NVIDIA, a leading force in graphics processing units (GPUs), recently released a major new update to the CUDA parallel computing platform. This new version features three key enhancements that make parallel programing with GPUs easier, more accessible and faster, improving options for scientists and engineers seeking to advance their simulations and research. These enhancements include a redesigned Visual Profiler with automated performance analysis, a new and nimbler compiler based on the LLVM open-source compiler infrastructure and hundreds of new imaging and signal-processing functions, with the latter doubling the size of the NVIDIA Performance Primitives library. The latest CUDA release is available for free download for Linux, Mac OS and Windows from NVIDIA's Web site.
A survey by cloud-computing company CloudPassage found the top concern of 45% of IT managers to be a lack of perimeter defenses in their public cloud. This lack of solutions is exacerbated by the fluctuating nature of on-demand computing. To the rescue comes CloudPassage's new Halo NetSec, an automated solution that provides advanced network access control for servers running in public clouds. “Securing cloud servers doesn't have to be a full-time job”, says CloudPassage. Halo NetSec incorporates a cloud-ready firewall, two-factor authentication and an open API for integration with other systems. It is purpose-built for the cloud so it can scale up instantly to accommodate large development projects and back down again. The result is “a solution providing network security functions expected in private data centers, enabling cloud developers and security engineers to embrace IaaS computing with confidence”.
Got (massive unstructured) data stores? Then Caringo has something just for you. Caringo Object Storage Platform 5.5 is the new, updated version of the company's three-application solution that “makes Big Data manageable via powerful reporting, increased serviceability and massive object size support.” The Object Storage Platform is composed of the CAStor object storage engine that can now store files of unknown size via chunked encoding, as well as objects as large as 4 terabytes; the Content Router rules-based work-flow engine for metadata-driven global replication; and the Cluster Services Node Web-based management application. In version 5.5, each component of the platform was upgraded, including increased service and support functions, reporting and management capabilities, and the aforementioned support for objects up to 4 terabytes.
Tech startups fascinate us for many reasons. Among them are quirky tech-savvy personalities, impeccable (or lucky) timing and a penchant for garages. Morgan Ramsay's new book Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play uncovers the founding stories of the most successful and fascinating game-company startups, including Linden Lab, Obsidian Entertainment, Atari, Persuasive Games, Appy Entertainment and Oddworld Inhabitants. Targeted at those considering setting up their own independent studios, as well as those interested in the history of the video-game industry, Ramsay's book explores the formation of entertainment software companies from the perspectives of successful founders who risked it all. It offers insights into why experienced professionals sacrifice the comfort of gainful employment for the uncertainty and risk of the startup and shares the experiences and lessons that shape the lives, decisions and struggles of entrepreneurs in this volatile business. Will you be the next gaming sensation, or will you crash and burn?
The greener Smart Grid is coming, but scaling it will take open architecture, lower cost and improved management of the dispersed device network. Digi International engages these issues with the help of its new Linux-powered ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy gateway. The gateway connects ZigBee Smart Energy devices from a home area network to an energy service provider via broadband. A key advancement is the device's additional processing power and memory, which not only permits more efficient establishment and management of large deployments, but also enables support for more complex local energy-efficiency applications and the impending ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 standard. As part of the open Digi X-Grid Solutions, the gateway can connect to numerous types of devices to enable a wide range of services. All Digi Smart Energy gateways feature the iDigi Device Cloud, allowing Smart Energy devices to integrate energy consumption data into new and existing Smart Energy applications easily and securely.
According to device-maker Opengear, existing tools for remote monitoring and management tend to be complex and costly. Problem solved, says Opengear, thanks to the firm's new Opengear ACM5500 family of customizable remote monitoring and management gateways. The product line makes it convenient for managed service providers to monitor and manage their customers' network infrastructure remotely, whether on the road, in an office or at another customer site. Customized alert thresholds proactively track device status, and problems often can be fixed earlier than ever, allowing for satisfied customers and avoided crises. A key product feature is Opengear's dedicated secure hardware agent, which gives MSPs visibility into and the ability to monitor and control customers' network infrastructure devices even behind a firewall. Based on open standards, the Opengear ACM5500 product family complements the tools currently used to manage customers' IT environments (such as Cisco, Juniper, Avaya, F5 and so on), so there is no “rip and replace”.
The aim of the new Halon Security Router Firewall is to bring the Internet firewall into the IPv6 age. Halon Security claims that despite the move to IPv6 looming on everyone's doorstep, “few firewall manufacturers seem to focus on the greatest change in how the world communicates since the Internet was born”. The company's innovation is to build a custom, OpenBSD-based OS from the ground up with a focus on IPv6, security and performance. Core features include high-performance routing, wire-speed throughput and hardware-accelerated AES IPSec VPN, load balancing and failover. Customers can choose a hardware appliance, a virtualization environment or a standard server hardware solution, all of which offer identical security, performance and management capabilities. A free evaluation copy is available for download from Halon Security's Web site.
Expanding on its line of Freescale-based i.MX Computer-on-Modules, Strategic Test recently announced the addition of the low-cost TX-28S COM for Linux and Windows CE 6.0. The little guy measures in at 68 x 25 mm (2.6" x 1") and contains a 454MHz i.MX283 processor coupled with 64MB DDR SDRAM, 128MB NAND Flash memory and a 200-pin SODIMM connector. The TX-28S, says its producer, is targeted at embedded fanless applications where low price, small size and low power consumption are critical factors. As a member of the well-received TX family of COMs, the TX-28S allows developers to design one baseboard that accepts different modules. This permits protecting design against obsolescence and scalability. Strategic Test also notes the advantage of Freescale Semiconductor's seven-year Longevity Program, which further prevents rapid obsolescence.