What the Future Holds

The new year has arrived and with that, new dreams, hopes and of course tech innovations. The past year has been extremely fruitful in terms of the tech industry. 2007 ushered in the era of multi-core processing, it saw the ripening of the dual core processors and the introduction of the newer quad core chips.

So as we journey into 2008 and beyond, we would like to ponder on what the future holds. What new breakthroughs and trends we can expect to see for the next 10-25 years. Within the short time frame of 5 years, we can expect to see changes in terms of the way processors and memory chips are made. Currently, much research by chipmakers such as Intel has been done into making 3-Dimensional(3D) Processors.

What do I mean by 3D processors. To put it simply, 3D processors are processors which are made of many smaller processors stacked vertically. Presently, processors are made 2-Dimensionally. This poses a tremendous problem as in order to pack in more transistors (the most basic component of a computer chip) into one processor, each transistor has to be made smaller. By shrinking processor components such as transistors, we cause a major problem, which is the production of excessive amounts of heat.

When transistors become smaller, the pathways for electricity to flow to the transistors also proportionately become smaller, creating more electrical resistance. For those of us that study physics, we will know that thinner wires have more resistance and thereby cause more energy wastage, in this case in the form of heat.

When we stack processors one on top another to form a single processor, we are able to increase the number of transistors in a single processor but avoid the problems of heat production. Therein lies the benefits of 3D processors.

Moving on, quantum computing. For those of us that do not know, Quantum Mechanics (the science Quantum Computing is based on) is about the study of sub atomic particles. Within the next 10-20 years, Quantum Computers should be making their way into our homes, revolutionising the way we work, play and ultimately live.

Quantum computing surpasses the current digital computers in that they do not use transistors or silicon, what they use are quantum logic gates. These quantum logic gates are simply devices which are used to observe the properties of atoms and thereby perform calculations based on the observable properties of the atoms.

Another thing which is so special about quantum computing is the Qubit. We all know that the bit is the most simple unit of data which digital computers use. It can either be 0 or 1, off or on. Quantum mechanics is different from classical computers in that it makes use of Qubits. The Qubit is a third state and is the superposition of 0 and 1. Put simply, it means that 1 and 0 both happen at the same time.

The promise of Quantum Computing is that complex computing tasks such as the cracking of encrypted data using encryption protocols such as RSA and Diffie Huffman will be made easier. Today, even supercomputers can take decades to crack a document encrypted using the RSA encryption protocol with a 128bit strength key. With quantum computing this task will be able to be done much quicker. Quantum Computing will also promise to make weather forecasting and climate modelling more accurate than ever.

And that's all for now!

The future awaits you,
Bryan

Game Review - Granado Espada (Sword of the New World)

Written by Edna Lee

At first glance, Granado Espada (Sword of the New World) appears to be yet another game in a long line of MMORPGs (Massively-Multiplayer-Online-Role-Playing-Games) that promises excellent design but little plot. However, look closely at it and you'll quickly see a fantasy game whose story is modeled after Europe's exploration of the New World.

The strength of GE's appeal lies in its Multi-Character-Control feature that is a core aspect of GE game play. Unlike every other MMORPG in the market, Granado Espada revolutionizes by giving gamers control over three characters throughout the game instead of just one. Besides adding a degree of complexity to the game, gamers now have a choice to not team up with other players during normal game play and can still get through most of the game. Of course, there are also disadvantages and players will have to learn which combinations work best for them.

Compared to many other MMORPGs, the effort the game developers put into conceptualizing character design and scenery is another massive draw. Most cities look as if they have just emerged from Baroque era picture book; from the buildings right down to the stone pavement, every bit oozes pictorial authenticity. History students might get a kick or two as they pick up the many subtle references to many famous explorers of the era. The detail given to character design is another plus, with the many costumes meticulously colored - little wonder than that GE is also known as the Dressing Room game by South Korean gamers!

On the downside, the substantial file size (the game is 4gb) may prove deterring to the casual gamer. A few seconds of lag time (as the game is prone to) can mean the difference between life and death in the dungeons and it does get on your nerves after watching your characters die in quick succession. Also, the large grinding needed for leveling up that is typical of most Korean MMOs quickly becomes highly irritating with no distinct end in sight.

Official site: http://ge.iahgames.com/en/

Tech Council Memorandum...

By Luong

When one talks about the tech council people, the general paradigm is that they are a bunch of techies, yes very tech savvy, with two google lens on their faces since they bury themselves on the computer too long , or those who speak in a different wavelength from normal people as their minds are full of tech or scientific things. I have friends like that, some are still amiable, but some are completely alienated UFOs... Hmm... only a few bespectacled ones in tech council, the rest do talk at a normal wavelength with perpetual promises that 'Don't worry!' T_T

Im a new bee, I have no background or whatsoever. The chances are slim that I can excel since tech people normally go for competitions and stuffs like that. I don't mind though, I join because I like how they make such a cool video or flash or anything like that. Sure they wont turn me away... =P

A new project come out, we are supposed to open this very website. I don't know a thing about how to open the web or design anything. I thought they'll teach me everything I need to know before I can join. Not so as I thought, again the assurance that I can always contribute ideas or anything I can, that the skills are what we want to pick up from tech council, that we are free to ask and learn without feeling incompetent,... warm me up to go for the next meeting.

So far I enjoy sitting in a group with the tech people, and quite a number of new bees like myself. I feel alright... we'll learn and be in this together. Haha... The best is yet to be.