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How a Small Studio Pulled Off a Major 3-D Film Using Energy-Saving Technology
Traditionally, only the mammoth Hollywood studios could afford to work with 3D—it’s too expensive to build the necessary, air-conditioned 24 hours a day, server farms. The company behind Despicable Me decided to try something new, and cut the AC.
Illumination Entertainment, the company behind Despicable Me, decided to try something new. Instead of using air-conditioned server farms to render images, the company asked IBM to built a customized server farm using the iDataPlex system, a processing system that cuts down on energy use by 40% compared to traditional server farms.
The iDataPlex has two key advantages: a flexible configuration that doubles the amount of systems that can run in a single IBM rack and the ability to run an ambient temperature room (no costly air-conditioning required). The system has been on the market for over a year, but Illumination is the first studio to use it for animated film.
This doesn’t mean that any scrappy studio with a dream can now produce a high-end 3-D animated film. Illumination used a 330-person team of artists, producers, and support staff to produce 142 terabytes of data. And the rendering farm, which processed up to 500,000 frames per week, was built in conjunction with Mac Guff Ligne, a French digital production studio.
But the iDataPlex gives Illumination a leg up in the graphics rendering process. Illumination Entertainment’s server farm, for example, is the size of four parking spots. That’s half the amount of space the company initially allotted to the farm. “Oftentimes a small studio like Illumination really wants to put their energy behind creating as compelling of content as possible,” explains Steve Canepa, Vice President, Media & Entertainment Industry at IBM. “By minimizing the technological issues associated with building and managing the [rendering] environment, we allow studios to reduce the amount of time, energy, and resources necessary to create an underlying technological platform.”
It’s a compelling idea for studios—even major ones—that want to cut costs and look environmentally conscious at the same time. IBM is already working with a number of other studios to implement similar solutions. Canepa concedes that studios could build similar systems by purchasing off-the-shelf racks and processors, but the iDataPlex’s unique configuration of servers packs a lot of processing power into a small space—and that’s not easy to replicate. Don’t expect these rigs to be appearing in suburban garages anytime soon.
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Burger King uses ‘musical shower’ as latest trick to entice Japanese clientele
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/burger-king-uses-musical-shower-as-latest-trick-to-entice-japa/
A new Burger King eatery opening up in Japan isn’t usually something we concern ourselves too much with, but this one comes with an interesting new twist. Those umbrella-aping translucent cones hanging over the tables are known as “musical showers,” and their function is to deliver music in an isolated fashion to you and your significant — but not too significant, it’s still BK, after all — other. All you’ll need to do is plug your portable media player into the provided receptacle and the tunes you know and love will literally shower down upon you. To be honest, if the audio channeling is sufficiently precise not to disturb nearby punters, we’re loving this idea. Now just give it a name that won’t make teenagers giggle and bring it westwards.
Burger King uses ‘musical shower’ as latest trick to entice Japanese clientele originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Pew’s 2010 Mobile Access survey shows more people are doing more things on their phones
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/pews-2010-mobile-access-survey-shows-more-people-are-doing-more/
As smartphones continue to extend their pocket-swelling domination of the mobile market, it should come as no surprise that people are less worried about talking and more concerned with doing other stuff on their handsets than ever before. But, still, if you want some hard numbers to make you feel better about making such conclusions, the Pew Research Center‘s 2010 Mobile Access survey has ‘em. Compared to April of last year, 76% of people take pictures with their phones, up from 66%, and over a third play games, up from about a quarter. A third of people now play music on their phones, compared to 21% in 2009, but the biggest jump is in recording video: 34% vs. 19% before. Given the number of new movie-capturing phones released over the past year, it’s easy to see why. So, no shocking numbers here, but sadly there’s no indication of the one usage statistic we think might actually be falling: making calls.
Pew’s 2010 Mobile Access survey shows more people are doing more things on their phones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HTC quarterly profits improve by a third, beat even its own lofty expectations
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/06/htc-quarterly-profits-improve-by-a-third-beat-even-its-own-loft/
We were impressed with HTC back in April when it forecast a record $1.6 billion revenue for itself over the second quarter, but lo and behold, the Taiwanese superphone maker has gone and outdone that with a $1.88 billion income over the period between April and June. Reporting a very solid 33 percent improvement in profits year-on-year — $268 million versus $202 million 12 months ago — the company points to strong sales (no doubt catalyzed by Android‘s growing popularity) as the chief culprit for its newly increased tax bill. Guess that shows that having a wide catalog of high-end devices doesn’t preclude raking in the cash, provided they’re all desirable enough to garner mind and market share.
HTC quarterly profits improve by a third, beat even its own lofty expectations originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone Owners Download Twice As Many Paid Apps As Android Owners (GOOG, AAPL)
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-apps-iphone-ipod-android-2010-6
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Apple iPhone owners are downloading almost twice as many paid applications as Google Android users, according to data from Google‘s mobile ad company AdMob. AdMob included this chart in its monthly mobile stats report.
AdMob doesn’t provide any explanation for this phenomenon, so here are our guesses:
- iTunes has a smooth purchasing/payment process. Google’s marketplace might not be as good.
- iTunes does a good job of highlighting popular paid apps. Android isn’t as good at that.
- There are probably more paid apps on a relative basis for iPhone than Android.
- The iPhone is positioned as a premium phone. Verizon offers some Android phones for free, same with T-Mobile. If you get your phone for free, you might be less willing to spend for applications. (Or be the type of users who buys paid apps.)
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iOS has a bigger dev army than Android, but will cross-platform apps rule the day?
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/05/ios-has-a-bigger-dev-army-than-android-but-will-cross-platform/
We oftentimes hear raw numbers of apps bandied about in mobile OS comparisons, but we rarely get any idea of just how many developers are behind the scenes working for each platform. This is the void of knowledge filled by AppStore HQ today, who have gone to their dev directory — claimed to be a complete listing of all 55,000+ coders whose work is currently available for consumption in the Apple App Store or Android Market — and stacked them into neat piles of Apple, Google and Gapple programmers. It’s immediately apparent that single-platform development is the norm (with Apple holding the predictable edge), but AppStore HQ also provides a list of some of the most well known (and well funded) apps doing the cross-platform dance, and suggests that a movement is afoot toward making software available for both sets of users. Then again, the BNET article below points out the difficulties faced by smaller outfits, who might struggle to find the resources required to port their content over and maintain the skills required to be multi-platform, resulting in them sticking to one environment, irrespective of what allures others might throw their way. Give them both a read, we say.
iOS has a bigger dev army than Android, but will cross-platform apps rule the day? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
HP Photosmart D110a ePrint printer earns 5-star reviews despite lacking ePrint… what?
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/05/hp-photosmart-d110a-eprint-printer-earns-5-star-reviews-despite/
See the bullet for HP’s new D110a Photosmart e-All-in-One that says, “HP ePrint for printing anywhere.” Well, you can ignore that for now. While HP proudly lists ePrint — the ability to print PDF, JPEG, and MS Office documents received as attachments from any email-capable device — as a flagship feature on its newest line of web-connected printers, it’s not a working feature and it won’t be until a software update is pushed out at the end of the month, according to support forums. Unfortunately, there’s no notice of this on HP’s own retail listing for the D110a (HP’s first ePrint-capable printer), Amazon, or in brick-and-mortar shops like Best Buy. And curiously, that trio of 5-star “customer reviews” on HP’s own site fail to mention the missing feature at all. Instead, owners will only discover this after calling the HP help desk or checking the growing list of disgruntled rants in HP or Amazon support threads. Not cool HP, not cool.
[Thanks, Cliff W.]
HP Photosmart D110a ePrint printer earns 5-star reviews despite lacking ePrint… what? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google acquires ITA for $700m, dives headfirst into airline ticket search
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/02/google-acquires-ita-for-700m-dives-headfirst-into-airline-tick/
Look out, Kayak / Bing Travel — you both are about to have your respective worlds rocked. While Google has managed to stay on top (or close to the top) when it comes to almost everything search related, the company has curiously allowed smaller niche brands to handle the travel side. Even amongst the hardcore Googlers, avid flyers typically head to a place like Kayak to weigh their options, while vacation planners either do likewise or turn to Bing Travel. In a few months time, we suspect some of that traffic will be diverted back to El Goog. The company has just announced plans to acquire Cambridge-based ITA Software for a cool $700 million, which will put one of the world’s most sophisticated QPX software tools for organizing flight information into the hands of the planet’s most dangerous search ally. According to Google, the pickup will allow consumers to search and buy airline tickets with less hassle and frustration, though it’s quick to point out that it has “no plans to sell airline tickets [directly] to consumers.” For the travel junkies in attendance, there’s a high probability that you won’t find any better news coming your way today than this.
[Thanks, Matthew]
Continue reading Google acquires ITA for $700m, dives headfirst into airline ticket search
Google acquires ITA for $700m, dives headfirst into airline ticket search originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple turns on iAds for iOS 4 devices in North America, right on schedule
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/01/apple-turns-on-iads-for-ios-4-devices-right-on-schedule/
Steve himself noted at WWDC that iAds would go live for “all iOS 4 devices” on Canada Day, and sure enough, they look to be popping up today. One eagle-eyed tipster has already found one within the ‘Mirror: for iPod and iPhone’ app, shown above. It’s certainly quite a bit more visually soothing than some other ads we’ve seen, but we aren’t here to judge — instead, we’d love to hear your take on it. Have you seen any iAds creep into your apps today? Whatcha think of ‘em? Let us know in comments below.
Update: Looks like a Nissan Leaf iAd has debuted as well; the vid’s after the break of that one.
Update 2: Oh, and this is just for North America for now. Everyone else will have to wait. Crushing, we know.
[Thanks, Spencer]
Continue reading Apple turns on iAds for iOS 4 devices in North America, right on schedule
Apple turns on iAds for iOS 4 devices in North America, right on schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://gizmodo.com/5574937/starbucks-is-slowly-reviving-the-coffee-nerding-of-america
The Clover was a nerd’s way to make coffee. Every parameter precisely, digitally controlled, for the most of tweaky of experimentation—or you can make the exact same cup over and over. Then Starbucks bought the company.
What happened next: Waves of independent coffee shops ditched their $10,000 Clover machines, for practical and philosophical reasons. Starbucks rolled them out to 50ish stores across the Northeast, Seattle and San Francisco. Then expansion stopped. That was almost two years ago.
Starbucks’ first Clover showed up in New York around two months ago, in a nearly 20-year-old location that’s been converted into a concept store. The thaw is beginning. Starbucks plans to finally expand the Clover’s footprint gradually over the next 6-8 months, as they figure out how to integrate the machine into the natural rhythm of stores—which is basically dominated by Frappuccinos these days, not coffee.
In a way, it’s a hard sell. The kind of people who would be most interested in coffee made via Clover, designed to pull the most out of a coffee—so shitty coffee would taste shittier—don’t go to Starbucks. Starbucks is so reviled by people who actually like coffee that they’ve experimented with burying the Starbucks name two pilot stores in Seattle which are designed to look more like the kind of place that serves Intelligentsia or Stumptown coffee. So it’s heartening to see them try to live up a bit more to the ideals of caring about coffee and how it’s served.
For instance, while 30 days is what Starbucks considers the expiration date on beans in a store—16 days longer than any self-conscious shop would serve them—if you order a cup made with Clover, you’re far more likely to get beans roasted within the 2-week mark. (In part because there are limited quantities of some coffees served using Clover, like the Jamaica Blue Mountain they’re offering starting tomorrow.)
They’re also making use of their spin on Clovernet, which was one of the big hype points of the machine: Shops and their baristas could share, upload and download recipes for coffees made via Clover. Starbucks pushes recipes for each coffee it serves on the Clover—around 4-6—to stores via a similar network, so there are custom parameters for each coffee. African coffees get a different treatment versus South American ones, as they should.
For all the technology in the Clover, though, it ultimately comes down to the guy (or girl) handling it. Hopefully, it’s someone nerdy enough to know what the Clover was before it landed in front of them at Starbucks.
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