VIA hopes to take the fight to Intel with its Nano processors.

VIA's C7-M processor architecture has soldiered on for a number of years, but it's finally time for a chance. While the C7-M processors are relatively efficient and find homes in embedded products and notebooks like the HP 2133 Mini-Note, it's not exactly a performance powerhouse.

VIA hopes to change this with its Isaiah processor family which today is being officially launched as the Nano. The Nano is a 64-bit out-of-order processor design -- Intel's Atom is in-order to save power -- and is built on a 65 nanometer manufacturing process.

"VIA Nano processors represent the next generation of x86 technology, providing the fundamental building blocks for a new genre of optimized computing solutions," said VIA President and CEO Wenchi Chen. "‘Small is Beautiful’ is more than a design strategy; it’s our vision of where the PC market is heading and our new processors will help the market realize that dream."

The Nano will be available in both standard voltage (desktop) and ultra low voltage (notebook) SKUs to satisfy a large range of products. Standard voltage chips include the 1.8GHz Nano L2100 (25W) and 1.6Hz Nano L2200 (17W). The ultra low voltage lineup will consist of the 1.3GHz Nano U2300 (8W), 1.2GHz U2500 (6.8W), and the 1.0GHz U24000 (5W). All Nano processors include 1MB of L2 cache and an 800MHz FSB.

Preliminary benchmarks for the Nano have been quite favorable as previously reported. VIA's own supplied benchmarks also show that the Nano is quite a bit faster than the venerable C7-M.

However, the true test will be to see how the Nano stacks up to Intel's Atom processor. OEMs are flocking to Intel's latest mobile processor and the chip giant is expected to be in short supply until Q3 as a result. If VIA can match or exceed the performance of the Atom, the company might find itself in prime positioning to be a serious player in the mobile consumer market.

Source from DailyTech

Star Trek technology yet again actualizes in the real world

A new portable imaging tool, which held over the patient's skin, allows quick and unobtrusive scanning of tissues. The device bears an unmistakable resemblances to the palm sized medical scanners known as "tricorders" in the Star Trek science-fiction universe. And like many other Star Trek technologies that seemed far out at the time like voice recognition software and positron beams, the device has been realized in the real world.

The new, wallet-sized scanner, developed by researchers at Georgia Tech, uses something called a narrowband filter mosaic. The mosaic includes photosensitive pixel sensors that observe different wavelengths, allowing for multispectral imaging. The filter mosaic improves the use and functionality of medical scanning techniques, allowing for subsurface characterization.

Normally cuts, bruises, and erythema are hard to diagnose in severity, particularly for untrained personnel. Lighting and skin color can skew results even for the trained eye. The new device will allow even untrained personnel to assess the severity of an injury.

Other applications of the filtering technology used in the scanner would be military imaging/target classing, manufacturing quality inspections, food contamination examinations, remote sensing for mining, and atmospheric monitoring. In the medical field they hold promise for diagnosing early stage cancers and tumors.

The new technology was pioneered by the Georgia Tech’s Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA). The tech will first be put to use in diagnosing and preventing pressure ulcers. Victims of paralysis or other conditions that render the body immobile often suffer from these severe secondary afflictions. Early pressure ulcers begin with erythema (broke capillaries) which the scanner detects. Medicare spending on pressure ulcer treatment is conservatively estimated to account for $1.34B USD annually.

The scanner could also be used to detect bruise early to help catch abuse cases.

The filter mosaic can also be laminated with digital camera sensor chips. The CATEA researchers have filed for a patent and are exploring commercialization options.

With the low cost involved, the field of multispectral imaging may finally start to see commercial interest soon. Says Dr. Stephen Sprigle, director of CATEA and professor of industrial design and human physiology, "Although multispectral imaging has matured into a technology with applications in many fields, clinicians and practitioners in these fields have generally stayed away from it due to extremely high costs and lack of portability. Now, the possibilities are plentiful."

Perhaps before long you might see one of these tricorder-like devices in a medical office you visit.

Source from DailyTech