BM and Nvidia will build two ultra-efficient 150-petaflop supercomputers for the DoE

IBM and Nvidia have been awarded $425 million by the US Department of Energy to build two brand-new supercomputers that leverage IBM’s Power8 CPUs and Nvidia’s upcoming Volta GPUs. The two computers — Summit, which will be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Sierra, built at Lawrence Livermore — will have peak performance of around 150 petaflops when they’re completed in 2017-2018. This should make them the most powerful supercomputers in the world, though I wouldn’t be surprised if China is working on something even faster to retain its supercomputing crown.

Today, the USA’s fastest supercomputers are Titan at ORNL and Sequoia at LLNL, both capable of around 17 petaflops, and placed second and third in the world respectively. Both of these supercomputers are actually quite new (completed in the last couple of years), so I’m not sure if Summit and Sierra will replace them, or if all four supercomputers will exist at the same time (which would be awesome, but would require a ridiculous amount of power — about 50 megawatts). At this point, we only know the loosest of hardware specifications for the new supercomputers. Primarily there will be thousands of IBM Power8 CPUs running the show.

Attached to those Power8 chips, via the new CAPI interface, will be thousands of Nvidia Volta GPUs. We don’t know a whole lot about Volta, except that it will feature “stacked DRAM” — DRAM stacked on top of the GPU using through-silicon vias (TSVs) — with memory bandwidth around 1TB/sec and very low latency. Nvidia’s current GPU accelerators (the K40, K20, etc.) are based on the Kepler core; Volta is the core after Maxwell.

New metal lets today’s 3D printers make tomorrow’s electronics

When entrepreneur Michael Toutonghi and his son wanted to make a rocket in their family basement, they went about it in a thoroughly modern way: though the duo wasn’t gearing up to produce their rockets by the hundreds, the production and assembly processes were still too tedious to be done entirely by hand. Well-versed in using 3D printers to assist rapid prototyping, the two Toutonghis set about automating as much of the process as possible, but their efforts hit a wall when it came time to do the electronics. Put simply, 3D printing could not do what they need it to do with the tools they had available. So, it was time to invent a solution.

The resulting Kickstarter campaign certainly makes big claims for itself: a new 3D printable metal that is exponentially more conductive than current materials, and which could finally let 3D printing decentralize design and manufacturing. Called F-Electric, the material — which can be used in the place of standard PLA plastic in a cheap 3D printer — reportedly exhibits less than one ohm-cm of resistance.

For context, graphite’s resistance is about 0.001 ohm-cm, while an average competing conductive printing material might come in at 10,000 ohm-cm or more. As you can see, this offers an incredible step up from current solutions, and brings any PLA-capable printer within striking distance of much more expensive industrial printing tech.

Apple's China App Store Now Accepts UnionPay Card Payments

Apple Inc's app store in China now accepts payments made using China's UnionPay credit and debit cards, the iPhone maker said on Monday, making purchases easier for users in Apple's second-largest app market.

"The ability to buy apps and make purchases using UnionPay cards has been one of the most requested features from our customers in China," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, in a statement.

Apple has tried to drive the adoption of mobile payments on its platforms, but China's complex banking payment system makes it difficult to carry out any kind of online payment.

Before UnionPay was added, Apple mainly relied on a top-up system for its app store in China, with a 50 CNY ($8.16) minimum value. The UnionPay payment option means money is transferred directly from a bank account for the exact amount of each purchase.

Ola Cabs Launches Services in Nagpur

Ola, said to be India's most popular mobile app for cab booking, has launched its services in Nagpur - making it the fourth city in Maharashtra after Mumbai, Pune and Nashik.

Ola, (formerly Ola Cabs) has over 37,000 cars available across 20 cities, which it claims makes it the largest as well as the fastest growing cab booking app in India. Customers can book cabs through the Ola for Android, iOS and Windows or by making a phone call, the company said in a statement.

"We are very happy to launch our app in Nagpur that will offer a great travel experience to commuters here... We are excited that the city of Nagpur will now benefit from this technology," said, Anand Subramanian, Director - Marketing Communications at Ola.

"With the mobile app, people of the city can now book, track and even ride cashless," he said adding, driver-partners in Nagpur who shall be on the Ola platform shall also benefit from this service.

Most drivers are young and entrepreneurial and the Ola app can have a significant revenue impact with drivers in similar cities seeing an increase of as much as 40 percent once they sign up with Ola, Subramanian said.

New Smartphone Case Can Print Your Selfie in Seconds

A French company has developed a brand new smartphone case that can print selfies from the phone itself in less than a minute. French startup Prynt recently presented its smartphone case, which includes a built-in printer. The printer is in turn connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth and can produce a photo in about 50 seconds. The developers say their case will soon be able to print pictures in just 30 seconds, RT.com reported.

"At the moment, only one sheet of paper can fit in the case. However, this will soon be increased to up to 30 pieces," Clement Perrot, CEO of Prynt, was quoted as saying.

Prynt has been working on the new case since January this year and is planning to launch the smartphone case at the beginning of 2015. The case was developed for 4-inch display smartphones, but the company plans to make models for larger devices - such as the iPhone 6 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note - in the future.

It is priced $99 (approximately Rs. 6,000).

Moreover, the firm says if you take a snap using the Prynt app, it will record a video of the moment before and after you click the photograph.

Google Reveals Secret Lives Of Email Hackers

Cybercriminals are now spending more time in devising targeted attacks on individuals to make significant financial gains instead of launching widespread automated attacks, says tech giant Google. Incidents of manual hijacking - where professional attackers spend considerable time exploiting a single victim's account - are still rare at about nine incidents per million users per day, but the impact can be severely damaging, Google said in a study.

"The damage manual hijackers incur is far more severe and distressing to users and can result in significant financial loss," it added. Google said these "needle-in-a-haystack" attacks are very challenging and represent an ongoing threat to internet users. Manual hijackers often get into accounts through phishing attacks by sending deceptive messages meant to trick users into handing over username, password and other personal information.

"Of the hijacking case samples we analyzed, we found that most of the hijackers appear to originate from five main countries: China, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Nigeria, and South Africa," it said.

The study found that criminals attempted to access 20 percent of the accounts within 30 minutes of attack. Once logged in, manual hijackers profile the victim's account and spend an average of three minutes to assess the value of the account before exploiting it or abandoning the process. It added: "This step entails searching through the victim's email history for banking details or messages that the victim had previously flagged as important. We also see attackers scanning through email contacts which are then either solicited for funds or targeted with a salvo of targeted phishing emails."Google said that using a second authentication factor like a phone, has proven the best defence against hijacking.

Asus and Lenovo Expected to Launch $149 Chromebook Laptops in 2015

After HP and Toshiba unveiled their low-cost Chromebook notebooks during the IFA event this year, Asus and Lenovo seem set to introduce even cheaper low-cost Chromebooks in 2015, as per a new report.

Both Asus and Lenovo are expected to bring their 11.6-inch display Chromebook notebooks powered by Rockchip CPUs in 2015, according to a report from Digitimes. Also, the devices are tipped to arrive with a price tag of $149 (roughly Rs. 9,200). The specifications or the availability details of the Chromebooks are not yet known.

The low price point, as tipped by the report, is said to be 25 percent lower than the $199 (roughly Rs. 12,300) Acer Chromebook, which was launched back in 2012.

As the report speculates, the introduction of $149 Chromebook laptops will pressure Microsoft to further drop Windows 8.1 licensing fees, which werereportedly cut earlier this year by 70 percent.

Notably, Lenovo has already used a Rockchip RK3188 processor in a 10.1-inch Android notebook, namely Lenovo A10, which was launched in October this year. Asus is however yet to manufacture any laptop using the company's processors.

On a similar note, HP in September introduced two colourful Chromebook models with 11-inch screen and 14-inch displays. The 14-inch Chromebook sported an Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, while the smaller laptop was powered by an Intel Celeron N2830. Both 11-inch and 14-inch laptops were priced at $199.99 (roughly Rs. 12,300) and $299.99 (roughly Rs. 18,500) onwards, respectively.

Toshiba also introduced its Chromebook 2 in the same month, using an Intel Celeron N2840 processor. The Chromebook 2 comes with a starting price of $249.99 (roughly Rs. 15,400).

How to Download and Use Google Maps for Android, iOS Without Internet

Lost in Nowhereland with no Internet connection as far as you can see? As always, Google Maps can help you find your way back, as long as you have an iOS or an Android device, even if you are offline. Google recently added a feature to Google Maps, which lets you save maps to your phone.
Yes, you can now check maps even when there is no Internet connection. The downside is that you will not have access to route information, addresses, navigation, traffic, and a host of other data that require an Internet connection. However, having map data for reference might just save you a lot of time. Here's how to use this nifty feature on iOS and Android. The steps are identical for both platforms.

 
What you need to use this feature
 
You're going to need an Android or iOS device. Unfortunately, this feature isn't available on other platforms. Google Maps version 3, which was released last week on iOS, added support for offline maps. Android users, be sure to update to Google Maps version 8 before following the steps listed below.
 
How to save maps offline?
 
1. To use this feature, first sign in to your Google account to use this feature.
 
2. Type "OK Maps" in the search bar and hit the search button. A dialog at the top of the map asks "Save this map?" with a Save button at the bottom of the screen.
 
3. At this point, you can zoom in or out, and move the map, to select the area you want to save. Everything that is on-screen gets downloaded, so if you zoom out to save the entire Delhi area, for example, then you can later zoom in to see the individual localities and streets.

4. Once you've selected the area, tap the Save button at the bottom of the screen. A dialogue box pops up and you are asked to enter a name for the map. Just enter a name and tap on Save.
 
5. Accessing offline maps is easy. Just tap the 'person' icon, which is next to the directions icon on the search bar. This will take you to your profile. Scroll to the bottom to see your saved maps. You can rename saved maps in case you plan to save more than one.
 
There are certain limitations to saving offline maps. Zoom out too far and you will see an error saying that the map area can't be saved because it is too large. We were able to save almost all of Delhi, but Google Maps deemed the area "too large" when we tried to save National Capital Region (NCR).
There's nothing stopping you from saving multiple maps to cover a large area, in case you're worried about that. Another limitation is that map data is available only for 30 days. You'll have to download maps again after this.
The good thing is that the saved map of Delhi occupied just 9.9 MB of space on our phones. That's good news for those who are running low on storage space.

How to use your mobile as a security camera

Today almost everyone owns smartphones. People also save their damaged phone in their cupboards. Some throw out their phone with a partially damaged screen or any battery issue . Also if you are going to sell your damaged phone than they will offer you very low price . So your all old phones are useless for you . Can these phones be used as advantage , have you ever thought. Today I’ll show you how to use your old damaged phone in security camera purposes like a webcam.

How it works:

Install Web Of Cam on two phone , your camera phone can be any old phone which streamed the video content and your viewer phone can be your daily driver phone . Watch live video via your browser in viewer phone.

•   All you need to have a same wireless LAN or you can use a hotspot network to connect phone.
•    Pair these phones
•    Open the browser of viewer phone and watch the live video

Feature:

•   The video quality is very good , but also depend on the other phone’s camera.
•    You can also turn on the LED on other phone.
•    You can switch the front and back camera .
•    You have a proper control for zooming.
•    You can change the exposure,
•    If you are on the same network than it pair your phone automatically.
•    You can also set the password protection for your camera .

Dell launches new Venue 7, Venue 8 voice-calling Android tablets in India at Rs 14,999 onwards

Dell Launch latest Android tablets - the Dell Venue 7 and Dell Venue 8 - in India. The new tablets are equipped with voice calling feature as well as 3G. The tablets come with a 4,550 mAh battery, the latest dual-core Intel Processor, and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Dell Venue 7 has a 7-inch (1280x800) display, 16Gb internal storage (expandable via microSD card) and a 5-megapixel rear camera. The Dell Venue 7 has a textured rear panel to offer a firm grip and keep the device smudge free. The Dell Venue 7 is available in black with a variety of colour cases to complement the sleek device.

The Dell Venue 8 comes with a full HD (1920x1200) display, 1GB of RAM, 5-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras. It also comes with an internal storage of 16GB (expandable up to 64GB).

Why Android is still better than iOS ?

Apple has released new OS called iOS 8. In new OS Apple has shown its hard work, it is obvious to say that Apple again did a hard job in their latest version. They debug all the crashes and bugs from their previous versions and make it more useful for the user experience. As Apple is claiming that the new iOS is the most updating environment for the user.

Compare it with the latest android versions, the customization, stability and smoothness is still better. But Apple users are claiming that Apple is best, so I have a list of features why android is better than iOS.

Customization:

Why android is called the platform for developers because it has plenty amount of customization options and tools, you can install different launchers and settings via Google Playstore, compare it with the version of Apple they cannot enjoy new themes, they should have to stick with its default layout, officially it doesn’t come with any themes pack.

File system:

When you want to explore your files on your android phones whether it is in SD card or Internal storage, you have a better layout similar like a tree file management, Even If you plug it with your computer, it’s instantly excess with it and you will have an easy way to manage your files.

Notification Bar:

Notifications were first build by android OS, and still notification bar is better than others. You won’t need to open a separate app for your excess, just drag down the notification panel and click the notification and respond without opening it.

Sharing list:

In iOS you can share your pictures and videos just with some few applications like Message, Facebook, Mail, Twitter and Flicker. In android you can share your contact with endless sharing list. List include all installed app having sharing options.

Custom Keyboards:

Like I described above android is well known by its customization. In iOS you have to stick with its default keyboard layout, in android you can replace your android stock keyboard layout with the custom skin, available in Google Playstore.

Phone Lock screen:

This is also a part of customization that you can set different lock screen layouts on your android OS. Like Apple release new fingerprints scanner. Galaxy S5 also have this options also include face unlock. In android you can also set different applications for your instantly use.

Russia plans to create its own 'Wikipedia'

Moscow: Russia plans to create its own "Wikipedia" to ensure its citizens have access to more "detailed and reliable" information about their country, the presidential library said on Friday.

Citing Western threats, the Kremlin has asserted more control over the Internet this year in what critics call moves to censor the web, and has introduced more pro-Kremlin content similar to closely controlled state media such as television.

Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia assembled and written by Internet users around the world, has pages dedicated to nearly every region or major city within Russia's 11 time zones, but the Kremlin library said this was not good enough.

"Analysis of this resource showed that it is not capable of providing information about the region and life of the country in a detailed or sufficient way," the state news agency RIA quoted a statement from the presidential library as saying.

"The creation of an alternative Wikipedia has begun." It was not known whether the project might affect Russians' access to the existing Wikipedia in any way. President Vladimir Putin has branded the Internet a "CIA special project", and the Kremlin has said it must protect its online realm from threats from the West, as ties between the Cold War-era foes have hit a new bottom over the Ukraine crisis. Since August, bloggers in Russia with more than 3,000 followers must register with the Moscow's mass media regulatory agency and conform to rules applied to larger media outlets.

And since February, state authorities have been able to block websites without a court order. The webpages of two leading Kremlin critics were among the first to be barred.

A new messaging app that lets your friends see what you're typing as you type it

Toronto: Imagine if you could read as your girlfriend types, deletes or rewrites a reply to your message. With this new app, there is no hiding the emotions that you pour into your messages.

Known as Beam Messenger, "this is the closest you will get to having a verbal conversation in a messaging app", said its download page available on Google Play.

Unlike traditional texting apps, the app developed by the Toronto-based Propulsion Lab shows both participants in a conversation what the other party is writing.

"Beam Messenger is a first of its kind 'True Real Time' communications app. It allows for instant typing and transmission of text. Erase messages in real time or interrupt your friend to say 'you have heard the story before!'" the post of the company's website read.

"Every character, every deleted character, every single pause, in real time. Right there in the palm of your hand," it added.

Beam Messenger is available for free for Android users.

Idea working on launching of 4G service

KOCHI: Idea Cellular is working on the launch of 4G service in the country and as and when the ecosystem develops, it will be rolled out, a top official said. 

The operator had registered an over Rs 1,000 crore mobile data revenue during the second quarter of the fiscal. "We are working on launching the 4G service in the country and as and when the eco system develops, we will roll out 4G," Idea Cellular Ltd deputy managing director Ambrish Jain told reporters here. 

Idea would be one of the early launchers of 4G in India, he said. 

In Kerala, the operator had acquired 10Mhz of contiguous 1800 spectrum to ensure the best 4G experience, he said adding this will help in unparallelled speed and downloads. 

The operator was committed to offer next generation mobile technologies in India. "We have acquired large quantum of spectrum in 900, 1800 and 2100MHz bands through auction in the last few years to enable our over 143 million subscribers to access mobile internet services on their devices," he said. 

Khan Market, Connaught Place set to get free Wi-Fi

NEW DELHI: Soon, you will have another incentive to visit Delhi's marquee markets, Connaught Place, Khan Market and Karol Bagh. Overcoming security concerns, New Delhi Municipal Council has decided to create Wi-Fi zones in these markets, with free browsing for the first 15-20 minutes.

The first public hotspot will start at Khan Market by the month-end. The survey is been done and the spots where server boxes are to be installed, identified. After that, the project will move to CP and then Karol Bagh.

"Vodafone and Airtel have come together in Khan Market to provide the facility. A 4G network would be available to anyone entering the market. After the first 15-20 minutes, the service will be chargeable," explained Sanjiv Mehra, president of Khan Market Traders Association.

The visitors can avail the facility on their mobile phones and computers by filling in details such as e-mail ID and mobile numbers.

A one-time password (OTP) will then be received to connect to the internet.

The service will be free of cost for the first twenty minutes and after the free usage time is exhausted, the user will have to do a recharge using recharge cards available at various shops, including Tata Docomo retail outlets, in the area.

The recharge cards are available at Rs 10 for 30 minutes, Rs 20 for 60 minutes, and Rs 50 for 180 minutes of Wi-Fi access, an official statement said.

For any service related assistance, customers can call the Wi-Fi call centre number +91-11-60607070.

This Wi-Fi service has come up in more than 5-sq km area and will be applicable in the Inner and Outer circles of Connaught Place including the Central Park.

"This Wi-Fi service in Connaught Place will be the largest ever in India. At a time, the service can be availed by 5,000 people with the speed 512 Kbps," the statement said.

Launching the service, Lekhi, who is also a council member of the civic body, said, "These initiatives are in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Digital India, which would enable greater transparency and better governance".

Tata Docomo already provides such facilities in other public areas including T3 International Airport.

"The deployment of Wi-Fi services in one of the biggest public open-areas in the city is a nod to the emerging trends of data consumption, especially by millennial. For us at Tata Docomo, public Wi-Fi access is an important step towards digitisation in the city," Tata Teleservices MD N Srinath said.

Earlier this year, Khan Market became the first public space in the city to officially get Wi-Fi access, also powered by Tata Docomo.

The project got slightly delayed in Connaught Place due to various technical and logistical issues.

Initially, the service could not be connected from pole to pole, as done in Khan Market as Connaught Place is a larger area.

With the help of the private concessionaire, the civic agency has created hotspots to ensure seamless connectivity in Inner and Outer Circle.

Also the cables and transmission wires were shifted inside the 1.2 km long utility tunnel in CP, so that the display of the market doesn't look ugly, said OP Mishra, Director, Projects, NDMC.

"Connecting one of the most vibrant and busy parts of the city with the world through Internet, round the clock, is a milestone in the process of city's urban development.

"Enriching facilities such as the Wi-Fi connectivity across Connaught Place showcase the futuristic path NDMC has taken to bring the city at par with international standards," NDMC chairperson Jalaj Shrivastava said, adding, New Delhi Municipal Council is the first municipality in India to have free public Wi-Fi zone.

In the next step, NDMC plans to connect whole of the area under its jurisdiction with the Wi-Fi services and has already partnered with Reliance for the same.

"Reliance has already been given 680 poles on a trial basis to test 4G connectivity. We are looking at mainly residential places where the residents can derive maximum benefit from this service," Mishra said.

Angry Birds Cricket Game? Rovio Wants You to Make One

At Nasscom Game Developer Conference 2014 (NGDC 2014) on Saturday, Rovio India Director Antti Ohrling announced that the company is "open to opportunities to license and use Angry Birds assets locally."

What this means is that developers in the country looking to utilise the Angry Birds IP in their games, can do so with Rovio's approval. This makes India the second market where Rovio is doing this, the first being China.

"The assets we're talking about are something that can be integrated. Now would you be interested in a cricket game? The season is coming and who knows how many cricket games are coming up. You might do this. But I ask you a question, would you rather do it with us?", Ohrling said at a session on game discovery, monetisation and distribution at NGDC in Pune, stating the company's intentions to see a cricket game with Angry Birds characters.

Given cricket's religion-like status in the country, it's a smart move from a company that's been hit by hard times recently, with lay-offs and a change in leadership. While cricket games are dime-a-dozen (and even more so during the World Cup which is a few months away), any developer with a cricket game sporting well-loved characters would be a surefire differentiator and potential money-spinner.

NDTV Gadgets spoke to Ohrling at length on all things Rovio. Stay tuned for the full interview early next week.

iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus - Which One Is More Popular? We Finally Have Some Data

Apple's 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is selling three times faster than the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in the US, according to a new report.

Based on the sales breakdown by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, an analyst Steven Milunovich of UBS said (via AppleInsider) that the iPhone 6 is outselling the iPhone 6 Plus by three to one margin. From the research data, Milunovich noted that the iPhone 6 sales in first 30 days in the US accounted for 68 percent of all iPhone sales, while the iPhone 6 Plus managed between 23 and 24 percent. This means that the new iPhone models accounted for about 91 percent of total iPhone sales, while the rest was made up by older models such as iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. As a comparison, last year, the then new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c accounted for 84 percent of all iPhone sales during a similar time frame.

The research also noted that the average storage capacity for buyers this year was 48GB, which is almost double than the last year, hardly a surprise given Apple has made 64GB model variant cheaper and also introduced a 128GB iPhone variant for the very first time. The US sales trend is the opposite of what initial data had indicated in China. The iPhone 6 Plus had seen stronger pre-orders than iPhone 6. Last month a report based on JD.com's sales figure had noted that out of 9.49 million pre-orders, iPhone 6 Plus had clocked about 4.82 million pre-orders, while iPhone 6 had 4.66 million.

Recently, Apple had outperformed Samsung on the latter's home turf of Korea, with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus clocking three times as many pre-orders than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 over a similar time frame.