Five Reasons Why Solid State Drives (SSDs) Are Right for You

                        It is a well known fact that solid state drives are an emerging technology that has huge market potential. But how do SSDs differ from regular hard disk drives (HDD), and why do they deserve a place in your notebook or desktop PC?

Reason # 1: Lightning-fast data transfer
Speed matters when it comes to business and entertainment. With virtually instant access times of less than one millisecond, SSDs enable operating systems and commonly used software applications like web browsers to open faster and run more smoothly, thus creating an overall more enjoyable and lag-free computing experience.

Reason # 2: Lower system temperatures
Imaging working on your laptop in comfort, without the heat. In contrast to regular hard disk drives that are constantly in motion within the drive, which creates plenty of heat, SSD's cool-running stable operation equates to lower temperatures within the computer.

Reason # 3: Longer battery run-time
Still carrying a laptop AC adapter around in case your notebook battery runs out unexpectedly? Now you don’t have to. Compared to old-fashioned hard drives, SSDs consume roughly much less power when transferring data, and require less than 1W when idle. In short, an SSD will make your computer consume less power overall, which can significantly improve battery life when used in a notebook computer.

Reason # 4: Resistant to shock and vibration
Never underestimate the potential data corruption caused from excessive vibration, shock, or impact. Unlike regular hard drives, SSDs contain no spinning disks, spindles or any other fragile mechanical components. Therefore, there is nothing to break loose, get misaligned or become unreadable in case the drive is accidentally bumped or dropped. Your files will finally get the thorough protection they deserve.

Reason # 5: No more annoying hard drive noise
Sometimes you just need a quiet place to concentrate on your work. At times like these, any possible tiny noise will drive you crazy. While traditional hard drives tend to make a buzzing sound because of the vibrations when the spinning disks resonate through the case of your computer, SSDs can be 100% noise free since there are no mechanical moving parts inside.

(source: Transcend ePaper)

"Mind-reading" brain-scan software showcased in NY

Mind-reading brain-scan software showcased in NY

NEW YORK — Mind reading may no longer be the domain of psychics and fortune tellers — now some computers can do it, too.

                    Software that uses brain scans to determine what items people are thinking about was among the technological innovations showcased Wednesday by Intel Corp., which drew back the curtain on a number of projects that are still under development.
The software analyzes functional MRI scans to determine what parts of a person's brain is being activated as he or she thinks. In tests, it guessed with 90 percent accuracy which of two words a person was thinking about, said Intel Labs researcher Dean Pomerleau.
Eventually, the technology could help the severely physically disabled to communicate. And Pomerleau sees it as an early step toward one day being able to control technology with our minds.
                        "The vision is being able to interface to information, to your devices and to other people without having an intermediary device," he said.
                         For now, the project's accomplishments are far more modest — it can only be used with prohibitively expensive and bulky fMRI equipment and hasn't yet been adapted to analyze abstract thoughts.
                        The system works best when a person is first scanned while thinking of dozens of different concrete nouns — words like "bear" or "hammer." When test subjects are then asked to pick one of two new terms and think about it, the software uses the earlier results as a baseline to determine what the person is thinking.
The software works by analyzing the shared attributes of different words. For example, a person who is thinking of a bear uses the same parts of the brain that light up when he or she thinks of a puppy or something else furry. A person thinking of a bear also shows activity in the amygdala — home of the fight-or-flight response.
                         While Intel primarily makes computer processors and other hardware, it often works to develop and demonstrate new technologies in an effort to stimulate the market and advance its reputation.