microcomputers

BOULDER CREEK, Calif.--I have seen the world's first microcomputer, and it is not the Altair.

For years, any serious discussions about the earliest microcomputers had to include the Altair 8800, the creation of Albuquerque, N.M.'s Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS). That computer, as has been well chronicled, inspired legions of hobbyists, including Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who, upon seeing the Altair on the cover of the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics, began a mad rush to create Microsoft BASIC, their first smash hit and the beginning of their empire.

But it turns out … Read more

Sentilla, a company that makes energy management technology, announced Wednesday it's also getting into management for data centers.

The Redwood City, Calif.-based company makes a software and microsensor system for detecting and managing the environments and energy consumption of commercial and industrial facilities.

Sentilla's new product announcement on Wednesday expands their reach to include analyzing the energy consumption of computers, servers, and their accoutrements in data centers.

Simply named the Sentilla Energy Manager, the system uses Sentilla's sensors with microcomputers to measure the change in activity levels and electricity consumption of servers. The devices are basically … Read more