Exhibit powered by new energy-efficient IBM Smarter Data Center

IBM unveiled a new experiential exhibit at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot® at the Walt Disney World® Resort, which invites guests to discover the possibilities of building a smarter planet. The exhibit is powered by a new Smarter Data Center, providing a real-life demonstration of optimized computing that reduces energy costs by up to 25 percent.

SmarterPlanet presented by IBM offers visitors to the park a “behind-the-scenes” glimpse of how technology is helping solve the world’s most complex problems – from reducing road traffic and city crime to improving food safety and local water supplies.

The experience encourages guests to think about their individual role in creating a smarter planet as well as understand how smarter data centers are the heart of a more sustainable, technology-enabled world.

For example, hands-on interactive kiosks offer guests a “match” game that reveals societal and technological implications of creating a smarter planet. Guests will discover how more than two billion people are using mobile phones to open and use bank accounts for the first time; or that only 11 percent of the United States money supply is cash; or that by unplugging household appliance while not in use homeowners can save cash, up to $286 every year; or how smarter food systems track the temperatures of foods from one location to another to prevent spoilage. From the same kiosks, guests can take a Smarter Planet poll and compare their answers with those of other visitors.

The exhibit also features Runtime, created by Walt Disney Imagineering, which transforms guests into personalized avatars as part of the video game experience. Players run, jump and dance through a timeline of IBM’s achievements in the history of computing, journeying from the Babbage computer, through vacuum tubes and chips and bits, to the Internet. Guests can also email their personalized version of the game to any computer, extending the Runtime experience to their home.

Smarter Data Center

The exhibit’s glass storefront invites guests to peek into a functional IBM Smarter Data Center, responsible for running the SmarterPlanet exhibit and demonstrating the advanced technology required as part of the Smarter Planet transformation.

Implemented by hundreds of IBM clients around the world over the past three years, the exhibit’s version of IBM’s Scalable Modular Data Center is a quick-to-deploy, cost-effective, energy-efficient data center built on a combination of IBM hardware and software as well as partner offerings. Using this type of data center – equipped with highly optimized servers, storage, switches and smart software – IBM has helped organizations reduce their overall IT costs by up to 25 percent, including reducing overall energy costs.

In addition to providing the computer power for the exhibit, the Smarter Data Center will donate unused computing resources to the World Community Grid to help in various types of medical, humanitarian and environmental research. This project joins together thousands of individual computers worldwide, establishing a large system with massive computational power equivalent to a supercomputer, thereby reducing research time from decades to months.

The Smarter Data Center also includes an IBM Cloudburst(TM) demonstration environment. This emerging and massively scalable compute model allows a data center to rapidly deploy a workload with a high degree of integration, flexibility and resource optimization. It also helps to drive down costs and accelerate time to market for businesses.

“The new SmarterPlanet experience brings to life the many ways in which IBM technologies are invisibly woven into the way people live, work and play,” said Gary Cohen, IBM General Manager, Global Communications Sector. “The objective is for guests to walk away understanding how forward-thinking solutions can solve our greatest societal problems, and the increasing role technology will play in improving the quality of life for people across the world.”

SmarterPlanet presented by IBM also serves as a key venue for several of IBM’s community outreach programs, including Engineers Week, an annual program created by The National Engineers Week Foundation to reach out to current and future generations of engineering talent. The Engineers Week program, which IBM has hosted at its exhibit since 2000, engages visiting elementary school children in activities designed to inspire and motivate them to excel in math and science. The program also seeks to reduce the digital divide, especially for children from low-income communities where access to computers and technology may be limited at home and in school. This year, IBM will host Engineers Week April 13-15, 2010.

INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®

INNOVENTIONS is located in the heart of Epcot® at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Creativity and imagination abound as guests celebrate inspiration and the innovations that improve their lives and expand their horizons. Hands-on, interactive exhibits allow children and adults to be immersed into ideas that inform, entertain and inspire. For more information on INNOVENTIONS, visit www.innoventions.disney.com.

Source: IBM


Consumer Reports: Best TVs for the Buck

March report includes ratings of over 130 TVs; Buying advice – features to consider and which to skip

Believe it or not, TV prices continue to fall, and special Super Bowl and Winter Olympics promotions are likely to result in even better deals. Consumers may find larger sets with screen sizes from 46- to 50-inches as low as $600. The March issue of Consumer Reports includes Ratings of over 130 LCD and plasma TVs and advice on what features are worth the price.

“Whether you’re a first time buyer or you want to upgrade your existing flat-panel, TV prices have never been better and they continue to fall,” says Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor of Consumer Reports. “It’s not always best to go for the least-expensive model; we’ve found that some features are worth the extra-cost.”

Things to Consider

  • Resolution: 1080p vs. 720p. 1080p resolution, called full HD, is now very common, but some 50-inch and smaller TVs still have 720p resolution. Salespeople may suggest that 1080p sets have better picture quality overall, but it’s not always the case; however, a 1080p set does have the potential to display finer detail than a 720p TV because the screen has more pixels – the elements making up an image. The price premium for 1080p has shrunk but still runs $100 to $200. Consumer Reports recommends buying a 1080p set if the TV is 50 inches or larger, and price isn’t an issue.
  • Less Blur: 120Hz & 240Hz. Ads make a big deal of 120Hz and 240Hz technologies, which promise to reduce blurring and the loss of detail that can occur when LCD TVs display fast-moving images. 120Hz technology doubles an LCD TV’s usual 60Hz frame rate, and 240Hz quadruples it. (Some models combine a 120Hz frame rate with a scanning, or flashing, backlight, to create a 240Hz effect.) Purchasing a TV with anti-blur technology can cost an extra $200 or more, and results varied in Consumer Reports lab tests. A 60Hz set should satisfy most casual viewers, but it’s worth considering a 120Hz TV now that the feature is available on lower-priced sets.
  • Screen Size. Consumers in the market for a TV may opt for a smaller screen size to keep costs down. Consumer Reports suggests that consumers purchase the biggest screen their budget and space allow, rather than a smaller model with extra features that will be rarely used.
  • High-priced HDMI cables. Retailers will try to talk consumers into spending $50 or more for an HDMI cable to use with a new HDTV. Consumer Reports recommends buying decent-quality cables with sturdy connectors, but not expensive ones. A 6-foot HDMI cable should cost $10 or so. Even so-called high-speed cables designed for 1080p throughput shouldn’t cost more than $20 for a 3- to 6- foot cable. If low-priced HDMI cables aren’t available at the store, look online.

Consumer Reports Best Buys: HDTVs

Most of the TVs featured in Consumer Reports latest Ratings have excellent or very good picture quality, so there are many fine choices. Below is a list of CR Best Buys which are mainstream values. (Sets are listed from largest to smallest screen size).

LCD TVs
– Vizio VF550M, $1,400
– Toshiba Regza Cinema Series 52XV648U, $1,400
– Toshiba Regza 46XV645U, $1,000
– Insignia NS-L42Q-10A, $650
– LG 42LF11, $700
– Sanyo DP42849, $630
– Vizio VO320E (720p), $390
– Sanyo DP26649 (720p), $300

Plasma TVs
– LG 50PQ30, $800
– Insignia NS-P501Q-10A (720p), $650
– Panasonic Viera TC-42PX14 (720p), $550
– LG 42PQ30

The complete report, “Best TVs for the buck,” is available in the March 2010 issue of Consumer Reports available wherever magazines are sold. The report includes buying advice, Ratings of over 130 LCD and plasma TVs, best and worst brands, and 6 easy steps to get high-definition TV programming. Portions of the story are available for free online at www.ConsumerReports.org.


Hitachi introduces CP-DW10N+FXDUO88W wide bundle solution

Bundle Offers All-In-One Solution For Education And Corporate Environments

Hitachi America, Ltd announced its new CP-DW10N+FXDUO88W Wide Bundle, offering a complete solution for system integrators, educators, and presenters.

The CP-DW10N+FXDUO88W Wide Bundle combines the Hitachi CP-DW10N short-throw projector, the Hitachi FXDUO 88-inch wide interactive whiteboard, and a custom-designed Premier wall mount all into one seamless solution. Mounted on the wall arm at the top of the board, the CP-DW10N’s short-throw capability greatly reduces the shadow cast on the FXDUO88W from the presenter and offers a better viewing experience for students and audiences. Offered now as a complete package, the bundle is a great option for education and corporate environments

“We developed the CP-DW10N+FXDUO88W Wide Bundle to offer the best possible interactive experience for presenters and educators,” said John Glad, product manager, Hitachi America, Ltd. “By combining our latest in short-throw projector technology and our revolutionary FXDUO whiteboard with the Premier wall mount, we are ensuring the best experience with a complete Hitachi solution.”

The Hitachi CP-DW10N features a short throw distance of three feet that projects an 80-inch image, eliminating image obstruction in front of the screen. The CP-DW10 projector can be controlled and maintained through a LAN network connection, providing the ability to network, control and maintain the projectors remotely. The network functionality is capable of controlling multiple projectors in different rooms, as well as monitoring for functions such as remaining lamp life.

The FX DUO allows two users to work simultaneously on its surface, providing educators and corporate presenters a whole new range of possibilities. All electronics on the FXDUO interactive whiteboard are contained in a pod located at the top of the unit, keeping the actual surface electronics-free and more durable.


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