Raspberry Pi delivers its $35 Linux computer

ARS Technica reports the Raspberry Pi foundation has introduced its $35 Linux computer, but got overwhelmed by heavy demand. The product is about the size of a deck of playing cards, it has a 700MHz ARM11 processor and 256MB RAM memory. Demonstrations of the system showed it's capable of running impressive graphics demos and decoding HD video.

The Raspberry Pi foundation attempted to launch its $35 Linux computer on Tuesday evening, but the organization's retail partners couldn't cope with the massive demand. Two British electronic component distributors that intended to sell the product were unable to do so--their websites went down, succumbing to the stampede of eager enthusiasts who sought to purchase the hotly-anticipated system.

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The Raspberry Pi foundation originally began developing the computer with the aim of producing a low-cost system that could be used to teach computer programming to young students. The project has attracted a much larger audience, however, and has gained a tremendous following among Linux users and embedded systems enthusiasts who want to use it for purposes ranging from wearable computing experiments to multimedia set-top box.

Full details over here.

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Lucid Virtu MVP enhances switchable graphics and more

Gigabyte's Tech Daily explains the exciting new features of Lucid Virtu MVP, a graphics virtualization technology that will be included in the company's 7 series motherboards. With Virtu MVP, users will be able to control whether the system has to use the processor's integrated graphics (to save power) or a discrete graphics card, on a per-application level. Additionally, the Virtu MVP technology also delivers Virtual Vsync and HyperFormance. Full details over here.

The other new feature that we�re looking forward to offering you guys is what Lucid refers to as HyperFormance, a feature which claims to substantially improve overall 3D gaming responsiveness. By responsiveness we mean how well the game actually responds to your mouse and keyboard, a key factor that contributes greatly to a better overall gaming experience.

Without getting too technical, Lucid Hyperformance basically examines each piece of data as it passes through the graphics pipeline with the aim of eliminating redundant rendering tasks. This allows for shorter rendering cycles which, in turn translates into better overall responsiveness for you the gamer. We have toyed around with Hyperformance here in our labs, and we�ve been impressed at how the game just feels faster. If you were running at 100FPS, enabling Hyperformance will most likely give you even higher FPS. Not only does the FPS show marked improvement, but so too does the feel and responsiveness of the game.

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Broadcom 802.11ac WiFi to be out by mid-2012

NetworkWorld reports networking products with Broadcom's 802.11ac WiFi chipset are set to hit the market by Summer:

Broadcom executives at MWC confirmed today that the chipmaker is "beyond the sampling phase and even in a preproduction phase," according to Michael Hurlston, the company's senior vice president for wireless LAN, for its two-stream and three-stream 11ac chips. 11ac like 11n uses multiple data streams paired with multiple sending and receiving antennas to achieve high data throughput.

Hurlston said he expects finished OEM products, almost certainly access points, routers and the like, to be on sale from Broadcom's customers by mid-2012. Although the chipmaker hasn't announced design wins, Hurlston pointed out that the 11ac roadmap announced last month at CES was publicly endorsed by 14 equipment vendors and network providers.

Broadcom 802.11ac WiFi to be out by mid-2012 - More news at DV Hardware

Project Phenix: transfer of protected HD movies across multiple devices

X-bit Labs reports some content providers and storage makers are cooperating on Project Phenix, a new initiative that aims to enable you to seamlessly transfer DRM-protected HD movies across different devices:

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, SanDisk and Western Digital have revealed project "Phenix, an initiative that will give consumers an easier and faster way to organize, store and move their high definition digital movies and TV shows across multiple devices. In addition to local storage, the content will also be backed up via the UltraViolet industry standard as well as other cloud-based services.

The project is being developed by the newly formed Secure Content Storage Association (SCSA), which will create and license solutions that secure high definition and other premium copyright-protected content on local and portable hard drives, flash memory products such as USB flash drives, SD cards and solid state disk drives (SSDs). Once content is downloaded to a hard drive or NAND flash storage device, it could then be accessed, online or offline, on any SCSA-enabled device such as a connected TV, laptop, Blu-ray player, tablet, mobile phone or game console. The optimized content will be made easily available for purchase via digital download, digital files bundled with physical media, kiosks in retail stores, or other means of secure digital delivery.

Project Phenix: transfer of protected HD movies across multiple devices - More news at DV Hardware

NVIDIA: Tegra 3 in Windows 8 developer systems

NVIDIA confirmed that Microsoft is using the Tegra 3 SoC in Windows 8 test PCs that are distributed to software developers and device manufacturers:

NVIDIA confirmed today that it is working with Microsoft on a program to distribute Windows 8 test PCs to software developers and device manufacturers powered by the Tegra(R)3 quad-core mobile processor with 4-Plus-1(TM) architecture.

This seeding program enables these parties to create a rich ecosystem of apps and devices for Windows 8 on ARM-based processors.

"NVIDIA has a long record of supporting software developers working on the cutting edge of innovation," said Tony Tamasi, senior vice president of content and technology at NVIDIA. "We're furthering this tradition by helping to realize the extraordinary potential of Windows on ARM processors, like Tegra 3."

"Microsoft is excited to partner with NVIDIA to bring developers leading edge Windows on ARM test PCs to support the creation of compelling Metro style app and device experiences for Windows 8," said Aidan Marcuss, Senior Director of Business Planning, Microsoft.

NVIDIA: Tegra 3 in Windows 8 developer systems - More news at DV Hardware

Windows 8 Consumer Preview hits the web

Microsoft has released the public beta version of Windows 8, you can download it at http://preview.windows.com. The Consumer Preview is offered in English, German, French, Japanese and Chinese, and is available in a 32-bit and 64-bit edition.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview features a functional Windows Store and includes Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 5.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview � the next milestone of the Windows operating system. This latest preview will be made available for download starting today at http://preview.windows.com. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a more robust experience for testing the world�s most popular operating system and is available to the widest range of people yet following the initial release of the Windows 8 Developer Preview late last year. The Developer Preview received more than 3 million downloads.

�With Windows 8, we reimagined the different ways people interact with their PC and how to make everything feel like a natural extension of the device, whether using a Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one,� said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft. �The Windows 8 Consumer Preview brings a no-compromises approach to using your PC.�

At a Windows 8 Consumer Preview event in Barcelona that was attended by partners from Europe and around the world, the company shared some key new updates in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview:

Broad range of product changes and improvements. Since the Developer Preview in September, designed to preview the programming platform, Windows 8 has progressed across every dimension. From completing the user experience for touch, keyboard and mouse to refining the development platform, the Consumer Preview improves performance, quality and reliability across all subsystems. With the added features, it represents a more complete view of the capabilities of Windows 8.

Windows Store with new apps. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview marks the beta opening of the Windows Store, which is filled with a variety of new Metro style apps from both third-party developers and Microsoft. During the Consumer Preview, these apps are available to try and experience at no cost to users. The Windows Store will offer personalized recommendations, and Windows 8 gives users the ability to take their apps and settings with them across multiple PCs, making it easy to discover and try new apps while offering developers the greatest opportunity of any platform.

Connecting to the cloud across Windows-based PCs and Windows Phone. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers seamless integration with the content people care about across their devices. An optional additional sign-on with a Microsoft account provides access to a host of features, including the ability to roam all settings, use cloud storage, communicate with email, calendar and contacts, and connect to a broad range of services. Your connection to the cloud works across your Windows-based PCs and your Windows Phones.

Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 5. The best way to experience the Web on Windows is with Internet Explorer 10. The browser has been re-imagined to create a new experience designed specifically for Windows 8 devices. It provides an edge-to-edge user interface that is all about less browser and more Web. Fast and fluid, Internet Explorer is hardware-accelerated to enable Web performance.

Preview of new hardware capabilities. At the event, Microsoft also showcased Windows 8 running on a wide range of new x86- and ARM-based reference hardware. This hardware will be available to select developers for trial and testing as previously announced.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview will be available worldwide for download in English, French, German, Japanese and simplified Chinese languages. More information about Windows 8 and how to download the Consumer Preview is available at http://preview.windows.com or http://windowsteamblog.com.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview hits the web - More news at DV Hardware

ARM version of Windows 8 to lack manageability features

Microsoft announced today that Windows 8 for ARM will not include some of the business manageability features that are available in the x86 editions of Windows. ARM devices will not support Active Directory domains, nor be accessible remotely via the Microsoft System Center environment. Microsoft explains that for businesses, Windows on ARM is intended for unmanaged environments. This may make the platform a little less attractive to large enterprises.

Touting the long battery life of ARM-based devices, the guide tempers expectations: "Although the ARM-based version of Windows does not include the same manageability features that are in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, businesses can use these power-saving devices in unmanaged environments." That means ARM devices won't be able to be added to Active Directory domains and have their user access managed by system administrators, or be remotely managed through Microsoft's System Center environment.

The 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 8 for x86 systems will integrate into existing management systems, according to Microsoft, allowing administrators to continue to use the same tools for system configuration, security management, and other tasks. And as an alternative for organizations requiring more secure access from mobile users, Microsoft outlined a "Windows to Go" version of the operating system that can use a USB drive to boot a PC from an approved corporate Windows 8 image, allowing the user to connect to the enterprise network remotely from an untrusted system without giving the locally installed operating system access to the network.

Source: ARS Technica

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