IBM Uncloaks Power6 Chip Details
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

It's the fall, so that means it is time for the major designers of processors and other related electronics to converge on Silicon Valley for the In-Stat Microprocessor Forum. IBM's Brad McCredie, who works for the Systems and Technology Group as the chief architect of the future Power6 processor, gave his presentation at the forum last week, and divulged a lot of the inner workings of the device. There's a lot of stuff in this chip, which is what you would expect from a device with around 750 million transistors. READ MORE >

Sun Adds Rev F Opterons to More Galaxy Servers
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Server maker and Opteron enthusiast Sun Microsystems continues to tweak its "Galaxy" line of Sun Fire Opteron-based servers so they can support the new "Santa Rosa" Rev F Opteron processors from Advanced Micro Devices. Sun launched the initial machines in its much-awaited Galaxy line in September 2005, and these servers, along with its "Niagara" Sparc T1-based T1000 and T2000 machines, have been instrumental in Sun's turnaround in the server market. READ MORE >

Sun to Deliver Self-Contained "Blackbox" Data Centers
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Whenever IT managers complain about their jobs, one of the things that always tops the list of their complaints is the time, money, and annoyance that comes from simply integrating the servers, storage, and networking gear they acquire. If integration is a big pain point, then so is building out data centers. In many cases, companies simply do not have the power and cooling to add more gear to their data centers without causing a meltdown. Enter Sun Microsystems with Project Blackbox. READ MORE >

Mad Dog 21/21: Blowing Up Buddha
by Hesh Wiener

Beginning in the third century, craftsmen in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan, carved and decorated two giant figures of Buddha. In March 2001, six months before Al Qaeda brought down the World Trade Center, the Taliban razed the statues. Two years later, the United States bombed Baghdad. And looters hit the National Museum . Their acts were so vile that even the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, was moved. He said, "Stuff happens." More recently, the board of the world's second largest computer company was taken over by cannibals. They toppled two of the greatest images in high technology, those of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. READ MORE >