lunes, 3 de enero de 2011

Puntualmente, los Intel Sandy Bridge entre nosotros

Intel never quite reached 4GHz with the Pentium 4. Despite being on a dedicated quest for gigahertz the company stopped short and the best we ever got was 3.8GHz. Within a year the clock (no pun intended) was reset and we were all running Core 2 Duos at under 3GHz. With each subsequent generation Intel inched those clock speeds higher, but preferred to gain performance through efficiency rather than frequency.

Today, Intel quietly finishes what it started nearly a decade ago. When running a single threaded application, the Core i7-2600K will power gate three of its four cores and turbo the fourth core as high as 3.8GHz. Even with two cores active, the 32nm chip can run them both up to 3.7GHz. The only thing keeping us from 4GHz is a lack of competition to be honest. Relying on single-click motherboard auto-overclocking alone, the 2600K is easily at 4.4GHz. For those of you who want more, 4.6-4.8GHz is within reason. All on air, without any exotic cooling.

Unlike Lynnfield, Sandy Bridge isn’t just about turbo (although Sandy Bridge’s turbo modes are quite awesome). Architecturally it’s the biggest change we’ve seen since Conroe, although looking at a high level block diagram you wouldn’t be able to tell. Architecture width hasn’t changed, but internally SNB features a complete redesign of the Out of Order execution engine, a more efficient front end (courtesy of the decoded µop cache) and a very high bandwidth ring bus. The L3 cache is also lower and the memory controller is much faster. I’ve gone through the architectural improvements in detail here. The end result is better performance all around. For the same money as you would’ve spent last year, you can expect anywhere from 10-50% more performance in existing applications and games from Sandy Bridge.

I mentioned Lynnfield because the performance mainstream quad-core segment hasn’t seen an update from Intel since its introduction in 2009. Sandy Bridge is here to fix that. The architecture will be available, at least initially, in both dual and quad-core flavors for mobile and desktop (our full look at mobile Sandy Bridge is here). By the end of the year we’ll have a six core version as well for the high-end desktop market, not to mention countless Xeon branded SKUs for servers.

The quad-core desktop Sandy Bridge die clocks in at 995 million transistors. We’ll have to wait for Ivy Bridge to break a billion in the mainstream. Encompassed within that transistor count are 114 million transistors dedicated to what Intel now calls Processor Graphics. Internally it’s referred to as the Gen 6.0 Processor Graphics Controller or GT for short. This is a DX10 graphics core that shares little in common with its predecessor. Like the SNB CPU architecture, the GT core architecture has been revamped and optimized to increase IPC. As we mentioned in our Sandy Bridge Preview article, Intel’s new integrated graphics is enough to make $40-$50 discrete GPUs redundant. For the first time since the i740, Intel is taking 3D graphics performance seriously.

CPU Specification Comparison
CPU Manufacturing Process Cores Transistor Count Die Size
AMD Thuban 6C 45nm 6 904M 346mm2
AMD Deneb 4C 45nm 4 758M 258mm2
Intel Gulftown 6C 32nm 6 1.17B 240mm2
Intel Nehalem/Bloomfield 4C 45nm 4 731M 263mm2
Intel Sandy Bridge 4C 32nm 4 995M 216mm2
Intel Lynnfield 4C 45nm 4 774M 296mm2
Intel Clarkdale 2C 32nm 2 384M 81mm2
Intel Sandy Bridge 2C (GT1) 32nm 2 504M 131mm2
Intel Sandy Bridge 2C (GT2) 32nm 2 624M 149mm2

It’s not all about hardware either. Game testing and driver validation actually has real money behind it at Intel. We’ll see how this progresses over time, but graphics at Intel today very different than it has ever been.

Despite the heavy spending on an on-die GPU, the focus of Sandy Bridge is still improving CPU performance: each core requires 55 million transistors. A complete quad-core Sandy Bridge die measures 216mm2, only 2mm2 larger than the old Core 2 Quad 9000 series (but much, much faster).

As a concession to advancements in GPU computing rather than build SNB’s GPU into a general purpose compute monster Intel outfitted the chip with a small amount of fixed function hardware to enable hardware video transcoding. The marketing folks at Intel call this Quick Sync technology. And for the first time I’ll say that the marketing name doesn’t do the technology justice: Quick Sync puts all previous attempts at GPU accelerated video transcoding to shame. It’s that fast.

There’s also the overclocking controversy. Sandy Bridge is all about integration and thus the clock generator has been moved off of the motherboard and on to the chipset, where its frequency is almost completely locked. BCLK overclocking is dead. Thankfully for some of the chips we care about, Intel will offer fully unlocked versions for the enthusiast community. And these are likely the ones you’ll want to buy. Here’s a preview of what’s to come:

The lower end chips are fully locked. We had difficulty recommending most of the Clarkdale lineup and I wouldn’t be surprised if we have that same problem going forward at the very low-end of the SNB family. AMD will be free to compete for marketshare down there just as it is today.

With the CPU comes a new platform as well. In order to maintain its healthy profit margins Intel breaks backwards compatibility (and thus avoids validation) with existing LGA-1156 motherboards, Sandy Bridge requires a new LGA-1155 motherboard equipped with a 6-series chipset. You can re-use your old heatsinks however.


Clarkdale (left) vs. Sandy Bridge (right)

The new chipset brings 6Gbps SATA support (2 ports) but still no native USB 3.0. That’ll be a 2012 thing it seems.

La review completa, acá: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i5-2600k-i5-2500k-and-core-i3-2100-tested

Los rascacielos celestiales de Peter Wegner

peterwegner2 Los rascacielos celestiales de Peter Wegner

Si hace un momento os sugería alzar la vista en busca de estrellas y astros que observar ahora lo hago para que os fijéis, como lo hace Peter Wegner, en los rascacielos de las ciudades o más bien en el espacio que hay entre ellos. ¿Intrigados?, seguid leyendo y lo entenderéis. En mi eterna cruzada contra la vulgaridad y la monotonía en la fotografía me empeño en buscar y traeros ejemplos prácticos, reales y sobre todo fáciles de poner en práctica pero que a la vez resulten llamativos e inspiradores, es el caso de Buildings Made of Sky, proyecto fotográfico del artista multidisciplinarPeter Wegner en el que consigue convertir el cielo en rascacielos y los verdaderos edificios en el marco perfecto para ellos.

Genial punto de vista el que ha usado el fotógrafo para convertir algo tan vulgar y cotidiano como lo son los edificios de nuestras ciudades en arte aunque alguno podrá decirme que el arte ya existe en la misma concepción de cada edificio y no le faltará razón, pero sabéis bien a qué me refiero, la fotografía de un edificio no destacaría por sí misma, pero si incluimos otro edificio y conseguimos aislar la silueta de un tercer edificio virtual entre los dos reales la cosa cambia y es ahí donde tenemos que llegar, a ver más allá de lo que existe.

Creatividad es una palabra, no me cansaré de repetirlo aunque resulte pesado, que debería llevar tatuada toda persona que quiera hacer fotografía de calidad, es la única arma que tenemos para destacarnos del resto de fotógrafos, tenemos que ir olvidando esa malintencionada cantinela de que la cámara y el equipo son los que marcan las diferencias.

Volviendo al proyecto de los edificios y para acabar, hago un poco de memoria porque no es el primer ejercicio de creatividad que toma como campo de trabajo la ciudad y sus edificios. Recuerdo uno igualmente brillante, simple en su concepto y puede que también en su realización pero que a muy pocos se les ocurre hacer, la fotógrafa se llama Lisa Rienermann y su trabajo: un abecedario construido, también, con los huecos celestes que dejan las edificaciones vistas desde abajo. Cómo podéis ver ambos son dos grandes ejercicios que ayudan a trabajar la creatividad y el ojo fotográfico, me consta que habitualmente usan este tipo de actividades en las academias cuando forman a artistas y fotógrafos así que ¿por qué no lo intentáis? y dejadme ver vuestros resultados que quiero ver cómo progresáis.

peterwegner 100x100 Los rascacielos celestiales de Peter Wegner
peterwegner2 100x100 Los rascacielos celestiales de Peter Wegner
peterwegner3 100x100 Los rascacielos celestiales de Peter Wegner

Vía Paranoias Fotos: Peter Wegner

Fuente: http://altfoto.com/2010/12/los-rascacielos-celestiales-de-peter-wegner#more-15482

Impresionante fondo de pantalla para Android con Multipicture Live Wallpaper

Multipicture Live Wallpaper

Esta genial aplicación nos va a permitir crear unos fondos de pantalla impresionantes. Lo primero que voy a hacer es dejaros con un vídeo para que veáis de lo que estoy hablando

Multipicutre Live Wallpaper

¿No está mal no? Pues es muy sencillo de configurar. Para ello

  • Paso 1: Nos descargamos la aplicación

    MultiPicture Live Wallpaper

    MultiPicture Live Wallpaper

    by lllllT

    FREE

  • Paso 2: Añadimos el fondo de pantalla. [Botón Menú]->[Fondos de Pantalla] -> [Live Wallpaper]
  • Paso 3: Podemos escoger, o bien configurar en general o bien cada pantalla.

multipicture1Por ejemplo, si escogemos editarlos en general, vamos a Default Settings ->Type of screen->Album. Automáticamente elegimos el álbum y se cargarán todas las fotos. Podemos escoger también el tipo de transiciones, orden,fondos, etc..

Pero la otra opción más currada es ir pantalla por pantalla configurando que foto quieres en cada pantalla, con cada tipo de transición y demás. De esta manera tendrás un mayor control y quedará mucho más chulo.

  • Paso 4: Darle a SetWallpaper para empezar a disfrutar de él
  • Paso 5: No está de menos crear un ajuste directo a los ajustes de este fondo de pantalla  [Menú]->[Crear acceso directo]->[Multipicture settings]

Nota: Os recomiendo utilizar fotografías verticales para que quede mejor. Recordad algunos tamaños

Pantalla pequeña (Tattoo, Dext, Wildfire, Boston, etc): 240×320 px
Pantalla media (Nexus One, Desire, Galaxy S): 320x480px, 480x800px
Pantalla grande (Milestone, Xperia x10, Desire HD): 480×854 px

En resumen, podéis crear unos fondos de pantalla chulísimos de una manera muy sencilla y gratuita. Echadle un vistazo.

Multipicture-Live-Wallpaper

Bonus: Live Gallery

Esta sencilla aplicación de Pedro Duque nos permite utilizar nuestra galería de fotos como fondo de pantalla. Seleccionamos una carpeta y las fotos irán cambiando cada x tiempo (que definimos, por defecto 30 min). Lo interesante es que si pulsamos 2 veces o deslizamos el dedo hacia arriba/abajo cambiamos a la siguiente foto cuando queremos. Una aplicación sencilla pero que funciona fenomenal.

Live Gallery

Live Gallery

by Pedro Duque

FREE

Visto en Android HDBlog IT

Fuente: http://www.elandroidelibre.com/2011/01/consigue-un-impresionante-fondo-de-pantalla-con-multipicture-live-wallpaper.html

Como alcanzar la luna con tu reflex

How Do You Reach the Moon with Your SLR? Strap on Five Huge Lens Extenders (Updated)

How Do You Reach the Moon with Your SLR? Strap on Five Huge Lens Extenders (Updated)So you want to snap some detailed shots of the moon's surface, but you're over 200,000 miles away and lack any sort of telescope. No problem! At least if you have a bevy of focal length extenders. Improvised astronomy!

The crew at BorrowLenses stacked five Canon 2x focal length extenders under their 800mm lens, providing an image that was actually too close:

How Do You Reach the Moon with Your SLR? Strap on Five Huge Lens Extenders (Updated)
But when they took off a couple, the result was stunning.

How Do You Reach the Moon with Your SLR? Strap on Five Huge Lens Extenders (Updated)
Perhaps not the most practical way to get a gander at the moon, but it takes guts to use your gear in ways it isn't meant to be used—especially when the entire setup was "bending and flexing." Nothing that expensive should ever be bending or flexing. [PetaPixel]

Update: Reader Matt M. was kind enough to write in saying he was along with the crafty dudes who rigged this super mecha lens (which used a Canon 1D Mark IV), and has a video to prove it. The kids shooting the flick sound like giggly middle schoolers, but the footage is pretty terrific. Maybe just try putting it on mute.

Fuente: http://gizmodo.com/5716810/how-do-you-reach-the-moon-with-your-slr-strap-on-five-huge-lens-extenders