POI: Show #55

[Download Show #55 as MP3]

News

PS3 Enables Folding@Home to be named by the Guiness Book of World Records as "the most powerful distributed computing network in the world" -- The record is a testament to the widespread participation of PS3 users from around the world—currently more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the program to more than a petaflop. The Folding@home program up until recently leveraged only the distributed computing power of personal computers (PC) from around the world. The PCs that made up the Folding@home network numbered roughly 200,000 giving the program the equivalent of about one-quarter of a petaflop. On March 15, 2007, PS3 joined the program and since then more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the program to more than a petaflop.

Starting with Folding@home, SCE will continue to support distributed computing projects in a wide variety of academic fields such as medical and social sciences and environmental studies through the use of PS3 and hopes to contribute to the advancement of science.
MySpace and Facebook are getting serious about advertising

MySpace is releasing a new advertising product called SelfService that will allow businesses to purchase, create, and monitor ads throughout the MySpace network, similar to Google's AdWords program, Facebook announced a similar service this past Tuesday
MySpace is trying to give the 10 million business that already use the MySpace service a way to utilize MySpace in a way that can help help them grow their business
Also coming from MySpace is a service called HyperTargeting which will allow advertisers to purchase and target interest based segments on MySpace, a nice way to target a smaller audience in a large network.

Yahoo FireEagle - An interesting growth out of a service called ZoneTag, tell it (directly or via a third party application) where you are (such as a specific lat/long, city name, or a zip code) and it will note your location. Alternatively, users with GPS phones, or other GPS devices, could set it to periodically update FireEagle with geo information.
Google Announces Phone OS

In a move to help them enter the mobile market, Google has announced a mobile phone operating system based on Linux
This is Google's move instead of an actual phone
Some companies are rumored to have already signed on to use the new Google package including HTC (makers of the T-Mobile Wing and AT&T Tilt)
The system will have a full development kit so people will be allow to develop applications for devices running the software
One has to wonder what Google applications (like Gmail, Maps, and even Docs) will make it into the software by default.

Ever wanted to be in/on Television - This is your chance! The Writers Guild of America has gone on strike.

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

Working from home on the move: setting up remote access to your home (or work) computer from abroad

Setting up remote access to your home computer so you can access it from the road

Gamer's Corner

Recent losses in Sony's gaming division were over 848 million dollars
Total losses now over 1 billion
Sales of the PS3 are at around 5.5 million units to date and just over 1.3 million games [Stats]
Sony has been selling the PS3 at a loss and has had to readjust in order to move older consoles they had already made (20GB & 60GB were both replaces with 40GB & 80GB versions)

A website has posted the full list of songs available in the new Rock Band game
The songs span 4 decades starting from the 60's with some Rolling Stones and working it's way to the more recent Chili Peppers, "Dani California"
There are going to be even more unlockable songs not yet listed
And you will be able to purchase new content online so you will be able to enjoy this game for a long time

POI