Sun Microsystems' Ultra Enterprise 10000. A supposedly bad-ass machine capable of 64 processors, costing around $5 Million. I hate this machine because of its nonstandard cabinet sizes. It is shaped like a big amorphous blob, so you can't put it in a line with your other unix machines, you have to seperate it from the others, so it can scream, "look at me!! I'm big and expensive!!"

The E10000 is a god-like unix machine. It can morph anywhere between a single system with 64 processors or eight individual systems all in one box. And you can add and remove CPUs, memory, and IO devices while they system is running. Add a gig on the fly and start using it. This thing rocks like no other.

A Sun "virtual prototype" of a futuristic computer. It took the form of a desk whose horizontal surface curved up vertically at the rear, and the entire surface was a combination display/touchscreen/scanner. This prototype was not physically built, but created using special effects for a Sun propaganda video. The demonstration involved some rather advanced software, much of which has also yet to be really built. More info at Bruce Tognazzini's site: http://www.asktog.com/starfire/starfireHome.html

A hero published by DC Comics and created by George Perez and Marv Wolfman. Starfire first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 in the fall of 1980.

The planet Tamaran exists within the Vega system of our galaxy. Tamarans have the ability to absorb solar radiation (sunlight) and metabolize it in a way that allows them to fly. Tamarans are a race with a warrior heritage, possessing golden skin, long curly hair, and green eyes with no irises. The technologically-advanced planet exists under a monarchy whose king Myand'r had two daughters, Komand'r and Koriand'r, and a son, Ryand'r. The rightful heir to the throne was the eldest daughter Komand'r, but she was born without the ability to fly and therefore was considered unfit to rule. The throne then fell to the second daughter, Koriand'r. This caused Komand'r to hate her younger sister and to turn to the Tamaran enemies in hopes of exacting revenge upon those she believed had wronged her.

When Tamaran was attacked and overrun by the Gordaians and their allies the Psions with the help of Komand'r, Myand'r sued for peace. The Gordians agreed to leave the planet alone, but the king had to give up their youngest daughter as a slave. Having no other choice, the king and queen turned Koriand'r over to their enemies. Komand'r seemingly had won, until she was betrayed by her "allies" and enslaved as well. The two sisters became the subjects of a Psion experiment to see how much solar energy they could absorb. During the experiment, a problem with the equipment endowed both of the sisters with the ability to channel solar energy into energy blasts. The two escaped their captors and Koriand'r fled, eventually landing on Earth.

Pursued by her former captors, Koriand'r came into contact with a group of young heroes known as the Teen Titans. This group helped defend her against her foes and she decided to stay on Earth. Adopting the civilian identity of Kory Anders and the heroic identity of Starfire, Koriand'r stayed on Earth many years fighting along side the other Titans. The group would often oppose her sister who took on the name Blackfire. During this time, Starfire worked as a super model, giving Wolfman and Perez many opportunities to put her in revealing outfits and seductive poses, much to the glee of torqued-up fanboys.

During this time, Starfire and the Titans leader Dick Grayson became romantically involved. Her free spirited nature was a good contrast to his tightly controlled life, and his maturity and level-headedness were a good match for her more passionate nature. The two were a couple for years, until Koriand'r was called by to Tamaran to participate in an arranged marriage with Karras, a Tamaran noble. Koriand'r felt obligated to go through with the marriage, though she tried to convince Grayson that it would not change her feelings toward him. Grayson, however, did not feel that it was appropriate to continue a relationship with Starfire at this point and the two broke up.

For a while, Koriand'r lived on Tamaran with her new spouse, but later returned to Earth. A rebellion on Tamaran called her back to her home and during that time, her sister Komand'r was made monarch and Koriand'r's husband was killed during the fight. Free to pursue their relationship again Koriand'r and Grayson once again became a couple.

During and after the Titans betrayal by one of their own, Starfire and Grayson's relationship began to show strain. Grayson was naturally protective of Koriand'r, who had been injured during the Titan Hunt, but Koriand'r's warrior nature did not take well to being coddled. Finally, in an attempt to bring stability to their relationship, Grayson proposed to Koriand'r who accepted. The two would have been married but for the intervention of one of their teammates, Raven, who had yielded to the evil part of her nature. Raven infected Koriand'r with one of the unborn souls of the children of Raven's father Trigon. The infection caused Koriand'r to hallucinate and during the visions Koriand'r embraced her warrior heritage completely. This new found meaning to life helped her to fight off the effects of Raven's attack and drove her further away from Grayson. The two's relationship never recovered.

Koriand'r eventually left Earth to return to Tamaran, marrying General Phy'zzon and helping to lead the people of Tamaran to a new planet when their home was destroyed. Koriand'r soon returned to Earth after the planet on which her people settled was destroyed, leaving Koriand'r as the only member of her race escape the destruction. She again worked with the Titans for a time, eventually leaving with the few remaining Tamarans to search for a new planet to settle.

On an interesting note: Koriand'r possessed an interesting trait that has never been explained and that I am an unware of being used by any other Tamaran. Koriand'r possesses the ability to understand languages simply by touching one who knows the language. She usually does this by kissing the person. How and why this works has never been explained.

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