Kinsner: New Systems: 1999 September 06, vol. 1.01

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1999 New Systems

Week of 99 Sept. 6

ARCHIVE OF NEW SYSTEMS:
1999 SEPTEMBER 06; VOL. 1.01

Very Tiny Web Server

In February 1999, Stanford University "Wearables" Lab announced a complete Web server the size of a matchbox.

In August 1999, the University of Massachusetts announced a complete Web server that is but the size of the HEAD of one of the matches in that previous box, and costs less than $10!

It contains a CPU, memory, serial port interface, clock oscillator, and connects to an Internet router via a serial connection. The server is based on the PIC 12C509A, in an 8-pin SO8 package, running at 4 MHz, and an external 24LC256 EEPROM. At 115200bps, the web server should be able to service about 7200 hits per hour. More details and a demo are vailable from UMass.

The story was reported by CNN and RCFoC. I was alerted to this development by James Dietrich who has seen it at a presentation of the Manitoba Innovation Network.

(Picture credits:
(a) http://www.digital.com/info/rcfoc/19990201_images/Matchbox.jpg;
(b) http://www-ccs.cs.umass.edu/~shri/iPicPic/iPic.jpg)

How Many Servers?

According to the Internet Software Consortium, there over 56 million servers on the net, showing an annual growth of 56%. With the above tiny server, what will happen to the growth rate?

The Underwear Computer

Steve Mann, now a professor at the University of Toronto, has been involved in small wearable comping most of his life. [Steve Mann]

He calls this generation of wearables the "Underwear Computer," since they are all worn under his clothing, with the sunglasses being the display. He is also working on a 64-processor undershirt that provides supercomputer levels of performance. (Picture credit: http://www.wearcam.org/steveforneilg5up_und.gif)

Super Large Memory

Professor Ted Williams at Keele University, Staffordshire, England has developed a patented solid-state read-write memory system with the capacity of 86 Giga Bytes per square centimetre of surface area. The system uses a magnetic-optical system not dissimilar to that of CD-ROM, except that the system is fixed, solid state, and has a different operating approach.

The G4 Supercomputer

The 1-GFLOP G4 supercomputer is here. In addition, have a look at the die of the 7400 RISC.

NOTE: Apple is replacing their G3 machines with the G4 generation for the same price.

[Photo of G4] [7400 die]
Picture credits:
(a) http://a68.g.akamaitech.net/7/68/51/4d0f6825359be4/www.apple.com/ powermac/images/processorphoto1081699.jpg;
(b) http://www.mot.com/SPS/PowerPC/image/die_gifs/7400_DIE.JPG)

Thanks for the visit. Your suggestions and questions are always welcome (v.1.68)