intel processors to new applications, devices and customers who develop products used in unconstrained thermal environments with low-power in mind," said Doug Davis, vice president, Digital Enterprise Group and general manager, Embedded and Communications Group, Intel. "Meeting the needs of embedded environments and new market segments will play a large role in delivering the connectivity and functionality necessary as the number of devices connecting to the embedded Internet is expected to grow to an estimated 15 billion devices by 2015."
Intel added that it has committed the Atom to a 7-year lifecycle for industries that operate on a slower product refresh schedule, such as in the automotive industry. The new chips will be available in the second quarter.
In related news, Intel on Monday announced an agreement with TSMC to allow the production of Atom-based System on Chip (SoC) devices outside of Intel factories.
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