International Business Machines (IBM) has announced that it is developing the world’s most powerful computer for the US government. The machine will be known as Sequoia and will have the power of two million laptops. That’s unbelievable but true. Sequoia is being developed to bolster the American nuclear capabilities. The US Department of Energy will receive it by 2011.

Sequoia system will be able to run the most complex computer simulations and will be of great help in nuclear research. 1.6 million microprocessors will be responsible for its super computing speed of 20 quadrillion calculations per second. According to IBM, more than $100 million will be spent on the development of the system. The size of the system will be gigantic and it will be kept in a very large sized building. The company also said that this will be most environment friendly system and will consume six megawatts of energy per year (the average power consumption of 500 US households). Sequoia will also be useful for research related to human genome, climate and astronomy.

The system will offer much more precise weather forecasts. The forecasters will be able to predict climatic conditions precisely for a small area (spread across 1km). The current weather forecasts are more localised as it targets areas measuring at least 10km in size. Currently the Sequoia possesses the same power as around 2 million Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 laptops. But given the rapidly advancing pace of computer technology, we are sure IBM will one day let organisations other than the US government make use of its groundbreaking technology

All the leading smartphone makers, including Nokia, Samsung Electronics, Motorola, LG Electronics, Sony Ericsson, Apple and many more, are looking forward to introducing MEMS gyroscope technology in their smartphones that are scheduled for launch in 2009. MEMS gyroscope is a cutting edge technology used by the Nintendo Wii to sense rotational motion and enhance the gaming experience. This technology is also used in image stabilising systems.

Apple has announced that it will introduce this technology in its 2009 iPhones. However, it’s not very clear to what extent the MEMS gyroscopes will be implemented and for what purpose. The Apple iPhone already features an accelerometer to detect the motion, but the MEMS gyroscope is expected to enhance this functionality and help in stabilising the digital images captured via the iPhone’s camera. According to the top smartphone makers, this new technology will make their mobile devices appeal to more consumers.

MEMS gyroscopes will not increase the production cost too much and will account for only 3 percent of the total production cost. The vendors who use MEMS G-sensors in their smartphones are also looking forward to shift to the new technology.

Tags for this article: iPhone, smartphone, smartphones 2009

LG has recently rolled out another smartphone called Incite onto the handheld market. This is one of LG’s most impressive mobile phones because of its impressive features and capabilities. The Incite is another Windows mobile that runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system. It can take care of all the official tasks as well as offer great options for enjoy multimedia rich applications. To make an unforgettable debut, the LG has dipped its toe into the smartphone market by keeping the price of the hardware a fairly decent one.

Coming to the hardware configuration, the Incite is offering a large 3-inch (WQVGA) touchscreen. The quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band HSDPA gives you the freedom to move anywhere in the world with this 3G smartphone. Additional goodies include a 3 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi and a bunch of productivity softwares that come pre-installed in the phone. Incite offers a massive storage space of 32GB via microSD card, which outclasses other LG smartphones like the LG KS20, for instance. You can easily carry all your data with you and share it with your friends. This smartphone also contains Windows Media Player 10 that makes it easy to watch and listen to a number of different files. Overall, the LG has a good start in the smartphone bandwagon.

Till now the smartphones were used to communicate effectively, browse the Internet, share data and enjoy movies, music and photos. But for the first time these devices have been optimised to help medical students at the University of Louisville.

This is all thanks to Sprint, which has signed the contract with the university and agreed to provide Windows Mobile smartphones, such as the Palm Treo 800w or the HTC Touch Diamond P3700, at discounted prices to university students. Using the wireless technology the students will be able to enhance their learning and improve their clinical treatments.

The special things about these smartphones is that they will come loaded with relevant medical applications like ePocrates and medical drug reference databases that can be used by the professors, medical practitioners and students to access the university e-mail programme and address. Edward Halperin, dean of the School of Medicine said, “Sprint’s wireless technology will allow our students to access a virtual library of textbooks and medical references. We believe it is worth investigating whether or not giving medical students these tools and technology will enhance their knowledge and sharpen their decision making. Ultimately, our graduates will require these skills as outstanding physicians. It is important to assess the role of technology in the acquisition of clinical skills.”

According to Stephanie Ferguson, general manager of the Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft Corp, “The wireless industry is experiencing an incredible increase in smartphone adoption within specialized fields such as medicine. Students at the University of Louisville can get the most out of their medical education and professional careers through the use of our familiar, customizable Windows Mobile smartphones.”

It seems as if computer manufacturers the world over have been infected by the Eee PC craze. Only months after the surprising and stunning success of the Eee PC subnotebook, or netbook, an entire new laptop genre was created, with every major computer maker struggling to announce their own competitive model. Recently Lenovo, and Fujitsu-Siemens Computers joined the ranks of companies like Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, and HP, by announcing their Netbooks. It appears as though no computer manufacturer has been left untouched, or are we forgetting one major player; namely, Apple? One might think Apple already has their own dedicated market and the company doesn’t need to get involved in the cheap netbook market, however, recent rumours and assertions by top analysts claim Apple has also been infected by the netbook virus; with their own Apple netbook planned for a 2009 release.

USB analyst Maynard Um has questioned his sources in the industry and believes Apple will upgrade and update its MacBook by the end of this year. Furthermore, he goes on to claim the next generation MacBook will be a true subnotebook, not like the MacBook Air. While the Apple MacBook Air is thin and light, its 13 inch screen is relatively large. The advantage of netbooks like the Eee PC, despite the reduced performance, is that they are easily transportable in small personal bags, and can be effortlessly opened in small spaces with no hassle.

If the appearance of “Hackintosh” netbooks is any indication, there is ample demand for a smaller Mac: Leopard has already been successfully installed on the Eee PC, MSI Wind and other devices. On the hand, all of these netbooks occupy the lowest price range, something Mac computers are not known for. According to the Analyst Um, the Apple netbook was originally slated for a 2008 release, but will be delayed to 2009.

With this prediction UBS has certainly started the rumour mills, and only time, or confirmations by Apple, will tell how accurate the assertions prove to be.