Joel Santo Domingo has compiled a “Top Ten” list of things to know about Intel’s new Core 2 Duo processors for PC Magazine:
1. Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme will be the fastest processors available
2. Core 2 Duo overtakes the Pentium as the name in processors
3. Intel has created one unified Core architecture for all categories (desktop, notebooks, workstation/servers)
4. All three variations (Conroe, Merom, and Woodcrest) are more efficient
5. Due to better performance per watt, systems will be quieter
6. Core 2 Duo can currently drop right into some current Pentium D/EE (LGA775) motherboards
7. With Core 2 Duo’s virtualization technology, one physical PC can be several virtual systems
8. All Core 2 Duo systems will have TPM (Trusted Platform Module)
9. Processors code names came from towns and locales nearby to where they were designed: Conroe (Texas), Woodcrest (California), and Merom (ancient lake in Israel).
10. Coming to a personal computer near you in late July/early August.
More detail in the full article here.
[UPDATE: 10:14am EDT: Changed wording of #9 due to sporadic ridicule below.]
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Related articles:
RUMOR: Apple to unveil ‘Mac Pro’ with new enclosure design, Intel Core 2 Duo at WWDC next month – July 03, 2006
Intel officially releases Xeon ‘Woodcrest’ processor – June 27, 2006
Patent hints Apple may incorporate Intel’s ‘unified desktop interface’ in Mac OS X Leopard – June 22, 2006
Intel’s next-gen Conroe, Merom processors to be dubbed ‘Core 2 Duo’ – May 07, 2006
Intel gets aggressive on next-gen rollout schedules: Merom MacBook Pros, Conroe Power Macs, more – May 03, 2006
Intel showcases next-gen multi-core ‘Conroe’ processors, may turn up in future Apple Power Macs – March 07, 2006
Funny they don’t mention SSE4, which is finally a decent 128-bit vector processor built into the Core 2 Duo. Apple fans who knew about Velocity Engine should be happy.
SM has some valid points – even if he is insane. Apple isn’t much concerned about locking up the OS, in fact one could argue that at some degree, it has no value to them other than to serve as the interface for their underlying media platform. What they are concerned about locking up is DRM. As more and more of their revenue moves to iTunes and content, they need to get the RIAA, MPAA and all of the players completely comfortable that their systems will eliminate any chance of digital piracy. And they can now use this technology to show the content providers that not only can they better prevent the piracy, but they can easily trace it to the source and take action. No big deal – right? EVERY file on your Mac is going to get tagged with snipets of code that will tie it back to your computer. The computer that you registered with Apple. They have your information should they need it. The question isn’t whether this is good or bad, that decision was already made when Apple jumped over to Intel. The question is can you live with that? Most of you guys on here already drank the Kool-Aid and raved about how much better Intel was than PowerPC months ago without even considering some of these points. Good that we’re at least talking about it for once.
TeamZissou: let’s say I sell my macbook to somebody, and they then take it with them to Mexico, or Pakistan, or Singapore, and connect to the net through a free wifi setup at a cafe – how does Trusted Computing keep track of who it is? That would be really interesting to know. Seems if I had originally registered the macbook through Apple, all they would be able to say is it was still me, when I had passed on the laptop long ago. This could get confusing to them at best, I’d think. Lots of data doesn’t necessarily mean accurate data.
I long ago used Little Snitch to block iTunes. I don’t care that I can’t listen to blathering idiots on a “news-talk” station 2,000 miles away or hear music I can listen to on a radio.
Now, though, I wonder whether Little Snitch should keep an eye on itself. (The best place to hide a spy is in the spy agency.)
Maybe I could duplicate it and have each watch the other.
The problem with even having this argument with Static Mesh is simply that you can’t prove a negative.
You can’t PROVE that Apple isn’t going to lock down the OS, your files, your media content. You can’t prove that the NSA won’t be watching you surf the internet. You can’t prove that it isn’t all a big conspiracy to defraud you of your rights.
The bottom line is, as always, common sense. As someone above mentioned – more data doesn’t mean good data. Squeeze the user too hard and eventually there is an outcry and public humiliation for the company (Sony rootkit anyone?) responsible.
And if it gets really bad, there will be lawsuits of the class-action kind. I think class action lawyers ought to be the biggest proponents of Trusted Computing for this reason. Ensures future growth in lawsuits.
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Seriously, there is more data available about the world than ever. Instantly accessible. Your internet surfing, your every purchase with plastic, your every phone call, every UPS, FedEx, and DHL package sent, every major intersection you drive through has a camera, plus every ATM, fuel station, Post Office, bank, liquor store, Best Buy, Target.
If you think about it, you are being tracked nearly every minute that you do any interaction, whether it’s through video, electronic purchase records, etc.
The only real question is – who would actually take the time to sort through this haystick to find the needle – you – in it? There would have to be a good reason to be worth the trouble. And it would be a helluva lot of trouble to assimilate all the potential sources.
THIS is security through obscurity.
“Funny they don’t mention SSE4, which is finally a decent 128-bit vector processor built into the Core 2 Duo. Apple fans who knew about Velocity Engine should be happy.
Yep, can now do it in *one* pass instead of two. This is a HUGE performance gain. Video encoders will be very happy.
Static Mesh,
Keep up the good work. It’s interesting to read what you have to write.
The only problem with Trusted Computing and the TPM Platform (chip) is that *if* they are going to lock things down to the n’th degree, they better come up with some fair use policies (am I dreaming?). I want to be able to backup media I OWN (and without jumping through hoops to do so). I also REALLY hate the idea of my files being tagged with a unique pin/identifier and emails as well. The only recouse we have is to see how this plays out, and then take action. TPM is out there – that is a done deal. None of us is going to change the fact that it is built right into the hardware itself. It does have useful purposes, but can also be abused. For the next 2-3 years it’s a wait and see game for me. Believe me, when it starts being abused, the EFF and others will be all over this.
Blucaso: If you think about it, you are being tracked nearly every minute that you do any interaction, whether it’s through video, electronic purchase records, etc.
The only real question is – who would actually take the time to sort through this haystick to find the needle – you – in it?
Identity thieves might benefit. Also, the difference between the way we are currently tracked is that we currently have to actively GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING to be tracked. Trusted Computing would bypass that annoyance and potentially allow digging into whatever personal information you have about yourself, etc. , straight from your house, whether you did anything or not. See the differnce?
difference
© says: “The only problem with Trusted Computing and the TPM Platform (chip) is that *if* they are going to lock things down to the n’th degree, they better come up with some fair use policies (am I dreaming?). I want to be able to backup media I OWN (and without jumping through hoops to do so). I also REALLY hate the idea of my files being tagged with a unique pin/identifier and emails as well.”
Well, buckle your seatbelt meine freund, b/c hoop jumping is exactly what the content providers want. And it looks like they have a more than fair shot at getting it too. Besides the technology that they’ve forced everybody – even Apple – to adopt, they are hitting things hard on the legislative side too, and Congress’s present majority seems all too willing to pass the laws the give you no choice in the matter. EFF actions to fight this have, thus far, not been all that effective, mainly b/c the politicians hear the money talking in favor of DRM lockdown, much more than voters speaking out against it.
Find out who your Representative and Senator are, and call them up. It works.
As for identifying data files, well I hate to say it but Spotlight (metadata tags) + TPM (unit ID) = Exactly that.
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huh? says: “… let’s say I sell my macbook to somebody, and they then take it with them to Mexico, or Pakistan, or Singapore, and connect to the net through a free wifi setup at a cafe – how does Trusted Computing keep track of who it is? … Seems if I had originally registered the macbook through Apple, all they would be able to say is it was still me, when I had passed on the laptop long ago. This could get confusing to them at best, I’d think. Lots of data doesn’t necessarily mean accurate data.”
You’re right to point out this rather large hole in The Plan(TM), but it’s not registering on the radar of anyone who is actually making these decisions for us. Simply put, they don’t care if you wind up in SuperMax for something that another person has done with your lawfully re-sold property. The greater goal is to simply track the info, and you being an innocent man in a jail cell just means they still have a lead on tracking whoever IS using your old rig. While you could re-aquire your freedom, or even be able to avoid the worst of what they could do to you in the first place, your rights in general are not the government’s priority. Not anymore.
And if there’s a huge outcry from some poor sucker getting ass-raped in the Federal pen after selling his old MacBook Pro to the ‘wrong sort’, I’d prepare for yet another law. This one will require that you MUST alert Apple (or whomever) whenever you sell your ‘private’ property to someone else. Under ‘DRM Everywhere’, the inexorable logic is that the average citizen simply won’t be allowed to really own ANYTHING anymore.
In the meantime, remember to wipe that hard drive before you resell it. Ok?
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