Virtualization is a key enabling technology for the modern datacenter. Without virtualization, tricks like load balancing and multitenancy wouldn't be available from datacenters that use commodity x86 hardware to supply the on-demand compute cycles and networked storage that powers the current generation of cloud-based web applications.

Even though it has been used pervasively in datacenters for the past few years, virtualization isn't standing still. Rather, the technology is still evolving, and with the launch of I/O virtualization support from Intel and AMD it's poised to reach new levels of performance and flexibility. Our past virtualization coverage looked at the basics of what virtualization is, and how processors are virtualized. The current installment will take a close look at how I/O virtualization is used to boost the performance of individual servers by better virtualizing parts of the machine besides the CPU.

Quantum information is the physics of knowledge. To be more specific, the field of quantum information studies the implications that quantum mechanics has on the fundamental nature of information. By studying this relationship between quantum theory and information, it is possible to design a new type of computer—a quantum computer. A largescale, working quantum computer—the kind of quantum computer some scientists think we might see in 50 years—would be capable of performing some tasks impossibly quickly.

To date, the two most promising uses for such a device are quantum search and quantum factoring. To understand the power of a quantum search, consider classically searching a phonebook for the name which matches an unknown phone number. If the phonebook has 10,000 entries, on average you'll need to look through about half of them—5,000 entries—before you get lucky. A quantum search algorithm only needs to guess 100 times. With 5,000 guesses a quantum computer could search through a phonebook with 25 million names.

Your next PC may cost you a bit more than expected if you buy later this year. Market research masters Gartner say that the price of building PCs will climb this year, reversing a six-year trend, due to component scarcity. That's going to pose a bit of challenge to manufacturers who have focused on pumping out cheap netbooks during the economic downturn.

The biggest driver of the likely price increase is memory. The DRAM industry is in the midst of moving from DDR2 to DDR3, which means less of each type of RAM is being produced. DDR3 spot prices are up 23 percent over the last month; with memory comprising about a tenth of a PC's overall cost, that's a significant cost for OEMs to absorb.

It's not just RAM: LCD panels and hard drive prices are on the rise, with the cost of the former expected to jump by as much as 20 percent. Optical drives are also suffering from supply constraints.

As a result of the recession, component manufacturers reduced capacity and delayed building additional plants. While investment is on the way back up, it takes time for new facilities to come online. In the meantime, OEMs face a dilemma: how much of the additional costs can they pass on to consumers and businesses without scaring them away from new hardware?

CES is a daunting show to cover, filled with emerging technologies, new products hoping to change the world, and a few goofy surprises here and there. What you don't often see is what goes on around the fringes of the show: the products that don't get written about, the booth designs intended to draw your eye and get you to walk in, and the weird tricks companies try to get your attention.

This year every major player wanted you to put on glasses to look at content, you could get your picture taken with Elvis at a few different places, and if you knew were to look you could sit in Captain Kirk's chair. Welcome to our CES, in pictures.

Any story about Guitar Hero or Rock Band isn't complete without some yahoo in the comments claiming that people should stop having fun playing games and should start learning how to play an actual guitar. One product at CES was pitched to us as an advanced Guitar Hero controller, but what we saw at the booth was a surprisingly robust musical product that will retail for $179.99.

The guitar, called the "You Rock Guitar" from Inspired Instruments, features six metal "strings" and a full-sized neck with rows of pressure-sensitive lines that act and feel like the strings of a real instrument. You can strum, you can fingerpick, and you can play chords and solos. The controller has clearly laid out sections for Rock Band, and by hitting a button on the body of the guitar you turn on "game mode" so you can use it on your video game system—a $25 add-on gives the guitar Bluetooth support for wireless play—but the guitar has many more tricks up its sleeve.

The next revision of your favorite gadget may have a bit more memory. Toshiba has launched new 64GB embedded NAND flash modules, which it says are the first in the industry. Samples are available now with mass production beginning this winter.

Read More: Toshiba, Engadget

The Moblin project was launched by Intel in 2007 with the goal of building a Linux-based platform for small form-factor mobile devices. Although the underlying technology is compelling and exhibits considerable potential, Intel's surprising degree of ambivalence on fundamental issues like hardware compatibility and open drivers could threaten Moblin's relevance.

One of the clearest examples of Intel's declining commitment is the company's cavalier disregard for concerns about the status of the Linux drivers for its GMA500 integrated graphics component. The GMA500, which is also known as Poulsbo, is shipped in popular netbooks like the Acer Aspire One and certain Dell Mini models. Unlike Intel's other integrated graphics solutions, Poulsbo is partly based on Imagination Technologies's PowerVR and is only marginally supported on Linux. The Poulsbo drivers are a complete disaster and are almost impossible for Linux vendors to support.