Tag: Clever

Clever 6-port hub is also shelf for iMac

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date May 8, 2024
No Comments on Clever 6-port hub is also shelf for iMac

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Plugable AD-6IN1 hub cuts the clutter — Plugable’s new iMac hub is also a small shelf.
*Photo: Plugable*

Plugable AD-6IN1 is a six-port hub designed specifically for iMac that connects to the desktop’s stand so it doesn’t clutter up the user’s desk. It can even be used as a small shelf.

In addition, Plugable introduced a small USB-C Ethernet adapter that can also supply power to a notebook or tablet.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Plugable AD-6IN1 hub cuts the clutter

A hub adds useful additional ports to your computer, but it can also add to the litter on your desk. Plugable dreamed up a design that avoids that drawback. For iMac users, anyway.

The AD-6IN1 mounts on the stand of the iMac so it’s up off the desk. Rather than adding clutter, it’s. a place for light items such as AirPods.

There’s a USB-C 10Gbps port, a USB-A 10Gbps ports, two slower USB-A ports, and paired SD/microSD card readers. And these face toward the user (unlike the iMac’s own).

“Having seen firsthand the frustrations of cluttered desktops and limited connectivity options, we wanted to seamlessly integrate into the iMac experience with the AD-6IN1,” said Lynn Smurthwaite-Murphy, CEO of Plugable.”It isn’t just about expanding ports, it’s about having a natural extension of the device.”

The iMac hub costs $39.95. It’s exclusively at Amazon.

Buy it from: Amazon

Plugable USBC-E2500PD adds Ethernet to MacBook Air or iPad

Adding Ethernet to a MacBook or iPad can take up a valuable USB-C port. That’s a potential problem with MacBook Air that has only two such ports, and iPad has only one.

Plugable USBC-E2500PD is an Ethernet adapter that supports connections up to 2.5Gbps. And it can simultaneously power up the computer at up to 100W via a built-in USB-C port.

The accessory is available now for $29.95.

Buy it from: Amazon

It supports macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Windows 10 or later and ChromeOS.

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Tags 6port, Clever, hub, iMac, shelf

Computers

Here’s a Clever Way to Uncover America’s Voting Deserts

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 21, 2024
No Comments on Here’s a Clever Way to Uncover America’s Voting Deserts

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The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine.

In Georgia’s 2020 gubernatorial election, some voters in Atlanta waited over 10 hours to cast a ballot. One reason for the long lines was that almost 10 percent of Georgia’s polling sites had closed over the preceding seven years, despite an influx of about 2 million voters. These closures were disproportionately concentrated in predominantly Black areas that tended to vote Democratic.

But pinpointing the locations of “voting deserts” isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. Sometimes a lack of capacity is reflected in long waits at the polls, but other times the problem is the distance to the nearest polling place. Combining these factors in a systematic way is tricky.

In a paper due to be published this summer in the journal SIAM Review, Mason Porter, a mathematician at the University of California, Los Angeles, and his students used tools from topology to do just that. Abigail Hickok, one of the paper’s coauthors, conceived the idea after seeing images of long lines in Atlanta. “Voting was on my mind a lot, partly because it was an especially anxiety-inducing election,” she said.

Topologists study the underlying properties and spatial relations of geometric shapes under transformation. Two shapes are considered topologically equivalent if one can deform into the other via continuous movements without tearing, gluing, or introducing new holes.

At first glance, topology would seem to be a poor fit for the problem of polling site placement. Topology concerns itself with continuous shapes, and polling sites are at discrete locations. But in recent years, topologists have adapted their tools to work on discrete data by creating graphs of points connected by lines and then analyzing the properties of those graphs. Hickok said these techniques are useful not only for understanding the distribution of polling places but also for studying who has better access to hospitals, grocery stores, and parks.

That’s where the topology begins.

Imagine creating tiny circles around each point on the graph. The circles start with a radius of zero, but they grow with time. Specifically, when the time exceeds the wait time at a given polling place, the circle will begin to expand. As a consequence, locations with shorter wait times will have bigger circles—they start growing first—and locations with longer wait times will have smaller ones.

Some circles will eventually touch each other. When this happens, draw a line between the points at their centers. If multiple circles overlap, connect all those points into “simplices,” which is just a general term meaning shapes such as triangles (a 2-simplex) and tetrahedrons (3-simplex).

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Tags Americas, Clever, Deserts, Heres, Uncover, Voting

Featured

Another startup is taking on Nvidia using a clever trick — Celestial AI brings DDR5 and HBM together to slash power consumption by 90%, may already be partnering with AMD

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There’s no shortage of startups pushing technology that could one day prove pivotal in AI computing and memory infrastructure.

Celestial AI, which recently secured $175 million in Series C funding, is looking to commercialize its Photonic Fabric technology which aims to redefine optical interconnects.

Celestial AI’s foundational technology is designed to disaggregate AI compute from memory to offer a “transformative leap in AI system performance that is ten years more advanced than existing technologies.”

Lower energy overhead and latency

The company has reportedly been in talks with several hyperscale customers and a major processor manufacturer, about integrating its technology. Though specific details remain under wraps, that manufacturer is quite likely to be AMD since AMD Ventures is one of Photonic Fabric’s backers.

As reported by The Next Platform, the core of Celestial AI’s strategy lies in its chiplets, interposers, and optical interconnect technology. By combining DDR5 and HBM memory, the company aims to significantly reduce power consumption while maintaining high performance levels. The chiplets can be used for additional memory capacity or as interconnects between chips, offering speeds comparable to NVLink or Infinity Fabric.

“The surge in demand for our Photonic Fabric is the product of having the right technology, the right team and the right customer engagement model”, said Dave Lazovsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Celestial AI.

“We are experiencing broad customer adoption resulting from our full-stack technology offerings, providing electrical-optical-electrical links that deliver data at the bandwidth, latency, bit error rate (BER) and power required, compatible with the logical protocols of our customer’s AI accelerators and GPUs. Deep strategic collaborations with hyperscale data center customers focused on optimizing system-level Accelerated Computing architectures are a prerequisite for these solutions. We’re excited to be working with the giants of our industry to propel commercialization of the Photonic Fabric.”

While Celestial AI faces challenges in timing and competition from other startups in the silicon photonics space, the potential impact of its technology on the AI processing landscape makes it a promising contender. As the industry moves towards co-packaged optics and silicon photonic interposers, Celestial AI’s Photonic Fabric could play a key role in shaping the future of AI computing.

Japanese scientists close in on petabit-class submarine cable tech set to revolutionize Internet speeds — NEC and NTT managed to shuttle hundreds of terabits over thousands of kilometers thanks to a clever algorithm

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To cope with the demand for international bandwidth almost doubling every two years, Japanese corporations NEC and NTT have successfully trialed a revolutionary submarine cable technology set to drastically enhance internet speeds under the sea.

The transoceanic-class experiment transmitted hundreds of terabits across a staggering 7,280km, a feat made possible through a sophisticated algorithm.

NEC and NTT’s innovative solution uses a 12-core multicore fiber, comprising of 12 optical signal transmission paths within a standard outer diameter optical fiber, a significant enhancement from existing single-core fiber used in submarine cables.

NEC/NTT submarine cable technology — (Image credit: NEC/NTT)

MIMO technology

However, the addition of more cores to an optical fiber presents its own challenges. Interference, or crosstalk, occurs when optical signals leak from one core to another, leading to a degradation in communication quality. This is amplified in long-distance transmission where non-uniformity of delay and loss between signals makes accurate reception difficult.

To overcome these issues, NEC developed an algorithm for demodulating received signals using MIMO technology. This enabled accurate separation and demodulation of high-speed received signals. Concurrently, NTT developed the coupled 12-core multicore fiber optical transmission line which mitigates the effects of non-uniformity in signal delay and loss.

Moving forward, NEC and NTT say they aim to commercialize their research, potentially contributing to the realization of a high-capacity optical submarine cable system and terrestrial core network.

The research team, which recently presented its findings as a highly scored paper at the Technical Conference of OFC 2024 in San Diego, estimates that such systems could operate at hundreds of terabits per second, depending on specific cable designs, potentially heralding the advent of petabit per second class submarine cables.

Popular SSD vendor uses clever trick to make slower, less durable flash components perform much better — but don’t expect miracles

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Although QLC NAND is capable of storing substantial amounts of data, it falls behind in performance when compared to other NAND types. Because it’s denser (housing four bits per cell) than TLC (which accommodates three), it’s typically slower and less robust.

Western Digital has employed a smart method to improve the performance and durability of its new SN5000S QLC flash drive. Thanks to the integration of a high-speed pseudo-SLC cache, over-provisioning of raw cells, and a controller that minimizes write amplification, it surpasses its TLC predecessor, SN740.

While the older SN740 was built using WD and Kioxia’s fifth generation BiCS 112-layer vertically stacked 3D NAND, the newer SN5000S benefits from BiCS sixth generation 162-layer NAND.

Speed improvements

Due to the SLC caching, the SN5000S has shown a 1.4% increase in random read IOPS and a 12.5% improvement in random write IOPS. Its sequential reads and writes are reportedly faster by 16.5% and 15.5%, respectively.

The SN5000S comes in M.2 2280 “gumstick” and M.2 2230 form factors with capacities ranging from 512GB to 2TB.

While the SN5000S has shown significant improvements, it’s worth mentioning that it uses slightly more power at peak than the SN740. The 2TB model’s peak power is 6.9W compared to 6.3W with its predecessor.

Additionally, the SN5000S 512GB and 1TB models have lower endurance than the SN740 equivalents. This improves with the 2TB model though – SN5000S hits 600 TBW while SN740 is 500 TBW.

As the SN5000S drives are primarily for OEMs, no official prices are available.

Huawei may have used a very clever trick to make hard disks use less power — spin-on-demand disk drives may well compete with tape on performance, but at what cost?

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At MWC 2024, Huawei’s Dr. Peter Zhou took the wraps off a number of new data storage products, including the company’s next-gen 10 Petabyte OceanStor Arctic magneto-electric storage solution.

When we reported on it recently, details were incredibility light. We knew it would be a magneto-electric disk (MED) that probably spins, and the first generation of the disk would be used mainly for archival storage. Huawei also claimed that it could reduce TCO by 20% compared to tape, and reduce power consumption by 90% compared to hard drives.

Now, Blocks & Files has uncovered additional details on the MED drive, courtesy of a smartphone photo of a backup and archiving slide presented by Huawei at another event.

Spun-down disks

Taken by Digital Storage and Applications Analyst Tom Coughlin, the slide has an archiving solution section that reveals three visual elements for OceanStor Arctic: a rack, a 4 or 6RU chassis, and a disk.

Blocks & Files notes that some of the text on the slide appears to compare “450 W/PB HDDs vs 71 W/PB Magneto-electric Disk” and writer Chris Mellor says, “We have been pondering what the term magneto-electric disk might mean. Dictionary-wise the magneto-electric effect refers to any linkage between the magnetic and the electric properties of a material. That could conceivably describe a hard disk drive’s technology, which involves using electricity to change the polarity of a magnetic region on a disk platter’s surface.”

If that’s the case, the big question so far unanswered, is how it can spin yet consume 90% lower power than hard drives? The likely answer is that the OceanStor Arctic will use spun-down disks that power down or turn off to save energy and reduce wear when not in use.

Mellor asked Huawei if OceanStor Arctic used spun-down disks, but was told less than helpfully by a spokesperson, “My understanding is that the product line may not be in a position to disclose more information about the product as it’s not yet available in overseas market.”

OceanStor Arctic is expected to be available outside of China in the second half of 2025.

Boost Your Mac Workflow: 15 Clever Spotlight Hacks

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date February 19, 2024
No Comments on Boost Your Mac Workflow: 15 Clever Spotlight Hacks

Aim Apple

If you’re looking to elevate your productivity and streamline your daily tasks on a Mac, mastering Spotlight is a game-changer. This powerful search utility, accessible with a simple Command + Space shortcut, is much more than a file finder—it’s a versatile tool designed to enhance efficiency and save time. In the video below from Aim Apple, we explore 15 clever hacks that will transform the way you use your Mac, enabling you to navigate and manage tasks with unprecedented ease.

Quick Application Launch: Gone are the days of navigating through folders to open an application. Just type the name of the app into Spotlight, and you’re ready to launch. This simple step drastically cuts down the time spent searching for frequently used programs.
Calculator and Conversions on the Fly: Need to do a quick calculation or unit conversion? Spotlight has you covered. Enter your equation or conversion directly into the search bar for instant results, eliminating the need to open a separate app.
Adjust Brightness and Volume: Adjust your Mac’s brightness and volume directly through Spotlight. This direct access bypasses the need to dive into system preferences or use function keys, streamlining the adjustment process.
Effortless File Searching: Searching for files is a breeze with Spotlight. Simply type a portion of the file name to locate it quickly, saving you from a manual search through Finder.
Folder Navigation Made Simple: Open folders directly by typing their names into Spotlight. This eliminates the hassle of manual navigation, providing a faster route to your destination.
Quick Web Searches: Conduct web searches straight from Spotlight. If you prefer, you can even have the search open in your default web browser, providing flexibility in how you find information online.
Weather and Time Queries: Get the current weather conditions and time for any location by typing “weather” or “time” followed by the location name. This quick hack keeps you informed without the need to open a browser or weather app.
Direct Unit Conversions: Convert units of measurement with ease, directly within Spotlight. This functionality supports a wide range of units, offering convenience for both personal and professional use.
Access System Preferences Quickly: Search for and open the System Preferences menu directly from Spotlight. This shortcut saves time when adjusting settings or accessing various control panels.
Messaging Made Easy: Start a message to any of your contacts by typing “message” followed by the contact’s name. This feature simplifies the process of sending quick messages without opening the Messages app.
Application-Specific Searches: Find information within specific applications by prefacing your search with the app name. This targeted search yields more relevant results, enhancing productivity.
Dictionary Definitions and Synonyms: Get definitions and synonyms for words by typing them into Spotlight. Utilizing a shortcut, this feature turns Spotlight into a quick reference tool.
Create Events Effortlessly: Type “calendar” or “event” to create new calendar events directly from Spotlight. This integration simplifies scheduling and event creation without opening the Calendar app.
Contact Search: Quickly locate and access contact details without opening the Contacts app. This functionality is especially useful for finding phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact information on the fly.
Music Control: Control music playback—play, pause, skip—directly through Spotlight. This hack offers a convenient way to manage your music without interrupting your workflow.

By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you’ll discover that Spotlight is more than just a search tool; it’s a comprehensive utility that can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency on a Mac. Whether you’re adjusting settings, searching for information, or managing tasks, these hacks ensure a smoother, more streamlined experience.

Embrace these Spotlight hacks to unlock a new level of convenience and control over your Mac, optimizing your workflow and making every action more efficient.

Source & Image Credit: Aim Apple

Filed Under: Apple, Guides, Laptops

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Tags Boost, Clever, Hacks, Mac, Spotlight, Workflow