BUH Blog

100 Gigaflops in the PS3?

I was pretty aware that the Cell processor (yeah - could they have found a more generic name?) from IBM was a major advance in CPU design and performance, but had no idea it was going to be at the 100 Gigaflops level. I just read that Folding@home, has announced plans to launch a service on the upcoming Sony Playstation 3. First - you have to understand that the Cell processor is going to be used in the next generation Sony Playstation - the PS3 - to be released in Nov of 2006. Next - that Folding@home is a project to study protein folding by distributing the problem across thousands of machines. Thirdly - a fast AMD Opteron processor can do about 8 to 10 gigaflops - that is 8 to 10 billion double-precision floating-point operations per second. In the article they mention that ONE PS3 will have the ability to produce 100 Gigaflops - thus equaling about 10 AMD Opterons!

I know IBM is working desktops using this chip, but I wonder if it will be cheaper to convert a PS3 into a Linux box for number crunching…

Solar Lights

Solar lights are a wonderful product for any homeowner looking to spice up their surroundings. At only $12.95 or $29.95, consumers can easily purchase solar lights that are used outside or anywhere they’d like. Many consumers love the fact that they can line a driveway or illuminate a backyard pool. With a variety of different and eclectic styles, it is simple to match your theme with solar lights. If you want lanterns or just a simple light on a stake, the possibilities are endless. Fortunately, these products do not require any electrical installation and are very easy to power.

Auto Insurance Coverage Choices

Auto insurance is a way for automobile users to protect themselves financially for losses incurred as a result of car related accidents. Auto insurance can also be purchased for trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles. Auto insurance is sometimes referred to as car insurance or motor insurance. In some parts of the world, auto insurance is mandatory if you wish to drive on public roads. The reason for this is that auto insurance will not only protect the driver of the car, it will also protect third parties that suffer from loss, injuries or damage as a result of the driver’s actions.

Spam of the Day - Physiognomy

I had to blog this “interesting” piece of SPAM I got today - well, at least noticed today. Going through my SPAM folder - delete - delete - delete - New screening tool for employers takes facial science to new highs - wait a second - what is this? Well, it is stock market related SPAM - which has increased in volume a great deal in recent years. Seems like these spammers are treading really dangerous waters with spam laws as well as potential problems with the SEC. The stock is a company that uses Physiognomy (read the wikipedia article), which is “…the art of judging human character from facial features…” (quote from the spam). Okay, that is bad enough - and as wikipedia say - it is generally considered a “folk science” - but this company actually uses it for “Employee Screening, Human Naming Services, as well as a new radical concept in online dating” (again, from the spam message).

Employee screening? Yipes. Human naming services? Zowie - I never even heard of such a thing. Online dating - that I have heard of and seems to be the most, uh, logical application of this, uh, technology. So, there is the spam of the day - and a pretty good vocab word of the day also - Physiognomy.

Ionic Pet Brush

Although pets can be a joy to have, they often require a lot of maintenance and upkeep. With busy schedules, it can be difficult to put time aside to groom your pet. Luckily, the Ionic Pet Brush is an easy to use product that only takes a matter of minutes. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a grooming appointment, this brush will not only take away odors, but also remove loose hair. With an effortless and affordable product, most consumers would be more than happy to shell out the $9.95. After all, it is less expensive than the $12.95 TV version.

What makes glass bulletproof?

Laminated glass is essentially two pieces of glass sandwiching an inner layer of a polycarbonate material. Laminated glass holds together rather than shattering into shards. Bulletproof glass uses thicker glass than ordinary windshields and a more specialized, high tech inner polycarbonate sheet. When a bullet is fired at the glass, it pierces the first layer of glass but is stopped by the polycarbonate layer. The thicker the bullet proof glass, the better the protection it offers from more powerful bullets.

Fashion Passion at Urban Minx

The fashion designers that UrbanMinx offers are Kenzie (Kenziegirl), BCBG (BCBGirl) and Juicy Couture. There’s always a huge variety of premium denim including, Paige, J and Company, Gold Sign, Grass, ODYN, Sacred Blue, People for Peace, Antik, Born in California, Chip and Pepper, Genetic and Yanuk. For those of you looking for comfort UrbanMinx.com offer designer sweats from Juicy Couture, Twisted Heart and ANHK Designer sweats. Of course, with an English owner there is always a selection of English designers including English Laundry, Ben Sherman, Fred Perry and Ted Baker and you can count on finding your BASICS from Michael Stars, Bordeaux, and Splendid at UrbanMinx.com.

Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admissions Test

The GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admissions Test) is a selection tool used by medical schools for graduate entry medical degrees. The Griffiths GAMSAT Review at www.gamsatreview.com is a complete preparation guide for the test containing winning strategies, tips and study aids to maximize your GAMSAT score.