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Samsung's Exynos 980 chip is a processor and 5G modem in one
Samsung has announced the launch of the Exynos 980, the company's first mobile processor which combines a 5G modem and mobile application processor in a single chip. Until now, phones with Exynos have needed a second chip for 5G -- putting everything in one allows for more compact phone designs and better battery life.
ARM's new mobile processors are built for AI on the go
When ARM showed up at Computex last year, it brought a bundle of smartphone processors that pushed for better mobile VR. As you might've noticed, though, AI is one of the big new trends in mobile this year. Is it any surprise, then, that ARM is pushing that angle with its latest batch of silicon?
Mice brains store backup copies of memories
Turns out that even the human brain might use redundancy when it comes to storage. New research out of the Riken-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics suggests that memories are stored in two places in the brain: the hippocampus for short-term and the cortex for longterm. Previously, the prevailing theory was that once a memory was formed in the hippocampus, it would then move to the cortex for storage. But that may not be the case, according to a paper published in Science.
Samsung reportedly looking to engineer new ARM-compatible Exynos processor
It's a material world, and Samsung's just living in it. And, evidently, it's tired of doing things in the same manner it has been. According to a report from ETNews, the aforesaid company is looking to produce an Exynos processor using a "redesigned ARM core platform" that'll be whipped up in Samsung's Austin, Texas-based R&D facility. If the plans materialize, it'll mark the first time that Samsung has engineered an Exynos chip "based on its own architecture platform by redesigning the ARM cores." For those unaware, Qualcomm and Apple are amongst the precious few that have concocted their own platforms after inking an architecture licensing deal with ARM, and it sounds as if Sammy's tired of being on the outside looking in. The report also states that development is expected "to be completed early next year," and you can bet that future Galaxy and Note products will be the first to benefit.
First ARM Cortex-A57 processor taped out by TSMC, ready for fab
Your current smartphone just took another spin backwards on the obsolescence cycle thanks to a new landmark from ARM and TSMC: the first Cortex-A57 has reached the "tape out" stage, meaning it's ready for mass production. The new chip will use TSMC's 16nm FinFET technology (though the transistors will be 20nm for the A57) and will bring up to three times the CPU power of current chips for the same battery life -- or a maximum of five times the battery life at the same speed. The companies said they ramped the chip from design to tape out in a mere six months, though there's no timetable for its arrival in specific devices. When it does start hitting next gen phones and slates though, expect the performance charts to get singed.
Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC
Unsurprisingly, Apple left us in the dark regarding some specifics of the iPhone 5 upon its release. Thankfully, the good folks over at Anandtech have done a bit of digging into those numbers you see bordering Apple's Apple A6 SoC, definitively figuring out that Cupertino's latest phone packs in a total 1GB of Samsung-sourced memory. The site clocks the DRAM inside at 1,066Mhz, noting that it's comprised of "two 512MB dies in a dual-channel LPDDR2 package with 32 bits per channel." Further, Anandtech lists the speed of the iPhone 5's memory at 8,528MB/sec -- an ample 33 percent boost over the 6,400MB/sec rating for the RAM in the iPhone 4S, but well below the 12,800 MB/sec needed to drive the new iPad's bandwidth-hungry screen resolution. Beyond that, the site believes that the A6 is Apple's first truly in-house creation, as it's using math units too new to be found in a ARM Cortex-A9 architecture (like the A5 or A5X) but reportedly isn't a match for the soon-to-be-released Cortex-A15. If true, the implication is significant -- it suggests Apple is taking the more aggressive path of a chip designer like Qualcomm and custom-tailoring large parts of its processor designs to get the speed it wants on a more exacting schedule. That's a quick summation of the details; hit up the source links below if you want the explanation in full geek speak. Jon Fingas contributed to this post.
Skytex announces Gemini and Protos: ICS tablets that sound like X-Men
Last time we saw Skytex, it was serving up a warm slice of Windows 7 on its tablets. Now, it's back with a pair of Androids, one under each arm. The Skypad Protos ($279) is 9.7 inches of Ice Cream Sandwich, while the Skypad Gemini ($179) measures in at just 7. Both slates run on 1.2GHz Cortex A8 silicon, shacked-up with a Mali 400 GPU. Other internals include 8GB storage, and 1GB or RAM, HDMI and a microSD card slot for expansion (up to 32GB). The larger Protos has an IPS screen, and a pair of cameras (5- and 2-megapixels) while the smaller Gemini just has the one (2-megapixel). It's not all about what's inside those box these days, as both also come with 5GB of cloud storage, showing these slates know what's on trend right now. With competition getting intense at the cheaper end of the scale, though, is there enough to get your credit card out when they start shipping this month?
TSMC ramps 28nm ARM Cortex-A9 chip to 3.1GHz, gives your desktop jitters
We know TSMC's energy-miser 28-nanometer manufacturing process has a lot of headroom, but the company just ratcheted expectations up by a few notches. Lab workers at Taiwan's semiconductor giant have successfully run a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor at 3.1GHz under normal conditions. That's a 55 percent higher clock speed than the 2GHz maximum that TSMC normally offers, folks, and about twice as fast as a 40nm chip under the same workload. Don't expect that kind of clock speed from your next smartphone or tablet, though: expect processors of this caliber to find "high-performance uses," which takes us that much closer to NVIDIA's Project Denver as well as other ARM-based desktops, notebooks and servers that should give x86 chips a run for their money.
ARM announces new quad-core Cortex-A15 Hard Macro variant
It's pretty much a year to the day that we reported the possibility of a quad-core Cortex-A15 from ARM, and look what just came across the wire! It's the Cortex-A15 Hard Macro -- the first design from ARM we're aware of that packs four A15 cores. The Hard Macro edition is of particular interest as it aims to help manufacturers bring products to market more quickly and at a lower cost. The chip variant runs at 2GHz, with performance of over 20,000 DMIPS if you were wondering. Notably, it operates with the same power usage of the A9 hard macro, which should mean it's got good efficiency credentials, and it's the first in the family to be based on 28nm process. There's no indication where we might see this turning up, but with the firm spilling the full details at the IEEE Symposium later this week, we're sure we'll find out soon enough.
ARMv8 detailed: 64-bit architecture, AppliedMicro first in line
Thought Windows on ARM was snazzy? Have a gander at this. The outfit's forthcoming ARMv8 architecture, the first ARM architecture to include a 64-bit instruction set, has just been detailed, with a goal to expand the reach of ARM processor-based solutions "into consumer and enterprise applications where extended virtual addressing and 64-bit data processing are required." The ARMv8 architecture consists of two main execution states -- AArch64 and AArch32 -- and we're apt to see the real benefits hit high-end servers first. The ARMv8 architecture specifications are available now to partners under license, with the company planning to disclose processors based on ARMv8 during 2012, with consumer and enterprise prototype systems expected in 2014. Head on past the break for ARM's take, or meander to the source links for AppliedMicro's gloating.
Pandigital unveils Nova, Planet and Star Android tablets, 'flagship' device coming next month
It's shaping up to be a busy month for Pandigital. Two days after we spotted the Nova at Best Buy, the astronomically-inclined company has decided to officially unveil the Android tablet alongside the Planet and Star, with a fourth "flagship" device slated for release in September. Each of the three slates is powered by an A9 Cortex processor, and boasts a seven-inch touchscreen display (800x600 resolution on the Planet and Nova and 800x480 on the Star, pictured above). As far as storage goes, both the Planet and the Star offer 2GB of onboard memory, with the Nova packing 4GB, and all three offer WiFi and HDMI connectivity. The slabs also come preloaded with Barnes & Noble's eBookstore app and provide access to GetJar's app download store, rather than the Android Market. Honeycomb enthusiasts, however, should probably look elsewhere, as both the Planet and the Star run Android 2.2 Froyo, while the Nova ships with Gingerbread. But considering their prices, that shortcoming may be easy to overlook. The Planet, available now, will run you $189, as will the Nova, scheduled to ship later this week (though, again, you can also find it on Best Buy, for $170). The Star, meanwhile, will hit stores in mid-August, for a paltry $159. Rocket past the break for some photos of the Nova and Planet, along with more details, in the full press release.
ARM hopes to strengthen grip on mobile PCs, take 50 percent of the market by 2015
We've already heard rumors that chip designer ARM has been trying to get its wares into the Macbook Air. While we can't add anything to that particular story, we do have further evidence that ARM is going beyond smartphones and tablets in order to target bigger form factors. The company's president, Tudor Brown, has just appeared at Computex to declare that ARM wants to conquer the "mobile PC market", where the company currently only has a 10 percent share. He's aiming for 15 percent by the end of this year, and an Intel-provoking 50 percent by 2015. "Mobile PC" is a pretty ambiguous category, but we think it's safe to assume the focus is on low- and mid-power netbooks and ultraportables. Such devices could potentially run off ARM's forthcoming multi-core chips -- like perhaps the quad-core beast inside NVIDIA's mind-blowing Kal-El processor, or the more distant Cortex-A15. It's hard to imagine these tablet-centric chips ever competing with Intel's top performers, but four years is a mighty long time in this business.
Linaro and Samsung roll out Exynos 4210-based Origen development board for $199
You may recall a little group of Linux-loving chums called Linaro, which was formed almost a year ago in the hopes of speeding up Linux development. Today at Computex, the company's taking one step further with the announcement of the Origen development board. Based on Samsung's beefy Exynos 4210 dual core chipset, the kit packs all the essential ports -- including HDMI, USB 2.0 host, SD slot, etc. -- for keen developers to get their hands dirty on, and its base board is also removable to accommodate future chipsets. Potential buyers are told to keep an eye on Insignal, which will soon be offering the basic Origen package for $199, along with optional parts at an extra cost.
LG licenses ARM Cortex-A15 and Mali-T604 graphics, starts scheming up mobile processors of its own
Some of LG's brightest attractions at the moment are the dual-core Optimus 2X and Optimus 3D smartphones and similarly equipped Optimus Pad tablet. The only problem with them? Those multicore chips are produced by NVIDIA for the 2X and Pad and Texas Instruments for the Optimus 3D, leaving LG a clear step behind its arch-nemesis Samsung who is producing its own dual-core system-on-chip. So what else could LG possibly do but buy its own ARM license -- specifically for the Cortex-A9 design that is dominating today and the Cortex-A15 with Mali-T604 graphics that promises to rule the mobile world from 2012 onwards -- and start churning out its own processors? The Korean company certainly has the budget, if not the manufacturing facilities, to produce such chips at volume, and we're all for seeing another competitor enter the ARM arena. This licensing deal also reminds us that the last fresh licensee to ARM's blueprints was Microsoft -- so we can now look forward to two industry giants bringing their technical expertise to this rapidly growing marketplace. See LG's full press release after the break.
ARM predicts dual-core Cortex-A15 devices in late 2012, quad-core variants 'later on'
Smartphones and tablets, the two hottest categories of consumer devices right now, are dominated by ARM processor designs, so when the company speaks up about its product roadmap, we're inclined to listen in close. The next generation of ARM system-on-chip has been dubbed Cortex-A15 and was expected to ship in 2013, but that's now been accelerated slightly to late 2012, which is when we're told to expect actual devices on sale with A15 silicon on board. Single- and dual-core variants will get us started, before quad-core options start filtering through in 2013. ARM promises a stunning fivefold improvement in performance over current Cortex-A9 SOCs and already has NVIDIA, Samsung, ST-Ericsson, and Texas Instruments signed up as licensees for that new hotness. So now even Samsung's "desktop-class" 2GHz dual-core chip that's slated for 2012 has a reason to look over its shoulder. Happy times!
Hercules re-invents the netbook again, launches 10-inch Linux- and A8-powered eCAFE
It's perhaps a little too early to be feeling all retro-nostalgic for the netbook, with much of the industry moving on up to your notbooks and your tablets and such, so we'll just say that Hercules is still kickin' it old school by launching its eCAFE netbooks. There are two models, the Slim HD and EX HD, the former tipping the scales at 1.9lbs and measuring only .8-inches thick, while the EX model is a bit heftier at 2.5lbs and 1.1-inches, managing 13 hours of "real use" battery life. Both are said to smoothly play 720p video on their 10-inch, 1024 x 600 displays or export it over HDMI, running a custom flavor of Linux and powered by an ARM Cortex-A8 processor. Hercules says this "sets a new standard" in netbooks, but 8 or 16GB of flash storage and 512MB of RAM sounds all too familiar to us, and if that cramped, recessed keyboard is the future we're quite happy to stick in the present, thanks. %Gallery-120076%
Nokia's leaked MeeGo device resembles dual-core ST-Ericsson U8500 reference platform
Yesterday's leaked image of a purported Nokia tablet device seems to have been more informative than we initially believed it to be. An eagle-eyed forum member over on mobile-review has spotted the similarity between it and a reference platform for ST-Ericsson's U8500 system-on-chip. Last we heard, that little powerhouse was running a pair of 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 cores, so excuse us if we find the prospect of it driving Nokia's next flagship a rather exciting one. You can see video of the reference device in question after the break -- it ends on the delicious and unequivocal assertion from the ST-Ericsson rep that Nokia has signed up to deliver the U8500 in an upcoming device. Bear in mind, however, that the video is from November of last year and we still don't know for sure that the Nokia slate above is its MeeGo progenitor or just a prototype. Either way, the U8500 is expected in smartphones at some point in the first half of this year, which kind of fits Nokia's roadmap, no? [Image credit: Cor72z]
NVIDIA Tegra 3, equipped with 1.5GHz quad-core madness, teased by a familiar slide
How aggressive can NVIDIA get? That's the question puzzling our brainboxes right now as we gaze upon the complete version of the slide that let us know about a potential Tegra 2 3D chip over the weekend. It's not every day you hear of a 1.5GHz quad-core mobile SOC, but our discovery of corroborating evidence for the T25 module sitting alongside it makes us more willing to credit the possibility of a Blu-ray-crunching, 13,800 MIPS-capable, multicore Cortex-A9 Tegra 3. Moreover, the roadmap of production samples in Q4 of 2010 fits perfectly with NVIDIA's claim that Tegra 3 was "almost done" in September of that year. The ULP designation on this listing stands for Ultra Low Power in NVIDIA parlance, which would indicate an aggressively tuned power management system -- the only way we can envision a quad-core anything operating within a tablet. Fall 2011 is when we should know for sure.
1.2GHz Tegra 2 3D chips suggested by leaked slide, coming 'spring 2011'
Darn, we've barely started getting acquainted with Tegra 2, yet NVIDIA seems to already be preparing the stage for a sort of Tegra 2.5 -- a 1.2GHz dual-core chip that'll be marketed as a 3D-capable mobile processor. This T25 silicon is apparently set for mass production in the first quarter of this year, with availability coming up in the spring. Given the noises we keep hearing about 3D going mobile, this is one rumor that makes a lot of sense -- and even if you're a staunch supporter of the 2D creed, you can't deny that a sped-up Tegra 2 CPU sounds pretty delicious. We've managed to also track down some technical chatter about adding support to Chromium OS for a 1.2GHz T25 from NVIDIA, seemingly corroborating the leaked image above. Oh boy, it's gonna be a hot summer for mobile computing this year!
RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor
We already confirmed that RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was deadly fast in use, but up until now, we've still been left to wonder what kind of silicon was powering it. According to a RIM representative that spoke to us just now on the CES show floor, a dual-core OMAP chip from Texas Instruments is doing the honors -- more specifically, it's the blisteringly fast 1GHz OMAP 4430. And now, you know.
