for questions about claims based on computer hardware.
Questions tagged [hardware]
9 questions
36
votes
1 answer
Does a SSD only store data for 3 months without power?
On this document published by Dell, in section 6, it states:
I have unplugged my SSD drive and put it into storage. How long can I expect the drive to retain my data without needing to plug the drive back in?
It depends on the how much …
Eric Johnson
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35
votes
1 answer
Is using a mouse less efficient?
Users of programmable text editors such as Emacs and Vim claim that using a mouse for day-to-day programming and computing tasks makes you less efficient.
For example, in this playful Welcome to Vim video by Derek Wyatt, he calls the mouse a…
Nick
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12
votes
1 answer
Subway magnetic fields and laptop hard drives
I just heard a story of a guy who took the subway to transport his company's off-site data back-ups for storage. When the time came for restore after a disaster, the data was corrupt and erased.
Being from New York City like I am, this makes me…
Abdu
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11
votes
2 answers
Are SSDs the best upgrade for the money to average user (and if so, in which circumstances?)
There are claims being made that SSDs (Solid State Drives) are one of (if not THE) best investments one can make as far as PC hardware upgrades. If someone wants a cite, just pick one of 3876 glowing SSD-thumping blog posts by Mr. Atwood on a…
user5341
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10
votes
1 answer
Does progress in algorithms beat progress in hardware?
A 2010 report to the U.S. President and Congress about past and future advances in information technology notes that:
While improvements in hardware accounted for an approximate 1,000 fold
increase in calculation speed over a 15-year time-span,…
Amelio Vazquez-Reina
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7
votes
1 answer
Can you use a computer's CPU's electrical noise to extract an encryption key?
This 2015 Wired article claims it is possible to use a remote device to determine a key used during decryption by sampling the radio emissions from the processor at 100kHz
They also claim that by:
tricking the target into decrypting a carefully…
Akash
- 199
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7
votes
1 answer
Does using a matched pair of memory sticks provide any benefit?
Apple recommends installing pairs of memory sticks with matched sizes to allow for dual-channel memory interface.
However, some people believe that it's also important not only to match the sizes of the two RAM sticks, but to install what…
user5582
5
votes
0 answers
Terabytes of data generated by Boeing Jet every hour
2010 article from gigaom (http://gigaom.com/2010/09/13/sensor-networks-top-social-networks-for-big-data-2/ Sensor Networks Top Social Networks for Big Data) says that twin engine Boeing Jet aircraft generates lot of information, 40 terabytes per…
osgx
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vote
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Can a plastic tent keep contaminants out and emulate a safe clean room?
I was reading an article on why opening the cover of a hard drive was a bad idea.
In the article, the author mentions that the safest way to open the cover of a hard drive was to do it in a class 100 clean room (< 100 airborne particles per cubic…
ILikeTacos
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