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Amazon gives its flagship Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 a modest spec boost
If you've ever seen a TV commercial for Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets, you know the company isn't shy about comparing itself to Apple. Indeed, the retail giant is hoping you'll buy its flagship Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 this holiday season instead of a boring iPad Air. This year, though, Amazon appears to be competing purely on specs: The company just refreshed the HDX 8.9, and while it has the same design as last year's model (20 percent lighter than the iPad, as Amazon is quick to point out!), everything under the hood is just a bit better. A bit faster. The tablet is up for pre-order today for $379, the same price as last year's HDX 8.9. Which makes sense: All things considered, this is a fairly modest upgrade.
The new HTC One appears to be getting a bigger, badder cousin
Rumors of a higher-end edition of the HTC One M8, the M8 Prime, have been difficult to pin down; we've seen little in the way of tangible evidence. However, things just got interesting. Frequent tipster @evleaks has posted what's reportedly a 360-degree render of the Prime, showing off a design with a few big differences from the current model. The most obvious may be the camera -- it's conspicuously bigger than that of the regular One, and it even juts out from the back. The phone also has a flatter, One Max-like body with a different surface than the current handset. According to @evleaks, the cosmetic change may stem from the use of an unusual aluminum and liquid silicone hybrid that would be both strong and heat-absorbing.
Qualcomm shows more of the Snapdragon 805's camera and pen tricks (video)
Can't make it to CES to see the Snapdragon 805 processor flex its muscles? You won't have to. Qualcomm has posted a slew of videos showing what the chip can do for photography, including automatic close-ups through OptiZoom, continuous focusing on a subject through Touch to Track and natural-looking low-light shots through Chroma Flash. The CPU can even begin recording video as soon as a subject crosses a line, such as at a race. As a bonus, the company has also demonstrated Ultra Sound NotePad, a refinement of an earlier technique that uses microphones to translate a pen's ultrasonic vibrations into on-screen handwriting. It could be a while before you're trying any of these features on a shipping device, but the clips should at least prepare you for the real thing.
Snapdragon 805's desktop-class mobile graphics chops in action (video)
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chip is still pretty dang new, but the company's already churned out a follow-up: the Snapdragon 805, a so-called Ultra HD processor. Like the 800, this version is a Krait-based, quad-core chip, and its biggest selling point is support for 4K video playback on your mobile devices as well as your smart TV. The 805 also includes an Adreno 420 GPU, which Qualcomm says offers 40 percent more graphics performance. Of course, this is the sort of tech that you really need to see to believe. Luckily, a recent trip to San Diego gave us a chance to stop by Qualcomm's HQ and check out the latest Snapdragon demos. Head past the break for a look at the chip's graphics and video chops.
Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 805 processor with 'Ultra HD' mobile video
If you're still enjoying that fresh Snapdragon 800 CPU, guess what? Qualcomm's just trumped it with a new model: the Snapdragon 805 'Ultra HD' quad-core processor. The most headline-grabbing feature is UltraHD video playback on your tablet, smartphone or Smart TV -- so you can finally watch that 4K video you recorded. To do that, it's packing the latest Adreno 420 GPU, which Qualcomm claims has as much as 40 percent more graphics horsepower than previous models. On top of that, the Krait 450 CPU's four cores will each run at up to 2.5GHz and communicate with memory at 25.6 GB/second max, to make all apps run faster. The new processor will also come with the 28nm Gobi MDM9x25 modem announced earlier this year, in order to support LTE carrier aggregation (and the resulting higher speeds) and 150Mbps LTE 4. Another option will be a new LTE modem, the 20nm Gobi MDM9x35, which pairs with the WTR3925 chip to bring up to 300Mbps download speeds via LTE advanced. Qualcomm said that both chips support "all carrier aggregation band combinations approved by 3GPP" while enabling manufacturers to bring LTE devices to market faster. Finally, there's a new mobile camera processor that supports gigapixel throughput and gyro-based image stabilization, for smoother video recording and faster image processing. All of that will come in a package that consumes less power, according to Qualcomm, who added that owning a Snapdragon 805-equipped device will be like "having an UltraHD theater in your pocket." Don't sell that Galaxy Note 3 just yet, though -- Qualcomm said manufacturer sampling won't start until next year, meaning actual devices are still a ways off.
