can Archives - knowtive

Why Iranian math genius Maryam Mirzakhani can be an inspiration for Pakistani women

As a child, Maryam Mirzakhani dreamt of being a novelist, at least until she was struck by the spell of mathematics.

Born in 1977, she attended Farzanegan School in Tehran, which has specifically been established by the Iranian state for girls of high aptitude. Mirzakhani was unstoppable. She was the first Iranian woman to bring home several gold medals from the International Mathematics Olympiad for two consecutive years at the early ages of 17 and 18.

After graduating from Sharif University, she headed to Harvard for graduate studies. There, she did her doctoral thesis under the mentorship of Curtis McMullen (a Fields Medalist), before moving to Princeton University as Assistant Professor and the Clay Mathematics Institute as Research Fellow.

At just 31 years of age, Mirzakhani joined Stanford University as a full professor, researching there till cancer consumed her at age 40.

Mirzakhani won more accolades in her short life than many men do in their entire academic careers. She received the Blumenthal Award from the American Mathematical Society in 2009 and in 2013, the Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics.

In 2014, she became the first woman to win the Fields Medal — the highest honour in mathematics, equivalent to the Nobel Prize. In the same year, she was named in the list of 10 most important researchers of the year in the British science magazine Nature.

More than simply a mathematician, Mirzakhani was a gifted artist who could visualise a world beyond what we can see.

Mirzakhani was an expert in Teichmüller and ergodic theory, hyperbolic geometry, symplectic geometry, and moduli spaces.

In simple terms, her work involved different forms of geometry, abstract surfaces, shapes, and structures in higher-dimensional spaces — topics which are a road block for mathematicians.

Her supervisor Curtis McMullen had provided a solution for predicting the path of balls on a billiard table, the table taking an abstract form resembling a torus-doughnut-pretzel-like shape. Mirzakhani’s appetite however, was not satiated by the work of her supervisor.

Undaunted by the complexity of the solution, she went on to extend McMullen’s work to more complex surfaces as part of her doctoral thesis. The three publications that resulted from her doctoral dissertations are distinguished for involving numerous highly-developed considerations.

So, what’s so great about the game of billiards? For decades, mathematicians have been fascinated with the game.

They have tried to predict what happens to the ball on a table. How does one shoot the ball in a way that it returns to its original spot after a number of rebounds/deflections? Will the ball return to the original path at some point? If it does, will it follow the exact path as before? Is the whole space covered by the flight? Or is the system chaotic? Problems like these are particularly relevant in having a better understanding of the universe, such as the role of periodic orbits.

More than simply a mathematician, Mirzakhani was a gifted artist who could visualise a world beyond what we can see. Her world was filled by geometric and dynamic complexities of curved surfaces – spheres, doughnuts and amoebas.

Her work showcases important aspects of geometry, topology and deformation theory of Riemann surfaces, benefiting many other fields of mathematics such as optics, acoustics, classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, prime numbers and cryptography.

Being the first woman to receive a Fields Medal provoked questions on the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs. In going through the profiles of successful mathematicians and scientists, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone who is not male and white.

In 2015, women made up one-third or less of the total workforce in STEM fields in the US. In the UK, the figurewas 17% in 2014 when it came to women professors in engineering and technology. Again, very few of these women are non-white or from immigrant backgrounds.

Gender inequality and cultural stereotypes lead to a lack of confidence in women by their peers. When reflecting on my own experiences and speaking to others in my field, I believe that self-doubt is also a common obstacle preventing women, especially from minority backgrounds, from pursuing a STEM career.

This is where Mirzakhani is an inspiration for all of us as a cultural icon. As an immigrant woman of colour, she defied all stereotypes by becoming an exceptional scientist and mathematician, and outdid many of her male colleagues. She can also serve as an example for women in Pakistan, where women are hardly ever employed or engaged in STEM fields due to several cultural restrictions.

Her curiosity and passion for tackling challenges is what made her discover and churn out solutions. She overturned the long-held belief that women can’t be good in mathematics. Mirzakhani was more than good; she was a geniu.

[Source:-.dawn.c]

Here’s How You Can Save $300 On An Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 Or S8+

Samsung is offering users a deal that could save them a lot of money on the Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus.

Samsung is currently offering customers a discount of $150 when they buy an unlocked version of the S8 or S8 Plus on the company’s website. This means the S8 will cost $574.99 and the S8 plus will cost $674.99. Of course, that’s still a fairly hefty price to pay for a smartphone, but there is a way to lower the price even more. Users who trade in an eligible smartphone will receive an additional $150 off the price of either phone.

Eligible smartphones include

iPhone 5 and above
iPhone SE,
Galaxy S5 and above
Note 5
LG G4 and above
Google Pixel
Google Pixel XL

The selection of eligible phones is somewhat limited, but there’s a wide enough variety that a lot of people stand to benefit from this deal.

One more added benefit to this deal is that the recently released Blue Coral S8 is eligible for purchase.

While the price of the S8 is still a bit pricey, users won’t have to pay it all upfront. Samsung is allowing users to make monthly payments of $17.71 over a two-year period.

S8 Sales

Despite the current hype surrounding the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8, the S8 and S8 Plus remain two of the of the best smartphones on the market and the sales numbers back that up. Samsung recently reported that the S8 was outselling the S7 by about 15 percent. Undoubtedly, the majority of these sales come from the fact that S8 is simply a great smartphone, but it doesn’t hurt that Samsung has offered some pretty nice deals throughout the course of the phone’s lifecycle.

Pure discounts like the one featured today are a bit rare, but there have been several buy-one-get-one opportunities from Samsung and individual cellphone carriers. The high price of the S8 is a real barrier to entry for a lot of consumers, but deals like these make the price a bit more bearable. Beyond that, it appears that these deals have paid off for Samsung as the company is on track to supplant Apple as the world’s most profitable tech firm.

One thing to keep in mind with Samsung’s current deal is that the phone will be an unlocked device so users will need to sign up with a carrier in order to get service. Using an unlocked phone isn’t for everyone as some people simply don’t like dealing with the hassle of negotiating with carriers, but it can save some money in the long run

[Source”timesofindia”]

Federer renaissance can serve as an inspiration to injured Murray and Djokovic

While Wednesday was a day of shocks at Wimbledon, with Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic exiting the men’s competition, the manner of their departures was somewhat anticlimactic.

It is the first time since 2003 that neither of the top two seeds are part of Friday’s semi-finals, but the tennis world is preparing itself for the fact they may have to do without Murray and Djokovic for longer than just the closing stages in London.

A hip problem, which Murray had been dealing with in the build-up to his title defence, reared its head against Sam Querrey, and from being two sets down the Briton’s movement across the court became almost painful to watch as Querrey ran through the final two sets for the loss of only two games to reach his first grand slam semi-final.

A despondent Murray was open-minded on what his plans were following the loss, understandably reluctant to give a time frame on what was next for him in term of playing.

“If it means taking a few weeks’ rest, then so be it,” he said. “If it means training and doing the right rehab and stuff, then I’ll do that,” he said in his post-match news conference.

Shortly after Murray’s loss, Djokovic retired from his quarter-final, trailing Tomas Berdych 7-6, 2-0, an injury to his right elbow limiting the power of his serve.

READ MORE: Novak Djokovic some way short of his best

The Serbian, who has not missed a major since appearing in his first one at the Australian Open in 2005, a run of 51 tournaments, made it clear that a spell away from the game to fully rehabilitate was in his mind.

“The specialists that I’ve talked with, they haven’t been really too clear, mentioning also surgery, mentioning different options. Nobody was very clear in what needs to be done,” the world No 4 said. “Yeah, I guess the break is something that I will have to consider right now.”

They may well be injury-forced time-outs, but time away from the court may well not be a bad thing for either.

Both men had gruelling 2016 schedules, Djokovic toiling to complete his career grand slam at the French Open, while Murray won five tournaments in a row between October and November, coming after he had won Wimbledon and Olympic gold in the summer.

That run got him to No 1 in the world, but his season ended on November 20, and he was back playing competitive tennis only six weeks later.

Both men have been pale shadows of the ones that dominated men’s tennis in 2016, and given neither was playing particularly well even before their bodies began to break down, it would be easy to worry about their long-term standing in the sport.

But, if they need inspiration they only need to look at Roger Federer, the favourite now to win Wimbledon for an eighth time.

Twelve months ago Federer fell short in the semi-finals to Milos Raonic, and that was his last action of 2016 as he downed tools for the rest of the year to fully recover from knee surgery, acknowledging at the time he had not been physically right.

Federer came back in January revitalised, won his first grand slam in four-and-a-half years at the Australian Open in January, and has won a further three tournaments. He is yet to drop a set at Wimbledon ahead of Friday’s semi-final with Berdych.

Despite being the most successful player in the history of the men’s game, there had been little in Federer’s play between 2013-16 that screamed he was capable of winning multiple grand slams in the same year again.

He had last done that in 2009, yet here he is just two matches away from picking up his second major of the year.

Rafael Nadal is also a case in point that taking a break does not have to be the end.

He finished an injury-hit 2016 season in October to fully rehabilitate from a wrist injury. Since then he has won a 10th French Open title last month, reached the Australian Open final, won three other titles, and reached two more finals. So no need to panic that time spent away from the game cannot have future benefits for Murray and Djokovic.

It may be a setback in the short term if both men were forced to miss the US Open, but if it means they can follow in the footsteps of Federer and Nadal and win grand slams further down the line then it will be worth it.

Yes, both men may lose ranking points and places in the standings in the meantime, but if you are playing well enough it does not matter where you are ranked.

Federer won the Australian Open seeded 17th, beating four top 10 players on his way to his 18th major.

Murray and Djokovic both face an anxious next couple of weeks, finding out just how bad their injuries are. But the rewards are there if they allow nature to take its course and rest up.

[Source”cnbc”]

ANYONE CAN DO THIS: A CONVERSATION WITH AWFUL RECORDS’ KEITHCHARLES ABOUT INSPIRATION AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BE GREAT

While patrolling the streets of Brooklyn in search of late night festivities I stumbled upon your run-of-the-mill rooftop function, equipped with an on-grade-level DJ, a dance floor in need of resuscitation, and a guest list full of socially awkward New York socialites afraid of losing even one of their 10.4K Instagram followers. But it wasn’t all bad so, with Jack Daniels in hand, I looked to my boys for approval and braved the unknown landscape. Personally, I’m not one to let an evening go to waste, even if the party is on life support, so I made my rounds dancing and weaving my way through the crowd and as the night went on, this random roof top became more and more the place to be. When I finally made my way to the perimeter of the function to catch my breath, someone, who I thought was one of the people I came with, started to walk toward me. Just as I was about to suggest we make our exit, I realize this wasn’t my friend, rather it was Awful Records’ own KeithCharles fresh from a European tour with singer-songwriter HOMESHAKE.

As it turned out, the person I had mistaken him for, Midland Agency’s Aton Ibe, was a mutual friend and this common denominator broke the ice of awkward introductions before it could freeze. Once identities were confirmed, the conversation ran like a faucet. All small talk was cast aside while the subject of creative inspiration took the lead role. The quick run-in swiftly evolved into a near monologue of KeithCharles’ muses, past and present. Whether through drunken passion or pure will to inspire those around him, KeithCharles became a fountain of bohemian energy overflowing with enlightening anecdotes meant to help his creative peers level-up. Thank god the party was calm enough for me to catch every word he said.

Everybody can do this s***! Everybody can f****** do this s*** bro. I started making beats on Kazaa. Do you remember Kazaa bro? Limewire Kazaa bruh! My parents are both musicians, I knew from an early, early age what I needed to do this s***. I told my mom when I was like 9 or 10 years old that I needed an MPC. I knew that this is what I wanted to do. And its crazy to me that I’m able to f****** do it.

And that’s what this is all bout, inspiration. You’re paying it forward with your talent.

I just talk to people all the time and I think that’s helped my fanbase tremendously. After a show, I’d stand out in a crowd and just talk to people and bro, this s*** is actually all about telling someone else that you can do this s***.

I like that, because not a lot of artists in this day and age want to help people, not like put people on but just inspire them or give them a little bit of insight into…

..what it takes to do this!

Exactly, its almost like older generations or more experienced people tend to put young artists down or tell them they aren’t tight before they even get the chance to develop.

Atlanta helped me bro, because I came from the swamps of Tampa, Florida. I’m from the swamps bro, the sticks! Ain’t no culture bro, well except the culture that there is. My mom strictly believes in Jesus. I told her one day, “What if I was muslim?”, she almost got into a car accident.

That’s crazy, but thats that old-head mentality. How are you going to deny someone from being themselves.

What its all about to me, and I feel like everyone can understand this from my music, is that I’m only here to make sure that people who didn’t know that they could do this, know that they can do this. And can do it better than I can. You feel me? I’ve met crazy, crazy musicians and thats what I aspire to be right now. I’m taking piano lessons, guitar lessons, bass lessons and that has been my dream since I was maybe 14 or 15 years old. You feel me?

You have anything specific that you’re working on that’s coming soon?

Oh yeah bro, I’ve got different albums under different names. I have a whole house project under the name Small Twin.

Is that joint out already?

Naw naw, I’m still brewing it, I’m still brewing.

I already know Awful Records artists do everything.

Yeah bro!

But one thing I do enjoy about your music is that you are very honest with what you say and even with the sounds you use.

Are you a big ABRA fan?

Of course!

She’s way more honest than I am and has been able to get to a certain security that comes from insecurity and thats where I am trying to get with what I am doing now.

Before I could get another question out, “Knuck If You Buck” began to blare from the surrounding speakers and like a trap Cinderella, KeithCharles vanished into the dance floor. Although I was not able to relocate him once Diamond’s verse dropped, his glass slipper was the subject of our conversation. Art is, in its essence, meant to inspire all those who it may come in contact with. As KeithCharles says, it is the role of the artist to incite hope in their supporters so that they too can be the one on stage with thousands of followers chanting their lyrics. They too can grow to release award-winning albums and tour the world making millions of dollars doing what they love; all it takes is a mustard seed of inspiration and the openness and willingness to nurture it and let it grow.

[Source”indianexpress”]

6 Skills You Can Learn Online for a Lucrative and Productive 2017

I am so much in love with this era we are in — an era where there is so much information online for self-development. A focused and determined person can learn many skills online and use them to diversify his or her income. With all the advanced, digital technology in this world, no one should give excuses of not having one or two skills to remain relevant and competitive.

In the days of yore, skill acquisition and dissemination were limited to certain geographical locations because of the low level of technological know-how. However, the advent of sophisticated technology — which propelled the development of many apps, software and social media — has made skills and knowledge easily disseminated and accessible.

There are countless websites readily available for you to acquire valuable skills and knowledge for free or with little fee for a productive 2017. These skills are:

1. Web design and development.

Web design and development is a highly sought-after skill. This is because we are in a digital transformation age where every business — small, medium and large scale — is extremely interested in showcasing their products and services to the world through their websites.

There are lots of sites that can teach you how to design and develop a website. By acquiring these skills, one is adequately positioned to scramble for millions of small, medium and large scale businesses who are contemplating launching or updating their websites.

2. Statistical data analysis.

Statistical data analysis is another vital skill that is in high demand by companies, entrepreneurs and students. The knowledge of Mini-tab, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and E-view, just to name a few, makes a person highly desirable.

As a researcher, I have smiled all the way to the bank numerous times because I have some knowledge of statistical data analytical software. Most students in tertiary institutions need an expert data analyst — companies too, especially when sophisticated software is needed for forecasting market shares, profit and other vital results that will aid managerial decision making.

You can learn these data analytical tools online, and consult an expert for clarification should you encounter some difficulties trying to grasp the calculations and interpretation of results.

3. Fashion designing.

Humans are always in need of food, clothes and shelter. These are three basic necessities of life. Both rich and poor are in need of clothes. In our contemporary world where fashion is always a trending issue, everybody wants to look classic and beautiful. This has made fashion designers kings and queens in their profession.

There are sites that can teach you how to draw fashion or make fashion sketches, and there are lots of online videos that can teach you make dresses. The beauty of having this skill lies in the way customers flock around fashion designers within few hours of setting up an office.

Fashion designing is synonymous to a football match; there is never a dull moment from the blast of the whistle. What do I mean? Even at the apprentice stage, customers are already flocking around you.

4. Make-up.

Believe it or not, the makeup business is growing at an incredible rate. There are lots of online videos that can teach you the rudiment of make up. An interview with Ifeoma Agu, the CEO of Ivonmelda Makeova, shocked me. She is an expert in hairstyle but felt she needed a makeup skill to enhance her business growth.

However, since she couldn’t afford the training fees, she decided to download lots of YouTube videos on makeup. The rest is history. She is one of the most sought-after makeup artists in her state as a result of her quality service delivery. Remember, she learned this skill for free. You can do same.

5. Business research.

Many people want to venture into business while those who are already in business are seeking other businesses to invest in. Many companies and investors are actually seeking well-researched business ideas to invest in.

As a business researcher, you can work on your own terms. You decide whether to sell your business ideas or become a partner in the businesses. At the end of the day, you will be surprised to see that you are a co-owner of chains of businesses.

Acquiring this skill is not as difficult as you think. I am saying this because most people are indifferent when it comes to research. All you need is to be patient, focus and determined. Read online articles and journals or watch videos on business research. It’s also a good idea to consult an expert.

6. Own a blog.

You can actually learn how to create and run a blog online. By systematically following the step-by-step instructions on creating a blog, you’ll be acquiring the skill to create more blogs for prospective clients. You can create a blog for your web design and development business, statistical data analysis, fashion designing, makeup and business research businesses.

Successful bloggers today started by simply creating a blog. The rest is history. You too can join the leagues of successful bloggers by meticulously following their footsteps.

There is so much to be gained by acquiring one or more skills online. Big organizations looked for people with the talents and skills discussed above in 2016. And 2017 will not be different. Learn a skill online today for a productive year.

[Source:- Entrepreneur]

Now you can stream live 360 degree video on Twitter!

Micro-blogging website Twitter has introduced a new way to see what is happening on Twitter — through live 360-degree video.

“Users can check out live, interactive 360 videos from interesting broadcasters and explore what’s happening with them. They will be able to get an inside look with well-known personalities and go behind the scenes at exclusive events,” Alessandro Sabatelli, Director of AR and VR at Twitter, said on Wednesday.

Although everyone on Twitter and Periscope can watch live 360 videos, currently only select partners can go live in 360 via Periscope and and will be rolled out more broadly during the coming weeks, Sabatelli pointed out.

When you see a video marked with a LIVE 360 badge, you can interact with it to change what you see by moving your phone or swiping the screen, all while watching live.

You can see what is unfolding behind, above, or below the broadcaster’s view for an immersive experience.

Live 360 video is not just about taking you to places you have never been, it is about connecting you with people and letting you experience something new with them.

[Source:- Techrader]

Latest Microsoft updates erase Word customizations, can break Edge, Outlook, File Explorer

An investigation by Ed Bott casts doubt on KB3xxxx being the problem, and points instead to an Office update that affected Office 2010, 2013, and 2016; the Windows 10 update still affects Edge, Outlook, and File Explorer. We stand by what we said about the model Microsoft is using. The original article continues below.

Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 cumulative update, KB 3124200, dropped last week, but clearly needed more time to bake. While initial reports suggested that the update would fix some issues with WiFi connections dropping out, the latest cumulative update is causing some significant problems.

Reports indicate that in at least some cases, KB 3124200 nukes all Microsoft Word customizations, including custom templates, AutoText, macros, envelope addresses, autocorrect, and AutoFormat settings. It also reverts any custom spell check options you may have stored. The problem is serious enough that Microsoft has published its own KB on fixing the issue, KB 3129969.

The problem occurs because the latest update accidentally renames the old file where such information was stored (Normal.dotm) to one of several alternatives: “Normal.dotm.old, NormalPre, NormalPre15, NormalOld, or OldNormal.” That’s a direct quote from Microsoft’s article on resolving the problem, which raises a significant question: Why doesn’t Microsoft, which wrote the patch that broke its own software, know what the backup file name is actually called? It would be one thing if the files had version numbers that corresponded to the user’s Office version, like “Normal13.dotm.old”, “Normal10.dotm.old”, etc. Instead, we get word salad.

The problems aren’t limited to wholesale replacement of Word customizations. WindowsReport.com has compiled a list of problems users have encountered with the latest version of Windows 10, including the Edge browser refusing to close, Explorer, Outlook 2016, and Calculator all refusing to start, and the Windows Store, Calendar, and Maps applications all refusing to run.

The new update policy isn’t working

When Satya Nadella took over at Microsoft, one of his changes was to radically overhaul how Microsoft handled QA (Quality Assurance). Previously, Microsoft had roughly twice as many QA testers as developers working in the Operating Systems Group. After the layoffs, that ratio is reportedly 1:1. Developers are now expected to do much of the code testing that was previously outsourced to other groups, even if they don’t have much experience in testing code.

Combine that shift with the new, mandatory update policies and you get the current situation. Because Windows 10 now forces updates by default, the system will continue to download and attempt to apply KB 3124200, even if the update is repeatedly hanging on install or having other problems. Because all updates are now rolled into a single package, there’s no way for a user who wants the WiFi fix KB 3124200 includes butdoesn’t want to risk their Word customizations to install one and not the other.

For all their decades of close cooperation, Microsoft seems to have missed a lesson Intel learned 10 years ago. The entire reason Intel uses a tick-tock model in which it shifts to a new node, then deploys a new architecture, is because it’s extremely difficult to implement a new node and a new architecture at the same time. With Windows 10, Microsoft radically shifted both its software implementation model and its update policies simultaneously.

The nature of these problems is that they affect a minority of people. I have no doubt that the majority of Windows 10 users have had nothing but smooth sailing. While I use Windows 7 for my personal machine, I’ve deployed Windows 10 on multiple testbeds and had no problems with it to-date. But if you’re stuck in the minority that’s having a problem, these changes and the opacity with which they’re made is infuriating. It’s become far more difficult to diagnose the cause of these issues and even harder to prevent the software from reinstalling itself (or simply not installing in the first place).

Microsoft needs to either drastically overhaul its QA, return additional flexibility and customization options to average users, or both. The just-trust-us model isn’t working. And I’d have a great deal more faith in Microsoft’s willingness to fix these issues if the company wasn’t relentlessly pushing holdouts to adopt W10 as opposed to fixing theproblems with its distribution and testing model.

[Source: Extreme Tech]

Samsung Galaxy notice 7 can also debut a vastly overhauled interface

It’s been a couple of years given that Samsung overhauled its custom Android pores and skin, TouchWiz, but a brand new video indicates off a vastly overhauled model of the software that would debut with the Samsung Galaxy word 7.

Italian tech weblog HDblog.it published a stroll–through video of the new interface detailing each change within the new TouchWiz interface.

universal, Samsung’s layout language has matured with much less cartoony hues and slick customization alternatives that have been formerly handiest to be had from 0.33–celebration launchers.

The notiwi-fications pull down has also been hugely overhauled, and you may now have a drop down menu to fast get entry to settings. for instance, you will be able to transfer c084d04ddacadd4b971ae3d98fecfb2a networks from just the notiwirelesscation color with out hopping into the settings app. this could previously be performedwireless in the elevated notiwi-fication colour, however the new interface allows drop down menus from the non-accelerated coloration, requiring one much less swipe.
extra TouchWiz adjustmentswireless

On the home display screen, you may be able to swipe up from an app icon to bring up a menu of alternatives with out going into the app itself. i’m able to see this selection utilizing a stress touchy display, like Apple’s 3D touch, that is rumored to be coming to the Galaxy be aware 7.

TouchWiz folder viewTaking a note from Apple’s iOS, the brand new TouchWiz UI will feature tons of blurring of the historical past whilst tapping on a folder. Apps inside the folder take over the middle of the display screen and blur out the historical past, just like in iOS.

Samsung’s Gallery app has additionally been up to date to appearance and feel extra like Google images. you could nevertheless pinch to zoom inside and out to peer greater or fewer pics at once, but the app’s format no longer buries view options within the menu.

there is lots greater adjustmentswireless precise within the video so test it out, even in case you do not understand Italian.

take into account that those TouchWiz modiwiwireless are nevertheless in beta, so there’ll possibly be extra made before it rolls out with the Galaxy observe 7, that’s predicted to reach early August.

How many GPUs can you fit in a single system?

We love checking out the latest technology and seeing it put to good use. Most of the time, that entails amazing games, VR, and other experiences, but at the GPU Technology Conference we get to see a different facet of the GPU spectrum. Here, it’s all about compute, and unlike gaming PCs where it’s sometimes difficult to properly utilize even two GPUs, compute can make use of however many GPUs you can throw it. None of these are gaming machines, and considering DirectX 11 doesn’t allow the use of more than four GPUs there wouldn’t be any benefit to most of the systems we saw. But just how many GPUs can you pack into a single system if you’re going after compute?

Velocity Micro workstation with eight EVGA GTX 980 Ti

First up is a desktop workstation courtesy of Velocity Micro. Systems like this were all over the show floor, but the Velocity Micro system caught our eye as it was one of the few to actually use GTX 980 Ti—most were doing GTX Titan X if they used consumer GPUs, while Quadro and Tesla were in the majority of professional servers and workstations. Here, the case is packed with eight GTX 980 Ti cards from EVGA, paired with dual Xeon processors (these were older E5-2660 v3 right now, though newer Xeon v4 models are supported). What’s interesting is that the EVGA cards are open air coolers rather than blowers; when asked about this, Velocity Micro said that it was “mainly for show” and that normally they would use reference blowers to help with cooling.

On a related note, we saw a lot of consumer GM200 cards in workstations, which isn’t too surprising since there was no high-performance FP64 Quadro card for Maxwell. One of the problems vendors face when using consumer GPUs is that the cards have a relatively short shelf life; in another year, there won’t be many GTX Titan X cards around for purchase, assuming a Pascal variant takes its place. Quadro and Tesla are kept in production for much longer, as part of the professional market they cater to. Companies are often faced with needing to balance buying faster consumer hardware that will be phased out sooner, or paying the higher price for professional cards that are clocked slower but will be around for five or more years. And when you can count on cards being around that long, you can do crazy stuff like this:

One Stop Systems GPUltima with 16 Tesla K80

This particular 3U chassis is called the GPUltima and comes from One Stop Systems. Seeing four to eight GPUs in a server is nothing, but sixteen GPUs is another matter entirely. Except, these aren’t any old GPUs, they’re Tesla K80s, which means each card actually has two GK210 GPUs. That makes this the highest GPU density we saw on the show floor, packing 32 GPUs into a 3U cassis.[Ed—There may have been someone doing more than this, but if so I didn’t see it.] Except there’s a catch—because there’s always a catch.

This particular case doesn’t contain any processors; it’s all just graphics cards along with a few InfiniBand connectors for networking. The GPUltima is designed to be used with a separate server, and One Stop Systems normally couples it to a dual-socket 2U server. That means the total GPU density is “only” 32 GPUs per 5U, and in a 42U rack—with 2U being used for networking stuff up top—you could fit eight such systems. That yields 256 GPUs per rack, which is still an impressive number, but not the highest density you’ll find. There are companies like SuperMicro who make 1U servers that can each house four Tesla K80 cards, so potentially 40 of those 1U servers (plus 2U for networking again) could fit in a single rack, yielding 320 GPUs.

Let’s stick with the 128 Tesla K80 GPUs, though. Each has 8.74 FP32 TFLOPS, for a combined 1,120 TFLOPS per rack. Or if you want FP64, you’d drop down to 373 TFLOPS. There’s a problem with stuffing that many GPUs into a rack, of course: you still need to provide power and cooling. Just how much power does the GPUltima require? We were told that the typical power use under load for the system sits at around 5000W, though peak power use can jump a bit higher. Each 3U rack comes equipped with three 3000W 240V PSUs (one for redundancy), so a data center needs to be able to supply over 50kW per rack, with 76kW being “safe.” The good news is it can also roast marshmallows and hot dogs if you’re hungry. (Not really.)

Nvidia’s upcoming DGX-1 server with eight Telsa P100 Pascal GPUs can provide up to 170 TFLOPS of performance in a 3U chassis, and with 12 of those in a rack, 2035 TFLOPS per rack. Of course, that’s FP16 TFLOPS, so if you need FP32 precision you’re looking at 1017 TFLOPS, or 509 TFLOPS for FP64. Using the existing K80, GPUltima is slightly faster on FP32 per rack, but slower on FP64. Perhaps more importantly for the Tesla P100, peak power use should be significantly lower than K80, meaning a full rack of twelve DGX-1 servers should only need around 30-40kW.

If you’re wondering what anyone would do with all of those GPUs, they’re looking at things like artificial intelligence, weather systems, and other supercomputing tasks.

Let’s end with a fun fact: Did you know there’s an estimate for how much computing power it would require to simulate a human? Well, there is, though opinions differ by several orders of magnitude. Some estimate it’s around 10^¹⁶FLOPS (Kurzweil), but let’s just make it interesting and aim a bit higher, like 10^¹⁸ FLOPS. That might not mean too much to you, so let’s express it as another term: 1 exa-FLOPS (EFLOPS). With up to 2 PFLOPS per rack, DGX-1 would allow us to stuff 1 EFLOPS into 512 racks. Then we just need the right software to make it all work properly. And all of that would only need 15-20MW of power to run, compared with our little brains humming along on just 20W or so of power.

[Source:- PCgamer]

In corporate design, humor can be your most powerful tool—or a total disaster

The first of April is a day for jokes.

Yesterday, brands including Google, Lexus, Adobe and Virgin America deployed their obligatory April Fools gags, to varying results. As the newly updated design classic, A Smile in the Mind: Witty Thinking in Graphic Design (released on Feb. 15 by Phaidon Press) argues, humor is big business and, when done right, it can help companies win favor and even forge an emotional bond with customers more effectively than hard sell tactics.

A compendium of design jokes, visual puzzles and optical gags first published in 1996, A Smile in the Mind offers hundreds of examples of graphic wit from the world of branding, packaging, publications, and advertising. Even for those who roll their eyes at such witticisms, there is still plenty of serious, practical wisdom packed in this excellent compendium, written by design and branding experts.

“Wit,” as authors Beryl McAlhone and David Stuart explained, is “of the frisky tendency in that it makes its impact through sudden jumps, skips and somersaults and reversals in the mind.” The book’s first edition featured that secret arrow cleverly embedded in the FedEx logo, irresistibly clever Japanese food packaging, and a black umbrella concealing a joyful patch of blue sky conjured by graphic design wit master Tibor Kalman. Page after page, its authors make a compelling case that humor is the “shortest distance between two people,” to paraphrase a famous quip by the piano-playing comedian Victor Borge. The book’s simple cover with the tipped red letter “D” fittingly demonstrates this approach.

A decade later, the 2016 edition teems with contemporary examples of graphic cleverness and outlines humor’s utility in the era of shorter attention spans and social media. “Wit makes memes, the currency of the sharing age,” write authors Nick Quinton and Greg Ashbury, who took on the challenge of updating the design classic.

With the daily cascade of images on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and myriad blogs, Quinton and Ashbury had a lot to choose from. “It was a joy to sift through so much wonderful work from around the world—we could easily have filled the book ten times over,” says Ashbury.

Ballet classes: tear off for details. Grupo Gallegos, USA, 2006. Creative directors Favio Ucedo/Juan Oubiña; art directors Curro Chozas/Paula Olios(Phaidon)

To whittle their selection to around 500 examples for the 270-page volume, the authors held two guiding principles: intention and variety. “We had in mind a definition of wit that is about generosity and openness—big ideas that create a smile in as many minds as possible,” explains Quinton to Quartz. “We also wanted to reflect the sheer variety of wit at work today, not only in the sense of laugh-out-loud humor, but also lateral thinking and playful interventions in everyday life.”

NYC Spaghetti: a mould at the base of the pack creates the spaghetti formation at the top. Alex Creamer, UK, 2000. Designer Alex Creamer; 3D modeller Ben Thorpe; tutors Billy Harkcom, Andrew Bainbridge, Jon Harker(Phaidon)

Humor as a business strategy

But wit can deliver more than personal amusement. Citing the management expert Jean-Louis Barsoux’s 1993 book, Funny Business: Humour Management and Business Culture, they explain that a well-executed visual joke can induce a relaxed and receptive frame of mind. For new or skeptical customers, “getting the joke,” incites a shared flash of insight that somehow forms a complicit bond. “This is like persuading the goalkeeper to stand aside before you shoot at the goal,” they wrote.

Polar ice: ice cubes with a message. Atsuhiro Hayashi, Japan, 2011(Phaidon)

Quinton, who also serves as executive creative director of the branding firm The Partners, suggests that wit can go beyond one-off product advertising campaigns. “Wit can be a structural idea that underpins a whole brand,” he says. “It works for global giants like Google, Amazon and Coca-Cola. And it works for grassroots ideas, as a tool of political protest or spreading environmental and health messages.

Humor can be also be an effective way to stand out in today’s “attention economy.” Because wit sparks curiosity, well-conceived concepts and mental puzzles can help brands “win time” with distracted consumers. “Why is witty work more memorable?” the authors ask. “We would argue that an idea that happens in the mind, stays in the mind.”

The trick of the joke

As comedians know, many jokes fall flat. For companies, a misconceived joke can have more dire consequences.

Google learned this first-hand today when, within an hour of its launch, the company was forced to abort its cheeky “Gmail Drop Mic” gag after causing confusion and distress, and even allegedly costing one user a job. Virgin America, which unveiled a new fake logo—a pair ofpendulous boobs, referencing Airbnb’s accidental (and real) vagina-shaped brand mark—has also managed to offend many.

Sometimes creative teams can have too much fun coming up with these “intellect-flaunting” ideas. “A witty idea that baffles people is always worse than no idea at all,” Quinton and Ashbury explain. “The first danger for a designer is self-indulgence.”

As a guideline, they offer some no-nonsense advice from the poet Ogden Nash: “Here’s a rule of thumb. Too clever is dumb.”

[Source:- Webdesignernews]