Today: GPUs giveth in terms of powerful and energy efficient computing, but they also taketh away — your strong password’s effectiveness, that is.

Also: Despite Amazon and other cloud provider’s knack for grabbing headlines, private clouds are business’ top choice. And though the cloud is hailed for its energy-saving potential, Green Monk’s Tom Raftery argues that it’s time to show it. Plus, don’t forget to scope out Apple’s new data center on Google Earth.

All this and more in Today’s 10 roundup.

Server makers wrap iron around Nvidia GPUs – The Register
GPU-powered servers? Given how they plow through some compute-intensive tasks (like cracking passwords, see the next link), HP’s starting to think that it’s not such a crazy idea.

Cheap GPUs are rendering strong passwords useless – ZDNet
And, here’s the downside to GPU computing…

Private clouds hold a wide lead over public clouds among IT pros polled – Network World
Unsurprisingly, the public cloud has a long way to go in gaining corporate acceptance.

Prove cloud is green: providers urged to publish energy figures – Silicon Republic
Time to put up or shut up.

UW researchers develop trick to help devices use less energy – Geek Wire
Project Enerj could lead to apps that are green by design.

At Microsoft, Cost Data Drives Cloud Adoption – Data Center Knowledge
An encouraging example of accountants wielding their power in IT decision making.

Emerson Electric bets on smart data centers – Reuters
Efficient data center cooling, energy monitoring and an all-around push toward sustainability has Emerson pushing its own boundaries.

EMS Plans to Develop 20 to 80 kW R.A.S.E.R. HD Micro-Modular Data Center – TMCNet
With the promise to “reduce capital expenses up to 70 percent,” it’s little wonder modular data centers are on the rise.

Supermicro Unveils High-Density MicroCloud Cloud Servers – CRN
With Nvidia GPU options for HPC customers and 94-plus power supplies.

You Can Finally Check Out Apple’s Data Center on Google Earth – Gizmodo
Nice roof!