32-bit One Instruction Computer

An abstract machine that uses only one instruction, without the need for a machine language opcode is called one instruction set computer. The advantage with RISC is simplifying the CPU core by reducing the complexity of the instruction set allows faster speeds, more registers, and pipelining to provide the appearance of single-cycle execution. There are several ways to construct a single instruction CPU.

Reference: SlashDot

DNA and Computing

Biomolecular computers, made of DNA and other biological molecules, only exist in specialized labs. Nonetheless, Tom Ran and Shai Kaplan, research students have found a way to make these microscopic computing devices ‘user friendly,’ even while performing complex computations and evaluating complicated queries. Besides the possibility that such biology-based devices can one day be injected into the body, biomolecular computers can conceivably perform millions of calculations in parallel.

Reference: Science Daily

Database System Speedup

Current database systems use technology and abilities of CPUs from 10 to 20 years ago. Traditional database management system require too much hardware, and they make poor use of it. CWI computer scientists came up with database operations that work on sets of vectors, instead of on one database value at a time. As a result, some operations that take tens or hundreds of CPU clock cycles in other databases take just a handful in the VectorWise system. The scientists also constructed the system in a way that the work is done on data in the CPU's cache, where the processor cores can have quick access. In addition, fast decompression algorithms and table rearrangement are utilized.

One limitation of the prototype software is that the new system is designed to run on a single machine with a database of less than 10 terabytes.

Reference: IEEE Spectrum

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/computing/software/ingres-and-vectorwise-claim-database-speedup

Digital Contacts Provides Wealth of Information

Scientists, eye surgeons, professors and students at the University of Washington have developed a contact lens that contains built-in LED, powered wirelessly with radio frequency waves. Eventually, it can provide a wealth of information like virtual captions scrolling, monitor vital signs. To ensure the lens is safe to wear, tests have been made on rabbits, but there is still further testing to complete in order to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration. One of the challenges is loading computational power into the small device.

Reference: Wired

Guitar Playing Robot

Intel and National Instruments shows the new virtualization tool