Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless device capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer, wherein the cellular phone stack within the EFI layer may include TDMA or CDMA0-based technology. An embodiment of the present invention may further provide at least one agent running under an OS/EFI continuously monitoring said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power and wherein anytime events occur where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than threshold, the wireless device may switch itself to the low power secure EFI mode where it may continue to use basic cell phone services and applications seamlessly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for on-demand CPU licensing. An embodiment of a processor license system includes an agent to determine that a computer processing element in a computer system is faulty or unreliable. The system further includes an activation license manager. The activation license manager provides automatic activation of a spare computer processing element for the computer system upon a determination by the agent that the computer processing element is faulty or unreliable.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless device capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer, wherein the cellular phone stack within the EFI layer may include TDMA or CDMA-based technology. An embodiment of the present invention may further provide at least one agent running under an OS/EFI continuously monitoring said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power and wherein anytime events occur where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than threshold, the wireless device may switch itself to the low power secure EFI mode where it may continue to use basic cell phone services and applications seamlessly.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless device capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer, wherein the cellular phone stack within the EFI layer may include TDMA or CDMA0-based technology. An embodiment of the present invention may further provide at least one agent running under an OS/EFI continuously monitoring said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power and wherein anytime events occur where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than threshold, the wireless device may switch itself to the low power secure EFI mode where it may continue to use basic cell phone services and applications seamlessly.

Abstract: Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to receive status from an operating system (OS)-independent module capable of providing OS-independent geolocation information associated with a device to a network at some time before executing an operating system.

Abstract: A system includes a multi-core processor including a first processor core and a second processor core, and a core manager. The core manager is to receive data during an execution of an application by the first processor core, the data indicating a potential fault associated with the first processor core, determine to disable the first processor core based on the data, and activate the second processor core to execute the application.

Abstract: Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to receive status from an operating system (OS)-independent module capable of providing OS-independent geolocation information associated with a device to a network at some time before executing an operating system.

Abstract: A system includes a multi-core processor including a first processor core and a second processor core, and a core manager. The core manager is to receive data during an execution of an application by the first processor core, the data indicating a potential fault associated with the first processor core, determine to disable the first processor core based on the data, and activate the second processor core to execute the application.

Abstract: A method may comprise determining a first reliability rank associated with a first processor core, determining a second reliability rank associated with a second processor core, and associating the first processor core and the second processor core with a first processor core bank. The association of the first processor core and the second processor core is based on the first reliability rank and the second reliability rank.

Abstract: A master controller for managing items tagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags includes a transceiver to transmit interrogation signals to the RFID tags and to receive response signals from the RFID tags. The master controller may also include a processor to determine the proximity of tagged items based on signal levels of the response signals, and to notify a user when certain ones of the tagged items are in a predetermined relation to a proximity threshold.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may provide operating system-independent geolocation information. A compact software and/or firmwave environment may be established prior to loading and/or initializing the main operating system. This environment, sometimes known as a pre-boot environment, may determine geolocation information and/or may provide user access to configuration information and methods, even when the operating system is absent or unavailable.