If you thought that Moore’s law was dead, then Jim Keller, Intel’s lead chip designer, has news for you. He says that we’re still a long way off from the limits of silicon, and he wants to prove it.
In 1965, Intel founder and computer legend Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors you could fit onto a chip doubled every couple of years or so. He thought that the trend might continue running for a decade or so, but it kept going, ushering in the modern technological age that we enjoy today. In 2015, Moore’s law celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Boffins and physicists pointed out, however, that eventually, you’d reach a hard limit imposed by the laws of physics. As you enter a smaller and smaller scales, quantum uncertainty takes over, and it becomes more challenging to prevent short circuits. Due to quantum effects, electrons can hop from one transistor to another, even if they are closed off from each other with solid material. This process causes chips to heat up and parse information less efficiently, harming their performance.
Ten years ago, many people in the industry believed that Moore’s law would run out of steam by 2020 – the year we’re in right now. But there’s been some push back against this idea from people in the industry. They claim that we’re a long way from maxing out silicon and that there are plenty of things that we can do to prevent stagnation.
Denser Gates
Jim Keller points out that there are several reasons to be optimistic. One of those is the fact that chip makers, like Intel, are now finding ways to make gates denser on CPUs without the electron leak problem. Keller believes that his firm can improve gate density by 50X, potentially overhauling the performance characteristics of CPUs entirely. Firms like Interbyte could see their orders shooting up from companies that need faster, more powerful servers.
3D Stacking
Then there’s the idea that if engineers can’t pack any more transistors onto a flat surface, they can try layering them on top of each other.
We’ve already seen this kind of thing in other areas, such as 3D NAND flash memory and high-bandwidth memory on some AMD graphics cards. So it is only a matter of time before it makes its way into the computing world.
Sure, it might require a lot of retooling, but that is something that Intel and others have been doing for many years, and there’s no sign that they’re keen to stop.
Graphene
Silicon is the material of choice for the semiconductor industry, but graphene is even more promising. The reason for this is that the carbon-based substance is able to conduct electricity with practically no resistance. This property means that is doesn’t heat up like traditional copper wires, meaning that it could replace them in chips.
Sure – graphene-based tech is a long way away – but it could mean that CPUs have higher clock speeds – perhaps as high as 100 GHz.
There’s a hidden safety feature that not all drivers enable when beginning to drive on the road, no matter if they ride a motorcycle, drive a car, or maneuver a HGV. It’s a safety feature that is free to gain, but you must develop it yourself. It’s also a safety feature that can be easy to forget if you’re in a rush, or if you lose your cool when experiencing negative driving habits from other road users that day.
This safety feature is your attitude. It’s a malleable object very easy to lose control of or ignore, but doing so will only lead you to be ever-more-likely to encounter trouble when driving. However, carefully curating it, and following important guidelines to this end will allow you to become a safer driver no matter what age you are or how skilled you may be.
We all know that refreshing our road theory knowledge (such as reminding ourselves of obscure road traffic signs from time to time) is worth our attention, but every time we drive it can also be worth taking a few seconds to get your headspace calibrated for your upcoming driving pursuit.
Here are the four attitudes you may wish to keep hold of to keep you safer on the roads:
You Can Never Predict Other Drivers
Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, accurately predicting the driving habits of other road users is nigh-on impossible. A driver you have been traveling behind for five minutes may have kept exemplary road practice only to fall asleep at the wheel at the last moment you are expecting it, causing you to veer off course to move out of harms way. You simply cannot predict when and where something will happen. Traveling on the highway safely for three hours could be perfectly fine, only to have a truck in front of you blow a tire, forcing you into defensive driving procedures to get around them.
This fact is not intended to scare you, but to keep you alert. Prepare for the unexpected. Rest well before driving. Never drive with alcohol in your system. Ensure your vehicle is well maintained before setting off. This will help you when you need to be the most careful, and you’ll thank yourself for doing so. Even if you never encounter so much as a incompetent driver on the roads (unlikely), this lifelong effort will have been worth it. After all, financial insurance is important, but physical insurance is priceless.
Road Rage Is Never Worth It
Road rage is never worth the cost of venting your emotions. It just isn’t. Even ‘flipping the bird’ or shouting in your car can escalate the situation. Not only may this leave you arguing with someone in a live driving situation, but it will take your eye off the road. Who knows if someone cutting you up has also affected another road user, and they’re now annoyed and angry, contributing to your lack of safety on the roads? It’s worth asking these questions because we can never really understand how or why certain scenarios may get out of hand. To that end, don’t be the cause of that scenario.
Financial Security = Peace Of Mind
It’s important to protect your financial wellbeing when on the roads, not only because it’s a legal requirement, but because knowing you’re well-covered will grant you appropriate peace of mind on the roads. Perhaps being well-covered is an essential component fundamental to driving law, but it’s also nice to know that you haven’t been price-gouged when finding a package to suit you. A little research can be worthwhile. For instance, it’s worth knowing who has cheap motorcycle insurance appropriate to your particular needs and driving requirements, as you may be able to avoid paying over the odds for being protected. While careful driving can pay dues in regards to your safety, financial diligence and research can positively affect your driving budget.
You’re Only As Skilled As Your Last Drive/Ride
Remember that you’re only ever as skilled as your last drive or ride. It only takes one accident or one mistake to cause mayhem or put yourself in harms way. Each day you drive, and each driving session you have, you must recommit yourself to these principles. You may view yourself as a great driver, but how well will you drive today? That’s all that matters, and all that will ever matter.
With this advice, we hope you can adopt the best four attitudes that will keep you safe on the roads.
Running a business can be stressful. As the person in charge, there will be a lot of things you need to bear in mind and remember to stay on top of. It’s safe to say at times, it can be quite the juggling act.
This is why many people take on an assistant to help out with the day to day duties involved to make sure nothing is overlooked and you are where you need to be doing what is needed of you day in day out.
One of the most important aspects of running a business, regardless of if or how many employees you have is health and safety. Especially if you have employees and customers on your premises or you manufacture your own goods on-site.
Health and safety is more than making sure fire exits are clear and nothing is on the floor for people to fall over. In fact, making sure you’re on top of any health and safety issues can help you improve productivity in your company. If people are spending less time worrying about being safe at work or if their equipment is up to scratch they can get more work done.
Repair and Maintenance of Utilities and Equipment.
It goes without saying that any utilities your company consume need to be used responsibly. Any equipment you use, eg cooker, fires and so on that use gas or electric need to be inspected regularly and maintained to make sure they are safe to keep everyone safe at all times.
For this reason, it is recommended you use a gas plumber for regular health checks and repairs as and when needed along with electricians or even a general handyman. The better condition you keep your equipment, the easier it will be for everyone to do their jobs and the less likely it will be that accidents will happen.
Staff Training
Do your staff have all the knowledge and skills required to perform their job correctly and efficiently? Making sure everyone is fully trained and has the knowledge they need to do the job at hand will make sure they not only feel more comfortable doing what needs to be done, but are able to work well and safely without constant supervision.
Take the time to make sure everyone has the correct training from day one will not only be complying to health and safety standards and regulations but also be able to deliver top-notch customer service and increase productivity.
Equipment.
We discussed how keeping your equipment properly maintained so it works well and is safe to use, but do you have the correct tools for the job? Making compromises when it comes to not using the correct equipment, or sub-par equipment could not only make working conditions unsafe but also be breaching health and safety regulations too. Putting yourself and your team in a position where they aren’t properly equipped for the job at hand will not only lead to production issues and poor customers services but could also be unsafe depending on your sector.
Keeping on top making sure your team has everything it needs to work well and safely will help you abide by national, regional or state regulations.
The digital age has revolutionized the way in which we live our lives, but sadly it has also revolutionized crime. There’s now a hack attack every 39 seconds, 300,000 new types of malware are created every day and the average cost of data breaches is estimated to reach $150 dollars this year. Cybercrime is now classified as one of the single biggest threats to businesses and individuals and so whether you use IT for work or just at home for pleasure, here are 5 ways in which you can improve your security.
Educate yourself
The first thing you should do to protect yourself against cybercrime is to educate yourself, your family and your co-workers on the most common types of cyber-threats and how to avoid them. Burying your head in the sand when it comes to data security and cyber-terrorism makes you an easy target for hackers, so start doing some research into the ways that hackers can gain access to your information so that you can then begin putting measures in place to block them.
Bring in an expert It’s safe to say that not all computer users really understand how the devices they use work, and that’s ok so long as you realize when it’s time to cut your losses and to bring in the professionals so that they can advise you on how best to stay safe online. On a personal level, you can pop into any computer store and ask for advice on computer security, in fact, Apple offers free security seminars, or if you’re a business then reach out to an IT company that offers security consultancy services tailored for corporate needs.
Don’t ignore updates Those requests to update that keep appearing on the side of your screen may be irritating but they’re actually trying to keep you safe. Most updates released contain fixes to bugs or errors that make it easier for hackers to gain access to your computer, so by ignoring them, you’re leaving your defenses weakened. With more than 300,000 types of malware created every day, it’s no wonder that computers need to update so frequently in order to keep up. So the next time your computer asks to update click yes and then go and make yourself a cup of coffee.
Take passwords seriously People have gotten sloppy with passwords over recent years and it’s leaving them, their personal information and their employers open to attack. It may be annoying trying to remember different passwords but having the same password for every system is a bad idea, as is using common words such as family names, dates of birth or the name of your pet. Try to create passwords from random letters, numbers, and symbols or make them acronyms of something you’ll remember.
Create an incident response plan Finally, if the worst comes to the worst and you do experience a data breach then you need to have an incident response plan in place to minimize the damage. IT consultants are best placed to help you create a response plan but at the very least you should know who the issue is escalated to and who is responsible for guiding your actions.
A product design degree is designed to give you the theoretical knowledge and background skill you need to be able to create new and innovative products. The degree is popular with those who like science, maths, and engineering but who also enjoy art and design and are popular with both men and women from a variety of backgrounds.
What can you do with a degree in product design?
A product design degree can be used in a few different ways including directly and indirectly. Direct use of a product design degree can see graduates going into roles such as CAD technicians, exhibition designers, furniture designers, product designers and other more specific areas of design across a variety of industries. Indirectly, a product design degree is valued and useful for careers in advertising, engineering, graphic design, and media alongside a variety of other jobs that view product design degrees as an example of a candidate’s ability to think creatively but also critically.
What experience do you need?
A degree in product design is a great first step to getting into a creative role but usually, it is more effective when paired with some form of experience. Experience is often seen as a chicken or egg style situation, after all, how can you gain a job to get experience without experience? Well, in product design a few things to consider include asking local designers in your area who work in the sector you are interested in if you can shadow them or complete a placement with them – this kind of work is often unpaid, but some designers may be willing to pay a small wage for your help.
Alternatively, another way to show experience without getting a job is to apply for a product or industrial design competition which will allow you to showcase your work and skill and will prove valuable for helping you to build up your portfolio of work. Finally, keep an eye out for entry-level job positions often posted on graduate job sites, these job postings are searching specifically for graduates and so often understand that applicants will have limited experience.
Consider a Master’s
Although there is a range of direct and indirect applications for a product design degree another option is always to go back into education to get a Masters. A Master’s degree can help you to stand out from the crowd and to gain more advanced positions regardless of your lack of experience. To find out more about a Masters in product design, click here.
Where to look for jobs
Once you have a rough idea of what industry you want to go into and the role you would like then the next thing to do is to start job hunting. Although you can always search for jobs easily online via job boards it’s often best to look through companies recruitment pages directly. Especially if you know who you want to be working for, applying directly through the companies website can make you stand out from other candidates.
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