Advanced Micro Devices currently commands less than two per cent of the world’s server CPU market, but next year it plans to start recapturing its share from Intel Corp. with new Opteron microprocessors based on “Zen” micro-architecture. According to a media report, AMD’s next-gen server chips offer unprecedented amount of cores and should be pretty competitive.

AMD’s highest-performing Opteron microprocessors due next year will integrate 32 cores with simultaneous multithreading technology, according to a report from Fudzilla. Each core will feature 512KB L2 cache (16MB L2 cache in total) and the whole chip will also sport 64MB of unified L3 cache. The central processing unit is also projected to have eight DDR4 memory channels capable of handling 256GB of memory per channel.

At present it is unclear whether the upcoming many-core AMD Opteron products will be monolithic, or will use multi-chip-module (MCM) design like today’s server processors from AMD.

The upcoming AMD Opteron processors will rely on brand-new platform with a new core-logic set. The chipset is projected to support PCI Express 3.0, Serial ATA, four 10Gb Ethernet controllers and so on.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Source: http://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/next-gen-amd-opteron-chips-to-feature-up-to-32-cores/

In its latest move to improve its Maps platform, Apple has acquired GPS hardware and software startup Coherent Navigation. Coherent specialized in GPS-based navigation products and services that leveraged data from satellite network Iridium. Along with other recent Apple acquisitions, this pickup suggests an upcoming major revision to Maps, which comes standard on Macs, iOS devices and the Apple Watch.

Coherent products were built for both consumers as well as the U.S. government and military. Company co-founder Paul Lego now bills himself as a member of the Apple Maps Team on his LinkedIn profile, where he stated that Coherent was “a commercial high-precision navigation service.” If Apple Maps could describe itself with similar confidence, it could go a long way in catching up to Google Maps.

Apple Maps had such a poor and rocky launch, company CEO Tim Cook wrote a public apology for its failings a week after it was released in 2012. Ending a partnership that used Google Maps inside of Apple’s own solution, the original version of Apple Maps became a point of frustration because of its inaccuracy. Once Google Maps made it back to iOS as a standalone app, Maps-integrated apps began offering an option for users to use Google’s option instead, since Apple Maps was built on so little data in comparison.

Apple’s recent maps-based hires include developers of such apps as Pin Drop, Locationary, WifiSLAM, HopStop, Embark and Broadmap. AppleInsider suggests that all of this new talent points to a relaunch of Maps at WWDC this June. If the new Apple Maps can provide stronger accuracy and its long-expected mass transit directions, it just might be able to direct a few users away from Google Maps.

Source: Toms Hardware

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/apple-maps-ios-9-coherent,news-20939.html

BY ERIC GRIFFITH

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

Microsoft has a problem when it comes to sticking with product names. With the exception of Windows and Office, it seems to re-brand everything it offers every few years. Sometimes it’s arbitrary (at least to customers). Sometimes it’s because of legalities.

Take FolderShare, for instance, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2005 and promptly renamed Windows Live FolderShare—because everything was called “Live” back then. In the years since, it has been Windows Live Mesh, Essentials, Live Folders, and SkyDrive.

SkyDrive is a great name, but it was taken. Sort of. Microsoft got sued in the U.K. by broadcaster BSkyB for using the word “Sky.” A court agreed that it infringed a trademark, and Microsoft had to rebrand again. In keeping with other products like OneNote and Xbox One, it went with OneDrive.

OneDrive really should be a bigger name than it is. But Microsoft isn’t as synonymous with cloud/sync as Dropbox or Google Drive. The latter has the excellent integration of Docs and Sheets for online editing, but OneDrive has something arguably better: full integration with Office Online (formerly Office Web Apps; see what I mean about renaming?). Office Online houses the online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Plus, OneDrive is integrated directly with Windows 8.1—no utility needed. All it takes to access OneDrive is a Microsoft account. The service will sync files between all your Windows and Mac computers, which you can access online via mobile apps and the Web.

OneDrive is a favorite of PCMag analysts. It also made a big splash announcingunlimited online storage for those with Office 365 Home ($99.99/year), Personal ($69.99/year), or University ($79.99 for four years). That’s not exactly free, but does include full access to install and use all the Microsoft Office products, so think of OneDrive as a bonus. Limitless cloud storage is coming for OneDrive for Business in 2015.

That unrestricted storage is up from 15GB, which is still available to non-Office 365 subscribers. The only other service that comes close is Google Drive’s unlimited storage for education users. Files stored with OneDrive can also now be as big as 10GB, up from 2GB. (Dropbox file size is unlimited.)

But…so what? Lots of storage, you install the software to sync your files (or just turn it on in Windows 8), so you set it and forget it, right? You shouldn’t. There’s a lot more to OneDrive than that. Check out our list of tips in the slideshow. You’ll get the scoop on exactly what you need to take full advantage of a service thatcould be named Windows Live SkyFolderShareMeshDrive… but thankfully, is not.

Flash and DRAM company Innodisk announced new DDR4 memory modules specifically for Intel’s upcoming Skylake Platform. The DDR4 modules announced include both DIMM and compact SO-DIMM module types and are manufactured for use in industrial environments. Skylake processors, set to be released sometime in Q3 2015, will still be backwards compatible with DDR3 modules.

Innodisk made sure to point out the advantages its DDR4 modules will have over other DDR3 sticks in industrial settings. According to Innodisk, “The new unbuffered long DIMM and compact SO-DIMM memory offerings will feature significantly lower power consumption and higher performance than comparable DDR3 modules.”

When compared to common DDR3 SDRAM modules, Innodisk claims a 30 percent increase in performance and a 20 percent reduction in power consumption. Each module contains a thermal sensor that can provide temperature information for individual module monitoring. Additionally, each module is covered with a conformal coating to help prevent minor environmental damage, an obvious risk when placed into industrial environments, and it uses the extra thick 30u Golden Finger connector.

All modules run at a frequency of 2133 MHz at 1.2V and are available in either 4 GB or 8 GB sticks. The two server modules are ECC (error-correcting code) unbuffered memory, while the other two are non-ECC unbuffered memory. All modules are compliant with JEDEC Solid State Technology Association memory standards.

Source:

http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/innodisk-ddr4-memory-module,1-2516.html

HGST is displaying the world’s first enterprise-class 10 TB HDD and the NVMe SN100 Series PCIe SSDs at the 2015 OCP U.S. Summit. The OCP (Open Compute Project) strives to design the most efficient server, storage and datacenter hardware for scalable computing applications, and the 2015 U.S. Summit is March 10-11 in San Jose, CA. The two HGST products are polar opposites in terms of overall performance and use cases.

The 10 TB HDD utilizes SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) in tandem with HelioSeal technology to offer unprecedented density. SMR overlays the tracks on the surface of the platter, much like shingles on a roof, to deliver an incredible density boost. Hermetically sealing the HDD and filling it with helium reduces drag and head flutter, which allows more platters per drive. The host-managed SMR/helium tandem provides the lowest dollar per TB and Watts per TB in the industry. SMR can slow performance, particularly when writing to the drive, and it works best for cold-to-cold storage, active archive, cloud storage and internet media. SMR drives will also be a key component to HGST’s Active Archive Platform.

NVMe is a hot topic as flash continues its meteoric rise in the datacenter. NVMe is a refined PCIe interface specification designed for use with non-volatile memories, such as NAND or the forthcoming PCM and MRAM. Increased performance and lower overhead are the big attractions of NVMe, but industry-standard whitebox drivers and a standardized feature set are other attractive features.

HGST’s Ultrastar SN100 SSDs offer up to 3.2 TB of capacity in the HHHL (Half-Height Half-Length) add-in cards and 2.5″ drive form factors. The high-powered flash additives are geared for cloud, hyperscale and enterprise computing applications, including OLTP, OLAP, HFT and virtualization platforms.

Details are scant on the architecture of the new HGST speedsters, but we do know the SN150 HHHL card comes in 1,600 GB and 3,200 GB capacities, and the diminutive 2.5″ SN100 hotrods come in 800, 1,600 and 3,200 GB capacities. HGST has a broad and proven software portfolio that offers innovative HA clustering and caching features, much like those seen with FlashMAX PCIe SSDs and Virident software solutions. We expect many of those same features will work well with the new SN100 Series.

Source:

http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/hgst-ultrastar-10tb-hdd-nvme,1-2491.html

Source: Zdnet

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-is-building-a-new-browser-as-part-of-its-windows-10-push/

United States investigators have concluded that North Korea orchestrated the late November network intrusions that compromised sensitive personal data for tens of thousands of Sony Pictures employees, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Officials are “still gathering evidence and are trying to build a clearer picture of who directed the hacking and how,” the Journal stated, citing unnamed sources “familiar with the investigation.”

ABC News also reported earlier on Tuesday that U.S. officials believed an elite North Korean hacking unit was behind the attack. Investigators traced the intrusions into Sony’s computer network, saying they were “routed through a number of infected computers in various locations overseas, including computers in Singapore, Thailand, Italy, Bolivia, Poland, and Cyprus,” ABC News reported.

Revelations about the scope of the Sony Networks hack appeared in early December when unknown hackers calling themselves the “Guardians of Peace,” or “GOP,” began posting stolen files to the Internet. Among the private data that was stolen and posted online were some 47,000 Social Security numbers belonging to Sony employees—and famous Hollywood stars.

The Journal reported that U.S. investigators “strongly suspect” that the attack was carried out by a North Korean government-backed hacking group known as Unit 121, or alternatively as Bureau 121, which is part of the government’s General Bureau of Reconnaissance and is believed to have been behind cyber attacks aimed at South Korea.

Earlier this month, Re/code reported that North Korea was behind the attack, but thus far, Sony and its security consultants have pointedly refused to confirm that, while North Korea has denied its involvement.

The Journal reported that U.S. officials were concerned over the diplomatic implications of revealing their findings in the Sony hack investigation.

“Within the U.S. government, there has been an internal debate in recent days about when and how to … reveal that belief publicly, because doing so could complicate relations with Japan, and raises the difficult question of how the U.S. should respond to an aggressive act by a foreign government,” the newspaper reported.

The supposed motive for North Korea was anger over The Interview, a Sony Pictures comedy in which bumbling journalists are enlisted by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Earlier this week, the GOP tied the Sony hack to outrage over The Interview.

An email purportedly sent by the Guardians of Peace warns moviegoers to “remember the 11th of September 2011,” and threatens a “bitter fate” to those who attend screenings of The Interview, which is slated to open on Dec. 25 in the United States—though Sony has reportedly considered cancelling that launch date in light of the threats.

The message, published by Fusion.net, was posted on Pastebin and was “accompanied by links to torrent files, similar to the batches sent out on several prior occasions,” Fusion.net said.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2473854,00.asp

Shred sensitive documents, power up your passwords, stay alert for frauds—these are all good ideas. But even if you do everything possible to stop attempts at stealing your identity, there’s always a chance you’ll take a hit. Maybe you slipped up, or maybe the breach was totally out of your control. No matter how it happened, the moment you realize you’ve been hit with identity theft, there are three things you need to do immediately.

1. Place a Fraud Alert
The Federal Trade Commission offers a fantastic resource for victims of identity theft. It’s also a useful site for those who simply want to know more about the problem and its solutions. According to the FTC, your very first step is to place an initial fraud alert with one of the three big credit reporting agencies: Equifax,Experian, or TransUnion. You only have to place the alert with one of them; the one you choose will pass along the alert to the others. However, the FTC recommends that you confirm that your information should be shared.

Placing this initial fraud alert makes it harder for the thief to set up new accounts in your name. Before extending new credit, a business must contact you and verify your identity. After 90 days, the fraud alert expires. Information from the FTC suggests marking the expiry date on your calendar, so you can renew it if you haven’t resolved your identity problems.

2. Order Credit Reports
You probably know that you’re entitled to an annual free credit report from each of the three agencies. Placing the fraud alert on your file entitles you to a set of three reports even if it hasn’t been a year since your last request.

Don’t go to annualcreditreport.com for this request, and definitely don’t go to one of the look-alike sites that try to make you pay for free reports, or try to steal your identity. You’ll need to contact the three agencies directly. They’ll be able to see that you did indeed file a fraud alert, and will then release the report.

3. File an Identity Theft Report
Identity theft has been a federal offense since 1998. It’s a crime, and you should report it to the police, but there’s more you can do to protect yourself. By combining a government affidavit about the crime with that police report, you create an official Identity Theft Report, which gives you certain important rights.

Fill out an identity theft complaint on the FTC’s website, and include all the details that you know about what happened. When you’ve finished, print the resulting affidavit and take it along when filing the police report.

The report will help you recover from identity theft. It allows you to have fraudulent data removed from your credit report. If businesses are breathing down your neck about collecting debts you didn’t incur, it can put them on hold and prevent them from selling the debt to a collection agency. And you may be able to get information about accounts the thief opened in your name.

You can also place an extended fraud alert, which is a level up from the initial fraud alert mentioned earlier. This alert gets you two free credit reports per year from the three agencies, and it enjoins them to take your name off marketing lists for prescreened credit cards for five years. This is not the same as a credit freeze, which blocks all access to your credit report but generally requires a small payment to each of the agencies.

Going Forward
Taking these three steps as soon as possible should limit the damage an identity thief can do, but it’s only the beginning. The FTC suggests keeping a log of every communication related to your identity theft, whether it’s via mail, email, or phone. You’ll definitely get a lot of use from the agency’s Repairing Identity Theft instructions. Among other things, you can find sample letters and forms, a statement of victims’ rights, and instructions for repairing your credit. Identity theft is definitely a violation, but by following the correct steps you can limit the damage and go on to recover.

BY NEIL J. RUBENKING

DECEMBER 3, 2014

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2472998,00.asp