LandShark's Blog: Folding@Home

Yahoo Widget for F@H

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 03:37:54 GMT

Ok, the yahoo widget engine base F@H EOC stats widget is done!! IMHO, it's even better than the Vista Sidebar version!!

Enhancement over Vista Sidebar version:

1. it will save your user info (e.g. unique url, user name, team#) while Vista Sidebar (limitation of the Sidebar itself) can't!

2. it will auto update 20mins (3:20am, 6:20am, 9:20am, etc.) after the standard EOC update time (3am, 6am, 9am, etc. UTC) to ensure giving enough time for EOC to process it's own update. and this version's auto update timer is already pre-caculated regardless your time zone!! (but do remember to check daylight saving time tho!) where as the Vista Sidebar version is auto update every 3 hrs start from the time you start the gadget (this will be address in future version).

Version:

v1.0 - initial release.

v1.1 - fix dock being update too frequently.

v2.0 - added team stats & easier setup process.

Installation instruction:

~ download the widget from HERE.

~ go download & install Yahoo Widget.

~ enter your user name & team number.

~ that's it!!

Hope you'll like it!!

Vista Sidebar F@H gadget!

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 06:05:33 GMT

I know many of you Folding@Home addict (like me) have been checking on the personal stats from ExtremeOverclocking.com's stats every few hours a day. one day when I was searching around w/ Vista's Sidebar gadget, I asked, why not get a gadget that will feed the stats and update itself for me?!

now, here's my Vista Sidebar F@H gadget (actually, it's my GF who wrote this gadget!). it enable you to use/grab the data from ExtremeOverclocking.com's F@H personal stats and will automatically update every 3hrs same as the ExtremeOverclocking's stats.

here's the screen shot of it:

instruction:

~ download and install the gadget from HERE.

~ put this unique url --> 2Vh3Pz in the field along w/ your user name and team number.

~ follow this path (by run commend or on address bar) --> %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets
cut and paste the F@H gadget files one level up.

e.g. instead of \Mircosoft\windows sidebar\gadgets\Fah gadget\Fah_gadget\files

it should be \Mircosoft\windows sidebar\gadgets\Fah_gadget\files

somehow the package from Live.com is wrong.....

hope you'll like it!!

future reversion in plan included more background image and probably user selectable stats.

also in work is a XP/Mac version gadget which is base on Yahoo's Widget engine!! stay tune!!

Fight Cancer w/ PS3!

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:47:50 GMT

The power of the PS3 may not just change the evolution of next-generation gaming, but it might actually help fight against disease. Using the power thousands of Cell processors at the same time, your console very may contribute to saving lives.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today offically announced that PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) computer entertainment systems will have the capability to connect to Stanford University’s Folding@home program, a distributed computing project aimed at understanding protein folding, misfolding and related diseases. Folding@home is leveraging PS3’s powerful Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) – and what will be an even more powerful distributed supercomputing network of PS3 systems – to help study the causes of diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cystic fibrosis and many cancers.Because the process of folding proteins is so complex, computers are used to perform simulations to study the process. Since these simulations can take up to 30 years for a single computer to complete, Folding@home enables this task to be shared among thousands of computers connected via the network, utilizing distributed computing technology. Once the data is processed, the information is sent back via the Internet to the central computer.

The Cell/B.E. processor inside each PS3 is roughly 10 times faster than a standard mainstream chip inside a personal computer (PC), so researchers are able to perform the simulations much faster, speeding up the research process.

“Millions of users have experienced the power of PS3 entertainment. Now they can utilize that exceptional computing power to help fight diseases,” said Masayuki Chatani, Corporate Executive and CTO Computer, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “In order to study protein folding, researchers need more than just one super computer, but the massive processing power of thousands of networked computers. Previously, PCs have been the only option for scientists, but now, they have a new, more powerful tool—PS3.”

“We’re thrilled to have SCE be part of the Folding@home project,” said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. “With PS3 now part of our network, we will be able to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world’s most life-threatening diseases.”

With the latest system software update expected to become available at the end of March, the Folding@home icon will be added to the Network menu of the XMB (XrossMediaBar). PS3 users can join the program by simply clicking on the Folding@home icon or can optionally set the application to run automatically whenever PS3 is idle (*1).

Starting with Folding@home, SCE will continue to support distributed computing projects in a wide variety of academic fields such as medical and social sciences and environmental studies throughout the use of PS3 and hopes to contribute to the advancement of science.

(*1) To run the application automatically in idle state, PS3 must be connected to the network with both the main power switch and power button turned on. Option setting must also be changed as this automatic feature is off at default.

I'm a long time user of Folding@Home, and a PS3 owner; therefore, I'm really excited about this!! You'll never know, may be one day, this will save your own life!! Soooo, please FOLD~!!

GPU Folding@Home

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 06:10:05 GMT

CPU (Computer Power User) magazine just release an article about Folding@Home's latest client that use GPU (Graphic Processing Unit)'s power to help speed up the process of finding the cure for cancer (and many other diseases).

Folding@Home on PS3

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:10:49 GMT

The distributed computing project designed to study protein folding and it's related diseases, , Folding@Home (which I've been running), announced plans to launch new client for the upcoming Sony Playstation 3!!

Via the PS3's Cell processor, Folding@Home expects to achieve performance of around 100 gigaflops performance per console and will reach petaflops level with merely 10,000 units!!!

(note: with "just" 29,000 units, it will even beat the world's fastest supercomputer!!! )

The project is called Cure@PS3.

Folding@Home hopes to apply the new processing power allowed by the network of PS3 to push the Folding@Home project into a new level of capabilities, applying simulations to further study of protein folding and related diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease, Huntington's Disease, and certain forms of Cancer.

The PS3 Folding@Home client will also support some advanced visualisation features. While the Cell processor does most of the calculation of the simulation, the nVidia supplied RSX graphic processor of the PS3 display the actual folding process in real-time using new technologies such as HDR and ISO surface redering! It's even possible to navigate the 3D space ofthe molecule using the PS3's controller!!

This is probably one of the BEST uses for all the wasted idling processing power, and I sure hope PS3 users will adopt the client to help to find the cure!!!

Read more... (p.s. be sure to check out the video clips!!)

Finally added, F@H section.

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:47:21 GMT

Finally just created the Folding@Home (http://folding.stanford.edu) section in my blog which is looooong delayed!!

I'll add more infomation about Folding@Home, but right now, (in short) Folding@Home is another distributing computing research created from Stanford University, that use it's member's spare CPU time (Idling) to help to find the cure for many diseases included Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Pakinson's disease, etc.. This is truely a very very constructive research as it's helping the whole mankind and could be someday, yourself too!!

I've been running Folding@Home instead of my (long time participated) SETI@Home for over a year now, mainly in memories of my dad (who had passed away 1 1/2yrs ago from lung cancer!!) and for those I love. And who knows?! May be one day, I could save my own life too!! (knock wood....!)

Hope you'll participate too...!!

For now, I've added my team's (Team32) Memorial Wall. By reading it, you'll know WHY do we participate and for WHAT!!