Archive for June, 2010

New Hyperscale Cloud Data Centers Processors by AMD

Friday, June 25th, 2010

AMD introduces its new AMD Opteron 4100-series microprocessors that target cloud and hyperscale data centers today. The low cost AMD supported chips are on a new cost-efficient server platform code-named San Marino and low-power platform called Adelaide. AMD claims that select new central processing units (CPUs) offer the lowest “per-core” power consumption in the server industry.

“Until now, customers wanting to build a dense and power-efficient cloud or hyperscale data center had to shoehorn expensive, higher-end solutions into their computing environment, or they had to choose low-power client-based designs that may not have offered the right level of performance and server functionality. With the AMD Opteron 4000-series platform, these customers now have a server platform that is extremely power- and cost-efficient, allows a high degree of customization,” said Patrick Patla, corporate vice president and general manager of server and embedded division at AMD.

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iPhone4 Cloud Services

Friday, June 25th, 2010

So I just got my new iPhone4 and I am loving it.  I am always reading the inside scoop on AppleInsider and came across this article about the difference between iPhone4 cloud services and Android cloud services.  Here is a photo explaining a little bit more thanks to Apple Insider.

iPhone 4 and  iOS vs. Android: desktop and cloud services
Apple Insider says “The drawback to Google’s cloud-only strategy for Android is that cloud services are notorious for falling offline and for losing users’ data. From Microsoft’s Danger, to the Palm Pre and Nokia’s Ovi service, to RIM’s BlackBerry NOC, everyone who has offered cloud services for smartphones has also lost users’ data. That maxim also applies to both Google and Apple, which like everyone else in the industry has inadvertently interrupted services and lost user data related to their cloud operations. ”

However, with iTunes and its “local backups by default” design, if your cloud services fail (and history indicates they will at some point), you can always revert to a local copy of your data you own and control. Google’s Android, like Microsoft, RIM, and other mobile platform vendors, not only bets that cloud services won’t ever fail, but also puts users’ backups in the cloud, ensuring that when they do fail, users will be completely helpless unless they’ve created a personal strategy to make their own local backups. Which nobody does, even when there is a way to do this.

Apple currently enjoys a strong lead in offering iTunes as a silver lining for cloud failures. Every iPhone is automatically backed up locally by default, making device replacement and upgrades easy and painless. Because Google and other vendors are focusing on improving and extending their cloud offerings, it looks like Apple will continue to enjoy an increasingly strong position with iTunes as a local sync hub, a factor that will prevent many iTunes users from even considering alternatives to iPhone, regardless of any potential, real advantages offered by Android. At the same time, Apple is pushing ahead its own cloud services in tandem with (and well integrated with) iTunes.”

I find it funny that they are bringing up the fact that Apple is trying to become a cloud hosting provider when all along Apple is more interested in providing the software to access those “cloud” services than providing those services.  But if they have the software to access those services, they might one day be providing those services, you never know.
I don’t know how you reach the conclusion that Apple is ahead in cloud services. That’s only debatably true if you are willing to pay for MobileMe. And that’s based on your own argument that MobileMe is better than Google’s services….a claim which is debatable. So how many people are willing to pay for MobileMe?

iPhone users are just lucky that Google isn’t Microsoft. They work to enable many of their services on the iPhone. So you don’t have to get an Android to use Gmail. That said Android’s integration with the cloud is simply better. For example, that little tidbit from Google I/O you neglected : cloud to device integration for maps and web bookmarks on the Chrome browser.

Ultimately, when it comes to Google’s cloud services on Android, it just works. Put in your email address during setup and your done. Android does the rest for you.

The rest of the complaints are nonsense. No computer backup? My Mac downloads my Gmail and Google calendars. That’s sync right there. Or does it not count because it doesnt go through an iTunes filter?Doubletwist works great with iTunes. And the Amazon Kindle app should be good when released. Why should anybody care if the app is from Google or not?

There’s many things the iOS does better than Android. Cloud services integration is not one of them….unless you spend an extra $6 per month. You may think that price is inconsequential. Most people don’t. 70 bucks to do something the phone should do for free.

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Chipzilla: Standards Void Threatens Cloud Future

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Structure 2010 Chipzilla is sweating. Intel is worried that without software standards, cloud computing could hit the buffers and curtail the serious amounts of money it stands to make.

Intel high-density computing group chief Jason Waxman told Structure 2010 on Thursday that without common agreement on security, management, data federation, and multi-tenancy, there will be API and platform lock-in.

This will scare customers and block new service providers from joining the game, he told the conference in San Francisco, California. Waxman appealed to others to work with him on standards to forestall this coming cloud apocalypse. He even handed out his email address, so here it is: first name dot second name at Intel dot com.

“Many customers especially those building private clouds are sitting on the side lines because they are worried about vendor lock in,” Waxman said.

“With brokers, it then becomes a case of moving from becoming locked into a cloud API into a cloud vendor. Having more standards will bring more vendors into the market.”

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