Engadget

Toshiba mystifies tablet-buying world with LT170 'budget' 7-incher

Sharif Sakr — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:32:00 EST

We'll be the first to admit that we don't understand Toshiba's tablet intentions. There are plenty of tantalizing prototypes and an abundance of confusingly branded models, but there's no overarching reason to pay much attention. The LT170 is a case in point: it's nominally a budget Android device, with a Freescale 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM and 8GB internal storage, but by now the €299 ($400) asking price could pick up something far, far nicer, like the heavily discounted 16GB HTC Flyer or 32GB BlackBerry PlayBook. Anyway, there it is. Bewilderment.

Toshiba mystifies tablet-buying world with LT170 'budget' 7-incher originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Invoxia unveils the AudiOffice, a $299 speaker dock for iDevices (video)

Dana Wollman — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:30:00 EST

The last time we heard from Invoxia, the company was showing off a desktop VoIP phone with iPad and iPhone docks, allowing you to use the familiar iOS interface to manipulate all the phone's controls -- mute, volume, speakerphone, et cetera. As Mobile World Congress kicks off, the company's back with a product that looks very similar, but does quite the opposite. Designed for business use, the AudiOffice isn't a standalone VoIP phone but rather, a speaker dock for your iDevices. Here, your sweet telephony comes courtesy of your iPhone, while Invoxia's hardware is mainly there to enhance the call quality, with the help of four wide-bandwidth speakers and two digital microphones. And though those docks were built with the iPad and iPhone in mind, you could, if you were so inclined, connect another device using the dock's USB socket or Bluetooth 2.1 radio. In addition to FaceTime, too, you can place calls through more OS-agnostic apps, such as Skype. The AudiOffice will sell for $299 -- quite pricey for what's essentially an iDevice dock -- but that's still far more affordable than the $599 the NVX 610 is fetching. We'll be back with hands-on photos soon enough, but in the meantime we've got pictures of the official sort below.

Gallery: Invoxia AudiOffice

Continue reading Invoxia unveils the AudiOffice, a $299 speaker dock for iDevices (video)

Invoxia unveils the AudiOffice, a $299 speaker dock for iDevices (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu announces Stylistic Android tablet for taking care of business, working overtime (updated)

Brian Heater — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:28:00 EST

The BlackBerry PlayBook blues got you down? Fujitsu thinks you should consider riding the Android train to work. The company today announced the awkwardly named Stylistic M350/CA2 Android tablet, a seven-inch enterprise-focused slate aimed at folks looking for a sales terminal, catalog displayer or e-reader. The Stylistic has a WSVGA display and a battery that should give you around six hours on a charge. You can pick one of these guys up in mid-February, if you're in Japan. An equally exciting press release can be found after the jump.

Update: Residents of Hong Kong may recognize this 1GHz Gingerbread slate as the MH350, which was launched way back in September. To be honest, the build quality isn't that impressive in real life, but given that this new version weighs a tad more than its Hong Kong counterpart (420g vs. 385g), there may still be hope. Oh, but it is still Gingerbread.

Continue reading Fujitsu announces Stylistic Android tablet for taking care of business, working overtime (updated)

Fujitsu announces Stylistic Android tablet for taking care of business, working overtime (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale Home Health Hub wants to usher in the era of connected medical devices

Terrence O'Brien — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:07:00 EST

Freescale has its little silicon hands in all sorts of things: e-readers, smartphones, tablets, even refrigerators. Now the manufacturer is looking to make a dent in the healthcare industry with a connected platform called Home Health Hub (HHH). The i.MX28-based HHH isn't an actual product, but a reference platform for others to build on. The ARM9 processor is connected to a host of networking interfaces, including WiFi, Bluetooth (as well as its low-power implementation), Zigbee, sub-1GHz and Ethernet. The Hub is supposed to be just that, a central point for connecting various medical devices like blood pressure monitors or glucometers that then feeds data to a tablet. Developers and other interested parties can get their hands on the reference platform from Digi International as the iDigi Telehealth Application Kit for $499. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Freescale Home Health Hub wants to usher in the era of connected medical devices

Freescale Home Health Hub wants to usher in the era of connected medical devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale joins ARM A5 and M4 cores at the hip for performance and power savings

Terrence O'Brien — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:02:00 EST

You may have noticed a trend recently -- pairing slightly less powerful cores that sip power, with more robust ones that can chug through demanding applications. NVIDIA's Tegra 3 will be packing an underclocked fifth core, while ARM's big.LITTLE initiative matches a highly efficient 28nm A7 with the beefy A15. Now Freescale is planning to use the same trick, but you won't find its asymmetrical CPUs in your next tablet or smartphone. Its platform, which marries a Cortex M4 to a Cortex A5, isn't meant to compete with the latest Snapdragon. These chips will find homes in factories and in-dash infotainment systems which have increasingly sophisticated UIs, but don't need to push thousands of polygons. Software development tools will land before this quarter is out and the first batch of silicon will be announced in Q1 of 2012. Looks like the era of "dual-core" meaning two identical cores has officially come to an end.

Continue reading Freescale joins ARM A5 and M4 cores at the hip for performance and power savings

Freescale joins ARM A5 and M4 cores at the hip for performance and power savings originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time

Dana Wollman — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:03:00 EST

We had a feeling that Freescale was onto something when it debuted the i.MX508, a system-on-a-chip that carried the promise of $150 e-readers (and the reality of $129 ones). Given that, we can see where the execs at Freescale would be feeling a bit heady, and might wonder where else they could help push down prices. That's exactly what we have here: the outfit is trotting out three new i.MX50 processors and, as you can see in that handy chart up there, they all sit even lower in the lineup than the low-cost i.MX508. Like the i.MX508, they all pack an 800HMz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, among other similar specs. The new i.MX507, in particular, resembles the i.MX508 in that it's designed to work with E Ink displays, though it lacks graphics acceleration, and Freescale imagines it'll instead find a home in outdoor signs and smart labels. Moving on down the line, the i.MX502 and the i.MX503 were both intended for devices with LCD -- not electronic paper -- displays, with the latter offering OpenVG graphics acceleration. If Freescale's predictions are on the money, you'll find the lower-end i.MX502 in DECT phones and vending machine displays, and the i.MX503 in personal navigators and medical monitoring tablets, among other use cases. For now, companies are sampling the chips, but they'll start shipping later this quarter for a song -- less than $10 for the i.MX502 at volume cost. Full PR after the break, and lots more technical details at the source link.

Continue reading Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time

Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Genesi i.MX 53 netbooks, nettops to take Freescale machines deeper into the bargain basement

Christopher Trout — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:57:00 EST

Back in March, Genesi announced its plans to target emerging markets by dropping the price of its Efika MX Smartbook and Smarttop machines. Those devices packed i.MX 51 CPUs, and post-cut price tags of $199 and $129, respectively. Now the San Antonio-based outfit is hinting at any even bigger price break for the developing world with the introduction of its i.MX 53 netbook PCB. According to a Genesi rep at the Freescale Technology Forum, the board, which is significantly smaller than its predecessor, is "as cheap as we can possibly make it," and will likely power even more cost efficient Genesi computers in the near future. No word on just how low Genesi is willing to go, but it's shooting for an i.MX 53 debut sometime this summer. If cheap is your thing, check out the PCB in all its glory after the break.

Continue reading Genesi i.MX 53 netbooks, nettops to take Freescale machines deeper into the bargain basement

Genesi i.MX 53 netbooks, nettops to take Freescale machines deeper into the bargain basement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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i.MX 6 quad-core reference board flexes processing muscle at Freescale Technology Forum

Christopher Trout — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:06:00 EST

Freescale answered our power prayers with the introduction of its i.MX 6 processor suite at CES earlier this year, but left us longing for a demo. Well, the outfit's just given us all our first glimpse at the healthiest processing muscle in the bunch, the quad-core i.MX 6. Sporting four ARM Cortex A9 cores and a 64-bit memory bus, the reference design board can be seen running a 1080p video demo and Quake simultaneously -- and it didn't even break a sweat. Freescale says it's currently working with Google on making the processor Honeycomb-compatible, but don't get too excited; i.MX 6 won't make it into real-deal machines until 2012. If you've got an extra 20 minutes to spare, hop on past the break for a rather lengthy video of the processor at work.

Continue reading i.MX 6 quad-core reference board flexes processing muscle at Freescale Technology Forum

i.MX 6 quad-core reference board flexes processing muscle at Freescale Technology Forum originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iriver Story HD e-reader preview (video)

Vlad Savov — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:42:00 EST

Our trailer was just visited by an iriver rep bearing his company's Kindle killer in waiting, the Story HD. This 6-inch e-reader touts a bodacious 1024 x 768 resolution, which contributes to an even better contrast ratio than on Amazon's E Ink slate, while software optimizations between now and release are expected to make the Story HD the fastest-refreshing device of its kind. The display itself is built by LG Display and is accompanied by a Freescale Cortex A8 CPU, 2GB of onboard storage, and an SDHC card-reading slot. Sun rays are, as expected, absolutely no problem and we have to admit that on first sight we thought the device had a sticker affixed to its front -- its that good at reproducing printed materials. Physically, it seems to have been constructed with the third-gen Kindle as its dimensional blueprint, albeit with quite a different control scheme. The hand-built proto unit we played with wasn't really ready to have its ergonomics judged properly, but iriver has plenty of time until the expected May launch to iron out any kinks. Content distribution partnerships have already been sewn up for the US, so now it's just a matter of patience until we get our e-reading on in gorgeous XGA resolution. Video hands-on after the break.

Gallery: iriver Story HD hands-on

Gallery: iriver Story HD versus Amazon Kindle ... fight!

Continue reading iriver Story HD e-reader preview (video)

iriver Story HD e-reader preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale announces i.MX 6 processor series, wants quad cores in your smartphone

Tim Stevens — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:24:00 EST

Power. We need more. More for streaming video, more for playing games, and more just so that we can say we have it. Freescale hears us, and it's delivering the i.MX 6 series of mobile processors offering up to four ARM Cortex A9 cores at 1.2GHz each. That's plenty for 3D rendering on your car infotainment system, music-making on your smartphone, maybe a little SETI action on your next smart refrigerator. Even 1080p30 video encoding is a said to be within these chips' reach. i.MX 6 processors will be available in one, two, or four core configurations with up to 1MB of L2 cache. HDMI 1.4 support is onboard, along with gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0, but sadly not 3.0. It seems there's always something to look forward to in the next revision, but that could be quite a wait with i.MX 6 sampling not set to begin until "later this year."

Continue reading Freescale announces i.MX 6 processor series, wants quad cores in your smartphone

Freescale announces i.MX 6 processor series, wants quad cores in your smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rambus files ITC complaint against just about everyone, wants to stop sale of just about everything

Tim Stevens — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:04:00 EST

Rambus, which modestly describes itself as "one of the world's premier technology licensing companies," has meekly asked the International Trade Commission to block import and sale of an amazing array of products from companies including Broadcom, Freescale, LSI, MediaTek, NVIDIA, and STMicroelectronics -- the latter of which was sued by Caltech only yesterday. But wait, there's more! Rambus also indicates that other "companies whose products incorporate the accused semiconductor products" have also been named, selling things like "personal computers, workstations, servers, routers, mobile phones and other handheld devices, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, motherboards, plug-in cards, hard drives and modems." That should just about cover 95% of what's available at your local electronics store, and certainly puts our holiday wish lists in legal limbo.

This is a follow-up to earlier disputes involving the company, particularly with NVIDIA, which will continue via patent infringement lawsuits filed in US District Court against those corporate entities mentioned above. Beyond that, Rambus is hoping that the ITC stops import and sale of any and all infringing products post-haste. That seems awfully drastic, but for its part Rambus indicates it has been trying with all its might to negotiate licenses with these supposedly dirty dealers and that it was told "the only way they would get serious is if we sued them." So, place your bets because here we go.

[Thanks, Antonio]

Continue reading Rambus files ITC complaint against just about everyone, wants to stop sale of just about everything

Rambus files ITC complaint against just about everyone, wants to stop sale of just about everything originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infinity I-Kitchen sports Linux-based touch screen computer, kitchen sink still not included

Ben Bowers — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:17:00 EST

We've seen ridiculous fridge concepts from Electrolux before and covered Linux running on all types of gadgets, so it's only natural that the OS has found its way into an icebox developed by Electrolux's Brazilian subsidiary in partnership with ProFusion Embedded Systems. Dubbed the Infinity I-Kitchen, it sports a Linux-based 800 x 480 touchscreen computer built around a 400Mhz Freescale i.MX25 SoC -- which itself is based on 400MHz ARM926EJ-S core and already used in some automotive systems. The touch UI was developed by the open source organization Enlightenment Foundation Libraries and allows users to control a variety of fridge functions like internal temperature in addition to running apps for notes, calendars, contacts, photos, and recipes. All of the particular open source code modifications developed for the fridge have also been shared back with the community in Tux-approved fashion and will soon be posted to Electrolux's site too. Unfortunately, there's no mention however of features like internet connectivity (WiFi or otherwise), USB ports, or SD Card slots being on the appliance. Likewise, details on pricing or availability are also unknown, so your iPhone can hold off on making those the jealousy-fueled fat jokes for now.

Infinity I-Kitchen sports Linux-based touch screen computer, kitchen sink still not included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumigon T1 with ICEpower amplifiers officially unveiled, to arrive 'by the very end of this year'

Richard Lai — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:59:00 EST

Just as promised, Denmark-based Lumigon has finally lifted the curtains over its much hyped T1 Android handset. Specs include an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 chipset with an optional Qualcomm HSDPA modem, along with a 3.5-inch 480 x 800 capacitive touchscreen LCD, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, A-GPS, Bluetooth and FM radio. What the Scandinavian company's really selling here, though, is the phone's multimedia features: not only does it have a FM transmitter, a HDMI dock and Bang & Olufsen's renowned ICEpower audio amplifiers, but it also doubles up as an "innovative" universal remote control for your various AV devices -- pretty unique for an Android device, we'll give you that. Interestingly, the press release omits any mention of Froyo, so here's a glimmer of hope that Lumigon will manage to skin whatever the latest version of Android will be in time for the launch -- a few lucky outlets will receive the phones "by the very end of this year," just in time for your Christmas refunds.

Oh, and remember the sister handset S1? We're now told that this T9 slider won't be out until Q3 2011. Sometimes it's better to take one step at a time, eh?

Gallery: Lumigon T1 with Freescale processor unveiled, to arrive 'by the very end of this year'

Continue reading Lumigon T1 with ICEpower amplifiers officially unveiled, to arrive 'by the very end of this year'

Lumigon T1 with ICEpower amplifiers officially unveiled, to arrive 'by the very end of this year' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chumby sprouts legs, walks, fails at feline amusement (video)

Tim Stevens — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:36:00 EST

By default Chumbys are cuddly but not exactly mobile. Then along came the Chumby One, not even cuddly and exactly zero percent more mobile. EMGRobotics is here to solve that issue with a Chumbified port of RobotSee, a robotics-specific language developed by Eric Gregori. The One here is paired with a Freescale accelerometer and manages to walk all by its lonesome without falling over. Mind you, it doesn't walk very quickly, but if it were any faster it'd run the risk of scaring away the cat, and we wouldn't want that. Oh, and make sure you skip ahead to the 1:45 mark in the video if you want to skip the PowerPoint and get straight to the staggering action.

Continue reading Chumby sprouts legs, walks, fails at feline amusement (video)

Chumby sprouts legs, walks, fails at feline amusement (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Efika MX Smartbook now on sale for an exceedingly unattractive price

Darren Murph — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:05:00 EST

Ah, ha! If you'll recall, we happened upon a Lenovo-branded netbook of sorts back in June, but curiously enough, Freescale and Pegatron components were powering the thing. Now, it seems that yet another flavor has emerged as the Efika MX Smartbook. Frankly, we aren't too sure this thing fits into the 'smartbook' category (given the comparatively spacious 10-inch display), but we are sure that the $349 price point is borderline absurd considering the wealth of decent netbook options at or below that very MSRP. At any rate, those still interested should know that there's an 800MHz i.MX515 processor under the hood along with 16GB of NAND Flash, an MMC / SD card slot, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera, a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel and enough oomph to power through HD video, supposedly. Tap that source link if you're looking to take a risk, but we'd probably recommend against it.

Efika MX Smartbook now on sale for an exceedingly unattractive price originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo IdeaPad smartbook appears, powered by Freescale and Pegatron

Sean Hollister — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST

When Lenovo decided to shelve the Skylight smartbook, there were many tears here at Engadget HQ, but it seems the company's ambitions continue in the smartphone-turned-netbook realm. Notebook Italia reports that a new Lenovo IdeaPad has surfaced at the Freescale Technology Forum this week, powered by a Freescale i.MX515 SoC with an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, smartphone-esque battery life, and a power management system reportedly robust enough that it doesn't even need to be cooled. If all this sounds rather familiar, it might be because you've seen it before -- it appears Lenovo simply tweaked the low-power Pegatron reference design that we wrote about early last year. Not that we're complaining or anything.

Lenovo IdeaPad smartbook appears, powered by Freescale and Pegatron originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM, Samsung, IBM, Freescale, TI and more join to form Linaro, speed rollout of Linux-based devices

Darren Murph — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:45:00 EST

My, my -- what have we here? No, seriously, what is this hodgepodge of (rival) companies, and why have they suddenly decided to high five each other here at Computex? Frankly, we're still trying to piece it all together, but after sitting through a Linaro launch event in Taipei, we're beginning to get a better handle on the relationship that Samsung, ARM, IBM, Freescale, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments and the Linux Foundation have just made official. The outfits mentioned above are coming together to form the UK-based Linaro (a not-for-profit entity), which currently has 25 engineers but will see that figure shoot up to nearly a hundred around the world in the coming days. In short, the new firm -- which will have an annual budget in the "tens of millions of dollars" but below "$100 million" -- is seeking to "speed the rollout of Linux-based devices," with one of the key points being this: Linaro will "provide a stable and optimized base for distributions and developers by creating new releases of optimized tools, kernel and middleware software validated for a wide range of SoCs, every six months."

Read on for more...

Gallery: Linaro launch event at Computex 2010

Continue reading ARM, Samsung, IBM, Freescale, TI and more join to form Linaro, speed rollout of Linux-based devices

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Freescale partners with Savannah school for some leg-stretching tablet concepts, makes a nice use case for Light Peak

Paul Miller — Thu, 27 May 2010 01:09:00 EST

Normally when you've got industrial design students going wild on computer concepts, you get a lot of wild, unrealistic computer concepts. There's plenty of that here, but this 10 week collaboration between Freescale, some of its top partners, and Savannah College of Art and Design students is yielding a bit of fruit. We particularly like this docking tablet that can slot into different docks depending on use case -- the two primary ones shown being a home entertainment setup and a pro audio breakout. Sure, it's still not the most realistic way to use a tablet -- we'd much rather have solid support for 3rd party USB devices in the near term -- but with a bit of Light Peak and some as-ye-unseen pricing, this could make for some pretty slick use cases.

Freescale partners with Savannah school for some leg-stretching tablet concepts, makes a nice use case for Light Peak originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 01:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's NetWalker PC-T1 is the very definition of a MID, coming in May

Vlad Savov — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:27:00 EST

You'll recall, wise and knowledgeable as you are, that we weren't exactly bowled over by Sharp's keyboard-equipped PC-Z1 portable when we got to play with it at IFA last year. Coming back for another bite at the cherry, the Japanese company has just announced the NetWalker PC-T1, which does away with the disappointing keyboard but retains the crazy pixel density (1024 x 600 resolution on a 5-inch display) and Freescale i.MX515 CPU of its predecessor. Also on offer are Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless options, Ubuntu 9.04 as the OS, and USB and MicroSD ports for a nice bit of expandability. An Anglo-Japanese dictionary comes pre-installed plus you'll get access to Sharp's e-bookstore, which has over 25,000 titles on offer. Of course, all that good stuff is tempered by a mediocre 6-hour battery life and a ¥47,000 ($510) price tag. Look for this MID archetype to hit stores in Japan next month.

Gallery: Sharp NetWalker PC-T1

Sharp's NetWalker PC-T1 is the very definition of a MID, coming in May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale's 7-inch tablet runs Android, Chromium OS or Linux, costs $200 (video)

Vlad Savov — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:36:00 EST

Remember the $200 smartbook reference design that we saw at CES this year? Well, it's back, it's holding on to that same price and 7-inch enclosure, but this time it's also showing off an expanded OS compatibility. Adapting the open source Chromium OS and another Linux variant to the ARM architecture of the prototype device was apparently not much of a hurdle for Freescale, who has an Android option in the works as well and claims to be just optimizing and enhancing the user experience at this point. Presumably one of the enhancements will be the installation of a capacitive touchscreen as the present demonstration requires either a mouse and keyboard or a resistive torture test to operate, but we'll accept the company's explanation that this is just a proof of concept and not the final product. Slide past the break to see some HTML5 video running on this bargain bin tablet, and hope that your friendly neighborhood OEM picks these designs up for some retail action.

Continue reading Freescale's 7-inch tablet runs Android, Chromium OS or Linux, costs $200 (video)

Freescale's 7-inch tablet runs Android, Chromium OS or Linux, costs $200 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The apocalyPS3 ends in global resurrection, ARM chip at fault

Vlad Savov — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:17:00 EST

The early belief that the PSN was spreading a brickitis infection to PS3s around the world has turned out to be not quite accurate. Yes, PSN was inaccessible over that extremely stressful day (for PS3 owners, the rest of us have been quite fine, thank you), but we're hearing from Eurogamer that the villain in this story was an ARM chip inside the console -- the very same one, in fact, that led to a few Zunes losing their minds back in 2008. The big problem here was simply a bit of hardware that couldn't get its bearings straight after expecting 2010 to be a leap year, and the arrival of March 1 "fixed" everything for all eight affected PS3 SKUs (of a total of eleven). That leaves Sony with four years to make sure this problem isn't heard from again, and if it doesn't, we'll be placing blame for the real 2012 apocalypse firmly on Howard Stringer's shoulders.

The apocalyPS3 ends in global resurrection, ARM chip at fault originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale's new i.MX508 processor could mean cheaper, faster e-readers

Tim Stevens — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:44:00 EST

E-readers are getting better without a doubt. But cheaper? Not so much. The upcoming Spring Design Alex will sell for $359 -- way out of reach for those who cruise the used book store scene. Freescale's i.MX508 processor might finally make these things more of a smart buy, an 800MHz ARM-based chip that includes, among other things, USB host functionality and dedicated circuitry for controlling E-Ink panels. It's effectively a system on a chip for the next-generation of would-be Kindle killers and it'll sell for just $10 at volume, resulting in more advanced readers that could, according to Freescale, retail for $150. That's the kind of price point that might just make Grandma stop digging through piles of dog-eared Stephen King books and get with the times.

Freescale's new i.MX508 processor could mean cheaper, faster e-readers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumigon T1, S1 and E1 Android smartphones offer a lovely blend of uniqueness and Scandinavian style

Tim Stevens — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:29:00 EST

Straight out of Denmark comes a trio of additions to the ever-growing Android lineup, the result of "two years of top secret international development work" by Lumigon Corp. The first phones are the T1 and S1, both shipping before July, the latter of the two offering a sliding T9 keypad, both featuring Android 2.1, Freescale processors, 720p output over HDMI, FM tuning and broadcasting, and the handy ability to act as a universal remote. Next will be the E1, coming sometime later and offering a "unique navigation system and shape never experienced in mobile phones." It's so mind-blowingly beautiful that the company hasn't deemed your or our eyes capable of beholding such a wonder, so no pictures have been released just yet. Perhaps if we spend our days in devotional contemplation we'll be mentally prepared for its eventual release.

Continue reading Lumigon T1, S1 and E1 Android smartphones offer a lovely blend of uniqueness and Scandinavian style

Lumigon T1, S1 and E1 Android smartphones offer a lovely blend of uniqueness and Scandinavian style originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale smartbook prototype is a dockable tablet, we go hands-on

Paul Miller — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:02:00 EST

Oh look, another tablet! Except this time it's in the guise of a "smartbook," thanks to the keyboard it docks into. This is Freescale's reference design for its new i.MX515 processor, and it's decently responsive for running "full" Linux. Unfortunately, the Milos version of Linux onboard isn't quite a finger friendly distro (despite the resistive screen's relative sensitivity), so we'll either have to get a stylus or just wallow in our frustration. The build quality of the unit isn't exactly stellar, and neither is the keyboard, but we're sure there will be plenty of tweaks before a manufacturer bites and brings this to market, and the $200 proposed pricetag is always hard to complain about. Check out a video after the break.

Gallery: Freescale smartbook prototype is a dockable tablet, we go hands-on

Continue reading Freescale smartbook prototype is a dockable tablet, we go hands-on

Freescale smartbook prototype is a dockable tablet, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale, Adobe and Movial team up for Flash 10.1 on i.MX platforms

Donald Melanson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:16:00 EST

What goes better with a brand new Freescale smartbook reference design than a little Flash? An actual price and a release date, maybe, but Flash isn't too shabby either. That, naturally, comes courtesy of a little help from Adobe, who worked with Freescale and Movial to get Flash 10.1 up and running on Freescale's i.MX51 family of processors -- which, incidentally, power a range of other mobile devices in addition to smartbooks you can't buy. Still nothing in the way of demos or anything, unfortunately, but Freescale says that the first devices ready to support Flash 10.1 will indeed be smartbooks.

Freescale, Adobe and Movial team up for Flash 10.1 on i.MX platforms originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale reveals 7-inch smartbook reference design, hopes to see it ship for $200

Darren Murph — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST

Freescale Semiconductor is helping to kick this year's CES off with a bang, as its latest reference smartbook design actually has somewhat of a sexy flair to it. Currently, the model is little more than a great idea, but the company is hoping to have it available for partner evaluation starting next month. In theory, at least, this "smartbook tablet" would boast an ultrathin form factor, weigh around 0.8 pounds and get powered by a 1GHz i.MX515 processor. Other specs would include 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 1,024 x 600 touch panel, 4GB to 64GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, optional 3G WWAN module, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, a USB 2.0 socket, audio in / out, 3 megapixel camera, inbuilt 3-axis accelerometer, an ambient light sensor and a 1,900mAh battery. We aren't quite sure what kind of bulk discounts Freescale is counting on, but it's hoping that this design will "enable a second generation of smartbook products with prices less than $200." We dig the ambition and all, but we're guessing OEMs will actually want to turn a profit should they sign on to sell something like this.

Gallery: Freescale reveals 7-inch smartbook reference design, hopes to see it ship for $200

Continue reading Freescale reveals 7-inch smartbook reference design, hopes to see it ship for $200

Freescale reveals 7-inch smartbook reference design, hopes to see it ship for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's PC-Z1 NetWalker takes the inevitable unboxing journey

Darren Murph — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:24:00 EST

Sharp's PC-Z1 NetWalker conjured up all sorts of love and hate-filled emotions when we toyed with it earlier this month, but for fans of unorthodox handhelds, minor details like a wonky optical pad and frail keys aren't apt to put a damper on the excitement found in this moment. The cool kids over at Pocketables were able to procure a unit over the weekend from Japan (right on cue, might we add), and predictably, they've broken out the camera in order to let you relive the unboxing experience and see it side-by-side with a UMID mbook M1. The read link folks, that's where it's at.

Filed under: Handhelds

Sharp's PC-Z1 NetWalker takes the inevitable unboxing journey originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's 5-inch PC-Z1 NetWalker honors Zaurus legacy with touchscreen Ubuntu

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:51:00 EST

Fanboys have been running Ubuntu on Sharp's deceased Zaurus lineup of PDAs for years. Now Sharp makes it official with the launch of this 5-inch, 1024 x600 TFT LCD touchscreen NetWalker smartbook, aka the PC-Z1. It's not a Zaurus per se, but the compact 161.4 x 108.7 x 19.7 ~ 24.8mm / 409g device certainly resurrects its ghost. Underpinning the device is an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 CPU built around the ARM Cortex-A8 architecture, 512MB of memory, 4GB of on-board flash storage (with microSDHC expansion for another 16GB), 802.11b/g WiFi, 2x USB, and QWERTY keyboard going 68 percent of full-size. Sorry, no 3G data. The PC-Z1 features a 3-second quick launch, non-removable 10-hour battery, and is purposely positioned by Sharp as a taint -- it ain't quite a smartphone and 't ain't quite a laptop. Good luck with that Sharp. The device is expected to hit Japan on September 25th for ¥44,800. That's about $479 whenever it might come Stateside.

It's worth noting that the current US ban on the import of BGA-packaged products like Freescale's i.MX processors should not affect the import of the PC-Z1 as Akihabara News contends. As we understand it, that ban affects the import of the chips, not the systems using them and assembled elsewhere. Otherwise, Amazon wouldn't be selling its Kindle, dig?

[Via Akihabara News and Engadget Japanese]

Read [warning: Japanese PDF]

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Sharp's 5-inch PC-Z1 NetWalker honors Zaurus legacy with touchscreen Ubuntu originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google names Chrome OS compatriots, Dell noticeably absent

Ross Miller — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:06:00 EST

Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments -- according to the latest Chrome OS update from Google, you're looking at the company's initial ragtag team of co-conspirators for its entry into the operating system business. With Adobe's involvement, we can assume Flash support is a given, and the others unsurprisingly run the gamut of netbook and smartbook players. We can't help but notice a couple of conspicuous absences on that list, including Intel and Dell. With Intel, you don't need to partner to work on its chips, but we gotta imagine it'd help by offering more support, and as for Dell, we don't know about that one, but there's still plenty of time for the Big G to enlist more companies in the lead up to its second half 2010 debut.

Update: Google updated the list to include Toshiba.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Google names Chrome OS compatriots, Dell noticeably absent originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gartner: Android on ARM "more snappy" than Windows 7 on Atom

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:41:00 EST

The case for running Android -- an OS developed for smartphones -- on cheap, ultra-portable laptops has yet to be made. However, that hasn't stopped manufacturers from tinkering with the idea as demonstrated by the broad range of Android "smartbooks" running on ARM-based (be it Snapdragon, Tegra, or Freescale) architectures at Computex. Now Gartner, the guiding force for many corporate CIOs, has issued a research note that puts Atom-based netbooks running Windows 7 on notice while giving credence to the emerging smartbook category of ultra-portables. Analysts Christian Heidarson and Ben Lee said the following in Gartner's Semiconductor DQ Monday Report:

When Android did work, we found that the user interface was very snappy on relatively low-performance ARM processors, more so than Windows 7 on Atom.

Of course, Windows 7 scales much better than Vista and as a full-blown desktop OS gives users a lot of flexibility as long as the netbook's chipset is up to the task. Then again, if you're looking for a purpose-built, fanless 10-inch ultra-portable with integrated WWAN data and FireFox browser that costs less than $200 and plays 25 days of music or 10-hours of 1080p video off a single charge, well then a smartbook might be the device for you. We'll see which carrier is brave enough to sell 'em come October.

Filed under: Laptops

Gartner: Android on ARM "more snappy" than Windows 7 on Atom originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

Darren Murph — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:53:00 EST

We knew good and well that Freescale wouldn't let Qualcomm go and have all the fun with these newfangled smartbooks, and already we're seeing a few new devices powered by Freescale-branded semiconductors. In the video posted just after the break, the company's own Steve Sperle sat down to talk about a new Pegatron netbook (which handles 720p video playback with ease) as well as an Inventec "smartbook" which is just marginally larger than your average smartphone. In fact, we're rather impressed with the layout: a larger-than-average 4-inch display, a slideout QWERTY keyboard and Google's Android OS. Unfortunately, Mr. Sperle would only stick close to the "later this year" launch time frame that we'd already heard about, but so long as these smartbooks end up looking like overpowered smartphones, you can certainly consider our interest piqued.

Continue reading Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

Filed under: Handsets, Peripherals, Others

Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

Darren Murph — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:53:00 EST

Continue reading Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

Filed under: Handhelds

Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinpo shows off 7-inch Android thin client tablet

Darren Murph — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:33:00 EST

First was the G1, and next came a slew of other cellphones. Now, we've got Android sashaying on over to netbooks, and just in case you're not really looking for that, there's Kinpo's 7-inch tablet. As the Google-sourced OS continues to show its versatility, the aforementioned company has thrown it onto a so-called thin client with a Freescale i.MX51 processor and WVGA display. From the video posted after the break, we'd say the system makes a good fit on this form factor, but feel free to hop on down and judge for yourself.

Continue reading Kinpo shows off 7-inch Android thin client tablet

Filed under: Handhelds

Kinpo shows off 7-inch Android thin client tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale whips up netbook and smartbook design concepts, waits for someone to notice

Darren Murph — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:24:00 EST

Does the world really, truly need another netbook? How about even a single one of these so-called smartbooks? Freescale's hoping the answer to both of those questions is "absolutely, yes," as it took the opportunity at Computex to showcase a half-dozen netbook and smartbook design concepts. Granted, there's better than a fair chance that all of the models you see below won't ever leave the render stage, but if they do, they'll obviously be based on one of Freescale's chips. We can't say we're mesmerized by any of 'em, but we're curious if you feel any different -- would you drop coin on any of these machines?

[Via Slashgear]

Gallery: Freescale whips up netbook and smartbook design concepts, waits for someone to notice

Filed under: Handhelds

Freescale whips up netbook and smartbook design concepts, waits for someone to notice originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale-powered LimeBook hits eBay for astronomical price

Darren Murph — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:33:00 EST

China's Tsinghua Tongfang has had quite the difficulty launching any of its Lime-splashed gear here in the United States, and while it has bothered to show up at CES the past two years, we're still waiting for the LimePC UMPC and LimeBook netbook to arrive in proper fashion. Evidently, one eBay user reckons that Americans really will pay anything so long as something's considered "rare," as the Lime OS-packin' LimeBook -- which was spotted in January in Las Vegas -- is being offered up for US delivery at $500. Yeah, 500 smackers for an unproven, practically unheard of Freescale-powered netbook with a 9-inch display, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 32GB SSD, WiFi, 1.3 megapixel webcam and the Linux-based Lime OS. Anyone feel like burning through some discretionary income in order to let us know what the feeling of ownership is like?

[Thanks, Joseph]

Filed under: Laptops

Freescale-powered LimeBook hits eBay for astronomical price originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM-based netbooks primed to invade Computex?

Darren Murph — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:18:00 EST

Steppin' out in the world, are we ARM? Shortly after hearing that OLPC was eying the brand for processors in the XO-2, Digitimes is now reporting that ARM-based platform makers including Qualcomm and Freescale are looking to unveil netbooks at this year's Computex trade show in Taipei. Granted, none of this has been confirmed just yet, but we're hearing that a model with Freescale's i.MX51 CPU (the ARM Cortex A8) and a version with Qualcomm's Snapdragon CPU (to be manufactured by Wistron) will be on hand. Not shockingly, in the same breath we're told that NVIDIA Tegra-based systems will appear "at a later time." So, is Computex the show where Intel finally takes a little heat in the netbook market? And no, VIA didn't (and doesn't) count.

Filed under: Laptops

ARM-based netbooks primed to invade Computex? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM's stash of netbook oddities and a Windows Mobile 6.5 MID

Paul Miller — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:53:00 EST

We're not sure what sort of shenanigans ARM gets up to, but it managed to amass itself quite the interesting collection of netbooks for its MWC booth. Information was scant, but they were showing that Freescale i.MX-based Pegatron netbook and nettop we saw at CES, an ultrawide 11.1-inch Snapdragon-based netbook from Wistron, a Snapdragon-based convertible tablet netbook from Inventec Alaska, and a totally odd "tech demo" of a Qualcomm-based Wistron MID semi-running a sketch version of Windows Mobile 6.5. Most all of the systems were in some level of prototype form, and seemed unbearably slow at running whatever prototype flavor of Linux they happened to have, while the MID didn't really seem to operate at all, at least to our touch. Still, it's clear that Snapdragon and Freescale i.MX are allowing for some pretty wild and thin form factors while still rocking decent battery life.

Gallery: ARM's stash of netbook oddities and a Windows Mobile 6.5 MID

Continue reading ARM's stash of netbook oddities and a Windows Mobile 6.5 MID

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCs

ARM's stash of netbook oddities and a Windows Mobile 6.5 MID originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale's i.MX515 netbook chip now supports Android and Xandros

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:11:00 EST

When we first laid eyes on Freescale's five-core i.MX515 processor this January, we hoped it was all it claimed to be -- promising an extremely cool machine with a low power budget and a price point that'll take your next netbook down near the fabled $199 range. So far, so good: the Pegatron machines we peeped at CES fit the bill quite nicely, and now ZD Net is reporting that the Cortex-A8-based chip supports the HyperSpace instant-on OS, specially optimized 3G HSDA data modules from Option and Wavecom, and both Android and Xandros. Of course, none of this will be of any help to you if you're married to Windows -- but then again, even if you are we wouldn't really blame you for wanting a little Linux on the side. Especially if it comes in a sweet package like this.

Filed under: Laptops

Freescale's i.MX515 netbook chip now supports Android and Xandros originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pegatron and Freescale team for low-power, ultra-cheap netbooks and nettops

Paul Miller — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:14:00 EST

Pegatron has been pretty quiet ever since it split off from ASUS to do ODM stuff all by its lonesome -- which is sort of the idea, since Pegatron's mainly doing the behind-the-scenes manufacturing. We're glad, however, that the company peeked out of its shell to show off these new Freescale-based netbooks. The Linux-running laptops boast 8.9-inch screens, 8 hour battery life, 8GB of storage and projected retail prices around $199, while the nettop holds similar power in a pico-style form factor. Under the hood is Freescale's brand new ARM i.MX515 processor, which is a 1GHz chip that's described as basically being three times faster than the iPhone. The win here is that the chip draws very little power and generates very little heat, allowing Pegatron to squeeze impressive battery life out of a very thin form factor. Freescale is working with Ubuntu to prep an ARM-Linux distro, which will hit in May, and Adobe will have an ARM happy version of Flash 10 sometime this year. Supplementing the processor are chips for DSP, 2D, 3D and 720p acceleration, which switch on and off as needed -- we saw the computer in action playing 720p video smoothly while drawing a mere 0.5 watts and not even feeling warm to the touch. The limitation here is obviously straight-up processing power -- it's not very impressive, and certainly slower than Intel's Atom -- but for running an optimized Linux build and surfing the web or watching a vid, Pegatron and Freescale might've just found a new portability sweetspot. They're hoping to have an OEM pick these up around May or June sometime.

Gallery: Pegatron and Freescale team for low-power, ultra-cheap netbooks and nettops

Filed under: Laptops

Pegatron and Freescale team for low-power, ultra-cheap netbooks and nettops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale's i.MX515 netbook processor promises low cost, long battery life

Darren Murph — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:52:00 EST

Look out, Intel -- the whole world's gunning for you, with both VIA (possibly, anyway) and now Freescale looking to snag a sliver of the netbook CPU pie. Reportedly, the latter company will be debuting a netbook-centric chip at CES this week from its i.MX line. More specifically, the i.MX515 -- which is based on the Cortex-A8 core from ARM -- will aim for miniature laptops that sit at or below the almost mythical $199 price point. It's being reported that Freescale will showcase a Pegatron (ASUS spinoff) built netbook in Vegas, though it's not clear just yet if similar models will actually be available for purchase in the near future. The real kicker, however, is the potential battery life of machines with this here chip installed -- we're talking up to eight hours, though there's no indication of what size battery pack would be required to reach that goal. It should be noted that the low-power CPUs won't support Windows at all, so you'll only see 'em within machines with Linux-based operating systems.

[Via PC World]

Filed under: Laptops

Freescale's i.MX515 netbook processor promises low cost, long battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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