Category Archives: Comes Next

Green IT: How sustainable applications reduce CO2 emissions

Software consumes a lot of energy. A key to sustainable applications: demand shaping.

Image: Programming, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.
Image: Programming, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

According to forecasts by the Green Software Foundation, information and communication technology will account for around 20 percent of all electricity consumption by 2030. Emissions from digital technologies will double by 2025 compared to 2019 levels.

But the technology industry is becoming increasingly aware of its carbon footprint. Last but not least, against the background of the energy crisis, the importance of green IT is becoming increasingly apparent.

Green IT summarizes all measures that combine technological progress with environmental protection. A distinction is made between Green by IT and Green in IT. Green by IT are technologies that actively help to achieve sustainability goals. Such as software that makes consumption measurable and shows potential for optimization. Green in IT, on the other hand, aims to optimize IT processes. So that they have the least possible negative or even positive impact on the environment and resources.

This is not primarily about limitations, but about responsible and resource-saving use of technology. The greatest possible benefit should be obtained from every gram of CO₂ emitted into the atmosphere. This enables the demand shaping principle in software development.

Demand shaping

Demand shaping is a strategy to influence demand to match existing supply. Accordingly, when supply is low, demand is reduced and increases with supply accordingly. An example of this is video conferencing. When the user has low bandwidth, the video quality is reduced while the essential audio quality remains high. Demand (video quality) is adjusted to match supply (bandwidth).

Another example of demand adaptation is progressive enhancement in web design. The most basic form of a website is made available for older browsers and with low bandwidth. The more resources and bandwidth a user has available on their device, the more features are provided. But these are optional.

This principle can also be used to achieve energy efficiency. The energy requirements of applications are matched to availability. Demand shaping is therefore opposed to the widespread over-provisioning principle of providing more resources than are necessary to cover peak loads or increasing demand.

Through demand shaping, so-called “eco modes” can be built into software applications. Similar to those in cars and household appliances. The application can be used in an emissions-friendly way at the expense of performance or at full power with higher energy consumption. Applications can either be set to eco mode by default, or users can choose. Based on the nudging principle.

Another example of sustainable applications are applications optimized for edge computing. Data and process steps or complete applications are brought closer to the users instead of being processed in remote data centers. This not only reduces latency, but also CO₂ emissions, since less energy is required to transmit the data.

Renewable energy

Applications can also be programmed in such a way that the respective mode – energy saving or maximum performance – is made dependent on the availability of renewable energies.

Demand shaping is thus related to the principle of demand shifting, i.e. the shifting of demand. Here the demand for computing, storage or network resources is shifted to other regions or to times when the availability of renewable energies is higher. Companies should rely on solutions that automatically move computing, storage and network resources to where the carbon footprint is lowest.

Both demand shaping and demand shifting are important to reduce CO₂ consumption in IT. Depending on the application, developers should determine whether the computing power of applications should be reduced or relocated if the CO₂ intensity is high.

Devkits for PS5 Pro will ship by the end of 2023

The more powerful Playstation 5 Pro is to come. Now a leak gives an idea of ​​the time frame. Before that there will probably be a new standard PS5.

Image: Sony, Sony Playstation 5 (PS5) Artwork.
Image: Sony, Sony Playstation 5 (PS5) Artwork.

There have been rumors for a long time about a more powerful version of the Playstation 5. It will probably like the PS4 carry the name suffix Pro. Now the usually very well informed US journalist Tom Henderson has confirmed that Sony is working on such a console: The reports are “100 percent” correct.

While that doesn’t mean the PS5 Pro will actually launch. After all Sony could opt for a different business strategy. But it’s very likely.

Henderson reports on the Insider Gaming website that the manufacturer’s internal development studios should receive the first devkit prototypes within the next few months.

External studios should get the devkits towards the end of 2023. Henderson estimates that the PS5 Pro will appear in late 2024. Then the game developers would have had about a year to adapt their games to the new and basically compatible hardware.

Henderson also writes again that a new version of the Playstation 5 should be launched in the course of 2023. This is not a Slim like the ones seen in previous generations of consoles, but an only slightly modified PS5, to which an external drive can be connected if necessary.

Playstation 5: buy now or wait?

If you are thinking about buying a Playstation 5 that is currently available for immediate delivery, it is not that easy given the leaks. If you want to play the latest releases, it’s probably not worth waiting for the overhauled stock PS5.

According to the current state of information, the new console version should hardly take up less space and only have a moderately reduced power consumption. The next first-party title from Sony itself is not expected until the end of 2023 and it should be Spider-Man 2.

Apple Pay Later: Pre version launched in the US

After delays, a preliminary version of Apple Pay Later has now been launched for selected users in the USA. This should be able to split payments into four installments.

Apple Pay users can now also pay in installments – at least in the USA. There, the tech giant from Cupertino has now launched a pre-version of Apple Pay Later. This was announced by Apple via a company announcement .

You can now pay in installments with Apple Pay. (Photo: nikkimeel/Shutterstock)
You can now pay in installments with Apple Pay. (Photo: nikkimeel/Shutterstock)

Pre-release version for select US customers only

However, even in the United States, initially only randomly selected users can benefit. You will receive an invitation for the pre-release version. Customers who want to enjoy this experience in the US must also have an iPhone with the recently released iOS 16.4 or an iPad with iPadOS 16.4.

It is not yet clear when the full version will start in the USA. Apple is talking about the next few months.

Apple had already presented Pay Later in June 2022 at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2022. However, due to delays caused by alleged technical problems, the playout was pushed back. Then, earlier this year, Apple tested the feature in beta, first by employees and then by retail staff.

This is how installment payments via Apple Pay work

With Apple Pay Later, users can split payments into up to four installments. These must be paid within six weeks. Interest and fees do not apply. In theory, you can pay at all retailers that support Apple Pay.

The loans that can be applied for through Pay Later range from a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $1,000. According to Apple, a “gentle credit check” runs in the background for every transaction.

Refunds can only be processed via debit cards. Credit cards are not accepted as they could send customers deeper into a credit spiral.

Management of installments via Apple Wallet

Users can track and manage when the installments are due via Apple Wallet. Pay Later is fully integrated into the app. Just before the installments are due, Wallet sends a notification to the user.

To ensure security and privacy, Apple Pay Later authenticates transactions via Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode.

Hogwarts Legacy promises over 100 side quests in an epic journey

Hogwarts Legacy promises over 100 side quests in an epic journey. Players can expect to spend a lot of time learning the ropes as they play Hogwarts Legacy.

Image: Hogwarts, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

Promotion for the upcoming game Hogwarts Legacy is in full swing and the title is already promising gamers a lot of bang for their buck. Now we learn that they can expect more than 100 side quests as part of the larger wizarding experience.

We’ve already heard that players will need to allow 75 hours for the game, although those who just want to focus on the main storyline will likely be able to complete the game in around 40 hours. Now we seem to know where those extra 35 hours went.

“The main storyline is intricate and compelling, and involves a variety of different characters and points of view,” said author Moira Squier in an interview with GamesRadar+ , “but by giving the player choices throughout the game, we allow them to create their own version of this epic story to tell.”

These choices mean that the 100+ side quests can be completed in any order the player desires. There’s no linear progression, but that doesn’t mean player choices won’t have an impact. The order in which the player completes these quests will affect the story and the game. Everything is connected,” Squier told GamesRadar+, “while it was challenging, it was also a lot of fun and it’s nice to see how well it’s turned out.”

All of this sounds pretty epic, and Hogwarts Legacy is shaping up to be a game that some people should check out, even if they’re not that into the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Of course Potter doesn’t feature in this game – the story in Hogwarts Legacy takes place about 100 years before Potter was born and about 50 years before the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

Hogwarts Legacy will be available on February 10th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Competition for SSD

Competition for SSD: 1.4 petabytes of data on future magnetic tape

Tape storage technology seemed to be falling short of expectations recently. Now it looks like it’s catching up again – thanks to a new material.

Linear Tape Open (LTO) first appeared on the market in 2000. At that time, the storage media that recorded data as encoded tracks on magnetic tape still had a capacity of 200 gigabytes.

The tapes have now reached their ninth generation and are currently able to record data volumes of 18 terabytes (uncompressed). The technology is a cost-effective way, especially for companies, to preserve critical data reliably and durably.

Image: Data Storage, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.
Image: Data Storage, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

LTO09 still fell short of expectations

But what sounds like an incredible amount of storage space was initially a disappointment. LTO09 was originally supposed to offer 24 terabytes of space, but could not meet these expectations.

According to a new roadmap presented by the developers IBM, HPE and Quantum at the beginning of September, it should be possible to store a whopping 1,440 terabytes (1.4 petabytes) from the 14th generation, which is expected to appear in 2033/34.

Magnetic storage tapes: New material creates new possibilities

According to Heise Online , this is made possible by coating the magnetic tapes with strontium ferrite (SrFe) instead of barium ferrite (BaFe), which has been used up until now. The first prototypes have already been developed and tested by Fujifilm. The new material is to be used from LTO13.

In contrast to SSD hard drives, whose maximum capacity is currently around 100 terabytes, LTO is also significantly cheaper. While the most expensive SSD medium with a price of 40,000 US dollars causes costs of 2.5 dollars per gigabyte, LTO are only 0.01 dollars per gigabyte.

According to Sam Werner, IBM vice president of storage product management, LTO “provides organizations with a sustainable, reliable and cost-effective solution to protect and store their critical business data.”