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The article reports that International Business Machines (IBM) Corp.'s new Roadrunner supercomputer has smashed the high-tech equivalent of the four-minute mile by breaking the lofty petaflop barrier. IBM said that the hybrid system running AMD Opteron processors and Cell chips sustained a speed of 1.026 quadrillion calculations per second, about twice as fast as the next-fastest supercomputer. The $100 million Road-runner would take a single week to run a calculation that the fastest supercomputer 10 years ago would have needed 20 years to complete.

The article offers information on developments in the computer industry in the U.S. The country's computer industry had established a programming team called pilot fish, which creates accounts for new users and helps them remember their usernames and passwords. Moreover, the programming team has converted an application for a security-conscious Beltway company in which even developers are not allowed to choose their own passwords. It also assures that users understand that their individual passwords are case-sensitive.

The article presents two blog postings that tackle issues concerning information technology. A new worm or large virus outbreak is predicted to emerge by the middle of January 2006. Networking company Cisco Systems, according to a blogger, should be one of the players to watch in the field of systems management.

The article traces the beginnings of the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the first all-electronic computer. ENIAC was capable of being programmed through the rather cumbersome process of rewiring. In this regard, it was less advanced than Konrad Zuse's Z3. Unlike the Z3 and most modern computers, the registers of ENIAC performed decimal, rather than binary, arithmetic. Researchers J. Presper Eckert and John William Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania conceived and designed ENIAC in the early 1940's.

This section previews the latest products in the computer industry in the U.S. as of January 31, 2005. IBM Corp. rolled out a low-end, Power5-based 64-bit eServer OpenPower Model 710 that supports Linux distributions by both Red Hat and Novell. The server can be purchased with the company's virtualization and micropartitioning software. Along with the new handware, IBM also announced OpenPower Consolidation Express software that is intended to allow midsize users to streamline their overall information technology infrastructure. The company also announced that SAP products have been certified to run on the Model 710 and, later this quarter, Sybase products will also be certified as well for that machine. The 710 has an entry level price of $3,449. StorageTek has introduced Lifecycle Fixed Content Manager 100 to help customers address long-term storage issues and preserve archival data. It is designed to prevent the alteration or deletion of data for as long as a business deems necessary. The product costs $74,000 for a 2.3TB system. Infragistics released TestAdvantage, which provides automated regression testing of the presentation layer or user interface Windows Forms applications built on the .Net platform.

Looks at developments in developments in the computer industry from around the world as of January 10, 2005.

This article focuses on the importance of supercomputers for competitiveness in the U.S. Corporate America must leverage government investments in powerful supercomputers so the technology can economically find its way into the private sector. U.S. industry needs affordable access to supercomputer systems, which generally cost 10 million dollars or significantly more, in order to better compete globally. And government agencies and business groups are currently looking at ways to amortize government technology investments over a larger group of potential users.

Presents letters to the editor referencing articles and topics discussed in previous issues of "InfoWorld." "IT Takes a Village," which discussed overlooked values in the age of computers; "Colored Printers: The Full Spectrum," which reviewed various computer printers.

Evaluates the eServer p690 from IBM. Features of the system; Target market; Cost.

This article examines the impact of the emergence of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology on the computer industry. In 2002, Wi-Fi has grown from an obscure and somewhat geeky technology to a near requirement. Almost every notebook personal computer (PC) shipped today, and a growing percentage of desktop PC, arrive ready to tie into a wireless network. In coming months, the setup will get even easier, as clumsy add-ons and antennas are replaced by Wi-Fi functionality built right into the PC. Also on the horizon: devices that allow PC, TV, stereos and other entertainment devices to talk to each other, seamlessly and wirelessly. The challenge for PC marketers is to figure out how to sell consumers on actually using Wi-Fi. With some uncertainty about how the Wi-Fi revolution will progress, these developments have not been heralded yet with a corresponding blitz of consumer advertisements. The good news is that Wi-Fi makes the most sense when a consumer already has a high-speed, broadband Internet connection at home, and that market is growing fast. The growing number of hot spots is also helping drive consumer interest. Even though PC marketers are convinced Wi-Fi is a strong selling point, they are going slowly when it comes to marketing Wi-Fi.

Reports on the announcement of Intergraph Corp. that it has produced a line of standards-based workstations and servers and a new division to develop and market them. Features of the system; Usability of the system; Function and operation.