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Wednesday, June 02, 2010

AMD Fusion APU gets its first public demo at Computex (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/amd-fusion-apu-gets-its-first-public-demo-at-computex-video/

Hey, what do you know -- the Fusion lives! AMD's CPU / GPU hybrid, which sounded so revolutionary back when it was first thought up, has finally shown off its Accelerated Processing grunt by chewing through a section of Aliens vs Predator live on stage at Computex. We can't say we were exactly bowled over by the performance -- the demo was just a leisurely walk through some leafy terrain, yet still seemed to dip below 30 frames a second at a few points, showing that the APU wasn't all that comfortable handling the DirectX 11 tasks that were put upon it. This chip is targeted at ultraportables, however, and that's a crowd with distinctly lower standards than your usual desktop gamer, so maybe there's a future for this 2011-bound slice of silicon after all. We've got video of the full AMD presentation after the break -- you'll want to skip ahead 59 minutes to see the AVP runthrough.

Gallery: AMD Fusion APU launch at Computex 2010

Continue reading AMD Fusion APU gets its first public demo at Computex (video)

AMD Fusion APU gets its first public demo at Computex (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Flipout official: Android 2.1 and enhanced Motoblur coming to Europe in Q2 2010 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/motorola-flipout-official-android-2-1-meets-enhanced-motoblur/

Motorola's quirky square-shaped Android 2.1 creation has just become official, courtesy of the company's YouTube channel.The Flipout brings a 2.8-inch, 320 x 240 screen (Kin killer!), a 3 megapixel camera with "one-touch" uploads to Facebook, MySpace and photo-hosting sites, and a refreshed implementation of Motoblur, which now includes resizable widgets, feed filters, and push corporate email. We hear that last feature is a real must-have with the target audience of this device.Video of the Flipout can be found just after the break, and Euro readers can expect it imminently, as the listed Q2 2010 launch date basically means it'll be out by month's end. Wonder how they'll price a curious creature like this.

[Thanks, Martin]

Continue reading Motorola Flipout official: Android 2.1 and enhanced Motoblur coming to Europe in Q2 2010 (video)

Motorola Flipout official: Android 2.1 and enhanced Motoblur coming to Europe in Q2 2010 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/intel-demos-android-2-1-on-moorestown-smartphone-video/

Intel's barking up all kinds of trees (ones planted by Qualcomm, NVIDIA and ARM) with its Moorestown Atom platform, and while it'll be quite some time before we see an Atom Inside sticker gracing the face of a smartphone, the company's making sure the world sees what it has ramped up so far with reference builds here in Taipei. Aava Mobile was kind enough to build a number of prototypes for Intel to showcase at Computex, and while the vast majority were running Moblin, a couple were humming along with Android 2.1 underneath. We were able to get our hands around one here at the show, and while performance seemed decent enough, it certainly didn't floor us any more than a 1GHz Snapdragon has in the past. Granted, we weren't able to seriously tax it due to having no internet connection and no pre-loaded HD multimedia, but casual users probably won't notice a significant boost in screen transitions. Don't take our word for it, though -- jump on past the break for a video of Intel doing Eclair.

Gallery: Android 2.1 on Aava-built Intel Moorestown smartphone at Computex 2010

Continue reading Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video)

Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for u! se of fe eds.

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Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/acer-stream-preview-at-computex-2010/

We've seen Acer's Android 2.1-powered Stream a time or two before, but we couldn't resist the opportunity to give it a look ourselves here in Taipei. Acer's full gamut of smartphones were out on display, but this 3.7-inch monster was easily the standout. Build quality was remarkable, and the screen was downright luscious; viewing angles on the AMOLED panel were nothing short of incredible, and the haptic feedback was a nice touch, too. The 1GHz Snapdragon CPU handled the transitions within the OS with poise, and it actually felt a good bit lighter than some of the other touchscreen-based smartphones that we've played with recently. 'Course, we couldn't help but long for Froyo, but with a hardware set this powerful, we wouldn't be shocked to see it handed down shortly. Vid's after the break, vaquero.

Gallery: Acer Stream hands-on at Computex 2010

Continue reading Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010

Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, June 01, 2010

VIA's WonderMedia decorates Computex with ARM 9-powered, Android 1.6 tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/vias-wondermedia-decorates-computex-with-arm-9-powered-android/

Don't let all of the Computex Wintel madness throw you off -- there are a plenty of ARM-based, Android tablets around these parts, too. We stopped by VIA's booth to check out some of its tablets, which we're told are bound to ring up in the $100 to $200 range. Virtually all of the devices on display had 7-inch resistive touch displays, and were running Android 1.6 on the company''s WonderMedia WM8505 ARM 9 based processor. It probably goes without saying that we found most of the plastic slates to be quite chintzy, but the slick Android skin and homescreen dock definitely caught our eye. Also, on display were two smartbook-like devices, which were based on a similar WM8605 chip, but running Android 2.1. That's all the specification details we have for now, but enjoy some of the pics we stole below as well as a short video after the break.

Gallery: VIA WonderMedia Android tablets hands-on

Continue reading VIA's WonderMedia decorates Computex with ARM 9-powered, Android 1.6 tablets

VIA's WonderMedia decorates Computex with ARM 9-powered, Android 1.6 tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's new 11.7-inch OLED panel boasts better colors, longer lifespan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/sonys-new-11-7-inch-oled-panel-boasts-better-colors-longer-lif/

Sony may have killed production of its groundbreaking XEL-1 OLED TV, but that doesn't mean it isn't necessarily working on a followup -- it's just unveiled a new and improved, and similarly sized OLED panel at SID 2010 last week. Apparently, the big advance with this display comes courtesy of the oxide semiconductor TFT (also known as IGZO) used for the OLED panel, which Sony was able to tweak enough to deliver a ten year lifespan -- with average use, we presume. What's more, while the panel still packs the same 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 960 x 540 resolution as the XEL-1, it does increase the brightness to 600 cd/m2 (up from 200 before), and Sony says it has a significantly improved color gamut as well. Of course, it is still just a prototype, and it's not 3D, so any eventual products using it might not be Sony's top priority at the moment.

Sony's new 11.7-inch OLED panel boasts better colors, longer lifespan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PCIe Radeon HD 5850 connected to Lenovo T410s, great gaming ensues

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/pcie-radeon-hd-5850-connected-to-lenovo-t410s-great-gaming-ensu/

Radeon HD 5850 connected to Lenovo T410s laptop, great gaming ensues

Despite various mobile graphics solutions making laptops a little better at slinging pixels while maintaining great battery life (Ion, Optimus, etc.), sometimes you have ready access to an AC outlet and just want to get your game on. This is a situation that external graphics adapters are looking to manage, and while we've seen a variety of official options in the pipeline we just had to share this rather unofficial solution from HardForum member Cyclone. He took an $85 PCIe to ExpressCard adapter, slotted in a 2GB Radeon HD 5850, added a 550 watt power supply, and connected it all to his Lenovo T410s. The result? A "major pain in the ass" to configure, apparently, but it bumped his 3DMark06 score from a 1,720 on integrated graphics to a 12,765! That's a bit low compared to running that card in a dedicated gaming rig, as it's being forced to run at 1x over ExpressCard, but it is impressive regardless, and a possible option for anyone looking to turn their portable into a rather more grounded gaming machine.

[Thanks, Chris R.]

PCIe Radeon HD 5850 connected to Lenovo T410s, great gaming ensues originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitachi working on cheaper, higher quality IPS touchscreens for cellphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/hitachi-working-on-cheaper-higher-quality-ips-touchscreens-for/

In case you haven't heard, IPS panels are making inroads into the lucrative mobile market this year, and Hitachi's been working behind the scenes on something that should keep that momentum going. In the mainstream, touchscreen IPS displays are currently only available on Apple's iPad (and expected to show up in its next-gen iPhone), but should Hitachi's new production technique pan out, we might be seeing this screen tech in much more affordable devices as well. The company has fiddled with the arrangement of the touchscreen elements inside the panel, which it argues has made them cheaper and easier to produce and replace. All good news, but these things do take a while to filter through into reality, until which time you might wanna sate yourself with the latest desktop IPS displays, those ain't too shabby or expensive either.

Hitachi working on cheaper, higher quality IPS touchscreens for cellphones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Your Email Address Says About Your Computer Skills [Humor]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5552089/what-your-email-address-says-about-your-computer-skills

This chart justifies all your fears regarding Yahoo! and AOL users. And then some.

Reprinted with permission from Matthew Inman aka "The Oatmeal," a former web designer turned comic artist. You can see more of his work on The Oatmeal. Matthew is a one man operation, so be sure to check out posters and prints from his shop.

Oh, and Matthew wants you to know that if you enjoyed this comic, you might like the one about how to use semicolons as well:

How-to: push Chrome / Firefox links to your Android 2.2 Froyo device (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/31/how-to-push-chrome-firefox-links-to-your-android-2-2-froyo-de/

While we absolutely adore our Nexus One -- now that it's got a bellyful of that fabulous frozen yogurt -- one of the most exciting Android additions shown off at Google I/O isn't actually slated for Froyo: the ability to push apps and music over the air from computer to phone. The underlying framework apparently is, though, and thus a bite-sized version of the functionality is already available at Google Code. If you're one of the lucky few running Android 2.2, you can get an extension for Chrome and Firefox web browsers that will let you push URLs, Maps and YouTube video links direct to your device using a Google Account. You can think of it as an early foray into a Continuous Client, perhaps, sharing with yourself before you head to a business meeting. Better yet, share an account with a group of friends and push interesting items to everyone on the go. See how (and see it in action) right after the break.

Continue reading How-to: push Chrome / Firefox links to your Android 2.2 Froyo device (video)

How-to: push Chrome / Firefox links to your Android 2.2 Froyo device (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola XT502 another Android phone for North America?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/31/motorola-xt502-another-android-phone-for-north-america/

There's no shortage of Motorola buzz going around lately -- thing is, nearly all of that buzz is focused on the Verizon side of the camp. What about the other six-odd national carriers in the States and Canada, five of which are using GSM? Well, for you guys, we submit this so-called XT502 -- a phone that may be codenamed "Greco" thanks to the naming of the image file found over in the Bluetooth SIG's certification directory. We can't gather much from the microscopic image the SIG is using, but they've kindly listed radio details, which indicates we can expect a triband HSPA setup working on the 850, 1900, and 2100MHz bands -- perfect for AT&T, Bell, Telus, and Rogers with a little dash of Europe thrown in for good measure. It'll also have WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, and AGPS; in other words, all the basics you expect on a modern Android device. No word on a release plan, but at least it'll be coming out with some totally legal Bluetooth, right?

Motorola XT502 another Android phone for North America? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 22:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel boosts netbooks with dual-core Atom, slims 'em down with 'Canoe Lake'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/intel-boosts-netbooks-with-dual-core-atom-slims-em-down-with/

You're really coming full circle at this year's Computex, aren't ya, Intel? It was at the Taipei show two years ago that Chipzilla introduced the first Atom netbooks, and though it's taken awhile, the company is finally announcing dual-core Atom processors for the category (not to mention slightly changing its party line on the power of the sub-laptops). While the details on the speeds and feeds of the new Pine Trail N series CPUs are being kept under wraps for now, we've been told that they'll support DDR3 RAM and provide comparable performance to the dual-core desktop Atom processors, yet still maintain similar battery life to current netbooks. Intel still plans to keep these Atom chips in 10-inch systems, and told us that users will see the speed benefits in multitasking and browsing, rather than in HD playback and gaming.

But netbooks aren't only about to get faster, they're also going to go on a serious diet. Intel also unveiled its new "Canoe Lake" innovation platform for netbooks, which is what's behind that 14mm thick machine pictured above. The platform can support single- and dual-core Atom processors, but provides significant cooling to allow for 50 percent thinner systems. However, "Canoe Lake" is merely a reference guideline for other manufacturers to use, so there's no telling what the machines that use this could end up looking like. The dual-core Atom for netbooks goes into production next week and should be shipping in netbooks before the holiday season. And as for that super thin laptop you're inevitably still peering at? Intel expects its partners to use the platform and have products out by the end of this year. We don't know about you, but the pictures below may keep us salivating until then.

Gallery: Intel "Canoe Lake" netbook

Continue reading Intel boosts netbooks with dual-core Atom, slims 'em down with 'Canoe Lake'

Intel boosts netbooks with dual-core Atom, slims 'em down with 'Canoe Lake' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel 'Oak Trail' is headed for tablets in early 2011

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/intel-oak-trail-is-headed-for-tablets-in-early-2011/

Intel's been quite forthcoming over the past few weeks about its intentions to play in the booming tablet market, and apparently Oak Trail's going to be its ticket. Despite its name, the Atom SoC platform is actually closer to Moorestown than Pine Trail or Pine View -- the major difference here is that Intel's added Lincroft and Whitney Point to enable support for Windows 7. It will also support Google and MeeGo operating systems, so feel free to let your imagination run wild with that. Intel's not sharing much else right now in terms of architecture, but the long and short of it is that the fanless solution will enable thinner tablets with better battery life than the current Menlow platform, and will also add full 1080p playback and HDMI support. But we've still got a time to go until Oak Trail will be powering slates, as it won't ship until early 2011 at best. Funny enough, that certainly seems to line up well with ASUS Eee Pad's 2011 Q1 ship date, but feel free to make what you will of the so-called coincidence. Either way, it looks like the next year will be another interesting one for tablets, and the players look to be multiplying by the minute.

Continue reading Intel 'Oak Trail' is headed for tablets in early 2011

Intel 'Oak Trail' is headed for tablets in early 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:! 00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Streak free on contract in UK, assuming Â£25 monthly plan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/dell-streak-free-on-contract-in-uk-assuming-25-monthly-plan/

You know that Dell Streak tabletphone that's got us all hot and bothered these days? Yeah, well, what with all the stabbing, we totally didn't notice that the device has already been priced in the UK. When it launches on June 4th at The Carphone Warehouse, the Streak will cost you a sizable £429 off-contract -- the same Apple wants for an iPad 16GB -- but not a penny if you opt for its data plans (carried by O2). With a £25 mobile broadband contract or a £35 voice and unlimited data contract, the five-inch WVGA slate will be yours to take home free -- the same as Carphone's iPhone 3G pricing. We don't know quite yet if O2 UK's official tariffs will be cheaper or more expensive, but the tree doesn't grow too far from the apple, as they say.

Continue reading Dell Streak free on contract in UK, assuming £25 monthly plan

Dell Streak free on contract in UK, assuming £25 monthly plan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel HD graphics to support 3D this summer, 30 more WiDi laptops on the way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/intel-hd-graphics-to-support-3d-this-summer-30-more-widi-laptop/

Intel's integrated graphics are about to get a stereoscopic shot in the arm this summer. Although the Computex presentation today wasn't clear on whether it would come in the form of a firmware update or all-new hardware, we're being promised the ability to watch 3D movies straight off Blu-ray discs. Mind you, the GMA HD graphics aren't aimed at competing with NVIDIA's 3D Vision or any other heavyweights, not least because they'll be relying on polarized lenses to generate that extra sense of depth. Intel had even better news regarding its Wireless Display tech -- which throws your laptop's picture onto a nearby HDTV -- as it will soon be spreading out to "over 30" laptop models and going global. You can count on Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, and Samsung to bundle this Google TV-killing functionality in with their portable computers sooner rather than later.

Continue reading Intel HD graphics to support 3D this summer, 30 more WiDi laptops on the way

Intel HD graphics to support 3D this summer, 30 more WiDi laptops on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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