Antikythera mechanism

Revealed: World's oldest computer

Helena Smith

Without doubt, one of the most astonishing and intriguing artefacts of the ancient world is the Antikythera Mechanism. Is this a machine built according to the likeness of Archimedes' Sphere alluded to by Cicero? Where is Archimedes' lost manuscript ``On Sphere-Making'' to clarify to us the astonishing technological knowledge of the Ancient World?
   "For when Archimedes fastened on a globe the movements of moon, sun and five wandering stars, he, just like Plato's God who built the world in the ``Timaeus'', made one revolution of the sphere control several movements utterly unlike in slowness and speed. Now if in this world of ours phenomena cannot take place without the act of God, neither could Archimedes have reproduced the same movements upon a globe without divine genius''
   It looks like a heap of rubbish, feels like flaky pastry and has been linked to aliens. For decades, scientists have puzzled over the complex collection of cogs, wheels and dials seen as the most sophisticated object from antiquity. But 102 years after the discovery of the calcium-encrusted bronze mechanism on the ocean floor, hidden inscriptions show that it is the world's oldest computer, used to map the motions of the sun, moon and planets.
   As a fitting testimony to the genius of the antiquity, here a series of photographs (Rien van de Weygaert, Sept. 2002, National Archaeological Museum, Athens), presenting an impression of the refined technological knowledge and skills which produced this apparatus with at least 32 gears, including a differential, around the year 80 B.C.
   "We're very close to unlocking the secrets," says Xenophon Moussas, an astrophysicist with a Anglo-Greek team researching the device. "It's like a puzzle concerning astronomical and mathematical knowledge."
   Known as the Antikythera mechanism and made before the birth of Christ, the instrument was found by sponge divers amid the wreckage of a cargo ship that sunk off the tiny island of Antikythera in 80BC. To date, no other appears to have survived.
   'Bronze objects like these would have been recycled, but being in deep water it was out of reach of the scrap-man and we had the luck to discover it,' said Michael Wright, a former curator at London's Science Museum. He said the apparatus was the best proof yet of how technologically advanced the ancients were. 'The skill with which it was made shows a level of instrument-making not surpassed until the Renaissance. It really is the first hard evidence of their interest in mechanical gadgets, ability to make them and the preparedness of somebody to pay for them.'
   For years scholars had surmised that the object was an astronomical showpiece, navigational instrument or rich man's toy. The Roman Cicero described the device as being for 'after-dinner entertainment'.
   But many experts say it could change how the history of science is written. 'In many ways, it was the first analogue computer,' said Professor Theodosios Tassios of the National Technical University of Athens. 'It will change the way we look at the ancients' technological achievements.'

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STMicroelectronics delivers innovative, cost-effective memory solutions

STMicroelectronics, Intel and Francisco Partners today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement to create a new independent semiconductor company from the key assets of businesses which last year generated approximately $3.6 billion in combined annual revenue. The new company's strategic focus will be on supplying flash memory solutions for a variety of consumer and industrial devices, including cellular phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, computers and other high-tech equipment.
   The new company will combine key research and development, manufacturing and sales and marketing assets of Intel and STMicroelectronics into a streamlined worldwide structure with the scale to produce cost-effective and innovative non-volatile memory solutions. With STMicroelectronics and Intel contributing more than 40 years of combined experience in non-volatile memory technology development, including next-generation phase-change memory, the company will be well positioned to both serve its customers with complete memory solutions and accelerate the move to future non-volatile memory technologies.
   "The new company will be positioned to service customers with all of the elements necessary to deliver current and next-generation non-volatile memory technologies, while allowing ST to redefine its participation in flash memory," said Carlo Bozotti, STMicroelectronics president and CEO, and non-executive chairman designate of the new company.
   "The new memory company will have the people, scale and technology leadership to meet the needs of customers requiring leading-edge products in this highly competitive marketplace," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO.
   "From the outset, the company will be a leading supplier of flash memory solutions for wireless communications," said Brian Harrison, named to become the CEO of the new company at the close of the transaction and currently vice president and general manager of Intel's Flash Memory Group. "We will be able to offer customers complete solutions with NOR- and NAND-based technologies, which we believe will provide significant opportunities for growth and the potential to develop products for many new application areas and geographic regions."
   Under the terms of the agreement, STMicroelectronics will sell its flash memory assets, including its NAND joint venture interest and other NOR resources, to the new company while Intel will sell its NOR assets and resources. In exchange, Intel will receive a 45.1 percent equity ownership stake and a $432 million cash payment at close. STMicroelectronics will receive a 48.6 percent equity ownership stake and a $468 million cash payment at close. Francisco Partners L.P., a Menlo Park, Calif.-based private equity firm, will invest $150 million in cash for convertible preferred stock representing a 6.3 percent ownership interest, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. Concurrently, the parties have arranged for the new company to receive firm commitments for a $1.3 billion term loan and $250 million revolver. The term loan will be underwritten by a consortium of banks. Proceeds from the term loan will be used for working capital and payment to Intel and STMicroelectronics for the purchase price. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in the second half of 2007.
   "The new company will immediately be able to offer a very broad range of non-volatile memory solutions in order to address the needs of a wide variety of communications and industrial customers," said Dipanjan Deb, founder and managing partner at Francisco Partners.
   The new company, to be managed by Brian Harrison as CEO-designate and Mario Licciardello, currently corporate vice president of ST's Flash Memories Group as COO-designate, will be headquartered in Switzerland and incorporated in the Netherlands with nine main research and manufacturing locations around the world and approximately 8,000 employees. The company will also benefit from a worldwide sales force.
   With assets and resources from Intel and STMicroelectronics, including a patent portfolio of approximately 2,500 patents and 1000 patents pending, the new company will have the scale to benefit from the increasing demand for memory resulting from the growing amount of information and content that is becoming more mobile and is now based almost entirely on digital technology. The integration of STMicroelectronics' and Intel's parallel programs on phase-change memory, a key technology capability, will also help to bring the benefits of advanced flash memory technology to potential customers more quickly and efficiently.
   Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products.
   STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2006, the Company's net revenues were $9.85 billion and net earnings were $782 million.
   Francisco Partners is a leading global private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in technology and technology-enabled services businesses. With approximately $5.0 billion of committed capital, Francisco Partners pursues structured investments in technology companies, targeting investments in private companies, public companies, and divisions of public companies, with transaction values ranging from $30 million to $3.0 billion.
   - Internet

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Nivea David

It is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, "mack-oh-es." The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984.
   This is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, "mack-oh-es." The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Since then, it has been continually updated and many new features have been added to it. Each major OS release is signified by a new number (i.e. Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9).
   In 1994, Apple introduced the PowerMacs, which used the higher-performance PowerPC chip designed by Apple, Motorola and IBM. PowerMacs run native PowerPC applications and emulate traditional Mac 680x0 applications. PowerPC chips have enjoyed substantial increases in performance over the years.
   The Mac came out in 1984, three years after the DOS-based PC. Its graphical interface was more intuitive than DOS commands, and it avoided the technical quagmire that arose when DOS users tried to add a new device to their PCs.
   The graphical user interface (GUI) was actually developed by Xerox and introduced on its Star workstation in 1981. Apple borrowed heavily from the Star, and subsequently, others copied the Mac, moving the GUI down the line to Windows, OS/2 and UNIX.
   This is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, "mack-oh-es." The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Since then, it has been continually updated and many new features have been added to it. Each major OS release is signified by a new number (i.e. Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9).
   Since the core of the Mac OS was nearly decades old, Apple decided to completely revamp the operating system. In March of 2001, Apple introduced a completely new version of the Mac OS that was written from the ground up. The company dubbed it "Mac OS X," correctly pronounced "Mac OS 10." Unlike earlier versions of the Mac OS, Mac OS X is based on the same kernel as Unix and has many advanced administrative features and utilities. Though the operating system is much more advanced than earlier versions of the Mac OS, it still has the same ease-of-use that people have come to expect from Apple software.
   The Macintosh interface was immediately popular with non-technical people. Instead of typing in a command to delete a file as in DOS, you could drag it to the on-screen trashcan. Although common today, it was a breakthrough to have such capability on a personal computer in the 1980s.
   Unlike the PC, the Mac is Apple-s proprietary technology, and except for a brief period, Apple prevented a Macintosh clone industry from developing and growing (see Macintosh parts). Apple maintained its sole source vendor status while the PC industry had thousands of vendors.
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   Their standards for customer satisfaction have given DV Warehouse the ability to provide cutting edge technology at warehouse prices. They are experts on delivering the greatest technologies our industry has to offer.
   DVWARE offers Used Mac Computers, a great inventory on Apple Parts; plus one of the largest selection of Digital Video Solutions for Broadcasting, Editing and Production work. We specialize in Digital Video Editing products and idigital Editing Turnkey Solutions for Adobe, Avid, Newtek, Matrox and Pinnacle.

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Delivering Wi-Fi promise

Nokia N80 handset, like many others from the Finnish manufacturer, is equipped with Wi-Fi capability. Nokia has become a major supporter of the technology, integrating Wi-Fi into almost all of its N-Series and E-Series devices as part of a wider corporate strategy initiative to turn its products into internet terminals. And it's not alone - Wi-Fi is now a common feature of many Windows Mobile and Symbian devices from other manufacturers - in fact, analyst forecasts project a 1300% jump in the number of Wi-Fi equipped mobiles between 2007 and 2010.
   I use the N80's Wi-Fi connection for checking emails around the house and office, web browsing, downloading cached content for later viewing (typically when I'm out of mobile coverage, like on the Tube) and synchronising photos to my Flickr account. Most of my usage is driven by two factors: speed and cost. I always use Wi-Fi in preference to a cellular link in these environments because it is quicker and has no additional cost.
   However, my Wi-Fi usage is typically confined to my own home, as well as a couple of other offices and houses I visit regularly. The primary reason for this is the frustrating user experience involved in setting-up each connection. I frequently check for the presence of a Wi-Fi hotspot when I need to connect on the move, but I've only ever been successful on a handful of occassions.
   Security settings, coverage problems and the difficulty of signing on to subscription-based hotspots from the browser of a mobile handset all conspire to make the process time-consuming and in-effective. Given that most of my mobile connectivity needs occur in short bursts - 30 seconds to check some email or a minute or so to browse a news article - I have started to skip the Wi-Fi search altogether and go straight to the cellular connection, regardless of the higher cost and lower data speeds.
   As with so many mobile interactions, the speed of the network itself isn't necessarily the main issue - the longest delays are caused by the latency of bad user experience.
   I met an interesting company recently - DeviceScape Software - which claims it can help solve this problem. DeviceScape provides a lightweight (about 50 Kb) software client which sits on mobile devices and manages the Wi-Fi connection. Dave Fraser, the CEO, was in London attending the Wireless Event at Olympia. Originally from Glasgow but now based in California, he was in town because his company had been nominated for a Wireless Broadband Innovation Award at the show.
   Managing Wi-Fi connections is not exactly rocket science. All Wi-Fi enabled devices, from laptops to mobile phones, come with some sort of management software, allowing users to scan, identify and sign-on to networks. However, DeviceScape's approach is rather different.
   The client sits in the background and when the user attempts to connect to a network it uses the DNS channel of the access point to query the DeviceScape database and see whether settings for that connection have already been supplied by another user. If so, it downloads any relevant configuration information and activates the connection automatically. The DNS technique is significant (DeviceScape is currently going through the patent process for this part of the product) because many hotspots prevent the user from getting a connection to the web before they've been authenticated. By using the DNS query capability, DeviceScape is able to connect to its database from virtually any hotspot - pre-authentication - and gather the required information.
   - Internet

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