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Magic Leap's mixed reality headset arrives this summer
Magic Leap is finally providing more tangible details about the launch of its mixed reality headset. During a developer chat on Twitch, the company revealed that the Creator Edition of its One headset should be available sometime later this summer. It also hinted that the device will have a fair amount of power under the hood. The wearable will use NVIDIA's Tegra X2 system-on-a-chip, which is relatively powerful for a mobile device but still power-efficient enough that it won't need an ungainly pack.
The Nintendo Switch's GPU is key to installing unofficial games
Game console manufacturers don't particularly like hackers, but Nintendo's relationship with them has always been particularly tenuous. At a recent hacking conference in Germany a team presented their efforts at getting homebrew games on Nintendo's latest console, the Switch. As spotted by Wololo, bypassing typical safeguards apparently comes down to Nintendo's use of an off-the-shelf NVIDIA Tegra chip, and the backdoor that the silicon-maker left for itself.
ARM's latest CPUs are ready for an AI-powered future
ARM processor technology already powers many of the devices you use every day, and now the company is showing off its plans for the future with DynamIQ. Aimed squarely at pushing the artificial intelligence and machine learning systems we're expecting to see in cars, phones, gaming consoles and everything else, it's what the company claims is an evolution on the existing "big.Little" technology. Originally unveiled in 2011, that design allowed for multicore CPU designs with powerful, power-hungry chips to do the heavy lifting tethered to smaller, low-power chips that could handle background processing when a device is idle. It's why your phone can edit HD or even 4K video at one moment before sleeping throughout the night without losing all of the battery's charge. DynamIQ lays out a strategy for processors that combine cores specifically designed for whatever task is needed.
The Nintendo Switch could be twice as powerful while docked
Just how powerful is Nintendo's next game console? We won't know for sure until January, but if the latest report from Eurogamer pans out, the answer could be kind of complicated. According to specifications provided to developers, the Nintendo Switch performance changes depending on how you use it: in its docked, TV-mode or as a gaming portable.
Engadget's first thoughts on the Nintendo Switch
We now know that Nintendo's next-generation game console will be the Switch, a hybrid device offering portable and home gaming in one. But there's a lot we don't know. What games will it launch with? How much it will cost? What's that screen like? Will it play games on a TV at 1080p? How long will the battery last? We'll find out more about the Switch before its March 2017 release, and the answers to those questions, and more, will likely dictate our overall judgement. Nonetheless, we're nothing if not opinionated, and seeing Nintendo launch a new console has got us talking. So without further ado, here are eight Engadget editors with their first take* on the Switch. *Other opinions are also valid.
Report: Nintendo NX is a tablet with detachable controllers
Remember those early reports that described Nintendo's next game console as a TV / portable hybrid device? According to Eurogamer, they were right on the nose. Eurogamer sources claim that the Nintendo NX is a handheld game console with detachable controllers, a TV base station and NVIDIA Tegra graphics. In other words, it sounds like a standalone Wii U gamepad dialed up to 11.
NVIDIA starts selling its Android TV-powered Shield media hub
Been jonesing for a very high-powered, Android TV-based media hub? You now have a chance to do something about that craving, as NVIDIA has started selling its Shield set-top box in North America. Pay $199 and you'll get the regular Shield, whose tiny 16GB of storage makes it clear that you'll be streaming a lot of 4K Netflix videos and playing games in the cloud through NVIDIA's GRID service. You'll need to pony up for the $299 Shield Pro to get loads of built-in storage (500GB) for local content, although you'll also get a copy of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in the bargain. And don't worry about buying content to get started -- both Shields come with a $30 Google Play gift card and three months of Google Play Music, so you'll have something to do as soon as you've pulled off the shrink wrap.
NVIDIA's next-gen X1 mobile chipset: a closer look at the numbers
Earlier tonight, NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang officially pulled back the curtain on the Tegra X1 -- a next-generation mobile powerhouse of a chipset that's also the first to offer a teraflop of processing power. It's going to play a crucial role in the company's automotive future, but the mobile nerds reading this might be a little more interested in how fast the X1's going to make our gadgets. Thankfully, NVIDIA pulled us aside for a fast-and-furious benchmarking session that gave us a better idea of what to expect when X1s start trickling into the wild.
Samsung asks the US government to block NVIDIA's chips
The patent war between NVIDIA and Samsung isn't going to wind down any time soon. Samsung has backed up its countering lawsuit against NVIDIA with a US International Trade Commission complaint asking the agency to block imports of NVIDIA's GeForce graphics chips and Tegra mobile processors. While it's not clear just which parts are under scrutiny, the dispute names a slew of third-party device makers who'd have to stop selling hardware in the US. Most of them are video card designers, such as Biostar and EVGA, but the action would also affect Tegra-based gadgets like OUYA's mini console and the Wikipad gaming tablet.
Honda's in-car Connect system does Android its own way (hands-on)
We just checked out Honda's Connect solution for in-car entertainment and navigation, and while it's Android-based, it's not Android Auto -- just Android, period. Still, it's one of the first car companies to offer Google's OS in-dash, despite an odd implementation. For starters, if you're looking for the latest software, it's far from that. The system has stepped back in time to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4, even though it uses NVIDIA's latest Tegra chip. But Android Auto was only just announced recently, which may not have matched Honda's timetable. In addition, the car company has its own suite of car apps that may not be compatible with the latest and greatest Android flavors. All things considered though, it has serious potential -- check our impressions below.
Next year's Hondas will have Tegra and Android inside
Curious as to just which Honda models you'd see Android pop up in first? If you had money on the 2015 Civic, Civic Tourer and CRV it's time to collect your prize from the pool. Google's mobile OS will appear as standard equipment in those vehicles with a little help from Nvidia, naturally, and as the GPU giant tells it, Honda Connect will be the first infotainment system to run embedded Android on a Tegra chipset. Nvidia says that Connect will sport a 7-inch customizable touch-screen display that acts a lot like what you'd expect from a smartphone or a slate. Naturally that means there are swipe, pinch and zoom gestures along with an app store for the Ice Cream Sandwich-based system. How this will all play with Android Auto, though, remains to be seen.
Acer Chromebook 13 review: long battery life, sharp screen, good price
After years of getting little respect, Chromebooks are finally on the rise (at least in schools), which means every major PC maker is trying to get in on the action. That includes chip makers too, like NVIDIA. Though the company previously shied away from Chrome OS devices, it's now pledging to power a whole range of different Chromebooks with its Tegra K1 chip, each of them promising long battery life and more graphics muscle. The Acer Chromebook 13 is the first of the bunch, and while some of you might be Chromebook'd out, we were actually excited. Here was a $300 laptop boasting at least 11 hours of battery life, a 1080p display option and enough horsepower to clobber Intel at things like gaming and rich websites. As it turns out, it was all just a little too good to be true.
NVIDIA explains why its 64-bit chip should be Android's speed champ
NVIDIA set out to claim the Android performance crown when it unveiled its 64-bit Tegra K1 processor at the start of the year, and it's now ready to explain why it expects to come out on top. The chip's two Project Denver cores will have an edge partly because they'll optimize code on the fly -- they'll break down big instructions into tiny, super-efficient functions that can be recycled as often as necessary. The company expects roughly twice the speed it would get from ordinary code, making the 64-bit K1 faster than you'd expect just by looking at the hardware. It should tout "significantly higher" performance than current four- and eight-core mobile CPUs, and run as well as some PC processors; be prepared for more Tegra-powered laptops and high-end tablets.
Acer's Chromebook 13 lasts a stunning 13 hours on a charge
Until now, if you wanted a Chromebook with a full HD display, you only had one option: the 13-inch Samsung Chromebook 2. Want epic battery life? Yep, all roads lead to Samsung there, too. Well, not anymore, anyway. Acer just announced the Chromebook 13, and it matches Samsung nearly spec for spec with an optional 1080p display and NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra K1 chip, promising up to 13 hours of runtime (details on that after the break). This is interesting for two reasons. First off, although this is essentially the same class of product as what Samsung is selling, it costs $100 less: $299, versus $400 for the Chromebook 2. Sounds good, right? What's more, this is the first-ever Chrome OS device with an NVIDIA processor inside.
NVIDIA announces the Jetson TK1 dev-kit, calls it the world's first mobile supercomputer
Wish you had your own personal supercomputer? Soon, you'll be able to buy one -- well, sort of. At its GPU Technology conference today, NVIDIA announced the Jetson TK1, a $192 Tegra K1-based development kit built on the same architecture that powers the Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratories. NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Haung describes it as "the world's tiniest little supercomputer," noting that it's capable of running anything the Titan can run, but at a much slower pace.
The first available Tegra 4i smartphone will come from French company Wiko (hands-on)
Sorry LG: you may have trotted out the G2 mini yesterday, but yours won't be the first Tegra 4i device to hit store shelves. NVIDIA says that distinction belongs to the Wax, a newly-revealed handset from French phone maker Wiko that should launch in Europe "within weeks." We just spent a few frenzied moments with the Wax at MWC, read on for our first impressions.
Engadget UK Giveaway: Win an Advent Vega Tegra Note 7 courtesy of NVIDIA
Is there a tablet-shaped hole in your life? Or maybe you're something of a collector? Either way, we have three Advent Tegra Note 7's sitting here looking for a good home. You can thank the kind folks at NVIDIA, who supplied the goods, which you may also remember from our review of another Tegra Note 7 family member. Want in on the action? Head past the break where out trusty competition-o-matic 3000 (ok, it's just a widget) awaits you. And, as always, please read the terms and conditions. Good luck!
NVIDIA's mobile game portal now available for non-Tegra devices
Jealous of your friends' phones packing NVIDIA chips and the access to TegraZone that they enjoy? You need not be any longer, as the game portal's latest update means you can install it on gadgets with generic (read: non-Tegra) silicon. Plus, Android Community reports that it also adds enhanced support for the Mad Catz Project M.O.J.O. and NVIDIA Shield consoles. The update also brings achievements (thanks to Google Play Game services) and a Google+ login system that "personalizes" the application to your tastes... whatever that means. We checked the Play Store and the app was available on all of our devices -- even an old LG Optimus V -- but of course, your mileage may vary. Just try to not be disheartened if you see it stocked with games that your gizmo can't run, okay?
Early benchmarks suggest NVIDIA's new Tegra chip outperforms Apple and Qualcomm
The graph above comes courtesy of Tom's Hardware and, whichever way you look it, it suggests NVIDIA is onto a good thing. The company's recently announced Tegra K1 processor combines a handful of ARM Cortex-A15 CPUs with a GPU based on the same successful Kepler graphics architecture found in desktops and laptops. The result seems to be a minimum 25 percent lead over the current generation of flagship chips, including Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 and Apple's 64-bit A7, as measured with 3DMark -- although this may not be an especially fair comparison since we don't know the precise wattage of the Thinkvision's processor (if it's more than a few watts, it shouldn't really be compared to the chip in a smartphone). You'll find a roughly similar pattern in other tests over at the source link, but before you disappear into a new tab here's a couple more disclaimers: Firstly, these scores are based on a Lenovo Thinkvision 28 Android all-in-one (with a lovely 4K panel), which Tom's Hardware was led to believe (but not officially told) contains a K1. Secondly, assuming this is a K1, it's definitely not the 64-bit version; it's not running at NVIDIA's claimed max clock speed of 2.3GHz, and it's almost certainly not using market-ready drivers -- all of which suggests that 2014's crop of Tegra K1-powered tablets could be even more powerful than what we're seeing right now. Update: More benchmark scores are spilling out. They still only relate to graphics, and they rely on a pre-release version of GFXBench, but these numbers would suggest that a Tegra K1 reference tablet can match or even beat the 3D performance of an Intel Haswell laptop with integrated graphics, despite the latter presumably burning many more watts.
Acer's latest all-in-one doubles as a 27-inch touch monitor and Android PC
Perhaps the best way to regard Acer's growing range of Android "all-in-ones" is not as PC replacements, or even as giant tablets, but rather as touch-sensitive monitors that have the added benefit of being able to run their own OS. That certainly applies to the latest model, the TA272 HUL, whose 27-inch, 2,560 x 1,440, 10-point touch panel makes it particularly well equipped as a monitor for a Windows 8 PC. Alternatively, an "NVIDIA Tegra quad-core processor," which we suspect might be an old Tegra 3, will allow the unit to run basic tasks and media playback in Jelly Bean even when the source PC is switched off. The TA272 HUL comes with 16GB of onboard storage, a USB 3.0 port, HDMI and DisplayPort inputs and a 2-megapixel webcam, all for an RRP of $1,099. For reference, that's at least $100 more expensive than a similarly specced Acer monitor without Android (the T272 HUL), so you'd need to be pretty certain that you'll put that built-in OS to good use.
