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New DS Lite stand is bendy
We thought we didn't like DS Lite stands that much. We were so, so wrong. It turns out we were just waiting for this one to come along and make our DS look more like an IKEA lamp. Where those other stands use ridiculous hinges and rectangular bases to sit on your table*, or magnets to stick to surfaces, the Game Stand Lite uses two real, proven scientific principles which naturally increase awesomeness: a big bendy arm, and a suction cup We don't think it comes with that transparent base, which is too bad. We like transparent things almost as much as we like bendy things. We do hope that suction cup is strong enough to stand up to the force of a few songs' worth of rhythm-action.*Okay, so there's a hinged stand in the linked GAME Watch accessory roundup that's actually really nice, if significantly less bendy.
Texas Instruments demos first 720p playback from a mobile phone
Texas Instruments demonstrated its first processor to enable high definition (720p) playback on mobile phones yesterday at 3GSM World Congress. The OMAP3430, first announced last year, is the first in TI's series of OMAP 3 processors and also first to include support for the OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics standard for 3D acceleration. The 3430 gets the muscle to move your HD files and 3D gaming from its embedded ARM Cortex-A8 processor, but from the specs it seems that the video portion is only currently supporting up to 1024 x 768 (XGA) output via composite or S-video connections. Still, with this power available, sometime in the future your common cellphone will be playing back HD on the go or outputting video to a big screen HDTV. We previously expected to see handsets based on the technology this year, but while TI is shipping samples of the processors now, don't expect your HD-capable cell to hit stores until early 2008.
ARM holdings confirms iPhone chips
InformationWeek reports that Warren East, president and CEO of ARM Holdings, confirmed that the iPhone will use at least three ARM processors. The main CPU will reportedly be a PXA320. So does this tell us anything new and important about the iPhone internals? Er, probably not much. But for those of you who enjoy these kinds of chip reveals, we seriously encourage you to go wild with the news.
TI launches chipset for entry level featurephones
As multimedia features typically associated with higher-end handsets -- music players, video cameras, 3D acceleration, and the like -- start to trickle down to the mainstream, chip suppliers are looking at ways to make the requisite chipsets mainstream, too. Enter TI's OMAPV1035 "eCosto" single-chip platform; with an ARM9 processor core, the 1035 will be manufactured using a 65nm process when it begins volume production in early 2008. Features include EDGE support (but no 3G in sight -- we question that logic for a multimedia chipset that isn't due for another year), 30 fps video streaming at resolutions up to 320 x 240, 3D gaming, and support for still cameras up to 3 megapixels. Just as long as we get an HSDPA version of this goodness, TI, we're with you one hundred percent.
Meizu working on a WinCE-powered MiniPlayer followup?
Chinese DAP manufacturer Meizu has seen quite a lot of interest in its M6 MiniPlayer -- so much so that it recently became available Stateside -- and now word on the street (and by street, we mean overseas internet forums) has the company poised to release an updated version. At this point details are still very sketchy -- all the more so because of the nature of machine translation -- but from what we can tell, the upcoming M8 will sport a 533MHz Samsung ARM processor, 2.6-inch VGA screen (compared to the M6's 2.4-inch QVGA display), and the latest Windows CE OS, but not, unfortunately, memory card support nor a user-replaceable battery. There's also no word yet on what capacities this model will come in, though we've heard rumors that Meizu is trying to break through the 4GB ceiling of the original MiniPlayer. That's all we've got for now, and please bear in mind, the pic you see above is simply one fan's fantasy and probably won't bear much of a resemblance to the final product.[Via Engadget Chinese]
Etronics' Inkel Widetouch W-7.0 offers GPS, PMP, and DMB
We love the idea of having GPS and PMP functionality in the same gadget, and when we see one of these devices with a 7-inch widescreen we certainly sit up and take notice, but unfortunately we'll need to make some friends in Korea if we ever hope to install the Inkel Widetouch W-7.0 from Etronics in our ride. Without any detailed specs on this upcoming model, we're going to assume that it's very similar to the ARM-powered Widetouch 5.6 we spotted last month, as both units also offer an optional DMB tuner to complement the media playback and navigation features. As usual, no word on pricing or release dates for this piece, but since the DMB-equipped 5.6 was going for around $600, we can safely assume that a similarly-configured 7-incher will cost at least a hundred bucks more. Keep reading to see just how fun it is to roll around with one of these in your Mercedes...
DARPA sets goal for bionic arm by 2009
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, otherwise known as DARPA (you know, they created that thing which allows you to read this site -- the internet?), has tasked scientists with the goal of creating a bionic arm that looks, feels ,and works like a real arm by the year 2009. The $55 million project to be managed by the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore consists of dozens of teams of biologists, physicists and electronic engineers from both government, university and private organizations, each of which will design and construct sample arms, with one or more of the wining designs is then hoped to go into clinical testing on patients in 2009. Current plans range from arms that are controlled using an implantable device, to arms that are controlled by the nerves in the amputated area, to arms that would receive signals directly from the person's brain. If all the goals of the program are met, the bionic arm would be able to perform tasks as minute as buttoning a shirt button, and even provide sensory feedback.
POSDATA shows off WiBro PDAs for Korea
When a manufacturer takes styling cues from a number of popular devices -- in this case, the RAZR, the Wizard, and the gone-but-not-forgotten Clie -- and throws in a number of high end features whose acronyms make us a little weak-kneed, the resulting products are bound to be pretty sexy. Such is the case with a trio of WiBro-capable PDAs being marketed under the Flyvo brand by POSDATA, all of which run Windows CE 5.0 Professional Plus on an ARM processor and let you get your 'net on with WiFi as well in case you have to travel outside of Korea. Introduced at this year's Wireless Broadband World Forum, these upcoming devices (which frustratingly lack either names or model numbers) also feature either 512MB or 1GB of flash RAM, with two of them adding T-DMB and VoIP capabilities, and the high-end model throwing in a little GPS action to boot. Lucky Koreans will be able to pick these up -- and possibly even drop their cellphone services altogether -- sometime early next year. Keep reading for more pics...Read- The one that resembles a WizardRead- The one that resembles a PSPRead- The one that resembles a Clie
Acorn Computers to be reborn as laptop maker
If you're a Brit of a certain age, the name Acorn probably has as much resonance for you as Commodore or Amiga does for us Yanks. No, it's not because you're a squirrelwatcher (not that there's anything wrong with that). It's because of Acorn Computers, the pioneering manufacturer of the late 70s and early 80s, which quit the computer business in the 90s. Now, according to reports, Acorn is set to be reborn as notebook vendor. The revived Acorn will launch next week with four laptops, ranging from a 12-incher to one with a 17-inch display. Rather than running Acorn's old RISC OS, however, the new boxes will be fairly convention Windows XP laptops, and will come bundled with Star Office.
