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The topic of this thread is "OT: African Computer Technology Comes Full Circle" and not "Integrated Circuits".
Therefore, everything kenndo is posting is very relevant. In fact, his posts have been more relevant than yours, despite fact that you started the thread.
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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Arrow Altech Distribution Arrow Altech Distribution (AAD) is Africa's leading distributor of quality electronic components. The company is a joint venture between Altech, one of South Africa's leading technology groups and Arrow Electronics. AAD offers a comprehensive line card and a wide range of value-added services to its customers. Local manufacturers have the ability to compete globally and domestically by focusing on their core business while taking advantage of the skills and efficiency of a single supply partner.
Nigerian engineer makes mark in semiconductor industry
By Jerome Hule PANA Correspondent New York (PANA) , When he left Nigeria in 1975 for America, Emeka Uzoh's simple goal was to pursue higher education in a safer environment than in post-civil war Nigeria.
Of course, he was able to achieve that goal, acquiring a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering and continuing his studies until he got his Ph.D.
But that was only the beginning of Uzoh's story. Today, he has etched his name boldly in the semiconductor industry with groundbreaking inventions, many of them during his years working for IBM, one of the giants in computer manufacture.
Semiconductors are used in modern electronics and are found in such devices as transistors, microprocessors and solar cells, among others. Without these devices there is no personal computer, or even the ubiquitous cell phone.
Uzoh has brought his background in material science and engineering to bear on this multi-billion dollar industry.
He holds more than 150 patents globally in semiconductor technology and has co-authored more than 35 technical publications.
In May, Uzoh and his former colleagues at IBM were honoured with the "2006 Inventor of the Year" award by the New York Intellectual Property Law Association for their work on the "Method of making electroplated interconnection structures on integrated circuit chip."
The technology, invented in the early 1990s, provided low-cost methods of depositing very reliable copper films within integrated circuits for circuit wiring.
This technology, which enabled the introduction of copper in the making of chips, has been revolutionary in the semiconductor industry. Uzoh was its principal inventor.
Dr Juan Maldonado, at present a professor at Stanford University, Paloado, in California State, said the Nigerian was one of the best professionals on their team.
"He always tried to excel in every possible way. We were very happy with his performance," said Maldonado, who hired Uzoh at IBM.
James Harper, professor of Physics at the University of New Hampshire, who worked with Uzoh on the award-winning research at IBM, said the Nigerian made very critical contributions to the breakthrough. "He has a strong background in electro-chemistry," he said.
Daniel Eldelstein, an IBM fellow, also worked with Uzoh on the electroplating research.
"He was responsible more than anybody else in the discovery of the electroplating technology," he said of Uzoh. "He is the kind of person who thinks creatively."
Before copper, aluminum was used to link transistors in chips but aluminum had its limitations because it could easily break under high electric current.
That made it unsuitable for high performance devices. Copper is better because it is more resilient and less vulnerable to breakage. The technology is one of the most valuable patents in the field of semiconductor science and technology, Uzoh said.
IBM put it into production in the late 1990s and is now the main device wiring method being used in high performance microchips by IBM, Intel, AMD, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, Sony and many other IT companies.
But Uzoh, more commonly known by his colleagues in the industry by his English name, Cyprian, has other inventions that have also had much impact in the semiconductor industry.
To name a few, he developed the electrochemical mechanical polishing method that uses electric field and metal slurries to polish metals at low forces.
He also invented methods of preventing copper from contaminating semiconductor Fabs and many advanced novel plating cell designs.
Maldonado remembers how Uzoh developed processes for fabricating mask membranes for x-ray lithography applications at IBM. "He was very successful."
Uzoh said some his early inventions at IBM ended on up on the shelves, because the company managers did not anticipate their viability. A bit of corporate politics was also involved, said Maldonado.
But later, other companies working on the same problems, stumbled on the results and went ahead to take the credit and make the money.
After many years of working for IBM, Uzoh made a career move a few years ago and now works for ASM, Inc.
He is a Corporate Fellow, the highest professional position in the industry. He conducts research on innovative materials, processes, machines and structures.
The Nigerian, who hails from Ojoto in Idemili South Local Government of Anambra State, said his quest to get things working better and costing less would explain how he has been able to invent so many things.
And while he works on any problem, he keeps an open mind. "I can ask for help from somebody in high school," he said.
When he started at IBM, Uzoh said, he had to work long hours, often having to wait until the production lines were closed for the day before beginning his research.
That meant being at work when others were feeling cozy in their beds. "When I look back, it does not appear as easy as it appears on paper," he said.
Before coming to America, Uzoh attended Christ the King College, Onitsha, where he obtained his school certificate and higher school certificate.
His father was one of the pioneer graduates from CKC, along with people like the late Catholic Cardinal, Dominic Ekandem.
Afraid that Nigeria may relapse into another civil war, Uzoh decided he had to pursue his higher education outside the country.
He got a federal scholarship to study metallurgical engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He did his doctoral studies in materials engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
A resident of San Jose, California, Uzoh maintains a low-key life, taking his children to athletic events at the weekends, attending some birthdays and other community events.
He also volunteers his time to help children do better.
In his desire to give back to the community for his upbringing, Uzoh has also reached out to some institutions in Nigeria to offer his services free of charge.
"I will be very happy to help," he said, adding that some of the people he contacted have not gotten back to him.
New York (PANA) - 12/10/2006
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A Study of the Information Technology Trade between United States and the Southern African Custom Union Raquel Saenz saenz98raquel@hotmail.com Karina Flores karinaflores@haciendaford.com Kai S. Koong koongk@utpa.edu Lai C. Liu liul@utpa.edu College of Business Administration, University of Texas Pan American Edinburg, Texas 78539, USA ABSTRACT This study examines the import and export of four major information technology products between the United States and nations in the South African Custom Union (SACU).
The countries included in the SACU are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. The products examined are computer equipment (3341), communication equipment (3342), audio and video equipment (3343), and semiconductors and other electronic components (3344). Surprisingly, the United States imports more information technology products from nations in the South African Custom Union than it imports from these countries. The only product that it has a trade surplus is semiconductors and other electronic products. Such trends identified are indeed alarming.
As a leader in the producing of leading high tech products, it is surprising that the United States is actually buying more information technology products from other nations, including nations in SACU. Keywords: global information technology trade, import and export of IT components, Southern African Custom Union 1. INTRODUCTION The United States is working together with the Southern African Custom Union (SACU) to provide a “freer trade in services” and precisely to enhance the economical growth between the exports and imports of these countries to the United States.
The countries included in the SACU are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland (Carim and Mashabela, 2008; SACU, 2004) Several agreements have been reformed to capture these particular details and to help improve South Africa’s economical growth ratio (Corey, 2001; Mills and Reyes, 2003; Rens, Prabhala & Kawooya, 2006; Thompson-Fisher, 2002). “We are working with African governments in support of regional economic integration, freer trade in services, better agricultural standards, and intellectual property protection. (Whitaker, 1999, p. 2) “The Africa Trade and Investment Policy program (ATRIP), which promotes training and technical support for African countries undertaking economic liberalization.” (Whitaker, 1999, p. 2) “Africa will need billions of dollars in new private sector investment every year, beyond what traditional development assistance can provide, in order to address poverty and to raise living standards.” (Whitaker, 1999, p. 1) To a certain extent, the United States is taking a risk on the agreements being made between these countries. The international trade between these countries has been interrupted with the lack of economical growth. “Lesotho remains one of the poorest economies in the world with a GDP per capita of less than $500 in 2000.” (Kirk & Stern, 2005, p. 172)
Most of the economy is dominated by several factors which does not include economical growth in the technology trade. South Africa may not be a dependable country for exporting or importing products. “Mining and agriculture constitute a relatively small share of total GDP and exports are dominated by mineral, metal and agriculture products.” (Kirk & Stern, 2005, p. 173) The SACU is in its early stages of becoming an important part of our trading negotiations. The United States has agreed to pass several agreements to help increase their economical growth. For instance, the World Trade Organization and African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) have been compromised between the United States and the preceding countries to help grow and integrate economical growth. These types of involvement may be critical for the turn out of the exports and import investments. But only a “few African nations have joined into the WTO’s 21st century agreements on telecommunications, financial services, and information technology.
This slows the growth of trade with Africa and slows Africa’s economic development.” (Whitaker, 1999, p. 2) These targeted countries have growing rates in telecommunications, health care, and international trade with the United States. “Of the top five African destinations for U.S. products, exports to South Africa rose by 8% and to Nigeria by 42%.” (Arnold, 2008, p. 1) Trade between the United States and Southern Africa has increased over the years. “South Africa’s market size of 47 million people, well-developed infrastructure, productive economy, and pro-business environment make it a logical choice for many U.S. companies seeking to conduct business of the African continent. The country’s GDP reached $587.5 billion last year, marking 5-percent growth.” (Arnold, 2008, p. 2) The demand for new technology in several sectors has become a priority in the trading industry (Marshall, 2001) As the growth rates increase, the demand for U.S. imports becomes more important to the population in South Africa. “Botswana, for example, has a robust telecommunications environment.
Mobile penetration has passed the 50% mark which is more than twice the African average, while the government-owned national operator BTC has seen a continued decline in the number of fixed-line connections despite the introduction of ADSL broadband services,” according to Buddecom’s 2007 Africa-Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Southern Region and Indian Ocean Islands Report. (Wright, 2008, p. 39) 2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The Southern African Customs Union is the “world’s oldest customs union and an important market for U.S. machinery, vehicles, aircraft, medical instruments, plastics, chemicals, cereals, pharmaceuticals, wood and paper products.”(Zoellick, 2003, p. 2)
The United States is working together with the members of the SACU in order to help maximize and promote “economic development in Africa through trade.” (Hume, 2008, p. 1) The AGOA is a requirement established by the US in order to be eligible for exporting products to the United States. “These nations-Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland comprise the largest U.S. export market in Sub-Saharan Africa, with $2.5 billion in U.S. exports in 2002.” (Zoellick, 2003, p. 1)
The AGOA is a strategy that the United States hopes to gain growth and new opportunities between the trading system of the United States and SACU. However, there is not sufficient interaction from the exporting side of the United States. The AGOA has encouraged “U.S. merchandise exports to Sub-Saharan Africa are up about 25%.” (Zoellick, 2003, p. 2) The advantage of these agreements will help increase the “international economic commerce” (Hume, 2008, p. 4) and increase the probability of exporting from the U.S. “We want to improve the climate for trade in goods and services, intellectual property rights, e-commerce and investment, and to expand U.S. access to SACU markets.” (Hume, 2008, p. 5) The opportunities for a better and stronger Southern Africa have been made and “there is no region in the world that has a greater interest in establishing its stake in the global trade organization process than does Africa, because Africa has been the one region that has fallen behind.” (Zoellick, 2003, p. 1)
This is the time that Southern Africa is ready to grow and expand and to commit its importing trade with the United States. Based on the 2007 Comprehensive Report on the United States Trade and Investment prepared by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the annual average rate of 5.5% has been constant for the past three years. From the information provided in the government report, it seemed to show that the AGOA (Africa Growth and Opportunity Act) has been a great contributor to the increase of the United States’ two-way trade with Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2006, the United States was able to increase its exports to Sub-Saharan Africa by 17% than in 2005, to 12.1 billion. (U.S. Trade Representative, Comprehensive Report, 2007, p. 5).
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Over the years the U.S. has decreased the amount of computer equipment it exports to the South African Custom Union. In the past couple of years, it has also started to decrease its imports of the same product. The trade between the U.S. and the SACU for computer equipment shows that the U.S.is in a slight deficit even though the U.S. has recently increased the amount of communications equipment it exports to the South African Custom Union. The SACU has also started to increase the amount of communications equipment it exports to the United States. The U.S. exports the most communication equipment to Swaziland. Swaziland, on the other hand, exports the most communication, audio, and video equipment to the U.S. out of all the South African Custom Union countries. A lot of audio and video equipment exported to the SACU is exported into Swaziland. The U.S. also exports about $86,000 worth of its computer equipment into Swaziland. Swaziland is the most significant trading partner of the SACU. Most of the trade done between the U.S. and the SACU goes through Swaziland. 3. STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVE The objective of this research is to examine the trade between the United States (U.S.) and the South African Custom Union (SACU), in particular, the information technology trade of computer equipment (3341), communication equipment (3342), audio and video equipment (3343), and semiconductors and other electronic components (3344) between the years of 1998 and 2007.
The selected products are being used to examine the deficit of the United States because of its information technology trade. 4. METHODOLOGY The ten-year data on the imports and exports for the four products between the SACU and the US were collected from the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce website. For each product, the 10-year totals on import and on export are first computed for each country, and each country is ranked based on the computed total.
Then the total rate of change (the slope) for each product over the ten-year period was also computed. 5. FINDINGS This study found that the SACU exported more than 50% of what they imported from the United States. During the ten-year period, Swaziland ranked first among the SACU countries in importing and exporting of computer equipment. Swaziland’s rate of return proved to continue being the leading country and ranking in first place once again. Botswana and Lesotho incredibility out preformed the other countries by importing zero computer equipment from the United States. Namibia was close to Botswana and Lesotho, but was able to average a total of $51 throughout the 10-year period for computer equipment. Swaziland is the country that is more involved in modern technology as to computer equipment than the other countries in the union. South Africa ranked second after Swaziland in exporting and importing of computer equipment. For the total imports and exports of computer equipment, the slope continues to decrease as each year get closer and closer to 2007, with the strongest year being during 1998. The second product 3342 is pertaining to Communication Equipment. Table 2 shows this product’s total imports and exports of the SACU throughout the ten-year period. For this particular product the United States exports less than 50% of the total communication equipment that it imports from the SACU.
South Africa was able to overcome Swaziland by ranking number one in the total overall average for exports and falls in second place for the total average of imports. Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia continue to maintain a stable average for both imports and exports and ranking third, fourth, and fifth. SACU exports had a consecutive decrease starting in 1998 -2002. In 2002, it was its greatest decline in exports, by 2003 it had increased from $95,509 to $110,121 and the years that followed the SACU continued to increase their total exports reaching for a total of $267,141 in 2007.
Botswana and Lesotho continued to import zero number of Communication Equipment and Namibia only averaging $4, which places them in the last three places. As for the imports for Communication Equipment Swaziland and South Africa continued to rank in the first two places and the total growth for the SACU decreased and increased at a very minimal level throughout the ten year grace period. The United States continues to import more than what it actually exports for product 3343. The Audio and Video Equipment seems not to be very popular for both ends because the highest average for exports was $12,839 rather than $92,346 or $243,167, which were for the first two products (3341 & 3342). The total amount of imports and exports are mainly from South Africa and Swaziland. The exports from Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia ranged from the lowest of $0 to the highest of $2,151. Swaziland and South Africa are basically competing among each other and where one can rank first for both import and export or one is ranked first for export and the other ranked number one for imports. In 1999, there was a major decline reaching at a negative balance of ($1.968) and by 2000 it was able to increase to a total of $16,665 and continue with a positive slope. In 2002, it experienced a minor decrease, but was able to overcome the shrinkage and continue to boost an increasing slope throughout the remaining of the five years.
------------------------------------------- For the last three products, the United States had been importing more than what it was actually exporting, which is one of the main causes of the U.S. deficit. For product 3344, the Semiconductors and Other Electronic Components, the United States was able to export more and import less. The total amount of exports from SACU had a high of $1,411,073, but its total import was $2,723,662 by Swaziland. Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia continued to maintain a low profile on importing products and there was a slight increase in exports but it was still ranked last. South Africa and Swaziland still remained strong and ranked in the first two places. Nine out of ten years, 90% of the total imports of Semiconductors and Other Electronic Components over the amount of exporting caused the total balances to decline due to not exporting enough products, which caused negative balances from 1999 to 2007. Based on the column graph we ca n concluded that a negative slope continued to decrease more and more throughout 7 of the10 years, that is 70% until it reached it maximum decline in 2005 and the SACU started to workout the problem and the slope continued to have a negative balance but began to decrease it total amounts from ($171,963) in 2005 and at the end of the ten years it was at ($88,141). The major outcome of the finding is that the United States imported more IT products than what it exported to the SACU. The United States exported only 1of 4 of the products more than its total imports, meaning that the SACU was not importing as much U.S. products, but was making sure it exported more than what they imported into their country. From the four products researched, Communication Equipment (3342) is the product that ranks in with the highest demand for imports and least imported product is Computer Equipment (3341) for the SACU. Based on the data collected, it can be concluded that there was not a stable increasing slope for the products that were being imported into SACU. If the United States focused more on SACU’s needs of Information Technology and produced more of the highly demand products, it would certainly help the Unites States experience a decrease in the nation’s deficit. 6. LIMITATIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS Swaziland is the country that exported and imported the most IT products in the last ten years, implying that it was the one country that stands higher economically and technologically. South Africa comes in second after Swaziland. As for Botswana and Lesotho, these two countries have very little resources to produce and maintain Information Technology products because they had an overall rate of change of zero. The third ranked Namibia is able to stay at a minimal and stable rate. It is a country with little technology, but maintains a normal distribution of products it produces and it is able to utilize within its country. The product with the highest total dollar and the product most imported overall was the computer equipment (product 3341). The United States has been able to decrease its deficit to $901 million from $3.6 billion in 2004. If research is done on more products and with more countries, we would have a more precise picture of the United States’ deficit. This is a possible area of expansion of this research. The United States needs to look for different markets to sell their products. The U.S. might also consider about producing products that other countries need and are interested in purchasing. 7. REFERENCES Arnold, Jessica M. “Sub-Saharan Africa Trade Mission to Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. Retrieved on 26 May 2008 from http://www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/ africa_0308.html Carim, Xavier and Victor Mashabela (2008) ”Department Trade and Industry Republic of South Africa.” SACU-United State Free Trade Area, pp. 1-6. Retrieved on 28 May 2008 from http://www.thedti. gov.za/fta/article/htm Corey, Charles W. (2001) U.S. Trade Representative Sees Vital Opportunity in U.S.-Africa Trade. Retrieved on 26 May 2008 from http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/af /trade/a2111201.htm Hume, Cameron R. (2008) “Diplomatic mission of the United States South Africa.” The Proposed U.S.-SACU Free Trade Agreement: An Insight into the U.S. Perspective. Retrieved on 26 May 2008 from http://southafrica.usemabassy.gov /wwwhambhume030410.html Kirk, Robert, and Matthew Stern (2005) The New Southern African Customs Union Agreement. Garsington Road: Oxford, 2005. Marshall, Linda (2001). “A Perspective on the IT industry in South Africa” Communications of the ACM, Vol.44, pp. 55-56. Menon, Siddhartha (2006). “Policy Initiative Dilemmas Surrounding Media Convergence: A Cross National Perspective.” Prometheus, Vol. 2, pp. 59-80. Mills, Richard and Ricardo Reyes (2003) “Office of the United States Trade Representative.” U.S. and Southern African Nation Plan for Upcoming FTA Negotiations, pp. 1-3. Retrieved on 28 May 2008 from http://www.ustr.gov/ Document_Library/Press_Releases/2003/January/US_Southern_Africa Office of the United States Trade Representative (May 2007) “2007 Comprehensive Report on U.S. Trade and Investment Policy toward Sub-Saharan Africa and Implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act.” pp. 1-140. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/initiatives/2007_agoa_ ustr_report.pdf Rens, Andrew, Achal Prabhala and Dick Kawooya (2006). “Intellectual Property, Education and Access to Knowledge in Southern Africa.” Tralac-Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa. Retrieved on 26 May 2008 from http://www.iprsonline. org/unctadictsd/docs/06%2005%2031%20tralac%20amended-pdf.pdf SACU (2004) Southern African Customs Union pp. 1-11. Retrieved on 26 May 2008 from http://www.ustr.gov/assets/ Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2004/2004_National_Trade_Estimate/2004_NTE_Report/asset_upload_file388_4796.pdf Thompson-Fisher, James (2002) “U.S. Department of State International Information Programs.” U.S. Business Coalition Will Push for Soutehrn Arican Trade Agreement, pp. 1-2. Retrieved on 28 May 2008 from http://usinfo.state.gov/re gonal/af/trade/a2111202.htm Whitaker, Rosa M. (1999) “USIA.” Electronics Journal, Vol. 4, pp. 1-4. Wright, Bianca (2008) “Moving into Hi-Tech.” African Business, May 2008, pp. 38-40. Zoellick, Robert B. (2003) Free Trade with Southern Africa: Building on the Success of AGOA. Retrieved on 26 May 2008 from http://www.ustr.gov/ Document_Library/Fact_Sheets?2003/Free_Trade_with_Southern Afrcia.html Appendix Table 1 Import and Export of Computer Equipment (3341) between USA and SACU Country Total Ranking Slope Ranking Botswana $41,373 3 2.7077 2 Lesotho $416 5 6.5833 1 Namibia $29,770 4 0.1966 5 South Africa $1,311,306 2 0.5542 3 Swaziland $2,431,674 1 0.2901 4 Total Exports $3,814,539 Botswana $0 4 0 4 Lesotho $0 4 0 4 Namibia $510 3 0.0859 3 South Africa $22,284 2 0.8076 2 Swaziland $861,086 1 1.1163 1 Total Imports $883,880 Table 2 Import and Export of Communication Equipment(3342) between USA and SACU Country Total Ranking Slope Ranking Botswana $75,105 3 2.5198 2 Lesotho $2,059 5 0 5 Namibia $6,069 4 4.9651 1 South Africa $923,457 1 1.15850 4 Swaziland $569,197 2 1.5338 3 Total Exports $1,575,887 Botswana $0 4 0 4 Lesotho $0 4 0 4 Namibia $43 3 0.6666 3 South Africa $87,603 2 5.1676 1 Swaziland $183,975 1 2.6061 2 Total Imports $271,621 Table 3 Import and Export of Audio and Video Equipment (3343) between USA and SACU Country Total Ranking Slope Ranking Botswana $964 4 0.8026 3 Lesotho $0 5 0 4 Namibia $2,151 3 0 4 South Africa $108,672 2 1.1413 2 Swaziland $128,391 1 1.2905 1 Total Exports $240,178 Botswana $10 4 0 3 Lesotho $0 5 0 3 Namibia $236 3 0 3 South Africa $24,780 2 0.0708 2 Swaziland $49,435 1 0.9806 1 Total Imports $74,461 Table 4 Import and Export of Semiconductors Equipment (3344) between USA and SACU Country Total Ranking Slope Ranking Botswana $11,948 3 0.7021 5 Lesotho $284 5 4.8095 2 Namibia $2,887 4 7.4583 1 South Africa $468,963 2 1.3663 3 Swaziland $1,411,073 1 1.2108 4 Total Exports $1,895,155 Botswana $111 4 0 3 Lesotho $13 5 0 3 Namibia $217 3 0 3 South Africa $43,169 2 2.0881 1 Swaziland $2,723,662 1 1.7634 2 Total Imports $2,767,172
quote:Originally posted by Herukhuti: The topic of this thread is "OT: African Computer Technology Comes Full Circle" and not "Integrated Circuits".
Therefore, everything kenndo is posting is very relevant. In fact, his posts have been more relevant than yours, despite fact that you started the thread.
Read again.
The 1st post shows an African holding an Integrated circuit he developed and designed (In The US) before it and his company (Alfara Systems) were purchased by Sun Microsystems.
Sun has just released the chip to Open Source, so that now, countries with no processor industry may use the Open Source document to design and manufacture their own internal processors and computers, independent of main vendors.
Everything Kendo has posted consists totally of resale of European, Asian, and US products and services that do not contribute to Africa developing their own building blocks.
Third party resale, or distributing European, Asian, US products within Africa is not the intent of this thread.
It wouldn't be so bad if Kendo showed just a little judgement abd filtering of what he posts rather then just dumping any and everything non-related he can cut and paste.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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I DISAGREE.READ CAREFULLY ABOVE.NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA PLANS TOO BE A LEADER.IT IS/WILL DO WANT TO MENTION AND HELP LIFT AFRICA.SOME OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES PLAN TO TO THE SAME AND THAT WILL HELP IN THE LONG RUN.EVERY NATION IN ASIA ,NORTH AMERICA,LATIN AMERICA DOES NOT MAKE CERTAIN PRODUCTS EITHER.
THE STRONGER MORE ADVANCED TECH AFRICAN COUNTRIES LIKE NIGERIA,KENYA,ZIMB.IVORY COAST,NAMBIA AND A FEW OTHERS WILL LIFT AFRICA UP MORE IN THE FUTURE SO AFRICAN STATES THAT NEED THE OUTSIDE WORLD A BIT MORE WOULD FOCUS ON TRADING MORE WITH OTHER MORE TECH ADVANCED AFRICAN STATES. THAT' THE POINT
For example, every African Telecommunications venture you've posted is totally dependent on the Trans-Atlantic Networks AT&T, Verizon, or British Telecom have laid. Africa owns none of these networks, but simply resells the others product as a third party reseller.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Herukhuti: The topic of this thread is "OT: African Computer Technology Comes Full Circle" and not "Integrated Circuits".
Therefore, everything kenndo is posting is very relevant. In fact, his posts have been more relevant than yours, despite fact that you started the thread.
Read again.
The 1st post shows an African holding an Integrated circuit he developed and designed (In The US) before it and his company (Alfara Systems) were purchased by Sun Microsystems.
Sun has just released the chip to Open Source, so that now, countries with no processor industry may use the Open Source document to design and manufacture their own internal processors and computers, independent of main vendors.
Everything Kendo has posted consists totally of resale of European, Asian, and US products and services that do not contribute to Africa developing their own building blocks.
Third party resale, or distributing European, Asian, US products within Africa is not the intent of this thread.
It wouldn't be so bad if Kendo showed just a little judgement abd filtering of what he posts rather then just dumping any and everything non-related he can cut and paste.
^ That's RUBBISH man, everything kenndo has posted is of progress in Nigeria/Africa around the topic of IT (Information Technology) which encompasses business, software applications, data, comms as well as hardware technology.
We can't just talk about IC chips. That's retarded. The chip is the enabling technology but only the tip of the iceberg as far as "computer technology" is concerned.
Perhaps, you have a problem with kenndo bringing helpful information to the African technologists on the forum. Maybe that's what your whinging is really about.
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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You are speaking about making profits for major European, Asian, and US industries by purchasing and reselling their products, versus developing your own and becoming independent of them.
There is a difference.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: Of course, because you fail to comprehend.
For example, every African Telecommunications venture you've posted is totally dependent on the Trans-Atlantic Networks AT&T, Verizon, or British Telecom have laid. Africa owns none of these networks, but simply resells the others product as a third party reseller.
BT doesn't have any lines in Nigeria. What we have is Globacom fibreoptic backbone owned by Adenuga, a Yoruba and a Nigerian. This will eventually run across the whole country (even to neighbouring countries) and will be the foundation for IT execution in Nigeria.
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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Since Nigeria makes none of it's own integrated circuits, nor owns any network protocol, everything needed to build their network from Ethernet, to switches, to computers, to operating system must be purchased from Europe, Asia, or US.
This is called, third party integration.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: We are speaking about INDEPENDENCE.
You are speaking about making profits for major European, Asian, and US industries by purchasing and reselling their products, versus developing your own and becoming independent of them.
There is a difference.
AMERICA IS INDEPENDENT?NO
posted 10 November, 2008 06:47 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I DISAGREE.READ CAREFULLY ABOVE.NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA PLANS TOO BE A LEADER.IT IS/WILL DO WANT TO MENTION AND HELP LIFT AFRICA.SOME OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES PLAN TO TO THE SAME AND THAT WILL HELP IN THE LONG RUN.EVERY NATION IN ASIA ,NORTH AMERICA,LATIN AMERICA DOES NOT MAKE CERTAIN PRODUCTS EITHER.
THE STRONGER MORE ADVANCED TECH AFRICAN COUNTRIES LIKE NIGERIA,KENYA,ZIMB.IVORY COAST,NAMBIA AND A FEW OTHERS WILL LIFT AFRICA UP MORE IN THE FUTURE SO AFRICAN STATES THAT NEED THE OUTSIDE WORLD A BIT MORE WOULD FOCUS ON TRADING MORE WITH OTHER MORE TECH ADVANCED AFRICAN STATES. THAT' THE POINT
As a leader in the producing of leading high tech products, it is surprising that the United States is actually buying more information technology products from other nations, including nations in SACU. Keywords: global information technology trade, import and export of IT components, Southern African Custom Union 1. INTRODUCTION The United States is working together with the Southern African Custom Union (SACU) to provide a “freer trade in services” and precisely to enhance the economical growth between the exports and imports of these countries to the United States
The countries included in the SACU are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. The products examined are computer equipment (3341), communication equipment (3342), audio and video equipment (3343), and semiconductors and other electronic components (3344). Surprisingly, the United States imports more information technology products from nations in the South African Custom Union than it imports from these countries. The only product that it has a trade surplus is semiconductors and other electronic products. Such trends identified are indeed
quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: We are speaking about INDEPENDENCE.
You are speaking about making profits for major European, Asian, and US industries by purchasing and reselling their products, versus developing your own and becoming independent of them.
There is a difference.
We are also talking about REALITY. You have to look at the bigger picture. There is no reason for us not to use the BEST computer infrastructure out there be it from Europe or Asia for our IT initiatives.
Of course, I imagine that while buying these products (imports), we will be FUNDING local and national research to ensure that one day, 100% of our IT equipment is homegrown. But we can't wait for this to happen before we begin to utilise large scale IT - like I said, THAT WOULD BE RETARDED.
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: We are speaking about INDEPENDENCE.
You are speaking about making profits for major European, Asian, and US industries by purchasing and reselling their products, versus developing your own and becoming independent of them.
There is a difference.
We are also talking about REALITY. You have to look at the bigger picture. There is no reason for us not to use the BEST computer infrastructure out there be it from Europe or Asia for our IT initiatives.
Of course, I imagine that while buying these products (imports), we will be FUNDING local and national research to ensure that one day, 100% of our IT equipment is homegrown. But we can't wait for this to happen before we begin to utilise large scale IT - like I said, THAT WOULD BE RETARDED.
posted
I think the point of the thread is to say that we need to bring BACK the "brains" of Africa to develop the Computer Technology sector of Africa.
There is no doubt that many Africans are significant players in the Computer industry OUTSIDE of Africa, but that does not help the growth of such industries IN Africa.
But that doesn't mean it won't happen eventually. Over time Africa will begin to develop stronger industries owned and run by black African "brains" in all sectors of the economy and industry, including computer tech. But such a goal does not start without a plan. So we must support the plan and agenda of such development and work to make it become a reality.
Posts: 8889 | Registered: May 2005
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I TALK ABOUT NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA THE MOST IN MODERN AFRICA BECAUSE IT IS EASIER TO GET INFO ON THE TECH INFO AND THESE OVERALL COUNTRES THAN OTHER COUNTRIES,AND THEY BEST COULD BRING AFRICA OR LIFT AS AWHOLE AFRICA BECAUSE THESE COUNTRIES ARE SEEN AS THE LEADERS IN AFRICA TODAY.
OTHERS ARE NOW DOING THIER PART TOO BUT I JUST HAPPEN TO FOCUS MORE ON THESE TWO. OTHERS I WILL TALK ABOUT FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN I COULD GET BETTER INFO ON THEM, FROM THE COMPUTER. TO GET A BETTER IDEA ON OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND WHERE THEIR TECH FUTURE WILL BE AT TOO,GO TO
HERE IS SOME UPDATED INFO HERE In the past the government has maintained the principle of producing and exporting products abundant in the country, demanded and competitive in the international market relying on the development of production industry with the oil-exploration industry as the core, light industry and agriculture in conformity with the actual conditions of the country.
Nearly forty-eight years of our nationhood; a day we may all cherish as a nation. Now is the time to look calmly at ourselves and identify the mistakes that we have made as nation. Of course we have in one way or the other made mistakes. Like what Confucius once said, it does not matter the number of times we fall but the number of times we rise when we fall. We cannot continue to fail the next generation.
At present the foundation of the independent national economy has been strengthened here in Nigeria.The Labour union set forth the economic policy in the post-colonial era on giving precedence to the development of the defense industry while developing the light industry and agriculture simultaneously so as to develop the national economy on its own firm track. The foundation of the oil industry has been consolidated.
The production bases of coal, oil and petrochemical materials industries, are turning out fireproof materials like magnesia clinker and light-burned magnesia, nonferrous metals including lead, zinc and cadmium and various second-stage metal products such as rolled steel, steel plate and wire, which are in great demand on the international market.
The foundation of machine-building and electronic industries requires modernization and the production potential largely increased on the basis of ultramodern scientific and technological achievements.
The Ajaokuta Steel Complex, the Nigerian Metal Complex, the Nigerian Machine Tool Factory, the Defence Industry Corporation Factory, the Nigerdock ship-Making Complex and other big-name factories have laid the solid production foundations and renovated the production processes to manufacture and export hydraulic and thermal power turbines and generators with a great capacity and high performance, compressors, CNC universal lathes, hydraulic excavators, motors and transformers.
Several years ago public policy ignored consumers and their interests. Today, the National Agency for Food/ Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has broad regulatory powers over the manufacturing, contents, marketing, and labeling of food and drugs although funding cuts have left it overburdened and understaffed. The Nigeria Standard Organization, traditionally responsible for regulating trade practices, became involved in consumer protection as a defender of consumer interests in truth in advertising.The scientific and technical foundations in the electronic industry have reached the high standard.
The groundwork for production and technical forces are provided to turn out hi-tech electronic products like computers, semiconductor elements with a great output and IC together with the development of various programs. The production potential in the light and fishing industries and agriculture has also increased a lot. Textile and spinning mills, silk mills, garment factories, shoe factories, daily necessities factories and foodstuffs processing factories are furnished with latest production facilities and their products are satisfying the domestic and external demands in both quality and quantity. The fishing industry has laid a firm foundation as well in conformity with the geographical conditions of our country that has many rivers and is sea-bound on three sides. Material and technical foundations of the land and marine transport sector were consolidated. The production and repair bases of electric locomotives and large cargo ships were set up to meet the growing demand of the national economy for transport. With an active participation of cargo ships into the international chartering market, the volume of cargo transport is on the systematic increase.
The sound basis of the independent national economy laid in Nigeria is the material guarantee for the further development of foreign trade on the principles of independence and equality. Finished goods are taking a considerable share in export while a favourable climate for investment including the production of competitive goods based on the hi-tech, and joint venture has been radically improved. This government should continue to consolidate the foundation of the national economy, which firmly ensures the development of foreign trade, strictly adhering to the line of economic development in the post-colonial era. The last few decades have seen a shift in focus from the old industrial economy to a new information economy. Three million Nigerians work in technology-producing industries abroad. Access to technology is uneven. The old economy generated issues of income inequality, but the new economy involves issues of information equality. The racial and ethnic gaps in information access are widening. At forty-seven we can start over with new attitude towards building the nation. The paraphrase words of former U.S President John Fitzgerald Kennedy still remains us strong that: we should not ask what Nigeria can do for us but what we can do to make Nigeria move forward, at this period of nationhood transformation . It must start from you and me. We must change for the better and make this nation the true "giant" that Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo dreamt about.May God bless Nigeria and make it greater and stronger once more!
Posts: 2688 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: We are speaking about INDEPENDENCE.
You are speaking about making profits for major European, Asian, and US industries by purchasing and reselling their products, versus developing your own and becoming independent of them.
There is a difference.
AMERICA IS INDEPENDENT?NO
posted 10 November, 2008 06:47 AM
America licenses it's technology to Asia, Africa, and Europe. Africa licenses nothing, because they have no IP (Intellectual Property), and never will unless they begin to develop their own.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: We are speaking about INDEPENDENCE.
You are speaking about making profits for major European, Asian, and US industries by purchasing and reselling their products, versus developing your own and becoming independent of them.
There is a difference.
We are also talking about REALITY. You have to look at the bigger picture. There is no reason for us not to use the BEST computer infrastructure out there be it from Europe or Asia for our IT initiatives.
Of course, I imagine that while buying these products (imports), we will be FUNDING local and national research to ensure that one day, 100% of our IT equipment is homegrown. But we can't wait for this to happen before we begin to utilise large scale IT - like I said, THAT WOULD BE RETARDED.
YOU GOT IT.
The REALITY is, AFRICA is TOTALLY DEPENDENT, and ALWAYS will be UNLESS African nation follow the path that every other nation has and invests in their own technology and create their own Intellectual Property.
The starting post shows one inexpensive method of accomplishing this.
Everything else posted are examples on how to piggy back African business on top of European, Asian, and US businesses which creat business, by keep Africa DEPENDENT on European, Asian, and US suppliers.
This is OK, and acceptable at the lowest levels of commerce.
The thread is intended for those thinking in larger terms and at a larger scale then the piggy back businesses you are posting.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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posted
But Kenndo, this thread isn't about shipbuilding it is about the computer industry......
But since you mention the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, why not actually produce the facts about it? The ASC is one of the most scandalous examples of corruption and collusion in Nigeria. It is a steel plant that was built by Russians to be a government owned steel operation, that NEVER produced anything and has continually been plagued by mismanagement, theft of equipment and corruption. The company was then put up for sale by the government and had been bought by an INDIAN steel company. But then there was a lot of controversy within Nigeria about the sale of a company that was FINANCED by NIGERIAN TAXES to a foreigner. Now the sale is tentatively canceled because Nigerians questioned why a company financed by Africans and built by Russians should be controlled by Indians. So this is EXACTLY an example of why your spam posts are not relevant because they show how NAIVE you are in understanding what is ACTUALLY happening in Africa. You oversimplify the problems facing Africans and engage in PR spam by cutting and pasting stories that amount to nothing but superficial advertising for projects and agendas that are not fundamentally controlled by or run by Africans.
NOW the Ajaokuta Steel project may have the potential to serve the agenda of African industry over 20 years after it was built. But it is ONLY because of the PRESSURE that has been put on the government to STOP the practices that only allow FOREIGNERS to gain the majority benefit from industrial activity in Africa.
quote: The Federal Government may have terminated the concession of Ajaokuta Steel Complex to Global Infrastructure Holding Company of India.
The steel complex, built by a Russian firm, was Inaugurated on September 16, 1979. The complex was initially expected to produce 1.5m tones of long steel products per annum. Its capacity was, however, expanded to between 3.6m and 6m tonnes. Investigations revealed that the steel company has not met its objectives, forcing the Federal Government to look for investors. The concession agreement with the Indian firm was hurriedly concluded in May 2007.
Although Global Holding paid about $300m for the concession, the value of the steel complex was then put at about $5billion. A source in The Presidency, told our correspondent in Abuja, that the Federal Government had not been happy with the concession agreement and the management of the steel complex. He also said that Northern leaders are opposed to the engagement of the Indian firm. "Since this administration came in board, it has received many petitions and protests on the concession of Ajaokuta Steel Complex. "The protests led to the establishment of a panel of inquiry to look into allegations surrounding the concession of the complex.
"From the findings of the panel, the government may have no choice than to terminate the concession agreement" the source told The Nation. "The report of the panel has been sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation for advice. You know that the government cannot terminate a concession agreement without considering the legal implications."
On the technical competence of Global Holding, he said it had been less satisfactory to the government. He added, "We have found out that the Indian firm could not manage the complex and it had to reengage about 50 Russian and Ukrainian experts, who built it. "There are also allegations of cannibalization of Ajaokuta Steel Complex and non-payment of salaries of workers. The purpose of concession is being defeated by these problems."
When contacted, the management of Global Holding said it could only speak officially on Monday.
One of the officers of the firm, Mr.Aja Nittin, said: "The management, through the corporate affairs unit, will react to some of the issues on Monday."
Everyone in Africa does not share the undue optimism of those who ignore or pretend not to know about the challenges facing African development. It isn't an issue of being negative, it is an issue of understanding and realizing the obstacles so that they can be moved out of the way. Ignoring or pretending that such obstacles do not exist only means that they will continue to hamper the goals of African economic independence.
BY a Nigerian FROM Nigeria:
quote: Ajaokuta Steel Project And Nigeria's Industrialisation Process
Daily Trust (Abuja)
ANALYSIS November 12, 2003
Prince Haruna Al-Rashid Yusuf
Ajaokuta is in the news once again! The steel complex located there has turned out to have the longest gestation period among public sector industrial projects in Nigeria. There are confused signals surrounding the "concession agreement" signed between the federal government of Nigeria/Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (FGN/ASCL) and an American company (SOLGAS ENERGY LTD).
A sigh of relief came in the wake of the news that ASCL will resume production soon and the joyous mood was overwhelming at some quarters. The worrisome and salient question is 'does the American company have the expertise and experience to execute all it has claimed?' From all available information the answer is unfortunately NO. The chairman of the company, Thomas Russell, started trading with Nigeria since 1992 as an oil merchant. The Nigerian subsidiary of his company, according to one Mr. Segun Oyefeso was registered in 2001 - to carry on the business of importation of electric generating sets. Today the total annual turnover of Solgas Energy Ltd. is $ 60million. This represents the modest financial profile of the American company. The company has no stint in steel business from any part of the world. Yet, the presidency has defended SOLGAS as a "financier" who is willing to bring into the country the whooping sum of $3.6 billion - to invest in our steel sector, but has failed to educate us what percentage of the total FGN investment is such capital outlay. Secondly, is it the right type of investment to salvage our steel industry? And very importantly, has SOLGAS got the financial clout to inject such foreign capital from the western financial world into the Nigerian economy? Where is the proof? On the surface of it, there is no clear evidence to substantiate the above claim by SOLGAS. Our recent experience in which NITEL privatisation crashed is still fresh in our memory. As the core investor, Investment International (London) Limited, IILL, was instructed by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to effect the payment to the tune of $131.7million in favour of FGN; being 51 percent of NITEL capitalisation. The so-called foreign investor failed woefully to redeem its pledge at the end of the day... In summary, our entire approach to the privatisation scheme is "shrouded in secrecy and frauds incorporated" and it is very frightening. We will not get that $3.6billion from SOLGAS. Our current effort is a dismal failure and a national disaster. We can sit up again to re-strategise Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flow into the country.
World politics on steel
Ordinarily, one should not have bothered oneself about it. But as soon as you look beneath the skin of SOLGAS saga, one observes quite different type of images emerging. It is the immediate cause of the refraction, which in reality accounted for the grand conspiracy "hatched" between the United States, Britain and Obasanjo's administration to scuttle the Ajaokuta Steel Project - to truncate the entire steel dream of Nigeria, which President Shagari nurtured - knowing full well that without steel technology, we can never, ever, become industrialised. Yes, all industrialised nations have functional steel industry (ies). What is more, if we actually desire a new gas plant for Nigeria, as being proposed by the president, why must it be sited just on the parcel of land already earmarked for phases I and II expansion programmes of the integrated steel plant? Why Ajaokuta of all places in the world? Please, let SOLGAS find elsewhere to site its power generating plant. ASCL is the brainchild of NIOMP, Itakpe. What is intended to sprout out there are "iron and steel" and not "electricity". There are perhaps other communities within Nigeria that would gladly welcome a foreign investment of any description but Ajaokuta, most certainly, will not accept this American (i.e. Greek gift) investment.
Gas power technology
The Sapele Gas powered electricity generating plant in Delta State is left there moribund for some time now. The question is that why can't SOLGAS enter into agreement to rehabilitate, expand and manage this industry, more so that Sapele is closer to the "flaring gases" of Niger Delta than Ajaokuta. "Propane gas" is fluid and highly inflammable but steel is more tangible in material handling. The engineering difficulties associated with transportation of the gas over long distances, with difficult terrains like we have around Ajaokuta is better imagined. We should ask ourselves, firstly, how effective we can cope with "pipe vandalisations" and maintenances thereof in the country? Can you imagine a situation in which we cannot vouch to deliver drinking water safely to our homes - I mean without leakages here and there, then, how does the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) contemplate handling the hazardous hydrocarbon gas-pipe lines? What is the evidence of experience of SOLGAS in similar jobs anywhere in the world let alone in Nigeria? We deserve to know these answers, to confirm my fears or otherwise that President Obasanjo and his surrogates have concluded plans to exterminate the entire Ebira race in gas chamber-like catastrophe - reminiscent of course, how in 1942 Adolph Hitler of Germany and his cohorts eliminated six million Jews at a concentration camp in gas chambers explosion. It amuses one quite frankly, that President Obasanjo and his Oyibo friends are making frantic mistake in history with SOLGAS project to deceive and tame Anebira with the rest Nigerians looking on helplessly. He dragged them along the street, veiled their vision in ignorance, innocence and misery. And the truth must be told that the president is dishonest about ASCL. He has not asked the host community whether we would prefer a power generating plant to a steel plant. We desire a "presidency with decent human face".
quote: The celebration of the 10th anniversary of Nigerian independence in 1970 took place in an atmosphere of a euphoria induced by the cessation of the civil war and the beginning oil boom. The Sunday Times, by far the most popular Nigerian newspaper at the time, had asked its readers to summarize Nigeria’s post-independence history in three sentences.
The inimitable Sam Amuka, writing under the pseudonym Sad Sam, provided an insightful summary that reflected his satirical genius and journalistic wit. He wrote:
“The white man went home but came back on a platter of gold. The man of the people fed fat until the redeemer of the people came. We exchanged monkeys for baboons!”
Over the years, I have often wondered how Sad Sam, if he had not retired his peerless pen, would have been summarizing Nigeria’s convoluted and sickening history. Taking a cue from him, one could summarize our years of putative independence in these three sentences: British alligators were replaced by Nigerian crocodiles. Soldiers and politicians turned Nigeria into a Plunder Unlimited Company. Because of the ensuing decay, we have become a colony of maggots!
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines a maggot as the young stage of a fly that lives in a decaying environment. Any professional entomologist will pick bones with such restrictive definition of a maggot. We shall permit the entomologists and others inclined towards esoteric zoology to pick whatever bones they wish with Longman’s definition.
Likewise, we need not spend extensive time to catalog the symptoms of Nigeria’s syndrome- the unarguable stagnation and decay that tail our dog like prehensile tags. Once we purge ourselves of the chloroform of Government propaganda and our masturbatory, much hackneyed self-adulation as the giant of Africa, we can face the somber reality that, almost 48 years after our so-called independence, Nigeria has tragically remained what Professor Wole Soyinka described as “The Open Sore of a Continent.” More than Forty-seven years after the British ostensibly departed, our major towns and cities have abandoned the concept of town planning. Filth and squalor mark our municipal centers as showcases of urban decay. The collapse of our physical infrastructure is evident in our comatose railway system. Most of our schools are decrepit; their physical disrepair depicts a society that has been too busy to think, too confused to plan, too lazy to work, and too insane to take care of its young.
Consequently, St. Stephen’s Anglican Primary School, Ora-Igbomina, is worse today than when I was there. The primary school where I once served as the pupil librarian now has no library! Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa, is worse today than when I went there. The U.C.H. and the University of Ibadan are worse today than when I studied there. In stark contrast, the University of Minnesota, in the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul is much better today than when I was there. The University of Florida, Gainesville, is far better today than when I was there. The University of Georgia, Athens, is infinitely better today than when I was there.
The decision of the federal government to rescind on the concession agreement between it and the Indian company, Global Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd, on account of non-compliance in respect of Ajaokuta Steel Company and the National Iron Ore Mining Company, has drawn a lot of reactions from a cross section of Nigerians.
The extended invitation to TPE, the Russian Company and the original builders of the Ajaokuta Steel Company to come and carry out a technical audit of the company, has continued to generate hot debates.
It is necessary to recall, that an administrative panel of enquiry, set up by the federal government and charged with the responsibility of reviewing the concession agreements and determining the extent of compliance by both parties, submitted in its report that, the agreements were largely skewed in favour of the concessionaire to the detriment of the federal government and the country at large.
The report also said that any benefits that might have accrued to the government and the people of Nigeria from implementation of the agreements, have been mischievously thwarted by breaches and other unwholesome practices by GIHL.
The Indian company was also indicted for breaches of concession agreements which included, failure to submit a workable business plan with a specified time frame.
Other offences were, non payment of concessioning fees, as well as the cannibalisation and exportation of plants and equipments.
Even as the government pointed out, the purported Share Sales Purchase Agreement (SSPA), between it and GIHL, in respect of ALSC, was technically not in force, because the transfer of shares to the purchase was never effected.
Going by the fragrant breach, the statutory obligations outstanding against GIHL was put at N350 million.
It was also revealed by the report that there was a clear case of criminality; instead of investing external funds on the completion of both the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the National Iron Ore Mining Company as expected, GIHL, embarked on massive borrowing from local commercial banks, and without recourse to consequences, pledged the assets of the Delta Steel Company as collateral.
Presently, its debt portfolio to the banks according to financial reports, stood at $192million.
The company was also indicted in diminishing the values of ASCC and NIOMCO, to buoy up their fortunes.
Another Economic and Financial Crimes report, also implicated them on the same account, following which president Yar'Adua ordered the criminal persecution of indicted officials of the federal government under the Obasanjo regime and promoters of GHIL, for asset stripping.
Chukwuma Soludo– led Central Bank was also charged to determine the exact amount borrowed by GIHL from Nigerian banks, and establish the amounts actually utilised locally and amount allegedly siphoned out of the country.
Ajaokuta Steel Company was valued at $6billion in 2006, according to technical foreign experts, but amidst wide protests, by concerned interest groups, the Obasanjo administration, inspite of its sanctimonious posturing and make-believe anti-corruption stand, turned a deaf ear to the calls and sold the company at a paltry $525 million.
In a letter dated April 16, 2007 and signed by Mr. Didi Adodo and Mr. K. Kadiri, both of whom are general secretaries of Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSSAN) and Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN), the workers warned the government of the day, that the Indian Company did not possess the capacity to carry out the project as they had earlier claimed in their submission to the government.
The two unions, then drew the attention of the government to the need to follow due process which they claimed had been compromised in the entire process.
To drive home their point, they mentioned a local company called B.G.L, which the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), was fingered to have hurriedly contracted to evaluate Ajaokuta Steel Company and which equally concluded the assignment in a record five days. In 2001, it took a Russian company three months to conclude the same task on the steel company.
The Ibira community also expressed shock at the frenetic super fast lane process of selling the company to GIHL.
quote:Originally posted by kenndo: THIS BOOK IS OUTOF DATE BUT IT GIVE YOU A IDEA WHERE SOME AFRICAN STATES WERE AT IN THE 1990'S Telecommunications in Africa By Eli M. Noam
posted 10 November, 2008 08:03 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS BOOK IS OUTOF DATE BUT IT GIVE YOU A IDEA WHERE SOME AFRICAN STATES WERE AT IN THE 1990'S Telecommunications in Africa By Eli M. Noam
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I TALK ABOUT NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA THE MOST IN MODERN AFRICA BECAUSE IT IS EASIER TO GET INFO ON THE TECH INFO AND THESE OVERALL COUNTRES THAN OTHER COUNTRIES,AND THEY BEST COULD BRING AFRICA OR LIFT AS AWHOLE AFRICA BECAUSE THESE COUNTRIES ARE SEEN AS THE LEADERS IN AFRICA TODAY.
OTHERS ARE NOW DOING THIER PART TOO BUT I JUST HAPPEN TO FOCUS MORE ON THESE TWO. OTHERS I WILL TALK ABOUT FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN I COULD GET BETTER INFO ON THEM, FROM THE COMPUTER. TO GET A BETTER IDEA ON OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND WHERE THEIR TECH FUTURE WILL BE AT TOO,GO TO
HERE IS SOME UPDATED INFO HERE In the past the government has maintained the principle of producing and exporting products abundant in the country, demanded and competitive in the international market relying on the development of production industry with the oil-exploration industry as the core, light industry and agriculture in conformity with the actual conditions of the country.
Nearly forty-eight years of our nationhood; a day we may all cherish as a nation. Now is the time to look calmly at ourselves and identify the mistakes that we have made as nation. Of course we have in one way or the other made mistakes. Like what Confucius once said, it does not matter the number of times we fall but the number of times we rise when we fall. We cannot continue to fail the next generation.
At present the foundation of the independent national economy has been strengthened here in Nigeria.The Labour union set forth the economic policy in the post-colonial era on giving precedence to the development of the defense industry while developing the light industry and agriculture simultaneously so as to develop the national economy on its own firm track. The foundation of the oil industry has been consolidated.
The production bases of coal, oil and petrochemical materials industries, are turning out fireproof materials like magnesia clinker and light-burned magnesia, nonferrous metals including lead, zinc and cadmium and various second-stage metal products such as rolled steel, steel plate and wire, which are in great demand on the international market.
The foundation of machine-building and electronic industries requires modernization and the production potential largely increased on the basis of ultramodern scientific and technological achievements.
The Ajaokuta Steel Complex, the Nigerian Metal Complex, the Nigerian Machine Tool Factory, the Defence Industry Corporation Factory, the Nigerdock ship-Making Complex and other big-name factories have laid the solid production foundations and renovated the production processes to manufacture and export hydraulic and thermal power turbines and generators with a great capacity and high performance, compressors, CNC universal lathes, hydraulic excavators, motors and transformers.
Several years ago public policy ignored consumers and their interests. Today, the National Agency for Food/ Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has broad regulatory powers over the manufacturing, contents, marketing, and labeling of food and drugs although funding cuts have left it overburdened and understaffed. The Nigeria Standard Organization, traditionally responsible for regulating trade practices, became involved in consumer protection as a defender of consumer interests in truth in advertising.The scientific and technical foundations in the electronic industry have reached the high standard.
The groundwork for production and technical forces are provided to turn out hi-tech electronic products like computers, semiconductor elements with a great output and IC together with the development of various programs. The production potential in the light and fishing industries and agriculture has also increased a lot. Textile and spinning mills, silk mills, garment factories, shoe factories, daily necessities factories and foodstuffs processing factories are furnished with latest production facilities and their products are satisfying the domestic and external demands in both quality and quantity. The fishing industry has laid a firm foundation as well in conformity with the geographical conditions of our country that has many rivers and is sea-bound on three sides. Material and technical foundations of the land and marine transport sector were consolidated. The production and repair bases of electric locomotives and large cargo ships were set up to meet the growing demand of the national economy for transport. With an active participation of cargo ships into the international chartering market, the volume of cargo transport is on the systematic increase.
The sound basis of the independent national economy laid in Nigeria is the material guarantee for the further development of foreign trade on the principles of independence and equality. Finished goods are taking a considerable share in export while a favourable climate for investment including the production of competitive goods based on the hi-tech, and joint venture has been radically improved. This government should continue to consolidate the foundation of the national economy, which firmly ensures the development of foreign trade, strictly adhering to the line of economic development in the post-colonial era. The last few decades have seen a shift in focus from the old industrial economy to a new information economy. Three million Nigerians work in technology-producing industries abroad. Access to technology is uneven. The old economy generated issues of income inequality, but the new economy involves issues of information equality. The racial and ethnic gaps in information access are widening. At forty-seven we can start over with new attitude towards building the nation. The paraphrase words of former U.S President John Fitzgerald Kennedy still remains us strong that: we should not ask what Nigeria can do for us but what we can do to make Nigeria move forward, at this period of nationhood transformation . It must start from you and me. We must change for the better and make this nation the true "giant" that Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo dreamt about.May God bless Nigeria and make it greater and stronger once more! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 2688 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: I think the point of the thread is to say that we need to bring BACK the "brains" of Africa to develop the Computer Technology sector of Africa.
There is no doubt that many Africans are significant players in the Computer industry OUTSIDE of Africa, but that does not help the growth of such industries IN Africa.
But that doesn't mean it won't happen eventually. Over time Africa will begin to develop stronger industries owned and run by black African "brains" in all sectors of the economy and industry, including computer tech. But such a goal does not start without a plan. So we must support the plan and agenda of such development and work to make it become a reality.
The initial post is showing a method of using Open Source Intellectual Property to empower African developers to design and develop their own Intellectual Property. That no Africa has at of yet commented on the topic, is indication that the subject is not understood and responders have no idea of what the significance or far reaching ramifications of Intellectual Property ownership.
Here in the US, we have 80 year old Grandmothers are integrating computers in their dinning rooms.This indicates how low level the required skill set is for integrating off-the-shelf products.
Computer integration, network integration, IT are all lower level business models (services) totally dependent on European, Asian, and US source companies for licensing and use of their products. It is a RESALE model, akin to reselling AVON products.
The initial post shows how to lessen this dependence by design and deployment of Open Source IP, thus breaking the cycle of dependence.
That responders do not recognize this is an indication of how low on the food chain they are.
So far, no poster has responded with anything significant that addresses Africa's total dependence on external sources, but in fact, each of Kendo's posts provides more and more examples of Africa's dependence on European, Asian, and US Intellectual Property, Semiconductors, and products. It's a lot of spam that he doesn't understand, wrapped in wishful thinking.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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posted
Nigerdock is another example of a formerly government owned and Nigerian tax supported company now owned and operated by FOREIGNERS.
quote: A Baseless Allegation
By Demola Abimboye Monday, August 11, 2008
Directors of Nigerdock (Nig) PLC refute allegations of gun-running levelled against the company by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation
The sudden turn around was stunning. On March 26, members of the House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation had given the management of Nigerdock (Nig) PLC a pat on the back for doing a good job since it took over the moribund company. But on July 30, barely four months after this clean bill of health, the committee said on the floor of the House that Nigerdock was using its jetty for illegal importation of arms and ammunition into Nigeria for use by the dreaded Niger Delta militants.
The committee further alleged that the company was operating on the high seas to offload cargo without supervision by security agencies. Also, it was accused of operating outside the scope mandated by government at the time of its privatisation.
But Nigerdock’s directors have refuted the allegations. On August 2, Anwar Jarmakani, group executive chairman of Jagal Group, the new owners of the dry dockyard, who led other directors including Gen. I.B.M. Haruna and Gen. Emmanuel Abisoye, described all the allegations by the committee members as "entirely false, baseless, unfounded and detrimental to national interest."
According to Jarmakani, Nigerdock, which is located within the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone, SIIFZ, operates under the direct supervision and monitoring of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA; the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA; the Nigeria Customs Service; the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Police. He said that the government agencies ensured due compliance and appropriate security.
He wondered how the illegal activities would have taken place without being reported by any of these agencies. Jarmakani added that the SIIFZ also operates in compliance with International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, ISPS, as issued by the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security, PICOMSS.
David Chun-Gyang, an official of NEPZA, corroborated Jarmakani’s assertions. He said that given the strict rules of operation in a free trade zone and the presence of eagle-eyed security operatives, Nigerdock could not have imported anything like arms and ammunition. "It is a restricted area, so much that no investor is permitted to engage in that type of industry," he said. He added that NEPZA’s presence at the free trade zone was to ensure that operations are carried out in strict compliance with the rules and regulations of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Trouble began for Nigerdock on July 29, when it barred the committee members from its premises since the issue was already before a law court. Jarmakani said that events leading up to rejection of the visit further justified its action. The committee had on July 21, presented a motion on the floor of the House seeking a mandate to conduct a public hearing on the privatisation of Nigerdock. The motion, after much debate, was rejected by the lawmakers for lack of merit.
Even so, the Committee went ahead and wrote to the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, on July 22, to inform it of its resolve to again visit the company on August 6, in exercise of its oversight function. But while the BPE was still discussing the proposed visit with Nigerdock’s management, the committee on July 25, orally informed the BPE that it would now carry out the proposed visit on July 29. The Bureau duly informed the company.
"Given the outcome of the earlier debated motion by the Honourable members, Nigerdock viewed the undue haste with which the committee sought to visit its premises with grave concern that such visit was incompatible with the legislative process, especially against the background that the House of Representatives had rejected the motion of July 21," Jarmakani said.
To resolve the logjam, Nigerdock instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on July 28. It asked the court to declare the proposed visit unconstitutional and thereby restrain the committee from visiting its premises pending the determination of the suit. Jarmakani also pointed out that contrary to assertions by the committee, Nigerdock’s mandate under privatisation was not restricted to ship building, repairs and fabrication.
Its memorandum and articles of association entitled it to also engage in the provision of deepwater logistics support and maritime services to the oil and gas industry. He denied insinuations that the Jagal Group used the assets of Nigerdock as collateral for the purchase of the company’s core investor shares. Rather, Jarmakani explained, Jagal has created more employment opportunities, acquisition of skills and security for the youths of the country.
He said that prior to its privatisation in 2001, Nigerdock had a low capital base, inadequate long-term planning, poor cash management leading to liquidity problems, failed marketing of its services and products and obsolete machinery. Consequently, it was losing substantial amounts annually despite the heavy subsidy of its operations by the federal government.
"But since the privatisation of the company, it has developed into a world-class ship yard capable of meeting the demands of Nigeria’s maritime service needs, and today provides the necessary dry-docking, hull repairs, mechanical and topsides maintenance services, thus attracting for the first time, non-Nigerian vessels calling into its quays for repairs because it has established its reputation as the leading West African shipyard," he said.
The company has also built highly complex and technical components for deepwater field development, among which is the successful building of four of the world’s largest deepwater buoys for oil and gas giants like Shell, Chevron, Mobil and most recently, Total. Nigerdock, he added, is the first Nigerian company to export a buoy to Cameroun.
Apart from these, Nigerdock is the foremost manufacturer of pressure vessels in Africa and the only company to be awarded the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME, U&R certification for the manufacture of pressure vessels.
Nigerdock is owned by the Jagal group which is a company involved in the construction, oil/gas and pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria. It is basically an industry run by Indians/Chinese/Europeans.
Not a good example of Nigerians running their own industry AT ALL.
posted
posted 10 November, 2008 08:59 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- posted 10 November, 2008 08:59 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOU ARE WRONG.THERE IS NO TOTAL DEPENDENCE WHEN IT COMES TO CERTAIN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. SOUTH AFRICA HAS CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY FOR AN EXAMPLE AND ARE INNOVATIVE.EVEN THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE LESS TECH ADVANCED ON AVERAGE ARE NOT TOTAL DEPENDENT EITHER AND I WOULD PREFER THOSE COUNTRIES TO LEARN MORE FROM THE MORE ADVANCED TECH AFRICAN COUNTRIES.
I DO NOT KNOWWHAT MORE I COULD SAY TO CONVINCE YOU ABOUT IT.THEE INFO I PROVIDE WASCLEAR ENOUGH AND IF NOT PLEASE EMAIL THOSE COUNTRIES ARE TALK TO GOV. LEADER THERE TO FIND OUT WHICH COUNTRY IS DO WHAT.Morocco, Ghana and Egypt ride ICT global wave --------------------------------------
The company has also built highly complex and technical components for deepwater field development, among which is the successful building of four of the world’s largest deepwater buoys for oil and gas giants like Shell, Chevron, Mobil and most recently, Total. Nigerdock, he added, is the first Nigerian company to export a buoy to Cameroun. --------------------------- IT SAYS IT IS STILL A NIGERIAN COMPANY,EVERYONE WHO WORKS THERE IN THIS COMPANY IS NIGERIAN I GUESS OR MOSTLY NIGERIAN,AND THEY COULD GET THE OWNSHIP BACK IF THEY WANT TO SINCE IT IS STILL IN NIGERIA.
BUT THAT WAS THIER CHOICE AND HOPEFULLY SINCE THEY ARE DOING BETTER NOW AND MAKING HIGH TECH. STUFF IN NIGERIA FROM THIS COMPANY TOO, THAN THEY COULD SAY LATER OR GOOD BYE TO THE INDIANS AND OTHERS AND SAY- YOUR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED. HA, HA. -------------
------------------------------------- OH MOST OF THIS STUFF ANYWAY IS NOT BEING MADE IN THE WEST ANYMORE ANYWAY.
03.12.08 11:05 am The majority of computer chips, telephone handsets, laptops, TV screens, DVD players and other electronics and telecommunications products are now manufactured in developing countries, a new United Nations Commission for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report reveals. Developing nations´ share in exports of services related to information and communication technology (ICT) is also growing. However, this is primarily due to strong growth in the developing world´s two largest economies, China and India. China is the world´s largest exporter of ICT goods, and India leads in international sales of ICT services. The Information Economy Report 2007-2008 details how the ICT industry is growing faster than many industries globally and is increasingly shifting to the developing world, mainly Asia. The ICT industry not only includes the assembly of hardware or consumer electronics, but also the delivery of ICT services, such as those related to software and IT consulting, telecommunication and call-centre activities. The latter particularly have grown in developing countries as they search for new market niches and job opportunities in the service industries. In such countries as Morocco, Ghana, and Egypt, government-devised development policies have spurred economic expansion of ICT business and employment.
posted
It's quite obvious the thread is not for Kendo, who doesn't have the understanding to contribute. The fact is, outside of a few simple ANALOG components intended for electrical systems, South Africa is TOTALLY dependent on Asian, European, Russian, and US sources for, Computers, Computer Operating systems, Telecommunications equipment, Telecommunication protocols, etc.
The purpose of the thread is NOT to examine how dependent Africa is on the Anglo world, but rather to engage with those who comprehend the necessity of computer related Intellectual Property.
So far, it appears rather then address the topic, Kendo has instead taken a DEFENSIVE posture by spamming with every low level service that he can cut and paste.
Creation of Semiconductor fabrication is at the highest level. Below it is the Design but fabless model. The initial post shows how to initiate this second tier fabless model to design, develop, and deploy your own highly advanced, 64-bit, multi-core advanced processor, while simultaneously, developing your own Intellectual Property.
For example: An African country wishes to design their own VOIP network. First, they would need to license the required software IP from an European, Asian, Russian, or US business. Second, they would need to purchase telephony chips or boards from an European, Asian, Russian, or US vendor. Third, they would have to purchase Network Core Computers, Network switches and Routers from an European, Asian, Russian, or US vendors, OR, if they chose to build their own, they would need to purchase the integrated Circuits and drivers from an European, Asian, Russian, or US vendors, as well as the PCB software required to develop board level products.
Now, how does the initial post effect the above situation? By utilizing Open Source IP, the developers can choose to use an FPGA/ASIC to develop their own Core Computers, Network switches/routers, with integrated telephony functions. Now, not only do they eliminate their previous dependence on external vendors, but they have created their own products and Intellectual Property they themselves can deploy even license to other African nations desiring to build their own infrastructures, further breaking or significantly breaking the cycle of dependence, while opening greater value international markets to African products.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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posted
I understand your point. Intellectual Property (IP) is tantamount to licensing your ideas so that anyone who uses them has to pay to use it. The alternative is to allow your ideas to be BOUGHT by another, whereas those ideas become part of the IP of the COMPANY and not your own any longer. This is exactly what is happening in the case of most Africans/African Americans in the computer fabrication industry. Philip Emeagwali, Kunle Olokuton and other computer science professors are examples of the impact of Nigerian brains on American computer technology:
quote: Short Bio Kunle Olukotun is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University and he has been on the faculty since 1991. Olukotun is well known for leading the Stanford Hydra research project which developed one of the first chip multiprocessors with support for thread-level speculation (TLS). Olukotun founded Afara Websystems to develop high-throughput, low power server systems with chip multiprocessor technology. Afara was acquired by Sun Microsystems; the Afara microprocessor technology, called Niagara, is at the center of Sun's throughput computing initiative. Niagara based systems have become one of Sun's fastest ramping products ever. Olukotun is actively involved in research in computer architecture, parallel programming environments and scalable parallel systems. Olukotun currently co-leads the Transactional Coherence and Consistency project whose goal is to make parallel programming accessible to average programmers. Olukotun also directs the Stanford Pervasive Parallelism Lab (PPL) which seeks to proliferate the use of parallelism in all application areas. Olukotun is an ACM Fellow (2006) for contributions to multiprocessors on a chip and multi threaded processor design. He has authored many papers on CMP design and parallel software and recently completed a book on CMP architecture. Olukotun received his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from The University of Michigan.
quote: Programmed a computer with 65,000 processors to outperform the fastest supercomputer and thereby proving that it is best to use many processors in designing supercomputers. As a result, the technology of supercomputers now use hundreds or thousands of processor to achieve their computational speed.
Successfully implemented the first petroleum reservoir model on a massively parallel computer in 1989. As a result, one in 10 parallel supercomputers is used to find and recover additional oil and gas.
Solved one of America's 20 Grand Challenges --- accurately computing how oil flows underground and thereby alerting the petroleum industry that massively parallel computers can be used to recover more oil. Only 30 percent of the oil in a reservoir can be recovered and this discovery will enable oil companies to recover more oil.
From: Programmed a computer with 65,000 processors to outperform the fastest supercomputer and thereby proving that it is best to use many processors in designing supercomputers. As a result, the technology of supercomputers now use hundreds or thousands of processor to achieve their computational speed.
Successfully implemented the first petroleum reservoir model on a massively parallel computer in 1989. As a result, one in 10 parallel supercomputers is used to find and recover additional oil and gas.
Solved one of America's 20 Grand Challenges --- accurately computing how oil flows underground and thereby alerting the petroleum industry that massively parallel computers can be used to recover more oil. Only 30 percent of the oil in a reservoir can be recovered and this discovery will enable oil companies to recover more oil. [From] From:http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa111097a.htm
Just from those two there is a lot of potential IP that can be used for Africa and Nigerias oil and gas industry.
Posts: 8889 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Yes. It is OK to begin at the lower levels of integration of another's IP, but Africa and African Americans have been doing this for decades, and even centuries.
The initial posts shows an example of an African, who became an African American, developing IP that becomes IP of Sun Microsystems. Fortunately, for those who realize the opportunity, Sun has decided to place the design of this Advanced Processor IP in the public domain as Open Source. This means that anyone can obtain the specifications and delete or build on the architecture to design and implement their own custom advanced 64-bit multi-core processors.
There are many more examples of similar instances where African/AA IP becomes, IBM, INTEL, AMD, Siemens, Thales, Motorola, or other foreign company owned property and are NOT extended to this model through Open Source. The above is an unique opportunity.
China understands this very well and have aggressively begun to develop their own IP in support of their expanding infrastructural expansion.
As I indicated before. Had the above school house picture been taken in a Chinese, Russian, US or Asian school room, the kids would be using computers designed and built from the ground up (IC to case) in each of those countries.
If a country like Korea can do it with 1/100000 of the available resources of Africa, then so can Africa.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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posted
i do not think you get it.this a process and i do not think you are telling the truth whole truth.i came posting advancemnets made in south africa nd nigeria mostly like a computer industry and electronic industry and what they are making on their own and you kept saying they make nothing on their own and south africa is one of the most advanced tech nation in the world and certain african nations are closing that gap .if these nation are advancing in computers and electronic they must be making the semi-conductor,viod etc.
you have to email for details on what compaines may be making them .granted it's hard to find this info on the computer in details so i have written to a few folks who live there and talk about tech stuff and hopefully they will come here or send me more clear info on what is going on now,but the info does seem clear me up there.any way i have to take a break for now from this computer and hopefully the more clear answers or companies making this stuff would be email back to me if they write back. you mention south africa makes semi- conductors,so nigeria may be making them too since they do make computers,electronics.they even made a plasma tv and plannig to do robotics or heading now in that that way.oh turbines were mention in a early post so the nigerian post above mentions it.i am not being cute just want to point that out.
this is it for now until i get more clear info about nigeria and some other african states but i think the nigeria one to me was clear enough even though i do not have the info on which companies make what what yet.but they do have a computer and electronic industry and it's called that.
--------------------------------- Satellite
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Read: OverviewWhy AccentureSpecific Services
Overview
SatelliteSouth Africa is moving from being simply a technology adopter to a technology innovator—and the local electronics and high tech industry has a vital role to play in achieving this goal.
In a recent article, The Innovation Hub's Dr Neville Comins notes that South Africa is ranked 39th out of 162 countries in terms of technological achievement. This indicates that the country has a firm basis for developing the intellectual property on which national competitiveness, and so future prosperity, will be founded.
The South African government's commitment to invest in the country's electronics and high tech industries is demonstrated by many projects, including industrial promotion agency Blue IQ. For example, The Innovation Hub is a Blue IQ project aiming to bring high tech industry, academia and entrepreneurs together to improve South African technology and productivity.
Accenture's global presence and experience in the electronics and high tech industries, not to mention its own highly respected technology innovation research facilities, make it the partner of choice to help South African electronics and high tech companies innovate successfully—and streamline their business processes to improve performance. Next: Why Accenture
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The Accenture Electronics and High Tech group serves the semiconductor, communications equipment, computers, consumer electronics and aerospace and defense sectors. We tap into our industry expertise, integration capabilities and high-impact solutions to help clients launch new offerings, compete more effectively in the converging marketplace and optimise business performance.
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Related Research & Insights:
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posted
I already understand what computer products Africa is making (integrating) on it's own.
The thread is not intended for posting examples of 3rd party integration or non-computer related topics.
The thread is intended to examine how the initial posts Open Source Intellectual Property can be utilized to develop home grown advanced processor solutions as feasible alternatives to integration of Asian, European, US, and Russian commodity processors.
So far, of the two pages posted, there are no insightful feedback on the initial question on how to capitalize on the opportunity Sun's Open Source release presents. Rather, we have a bunch of posts illustrating the massive use of the old resale model the Open Source model is intended to address.
The Processor scales very well, and here are a few applications areas this FPGA/ASIC developed Open Source processor could easily address using Open Source Operating System and applications:
-Power Plant Control Processor -Solar Cell Farm Control Processor -Internet Core Computer -National Home Computers -Child Laptop Computers (See above) -Enterprise IT Computer -Massively Parallel Super-computer -Network Switch processor -Massive Database Computer -Home Automation Control Processor -Scientific Researcher Computer
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: nor owns any network protocol
How many countries in the world own their own "shiny and exclusive" network protocol. Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: everything needed to build their network from Ethernet, to switches, to computers, to operating system must be purchased from Europe, Asia, or US.
You don't know about 'puters much beyond the IC chip do you? What's wrong with sharing network protocols WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD? why not use Linux if you don't want your OS to be OWNED by Billie? Why not buy parts from Asia if you're scared the big bad y man is going to colonise you again?
quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: This is called, third party integration.
"Third party integration" can mean a lot of things in "computer talk" and you and I know what you're implying and the REALITY of the situation are two seperate things. If for example, a Nigerian manufacturer came up with a chip to match Intel's newest and shinniest, we would start a program of buying exclusively servers with that chip in it. Within a decade (assuming a large govt. body) we would not have any Intel based servers left.
In any case, what is the BIG DEAL with using third party products if you don't have homegrown ones? what are you a "work-prevention officer" in your day job? Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
See IEEE RFCs. They are ALL owned by the US and Europe since they are the countries who developed them.
The Internet is developed and controlled by the US. See, last years plea from Europe for the US to share control of the Internet. It will never happen. If the US controls it, they can monitor ALL traffic from/to any country that deploys it.
The Internet was conceived and developed by the US Department Of Defense in the 1970s. Instead of rolling your eyes, learn your craft.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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posted
^ Don't be silly. I know the history of the Internet, and the ARPANET. Basic high school computer science stuff.
So if the INTERNET is owned by US (Barack's kingdom ) and Europe, is Nigeria supposed to die of a heartattack? Aren't China and every other country in the world doing just fine?
In any case, if the US & Europeans decide they don't want to share their icecream anymore, they lose. We can always set up our own "network" of computers sharing information and name it and make it whatever we want. But you wouldn't know that because you really don't know much about the IT industry or the fundamentals of computer networks.
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: everything needed to build their network from Ethernet, to switches, to computers, to operating system must be purchased from Europe, Asia, or US.
You don't know about 'puters much beyond the IC chip do you? What's wrong with sharing network protocols WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD? why not use Linux if you don't want your OS to be OWNED by Billie? Why not buy parts from Asia if you're scared the big bad y man is going to colonise you again?
quote:Originally posted by meninarmer: This is called, third party integration.
"Third party integration" can mean a lot of things in "computer talk" and you and I know what you're implying and the REALITY of the situation are two seperate things. If for example, a Nigerian manufacturer came up with a chip to match Intel's newest and shinniest, we would start a program of buying exclusively servers with that chip in it. Within a decade we would not have any Intel based servers left.
In any case, what is the BIG DEAL with using third party products if you don't have homegrown ones? what are you a "work prevention" officer in your day job?
I know EVERYTHING about computers. Internet protocols are NOT shared. Rather, they are LICENSED.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using Linux or any real Unix either. This is not the discussion, however by building your own Open Source Sun processor, it would be 100% compatible with any Linux distro and would be the best Operating system to use to bring the system up. Since all of the Open Source versions of the internet protocols such as DHCP, SIP, RIP, FFS, Ext-x, MPLS, LAPD, are contained in Linux, it is a feasible platform to deploy to side step large corporation licensing issues using PROPRIETARY schemes (Microsoft). Since it is a SPARC processor, it will also run Sun's OpenSolaris.
Instead of those children above using Asian designed and built, very low end laptops, they could instead use a version of the above Open Source SPARC processor coupled with Linux, designed and manufactured in Africa, by Africans and offer 10x the performance of the above Asian built laptops.
There is nothing wrong with that.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Herukhuti: ^ Don't be silly. I know the history of the Internet, and the ARPANET. Basic high school computer science stuff.
So if the INTERNET is owned by US (Barack's kingdom ) and Europe, is Nigeria supposed to die of a heartattack? Aren't China and every other country in the world doing just fine?
In any case, if the US & Europeans decide they don't want to share their icecream anymore, they lose. We can always set up our own "network" of computers sharing information and name it and make it whatever we want. But you wouldn't know that because you really don't know much about the IT industry or the fundamentals of computer networks.
China uses Open Source software (Linux) or they pirate Windows.
There is no IF the US owns the Internet. If you know about DARPA-Net , then you know the US developed it using US funds and engineers.
IT is a service based on computer MAINTENANCE and has absolutely nothing to do with computer intellectual property. If you wish to discuss IT, then I suggest you open a thread related to that subject. It is not relevant to this higher level discussion, nor is defensiveness from those who do not understand the topic.
Posts: 3595 | From: Moved To Mars. Waiting with shotgun | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Doug M: I think the point of the thread is to say that we need to bring BACK the "brains" of Africa to develop the Computer Technology sector of Africa.
There is no doubt that many Africans are significant players in the Computer industry OUTSIDE of Africa, but that does not help the growth of such industries IN Africa.
But that doesn't mean it won't happen eventually. Over time Africa will begin to develop stronger industries owned and run by black African "brains" in all sectors of the economy and industry, including computer tech. But such a goal does not start without a plan. So we must support the plan and agenda of such development and work to make it become a reality.
Exactly Doug, exactly.
You had me upset with that African food thing. But bygones will be bygones.
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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IT is a service based on computer MAINTENANCE and has absolutely nothing to do with computer intellectual property.
Hahahahahaha!!! You crack me up. IT is an application of "computer technology" and comes with and creates its own set of intellectual property. It is much more than a service.
According to Wikipedia:
"Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware."
You need to get out of the lab where you only do "theory" and head into the real world of "applications"! Apply the Theory. Get it?
Of course, IT is just one of many applications of Computer Technology. You should see the cool [sequence of] tricks my Audi (cabriolet) rooftop does at the touch of a button. Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Actually OLPC comes in two flavors windows and linux. It originally launched using linux and the windows version followed after. Both versions are available and those countries that want to use the system can choose which they want.
quote: A CNET review of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO netbook explores the dilemma facing customers choosing between the Linux and Windows XP versions. Meanwhile, the Fedora Project has released a Fedora Sugar Spin Live CD incorporating the Linux XO version's Sugar desktop environment.
(Click for larger view of Rwandan children using the OLPC XO)
Championed by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte as a way to seed educational computing opportunities among poorer children around the world, the low-cost XO is manufactured by Quanta of Taiwan. Initially Linux-only when it shipped at the end of last year, the XO features an AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage. The devices also offer WiFi-based mesh networking.
Although the XO will be offered in the U.S. next month by Amazon, the netbook is primarily sold at a discounted rate to the educational ministries of developing nations, which must agree to distribute it for free to K-12 students.
Over the last year, the XO's price rose to twice the initially touted $100, leading some governments to back off of plans to make high-volume purchases. Despite its troubles, including a rift with Intel and a defection by its team of educational software developers to form a separate Sugar Labs, OLPC's XO continues to be purchased around the world, and recently received a promise from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to help distribute the notebooks. What's more, the XO is largely credited for having started the recent boom in small-scale netbooks, which has not only boosted the fortunes of Linux, but contributed to the rebirth of Windows XP.
Meanwhile, an intriguing XO-2 prototype has also emerged (pictured at right) that offers both tablet and netbook modes. The XO-2 is not expected to ship until 2010, however.
In May, OLPC announced a Windows XP version, which has only recently arrived to market. A dual-boot option is promised for the future, but in the meantime, customers must choose between the Linux and Windows versions.
An August review of the Windows version by Laptop magazine found it wanting. CNET's Ina Fried, however, appears to be more ambivalent when weighing the two versions side by side.
According to Fried, the decision faced by governments choosing between the versions is between the greater library of software available for Windows vs. the Linux version's potential for nurturing independent open source software development. The Sugar desktop environment used in the Linux version of the XO is now maintained by Sugar Labs, a group that spun out of OLPC, and is committed to developing open source GNU/Linux-based educational software.
o some potential customer nations, such as Peru, she writes, Windows makes sense because it can lead to proficiency in business applications that they believe can help its kids get better jobs. Others, meanwhile, "have demanded their students work on Linux, arguing open source computers offer a chance for an independent software economy not tied to Microsoft," she writes.
From the point of view of the typical user, however, she appears to give Linux an edge due to the innovative software features of the native Linux Sugar stack. Out of the overall "integrated suite of educational games, programming tools and other software, all built around a kid-friendly OS shell known as Sugar," only the child-oriented Scratch tool is offered on the Windows version, she writes.
The XO's slimmed-down version of Windows XP Professional "can run basically any software that can adjust itself to the mini-laptop's diminutive screen and modest processor," writes Fried. The modified OS can boot from a 2GB flash card, she writes, and offers drivers for XO features, such as its scratch pad, game controller, and camera.
"But what's missing in the Windows version is the personality that oozes out of the Linux incarnation," she continues. "The Windows version of the XO doesn't have much of that built-in sweetness."
That said, Fried says that the large volume of educational software available for Windows is a major benefit that cannot be denied. In the end, she concludes, either OS version could be highly effective if "used properly, as part of a well-thought-out curriculum."
posted
The above Open Source release of Sun's UltraSparc Processor is a fantastic OPPORTUNITY for developers to utilize a free source for developing ultra high end computers using inexpensive FPGA/ASIC devices. By using FPGAs, the developer is not tied to an expensive Integrated Circuit fabrication process which could cost 100s of thousands or millions of dollars of investment. Because Sun Microsystems releases the VHDL code, processors can be developed as subsets or super-sets of the original design, meaning your custom design can downgrade from the original 8 cores to one, two, or more. The design can also be augmented as a Superset by adding applications specific features. For example, direct coupling to Power Plant transducers and sensors for monitoring critical parameters or motion control motors and sensors for automotive applications. Your end product will be customized to reflect your company's differentiation.
The company may literally design and deploy home grown custom processors on a standard Engineering workstation for a few thousand dollars investment.
The power present in the UltraSPARC is State-Of-The-Art, and in most cases, represents a huge differential relative to the purchase and use of commercial-Off-The-Shelf alternatives.
That the UltraSPARC was the very first release of a multi-core, multi-threaded high end processor is very significant. Because the architecture is based on the SPARC blue book, the processor is capable of running the ultra relaible Solaris Operating system, or the freely available Linux Operating system. While the SPARC architecture is NOT Windows compatible, additional hardware enhancement may be added to the SPARC block to perform hardware assist to Windows emulation. Even using software Windows emulation, the system would see 5-10x the performance of an AMD Geode processor.
Below, are the functional features of the Open released UltraSPARC T1/T2 processor.
-Designed by Dr. Kunle Olukotun at Stanford University (See Photo above) -Fully Supported by all Sun Operating systems (Solaris, OpenSolaris) and applications -Fully supported under Linux -Design is under the GNU GPL
-2-4 GHz Operating frequency -64-bit Memory adressing (Flat mode) -64 & 32-bit Instruction path -8 CPU cores per device with up to 8 threads per core -SPARC Hypervisor -64-bit floating-point types conform to IEEE Std 754-1985 -128-bit floating-point type conforms to IEEE Std 1596.5-1992 -Based on VLSI design methodology, therefore completely repeatable -Can be shipped in FPGA form
- Customized Coprocessors can be added for any conceivable purpose, including (but hardly limited to) the following: • Network routing/Network acceleration or offload • Floating-point acceleration • Cryptographic processing • I/O compression/decompression engines • Audio compression/decompression (codecs) • Video codecs • I/O interface units for embedded devices such as displays or input sensors (DNA analysis, facial recognition, Voice recognition, Voice Synthesis, etc)
- Verilog RTL (VHDL) provides a large, real-world input dataset for CAD/EDA tools
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: Actually OLPC comes in two flavors windows and linux. It originally launched using linux and the windows version followed after. Both versions are available and those countries that want to use the system can choose which they want.
quote: A CNET review of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO netbook explores the dilemma facing customers choosing between the Linux and Windows XP versions. Meanwhile, the Fedora Project has released a Fedora Sugar Spin Live CD incorporating the Linux XO version's Sugar desktop environment.
(Click for larger view of Rwandan children using the OLPC XO)
Championed by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte as a way to seed educational computing opportunities among poorer children around the world, the low-cost XO is manufactured by Quanta of Taiwan. Initially Linux-only when it shipped at the end of last year, the XO features an AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage. The devices also offer WiFi-based mesh networking.
Although the XO will be offered in the U.S. next month by Amazon, the netbook is primarily sold at a discounted rate to the educational ministries of developing nations, which must agree to distribute it for free to K-12 students.
Over the last year, the XO's price rose to twice the initially touted $100, leading some governments to back off of plans to make high-volume purchases. Despite its troubles, including a rift with Intel and a defection by its team of educational software developers to form a separate Sugar Labs, OLPC's XO continues to be purchased around the world, and recently received a promise from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to help distribute the notebooks. What's more, the XO is largely credited for having started the recent boom in small-scale netbooks, which has not only boosted the fortunes of Linux, but contributed to the rebirth of Windows XP.
Meanwhile, an intriguing XO-2 prototype has also emerged (pictured at right) that offers both tablet and netbook modes. The XO-2 is not expected to ship until 2010, however.
In May, OLPC announced a Windows XP version, which has only recently arrived to market. A dual-boot option is promised for the future, but in the meantime, customers must choose between the Linux and Windows versions.
An August review of the Windows version by Laptop magazine found it wanting. CNET's Ina Fried, however, appears to be more ambivalent when weighing the two versions side by side.
According to Fried, the decision faced by governments choosing between the versions is between the greater library of software available for Windows vs. the Linux version's potential for nurturing independent open source software development. The Sugar desktop environment used in the Linux version of the XO is now maintained by Sugar Labs, a group that spun out of OLPC, and is committed to developing open source GNU/Linux-based educational software.
o some potential customer nations, such as Peru, she writes, Windows makes sense because it can lead to proficiency in business applications that they believe can help its kids get better jobs. Others, meanwhile, "have demanded their students work on Linux, arguing open source computers offer a chance for an independent software economy not tied to Microsoft," she writes.
From the point of view of the typical user, however, she appears to give Linux an edge due to the innovative software features of the native Linux Sugar stack. Out of the overall "integrated suite of educational games, programming tools and other software, all built around a kid-friendly OS shell known as Sugar," only the child-oriented Scratch tool is offered on the Windows version, she writes.
The XO's slimmed-down version of Windows XP Professional "can run basically any software that can adjust itself to the mini-laptop's diminutive screen and modest processor," writes Fried. The modified OS can boot from a 2GB flash card, she writes, and offers drivers for XO features, such as its scratch pad, game controller, and camera.
"But what's missing in the Windows version is the personality that oozes out of the Linux incarnation," she continues. "The Windows version of the XO doesn't have much of that built-in sweetness."
That said, Fried says that the large volume of educational software available for Windows is a major benefit that cannot be denied. In the end, she concludes, either OS version could be highly effective if "used properly, as part of a well-thought-out curriculum."
Doug, IN MY MIND there are better solutions that can serve the purpose of the OLPC.
The first thing that comes to mind is: how often will this laptop have to be replaced to keep everything going smoothly?
"AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage."
This is ancient technology. You can barely open more than a couple browser windows on a 256MB RAM computer.
OLPC is obviously not sustainable or scalable.
I would propose a new way which I'd call the O-VM-PC - "One Virtual Machine Per Child".
The "catch" to this scheme is that you'd first have to build a sizeable data center and run a hypervisor over your hardware which allows you to provision "virtual machines" to users. This is a much more scalable, economical and secure (with regards to children anyway) solution. It also means there is "zero" resource wastage. If the child no longer needs the vm, it's simply put back into the pool for another child to use.
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
South Africa has two of its own computer brands - Mecer and I think Proline is South African.THIS WAS TOLD TO ME JUST NOW.TO FIND OUT IF THEY MAKE EVERYTHING OWN THIER OWN,LOOK THEM UP.
AND I WILL FIND OUT MORE.
Nigeria: Coscharis Technologies Targets 500 PCs Per Day By 2009
Emecheta Ofondu, chief executive officer, Coscharis Technologies spoke to Vanguard’s reporter, Emeka Aginam on its latest brand of indigenous computer brand.
Posts: 2688 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: Actually OLPC comes in two flavors windows and linux. It originally launched using linux and the windows version followed after. Both versions are available and those countries that want to use the system can choose which they want.
quote: A CNET review of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO netbook explores the dilemma facing customers choosing between the Linux and Windows XP versions. Meanwhile, the Fedora Project has released a Fedora Sugar Spin Live CD incorporating the Linux XO version's Sugar desktop environment.
(Click for larger view of Rwandan children using the OLPC XO)
Championed by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte as a way to seed educational computing opportunities among poorer children around the world, the low-cost XO is manufactured by Quanta of Taiwan. Initially Linux-only when it shipped at the end of last year, the XO features an AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage. The devices also offer WiFi-based mesh networking.
Although the XO will be offered in the U.S. next month by Amazon, the netbook is primarily sold at a discounted rate to the educational ministries of developing nations, which must agree to distribute it for free to K-12 students.
Over the last year, the XO's price rose to twice the initially touted $100, leading some governments to back off of plans to make high-volume purchases. Despite its troubles, including a rift with Intel and a defection by its team of educational software developers to form a separate Sugar Labs, OLPC's XO continues to be purchased around the world, and recently received a promise from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to help distribute the notebooks. What's more, the XO is largely credited for having started the recent boom in small-scale netbooks, which has not only boosted the fortunes of Linux, but contributed to the rebirth of Windows XP.
Meanwhile, an intriguing XO-2 prototype has also emerged (pictured at right) that offers both tablet and netbook modes. The XO-2 is not expected to ship until 2010, however.
In May, OLPC announced a Windows XP version, which has only recently arrived to market. A dual-boot option is promised for the future, but in the meantime, customers must choose between the Linux and Windows versions.
An August review of the Windows version by Laptop magazine found it wanting. CNET's Ina Fried, however, appears to be more ambivalent when weighing the two versions side by side.
According to Fried, the decision faced by governments choosing between the versions is between the greater library of software available for Windows vs. the Linux version's potential for nurturing independent open source software development. The Sugar desktop environment used in the Linux version of the XO is now maintained by Sugar Labs, a group that spun out of OLPC, and is committed to developing open source GNU/Linux-based educational software.
o some potential customer nations, such as Peru, she writes, Windows makes sense because it can lead to proficiency in business applications that they believe can help its kids get better jobs. Others, meanwhile, "have demanded their students work on Linux, arguing open source computers offer a chance for an independent software economy not tied to Microsoft," she writes.
From the point of view of the typical user, however, she appears to give Linux an edge due to the innovative software features of the native Linux Sugar stack. Out of the overall "integrated suite of educational games, programming tools and other software, all built around a kid-friendly OS shell known as Sugar," only the child-oriented Scratch tool is offered on the Windows version, she writes.
The XO's slimmed-down version of Windows XP Professional "can run basically any software that can adjust itself to the mini-laptop's diminutive screen and modest processor," writes Fried. The modified OS can boot from a 2GB flash card, she writes, and offers drivers for XO features, such as its scratch pad, game controller, and camera.
"But what's missing in the Windows version is the personality that oozes out of the Linux incarnation," she continues. "The Windows version of the XO doesn't have much of that built-in sweetness."
That said, Fried says that the large volume of educational software available for Windows is a major benefit that cannot be denied. In the end, she concludes, either OS version could be highly effective if "used properly, as part of a well-thought-out curriculum."
Doug, IN MY MIND there are better solutions that can serve the purpose of the OLPC.
The first thing that comes to mind is: how often will this laptop have to be replaced to keep everything going smoothly?
"AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage."
This is ancient technology. You can barely open more than a couple browser windows on a 256MB RAM computer.
OLPC is obviously not sustainable or scalable.
I would propose a new way which I'd call the O-VM-PC - "One Virtual Machine Per Child".
The "catch" to this scheme is that you'd first have to build a sizeable data center and run a hypervisor over your hardware which allows you to provision "virtual machines" to users. This is a much more scalable, economical and secure (with regards to children anyway) solution. It also means there is "zero" resource wastage. If the child no longer needs the vm, it's simply put back into the pool for another child to use.
Actually that is debatable, since the OLPC was not intended to provide the ability for generic web browsing and other such features. It is actually designed as an open platform to develop features and learning for younger generations. It isn't simply about browsing the web, it is more about developing novel ways to approach providing networked data in an environment for learning. Such a network would be more about learning the basics of communications, networking and data sharing than about web browsing. At least it has the potential for such types of learning. It is designed to be feature rich but not cluttered with all the unnecessary junk that requires a super high speed chip. In fact, if you are simply browsing the web and reading open office documents, you don't really need even a 1Ghz chip to do that smoothly. I was able to run a word processor, create databases and browse the web quite well even on old PCs running windows 3.x on the intel486 in 1990. These processors are way years ahead of that, so there should be no problem with the processors in terms of performance.
quote: XO is built from free and open-source software. Our commitment to software freedom gives children the opportunity to use their laptops on their own terms. While we do not expect every child to become a programmer, we do not want any ceiling imposed on those children who choose to modify their machines. We are using open-document formats for much the same reason: transparency is empowering. The children—and their teachers—will have the freedom to reshape, reinvent, and reapply their software, hardware, and content.
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: Actually OLPC comes in two flavors windows and linux. It originally launched using linux and the windows version followed after. Both versions are available and those countries that want to use the system can choose which they want.
quote: A CNET review of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO netbook explores the dilemma facing customers choosing between the Linux and Windows XP versions. Meanwhile, the Fedora Project has released a Fedora Sugar Spin Live CD incorporating the Linux XO version's Sugar desktop environment.
(Click for larger view of Rwandan children using the OLPC XO)
Championed by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte as a way to seed educational computing opportunities among poorer children around the world, the low-cost XO is manufactured by Quanta of Taiwan. Initially Linux-only when it shipped at the end of last year, the XO features an AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage. The devices also offer WiFi-based mesh networking.
Although the XO will be offered in the U.S. next month by Amazon, the netbook is primarily sold at a discounted rate to the educational ministries of developing nations, which must agree to distribute it for free to K-12 students.
Over the last year, the XO's price rose to twice the initially touted $100, leading some governments to back off of plans to make high-volume purchases. Despite its troubles, including a rift with Intel and a defection by its team of educational software developers to form a separate Sugar Labs, OLPC's XO continues to be purchased around the world, and recently received a promise from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to help distribute the notebooks. What's more, the XO is largely credited for having started the recent boom in small-scale netbooks, which has not only boosted the fortunes of Linux, but contributed to the rebirth of Windows XP.
Meanwhile, an intriguing XO-2 prototype has also emerged (pictured at right) that offers both tablet and netbook modes. The XO-2 is not expected to ship until 2010, however.
In May, OLPC announced a Windows XP version, which has only recently arrived to market. A dual-boot option is promised for the future, but in the meantime, customers must choose between the Linux and Windows versions.
An August review of the Windows version by Laptop magazine found it wanting. CNET's Ina Fried, however, appears to be more ambivalent when weighing the two versions side by side.
According to Fried, the decision faced by governments choosing between the versions is between the greater library of software available for Windows vs. the Linux version's potential for nurturing independent open source software development. The Sugar desktop environment used in the Linux version of the XO is now maintained by Sugar Labs, a group that spun out of OLPC, and is committed to developing open source GNU/Linux-based educational software.
o some potential customer nations, such as Peru, she writes, Windows makes sense because it can lead to proficiency in business applications that they believe can help its kids get better jobs. Others, meanwhile, "have demanded their students work on Linux, arguing open source computers offer a chance for an independent software economy not tied to Microsoft," she writes.
From the point of view of the typical user, however, she appears to give Linux an edge due to the innovative software features of the native Linux Sugar stack. Out of the overall "integrated suite of educational games, programming tools and other software, all built around a kid-friendly OS shell known as Sugar," only the child-oriented Scratch tool is offered on the Windows version, she writes.
The XO's slimmed-down version of Windows XP Professional "can run basically any software that can adjust itself to the mini-laptop's diminutive screen and modest processor," writes Fried. The modified OS can boot from a 2GB flash card, she writes, and offers drivers for XO features, such as its scratch pad, game controller, and camera.
"But what's missing in the Windows version is the personality that oozes out of the Linux incarnation," she continues. "The Windows version of the XO doesn't have much of that built-in sweetness."
That said, Fried says that the large volume of educational software available for Windows is a major benefit that cannot be denied. In the end, she concludes, either OS version could be highly effective if "used properly, as part of a well-thought-out curriculum."
Doug, IN MY MIND there are better solutions that can serve the purpose of the OLPC.
The first thing that comes to mind is: how often will this laptop have to be replaced to keep everything going smoothly?
"AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage."
This is ancient technology. You can barely open more than a couple browser windows on a 256MB RAM computer.
OLPC is obviously not sustainable or scalable.
I would propose a new way which I'd call the O-VM-PC - "One Virtual Machine Per Child".
The "catch" to this scheme is that you'd first have to build a sizeable data center and run a hypervisor over your hardware which allows you to provision "virtual machines" to users. This is a much more scalable, economical and secure (with regards to children anyway) solution. It also means there is "zero" resource wastage. If the child no longer needs the vm, it's simply put back into the pool for another child to use.
Actually that is debatable, since the OLPC was not intended to provide the ability for generic web browsing and other such features. It is actually designed as an open platform to develop features and learning for younger generations. It isn't simply about browsing the web, it is more about developing novel ways to approach providing networked data in an environment for learning. Such a network would be more about learning the basics of communications, networking and data sharing than about web browsing. At least it has the potential for such types of learning. It is designed to be feature rich but not cluttered with all the unnecessary junk that requires a super high speed chip. In fact, if you are simply browsing the web and reading open office documents, you don't really need even a 1Ghz chip to do that smoothly. I was able to run a word processor, create databases and browse the web quite well even on old PCs running windows 3.x on the intel486 in 1990. These processors are way years ahead of that, so there should be no problem with the processors in terms of performance.
quote: XO is built from free and open-source software. Our commitment to software freedom gives children the opportunity to use their laptops on their own terms. While we do not expect every child to become a programmer, we do not want any ceiling imposed on those children who choose to modify their machines. We are using open-document formats for much the same reason: transparency is empowering. The children—and their teachers—will have the freedom to reshape, reinvent, and reapply their software, hardware, and content.
I didn't say anything was wrong with the processor. I simply stated that 256MB RAM is not sufficient for a typical "young" computer user. In addition to browsing, the "virtual pc" can be used like any other PC (Gaming alone can consume all that RAM).
READ MY LAST POST AGAIN. IT HAD *NOTHING* TO DO WITH "GENERIC WEB BROWSING".
You obviously misunderstood my post because I wasn't actually talking about browsing the web, I was talking about using VIRTUALIZATION to deliver a "better" type of OLPC:
quote:I SAID: I would propose a new way which I'd call the O-VM-PC - "One Virtual Machine Per Child".
Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
AND ALL THE "END USER" NEEDS IS A DUMB TERMINAL/MONITOR AND A NETWORK CONNECTION...
quote: Secure Virtual PC Environments for Remote, Guest Users
VMware ACE allows system administrators to create and distribute virtual PC environment packages--complete with an operating system, designated applications, and data--to individual PCs. Typically such packages would be targeted to remote access PCs, including remote workers and/or guests (contractors, consultants, etc.) but the tool could also be used as a provisioning tool for enterprise PCs, as well.
The platform consists of two primary components: The VMware ACE Manager, and the end-user application to run the virtual machines created by the Manager. System administrators use the VMware ACE manager to create virtual project packages, an isolated PC operating environment complete with operating system, applications, and data known as an "Assured Computing Environment." Such packages are made available to remote users--together with the application that runs the virtual environment on the remote PC and security policies, defined by the administrator, that control the actual usage of the environment--via download or disk distribution.
Once installed on the end user's PC, the virtual environments run on top of the host PC's operating system, with the end user's VMware ACE component automatically mapping the hardware of the end user's PC to the virtual environment itself. While the host operating system--the existing platform on the end-user PC--must be Windows 2000 or later (Linux is supported in the next version, see below), the operating system that is packaged within the virtual environment--the "Guest" operating system--can be one of several possibilities; including Windows, Linux, and NetWare.
The virtual environment is governed by the security policies--known as Virtual Rights Management--as defined by the administrator, and can include such qualifications as how long the virtual environment is authorized to be used, what local hardware components can (or cannot) be accessed while within the virtual environment, who can utilize the virtual environment (authentication), and what data copy protection will be enforced. Rules-based network access controls enable the platform to identify and quarantine expired, unauthorized or out-of-date VMware ACE environments.
posted
Let's be honest here people, how many of you have ever opened up your computer to see what's in it? you know, to check out the way the motherboard is put together, or how the transistors and capacitors are placed or where the cpu actually is.
In fact, I bet changing/adding RAM to memory slots is the most intimate most of you have ever come with the "hardware" of your computer.
So what's the use of that clunky noise making and energy consuming box under your desk? Posts: 3423 | From: the jungle - when y'all stop playing games, call me. | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: Actually OLPC comes in two flavors windows and linux. It originally launched using linux and the windows version followed after. Both versions are available and those countries that want to use the system can choose which they want.
quote: A CNET review of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO netbook explores the dilemma facing customers choosing between the Linux and Windows XP versions. Meanwhile, the Fedora Project has released a Fedora Sugar Spin Live CD incorporating the Linux XO version's Sugar desktop environment.
(Click for larger view of Rwandan children using the OLPC XO)
Championed by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte as a way to seed educational computing opportunities among poorer children around the world, the low-cost XO is manufactured by Quanta of Taiwan. Initially Linux-only when it shipped at the end of last year, the XO features an AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage. The devices also offer WiFi-based mesh networking.
Although the XO will be offered in the U.S. next month by Amazon, the netbook is primarily sold at a discounted rate to the educational ministries of developing nations, which must agree to distribute it for free to K-12 students.
Over the last year, the XO's price rose to twice the initially touted $100, leading some governments to back off of plans to make high-volume purchases. Despite its troubles, including a rift with Intel and a defection by its team of educational software developers to form a separate Sugar Labs, OLPC's XO continues to be purchased around the world, and recently received a promise from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to help distribute the notebooks. What's more, the XO is largely credited for having started the recent boom in small-scale netbooks, which has not only boosted the fortunes of Linux, but contributed to the rebirth of Windows XP.
Meanwhile, an intriguing XO-2 prototype has also emerged (pictured at right) that offers both tablet and netbook modes. The XO-2 is not expected to ship until 2010, however.
In May, OLPC announced a Windows XP version, which has only recently arrived to market. A dual-boot option is promised for the future, but in the meantime, customers must choose between the Linux and Windows versions.
An August review of the Windows version by Laptop magazine found it wanting. CNET's Ina Fried, however, appears to be more ambivalent when weighing the two versions side by side.
According to Fried, the decision faced by governments choosing between the versions is between the greater library of software available for Windows vs. the Linux version's potential for nurturing independent open source software development. The Sugar desktop environment used in the Linux version of the XO is now maintained by Sugar Labs, a group that spun out of OLPC, and is committed to developing open source GNU/Linux-based educational software.
o some potential customer nations, such as Peru, she writes, Windows makes sense because it can lead to proficiency in business applications that they believe can help its kids get better jobs. Others, meanwhile, "have demanded their students work on Linux, arguing open source computers offer a chance for an independent software economy not tied to Microsoft," she writes.
From the point of view of the typical user, however, she appears to give Linux an edge due to the innovative software features of the native Linux Sugar stack. Out of the overall "integrated suite of educational games, programming tools and other software, all built around a kid-friendly OS shell known as Sugar," only the child-oriented Scratch tool is offered on the Windows version, she writes.
The XO's slimmed-down version of Windows XP Professional "can run basically any software that can adjust itself to the mini-laptop's diminutive screen and modest processor," writes Fried. The modified OS can boot from a 2GB flash card, she writes, and offers drivers for XO features, such as its scratch pad, game controller, and camera.
"But what's missing in the Windows version is the personality that oozes out of the Linux incarnation," she continues. "The Windows version of the XO doesn't have much of that built-in sweetness."
That said, Fried says that the large volume of educational software available for Windows is a major benefit that cannot be denied. In the end, she concludes, either OS version could be highly effective if "used properly, as part of a well-thought-out curriculum."
Doug, IN MY MIND there are better solutions that can serve the purpose of the OLPC.
The first thing that comes to mind is: how often will this laptop have to be replaced to keep everything going smoothly?
"AMD Geode LX-700 processor clocked at 433MHz, an integrated graphics controller driving a 7.5-inch, 1200 x 900 screen, 256MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage."
This is ancient technology. You can barely open more than a couple browser windows on a 256MB RAM computer.
OLPC is obviously not sustainable or scalable.
I would propose a new way which I'd call the O-VM-PC - "One Virtual Machine Per Child".
The "catch" to this scheme is that you'd first have to build a sizeable data center and run a hypervisor over your hardware which allows you to provision "virtual machines" to users. This is a much more scalable, economical and secure (with regards to children anyway) solution. It also means there is "zero" resource wastage. If the child no longer needs the vm, it's simply put back into the pool for another child to use.
Actually that is debatable, since the OLPC was not intended to provide the ability for generic web browsing and other such features. It is actually designed as an open platform to develop features and learning for younger generations. It isn't simply about browsing the web, it is more about developing novel ways to approach providing networked data in an environment for learning. Such a network would be more about learning the basics of communications, networking and data sharing than about web browsing. At least it has the potential for such types of learning. It is designed to be feature rich but not cluttered with all the unnecessary junk that requires a super high speed chip. In fact, if you are simply browsing the web and reading open office documents, you don't really need even a 1Ghz chip to do that smoothly. I was able to run a word processor, create databases and browse the web quite well even on old PCs running windows 3.x on the intel486 in 1990. These processors are way years ahead of that, so there should be no problem with the processors in terms of performance.
quote: XO is built from free and open-source software. Our commitment to software freedom gives children the opportunity to use their laptops on their own terms. While we do not expect every child to become a programmer, we do not want any ceiling imposed on those children who choose to modify their machines. We are using open-document formats for much the same reason: transparency is empowering. The children—and their teachers—will have the freedom to reshape, reinvent, and reapply their software, hardware, and content.
I didn't say anything was wrong with the processor. I simply stated that 256MB RAM is not sufficient for a typical "young" computer user. In addition to browsing, the "virtual pc" can be used like any other PC (Gaming alone can consume all that RAM).
READ MY LAST POST AGAIN. IT HAD *NOTHING* TO DO WITH "GENERIC WEB BROWSING".
You obviously misunderstood my post because I wasn't actually talking about browsing the web, I was talking about using VIRTUALIZATION to deliver a "better" type of OLPC:
quote:I SAID: I would propose a new way which I'd call the O-VM-PC - "One Virtual Machine Per Child".
You claimed that the hardware wasn't sufficient. I am saying it is quite sufficient for what it is designed to do, which includes browsing the web, but browsing the web isn't the purpose of such a system.
Virtualization has its limits because it requires a network to enable access to the system. Once the OL VM PC leaves out of range of the wireless network it is useless. You have to realize the that the OLPC is designed to be used in a networked environment to begin with, because it does not have any significant storage capacity. Therefore, it designed to be a networked node that has access to various educational materials off a server other system.
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The OLPC scheme is intended to provide low cost computers to so-called third world countries. The initiative was great to get the industry moving in producing a viable low cost model. The Asian OEM will dominate this market with parallel products like the Eee and Wind Netbooks from Asus and MSI containing Intel Atom and VIA Nano processors, each having 2-3x the performance of the AMD Geode. The bare bones Wind is $139 while the Eee is from $200 to $300 depending on processor and memory.
For these applications such as email, browsing, Word, Sharepoint, ect. the power of a low end AMD geode or Intel centrino processor is adequate. However, as the child progresses in grade level, the demands on the child as well as the computer increases. At the high school level, the computer becomes far less useful.
Cloud computing is really a gimmick that Amazon and Google thought up originally to provide online storage capability to their remote users using excess storage on their server farms.
The obvious trade-off of this scheme for any user is, you never own any of the applications and are esentially locked into Amazon, Google, Microsoft or whichever service provider you use. The services are too young to promote portability between one another, so beyond using them for anything other then storage is not something I recommend. Microsoft's next Windows 7 release will lock users into their platform. Many businesses will not commit to this scheme, although many value added businesses targeting the former set will. I predict Windows 7 will gather as little interest to corporations as Vista.
To handle network connectivity , both schemes, OLPC and Cloud will depend on the success of Intel's WIMAX protocol. They are just beginning to deploy and I know for certain they are targeting Africa because of it's 2-4 mile node radius.
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: You have to realize the that the OLPC is designed to be used in a networked environment to begin with, because it does not have any significant storage capacity. Therefore, it designed to be a networked node that has access to various educational materials off a server other system.
Fair enough.
But the OLVMPC (I should find a better name) has its advantages which makes it worth looking into.
As a 'puter technology enthusiast I often have a bias for the cutting edge. Sometimes it's not about being practical, it's about being competitive.
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posted
*15 Hot New Technologies That Will Change Everything*
quote: October 29, 2008 — PC World — The Next Big thing? The memristor, a microscopic component that can "remember" electrical states even when turned off. It's expected to be far cheaper and faster than flash storage. A theoretical concept since 1971, it has now been built in labs and is already starting to revolutionize everything we know about computing, possibly making flash memory, RAM, and even hard drives obsolete within a decade. image Illustration: Randy Lyhus
The memristor is just one of the incredible technological advances sending shock waves through the world of computing. Other innovations in the works are more down-to-earth, but they also carry watershed significance. From the technologies that finally make paperless offices a reality to those that deliver wireless power, these advances should make your humble PC a far different beast come the turn of the decade. The Future of Your PC's Hardware
Memristor: A Groundbreaking New Circuit
This simple memristor circuit could soon transform all electronic devices. Courtesy of HP
Since the dawn of electronics, we've had only three types of circuit components--resistors, inductors, and capacitors. But in 1971, UC Berkeley researcher Leon Chua theorized the possibility of a fourth type of component, one that would be able to measure the flow of electric current: the memristor. Now, just 37 years later, Hewlett-Packard has built one.
What is it? As its name implies, the memristor can "remember" how much current has passed through it. And by alternating the amount of current that passes through it, a memristor can also become a one-element circuit component with unique properties. Most notably, it can save its electronic state even when the current is turned off, making it a great candidate to replace today's flash memory.
Memristors will theoretically be cheaper and far faster than flash memory, and allow far greater memory densities. They could also replace RAM chips as we know them, so that, after you turn off your computer, it will remember exactly what it was doing when you turn it back on, and return to work instantly. This lowering of cost and consolidating of components may lead to affordable, solid-state computers that fit in your pocket and run many times faster than today's PCs.
Someday the memristor could spawn a whole new type of computer, thanks to its ability to remember a range of electrical states rather than the simplistic "on" and "off" states that today's digital processors recognize. By working with a dynamic range of data states in an analog mode, memristor-based computers could be capable of far more complex tasks than just shuttling ones and zeroes around.
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When is it coming? Researchers say that no real barrier prevents implementing the memristor in circuitry immediately. But it's up to the business side to push products through to commercial reality. Memristors made to replace flash memory (at a lower cost and lower power consumption) will likely appear first; HP's goal is to offer them by 2012. Beyond that, memristors will likely replace both DRAM and hard disks in the 2014-to-2016 time frame. As for memristor-based analog computers, that step may take 20-plus years.
32-Core CPUs From Intel and AMD
8-core Intel and AMD CPUs are about to make their way onto desktop PCs everywhere. Next stop: 16 cores. Courtesy of Intel
If your CPU has only a single core, it's officially a dinosaur. In fact, quad-core computing is now commonplace; you can even get laptop computers with four cores today. But we're really just at the beginning of the core wars: Leadership in the CPU market will soon be decided by who has the most cores, not who has the fastest clock speed.
What is it? With the gigahertz race largely abandoned, both AMD and Intel are trying to pack more cores onto a die in order to continue to improve processing power and aid with multitasking operations. Miniaturizing chips further will be key to fitting these cores and other components into a limited space. Intel will roll out 32-nanometer processors (down from today's 45nm chips) in 2009.
When is it coming? Intel has been very good about sticking to its road map. A six-core CPU based on the Itanium design should be out imminently, when Intel then shifts focus to a brand-new architecture called Nehalem, to be marketed as Core i7. Core i7 will feature up to eight cores, with eight-core systems available in 2009 or 2010. (And an eight-core AMD project called Montreal is reportedly on tap for 2009.)
After that, the timeline gets fuzzy. Intel reportedly canceled a 32-core project called Keifer, slated for 2010, possibly because of its complexity (the company won't confirm this, though). That many cores requires a new way of dealing with memory; apparently you can't have 32 brains pulling out of one central pool of RAM. But we still expect cores to proliferate when the kinks are ironed out: 16 cores by 2011 or 2012 is plausible (when transistors are predicted to drop again in size to 22nm), with 32 cores by 2013 or 2014 easily within reach. Intel says "hundreds" of cores may come even farther down the line.
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Nehalem and Swift Chips Spell the End of Stand-Alone Graphics Boards
When AMD purchased graphics card maker ATI, most industry observers assumed that the combined company would start working on a CPU-GPU fusion. That work is further along than you may think.
What is it? While GPUs get tons of attention, discrete graphics boards are a comparative rarity among PC owners, as 75 percent of laptop users stick with good old integrated graphics, according to Mercury Research. Among the reasons: the extra cost of a discrete graphics card, the hassle of installing one, and its drain on the battery. Putting graphics functions right on the CPU eliminates all three issues.
Chip makers expect the performance of such on-die GPUs to fall somewhere between that of today's integrated graphics and stand-alone graphics boards--but eventually, experts believe, their performance could catch up and make discrete graphics obsolete. One potential idea is to devote, say, 4 cores in a 16-core CPU to graphics processing, which could make for blistering gaming experiences.
When is it coming? Intel's soon-to-come Nehalem chip includes graphics processing within the chip package, but off of the actual CPU die. AMD's Swift (aka the Shrike platform), the first product in its Fusion line, reportedly takes the same design approach, and is also currently on tap for 2009.
Putting the GPU directly on the same die as the CPU presents challenges--heat being a major one--but that doesn't mean those issues won't be worked out. Intel's two Nehalem follow-ups, Auburndale and Havendale, both slated for late 2009, may be the first chips to put a GPU and a CPU on one die, but the company isn't saying yet.
USB 3.0 Speeds Up Performance on External Devices
The USB connector has been one of the greatest success stories in the history of computing, with more than 2 billion USB-connected devices sold to date. But in an age of terabyte hard drives, the once-cool throughput of 480 megabits per second that a USB 2.0 device can realistically provide just doesn't cut it any longer.
What is it? USB 3.0 (aka "SuperSpeed USB") promises to increase performance by a factor of 10, pushing the theoretical maximum throughput of the connector all the way up to 4.8 gigabits per second, or processing roughly the equivalent of an entire CD-R disc every second. USB 3.0 devices will use a slightly different connector, but USB 3.0 ports are expected to be backward-compatible with current USB plugs, and vice versa. USB 3.0 should also greatly enhance the power efficiency of USB devices, while increasing the juice (nearly one full amp, up from 0.1 amps) available to them. That means faster charging times for your iPod--and probably even more bizarre USB-connected gear like the toy rocket launchers and beverage coolers that have been festooning people's desks.
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When is it coming? The USB 3.0 spec is nearly finished, with consumer gear now predicted to come in 2010. Meanwhile, a host of competing high-speed plugs--DisplayPort, eSATA, and HDMI--will soon become commonplace on PCs, driven largely by the onset of high-def video. Even FireWire is looking at an imminent upgrade of up to 3.2 gbps performance. The port proliferation may make for a baffling landscape on the back of a new PC, but you will at least have plenty of high-performance options for hooking up peripherals.
Wireless Power Transmission
Wireless power transmission has been a dream since the days when Nikola Tesla imagined a world studded with enormous Tesla coils. But aside from advances in recharging electric toothbrushes, wireless power has so far failed to make significant inroads into consumer-level gear.
What is it? This summer, Intel researchers demonstrated a method--based on MIT research--for throwing electricity a distance of a few feet, without wires and without any dangers to bystanders (well, none that they know about yet). Intel calls the technology a "wireless resonant energy link," and it works by sending a specific, 10-MHz signal through a coil of wire; a similar, nearby coil of wire resonates in tune with the frequency, causing electrons to flow through that coil too. Though the design is primitive, it can light up a 60-watt bulb with 70 percent efficiency.
When is it coming? Numerous obstacles remain, the first of which is that the Intel project uses alternating current. To charge gadgets, we'd have to see a direct-current version, and the size of the apparatus would have to be considerably smaller. Numerous regulatory hurdles would likely have to be cleared in commercializing such a system, and it would have to be thoroughly vetted for safety concerns.
Assuming those all go reasonably well, such receiving circuitry could be integrated into the back of your laptop screen in roughly the next six to eight years. It would then be a simple matter for your local airport or even Starbucks to embed the companion power transmitters right into the walls so you can get a quick charge without ever opening up your laptop bag.
The Future of Your PC's Software
64-Bit Computing Allows for More RAM
In 1986, Intel introduced its first 32-bit CPU. It wasn't until 1993 that the first fully 32-bit Windows OS--Windows NT 3.1--followed, officially ending the 16-bit era. Now 64-bit processors have become the norm in desktops and notebooks, though Microsoft still won't commit to an all-64-bit Windows. But it can't live in the 32-bit world forever.
sun-cantrill-shapiro Bryan Cantrill and Mike Shapiro, Distinguished Engineers at Sun, dreamed up a new type of storage product and convinced executives to let them build it in relative isolation. Image: Sun
Maybe there’s something about unconventional office space that gets Silicon Valley’s creative juices flowing.
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard worked their magic in a garage. Apple’s (AAPL) Macintosh development team flew a pirate flag over the Bandley 3 building. Now Sun Microsystems (JAVA) hopes a young team that toiled in an unmarked — and reportedly unkempt – San Francisco loft can spark a turnaround in a tough economy, and build a new billion-dollar business.
The pizza-fueled group, led by engineering whizzes Mike Shapiro, Bryan Cantrill and Jeff Bonwick, spent about three years developing a new type of data storage box that uses flash technology, off-the-shelf parts and open-source software to help companies store and manage information more effectively. Don’t doze off, now – data storage may sound boring, but it’s also lucrative. With the explosion in online video, social networking, Web-based software and online commerce, it’s about as close to a recession-proof business as you can find.
Just think: Every stock transaction, YouTube video, and Facebook friend request gets stored somewhere. That’s why market research firm IDC has network storage pegged as a $4 billion business in the second quarter alone, up 22% over a year before. Tech heavyweights like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) have recently bought storage outfits to gain a competitive edge.
For Sun, a respected Silicon Valley data center supplier that never completely recovered from the dot-com bust, this growing pot of money is too big an opportunity to pass up. Investment firm Southeastern Asset Management has recently accumulated a fifth of Sun’s shares, and has hinted that it might start hunting for suitors whether Sun’s board likes it or not. A hit product could buy Sun some time – or even convince investors that it can do just fine on its own.
Shapiro and Cantrill certainly had the brains to come up with something game-changing. The two college buddies, who had risen through Sun’s ranks to become Distinguished Engineers, believed that by tapping software they have developed over the years, they could build a new breed of networked storage box that’s faster, cheaper, and simpler to operate than the mainstream fare from companies like EMC (EMC) and Network Appliance (NTAP). They decided to bring the idea to top executives. “I honestly though we’d get laughed out of the room and just get told to go back and do our jobs,” Shapiro said.
One day in the cafeteria the two cornered Greg Papadopoulos, Sun’s chief technology officer, and made an unlikely pitch for resources to pursue their vision. They continued the conversation in his office — and to their surprise, he said yes on the spot. A project code-named Amber Road was born. “Some of our top engineers came and they said this is profoundly important, the time has come, and we want to go do it,” Papadopoulos recalled. “I’d better have a good reason to say no.”
Actually, he could have come up with several good reasons. Unlike high-fliers like Google (GOOG) and Apple, which have billions in cash and zero debt, Sun doesn’t have money to burn on every engineer’s pet project: Recently the company reported it had $2.6 billion in cash, $1.2 billion in debt, and enough potholes in its balance sheet that it has announced plans to lay off 350 employees in January. (That alone doesn’t sound like much, but Sun has let go of 1,500 employees in recent months.) In the most recent quarter, sales slumped 7% to $3 billion. Sun stock also reflects the harsh reality: it’s trading near $4 per share, where it was in early 1995. That’s down 80% from a year ago.
If that weren’t enough, the Amber Road team asked for its own office space, away from Sun’s big-company atmosphere and product development protocols. Shapiro in particular felt that to design an easy-to-use storage system, the team would need to escape Sun’s culture. “We build for engineers – lots of knobs and dials and gauges — and that’s really anathema for ease of use,” Papadopoulos admitted.
So he and systems group chief John Fowler agreed to the group’s pleas for independence, under a few conditions. The space couldn’t be as nice as Sun’s official offices, and there would be no elaborate decorating budget; the team of about a dozen engineers painted it themselves, and found furniture at flea markets. “They love it, it’s right across the street from the bus terminal,” Papadopoulos said. “You just sort of slide pizzas under the door.”
If it sounds like a startup, that’s the idea. There’s some history of this at Sun; legend has it that James Gosling left the company’s offices to work on the Java programming language in rented space on University Avenue in Palo Alto — not far from where Facebook’s headquarters is today. But the question is whether this infusion of outside-the-box thinking will be enough to make a difference for Sun’s bottom line. “How fast it can grow to be a billion dollars plus, which is what it needs to be, is not clear,” admitted Fowler, the systems group chief. But he’s optimistic; customers who have seen the new storage product in action can’t wait to get their hands on one, he says.
Analysts so far are skeptical. Sun will have to prove that its Sun Storage 7000 appliances are powerful enough to serve the needs of large customers, who tend to be comfortable with companies like EMC whose storage products have longer track records. But the fact that Sun has elegantly built flash-based solid-state storage technology into these boxes should help. IT managers are eyeing solid-state storage as a way to boost performance, and while all of the major storage companies are promising to include it in future systems, Sun is among the first to deliver.
“Can Sun get out there quickly enough and grab market share so they can grow their base before others arrive to the party?” asked Gene Ruth, analyst with Burton Group. “A year from now I suspect we’re going to see all the majors out there with significant solid-state products. I always look at Sun as being a technically strong company. Whether they can execute is the question. I hope they do.”
This may be one of Sun’s last chances to prove it can get something going. For years, rumors have swirled around Silicon Valley that someone will swoop in and buy out the company. Granted, that seems mighty unlikely in this environment –- with scads of plucky startups for sale at bargain-bin prices, why buy a struggling giant? But if the stock stays this cheap, valuing the company at just $3 billion, it’s a safe bet that antsy investors will make a move.
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