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The New York Times has reported that IBM scientists have built a computer circuit out of a single strand of carbon. The newspaper hailed it as another step towards post-silicon computers. This IBM circuit performs only a single simple operation — flipping a true or false and vice-versa — but marks the first time that a device made of carbon strands known as nanotubes has been able to carry out any sort of logic. It is also the first logic circuit made of a single molecule. At least another year or two of research is needed before IBM can even evaluate whether a practical computer chip can be manufactured from nanotubes, the lead scientist of the project said. HP’s swap strategy The US-based printer giant, Hewlett Packard, has offered to purchase back any of its laser printer from the Indian customer at prices much above the cost price — if customers traded them in for the company’s new generation Internet-enabled range, The Hindu reported. Called ‘trade in trade up,’ the drive is aimed at encouraging customers to upgrade to the new line-up of laser printers — both monochrome and colour— which have a number of Internet friendly features such as the ability to be controlled remotely through e-mailed instructions and to detect the quantity of toner remaining, automatically reordering a cartridge if required. Net-over-cable A report in Hindustan Times claims that
despite the hype about Internet-over-cable television, the concept of
round-the-clock Internet access at high speeds has simply not taken off
in India. There are just 12,500 Internet-over-cable connections with
Delhi alone accounting for almost 30 per cent. However, a substantial
number of these subscribers are companies and cyber cafes. The daily
said that the reason for the lukewarm response is that corporates have
other options like dedicated leased lines that though cost higher yet
are reliable. |
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