AMD's Opteron X-series targets Intel Atom for the microserver CPU market

 

AMD might not be able to keep up (down?) with Intel in the CPU power consumption race, so it's taking another tack with the new Opteron X-series: horsepower. It just announced the Opteron X1150 and X2150 64-bit processors for microservers, part of the Jaguar-codenamed family of CPUs arriving in the next-gen Xbox One and Sony PS4 consoles. Thanks to its ultra-low power 6-watt Atom S1200 chips, Intel excels in the low-power server market, and at 9W and 11W respectively (minimum), AMD's CPUs consume considerably more juice. But AMD is pitching them as a better solution overall, thanks to those four cores (compared to two in the Atom), integrated AMD Radeon HD 8000 graphics on the X2150 model, support for 32GB of RAM and integrated SATA ports. AMD's chips are pricier, though, at $64 (X1150) or $99 (X2150) compared to $54 for Intel's Atom S1200 (all in quantities of 1,000). To top it off, Intel has new 64-bit Atom SoCs coming soon promising even lower power consumption -- possibly leaving AMD to play catch-up again.

Microsoft and GlacierWorks team up to bring Everest to your screen

GlacierWorks, founded by renowned mountaineer David Breashears, has joined forces with Internet Explorer to put the world's highest peak at your fingertips with Everest: Rivers of Ice. The exploration platform works in any browser, but it's specifically optimized for IE 10's touch-based technology. In addition to bringing the Himalayas to your screen, Microsoft is using the project to show off the potentiality of its Rich Interactive Narratives (RIN) interface, cooked up by the the teams at Microsoft Research in both India and Redmond. Using RIN, developers can design nonlinear narratives that weave together different types of multimedia, like multitouch interactive maps with embedded video, gigapixel panoramas and data visualizations. GlacierWorks' project incorporates all of these, as it allows you to explore Everest's valleys while learning about glacier activity and climate change in the Himalayas. If a trip to Nepal is out of your budget, you can watch a preview in the video after the break.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 saunters past FCC with AT&T-friendly LTE

Sure, the only flavor of the Galaxy Note 8.0 currently lining US shelves is the version just packing Wi-Fi, but it appears that the LTE variety is getting ready for a trip stateside. The FCC just inspected a version of the tablet carrying a 850 / 1900 GSM radio along with support for LTE Bands 2, 4, 5 and 17, which are all tell-tale signs of hardware that plays nice with AT&T's network. For those in need of a refresher, Samsung's tablet runs Jelly Bean and boasts a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, A-GPS, GLONASS, a hefty 4,600 mAh battery, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. With one of the final hurdles for availability on American shores cleared, you're that much closer to laying your paws on a slate that can moonlight as an unwieldy cellphone.

Plex releases 3.0 overhaul for Android, 3.2 update for iOS

Plex's Android app revamp has been brewing for awhile, but it's at last ready: the 3.0 app is out of beta and available for everyone. The remake provides a much more polished interface, PlexSync support and speedier access to large libraries. It's facing a rocky start, however. The initial 3.0 release required a myPlex account and didn't include a remote control widget, and those have only just been fixed with a quick follow-up patch. We wouldn't lean on earlier versions of Android, regardless of what features you like -- the interface rewrite cuts off support for OS releases before Android 3.2.
iOS users aren't left out of the upgrades. Version 3.2 isn't as dramatic a makeover, but it does offer tangible improvements over 3.1 that include the Android version's faster media access and fixes for conspicuous PlexSync bugs. Quick updaters even get a reward for their trouble: the 3.2 client lets the iOS app serve as a remote playback target for other Plex-equipped devices. Whichever platform you prefer, the app update (or a fresh $5 copy) is waiting at one of the source links.