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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

drag2share: Intel talks up next-gen Itanium: 32nm, 8-core Poulson

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/22/intel-talks-up-next-gen-itanium-32nm-8-core-poulson/

It's been a long time since Intel tried to tempt the world with a new Itanium chip. The VLIW 64-bit processor last received a serious update in 2008, with the 2-billion transistor Tukwila. Now Chipzilla is upping the ante -- moving to 32nm process, adding up to four more cores, and tacking on more than one billion additional transistors. Poulson also adds a new feature called Intel Instruction Replay Technology, which adds a buffer for more quickly recovering from errors, allowing the chip to pick up from the last known good instruction instead of having to completely flush the pipeline. Those looking to upgrade will also be happy to hear that the upcoming IA-64 CPU is pin compatible with Tukwila, so customers can simply drop the new processor in to existing systems. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Intel talks up next-gen Itanium: 32nm, 8-core Poulson

Intel talks up next-gen Itanium: 32nm, 8-core Poulson originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Sony A77 24 megapixel camera teases with more specs and photos

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/22/sony-a77-24-megapixel-camera-teases-with-more-specs-and-photos/

After multiple spec and picture leaks, we seem to have finally hit the mother-lode with even more details of Sony's soon-to-be-released A77 DSLR. With a reported Exmor HD CMOS sensor, the camera is said to work at ISO 100-16000 with an expandable ISO 50 option and 1/8000 shutter speed. Rumors are swirling that the camera has a 19 point AF sensor and 12fps burst, rather than the previously leaked specs citing an 11 point AF and 10fps burst. It reportedly runs on a Bionz processor and has built-in flash and GPS as well, and has enough juice to capture 500 shots on a single charge. Word on the street is that there's a TrueBlack 921k swiveling display round back and a three million dot OLED viewfinder. Of course, we won't be able to separate fact from fiction until the camera launches later this week. If you can't hold your breath that long, check the source for more leaked pics of Sony's slick new shooter.

Sony A77 24 megapixel camera teases with more specs and photos originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: App logs reportedly confirm dual mode CDMA / GSM iPhone 5 in testing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/22/app-logs-reportedly-confirm-dual-mode-cdma-gsm-iphone-5-in-tes/

While the world waits to find out what the fifth-generation iPhone looks like, TechCrunch reports an anonymous app developer has pulled information from their registration logs confirming the existence of a new device that's rocking both CDMA and GSM radios. That conclusion is based on registrations that came from the same device that show mobile network codes and mobile country codes from both AT&T and Verizon. This is hardly shocking however, since the Verizon iPhone 4 already has a dual mode chipset from Qualcomm with the GSM side turned off, and we'd heard back in January that Apple was planning to go the one-size-fits-all route this time around. Who this does matter for however, could be world travelers that will find keeping their device connected between countries and networks much easier with a world iPhone, whenever the new phone is revealed later this year. The bad news is still the same however, as this probably also means there's no plans for speedy LTE access -- pencil in a pithy explanation from Steve about why it's not necessary here.

App logs reportedly confirm dual mode CDMA / GSM iPhone 5 in testing originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Sharp RW-T107 Android tablet packs NFC reader, will accept payments in Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/sharp-rw-t107-android-tablet-packs-nfc-reader-will-accept-payme/

Tools like Square's credit card reader and Apple's proprietary iOS retail system make mobile payments possible in the US, but they're hardly streamlined, or widespread. A new Gingerbread tablet from Sharp -- the RW-T107 -- sets out to simplify payments in Japan with its built-in NFC reader. You won't be using your own tablet to pay -- instead, retailers will utilize point of sale apps to process transactions, without a customer ever needing to swipe their credit card. RFID payment cards, like Sony's FeliCa, have been used throughout Japan for the last decade, so consumers are already familiar with the technology and ready to make payments. There's no word on what retailers will expect to pay to add Sharp's tablet to their checkout mix, but with the company set to release only 5,000 devices per month (and no plans to introduce them to the US), we're not planning to ditch our cash just yet.

Sharp RW-T107 Android tablet packs NFC reader, will accept payments in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: RIM launches new BlackBerry Curve (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/rim-launches-new-blackberry-curve-video/

Want to get your BBM on in style without spending a fortune on RIM's latest trio? Say hello to the new 11mm (0.43 inch) thin BlackBerry Curve, now official in 3 variants -- the dual-mode GSM / CDMA 8370, the GSM / UMTS 8360, and the CDMA-only 8350. These long rumored handsets from RIM feature an 800MHz CPU, 512MB RAM, a tiny 2.44-inch HVGA+ (480×360 pixel) display, a 5 megapixel EDoF camera (with LED flash and VGA video recording), Bluetooth, WiFi b/g/n with UMA, GPS / aGPS, and NFC. While there's no sign of that new-fangled touch screen technology here, you'll find BlackBerry 7 under the hood, along with an 1000mAh battery to keep it ticking all day long, 512MB of built-in storage (1GB on the 8370), and microSD card support (up to 32GB). RIM is still mum on pricing, but the new BlackBerry Curve is "expected to be available from carriers in Canada this month and from other carriers around the world beginning in September" -- including Vodafone, based on the video (and PR) after the break.

Gallery: BlackBerry Curve 9350/9360/9370