PC in 2008 and beyond

Super-fast processing chips, flexible screens, nano cooling systems . unimaginable technologies a few years ago, are now ready to change the computing world and our daily lives.

The world of science fiction is becoming a reality quickly, from the charging table, the way to not give laptops to wall-mounted computers that recognize your face and gestures. Thanks to breakthroughs in miniature, you can fit into the pockets of products that a few years ago did not fit into a handbag, such as a projector and a printer. The next generation of Internet technology will change everything from TVs to vending machines. When processor manufacturers put more and more employees on each chip and the drive manufacturers increasingly have more and more bits on each disk, normal PC in the future can do anything, not just work normally. .

In the following sections, we will take a look at more than a dozen important technologies, from technologies that are already ahead to those that still have to wait at least 4-5 years. The future we expect has emerged.

Separate the power cord

Put the device on special pads to charge without wires.

You can easily connect to the wireless Internet for your laptop, but still have to search the power cord when the device runs out of power. But soon, heavy resource bureaucracy is only the past because wireless charging solutions are already on the market.

Solution? There are 2 ways to perform wireless charging. The 'touch' charger works by resonating the electromagnetic field of the charging plate with the battery, allowing the battery to charge over a small distance. In contrast, charging 'leads' transmits electricity directly through two contact surfaces. Which solution will win is not clear, but in any case you will be able to simply put your laptop, mobile phone and music player on a universal wireless charging plate to instantly recharge the battery.

When? Both charging and charging technologies will be available in the market next year, but to work the device will need an adapter ($ 30). WildCharge (www.wildcharge.com) is expected to launch the first 'lead' charging laptop in the next school year, while eCoupled (www.ecoupled.com) is trying to bring 'touch' technology into the car. and the tabletop in 2009. With the commitment of major manufacturers of laptops and mobile phones, hopefully wireless charging will become popular in 2010.

Print everywhere and everything

Forget about running home to print photos or (play) to print online. The next generation of mobile devices will come with a printer.

Solution? Zink Imaging (www.zink.com, zink is an acronym for 'Zero Ink'), a subsidiary of Polaroid, is researching to create a new type of photo paper: Zink paper has a special chemical layer that turns color. when going through a thin printer. Thanks to the transfer of color processing to paper, the size of the printer can be reduced to put into the bag or integrated into the camera, laptop .

When? In 2008, Zink will partner with a major camera maker (unpublished name) to offer the first pocket-size digital camera with printer integration. This first model can print 5x7 cm images. At the same time, the company started selling tiny portable printers for cell phones. After 2 or 3 years, this technology will be integrated into laptops and other mobile devices.

Excellent integrated graphics

For a long time, 'integrated graphics' is synonymous with 'slow graphics'. But soon this phrase will be completely new, thanks to the new generation CPU integrated graphics.

Solution? AMD's acquisition of ATI brought the company's battle with Intel, which also produced its own graphics chip, to a new level. These two competing companies are working to bridge the gap between the CPU and the graphics processor (GPU). Setting up the graphics processing function directly in the CPU reduces the previous delay due to data transfer between the CPU and GPU via the bus system. Combined CPU / GPU sets will support DirectX 10 and accelerate for Blu-ray and HD-DVD while consuming significantly less power, taking up less space on the motherboard and working better than many graphics cards Current painting.

When? Intel plans to produce graphics-integrated Nehalem processors in 2008, starting with the server line. AMD plans to release an integrated Puma laptop platform at the same time. In 2009, Intel will include graphics integration chips into desktops and laptops, while AMD's Puma will appear in desktop computers by 2010.

Scroll screen

The devices are getting stronger, smaller and more difficult to use. The tiny screen is not very convenient to work. But if your mobile phone or PDA comes with a big screen that can be rolled up, you can work comfortably without sacrificing mobility. That's where synthetic plastic (polymer) will be present.

Solution? Manufacturers make traditional LCD screens by placing liquid crystals between glass layers and then charging them. Replacing plastic glass makes the screen more 'easy to protect'. Initially developed by E Ink (www.eink.com) and Philips (www.philips.com), the so-called electronic paper compresses organic light-emitting diode (OLED) crystals between thin layers of polymer and flexible. Unlike regular LCD screens, these ultra-thin screens are completely unbreakable and can even be rolled up into tiny tubes. So you can pocket a wide screen and use it anywhere. Moreover, such screens are cheaper and easier to produce than current flat screens because they can be printed right on plastic sheets.

When? The first generation of flexible displays was present - only they could not bend. E Ink's electronic paper can be found in non-bending products like the Sony Reader for $ 300 and Motorola Motofone F3. The first screen can actually roll to market in 2008: a Telecom Italia mobile phone will use the world's first roll screen of Polymer Vision (Philips). Currently kept secret, this phone (not yet available) is expected to have a 5-inch screen, monochrome, 320x240 pixel resolution. By 2010, Polymer Vision is expected to market a larger color screen with higher resolution.

Real Internet Phone

Simple wireless calling satisfies users throughout the first generation of mobile phones, but the second generation (2G) makes things more interesting with SMS messaging and WAP Internet browsing features. 2.5G generation adds images and videos, but the speed is more like dialing than broadband. With 3G, a higher bandwidth connection makes multimedia features of 2.5G run well. 4G generation is much more attractive.

Solution? The fundamental difference between 4G and 3G is how to connect. So far, most telephone networks (except VoIP) use the circuit (or switching) method, which means establishing a dedicated circuit between callers. This outdated method views all calls as the same type, separate from data channels, and does not allow mobile phones to transmit voice and data simultaneously. The 4G network will be an IP connection, just like the entire flow of information on the Internet. Not only does that mean you will be able to talk and work with data at the same time, but your 4G device will be able to do more on the net than it is today. IP-connected mobile networks will do more than ISPs, more flexible in running data applications. Any device - from phones, laptops to automated water vending machines - can be connected to the network, and you can do everything. Another result of this flexibility: service providers may be forced to loosen their control over services that customers can use online, giving people free information exchange. more when traveling.

When? The top four wireless service providers in the United States have only drafted the framework for their 3G network, and most users seem to be uninterested in higher-level data transfers. But the fundamental technology of 4G and WiMAX networks is now available and is gradually evolving in corporate networks and telecommunications companies. However, WiMAX is not itself a mobile technology, and before the fourth generation mobile network can grow, the industry needs to find a new communication protocol for it. When business users increase demand for wireless data services, mobile service providers will begin deploying networks and devices to provide 4G services. Hopefully the first fourth generation mobile devices will appear on the market in 2011.

8 core CPU

8-core processors will increase computing power without overheating

Regardless of Moore's law, how much processor speed or bit duplication in the CPU does not make sense if the system bus does not respond to data traffic. Because current leakage problems become complicated when the pulse rate increases and the CPU shrinks, both Intel and AMD have decided to focus on increasing the number of processor cores per chip instead of increasing the processor speed.

Solution? Multiplication is the core component of any CPU, it is responsible for computing tasks to run all software. Placing multiple cores on a chip significantly increases the number of computational tasks that can be performed, without increasing the chip clock speed. By keeping the pulse rate relatively low while increasing the number of calculations performed simultaneously, chip makers have overcome the inevitable overheating problem due to faster clock speeds. The more cores inserted into a single chip, the more CPU can work faster. However, the speed does not increase linearly: according to Intel, Core 2 Quad Q6700, its 2.66GHz quad-core processor, only works 26% faster than 2-core Core 2 Duo E6700 processors on certain applications. .

So even though the 8-core CPU improves speed, it's not as much faster than you might think.

When? Before starting to sell 8-core chips for desktops, AMD will bring its quad-core Phenom to market in 2008. Intel has sold quad-core processors for desktop computers for more than a year now and the company has done so. Dad's 8-core chips will be released in 2008. Hopefully OctoCore - or whatever name Intel finally gives it - will be available in desktop computers by 2010.

TV set everywhere

Although the wireless revolution has occurred around your home, high-definition TVs still have to be wired. It's great to be able to place the TV anywhere without having to worry about the cable jack location and still get the best video quality. Soon you will be able to do so.

Solution? Wireless High Definition Interface (WHDI - Wireless High Definition Interface) is a wireless alternative to HDMI using a 5GHz radio transmitter to send 1080p high-definition, 30-fps high-definition video signals from equipped DVD players. WHDI, consoles that play games or set-top boxes . go to TV with WHDI equipped over 30m distance. Because the WHDI signal is compatible with HDMI, you can buy an HDMI wireless modem for your existing entertainment devices - and that means you can arrange your own things without having to go through cables. wall.

When? Amimon (www.amimon.com), the maker of WHDI chipsets, has introduced technology to electronics manufacturers in late August. Now the race is on the way to bring WHDI to market. TV manufacturers have begun introducing wireless HDTV models at trade shows, and high-tech fans can put their hands on the device early next year. WHDI is expected to add $ 200 to each new TV, and hopes to benefit this technology in 2008. WHDI modems for current hardware cost about $ 200-400 for a pair of adater (1 receiver for TV and 1 set for set-top boxes, for example). In the next few years, according to Amimon's vice president of marketing, the price will drop to about $ 10 for a TV-based component and $ 60 for the adapter.

5 Terabyte drive

The WHDI adapter developed by Amimon sends wireless high-definition video from the cable box to the TV

Although it is not a "big number", you may cram a lot of data on your hard drive. Digital photos, movies, music and email folders take up many gigabytes before you realize it. But don't worry: larger capacity hard drives are appearing on the horizon.

Solution? Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR), and similar technology Thermally Assisted Magnetic Recording, uses lasers to heat the disc surface to physically terabytes of data per square inch, almost double the current limit. When working, the reader / writer projects the laser onto the surface of the disc to heat and change the equilibrium state of the molecules, thereby reading and recording a large amount of information on a small space. . As soon as the job is complete, the cold disk surface returns to a stable state. The way data is arranged on disk will also change: instead of arranging arbitrary sectors, the HAMR drive will sort by the natural magnetic field.

When? It is still in the research phase, but HAMR will launch the market in the next few years. Seagate hopes to introduce HARM 5TB hard drives in 2011, and capacities up to 37.5TB followed a few years later.

Better internet

The current version of Internet protocol, IPv4, has more than 25 years of age. This aging technology has some limitations like not enough addresses for all computers. Internet Protocol version 6 will overcome the limitations of IPv4.

Solution? Unlike IPv4, which uses 32-bit addresses (like 155.54.210.63), IPv6 uses a 128-bit address (like 2001: 0ba0: 01e0: d001: 0000: 0000: d0f0: 0010). This small, simple change allows each person (even every computer) in the world to own a unique IP address. Furthermore, IPv6 has the ability to encrypt and authenticate the network layer, allowing secure communication.

When? IPv6 has been around for years, but almost no one uses it because the necessary hardware is still much more expensive than IPv4 hardware, and only a few network administrators are trained to use it. However, the US government has announced it will move all of its networks to IPv6 in mid-2008. Soon ISPs are also forced to upgrade their networks because they use up all their addresses.

Computer in each surface

Microsoft's Surface PC allows many users to manipulate fingers

The idea of ​​manipulating on-screen images by moving an input device - mouse - on the table is revolutionary when Douglas Engelbart introduced in 1964. But this mouse only plays a role for self-communicating media. more natural of humans - fingertips. In the next few years, a new type of computer will allow you to control your fingers.

Solution? Table computing (or surface computing) reverts to the basic mode of communication that allows you and your colleagues to sit around the table to communicate. Accepting multiple simultaneous input modes, a tablet PC allows many people to work with data by touching objects that are projected onto the table with their fingers. Many companies are working on tabletop technology, and two of the leading companies are Microsoft with a Surface PC controlled by camera and Mitsubishi Electronic Research Labs with DiamonTouch controlled by radio waves. The Surface PC uses a projector to display images on the surface from the inside, while 5 infrared cameras in the table monitor finger movements on the screen. DiamonTouch projects an image from above the table and is based on a capacitor (like the control technique on a laptop) to track your fingers - with this design, however, the table is shaded by finger touches. to enter.

When? DiamonTouch is still a research project, but Microsoft's Surface PC will be available this year in hotels, casinos or cellphone stores. The first-generation Surface PC is primarily for display in public places, but Microsoft plans to offer a version for business meeting rooms in 2010. Home users will have them in 3-5 years. .

Put data into the highway

As the CPU becomes more powerful and the graphics card is increasingly capable of displaying more vivid and detailed images, there is still an important bottleneck in the flow of PC data: the system bus. When the data moves in the PC, it is the bus system, not the processor (CPU, GPU) that limits the overall performance. What you need is a faster bus.

Solution? PCI Express (PCIe) is the leading bus system architecture for high-end hardware like graphics cards. Current version, version 2.3, provides data transfer speeds up to 5.2gigabit / s (gbps). The next generation, PCIe 3.0, will give data rates up to 8gbps. In addition to supporting much higher GPU speeds, an important advantage of PCIe 3.0 is the ability to power the graphics card directly from the system bus without needing a separate power cord. But there's one problem: to support higher data rates, this architecture will no longer work with older 5-volt hardware used in PCIe 1.1 and 2.0. While PCIe 2.3 supports both 5V and 3.3V cards, PCIe 3.0 will only support 3.3V. That means most current 5V hardware will become obsolete when PCIe 3.0 comes out.

When? PCI-SIG, the PCI architecture control team, is expected to release the official specification for PCIe 3.0 in 2009. PCIe 3.0 graphics card will be available in 2010.

Pocket presentation

Tiny PICO projectors can fit into mobile phones

Watching videos on mobile phones is not interesting. Even if you have the program you want to watch, its tiny screen makes it difficult to enjoy. However, soon, you'll see programs with the right size, thanks to a mobile phone equipped with projector functionality.

Solution? Microvision Pico projector (www.microvision.com) uses scanning technology to create a complete image with enough color from a light ray. Red, green or green lasers sweep up and down, back and forth to build each pixel, creating a large image projected on a wall or surface (up to 120 inches, up to 3m away in a dark room). The PicoP device controls scanners, light sources and incorporates many other components to control the intensity of each ray creating thousands of colors. By using a single beam of light instead of 3 rays, Microvision can build a projector small enough to fit into a mobile phone. The company even believes that this integrated projector delivers a full length movie with just one charge of a mobile phone battery.

When? Microvision has partnered with Motorola to build Pico projectors attached to cell phones, the first model equipped with a projector expected to be released in 2009. At the same time, the company also designed projector components for PC and console games. The game will be available at the end of 2008. Built-in projectors are expected to increase mobile phone prices by about $ 150, while projector components cost about $ 200.

Phuong Uyen