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New Age: What are the positive outcomes Intel has observed in Bangladesh?
   John McClure: Couple of things. Within South Asia, Bangladesh has one of the best adoptions of technology. We track the average selling price of our products in all countries and Bangladesh has the highest. Bangladesh has a richer mix of technology than countries like India or Pakistan. And the rate of technology adoption is very rapid here. So, when a technology comes out there is a segment of the market here that adopts it very fast. That is one real positive outcome. Secondly, the percentage of the market that buys only Intel is very high here. It’s above 90 per cent. So our brand image and customer loyalty here is very strong.
   NA: Market observation reveals Intel has been proactively replacing its processors. Does Intel target a fresh segment of consumers every time it introduces a processor? Mass consumers are least likely to replace or upgrade processors every time a new one is released.
   JM: There is a segment of every market that we refer as early adopters. To cite an example for gamers the average upgrade cycle time for a processor is around nine months. In a country like Bangladesh, the majority of the market is first time buyers. As we introduce new products, we obviously target the early tech adopters in mass. In countries like Bangladesh we target the whole first time buyers segment.
   NA: What is Intel’s expectation from the Core 2 Duo processor?
   JM: Well, Core 2 is going to reestablish our leadership. We have been in a similar performance level with our competitors in last twelve months. Now we have a clear performance gap where we are quite ahead. What we know about our roadmap and what we know about our competitors’ roadmap, we are going to stay ahead for quite a while. The other expectation is we are going to come out with some new cool form factors. The Core 2 Duo was originally designed for notebooks that can fit into a very small form factor like the Mac Mini.
   NA: How would you distinguish the Core 2 Duo from your previous versions? What are its unique capacities?
   JM: The Core 2 Duo is a complete new micro-architecture. The first distinguishing factor is that it is based on a different set of technology. We have made a number of performance enhancements that concentrate on instructions per clock cycle than just frequency. One of the major differences between the Pentium and the Core micro-architecture is Pentium was architected for very high frequency but the amount of information that could be processed per cycle was less. The Core 2 Duo has been architected for enhancing the number of instructions that can be done per cycle. The performance of Core 2 Duo is 40 per cent faster in terms of taking instructions per clock cycle than Intel’s previous versions.
   One of the biggest performance impact or something that makes the system run slow is when you have to go out through the system bus that produces latency. Our smart cache tries to pull as much information into the L2Cache so that you do not have to go out to the system. In a manner this dramatically improves the performance by predicting the batch of information that is required based on the information being processed. So, prior to the central processing unit asking to go out to the system memory or the hard disk, the data is already within the L2Cache. That’s a huge performance increase along with system power consumption.
   NA: How will the Core 2 Duo processors benefit the consumers and the business or corporate clients?
   JM: There is 40-40 for both of them. For consumers, they are going to see cool new form factor, reduced power consumption and quieter system. In terms of the usage, consumers can enjoy the Microsoft Media Centre Edition (MCE) where they will have television running on the screen while recording and encoding at the same time. People are very impatient when their television performance is impacted.
   One of the segments that we have always been performance wise challenged in our competition has been the gaming segment. We wanted to architect the best gaming product. All the major games across the board with high performance requirements will run better with the Core 2 Duo. While the Pentium editions could provide 65 frames per second (FPS), upgrading your processor to Core 2 Duo retaining all other configuration will increase your performance to 113 FPS. Core 2 Duo systems start from Tk 43,000 and are already available in Dhaka.
   What Core 2 Duo in particular enables in business environment is providing one core to the IT manager and another to the user. In any business environment there are a number of processes that are being done in the background like the patch in, upgrades and security. As those are running in the background they can impact the foreground like doing excel or watching a video. The performance enhancement has allowed no compromise in security and management while all the productivity enhancements are there.
   The VPro further takes these improvements to the next level. VPro is our business platform solution that is based on Core 2 Duo as a processor. The processor is a chipset that has been architected for greater manageability and security using two new technologies. One of them is the virtualisation technology and the other is Intel Active Management Technology (IAMT). The two together allow the IT manager to have a partition segment of the system that has host CPU and host operating system (OS) independent. So, if the OS crashes, the IT manager can still remotely access that personal computer (PC), reboot it, rebuilt the image as if he was sitting before the PC console in person. So, even if the OS is down he can still access it and that is a big breakthrough.
   All the management software historically has been host OS dependent and this is the first that allows the IT manager to have a separate partition within the system to do these types of manageability stuffs.
   Right now, without the VPro technology, if the OS crashes, you have to send someone out to the system. Your remote management will not work because it is dependent on the OS. With VPro, if the OS crashes you do not have to send someone else. From the management console you can see that the system has crashed and find out the last known actions from the log. You can rebuild the system or reboot it remotely. It really saves on cost because you do not have to send people out to manage systems.
   For small businesses, our channel partners enable new business opportunities. They can get into the remote management business where they can sell computers and offer management package for the computers. Let’s say there is a 10-PC office that typically does not have an IT manager. The channel partner from where the office procured the computers can remotely manage those systems and access the IT department.
   NA: The price factor has been questioned a number of times earlier. Is there any plan to cut down the price for Core 2 Duo?
   JM: If you look at the price factor, it always goes down in course of time. Never has a product been introduced at such an aggressive entry level price. At Tk 43,000, Core 2 Duo is available with a fully loaded system including DVD ROM drive, monitors and speakers. It’s just above the mainstream price. To get a decent computer people spend around Tk 32,000 to Tk 35,000 anyway. One can avail the Core 2 Duo spending only Tk 6,000 to Tk 7,000 more.
   NA: What is the average replacement cycle time when people change or upgrade their systems?
   JM: In general, the replacement cycle time in South Asia is slower than the world average. In the corporate segment we certainly see that cycle time shrink. There is total cost of ownership benefits on recycling computers when the warranty runs out. In South Asia the replacement cycle time is five years while worldwide average is about three years.
   NA: Why did Intel name the processor Core 2 Duo instead of Pentium?
   JM: Because it is a new micro-architecture. It is a change which last time occurred when we shifted from 486 to Pentium. We make architectural changes not very often. We wanted to announce that this is a major change. We also wanted to build into the name that this is a multiple core product.
   NA: Why is Intel focusing so much on power efficiency?
   JM: Because that is exactly what end users demand as of today. For desktops, end users want smaller form factors, quieter systems, reduced power bills and they want all the values that efficiency brings. For notebooks, it is battery life and form factor. Everybody wants more battery life.
   NA: Will the Intel Pentium processors be still available? Or will they be discontinued?
   JM: They will be available.
   NA: Why is Intel using the same architecture for desktop and mobile computers?
   JM: To a large extent a lot of the requirements have become the same. The dividing factor between the desktops and notebooks historically has been that desktops focused on getting the maximum frequency which meant a hot processor. Notebooks always focused on a balance, a balance of quick performance through low power consumption. The reality for Core 2 Duo is it was originally architected for notebook. We decided to put it into desktops because of the improvements we discovered in its clock cycle. All of those improvements became very meaningful to the desktops.
   NA: How long does it usually take your R&D to invent new processor architecture?
   JM: We started the planning for this architecture in May-June of 1999. So it took about eight years to bring a new generation of processors.
   NA: Does Intel plan to make any foreign direct investment in Bangladesh?
   JM: Not at this point. We have around 130 resellers in Bangladesh, along with our distributors and associate distributors. Besides, we have a direct customer base and ecosystem comprising software partners, telecommunication partners, academia and government.
   NA: Has Intel any plans of launching ViiV in Bangladesh?
   JM: Not at this time. The market analyses that we have done is that the difference between ViiV and MCE is all about wireless security and easy distribution of the content at home. The percentage of the Bangladeshi consumers for ViiV is not very high. But the benefit with Core 2 Duo is really about watching television from PCs and many Bangladeshis do that. So we are concentrating on that segment. The major difference between Core 2 Duo and ViiV is there is some software in ViiV platform that allows you to securely connect wirelessly like the PDA and iPod. We could introduce ViiV now but it is just we do not think there is large market for it at here.
   NA: How do you see Core 2 Duo processors benefiting Bangladesh?
   JM: As I said before Bangladeshis are adopting technologies faster than most South Asian Countries. It is probably the best of protection that any first time buyer can go out and get today. All software is going to start to be targeted for the Core micro-architecture and all software is going to start taking advantage of the Core micro-architecture. So, in a year from now some software may not work on Pentium 4 or D just like some software right now does not work on Pentium 3.
   NA: How long do you intend to keep the market for Core 2 Duo?
   JM: We will hold on to the Core architecture for quite a while. We will not bring in another one out in next five to seven years.
   NA: In your presentation I have noted, 40 per cent of the World’s population will be shifting to notebook computing by this year. What are the factors behind the change in the trend?
   JM: It’s not an overnight thing. Since the introduction of the Centrino platform three years ago, 20 per cent of the world’s PC population was buying notebooks and now it is 40 per cent. The major reason why it has changed is couple of things. One is no compromise in performance (you can now get similar desktop performance on a notebook) and the second thing is wireless. The amount of wireless connectivity in people’s homes and offices in the public has really increased over the last three years. So, the utility of a notebook PC than a desktop PC is much higher. Battery life for notebooks has increased significantly. Three years ago the average battery life was 3 to 4 hours but now it has gone up to 6 to 8 hours.

Condemned: Criminal Origins is a first-person action game from Monolith (makers of F.E.A.R.). The game was originally released for the Xbox 360 but has now been faithfully adapted for the PC. In the game, you play the role of Ethan Thomas, a talented FBI agent specializing in the investigation of serial killers. Called to the scene of a murder by a killer called 'the Match Maker', you soon find yourself in way over your head as events escalate out of control. You are soon on the run - being pursued while continuing to chase the killer who started this whole mess. Your only friend is your colleague Rosa, who you send clues and communicates with you via a high-tech cell phone during the course of your investigation. Now it's up to you to clear your name and catch the killer by digging through the slums to find him.
   You begin the game with an immersive tutorial that blends seamlessly into the plotline. Here you first learn to use your investigative tools. In certain areas of the game where evidence may be collected, you are prompted to equip an investigative tool (laser light for footprints, UV light for bodily fluids, gas spectrometer for gases). Once the tool (which is automatically chosen) has been equipped, you hunt for evidence and typically take a snapshot or sample of it for instant transmission to Rosa back at the lab. Investigation, however, is not the 'meat' of this game. Once the door opens, you can expect that there is a drug addict somewhere in the room hiding behind a desk with a metal pipe. Or maybe there is no one. That's the guessing game you play. Often you get ambushed by them from around the corners, which keeps you jumpy for the most times. A direct hit to the head with a metal pipe is not pleasant and can cause severe damage to you.
   Condemned gives you the ability to use a variety of weapons, including axes, conduit, pipes, shovels, crowbars, random guns and more. Each weapon has different attributes - speed, blocking, damage, and reach. So while a small pipe may be quick, resulting in quicker reaction times when attempting to bring it up to block an attack, a sledgehammer has a longer range and more damage, which may take down one of the crazies in one or two hits max. In addition to the many melee weapons available, you will occasionally run across firearms such as pump shotguns, .45 caliber pistols, or machine guns. However, they are rare and typically only come with a small amount of ammo. You will find no spare ammo clips lying around, so most guns are useless after their existing supply is spent. Keep in mind though that you can only carry one weapon at a time, so don't take the decision of switching weapons lightly as it may make future battles a little tougher.
   The vast majority of combat in Condemned is first-person melee combat. The left mouse button lets you swing your weapon, and the larger or heavier the weapon, the longer it takes to wind up, leaving you vulnerable for a moment. Meanwhile, the right mouse button lets you use your weapon to block an incoming attack. You can hit the space bar to kick your opponents to create some breathing room (or to finish them off if they're lying on the ground), while clicking on the mousewheel lets you use your stun gun to temporarily daze your enemy. If you can get an opponent on his knees, you can execute a cinematic finishing move to put him out of his misery. You can snap their necks, pound their heads into the floor, deal a wicked punch, or deliver a thunderous head-butt! It's a bit disturbing just how satisfying it can be to beat down a tough opponent, which is probably why the game has a Mature rating! :)
   Condemned is not without its flaws though. The level design in the game is rather disappointing. Much of the game takes place in dark and damp corridors, subway stations, manors, sewers and such. Though I felt the dark and gritty level design was stunning, I did feel that walking through the levels at times became tedious and occasionally I found myself getting lost, especially when I had to backtrack as everything looks the same. It also is probably worth to note that the game is pretty linear. It's extremely rare when you will have a doubt of where to go or what to do in the game.
   Overall this game has exceeded my expectations. I loved playing F.E.A.R and this one from Monolith doesn't disappoint either. These Monolith guys know how to make a game look exceptional and with a high powered card you can almost smell the sewers, it's that real looking. Top notch work guys. I'm looking forward to a sequel! If you can stomach the violence, and have a decent enough PC to run it, by all means, get this game.
   System requirements
   P4 2.0 GHz, (P4 2.4 GHZ recommended), 512MB RAM (768MB recommended), DX9 compliant card ATI 9500 or NVIDIA 6200 with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6800 with 256MB recommended), DX9 compliant sound card, 8GB HDD Space, DVD-ROM drive
   
   Ratings
   gameplay: 5/6 - Pretty good, bone-crushing hand-to-hand combat, scary and extremely moody, solid enemy AI, pretty linear, lack of puzzles, too short (~12-15hours), no multiplayer.
   gfx: 5/6 - Great - F.E.A.R.engine, can be over-dark at times, a bit boring level design, hardware hog, minor bugs.
   snd: 6/6 - Excellent atmospheric audio, creepy environmental music, mediocre voice-acting.
   — Moinuddin Sifty

A recent Google Inc. blog post by Uber Tech Lead Luc Vincent reveals an ex-Hewlett-Packard & Co. employee now working at the search giant has helped to dust off an optical character recognition (OCR) engine with the intent of putting it into the open source domain.
   Tesseract, the engine, was developed between 1985 and 1995 by HP Labs, but was tucked away when the company pulled out of the OCR business.
   Google called on the Information Science Research Institute at the University of Las Vegas in Nevada, which is known for its expertise in OCR, to help debug the code. With help from researchers at UNLV, the OCR application made its way into the open source domain, Kazem Taghva, the university’s associate director for information science, said Wednesday.
   Taghva said as an open source project, university researchers and OCR experts could review and improve the application. ‘One of the guys who once worked for HP now works for Google,’ he said. ‘We are working on the project, but Google really has taken the lead in debugging the software.’
   Today, the Tesseract OCR project, only supports the English language, and does not yet include a page layout analysis
   module, so it performs poorly on material with multiple columns. ‘It also doesn’t do well on grayscale and color
   documents, and it’s not nearly as accurate as some of the best commercial OCR packages out there,’ Vincent wrote on the
   company blog.
   With Google’s announced plan on Tuesday to provide a service that allows people to search for news articles dating as far back as the 1700s, the reasoning behind the software’s resurrection becomes perfectly clear, said David Doermann, associate research scientist at the University of Maryland, College Park. ‘I’m sure Google intends to automate the process,’ he said. ‘They are probably not automatically OCRing them now. Most archives likely have been done by hand.’
   Doermann said putting the application into an open source project will also help with getting answers to problems not addressed by OCR, such as analysis of complex pages, for example, scanning figures and drawings or text that lay on intricate backgrounds.
   It may be too early for Google to take advantage of Tesseract OCR as an open source project to build its digital library, but it could help over the long haul, researchers said.
   Through the Google News Archive Search service, Google will work with the New York Times Co. and Washington Post Co., as well as news-retrieval services such as Reed Elsevier Inc.’s LexisNexis, to make articles available.
   The Wall Street Journal and Factiva, a news-retrieval service owned by Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co. and Reuters Group plc, also will make articles searchable through the Google service.
   Consumers will have an option to search full-text articles using keywords. Google will make summaries available to view for free, but access to the content will require a fee.
   Google says it won’t host content itself or charge content owners or consumers for the service. Content owners will handle article delivery, pricing and billing to consumers.
   — TechWeb