Microsoft announces its support for low-power System on a Chip (SoC) architectures at CES 2011-- including ARM-based systems, confirming last December's reports

At the show Microsoft demonstrates a new Windows 7 version working on Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Nvidia prototypes, showing off standard Windows features (Internet Explorer, Powerpoint and network printing). 

The company also mentions its support for advanced new designs-- specifically Intel's 2nd generation Core processor family and AMD's Fusion APUs. 

SoC architectures enable smaller, Read more...

Cisco reveals its plans to combine internet video and conventional TV at its pre-CES 2011 conference with Videoscape.

COmpany CEO John Chambers describes it as an "immersive approach to video content" with a set-top box providing access to all content, including TV, web, social networks and even friends' devices.

A demo shows off a Cisco-filled living room, complete with Scientific Atlanta STB, umi telepresence set and Cisco's new Media Gateway (supports voice, video and data over network while allowing users to upload video from USB devices). Read more...

Calling it "a new class of accelerated processor that combines more compute capabilities than any processor in the history of computing," AMD launches its Fusion family of Accelerated Processing Units.

These APUs incorporate – in a single die design – multi-core CPU (x86) technology, a discrete-level graphics and parallel processing engine for DirectX 11, a dedicated high-def video acceleration block, and a high-speed bus (speeds data across the differing types of processor cores within the design).

No word in the press release mentions this Read more...

The Wall Street Journal reports Microsoft plans a new OS aimed at low-power devices-- and non-Intel chip technology.

The new Windows version should add support for ARM designs as well as x86 processors. Discussion on the new software is due this January's CES. 

Why the move to ARM? Surely to rival Apple int he tablet market. ARM chips consume less power, making them a favourite with smartphone manufacturers. 

According to people close to Microsoft the plans to create an ARM-based Windows are part of efforts to make Windows more modular-- similar to Read more...

Citizen scientists, 3D interactive holograms, static electricity harvesting, cities heated by data centers and better traffic control systems make up IBM's predictions for the next 5 years. 

Through sensors already available in smartphones, cars and computers (all internet connected), people will be collecting data to be used by scientists, thus helping environmental research and more. 

IBM predicts science-fiction style advances for holographic interfaces-- from 3D face-to-face conferencing to interaction with online 3D images, all Read more...

Oracle CE Larry Ellison says his company will use its latest hardware to attack HP, its onetime partner. 

The hardware he refers is a "supercluster" of Sparc-based servers. It sets the record for online transaction processing, with over 30 million transactions per minute (compared to records of 10 million for IBM hardware and 4 million for HP's). 

Oracle bought out Sparc developers Sun back in January for $7.4b. 

Ellison continues saying HP machines "are vulnerable" and thinks they're slow. Oracle wants to win HP's market share with "better software, Read more...