ASIMO goes 3D online
Honda has added a new feature to asimo.honda.com to give visitors a 360 degree view of the technology behind its ASIMO humanoid robot at http://asimo.honda.com/InsideAsimo. ASIMO’s form, function, movement and intelligence are detailed in the new website module, which uses a 3D computer-generated model of the robot to provide visitors with a more informative and an interactive look at ASIMO’s capabilities and how it operates.
ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, is being developed to help people and someday assist the elderly and disabled in their homes. But while Honda continues to develop and enhance ASIMO’s capabilities, the robot is being used today to encourage and inspire young students to consider studies in math and science.
Microprocessor sales sink
Worldwide PC microprocessor shipments fell significantly in the fourth calendar quarter of 2008 (4Q08), according to new data from IDC. Further demand decline in 1Q09, points to a very poor outlook for the first half of this year. In 4Q08, worldwide PC processor unit shipments declined 17 percent quarter over quarter (QoQ) and 11.4 percent year over year (YoY); market revenue declined 18 percent QoQ and 22.2 percent YoY to $6.78 billion. For the full year 2008, total PC processor unit shipments grew 10 percent while revenue grew 0.9 percent to $30.8 billion.
Intel’s Atom processor for mini-notebook PCs or netbooks continued to make a notable difference in the overall market performance. Without Atom, worldwide PC processor unit shipments declined 21.7 percent QoQ and 21.6 percent YoY.
“The decline in PC processor unit shipments in the fourth quarter was the worst sequential decline since IDC started tracking processor shipments in 1996,” said Shane Rau, director of Semiconductors: Personal Computing research at IDC. “After hinting at a decline last September, the market fell off a cliff in October and November.”
The Wal-Martization of Microsoft
David Porter will join Microsoft as corporate vice president of Retail Stores. He will lead Microsoft’s efforts to create a better PC and Microsoft retail purchase experience for consumers worldwide through the development and opening of the company’s own retail stores. Porter will report to Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner. He is joining Microsoft from DreamWorks Animation SKG, where he was head of worldwide product distribution.
Before joining DreamWorks Animation in 2007, Porter spent 25 years at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in roles of increasing responsibility and seniority in store operations, merchandising and information technology. It might be remembered that Microsoft’s COO, and Porter’s new boss, worked for nearly 20 years at Wal-Mart before joining Microsoft in 2005.
Netbooks are secondary devices
In a survey from ABI Research carried out among more than 1,000 adult consumers in the United States, it was found that only 11 percent would use a netbook as their primary computer, while a massive 79 percent view netbooks as a secondary device to be used in addition to a laptop or desktop computer.
Netbooks are smaller, so they’re not as easy to use or as powerful as a PC or a laptop, and generally don’t include built-in CD or DVD drives. However, the flip side is that the smaller size and weight of netbooks makes them much easier to tote around the home or on-the-go.
According to ABI’s principal analyst Philip Solis, “Even as a device that is secondary to the PC, this has to cut into the laptop market somewhat. When considering another laptop as an additional device mostly for browsing the web and using other Internet-based communications applications, consumers will find netbooks to be an appropriate alternative.”