Map of all Google data center locations

Data Center Knowledge recently published a “Google Data Center FAQ”. As most other web geeks, we here at Pingdom tend to find this kind of information quite fascinating. We have extracted some interesting tidbits, and also used the information to construct a map with all current and under-construction Google data center locations that are known today.
So how many data centers do Google use, and where are they?

Google data center locations

If you include data centers that are under construction, Google has 19 locations in the US where they operate data centers, 12 in Europe, one in Russia, one in South America, and three in Asia. Not all of the locations are dedicated Google data centers, since they sometimes lease space in other companies’ data centers.

Above: Google data centers world wide.

Above: Google data centers in the USA.

Above: Google data centers in Europe.
We have created a map you can explore over at Wayfaring.

How much does Google spend on data centers?

According to Google’s earnings reports, they spent $1.9 billion on data centers in 2006, and $2.4 billion in 2007.
Google unveiled four new data center projects in 2007. Each has a cost estimate of $600 million, which will include everything from construction to equipment and computers.

Google’s criteria when selecting locations for data centers

• Large volumes of cheap electricity.
• Green energy. Focuses on renewable power sources.
• Proximity to rivers and lakes. They use a large amount of water for cooling purposes.
• Large areas of land. Allows for more privacy and security.
• The distance to other Google data centers (for fast connections between data centers).
• Tax incentives.

Above left: Google’s first production server. Above middle: Google’s The Dalles data center in Oregon. Above right: Close-up of a Google server rack.

What’s up next?

Google has been looking at sites in Asia, such as Taiwan and Malaysia. There are also reports of a possible data center in Lithuania (Eastern Europe). Google is even more secretive about their US locations, but they have bought 466 acres of land in Blythewood, South Carolina.

Google secrecy

Google has made it difficult both to find out where they keep their data centers and how many they have. One big reason for this is that almost all IP addresses that Google uses (and there are a lot of them) are listed to their Mountain View, California address, so just looking at IP addresses (with IP WHOIS or IP-to-location databases) won’t help you figure out where their data centers are or how many they have.
In addition to this, Google usually seeks permits for their data center projects using companies (LLCs) that don’t mention Google at all, for example Lapis LLC in North Carolina and Tetra LLC in Iowa.
Since Google tends to be quite secretive about their data centers in general, the information we have presented here most likely isn’t 100% complete.

Find out more

Check out the excellent Google Data Center FAQ over at Data Center Knowledge for more details and information.

Windows 7 SP1 Beta Now Available for Download

Windows 7 SP1 Beta Now Available for Download

As expected, Microsoft today at its Worldwide Partner Conference 2010 has announced the public availability of Windows 7 SP1 Beta, and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta for users running the final RTM version of the respective operating systems.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level, provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates.
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta will help you:

• Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
• Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
• Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
• Meet your users’ demands for greater business mobility
• Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations
• Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency

In order to download and install the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta you must currently have a Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 already installed.

Like most of the Service Packs for Microsoft Windows, this one follows in the same direction, containing all the security and recommended updates that you would usually receive through Windows Update. Available in both 32 and 64 bit versions, Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 doesn’t offer any new features except for tons of security, stability and bug fixes. The greatest beneficiaries of this release are said to be Windows Server 2008 R2 users.

Windows 7 RTM was announced back in July 2009. It is publicly available since the official launch, which was held on October 22nd 2009.
Download Windows 7 SP1 Beta from TechNet Evaluation Center
Download Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta from TechNet Evaluation Center
Check out our Windows 7 Center for the complete coverage on the latest client version of Windows. [via TheNextWeb]

Microsoft Kin gets canned

Microsoft's spiritual successor to the Sidekick, the Kin, has been canned after a mere 48 days on the market, and will not be launched in Europe. The news comes after recent rumors that a mere 500 units had been sold.

It's been a disastrous quarter for Microsoft, with the loss of Robbie Bach and J Allard (the man who convinced Bill Gates to spend $2 billion creating the Xbox) from the Entertainment & Devices division, and the cancellation of the decidedly buzzworthy Courier tablet project.

The official statement is as follows:

"We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones."

A Verizon spokeswoman told BusinessWeek that the Kin is "is still an important part of our portfolio," though one has to wonder, as marketing a phone for tweens with a compulsory $29.99 monthly data plan is a bad idea, whether the plan includes unlimited data or not.

It does make sense for Microsoft to fall back to a unified strategy for Windows Phone 7. Windows Mobile has dropped from a 23% market share to well under 10% thanks to heated competition from Apple's iPhone and Google's Android platform, and if executed correctly, WP7 could put Microsoft back in the game. It has been built from scratch, and includes Microsoft's best-in-class Xbox Live Arcade platform from the Xbox 360 console, which will finally give Apple a run for its money as the "fun phone".

'Robofish' makes friends with biological cousins

Scientists seem to like the idea of robotic fish, and why not? They have all sorts of potential applications including exploration, pollution-detection, communications, or just for quiet contemplation. A team from the University of Leeds, however, have created a robotic fish that can do something no previous effort has laid claim to – fool other fish into thinking it’s one of them.

The computer-controlled replica, dubbed Robofish, is a plaster cast model of a three-spined stickleback fish. It has an acetate tail, and is painted to match the stickleback’s natural coloration. A rigid clear tube runs from its underside to a magnet. When placed in an aquarium, that magnet sits against the bottom glass, and is drawn to a corresponding magnet on the outside of that glass. By moving the outside magnet with an electric motor, the team was able to create the illusion of an independently-swimming fish.

The model was placed in a tank with either single sticklebacks, or groups of ten. In both cases, it was programmed to “swim” along a set path at a speed slightly higher than average, to see if it could coax other fish out of the tank’s refuge area, and into a 90-degree turn. While the researchers initially wondered if Robofish’s lack of stickleback odor would be an issue, it turned out not to be a problem.

Individual fish followed the model most readily, although even the groups took to it pretty quickly. Interestingly, though, the longer the real fish had been in the tank, the less likely they were to follow their phony leader. "Because Robofish moved faster and without stopping and tended to be at the front or on the edge of the shoal, the other fish saw it as bold and definite in its actions, which encouraged them to follow," said PhD student Jolyon Faria. "The fish were more easily influenced by a bolder member when they were nervous in new surroundings. Once they'd got used to the tank, they moved round quite happily to explore the tank, rather than moving in unison as they did at the start."

It was also noted that the fish closest behind Robofish was always the first one to follow it into the turn, regardless of how close behind it was following. This apparently addresses a long-standing question in the field of group dynamics – is a leader’s effect on a group influenced by how physically-close that leader is to the group? This experiment would seem to indicate not.

The Leeds team believes that knowledge gleaned from robotic fish could be used in the field of freshwater and marine environmental management, to predict migration routes and the effects of human interference. Given Ms. Faria’s observations about the stickleback experiment, however, it looks like they could also teach us something about ourselves.

Buy your own Tron Lightcycle: US$35,000

The lightcycle scene was probably the most memorable part of an absolutely jaw-dropping movie when Tron was released back in 1982. One of the first films ever to use the kinds of computer-generated special effects that later become commonplace, it was a glimpse into a whole new world that left an indelible impression on most that saw it. Now, as Disney prepares to release Tron Legacy, a sequel some 28 years after the original, the lightcycles are back and looking meaner than ever. Built by the same guys that did the memorable Batpod replica, the new lightcycles feature massive dual hubless wheels, carbon fiber/fiberglass bodies and all the lashings of neon that you'd expect. And there's going to be five running models built - all of which are now up for sale on eBay. Check it out!

The lightcycles are to be built by Parker Brothers Choppers, each will be individually numbered from 001 to 005, and each will come with a different color neon highlight. Only five will ever be built.

Buyers can specify what size combustion engine they want, or use a high-powered electric motor to really get in the digital swing of things. Special tires are being made up to fit the enormous 22" x 12" hubless rims - and the manufacturer, Hoosier, will make additional tires available if you wear the originals out - because these lightcycles are being built for street use, not just to be shown.

They're selling for US$35,000 apiece, which is a bit of a steal for something so technically challenging to build - not to mention something that will cause extreme whiplash for the general public, and a stack of dry-cleaning bills for any geek that sees it.

See the eBay auction for more details.

Robotic devices help stroke survivors regain movement

It's a long time since The Six Million Dollar Man graced our TV screens; indeed, many Gizmag readers may be too young to have heard of Steve Austin, the Bionic Man. Bionics and robotics have come a long way in the past few years, and while we're not yet creating bionic men and women, we can at least claim to make people "better, stronger, and faster." A robotic hand and bionic leg undergoing clinical trials at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center (NYPH/CUMC) are two promising neurorehabilitation devices that are helping stroke survivors regain movement in affected limbs by rewiring neural pathways.

Stroke is one of the top three killers in the developed world. Of those who survive, hundreds of thousands are left with devastating disabilities such as the loss of movement in an arm or leg, and the accompanying loss of freedom of movement they had taken for granted. Not so long ago these disabilities were considered incurable and therapy often focused on training people to use their "good side."

Fortunately, research has provided new insights into the brain and its ability to reorganize or "rewire" itself by forming new neural pathways which bypass damaged areas - the science of neuroplasticity. Neurorehabilitation harnesses the principles of neuroplasticity, and has produced some remarkable improvements in survivors of stroke and other brain damage.

Trials like those being conducted at NYPH/CUMC involve patients in repetitive movements that promote motor learning and neuroplasticity in affected limbs.

Amadeo Robotic Hand

The Amadeo, developed by medical engineering company Tyromotion, is the first device to focus specifically on hand rehabilitation and allows the patient to move each finger individually. The mechanism mimics the hand's natural grasping movement, making the patient's hand move with it. The range of motion and the force can be exactly adjusted to the patient's needs.

After attaching the finger tips to the finger and thumb carriages, patients move their fingers along small tracks to a set endpoint in an automated sequence. Patients can be actively or passively involved, and motor control and strength are increased over time.

Lauri Bishop, a research physical therapist in the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at NYPH/CUMC says, "Traditionally hand rehabilitation has been done by having patients practice movements like buttoning a shirt. The robot makes this process more efficient. It also makes it easier to track a patient’s progress."

Tibion Bionic Leg

The Tibion is a thigh-to-ankle device worn during therapy to help patients get their stroke-weakened leg to work with their unaffected leg in walking, climbing stairs and getting in and out of chairs.

Sensors in the patient's shoe and the Bionic Leg collect data that is fed into a computer to determine what the patient is likely trying to do, and essentially customize the sensor network to the patient's way of walking. The Bionic Leg can be configured to either assist or resist the patient's movements, and therapists can progressively reduce the level of support provided until patients are able to move confidently without it.

"Prior robotic devices for helping patients improve their gait involved either therapists or robots moving the affected leg while the patient was suspended over a treadmill," says Ms. Bishop. "This bionic leg requires the patient to put weight on the affected leg, and to try to take steps on their own. The device isn’t a prosthesis, it simply supports the patient while our therapists help them teach new areas of their brain to replace the stroke-affected areas that normally control leg function."

Dr. Joel Stein, director of the Rehabilitation Medicine Service and Physiatrist-in-Chief at NYPH says, "The devices systematically help restore neural pathways for crucial movements like walking and gripping. By doing so, patients can regain freedom and independence and move on with their lives."

The hospital is seeking people who have been recovering from a stroke for six months or longer, who have difficulty with hand functions or mobility, to take part in the clinical research trials. If interested, email Lauri Bishop or call (212) 305-6095.

Just 12 teams remaining in Automotive X PRIZE

Things are heating up in the Automotive X PRIZE with just 15 vehicles representing 12 teams from 6 countries left in the competition. Nine teams were eliminated during the Knockout Qualifying Stage, which took place at the Michigan International Speedway from June 20 to 30. Ultimately, vehicles in each of the three classes will have to exceed 100 MPGe (miles-per-gallon equivalent), meet emissions and performance requirements, and complete on-road challenges in the fastest time possible, if they want to win their share of the US$10 million prize.

The Knockout Qualifying Stage consisted of several events. They included:

• A technical inspection, wherein vehicles were inspected for road safety, and to check that they matched up with the teams’ original design submissions
• An on-road fuel economy test, in which vehicles were subjected to a number of driving conditions, and had to get at least 67 MPGe and less than or equal to 300 grams per mile of CO2 emissions
• An on-road range test, in which Alternative Class vehicles had to travel at least 67 miles (134 for Mainstream Class), at an average speed of 55mph, on a single charge and/or tank of fuel
• A dynamic safety test, wherein the vehicles were assessed for 0-60 acceleration, braking, accident avoidance, highway acceleration, and lateral acceleration

The next step in the X PRIZE is the Finals Stage, running from July 19th to 30th, where the top finalists for each class will be decided. The 12 teams that will be competing include:

Mainstream Class

• Edison2, Charlottesville, Virginia (two versions of their combustion-engined Very Light Car will be competing against one another)

Alternative Class - Tandem

• Commuter Cars, Spokane, Washington (Electric)
• Edison2, with a third version of the combustion Very Light Car
• Spira, Carrollton, Illinois/Banglamung, Thailand (Combustion)
• X-Tracer, Switzerland (Electric)

Alternative Class - Side-by-Side

• Amp, Cincinnati, Ohio (Electric)
• Aptera, San Diego, California (Electric)
• Li-ion Motors, North Carolina (Electric)
• RaceAbout Association, Finland (Electric)
• Tata Motors, Coventry, UK (Electric)
• TW4XP, Germany (Electric)
• Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington (Gas/electric)
• Zap, Santa Rosa, California (Electric)

Gizmag will be on the ground in Michigan during the Finals Stage to bring you up-to-date information on how the competition is progressing, along with a closer look at some of the teams.

The winners of the competition will be announced in September, with the winner of the Mainstream Class taking home US$5 million, and the winners of the two Alternative classes splitting the rest of the prize money.

In the meantime, updates on the standings can be found on the Automotive X-Prize site.