Processor

Processor

·         A processor, also known as central processing unit (CPU), refers to the part of a computer that interprets and carries out, or processes, instructions and data contained in the software.

·         Microprocessors are CPUs that are manufactured on integrated circuits, often as a single-chip package.

·         Since the mid-1970s, these single-chip microprocessors have become the most common and prominent implementations of CPUs, and today the term are almost always applied to this form.

AMD64

·         The AMD64, also known as AMD x86-64 or x64, is a 64 bit processor architecture invented by AMD.

·         It is a superset of the x86 architecture, which it natively supports.

·         The AMD64 Instruction set is currently used in AMD's Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Athlon 64 X2, Turion 64, Opteron and later Sempron processors.

·         AMD64 instruction set is a straightforward extension of the x86 architecture to 64 bits, motivated by the fact that the 4GB of memory directly addressable by a 32 bit CPU is no longer sufficient for all applications.

Array Processor

·         Array processor, also called a vector processor, is a microprocessor or computer that is capable of performing simultaneous computations on elements of an array of data in some number of dimensions.

·         Common uses of such processor include analysis of fluid dynamics and rotation of 3D objects as well as data retrieval, in which elements in a database are scanned simultaneously that executes one instruction at a time but on an array or table of data at the same time rather than on single data elements.

Celeron

·         Celeron is Intel microprocessor in the Pentium family marketed as a budget/value CPU line.

·         The first Celeron was based on the Pentium II core.

·         Later versions were based on the Pentium III, Pentium 4, and Pentium-M.

·         The main differences between Celerons and Pentiums are in the areas of bus speed and L2 cache features.

·         Both Pentium-II's and -III's ship with 512kB of secondary (L2) CPU instruction cache, which allows the CPU to store recently used instructions close by and is responsible for much of their high performance.

Connect to a SQL database with JDBC

Java JDBC Connection - Obtaining the JDBC driver

Before you start working with JDBC, you'll need a copy of the Java JDK. If you don't have it already, you can get the JDK/SDK for free at Sun's Java web site, or it will also be included with many IDEs that you can use, including Eclipse and NetBeans.

Once you have the JDK, the next thing you need to do is to get the correct JDBC driver for your database. In most cases the JDBC driver will be provided by your database vendor. To make it even easier, I've created a page of JDBC drivers for common SQL databases.

Once you have the correct JDBC driver for your database, install it according to the instructions that came with it. Installation instructions will vary somewhat for each vendor.

Establishing a JDBC database connection in two steps

Once you have the correct JDBC driver installed, establishing a JDBC connection from your Java programs to your SQL database is pretty easy.

Regardless of whether you're trying to connect to Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, Postgres, mSQL, or Interbase (or any other JDBC data source), establishing a connection to an SQL database with Java JDBC is a simple two-step process:

1. Load the JDBC driver.
2. Establish the JDBC connection to your database.

We'll show you two JDBC examples just so you can see how easy it is, and how little the code changes when you migrate from one database server to another.

Top 10 Technology Terms to Know for 2009 (3)

Microblogging

·         The terminology and technology associated with online blogs just doesn't seem to end. Hitting the big-time in 2008 is microblogging — the capability to update your blog with short text updates, using your PC or text messaging-enabled cell phone.

·         Bloggers can usually use a number of services for the updates including instant messaging, e-mail, or Twitter. The posts are called microposts, while the act of using these services to update your blog is called microblogging.

·         Also, social networking sites, like Facebook, also use a microblogging feature in profiles. On Facebook this is called "Status Updates".

Netbook

·         Netbooks are small portable computing device, similar to a notebook, and are great for surfing the Web and checking e-mail. What differentiates a Netbook from a notebook is its physical size and computing power.

·         A Netbook typically has a small display, ranging from 7 to 10 inches. It weighs less than 3 pounds, and supports a keyboard that is reduced in size from 75 to 80 percent when compared to a standard keyboard.

·         Netbooks have build-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB ports and slots for flash memory cards. To keep the devices small and compact, Netbooks do not have a CD or DVD drive, and most use solid-state disks (SSD) for storage.

·         Netbooks commonly run Linux or Windows XP Home edition operating systems.

 SSD - Solid State Disks

·         Solid state disks are all the rage, and for good reason, too. These high-performance plug-and-play storage devices contain no moving parts and their own CPUs to manage data storage, so they are a lot faster than conventional rotating hard disks.

·         SSD components include either DRAM or EEPROM memory boards, a memory bus board, a CPU, or a battery card.

·         They are most effective for server applications and server systems, where I/O response time is crucial.

·         Data stored on SSDs should include anything that creates bottlenecks, such as databases, swap files, library and index files, and authorization and login information.

·         While laptops and the mobile market in general was the best launching point for SSD, in the next year we will see SSD in desktop PCs, with solid state drives expected to gain ground in the enterprise.

 Ubuntu

·         Ubuntu is a community-developed Debian-based Linux operating system that can be used on desktops, laptops or servers. The operating system includes a variety of applications including those for word processing, e-mail applications, and Web server software and also programming tools.

·         Ubuntu is free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates. It also comes with full commercial support from Canonical. Ubuntu is also available in both a desktop and server edition.

·         In the second half of 2008 Ubuntu 8.10 was released, making this one of the most popular Linux distributions. With all the hype surrounding this stable Ubuntu release, it looks poised to be even more popular in 2009.

Make Windows 7 Automatically Find New Device Drivers

When adding a new device to your computer, it can be a big pain browse around the internet searching for the latest drivers. Windows 7 can do this automatically for you to a certain extent, and it does a much better job at it than Windows XP or even Vista has in the past. Let’s turn this feature on!

Important: For best results make sure you are connected to the internet whenever adding a new device.

How to Automatically Download The Latest Device Installation Drivers In Windows 7

1. Click the Start Menu Orb and then Click Devices and Printers.

2. Right-Click the icon for your computer and then Select Device installation settings.

3. Check the box Yes, do this automatically (recommended).

Optionally if you’re feeling rebellious… you can instead Check Always install the best driver software from Windows Update and Check the the box for Replace generic device icons with enhanced icons. There isn’t a difference between this “No” option and the “Yes” option, they both do the exact same thing! Microsoft made a nice duplicate setting here to confuse you, how kind!

4. Make sure Windows Update automatic updates are enabled. This needs to be on for this to work properly.

Now when you install new devices, Windows Update will automatically search the online Microsoft driver database and install their latest driver. Sometimes how recent the driver is can be hit and miss. For example, a driver may be a few months outdated in comparison to the latest driver available on your device manufacturer’s website. But then other times the manufacturer will release the driver to Windows Update before they even post it on their own site, so you’ll get a ultra-recent driver by using Windows automatic update instead. It really just depends.

NASA's Deep Space Camera Locates Host of 'Earths'

NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)

Artist's conception of Sedna, an exoplanet hiding on the fringes of our solar system.

Scientists celebrated Sunday after finding more than 700 suspected new planets -- including up to 140 similar in size to Earth -- in just six weeks of using a powerful new space observatory.

Early results from NASA’s Kepler Mission, a small satellite observing deep space, suggested planets like Earth were far more common than previously thought.

Past discoveries suggested most planets outside our solar system were gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn -- but the new evidence tipped the balance in favor of solid worlds.

Astronomers said the discovery meant the chances of eventually finding truly Earth-like planets capable of sustaining life rose sharply.

NASA so far formally announced only five new exoplanets -- those outside our solar system -- from the mission because its scientists were still analyzing Kepler’s finds to confirm they are actually planets.

“The figures suggest our galaxy, the Milky Way [which has more than 100 billion stars] will contain 100 million habitable planets, and soon we will be identifying the first of them,” said Dimitar Sasselov, professor of astronomy at Harvard University and a scientist on the Kepler Mission. "There is a lot more work we need to do with this, but the statistical result is loud and clear, and it is that planets like our own Earth are out there."

NASA Deep Space Camera Finds 700 New Planets

NASA’s Kepler Mission – a small satellite observing deep space – has found 700 “suspected” new planets, of which up to 140 are similar in size to Earth.

Scientists celebrated Sunday after finding more than 700 suspected new planets — including up to 140 similar in size to Earth — in just six weeks of using a powerful new space observatory.

Early results from NASA’s Kepler Mission, a small satellite observing deep space, suggested planets like Earth were far more common than previously thought.

Past discoveries suggested most planets outside our solar system were gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn — but the new evidence tipped the balance in favor of solid worlds.

Astronomers said the discovery meant the chances of eventually finding truly Earth-like planets capable of sustaining life rose sharply.

NASA so far formally announced only five new exoplanets — those outside our solar system — from the mission because its scientists were still analyzing Kepler’s finds to confirm they are actually planets.

“The figures suggest our galaxy, the Milky Way [which has more than 100 billion stars] will contain 100 million habitable planets, and soon we will be identifying the first of them,” said Dimitar Sasselov, professor of astronomy at Harvard University and a scientist on the Kepler Mission. “There is a lot more work we need to do with this, but the statistical result is loud and clear, and it is that planets like our own Earth are out there.”

Top 10 Technology Terms to Know for 2009 (2)

Cloud Computing

·         Dell, IBM, Sun, Microsoft, Amazon and many others are all doing it this year. Cloud computing is a type of computing that is comparable to grid computing, relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications.

·         The goal of cloud computing is to apply traditional supercomputing power (normally used by military and research facilities) to perform tens of trillions of computations per second.

·         To do this, Cloud computing networks large groups of servers, usually those with low-cost consumer PC technology, with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them.

·         This shared IT infrastructure contains large pools of systems that are linked together. Often, virtualization techniques are used to maximize the power of cloud computing.

·         There are many people out there who believe the term cloud computing is just another buzzword that is used to describe too many technologies, making it confusing to many.

·         The term Cloud computing has been used to mean grid computing, utility computing, software as a service, Internet-based applications, autonomic computing, peer-to-peer computing and remote processing.

·         When most people use the term, they may have one of these ideas in mind, but the listener might be thinking about something else.

FDE - full-disk encryption

·         Short for full-disk encryption, FDE was introduced in 2006 as new hard drive technology from Seagate that performs encryption on the disk drive at the hardware level.

·         The hard drive contains an ASIC chip that is used to encrypt every bit of data as it is written and also decrypts data as it is being read.

·         The drive requires a user password for authentication and it is secured with strong encryption technology.

·         Seagate's FDE technology is transparent to the user and independent of the operating system.

Earlier this year the National Security Agency, the cryptologic intelligence arm of the U.S. government, qualified Seagate Technology's Momentus 5400 FDE.2 hard drive for use in laptops and other computing devices deployed by federal agencies and contractors.

·         This makes Seagate the first hard drive maker to have received the agency's nod of approval, which signifies that the drive meets national security standards for securing sensitive information.

·         This year full-disk encryption (also called whole disk protection) further made news when security vendors started releasing whole disk protection software, like PGP who unveiled a Mac OS X version of its Whole Disk Encryption 9.9 security software.

Geotagging

·         Also called geocoding, geotagging is the process of assigning geographic location metadata to a photos' EXIF data (which normally would only contain details about the digital camera being used to take the photo).

·         The geographic information can include details such as the latitude and longitude coordinates or city and state details for the geographic location of the photo.

·         The cool thing about geotagging is that the EXIF data can be read by programs that can allow you to see maps of where a photo was taken.

·         Geotagged photos, when shared online, can also be linked to several map services including Google Maps, Microsoft Virtual Earth, Yahoo Maps and other applications enabling others to pin photos to a map precisely at a place they were taken.