Search

This article highlights the Real-time and Embedded Computing Conference which was held in the Sheraton Framingham in Massachusetts in 2004. The exhibits were in a ballroom on the main level, with lectures and presentations in what would be the dungeons if the architects had truly gotten into the spirit of the thing. During the show, Intel presented a talk on how to get from PCI and PCI-X to PCIExpress, the next-generation, in-the-box bus. A little background is in order to understand how we got into the mess and why it is time for something completely different. Montavista Software described some New Developments in Embedded Linux, including the observations that Linux has grown up, the homebrew operating system is dead, and per-unit royalties are history. In their view, a Linux system with 8 MB of RAM and 8 MB of Flash is doable, but will not notice anything wrong with slowly changing inputs. The between-sessions and over-lunch chatter revealed another issue: the visceral dislike of Microsoft and its offerings in any and all contexts. Spectrum Signal Processing gave a talk that was actually interesting despite its title. Ready? Radio Waveforms and the Software Communications Architecture: Instantiating Software Defined Radio Waveform Applications Across Heterogeneous Processing Elements.

Reports on Reading, Massachusetts-based Kenet Inc.'s plans to launch high-speed analog-to-digital converters with technology based on research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Formula crafted by the company to produce complementary metal oxide semiconductor data converters; Value of the high-speed data converter market.

Reports that in Massachusetts, once the hotbed for computer innovation, several companies have been bought by out-of-state-firms. IBM's acquisition of Lotus; 3Com's planned takeover by Chipcom; Banyan Systems as one of the few remaining independent software companies in Massachusetts.

Presents news items related to developments in the computer industry as of January 1, 2003. Report from United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on the inclusion of Robots in homes and markets; Release of a draft of Fortran 2000 standard by the International Standards Organization working group; Demonstration on the use of haptic technology by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Touch Lab.

Presents news briefs on the computer industry in the United States as of November 1999. Web server developed by H. Shrikumar, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts; Toilet partitions made from Trespa Athlon, a trademarked material manufactured by Trespa North America Ltd.; Refusal of the Association for Computing Machinery to support a plan by the Texas Professional Engineers Licensing Board to administer a licensing exam for software engineers.

Reports on Computer Museum's Tenth Annual Computer Bowl in Boston, Massachusetts. Trivia contest between five luminaries from the computer software industry.