Links to both articles here:
Gamasutra: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39461/Report_Crysis_2_named_mostpirated_game_of_2011.php
TorrentFreak: http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pirated-games-of-2011-111230/

Here’s a screen capture from the latter site that I’ll be discussing: (Attributes/Thanks to TorrentFreak & Ernesto)

So let’s dissect this & put things in more context. Besides the obvious exclusion of PS3 data – what stands out to you all? …………………………. Give up? Here are the things that stand out the most to me.

1) Does anyone see any Games here that lean on Free to Play/Freemium? (w/Micro-transactions)
2) Does anyone see any MMO, or Subscriptions based Games here?
3) Does it strike anyone else that these games all appear to originate in the Western Hemisphere?
4) Aren’t most of these games still leaning heavily on the Retail fire & forget release model?
5) Most of the games listed also stand out as those that are candidates for Secondary Sales.

Ok… yes…. Before I get flamed I do realize that a few of these are dabbling in things like Online Pass, & some platform specific exclusives, Co-Op modes that lean on a great multi-player experience etc., and so forth. However; I really believe that what we’re seeing occur in Piracy is largely (but not always) a function of these ‘Pirated’ games perhaps not taking, or leveraging more fully, the full tool-set of Business Model Options, Game Design Choices, & or Current Technology that can help reduce, or even in some cases eliminate Piracy outright. I honestly don’t get it. That said, not every game might be a good candidate for say the Freemium/Free-to-Play model, or warrants a subscription; however, it seems like the Western Hemisphere’s Game ISVs – could at least consider some form of a hybrid approach to implement at least (1) of these new trends or technologies to tackle Piracy issues. The alternative is to continue to blame the PC for being a bad platform to publish your game on. However; I don’t hear this kind of story coming out of Eastern Hemisphere Games Companies such as: Nexon, TenCent, Shanda, Netease, etc. So again… I’m at a loss as to why. Also; is the PC really that bad to publish on after all? I believe the PC as a platform to bring your games to is far superior as long as one's willing to tap into some of those relatively newer game design choices, business, and distribution models; but it's going to require some changes in our thinking and playing some catch up to other parts of the world. (Note: Worth adding that localizing your content on day 1 release as globally as possible is also extremely important - especially if you want to reduce Piracy)

Last but not least we have to ask ourselves the following question. When looking at the links or the posted pic we see that PC is leading piracy rates, then it’s the Wii, then it’s the Xbox 360. Interestingly enough though, how much of this is due to the active install base of players on those respective platforms? It’s interesting to note that the higher the Install base, the higher the Piracy rates. Mere coincidence? I doubt it. Bear in mind, the volume of GPU capable PC Gamers over say the Xbox 360 platform is at least 4:1. (~250mu to ~60mu). The Wii has to be somewhere in the neighborhood of at least ~85-90mu or ~3:1 PC to Wii Gamers. Which is an extremely conservative estimate by the way for PC Gaming but I digress. So I’ll leave you with this thought. What would the Piracy rates be on the 360, Wii, or even the PS3 *if* the Active User Install base were at least comparable to that of the PC global install base? Sadly… I think what you’d see is comparable rates of Piracy; regardless of what platform a Publisher chooses. The net is this – and in my opinion it appears that: One: Consoles have failed to truly curb Piracy, and Two: As a result we’ve ended up with an experiment in Consoles that have unfortunately held back gaming and left us with sub-par gaming experiences.

Perhaps it’s time to break those shackles?!

Only recently has the west coast of the United States, particularly California, especially southern California received the credit it deserves for the long history of abstract and experimental film work that has gone on here. The Iota Center is a non profit organization that among other things preserves, archives and provides information about that history. Among some of the more known film artists it has in it's collection are John and James Whitney, Pat O'Neil (one of my personal favorite experimental film makers), Kenneth Anger, Ernie Pintoff, Patricia Marx, Sara Petty, Chris Casady, John Adamczyk, Richard Baily and Larry Cuba to name a few.

Fellow board member of the Iota Center, Pamela Turner Chair of the Department of Kinetic Imaging at Virginia Commonwealth University, has done a lot to help Iota in its mission. Her latest endeavor was to put out a DVD on Adam Beckett, an artist who died young, at the age of 29 in 1978. She was greatly assisted by Iota staff member, Paul Shepherd, and Larry Cuba founder of Iota.

Adam Beckett worked prior to the digital revolution, a maverick who using optical printing, the animation stand and hand drawn animation left an indelible legacy. He is dearly beloved by many of his fellow classmates at CalArts and many in the film community here in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Who should go into the records of art/film history is always an interesting subject up for debate. Pamela Turner and the Iota Center with the release of a new DVD of Adam Beckett's work is making a strong case for his inclusion.

Below is my interview with Pamela Turner

What attracted you to Beckett as an artist?

Like many people, I had never heard of Adam Beckett so when two of my friends, Larry Cuba and Chris Casady, said how wonderful his work was and what a shame that it was included in the Kinetica screenings that The iotaCenter did, I was curious. Larry had a few prints of Beckett’s work and I asked to see them. I was immediately mesmerized. His animations were not like anything I had seen from that time period, the 1970s. I couldn’t figure out how they were created. I recognized a grammar of light and abstraction that referenced synthesized video imagery and computer graphics and wondered if he could have had access to those technologies that early. So, there was a technical curiosity but more so the imagery was just incredibly compelling.

What made you decide to create a DVD on his work?

Making the DVD seemed to be the logical outcome of the project. The iotaCenter, with the Academy Film Archive, had restored his primary films, thanks to a grant from the NFP, and these were then shown at the National Gallery of Art, REDCAT and a few other venues. I was constantly interviewing people who had known Adam and investigating his life and work, looking at the huge amount of his art that his family had archived. When I presented his work I would include his drawings and unreleased segments of animations to try to give an accurate picture of Adam as an artist. The response that his work received made it clear to me that his work needed to be more readily available to the public.

What do you think his major contributions have been to the world of experimental and commercial film?

There are the technical contributions of the additive animation cycle where he creates a simple cycle and draws more each time the cycle continues and the intensive, orchestration of the optical printer that he did to completely transform the image. But ultimately it is the visual energy of the work itself. He had a unique vision and an ability to innovate and marry the technical to the visual. He was committed to discovery, to create imagery that had not been seen before. I see this especially in “Heavy-Light”. It’s made from a few drawings but it is his process – his acting on the drawings – that evoke the ethereal light show that we see. He could not have known 100% what these images would look like. He experimented. So, it’s that innovative spirit, the pursuit of new, compelling, mysteriously concocted images that continues to inspire artists both in animation and visual effects.

How has he influenced other artists?

Again, I think it’s his innovative spirit and the idea of making so much from the basis of a few drawings. His commitment to abstraction in order to express a cosmic or psychedelic experience, while retaining a sense of humor, is compelling. His work is a wonderful example of what Gene Youngblood called “synaesthetic cinema” in his book “Expanded Cinema”. Adam’s work is a visualization of forces and energy, the phenomena of experiencing the kinetic journey.

What are your personal favorites of his work, and why?

My personal favorites change from week to week! For now I would say “Flesh Flows” because it’s a beautiful film and it also illustrates Adam’s diverse expertise. There is wonderful, playful drawing, and exquisite work on the optical printer. It also carries us, as Adam said in his description for this film, from the carnal to the cosmic. It really speaks to the time it was created, and has a sense of humor that moves into the ethereal. The sound is also a departure and shows Adam’s talent for creating interesting soundtracks that are not necessarily ‘musical’.

Something about your background especially as it led you to Beckett?

My academic background is in art history and in electronic media. I have a studio practice in animation media and I have the curiosity of a reporter or art historian. Adam’s work grabbed my attention because it included animation with references to video synthesis and early computer graphics. I felt there was something there to be found out. It turns out all of his work was hand drawn, but I was not surprised, although thrilled, to learn that he did have a class with Nam June Paik when he first got to CalArts. So Adam was familiar with the images from the video camera and the Paik/Abe synthesizer. His work is a marker at a crossroads of technology.

The making of the DVD…

Making the DVD was truly a labor of love that involved many people. It contains a significant amount of material beyond the six primary films. Paul Shepard, Larry Cuba and I collaborated in the actual building of the DVD. Paul did a lot of the legwork, getting permissions and working out the transfers, and getting the work to where it needed to be. I selected the work to be on the DVD and with Larry’s assistance, came up with the organization of the material. I designed the menus and wrote the text for the cover and insert and provided some of the material. Larry tirelessly checked, proof-read, and reviewed the text and disc. I hesitate to list the other many people who made this possible for fear of leaving someone out!

Mark Toscano is the archivist at the Academy Film Archive who restored the Beckett films and has always been dedicated to Adam’s work. Pat O’Neill generously did digital scans of Adam’s loops, and Rhythm and Hues digitally scanned the 35mm “Life in the Atom” and segments of “Knotte Grosse”. Wade Ivy and Elder Sun contributed an interview they filmed of Jules Engel remembering Adam. There is a touching homage to Adam by David Berry that shows Adam in the early days at CalArts, at his home, romping on the beach and at a young ILM studio.

“Every Other” by Adam Beckett and Kathy Rose is on the DVD, and is sort of an exquisite corpse collaboration that had never been animated. I found the drawings amongst Adam’s many artworks and, with Kathy’s permission, shot them on the animation stand. There were also two sequences of drawings that seem related to his unfinished “Life in the Atom” that I found and animated. Once I had animated them I realized that although they were numbered as two distinct segments, they flowed one into the other as one piece.

Another collaborative piece is “The Letter” by James Gore and Adam. Because of Gore’s influence on Adam, and many other artists, we thought it would be appropriate to include Gore’s other surviving animation, “Dream of the Sphinx”. The Academy Archive restored it and it is a delight to see!

Adam drew obsessively and his family has a large collection of his work, which I have been attempting to digitally archive. His drawings express so much about his life and his talent I decided a sampling of these belonged on the DVD too.

So, this DVD is very comprehensive and reflects the work of many people. I must say when I first held the finished shrink-wrapped product in my hand I was thrilled! Adam’s work is now available to a much wider audience, a new generation of fans.

Anything else you would like to mention?

Carl Stone made a soundtrack for "Life in the Atom", which allowed him in a way to collaborate with Adam again.

Who is Pamela Turner?

Pamela Taylor Turner is a media artist and writer whose studio work encompasses photography, video, film, and digital media.  She graduated with a B.F.A. in Art History/Studio (1984) and a M.F.A. in Visual Communication/Electronic Media (1988).  She is Chair of the Department of Kinetic Imaging at Virginia Commonwealth University, teaching animation and new media with an emphasis on mixing media and exploring the possibilities of expression through created moving images and sound composition.

Upon receiving the corks, Tom would demonstrate his "cork trick" and mystify everyone that had not seen it before. After going through it three or four times he would hand the corks back to our server and have them try to do it. They would go away, sometimes showing others, as they struggled to figure out the trick. If they actually tried to recreate the solution as Tom had been able to do, they always came back before we had paid the check and triumphantly demonstrated their dexterity.

At SC11, the Educational Alliance for a Parallel Future (EAPF) commissioned some corks with the organization's logo. Tom wandered around part of the conference urging attendees to try his cork trick. The tagline he used was that "Parallel Programming is easier than the cork trick." You can see a short video of his efforts to bring a little magic to the SC11 proceedings here.

If you meet Tom with some corks in his pocket and he brings them out to show you the cork trick, be aware that he will never show you the solution. (He says he really likes me, but I had to figure it out for myself.) Like most problems you encounter in life, very few are impossible to solve; it is just that you don't have a solution, yet.

Parallel programming is the same. It may seem difficult and impossible to figure out, but that only means you haven't discovered the key that will allow you to wrap your brain around the concepts.

It’s that time of year again where I speculate on what the big technology announcements and impacts are going to be for next year 2012. The lens I use for this are those things that will in some way have a profound short or long term impact, or implications, for the various gaming ecosystems.

I also want to preface this by saying that I intentionally try to close myself off from various discussions that would implicate me from divulging anyone’s roadmaps. In instances where I do have some inside foreknowledge of what’s going on I have to remain mute on those topics. In those instances where I’m dangerously close it would be by sheer coincidence and is tied to my own predictive models.

Before we get started though, I’d like to recap some of my 2011 predictions; of which a few came true. I was only 4 for 10; and am kicking myself for not posting so you’ll have to take my word for it. Some of the things I didn’t accurately predict I’ll actually ‘carry-over’ into 2012. What I did predict accurately for 2011 was:

1) Microsoft would sign some major deals with additional content providers & pipelines. (In this case Comcast, Verizon, and a host of other TV networks)
2) Microsoft would pitch Xbox 360 as an Entertainment System (Expect even more of this)
3) Knew that GameStop had to buy some digital distribution partner. (Impulse)
4) Free to Play would start hitting the Western Hemisphere’s shores like a sledge hammer. (Too many games to list)

So what’s in store for 2012? Let’s get started. Some of these may seem painfully obvious, but there are often some things taking place between the lines that may not be so apparent. (Note: These are stack ranked in ‘my-view’ of importance)

1) Voice and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (Bucket I’ll use for things like Apple’s Siri, Personal voice assistant)
There are big implications here and I expect this to be a huge battlefield for the likes of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Will be very fun to watch! Will obviously be used by Games in the future. I’m hoping this sparks a new renaissance in voice recognition software coupled with artificial intelligence. Doesn’t everyone want a protocol droid? Oh wait… that’s just a few more years off… before becoming more affordable. This does however; segue into a stronger #2 below:

2) Cloud Services: Sure, this may sound painfully obvious but I truly believe we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg here. The biggest implications come back to more and more content that can be digitally delivered or consumed. So expect things like the DECE Ultraviolet initiative. Things like Ultraviolet could very easily be extended to also include the various gaming devices. The big players here will continue to be: Apple with iCloud, Valve with Steam, Sony with PSN, Xbox with LIVE, and so forth. However; expect Amazon to come on very strong. I also predict we’ll see a few more *Uber* consortium pacts formed as well. Where does it settle? I’m not sure it does. However; the first partner that delivers something on the order of ‘Jarvis’ from Iron Man, my own ‘personal cloud’, will be who I crown the winner.

3) iPad and Slate/Tablet mania begins to wear off: By the end of 2012 we’ll likely see Microsoft spend more on Windows 8 and “Project Denver” marketing than what’s left in the Federal Reserve. However; what I find more fascinating is that the form-factor is already evolving beyond a simple ‘slate’ like form factor. (e.g. Asus Transformer) We also have Amazon playing in this space with the Kindle. How many more 100’s of knock-offs will we see in the meantime? Don’t get me wrong I think they’re nifty and cool little devices. Perfect for easy to do tasks and some PC usages. However; it’s a device that I’m likely to buy in addition to a PC; and not as a replacement for. Given that the #1 peripheral bought for these are the keyboard – why not just get a thin and light laptop? (e.g. Ultrabook, Macbook Air?) IF I were a Console Mfg… this is the form-factor I’d adopt for a next gen console. Why? Tough to crack the case open.

4) Smart’er TVs and All in One’s converge: I was hoping to see more of this in 2011 and it didn’t happen. However; I’m still hoping for at least (1) of the big HD TV Mfg’s, like Samsung, or LG, to offer a compelling All in One in the 42” range or greater. I’m hoping for moderate upgradeability, WHDI/WiDi; and an integrated Kinect/Primesense-like sensor in the bevel or stand. I’ll keep that on my wish-list for Holiday 2012 if the Mayan calendar proves to be incorrect.

5) China lifts it’s Console ban? Perhaps… however; as a PC Gamer I’m hoping not. For their culture’s sake I hope not. Otherwise they can suffer along with our W.Hemisphere’s culture of fostering more PC illiteracy. Yes… I feel it’s extremely important for our kids to understand the inner workings of any form factor a Personal Computer has evolved into.

6) CES News (Project Denver on multiple Form Factors/TVs?): I think the biggest news splash for the 2012 CES will likely be around Windows 8 and Xbox LIVE services, new partners, form factor announcements. My best guess here, and I could be wrong, would be around the Project Denver stuff from Nvidia running Windows 8. The conspiracy side of me expects a bait & switch; so expect to see Win 8 Metro running on a host of devices and screens. In other words, not just Slate like devices, but mobile SmartPhones, HandHeld Devices, PC Form Factors, and last but not least - TVs. This would all dovetail well into Microsoft’s long term vision of attaining the 3-Screen, now Multi-Screen initiative.

7) E3 News (New Console Splash): I’m hoping to see an announcement for at least (1) of the Next, 8th Generation of Consoles. Good luck! My bets are on Sony. If they’re smart about it they’ll go with a cross device, cross platform play. If for any reason it helps the Game Publishers/Developers get to a better ‘buy once, plays anywhere’ scheme.

8) Google goes big in 2012: I expect Google to do bigger things in 2012. Especially along the lines of some things I’ve previously mentioned. 1) Imagine a Google-voice(Siri) offering couple with Google Search? 2) What Google Android did on SmartPhones will likely be attempted to be duplicated on the Slate/Tablet form-factor. Sure.. they’re there now, but I expect it to be much finer tuned for 2012. It has to be fine-tuned given Microsoft’s push, with Metro, on that form factor. Google and a bigger push towards gaming. Not sure if that will entail an acquisition or not. We’ll have to wait & see.

9) Large name Game Engine Company gets acquired by a bigger fish: Well… I keep expecting to see this happen and it doesn’t. However; I’m keeping it on my list.

10) Globalization and Economic Climate continues to remain flat: Believe me when I say I hope I’m wayyyyy off on this one and dead wrong. There is however always the random act of nature, or conflagration in the Middle East, that we can almost bank on. So domestically speaking, continue to pay off those credit cards, keep your debt to income ratio down, expect taxes to go up. The implications here, if I have to spell them out, for technology are: 1) Continued ASP erosions, 2) Lower disposable income rates, 3) Discerning and savvier buyers. This all translates into smart business leaders will want to ensure they can offer more compelling content at low rates; and may require or warrant another look at new business models. Proprietary devices with lower Total Available Markets (TAMs) will be very unattractive places to be.

So there you have it, my predictions for 2012. I hope you enjoyed this. I have other predictions for 2012. Some others that frankly I can’t post. I’d love to hear if you have anything to add to my above predictions.

Hope you all have a great Holiday!

Matt

Intel(R) Cluster Studio XE

 

Gergana Slavova, Technical Consulting Engineer, will be presenting on Dec 7th at 9am PDT on the following topic:

Analysis of hybrid applications with the Intel(R) Cluster Studio XE 2012

Please register for this presentation using the following link:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/369788936

Here is a short abstract of the presentation:

With the launch of Intel® Cluster Studio XE 2012, Intel enhanced the premium software development tools package for clusters with the inclusion of MPI support in Intel® Parallel Studio XE, and added new features for better scalability and improved performance. This session will introduce you to all MPI components of the new Intel® Cluster Studio XE 2012. You’ll learn how to use the new and more scalable startup mechanism to run MPI applications well up to 90000 cores, you’ll take a dive into benchmark data, and the improvements and details of the mpitune tool, and you’ll see, in an interactive demo, key elements and new scalability features of Intel® Trace Analyzer and Collector.  Finally, you’ll be shown how to enable the new MPI support in the Intel® VTune™ Amplifier XE and Intel® Inspector XE tools.

Here is a short bio of the presenter: 

Gergana Slavova received her bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005. Following graduation, she joined the Intel Software and Services Group as a Technical Consulting Engineer, a position she has held for the past five years.  She works in the high performance computing area where she provides technical support, training, and consulting expertise for a suite of MPI and cluster development tools.

Please register for the presentation now and attend it on Dec 7th at 9am PDT. You can ask Gergana questions during the second half of the presentation.

Watch Video here

In many classes during the 4-day conference,  a lot of developers asked about Android for x86. The most commonly agreed answers by those developers are simple and straight forward: " Are there any Android device powered with Intel chip (x86) in the market? Not yet, at least not one sold in large scale except Logitec/Google TV"; then it comes to the 2nd questions " are there any Android for x86 phone or tablet coming to the market in future? A lot  agreed: Yes, probablly a lot!"

So it has been said that ICS has been optimized for Intel x86, then what are those optimization? AnandTech has a  artilce that give some clues: Understanding Intel's Android 4.0 x86 Optimizations. Just read on!!

Why do I feel it’s important to make this assertion and distinction? With the advent of so many devices, and screens, we’ve seen come to market over the past decade, the real trick has been how do the end users access their content? We’ve seen a ton of ‘big-names’ over recent years snatch up various content providers; or secure content ‘deals’. Critical and key content for consumers is largely: Games, Movies-TV-Video, Music/Music-Video, EBooks, and so on. In the Movie Industry for instance we’re seeing broadly endorsed options such as the DECE’s – Ultraviolet (Allowing one to view their movies across their devices screens). In the Games Industry we have leaders such as Valve’s Steam moving towards more cross-device functionality where in some instances you buy the game once and their service allows it to play on your PC or Mac. There are tons of other examples to draw from. The cool thing though is we’re seeing more and more of these types of services than ever before.

Where does it take us? Is this the tip of iceberg for more cross-device functionality in our devices? I sure hope so. This does tie in well with the “buy the content once plays anywhere” type of scheme. Some other strategy nomenclature that’s been used to describe this are terms such as: “3 Screens, Compute Continuum, Any Screen” and so on. The impacts will be interesting to watch. I’d contend that ‘Proprietary’ business models or those that are more restrictive could be a recipe for disaster. If for any reason, I know that I as an end user, don’t want to buy additional special devices to watch proprietary content on. (e.g. Imagine if you had to purchase 3 'specialized' TVs - to watch 3 programs from different providers!) The device/s most likely to win, are those that allow me to connect to a Cloud-Services-Platform that can deliver my content to me, anywhere, anytime; across the array of devices/screens that I own.

I’m curious to get your take on my assertion. Feel free to comment.
Thank you
Matt

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/forget-the-gaming-pc-buy-a-console/15969#comments

While the author brings up a few interesting discussion points; I’m not entirely convinced that it’s a fair assessment and here’s why.

1) Pricing: When the Xbox 360, and PS3 first released their real street price was no way nearly as low as they are today. Were you really out the door, after tax, etc; for $399? Once you accessorize, get the larger hard drives, etc, you’re arguably left with a device, which for what it’s capable of, is priced comparably to a PC; maybe even a tad higher. For example: If my Console (PS3 in my case), was scaled in terms of cost for a comparably priced PC with 4GB of System Memory (vs. 512mb), how much more would it have cost? The Blu-Ray player more than offsets this IMHO; but I digress and I think you get the point. PC’s simply having a ton more packed inside of them. Also; the OS cost seems to me to put PC OEMs at huge disadvantage against the Consoles which effectively are giving their OS away for free.

2) Easy to Use: Let’s look at the OS again. When a game is easy to access, install, launch, etc.; this is a credit to the OS, and the Developer tuning the game for that environment. I see no logical reason why we couldn’t have that same ‘ease-of-use’ story for PC Gaming (Mac or Windows). IF something is broken on the OS side who’s responsible for addressing it? (Who is responsible for tending and stewarding their own ecosystem? This also applies to drivers, updates, etc.). IF something is broken on the game side, only the Developer is capable of providing that fix.

3) Grab a bootleg version? Really? Did you really say that? First – can’t do that with a free to play game. Second – I don’t know about you; but instead of a grabbing a bootleg – the Console industry saved a ton of people the trouble of pirating, by simply just being able to loan games back and forth. I have over $300 worth of Console games on loan to me right now. No ‘boot-legging’ required!

The best part about this blog, speaking for me anyway, wasn’t so much the blog, but the survey. After making my vote here are the results.

As you can see, for all of the supposed detractors for PC Gaming, it still comes out #1. Even when the Console’s are all added up in one lumped bucket. Had the survey listed everything out separately it probably would have shown the percentages to be more like: PC 57%, Wii 17%, 360 10%, PS3 10%, etc; or thereabouts.
What would happen if the PC enhanced and optimized its ease of use story for PC Gaming? I would say that this is already starting to slowly happen. One of the cool things taking place is that the platform story has now shifted. It’s no longer about the device: PC, Wii, PS3, 360, iPhone, Android, iPad, Slate, etc; but what it’s really about is the Cloud and accompanying services. The new platform is the Cloud.

Oh, and for the record, I love my Gaming Laptop! It beats the value proposition of any Console hands down. Was very affordable (Barely $700) does 100x, and allows me mobility and freedom to play my games anywhere, and when I want. (Living room, Den, Bedroom, Airports, Hotels, you name it!)

Shannon Cepeda, Technical Consulting Engineer, will be presenting on Nov 9th at 9am PDT on the following topic:

Using Intel(R) VTune(TM) Amplifier XE to tune software on Intel(R) Microarchitecture Codename Sandy Bridge, Part 2: Common Issues & Tuning Suggestions

Please register for this presentation using the following link:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/133712545

Here is a short abstract of the presentation:

This webinar is the second part of our 2-part series on Using Intel(R) VTune(TM) Amplifier XE to Tune Software on Intel(R) Microarchitecture Codename Sandy Bridge.  We recommend you watch part 1 first unless you are already familiar with the VTune Amplifier XE Sandy Bridge interface and the pipeline slots methodology.  This webinar will discuss common performance issues, how to measure their impact on Sandy Bridge, and specific suggestions for resolving each.

Here is a short bio of the presenter: 

Shannon Cepeda is an Intel® Black Belt Software Developer who specializes in micro-architectural performance tuning.  She has a BS and an MS in Computer Science from North Carolina State University. She has worked for Intel for approximately 10 years, all in roles dealing with performance analysis. She has worked on servers as well as client systems, and hardware/system performance tuning as well as software.

Please register for the presentation now and attend it on Nov 9th at 9am PDT. You can ask Shannon questions during the second half of the presentation.

Shannon Cepeda, Technical Consulting Engineer, will be presenting on Nov 8th at 9am PDT on the following topic:

Using Intel(R) VTune(TM) Amplifier XE to tune software on Intel(R) Microarchitecture Codename Sandy Bridge, Part 1: Methodology & Interface

Please register for this presentation using the following link:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/934042048

Here is a short abstract of the presentation:

This webinar is part of a 2-part series on Using Intel(R) VTune(TM) Amplifier XE to Tune Software on Intel(R) Microarchitecture Codename Sandy Bridge.  Part 1 will discuss the VTune Amplifier XE and its new features specifically for performance analysis on Sandy Bridge.  It will also detail our general performance tuning methodology, based on hotspots.  The final section will cover the Sandy Bridge microarchitectural details you need to understand to get the most from our Sandy Bridge tuning guide and interface.

Here is a short bio of the presenter: 

Shannon Cepeda is an Intel® Black Belt Software Developer who specializes in micro-architectural performance tuning.  She has a BS and an MS in Computer Science from North Carolina State University. She has worked for Intel for approximately 10 years, all in roles dealing with performance analysis. She has worked on servers as well as client systems, and hardware/system performance tuning as well as software.

Please register for the presentation now and attend it on Nov 8th at 9am PDT. You can ask Shannon questions during the second half of the presentation.

During this webinar discussion we’ll be outlining a couple of key proposals that should not only help PC Gaming, but most other gaming ecosystems as well. A couple of the key trends we’re seeing in the research from the PC Gaming Alliance, and in discussions with Game Developers, is an increased desire to support and adopt various ‘Cloud gaming’ scenarios that are accessible across a wide spectrum of devices and displays. (aka. Compute Continuum, 3 screens, etc). This ‘Cloud Gaming’ movement is critical to comprehend in tandem with another key trend as games increasingly move towards a games-as-a-service (aka GAS) model. Due to the global popularity, massive install base, and extensibility of Personal Computers as gaming devices, the PCGA’s set of proposals will be largely targeted at addressing the PC Ecosystem.

I’m very excited and looking forward to this webinar, as it ties into my previous roots working for Microsoft Game Studios in the early 2000’s determining Minimum System Requirements for the PC Games we were shipping during that era. It also culminates a near eleven year journey’s worth of conversations with Game Developers, and collected research for more than a decade.

If you’d like to join us for this Webinar, or know of someone that would like to join, details for the Webinar can be found here:

http://www.pcgamingalliance.org/NEWSEVENTS/Events/tabid/384/Default.aspx

Press Release: ">Here

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Matt

To tell you the truth, I never expected to be involved with forming computer clubs, since the only club I'd ever willingly joined was the Columbia Record Club. Looking back it makes perfect sense, which I suppose why I am writing this blog entry to advocate you considering to do the same.

I'll tell you how I got here. Two years ago I decided to tackle head-on students' frequent first question to me being "When can I learn how to program video games." To do so effectively requires the equivalent of a BS in computer science, hence my suggesting students take my series of courses. I decided to recruit some questing students to form what became the "Contra Costa College Graphics and Gaming Guild" (C3G3). Over the last couple of yeas they used several game engines, several modeling programs, and several bit graphics programs. What surprised me was that the guild attracted a wide variety of students, including several very talented artists. They taught themselves; trained each other. I learned that a club, with no grades associated, allowed students a unique opportunity to freely explore with guidance from me as advisor.

Paul Steinberg and I film the "Teach Parallel" interviews, Paul from the Intel Hillsboro studio in Portland, and me from either my Intro to C++ course in the Fall, or my Data Structures course in the Spring. It motivated students to request a Parallel Programming Club, where again students began exploring topics in an ungraded, self-driven way outside of formal classes. The two clubs had some overlap in membership, but were largely different. If you'd asked me before they'd come to be, I'd have said there could be no justification for two CS clubs; one would suffice. I was delighted with where the club went. We received over twenty Lenovo laptops to explore Meego, and explore we did, and explore we continue to do with Meego morphing into Tizon and HTML5. We have a cool app in the works, which may find its niche among all the other apps contending for use and 15 minutes of fame. They are also collaborating with Leo Ferres' students in the University of Concepcion in Chile to solve an extended Project Euler Problem 4 on palindromic integers. The students are currently working independently, using the Intel Manycore machine for poduction runs. One representative from each school will be on Teach Parallel, to discuss progress, and then the students will collaborate together. Paul and I hope to extend his idea with more problems and more schools.

I have been goading my students for years to solve more Project Euler problems collectively than I have. These problems require a knowledge of mathematics and computer science, with sufficient algorithmic experience wisdom to craft a solution. I know they will beat me, but I am trying to set as high a bar as possible. One student took up the charge, and formed a Computational Math Club to do just this. It is delightful to be advisor to a group of students striving to beat my record. It encapsulates exactly what delights me about teaching, to help train people to better academically and professionally than I am. Several of these students are also collaborating with the Parallel Programming Club on the Chile problem. Once again I am amazed that there could be 3 separate groups of students all working on distinct aspects of Computer Science.

This brings us full circle back to the Sisterhood of CS that formed last weekend primarily by the five young women in my intro to CS course, along with a couple of motivated graduates of my classes. The current plan is to bring in guest speakers, develop mutual support structures, educate me on what I need to do to better support young women in CS, and develop some applications in the ScienceSim based metaverse. We met today for the first time today, Saturday Oct 6 at 2pm in Second Life, because that was the only time we could meet around school and work schedules. I was wearing some black wings from a company long out of existence in Second Life; both students wanted to learn how to make their own. Yessssssss! Daedalus would be pleased with their sincerity, for they will certainly not be using wax. May they fly high.

New avatar

I did say we have five clubs. I was adopted by the Anime Club who needed an advisor. The president of the club is a former student who competed in both SC Education and TeraGrid programming contests. It will be interesting to see if a project involving all five clubs emerges.

I am sometimes exhausted by the success of these clubs, but the dynamism and life of these club comes right back and infuses the classroom. All of a sudden some students are seeing a larger context for what we are doing in class. It is no longer just academic for them. The academics and academic challenges are being embraced with eyes more open to possibilities: a self-induced wake-up call. Students not in the clubs are also positively affected, as to be expected, by the other students in the room. It is a wonderful experiment in learning. Stay tuned for more as the story unfolds.

The ArBB environment manages its own data types, which are either scalars (such as the arbb::f32) or arrays (such as arbb::dense<arbb::f32>) of various dimensions.  Code for ArBB is just-in-time compiled right before runtime execution, to take advantage of whatever vector and/or multicore capability a system may have, automatically and conveniently.

ArBB is designed to make it simpler to program for data-parallel problems. I know that TBB has been a great success in the parallel programming community, and I use it in teaching my undergraduates.  I hope to start trying  ArBB in the classroom and with my research students, too -- seems like a model worth exposing them to, apparently foreshadowing the kinds of tools we'll have available in the future.