Equinix power failure

from FB:

>>This morning, an Equinix data center experienced a power failure that affected a number of customers, including Zoho. We immediately notified the affected customers and full service was restored within a matter of seconds. We are investigating the root cause of the issue. We deeply regret the impact and inconvenience this incident caused our customers.

Data Center Supply And Demand Dynamics

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Building data centers is a very capital-intensive business, that also requires very good insight into future demand, as bringing a new facility on line may necessitate up to 18 months, with several additional months needed to fill it up in case of multi-tenant locations.

While the business model is now generally recognized as a potentially very margin-rich activity, supply and demand remains the single most important factor investors should be looking at, as it strongly impacts market pricing for data centers and profitability for the companies involved in the sector.

from http://blogs.computerworld.com

>>We've expected the physical button to be replaced by a haptic display, but when every other smartphone now boasts a little button on the front, why not put it elsewhere. Why not put the Home button on the side of the device?

FireHost Chooses Platform Equinix to Support European Expansion

Equinix London and Amsterdam facilities selected to provide high-performance, secure cloud hosting services

LONDON - January 13, 2012 - FireHost, a secure cloud hosting company, today announced that it has selected Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data centre services, to support its imminent European cloud hosting service launch. Equinix’s state-of-the-art LD5 International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centre in London will become FireHost’s primary data centre in Europe, with Equinix’s AM2 IBX in Amsterdam providing disaster recovery capabilities for the region.

FireHost specialises in secure cloud-based hosting solutions for organisations running websites and applications with critical data protection and performance needs, securing tens of thousands of websites for customers in 22 countries. The expansion of FireHost’s infrastructure into Europe addresses growing demand from European businesses, plus an increasing requirement to keep data within the European Union, and will provide existing and prospective customers with greater control over where they host their primary and backup operations.

FireHost required a colocation partner with the highest operational and security standards and a network-rich environment for customer connectivity. As well as meeting these requirements, Platform Equinix^TM provides seamless global scalability and a rich ecosystem of more than 800 cloud and IT service providers and more than 4,000 potential customers to support future growth.

“The quality of Equinix’s data centres, together with its global reach and abundance of network operators, means it will provide the ideal platform for us to launch and then grow our European operations,” said Katrena Drake, director of European operations, FireHost. “FireHost’s solutions are recognised for being ultra-secure and ultra-reliable. In Equinix we have found a partner that shares these attributes and can help us replicate our award-winning US-based cloud hosting services in the European market.”

“FireHost stakes its reputation on the security and high performance of its services, so it’s a great endorsement of our standards-based approach that it will base its European operations in our data centres,” said Dick Theunissen, CMO, Equinix EMEA. “However, it is just as critical for FireHost to work with a data centre partner that can support its rapid growth trajectory. We hope that our mature cloud ecosystem and the constantly expanding Equinix Marketplace™ will provide Firehost with plentiful opportunities to expand its partner and customer base in the years to come.”

Future games machines to read your emotions

from http://eandt.theiet.org:

>>One of Sony’s most striking goals was advanced haptics that can replicate sensations as specific as stroking a cat. “What we have today is solely based on vibration.” Tsuruta-san then envisaged the use of broader sensor technology that might read vital signs, body heat and facial expressions to gauge a player’s emotions and use them in the context of a game.

Sony hints at super-HD, haptic and sensor tech for PS4

from www.mcvuk.com:

>One of the most interesting points regarded haptic technology. E&T reports that the new tech is able to replicate sensations, taking feedback way beyond simple vibration and resistance.

Cable&Wireless Worldwide and Equinix Collaborate to Deliver Cloud-Based Services for Global Enterprises

• Building on the success of its successful Flexible Computing platform in the UK, C&W Worldwide expands cloud offering to customers globally
• Global enterprises will have access to world class data centre services in multiple countries

Singapore — January 12, 2012 — Cable&Wireless Worldwide (LSE: CW.), a global provider of mission critical communications, is collaborating with Equinix Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data centre services, to become a one-stop shop for global enterprises that require best-of-breed data centre services.

This collaboration will strengthen C&W Worldwide’s existing cloud capabilities and will be a springboard from which the company will deliver a comprehensive suite of data centre services, such as co-location, managed hosting and cloud computing services to global customers.

Gartner predicts that, by 2015, 50 percent of Global 1000 enterprises will rely on external cloud-computing services for their top 10 revenue-generating processes[1]. C&W Worldwide’s hybrid cloud offering, which brings together the best of managed hosting, multi-tenant and private cloud deployments, will help companies reduce complexity, minimise infrastructure costs and increase business agility. The company already offers a Flexible Computing product in the UK that has been successfully deployed with clients in industries such as facilities management, IT services, media, retail and financial services.

“Telcos are natural providers of enterprise-class infrastructure services. Our ambition is to create an ecosystem of best-of-breed solutions from different service providers that can deliver a flexible and risk free cloud computing roadmap for customers,” said Nick Lambert, managing director, wholesale, mid-markets and global markets, C&W Worldwide.

He added, “Equinix is the ideal company for us to collaborate with because its footprint of data centres closely aligns with our global network. Both companies share a complementary vision to deliver reliable, on-demand services that will enable some of the largest organisations to transit into a world-class cloud computing and communications environment.”

“Our global relationship with Cable&Wireless Worldwide is testament to the value of Platform Equinix™ for enabling network service providers to easily expand their service reach to access new revenue opportunities,” said Samuel Lee, Equinix President, Asia-Pacific. “As part of our growing network ecosystem of more than 680 network service providers, C&W Worldwide has access to our global platform of 99 data centres, while customers have a broad choice of best-in-class network providers to meet their telecommunications needs.”

Enterprise customers can expect a complete approach to service management with a single point of accountability for the company’s network and hosted computing infrastructure. C&W Worldwide and Equinix will help customers deal with the complexities of supporting a geographically diverse operation, so that customers can focus on their core business and respond rapidly to changing market conditions and emerging opportunities.

Additional resources

For more information and best practices for aligning the networks and cloud communities, download and watch the Equinix webinar, “Networks & Clouds: Navigating the Potential” here.

For more information about C&W Worldwide’s Flexible Computing platform, please click here.

---

[1] Gartner: ‘Emerging Technology Analysis: Cloud Storage and Its Impact on Data Center Transformation’, February 2011 http://my.gartner.com/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=249&mode=2&PageID=864059&resId=1541314&ref=Browse

Samsung confident of outselling Nokia in 2012

from Yahoo:

>>Samsung Electronics Co, the world's biggest technology firm by revenue and the world's No.2 handset maker, is confident of its handset shipments overtaking that of Nokia this year, its chief executive said on Monday.

...

According to the latest polls by Reuters, Nokia's 2011 handsets were estimated at 418 million versus Samsung's 320 million but it would continue its lead in 2012, although the gap is seen declining to 388 million versus 359 million.

Continental Ensures Better Road Safety with New Control Elements

To help the driver's eyes return to the road more quickly, Continental has integrated haptic signals into touch-sensitive surfaces. At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, the company will show how consumer electronics and infotainment are becoming more and more intertwined in vehicles.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Electronics Show -- Modern vehicles are supporting motorists with a growing number of new functions. In this context, Continental, the international automotive supplier, is researching more intuitive, safer and simple control options for motorists. The latest development is the integration of haptic feedback into touch-sensitive surfaces. By this means, the driver is able to sense directly whether he has actually activated a "touch element" after touching it. With its innovations, Continental is supporting automotive manufacturers all over the world with the development of modern human-machine interfaces (HMI). The first series orders underline the promising future of this technology, and at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2012, Continental will show several applications for touch elements that provide direct feedback to users.

Gaining ground: Touch-sensitive surfaces in cars

Touchscreen smartphones are enjoying increasing popularity as more and more people rely on their simple and intuitive operability. Motorists are also calling for more touch-sensitive surfaces in cars. Products such as secondary displays, large-scale displays in the central console and touchpads are ideal for facilitating driver interaction via adapted and context-related presentation of information. As early as 2014, Continental expects one in six new cars registered in Western Europe, the USA and Japan to be fitted with touchscreens.

More attention to traffic thanks to haptic feedback

"However, it is not possible to simply transfer the concept of touch-sensitive surface operations from the field of consumer electronics into a car exactly as it is," explains Guido Meier-Arendt, an HMI expert at Continental. "Up to now, feedback was received directly through classic control elements such as rotary switches or switches and buttons, the eyes, ears and above all the operating hand whereas touch-sensitive displays in cars were disregarded as an important feedback means." To make the operation of touch elements even safer and more effective for motorists – whose primary task is, after all, to keep their eyes on the road – Continental is focusing on tactile (i.e. haptic) feedback from touch-sensitive surfaces. For example, slight counter-pressure from the display on the driver's finger indicates that an operating step has been performed successfully, making it unnecessary for the driver to look at the screen again.

For the haptic feedback, Continental calculates the exact position of the finger in the touch process. Touch sensors on a purely electrical (capacitive), electromechanical (resistive) or optical (via an infra-red sensor) basis perform this task. They reliably locate the position of the finger to less than a millimeter deviation. Depending on the position identified, a decision is made on how haptic feedback is to be provided. Whether a touch element is actually activated also depends on the operating force, which is calculated via further sensors or through signal processing steps on the basis of existing data. The actuators needed to carry out mechanical movements can generate various types of haptics information within a frequency range of up to 200 hertz and more.

Feedback can be provided in forms ranging from slight counter-pressure to vibration, depending on the respective control concept. This allows different feedback strategies to be implemented which are tailored to the manufacturers' requirements. Series of tests have shown that haptic feedback is accepted much better by motorists than visual or acoustic signals. Continental has also made use of this principle in its Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal (AFFP). Thanks to haptics, the world's first active gas pedal in serial production offers a new possibility to provide imminent danger warnings to motorists directly through the feet, for example.

Ready for serial production – for more safety and pleasure to use

Continental has completed the basic pre-development phase and is now in a position to work on specific implementation for new vehicle models together with automotive manufacturers. "Let's say that the combination of touch-sensitive surfaces and haptic feedback is a tangible innovation, that will provide even better support for motorists," declares Eelco Spoelder, Head of the Instrumentation & Driver HMI division. "Our customers can use this technology to improve safety for passengers, but also to create a kind of magic sensation for the operator due to the haptic feedback."

Continental will showcase a version of this technology during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 8-13, 2012. Continental will host a private hospitality salon during the event, and executives will be on hand for on-site interviews to share additional information about these and other Continental technologies.

With sales of EUR 26 billion in 2010, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 164,000 employees in 45 countries.

SOURCE Continental

Cadillac Contextual Research Drives Innovative Tech Design

from http://3d-car-shows.com:

>>Among the breakthroughs the CUE team developed: proximity sensing that minimizes the display when not in use; capacitive touch screen with haptic feedback; natural voice recognition; icon-based menu functions with home screen and customizable shortcut menu bars, and a concealed storage compartment behind the user interface. The haptic feedback gives users a pulsing sensation when the select menu items while capacitive touch screen allows for swipe and pinching gestures to move and resize items on the main screen.

Cadillac will offer CUE starting with the new XTS luxury sedan in spring of 2012 and in the ATS compact luxury sedan, followed by the SRX luxury crossover.

CES: GM Wants To Turn Your Car Into An iPhone On Wheels

from Forbes:

>>The Detroit, Michigan-based automaker announced it will debut its new CUE infotainment software on the Cadillac ATS — a new BMW 3-series fighter GM introduced at the Detroit Auto show earlier Sunday.

Short for Cadillac User Experience, CUE is built around an 8-inch touch screen, kind off like an iPad. ”Customers want things that are elegant, intuitive, and simple to use,” Cadillac Global Marketing Director Jim Vurpillat told a crowd of journalists.

Visteon to Display Automotive Electronics Innovations at 2012 International CES in Las Vegas

from Seeking Alpha:

>>LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Visteon Corporation (VC), a leading global automotive supplier, will display a range of automotive electronics innovations at the 2012 International CES the world's largest consumer technology trade show in Las Vegas from Jan. 10-13.

Vehicle cockpit integration concepts, featuring connectivity solutions such as Cloud computing, advanced haptic feedback controls, and other innovations that challenge traditional implementations and increase consumer appeal.

Nokia Lumia 710 Review

from www.laptopmag.com:

>>Haptic feedback and trace functionality are also absent, which some might miss.

Samsung to post strong Q4 on record smartphone sales

from Yahoo:

>>Samsung Electronics, the world's top maker of memory chips and smartphones, is set to report a robust quarterly profit rise on Friday, starting 2012 on an upbeat note aided by record-smashing sales of smartphones.

AUTOS: Top Technologies Of 2011

from http://automotive.speedtv.com:

>>Focusing back on individual items, here are nine of the top car-tech items and stories of 2011:

The Cadillac User Experience is a major advancement in touch-screen interfaces with several industry firsts. (Photo: Cadillac)

Cadillac User Experience (CUE) -- Better than an iPad. Love it or hate it, over the next several years we're going to see even more instrument-panel real estate dedicated to screen-based systems, especially touch screens. While MyFord Touch made a plunge last year, it's been followed in close succession by a host of other interfaces that aim to do most of what the Ford system can do, but with a little more simplicity, such as Chrysler's UConnect Touch, the General Motors system known as IntelliLink (Buick) and MyLink (Chevy). But none of them quite matches up to GM's upcoming system for Cadillac models, called CUE (Cadillac User Experience).

Samsung eyes 15 pct rise in handset sales next yr - report

from Yahoo/Reuters:

>>South Korea's Samsung Electronics aims to raise its global handset sales by 15 percent next year by boosting its smartphone sales, putting it in a closer race with bigger rival Nokia, a local newspaper said on Tuesday.

...

Samsung, the world's No.2 handset vendor, targets sales of 374 million handsets next year, up from 325 million units the company projected for this year, Korea Economic Daily reported citing industry officials.

Out of the 374 million handsets, Samsung aims to sell 150 million units of smartphones next year, the report said.

Top 10 Influential: Australian data centres, Cloud expansion

from www.computerworld.com.au:

>>That didn’t stop service providers taking advantage of the trend to host data in the Cloud overseas, such as fibre wholesaler Vocus (ASX:VOC). The company moved to position itself as a key capacity provider for US companies this year by selling Cloud services to Australian customers via South East Asia. In November, it established a point of presence (PoP) at the Equinix data centre in Singapore.

Tech consortium moves to accelerate FIX Protocol messaging

from www.finextra.com:

>>A group of leading IT infrastructure vendors today unveiled specialist teaming efforts to deliver a new level of high performance solutions to the global electronic trading community.

Led by OnX Enterprise Solutions, the group's charter members at the infrastructure level are: Intel, Dell, Arista Networks, Solarflare, Equinix, Grey Spark Partners and Edge Technology Group - testing FIX engines from Rapid Addition and B2BITS EPAM Systems Company.

inContact Selects Platform Equinix to Extend its Cloud-based Call Center Solutions

inContact deploys in Equinix IBX data centers in Frankfurt and Munich to expand its high-speed European infrastructure

London – December 15, 2011 – Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data center services, today announced that award-winning global call center service provider inContact has chosen to expand its offering in Europe with Platform Equinix™. United States-based inContact will service its fast-growing EMEA customer base through Equinix’s global footprint and the high density and low-latency networks available in its International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers.

inContact will deploy identical implementations in Equinix’s Frankfurt and Munich IBX data centers that thereby exceed the levels of availability and resilience required by customers. The move follows a recently announced global distribution agreement between inContact and unified communications leader Siemens Enterprise Communications, which meant inContact needed to expand rapidly in Europe with no impact to performance. To support this growth, inContact needed a data center partner able to provide infrastructure throughout Europe capable of enabling high application performance, while scaling with inContact as it expands into new global markets.

“In Equinix, we have a trusted data centre partner with best-in-class, resilient data centre facilities and strategic geographical reach in EMEA, which enables us to deliver the highest quality of on-demand services to our European customers via the cloud,” said Mike Perry, inContact VP of International Operations, “Platform Equinix provides us with a strong foundation from which we can deliver our services and ensure customer satisfaction, as well as an exceptional ecosystem of potential customers and partners to enable further growth. We look forward to a productive and profitable long-term relationship with Equinix, as we continue to expand globally.”

“Organisations are increasingly looking to the cloud for business-critical infrastructure platforms and software applications, and cloud-based contact center solutions are one of the fastest growing areas,” said Dick Theunissen, CMO, Equinix EMEA. “The fact that a market leader like inContact selected Equinix for such a latency-sensitive platform is testament to the high application performance and the quality of user experience that can be delivered through the Platform Equinix ecosystem in Europe.”

JSE selects Fixnetix as UK PoP and network provider

from www.automatedtrader.net:

>>The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and Fixnetix have announced that the exchange has chosen Fixnetix as the provider of the JSE's point of presence (PoP) in the UK.

Initially, access to the JSE's Equity Market Customer Testing Service and real time data services will be available via the JSE PoP provided by Fixnetix in the Equinix datacentre, LD4, in Slough. The UK PoP will be extended to include trading of JSE equities and this agreement could be expanded to include access to other JSE markets.