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Being strong believers in communication and information and that knowledge is the Mother of all Good, the more you know, the better, and so on, we at J&P try to catch and pass along relevant news as these happen, that can benefit us all in our professional as well as personal activities.

See JandP.biz/energysaver for more on this newsletter.

Yours truly,

Johan Sarkinen

Editor and A Swede on Your Team

For immediate feedback, never hesitate to give me a call (+1.214.535.4402). Or send email to jsmag@sarkinen.com.

See end of this newsletter for technicalities.

• Power & Energy
  • These energy efforts are hot, hot, hot
  • Sun to unveil data center in a box
  • Is There a Power Electronics Technology Roadmap in Our Future?
  • Best Practices Hurricane Evacuation, Remote Ops
  • Power Snippets
• Communication (Tele/Data)
  • Sneak Peek At Cellphone Future
  • Current State Wireless
  • T-Mobile
  • WiMAX Focus
• R&D
  • EU Speeds Towards Embedded Systems Design
• The Human Resource Corner
• IT - Information Technology

These energy efforts are hot, hot, hot

POWER & ENERGY. Network World, 10/06/06 (p12,16)

"As heat, power and cooling rise to the top of the list of concerns for data center managers, there are a growing number of initiatives aimed at helping enterprises reduce electricity consumption and increase efficiency of their technology infrastructures." more

"What follows are some recent initiatives that IT managers should be watching:

1. 80 Plus - utility-funded program, provides incentives to manufacturers to use more energy efficient power supplies into desktop computers and servers. (page 1)
2. ASHRAE Standards- some 87 standards, uniform methods of testing equipment for rating purposes; recommended practices in designing and installing equipment; indoor air quality, thermal and energy conservation; and recommend the safe use of refrigerants. (page 2)
3. Fault Tolerant Power Compliance Specifications and Cooling Compatibility Specification, The Uptime Institute, computers that receive AC input from two AC power sources; provide fault-tolerant operation; computer or communications equipment; maintaining a consistent internal temperature regardless; (page 3)
4. Google PSU Standard, (12VDC) - Google, working with Intel; proposal for a new 12-volt standard for power supplies that support PCs and low-end servers, eliminating today's multivoltage power supply units (PSU), which Google says provide too much power and waste 30% to 45% of their energy. By using Google's proposed standard, which the search engine giant uses internally to cut costs, enterprises could reduce energy waste to just 10%, Google says." (page 4)
5. The Green Grid, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), HP, IBM, Sun, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Alliance to Save Energy; aims to collect best practices in data center operation, construction and design, and issue recommendations for energy-efficient IT. (page 5)
6. House of Representatives Bill H.R. 5646 (Google't); To study and promote the use of energy-efficient servers, calls for EPA to submit a study of the growth and energy consumption of data centers, study will include an analysis of growth trends and server utilization, the migration to energy-efficient processors, potential cost saving available through adopting energy-efficient servers and data centers, and the impact on existing energy grids, as well as recommendations on incentives offered for using energy-efficient servers and data centers. (page 6)

7. National Fire Protection Standards, The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Description: The NFPA has more than 300 codes and standards that minimize the risks and effect of fires. (page 7)

8. Server energy measurement protocol (PDF) - EPA with vendors and researchers, including AMD, Dell, HP, IBM and Sun, to create energy-efficiency measurement guidelines for buyers to use when purchasing low-end (1U and 2U) servers. (page 8)
   

Sun to unveil data center in a box

ZD Tech Update 2006-10-17

Today Sun unveiled "Project Blackbox," which tucks several racks of computing gear, along with the necessary power and cooling equipment, into a standard shipping container 8 feet wide, 8 feet tall and 20 feet long. Due for release next summer, the data center in a box is aimed at companies running out of space, power and cooling in their data centers. more

Is There a Power Electronics Technology Roadmap in Our Future?

Electronic Design, October 4, 2006, ED Online ID #13692

"Will a Power Electronics Technology Roadmap ever become a reality? There have been several workshops and efforts made toward producing such a roadmap, but so far there has been more talk than progress. The need exists, but the more salient question is whether the manpower and expertise are available to produce such a document." more

Best Practices for Hurricane Evacuation and Remote Operations

(Remote Magazine, June/July 2006, p20-22) NOT found online at Remote's web but The Perfect Storm Platform is almost identical (same authors - Michael Chmilewski and Stan DeVries).

Power Snippets

• Pentadyne Ready to Ship Second-Generation Clean Energy Storage Product (Rem.Mag Oct/Nov '06)- VSS+DC, 190kW for 12.5 sec, 20 yr design-life operating 24x7. Detailed specs at Pentadyne.
• IdaTech: ElectraGen™ Family of Critical Backup Power Systems Achieves NEBS Level 3 Certification (Sep '06), also - IdaTech, LLC Acquired by UK-Based Investec Group Investments Limited (Jul '06)
• Backyard wind turbines turn energy consumers into suppliers (IEEE Spectrum, Oct '06, p18) "In August, Southwest Wind Power, a start-up located in Flagstaff, Ariz., began selling a 1.8-kilowatt residential wind turbine dubbed SkyStream 3.7 [see photo, “In My Backyard”]. The tiny power plant sells for US $5100; total cost including installation runs between $8500 and $11 000. By comparison, the installed cost of comparable small wind devices can eclipse $30 000." more

Sneak Peek At Cellphone Future

TECHNOLOGY. (IEEE Spectrum, June 2006, p15)
DoCoMo demonstrates wireless transmission at 2.5 gigabits per second.

"The launch of third-generation cellphone systems nearly five years ago promised to transform the speech-and-message handset into an exciting multimedia tool. It is a promise largely unfulfilled, mainly because bandwidths have been limited to between 384 kilobits per second and 2 megabits per second at best. But network operators are looking ahead—admittedly rather far ahead—to get things right with next-generation (4G) technology: it will be an all-packet service that integrates voice and data transmitted at high speeds and capacities" more...

The Current State of Technology and Future Trends in Wireless Communications and Applications

COMMUNICATION (TELE/DATA). (Microwave Journal, September 2006, p22-38) In-depth analysis and overview of the rapid changes occurring in the area of wireless communications, particularly in the wireless mobile device market more (technical article)

T-Mobile Plans Major Cellular Upgrade To 3G

COMMUNICATION (TELE/DATA). (InformationWeek, Oct 16, 2006,p54) After spending billions to buy additional radio spectrum, the No. 4 cellular carrier plans to revamp its network to better compete with larger rivals. T-Mobile USA paid $4.2 billion for additional radio spectrum in a recent federal auction, and the cellular company plans to spend billions more to upgrade its network to take advantage of the greater bandwidth. more

More Communications... Head Lines

• 802.20 Working Group Suspension a Minor Setback for Qualcomm (Microwave Journal, Sep '06, p49)
• The Elusive Software-Defined Radio, Technology Report by (Electronic Design 09.14.06, p56-67)

NETWORK STRATEGY - IPv6

The Protocol Supremacy (CIO Magazine , October 1, 2006, p76-83)
"The Internet's new communication technology, IPv6, is coming—whether CIOs are ready or not. But being ready could save you millions and reduce security risks." more

EU Speeds Towards Embedded Systems Design

COMMUNICATION (TELE/DATA). (Microwave Journal, September 2006, p45), European Union’s 6th Framework Programme for funding technology and scientific projects, new embedded systems initiative called Speculative and Exploratory Design in Systems Engineering (SPEEDS) has been established. ... to define a standard, end-to-end framework for the implementation of innovative, next generation concepts, methodologies, processes, technologies and tools for the design of embedded systems. more

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Ten Commandments of Project Management

They'll lead your company to the promised land of project-based culture.
"October 02, 2006 (Computerworld) -- In our increasingly project-centric world, the productivity to be gained by good project management is far too promising to ignore. But for most companies, shifting to a project-oriented management structure represents great change, and people resist change, regardless of the benefits that it may bring. Rules and guidelines are needed, so I’ve devised these commandments. By following them, your company can position itself to enter the promised land of project-based culture." more

DEVELOPMENT - HARDWARE, the analog/digital divide

POINT oF VIEW High-Speed, High-Performance, High-Voltage Technologies Converged (Electronic Design, Sep 28, 2006, p20)

"Functionality is converging on platform devices as they become our primary conduits for voice, data, and video. This increase in functionality drives the need for more integration in both digital and analog ICs." ... "By separating analog and digital functions, each can be optimally scaled to realize the lowest system cost. Digital circuits are scaled by reducing line widths, while analog circuits are scaled by increasing the density of passive elements such as inductors and capacitors." more

DEVELOPMENT - SOFTWARE

PRODUCT RELEASE RollOut: Adobe's Flex 2.0 - Ajax for the Masses (Network Computing, Sep 14, 2006, p38,40)

Flex uses the ubiquity of the Flash player to make development accessible and resolve incompatibility with older browsers. more

CAREERWATCH. What hiring managers are looking for (NOT found online; ComputerWorld, October 9, 2006, p54)

Likelihood to fit	73%
Interviews	70%
Willingness to learn	69%
Likability	63%
Skills	62%
Knowledge of the organization	20%
Diversity	19%
Testing	15%

The Generation Y work force

(eWeek September 4, 2006, p31) Generation Y for Dummies online. Called everything from the MyPods to the Baby Boomlets to the Boomerang Generation, they're quickly filling the department ranks. Five reasons why they're different and why you should care:

• View of work as just a job and not a career
• More job hopping than in any previous generation
• Greater demand for work-life balance and job flexibiity
• Focus on end products, not processes
• Expection of an open workplace where views can be heard without fear of retribution

(Gen Y: From (1976-1982) to (1995-2001).)

15 World-Widening Years

InformationWeek, Sep 18, 2006, p41-49. It's easy to forget that we world as we know it today with Internet and The Web didn't exist 1990(!). In 1991, the Web was just a gleam in a few people's eyes. Today it's driving communications, research, business, and life everywhere. How did we get here, and what's next? more

Which New Browser Is Best: Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 7, or Opera 9?

(directly to comparison chart, PCMag]. WikiPedia on Firefox - the editors prefered choice.