Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, September 29, 2011

drag2share: Samsung's Superfast, Battery-Sipping Exynos CPUs and Giant 16-Megapixel Camera Sensor Are Gonna Be in Your Nextest Phone [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5845071/samsung-has-new-exynos-chipsets-camera-sensors-and-64gb-storage-modules-for-your-future-smartphone

Not content to ride the wave created by their current, badass Exynos 4210 chipset, Samsung will have their next generation SoC, along with new camera and storage components, ready for phones next year.

According to PhoneScoop, the Exynos 4212 is built around a 1.5 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, promising 30% less power usage life and 25% more performance than the Exynos 4210. Samsung's new camera offerings include a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor for rear-facing modules, along with a 1.2 megapixel slim sensor intended for front-facing modules. And rounding out the components is the availability of a 64 gigabyte flash storage module for smartphones, which doesn't seem like a big deal, except for the fact that nearly all smartphones max out at 32 gigabytes.

If Samsung put the same time and attention into these new SoCs and camera sensors as much as the ones found in the Galaxy S II, there will be some great smartphones available next year. [PhoneScoop, 2, 3, 4]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: The iPhone 5's Internet Is Three Times Faster, Says Chinese Carrier [Rumor]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5845078/the-iphone-5s-internet-is-three-times-faster-says-chinese-carrier

Talking at Macworld Asia, state-owned Chinese carrier China Unicom claims that Apple's iPhone 5 will run on suppafast HSPA+ networks. It's not LTE, but that's a 3x increase: a maximum download speed of 21Mbps compared to the current 7.2Mbps.

Both AT&T and T-Mobile have HSPA+ networks, so American users would be able to enjoy this speed bump (well, in the case of AT&T, who the hell knows what the speed would be). The same is true in Europe.

It's logical to expect this to be true. We are very close to release now and China Unicom's has a close relationship to Apple.

We didn't expect the faster, true 4G LTE to be supported by the next-generation iPhone. The technology has been ignored by Apple so far because it would make the iPhone too thick and consume too much battery. In fact, Apple's CEO Tim Cook has already said that they are not adopting LTE any time soon. [PC Watch via Macotakara via AppleInsider]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: The Zombie Autopsy of HP's 7-Inch TouchPad Go [Touchpad]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5845083/the-zombie-autopsy-of-hps-7+inch-touchpad-go

Do you like looking at pictures of dead things? Of course you do: We've already seen photos of the James Dean of TouchPads, but PreCentral dug up details on its actual specs and HP's plans for the tablet.

The 7-inch TouchPad had the same dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor as the 10-inch TouchPads—as well as the same 1024x768 resolution—1GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Adreno 220 GPU, 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage, GPS, (new to the 7-inch), a rear-facing 5MP camera (also new), a front-facing 1.3MP camera, and planned 3G/4G models. The camera and logo were also shifted so that the default orientation was landscape, instead of the iPad-like portraitness of the 10-inch TouchPad.

But probably the most amusing or horrible or without-a-doubt unfortunate bit of the post-mortem details is the tagline for the TouchPad Go's intended Fall 2011 launch: "Business never stops." Oy. [PreCentral via ZDnet]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/skype-2-5-for-android-brings-video-calls-to-14-new-devices-incl/

Skype Video Calling

...And then there were 41.

Oh, sorry, we're talking about Android devices here. Specifically ones that support video calling over Skype. With the update to version 2.5, the VoIP service has tacked on another 14 Goog-powered gadgets to its list of officially supported handsets and tablets. Yes, that's right, we said tablets. In addition to bringing support to phones like the Atrix, Bionic and Nexus One, Skype is inviting the Xoom, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Acer's Iconia to the party. We've even received reports that video calls are working on other Honeycomb slates like the ASUS Transformer. You'll find the full list of officially supported devices in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets

Skype 2.5 for Android brings video calls to 14 new devices, including Honeycomb tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: HTC Sensation Z710t becomes first smartphone to offer ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/htc-sensation-z710t-becomes-first-smartphone-to-offer-st-ericsso/

There's a new Sensation on the block that'll be making its way to China Mobile, but rather than rehashing more of the same, this release marks the first smartphone to place ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC under the hood. Unlike offerings from Qualcomm, the chip inside the Sensation Z710t offers a dual-core A9 processor along with connectivity to the carrier's TD-SCDMA infrastructure. Other specs are expected to remain the same, which includes a 4.3-inch qHD display and 8 megapixel camera. Unfortunately, press photos weren't released, which suggests its design hasn't changed. You'll find the full PR after the break, heralding this latest Sensation among the top-tier of China Mobile's offerings. While pricing or a release date have yet to be announced, we're inclined to agree.

Continue reading HTC Sensation Z710t becomes first smartphone to offer ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC

HTC Sensation Z710t becomes first smartphone to offer ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: ASUS announces Ivy Bridge PCI-Express motherboards, for early early-adopters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/asus-announces-ivy-bridge-pci-express-motherboards-for-early-ea/

If you get your jollies from things like procuring motherboards months before compatible chips are released, then boy have we some good news for you! ASUS is releasing three PCI-Express 3.0 enabled motherboards that are capable of handling Intel's souped-up Ivy Bridge chips when they debut next year. The company isn't in the business of giving its boards romantic names, so the three Z68-powered arrivals will be called P8Z68-Deluxe/GEN3, P8Z68-V Pro/GEN3 and P8Z68-V/GEN3. The whole lot will get two PCI-Express 3.0 slots, LucidLogix Vertu graphics-switching and USB 3.0. They'll be available from October -- the Deluxe model will peel €230 ($310) from the rear of your pocket, while the V-pro commands a more modest €185 ($250) and the V an even lower €160 ($220). After the break, we've got a shot of the German spec list that those nice folks at TechConnect managed to snaffle. Go on, geek out -- we won't tell.

[Thanks, Alexandre]

Continue reading ASUS announces Ivy Bridge PCI-Express motherboards, for early early-adopters

ASUS announces Ivy Bridge PCI-Express motherboards, for early early-adopters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TechConnect | source

source

Pressbox.de (translated) | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Sharp's Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/sharps-aquos-phone-102sh-brings-3d-qhd-display-12-megapixel-cm/

Just a few days after unveiling the waterproof IS13SH, Sharp has come out with yet another beastly submersible, known as the Aquos Phone 102SH. Juiced by a 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, this Gingerbread-coated handset boasts a 4.5-inch glasses-free 3D display with 720 x 1280 resolution, along with 1GB of RAM and a 32GB microSDHC card. The device also packs a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor and supports DLNA, infrared connections, e-wallet functionality and your standard 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities. No word yet on price, but Japanese carrier SoftBank will begin selling the 102SH in early December. Scurry past the break for more information in the full and translated PR.

Continue reading Sharp's Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan

Sharp's Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TechCrunch | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Why The Kindle Fire Beat the iPad 2 (For Me) [Kindle]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5844712/why-the-kindle-fire-beat-the-ipad-2-for-me

There are times when less is more in terms of technology. And frankly, at its $199 price point. That less is definitely more.

The iPad 2 is a great device. Hell, I bought my wife one. But I don't need a $500 tablet. The Fire gives me the features I want at a price point that's less than half of the iPad 2. I can check my email, browse the Internet, maybe play a few games, most importantly, I can read magazines in color on a Kindle.

I use the computer to work. While it's fair to say that the iPad can be used to create content, I really don't have time to tap away on a touchscreen when I have a perfectly good MacBook Air. The features that set the iPad above the Kindle Fire are wasted on me. I don't need those. I'll never edit a video on the iPad. I have Final Cut Pro for that. Taking pictures on a tablet is ludicrous, I have an iPhone for quick shots and a DSLR to make me feel like I'm talented. It comes down to features and price. It's too much, for too much.

The Kindle Fire fills that tiny tablet gap in my life. It only has the features I really care about at a price point that's reasonable. It's more than reasonable, it's pretty great. But more importantly, it's the color Kindle I've been waiting for. I don't care about built-in 3G. That's what Mi-Fis are for. The camera on our iPad was used the first week just to point out how horrible the pictures looked. The only downside to the Kindle Fire is the lack of ~~are the lack of external speaker and~~ Bluetooth. But this isn't a deal breaker in my book.

Amazon has already sucked me into its Kindle-library clutches. I find myself trolling the Kindle store for books while sitting on the couch. Amazon's Whispersync has made it easy to add those purchases to the Kindle app on my iPhone. Now that I can run borrow books from the local library on the Kindle, I'm sold. You win Amazon, here take my money.

Apple was the first company to realize that a tablet computer doesn't need to be a full-fledged "computer" to succeed. All a tablet needs are the features that people actually use. Amazon just took that idea and ran with it. It won't be long before other companies attempt the same thing at an even lower price point.

My wife loves her iPad 2 and I'm happy I bought it for her. But for me, the $199 Kindle Fire is the tablet I've been waiting for.

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Toshiba prepping new 560Mbps TransferJet chip

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/toshiba-prepping-new-560mbps-transferjet-chip/

Toshiba TransferJet

So, TransferJet hasn't exactly taken off the way many had hoped, especially Sony which crammed the wireless tech into CyberShot cameras and Memory Sticks. But some, like Toshiba, are still holding on to the dream. By the end of January 2012 Tosh plans to ship samples of its new TC35420 TransferJet chip to manufacturers, which can move files at an impressive 560Mbps. The short-range, high-speed sharing protocol could make moving photos, videos and other media between your smartphones, tablets and laptops quick and easy... or it could just become another feature that lies dormant in a few select products collecting piles of virtual dust. It only started showing up in products last year, so we're not ready to put a nail in its coffin just yet -- we'll just have to see if the tech can finally live up to it promise of painless connectivity.

Toshiba prepping new 560Mbps TransferJet chip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Akihabara News | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Disney launches two new Android smartphones, mouse ears not included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/disney-launches-two-new-android-smartphones-mouse-ears-not-incl/

Mickey's ditching the steamboat and giving up Fantasia in pursuit of all things mobile as Disney launches the DM011SH and DM010SH -- joining the company's other Android offering. The 4-inch 3D capable DM010SH handset will be Walt's top-of-the-line variant with a 960 x 540 qHD touchscreen, 8MP camera and a 1GHz processor. Next in line is the DM011SH waterproof slider with a 3.4-inch touchscreen sporting 854 X 480 resolution and an identical processor and camera to its higher-end cousin. Both Android 2.3 phones come decorated with the signature insignia in tweentastic candy colors like pink and white, with a black version of the DM010SH available for more subdued Mouse House fans. Aside from the phones, Disney also outed the internet-enabled DM001Photo, a 9.4 x 5.6-inch digital picture frame for viewing pictures, videos and emails over 3G for ¥890 (or $11) a month. Although prices have yet to be finalized, the DM010SH is slated to hit the Japanese market in October, while the other two should appear on store shelves by December. Check out the full Japanese PR and product pages by hitting the source links after the break.

Disney launches two new Android smartphones, mouse ears not included originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dat acider, Land of Droid | source

source

Disney Mobile (Japanese), Disney Mobile (PDF Japanese) | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: OWC updates its Mercury Extreme Pro 3G SSD lineup, offers 30GBs for just $68

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/owc-updates-its-mercury-extreme-pro-3g-ssd-lineup-offers-30gbs/

Say hello to Other World Computing's latest 2.5-inch SSD, the 30GB variant of its Mercury Extreme Pro 3G series (3Gb/s, of course). This SandForce-driven SSD may not have loads of storage, but priced at a wallet-friendly 68 bucks, it's certainly tempting if your optical drive's been gathering dust. Whether you're running an ungodly amount of Firefox tabs on a Mac or Windows machine, you'll be covered with "sustained data rates of over 275MB/s," keeping your tasks speedy. Ready to ditch the beach balls and hourglasses? It's available now from OWC and you'll find more info in the PR past the break.

Continue reading OWC updates its Mercury Extreme Pro 3G SSD lineup, offers 30GBs for just $68

OWC updates its Mercury Extreme Pro 3G SSD lineup, offers 30GBs for just $68 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Other World Computing | Email th! is&n bsp;| Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: RIM details Android compatibility, apps written with NDK see Canadian visas declined

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/rim-details-android-compatibility-apps-written-with-ndk-see-can/

While you're undoubtedly aware that the PlayBook will gain the ability to run Android apps at some point, RIM's come clean with specifics as to which ones will run on the biggest BlackBerry. According to Thinq, engineers from the Canuck company confirmed that the upcoming compatibility layer will not support apps written with the NDK -- you know, wares written in C instead of the typical one-two Java / Dalvik punch. Also on the chopping block are those that incorporate Google Maps, in-app billing or Mountain View's text-to-speech engine. Similarly, live wallpaper and applications that use VoIP or have more than one activity linked to the launcher are also on the outs. It's been decreed then: don't expect a fantastical bevy of apps to make the jump sans elbow grease, which if we're honest, is about right given the other news out of Waterloo.

RIM details Android compatibility, apps written with NDK see Canadian visas declined originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MobileBurn | source

source

Thinq | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/flickr-unveils-android-app-introduces-real-time-photo-session-f/

The Android community may be awaiting its very own Instagram app, but at least Flickr has now stepped up to fill the void. Yesterday, the photo-sharing service unveiled its very first Android app, along with a new social feature known as Photo Session. Available for free on the Android Market, the app allows users to snap, filter and upload their photos directly to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr, all from the comfort of their own handset. It also features an array of camera functions like flash, ratio selection, and shutter focus, along with ten high-quality filters. Photo Session, meanwhile, allows you to browse through images with your friends in real-time. All you have to do is round up your online comrades, start a session and begin flipping through a photostream. Every time you move on to the next image, your friends will, too, effectively turning any browsing affair into a collective, Don Draper-like slide show. For more details, check out the source links below, or trot past the break for a video run-down of Photo Session.

Continue reading Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video)

Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Flickr | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: HTC Explorer now official, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/29/htc-explorer-now-official-we-go-hands-on/

This little soldier carries the big responsibility of extending HTC's dominance to the budget end of the Android spectrum, and it must achieve this mission with only a bare minimum of weaponry: a 3.2-inch HVGA (480 x 320) capacitive display, 600MHz processor, 3MP camera and 512MB of expandable memory. You'll just have to believe us when we say we had a play with a pre-release device at an HTC event recently, even though the manufacturer's reps refused to let us take any photos or video to prove it. You'll find publicity shots in the gallery below plus a full press release, some educated guesswork about price and availability and our initial impressions of the handset right after the break.

Gallery: HTC Explorer publicity shots

Continue reading HTC Explorer now official, we go hands-on

HTC Explorer now official, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

drag2share: What Is Amazon Silk? [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5844663/what-is-amazon-silk/gallery/1

As part of the Kindle Fire, Amazon introduced a new web browser called Silk that uses some of Amazon's best technologies to help make mobile browsing even better. What is Amazon Silk? Well, from the looks of things, it's awesome.

Amazon Silk is the Kindle Fire's new web browser...

Amazon Silk is a web browser optimized for the Amazon Kindle Fire hardware, which runs Android Gingerbread. The main focus of Silk is to take the processing load off of the Kindle Fire CPU/GPU.

...that taps into Amazon's EC2 cloud to handle heavy processing...

Silk is referred to as a Split browser. It knows what web processing tasks the tablet can handle well, and which ones it cant. The lighter processing will be handled by the tablet hardware, while the heavier code crunching (HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc.) will be sent to Amazon's cloud servers which have more muscle in the areas of RAM and CPU power.

...speed up page load times...

Loading a single website requires initiating multiple connections to multiple servers. For less powerful devices, this process takes more time than it would for a more powerful machine. Better equipped to handle this process with its powerful optical network, the EC2 backend will take websites and optimize them for the Kindle Fire's screensize/resolution so that the device has an easier time digesting those pages.

...minimize the amount of storage used on your Kindle Fire...

Optimized pages means smaller file sizes. But Silk will also cache sites you've visted on the EC2 servers, thus keeping more of your storage free for cooler shit.

...and pre-load the all the pages you visit the most.

Visit Gizmodo multiple times a day? Or maybe you prefer the more intellectual musings of Hipster Runoff? Either way, Silk will learn your browsing behavior and pre-load the pages you visit the most when an internet connection is present. I don't know about you, but this sounds like the future of mobile browsing.

P.S. Check out all the cool stuff Amazon announced today right here.

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)