hardware systems in pictures

• 

  IN PICTURES: 15 Ways iPad goes to work

• Smartphone chips could replace server processors in HPC, researchers say

  By Agam Shah | 24 May, 2013 20:42

  Looking at historical trends and performance benchmarks, a team of researchers in Spain have concluded that smartphone chips could one day replace the more expensive and power-hungry x86 processors used in most of the world's top supercomputers.

• iPad 5 rumour rollup for the week ending May 23

  By John Cox | 24 May, 2013 18:23

  The hot air levels rose dramatically in the iOSphere this week on the strength of one laconic, six-paragraph posting about the expected weight of iPad 5.

• Google ready to start shipping Glass to #ifihadglass Explorers

  By Sharon Gaudin | 24 May, 2013 16:58

  For the 8,000 or so people who signed up this spring to be Glass Explorers, your wait for the computerized eyeglasses may soon be over.

• Vanishing into thin [MacBook] Air: Shortages signal WWDC refresh

  By Gregg Keizer | 24 May, 2013 16:48

  Apple's lowest-priced MacBook Air was out of stock on Amazon.com as of Friday, hinting that rumors of a refresh in two weeks are on target.

• Oracle, managed services provider to settle suit over third-party support

  By Chris Kanaracus | 24 May, 2013 16:45

  Oracle and managed services provider ServiceKey have come to a proposed settlement of an intellectual-property lawsuit Oracle filed against the company last year.

• Windows 8 Update: Microsoft sacks iPad in Windows 8 ad, joins forces with NFL

  By Tim Greene | 24 May, 2013 14:18

  A new ad from Microsoft mocks iPads by comparing them a unfavorably a to tablets running Windows 8, which receive live updates on their Start screens, run office apps, display two apps at a time and support Microsoft Office applications a things iPads don't do.

• 9 super useful subreddits network pros should follow

  By Bob Brown | 23 May, 2013 22:28

  Reddit is not just filled with pictures of cats and silly memes. Seriously. There's a lot of good content on the popular social news aggregator for network professionals whether you're focused on security, Windows, VoIP, IPv6 or a mixed bag.

• Hybrid public-private Cloud usage more widespread than you think

  By Brandon Butler | 23 May, 2013 20:33

  Many times in discussions about Cloud computing, the hybrid Cloud – meaning a service that combines both off-site public Cloud and on-premises private Cloud computing resources – is thought of as being some nirvana state that will be the dominant architecture at some point in the future.

• Oracle's Mark Hurd talks Fusion Applications, customer satisfaction and SAP's HANA

  By Chris Kanaracus | 12 April, 2013 20:47

  As co-president of Oracle, Mark Hurd is tasked with selling an ever-increasing array of new software and hardware products, such as the Exadata database machine and Fusion Applications, while figuring out how to keep the company's vast installed base happy and fending off competition from the likes of SAP.

• UEFI president: We need more key providers

  By Joab Jackson | 28 February, 2013 20:51

  Since its introduction, the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface has created a fair amount of controversy. UEFI was created through an industry consortium as an evolutionary step up from BIOS, the simple firmware long used when starting a computer to initialize all the components and load the operating system. Among its advanced features, UEFI includes an option called Secure Boot, which requires that any software used before the operating system starts, or after it shuts down, has been signed by a certificate authority.

• HP is ready to get back to business

  By Jared Newman | 29 October, 2011 08:12

  After a crazy year for HP that included a failed tablet, a hasty decision to abandon the PC business (a decision now abandoned), and a CEO shakeup, the company seems eager to get back to business as usual.

• IBM's Steve Mills talks Oracle, Watson's future

  By Chris Kanaracus | 23 June, 2011 02:28

  IBM's Steve Mills has long been known for his leadership of the company's software division, but last year he added hardware and systems to his responsibilities as well. That move put Mills in charge of 100,000 employees and products that generate US$40 billion in revenue for IBM, according to its website.

• CIO Rebecca Jacoby steers Cisco's IT ship

  By Stephen Lawson | 14 December, 2010 08:29

  Running the internal IT operations of Cisco Systems is a big job not just because of the size of the company -- more than 70,000 employees worldwide and a market capitalisation in the range of $US100 billion -- but also because Cisco is continually developing new IT products across a broad range of technologies and is known for rapidly adopting those products for its own use. Cisco CIO Rebecca Jacoby spoke with IDG News Service on the sidelines of the NetWork conference last week and shared some insights into the legendary enterprise IT company's own enterprise IT.

• Opinion: What I learned using only Google products

  By Mike Elgan | 25 May, 2013 11:09

  Columnist Mike Elgan spent three weeks using only Google products -- the Chromebook Pixel laptop, the Nexus 10 tablet and the Nexus 4 smartphone. Here's what he discovered.

• Google Glass breaks into business

  By Lucas Mearian | 24 May, 2013 10:12

  Like the tablet market, Google Glass may currently be viewed as a consumer product but it will soon be seen on the faces of IT and mobile employees.

• Despite Schmidt's timeline, Google may ship Glass in 2013

  By Sharon Gaudin | 21 May, 2013 10:15

  Just a month after a top Google executive said Glass wouldn't be officially released for another year, sources say the computerized eyeglasses actually should ship by the end of this year.

• Immigration reform may spur software robotics

  By Patrick Thibodeau | 20 May, 2013 10:14

  The Senate immigration bill's H-1B restrictions have clearly upset Indian firms. But sometimes being in a tough spot can prompt new ways of approaching problems. One firm is implementing software robots.

• 8 essential features you need in a business router

  By Eric Geier | 17 May, 2013 15:56

  A router is the heart of your network, so it deserves to be chosen carefully. Any router will share your Internet connection amongst your computers and other networkable devices (smartphones, tablets, and so on), but better models provide features that will enhance your network and its performance. Whether you're seeking a business- or consumer-class router, here are the eight most essential features to look for.

• Google woos developers as software becomes more important

  By Mikael Ricknäs | 17 May, 2013 15:43

  Google did its best to court developers at this year's I/O conference with a much-needed integrated developer environment, API for better games and the ability to more easily translate apps. Their allegiance will become increasingly important as smartphone and tablet hardware sees fewer dramatic improvements.

• Windows 8 is an enterprise 'non-starter' because IT sees no value in changes

  By Gregg Keizer | 17 May, 2013 14:43

  Windows 8 faces a number of hurdles in the enterprise, but the biggest reason it won't replace the current corporate champion, Windows 7, is simple: IT shops don't think it's worth the upgrade hassle.

• Analysts challenge Microsoft's commitment to Windows RT

  By Gregg Keizer | 10 May, 2013 18:17

  One of Microsoft's top Windows executives this week said the company remains bullish about Windows RT, but analysts remain suspicious of RT's chances unless Microsoft makes changes.