The Wolfram Alpha Web site lets you dig into facts, figures, math, calculus, statistics, and other "computational knowledge" at a level you've never had before.  Give it a try and you're sure to bookmark it in your browser.

The "community-supported" BeagleBoard project includes a new member, BeagleBoard-xM that uses a new Sitara ARM Cortex-A8 processor from Texas Instruments. TI also offers its own boards and kits, but at about 10 times the cost. The Cortex-A8 processor looks like a good one for high-end applications, so I dare not call it a microcontroller. Find out more about TI's latest Sitara chips and the new BeagleBoard-xM.

In late January 2010, Analog Devices introduced two interesting chips, the ADuC7023 and the ADuC7122. The press announcement noted the suitability of these devices for digital diagnostics in optical transceivers and modules based on both fixed and tunable frequency lasers.

In early 2010, Intel released information about its new 2010 Core processor family--the i7, i5 and i3 chips that offer software compatibility with earlier IA-32 (x86-family) processors. Although most of the new chips will find homes in PCs of various types, Intel highlighted 12 devices aimed at embedded devices with the following information in its press release...

Imagine a projection TV you can put in your pocket or a small display unit that will project diagnostic information on a curved wall during surgeries. Some pico-projector devices have come to market and users report results that vary from good to poor, based on power consumption, resolution, color, and similar factors. Many of these projection-display devices exhibit a "flashlight effect"--bright at the center and dimmer at the outside edges.  As far as I can tell, pico-projection technologies haven't yet penetrated deeply into consumer and industrial products.