codename
Latest
Sundar Pichai: Maybe we'll use a poll to name Android
Google has never had a problem coming up with sweet-related nicknames for each new version of Android, but after Marshmallow it might start taking suggestions. During a Q&A at Delhi University (jump to 47:11 in the video to hear for yourself) Sundar Pichai was asked why no Indian sweets were on the name list, Pichai said he would ask his mother for suggestions, before opening the possibility of an online poll. Of course we think that's a good idea, but the real question is what should the options be? Let us know what you've got for Android N in the comments.
Google changelog reveals upcoming Chrome devices with Star Fox-inspired codenames
Though we know virtually nothing about any Chrome OS-based devices in development at Google, we at least know what their engineers are calling them. Google insider François Beaufort revealed that developers working on such projects might be Star Fox fans, as several possible x86 devices seem to bear the Fox, Falco, Peppy and Slippy monikers, according to a recent changelog. None of this is proof of any future products, of course, but Fox and Slippy seem to be Haswell-equipped, according to Beaufort -- which would be a nice step up from their 1993-era Nintendo graphics power.
Ubuntu 13.04 will be called Raring Ringtail, emphasize mobile and battery life
After running with other alliterative codenames such as Oneiric Ocelot, Precise Pangolin and Quantal Quetzal, Canonical has announced the latest in its line of fauna-inspired Ubuntu releases -- Raring Ringtail. With version 13.04 CEO Mark Shuttleworth plans to start seriously laying the groundwork for phone, tablet and TV interfaces, which he hopes to have in place for the next LTS release in April of 2014 (14.04). Don't expect a full-fledged Ubuntu smartphone OS in six months, however, the first step will be working on core aspects of the OS, such as power and memory management, that will prove crucial to its success as a mobile platform. First though, the company needs to get through today's planned launch of 12.10, which will deliver some highly-anticipated webapp integration. For more, check out the source.
HTC One X could be coming to Sprint on June 10th, bearing LTE and 'Jet' codename
If unnamed "internal sources" at Sprint are to be believed, then HTC's new flagship phone is set to become one of the Now Network's first LTE handsets as soon as June 10th. The only sticking point, beyond us having no notion of whether these sources are credible, is that they didn't use the right name for the phone -- calling it the "HTC Jet" instead of the One X. Despite this switched moniker, S4GRU reports that all the leaked specs match up perfectly with the LTE variant of the One X, including a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 processor (Tegra 3 being reserved for non-LTE version in other markets), 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 SLCD display, 1GB RAM, NFC, Gorilla Glass 2 and a polycarbonate unibody. As for the branding, 'Jet' would surely be a disposable codename, replacing the earlier Endeavor disguise, otherwise HTC's fresh start has already taken a hit.
Nokia Champagne handset spotted on Windows Phone app, dancing the Tango?
Has a Windows Phone app just popped the cork on a new Nokia handset? It very well may have, based on the above image. Extracted from the "I'm a WP7" app and first identified by the folks over at WP Central, this screenshot purports to reveal a Nokia device codenamed "Champagne" -- a rather delectable moniker that, until now, wasn't even on our radar. At this point, little else is known about this mystery phone, though according to WP Central, it's running Windows Phone 7.10.8711 -- suggesting, perhaps, the presence of Tango, the Mango successor for low-end devices. Could this be a mythical, LTE-equipped Lumia 900 / Ace handset for Verizon Wireless? Could we see it at this year's CES? Only time will tell, but we'll let you know as soon as we hear more.
PSP successor is official, codenamed 'NGP' (Next Generation Portable)
Mock it up, talk it up and leak it out all you want, only Sony has the power to actually bring the so-called "PSP2" into the world -- and that moment has come. The "sequel" to the PlayStation Portable was made official today (like, just now!) during a press event in Japan, looking every bit as -- well, that thing looks like the PSP, doesn't it? Codenamed "NGP" -- that's "Next Generation Portable" Entertainment System -- the device has been designed with five core tenets buzz phrases in mind, according to Sony: Revolutionary User Interface; Social Connectivity; Location-based Entertainment; Converging Real and Virtual; and PlayStation Suite Compatibility. But what does that mean? For starters, the new hardware features dual analog sticks; a 5-inch OLED display (with 960x544 resolution -- four times the PSP's); a front touchscreen and rear touchpad (woah!); 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS; and, for good measure, the same six-axis motion system that propels the Move, plus a three-axis compass -- oh, and we can't forget the front and rear cameras (those come standard these days). Of course, the NGP plays games, too, which will be offered on new flash memory–based cards (so long UMD!) that feature added storage for DLC and game saves. The NGP is coming this holiday season. Update: Complete hardware specs, provided by Sony, are posted after the break.
HTC Arrive and Kyocera Echo bow for Sprint?
Okay, armchair sleuths, this one's for you -- we've got two very legit-looking logos here, but not a lot of proof. Our tipster tells us that both of these high-quality vector graphics are the names of upcoming devices for Sprint, with the HTC Arrive (née Ruby) allegedly an upcoming Windows Phone 7 device, while Kyocera Echo is apparently the retail name for the phone internally known as the Sanyo Orange. It just so happens that the trademark for "HTC Arrive" was registered the very same day we received this logo, so we think we're onto something here, but the truth of the matter is that all of these codenames are falling on virgin ears. [Thanks, anonymous]
AMD publishes CPU roadmaps through 2012, runs a quad-core Bulldozer through the laptop realm
Heard of Trinity, Krishna, Wichita and Komodo? You have now -- they're the codenames of brand-new processors that AMD plans to ship in 2012. AMD dropped preliminary details on the basic platform lineup earlier this week, and it looks like there are some sweeping changes in store -- like the fact that every single chip will have a DirectX 11 capable GPU on board in true Fusion style. Also, if you thought Bulldozer was a desktop processor and Bobcat limited to laptops, you'll be interested to know that's not at all how it's going to work -- powerhouse notebooks and mid-range towers can get the same four high-end cores in the form of a 32nm Trinity APU, while Krishna and Wichita mop up the low-end and hopefully address low power consumption scenarios with 28nm silicon. Of course, there's a little something extra for the desktop enthusiast, and that's where the octa-core Komodo will come in (picture after the break). AMD's also enacted one other very important change, and that's to provide the handy-dandy AMD Codename Decoder™ for telling all these platforms apart. You'll find it at our more coverage link. We kid you not.
New Palm device codenames revealed in webOS 2.0 code?
Had any doubts that HP would deliver multiple new phones? Here's a little something that should make you slightly less unsure. Homebrew hub WebOS Internals spent last week digging through SFR's webOS 2.0 build for the Palm Pre 2, and surfaced with the names Broadway, Windsor, Mantaray and Stingray, as well as the Roadrunner you're likely already familiar with. More telling, these five codenames appeared in a string designed to display the message "temporarily not restoring logs for newer devices," meaning they're all very likely as fresh as can be. Let's hope we can pin them to some fancy new hardware before the year is through.
ATI leaks out Southern Islands codenames for next-gen GPUs
Um, oops? ATI's latest Catalyst driver release has dished out some info that we imagine the company didn't want to reveal quite yet. The names of some Southern Islands have been spotted -- Cayman and Antilles appear to be the flagship chips -- suggesting a refresh to the critically acclaimed Evergreen line of GPUs may not be far off. Rumors have been swirling for a while about ATI's reputed shift to island-based nomenclature, and while hard specs are nowhere to be found, we can see that the Red Team is planning an overhaul with no less than 10 new additions to its roster. Hardly unpredictable, but good to know that ATI has something to counter NVIDIA's heart-stealing GTX 460. [Thanks, Jack]
Codename bringing original indie games to PlayStation Home
Sony has announced a partnership with upstart independent game label Codename that will see a variety of games from indie devs released on PlayStation Home, beginning with four revealed today that are due over "the course of the next several months." The group includes Dueling Gentlemen from Odd Gentlemen (Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom) which, as its title suggests, will see Home inhabitants squaring off one-on-one in a classic battle of honor. The hook: Duels will take place live on stage in Home's Central Plaza. Addiitonally, Lazy 8 Studios is bringing its unique 3D puzzler Cogs to Home as a Central Plaza spectacle, complete with multiplayer. Super Awesome Mountain RPG -- a board game/RPG mash-up from Codename itself -- and Minor Battle, Peanut Gallery's Indiecade award-winning, team-based platformer round out what we here at Joystiq HQ are calling "The Most Excited We've Been About Home in Forever Collection." The official announcement is posted after the break.
Slim Amazon Kindle 'Shasta' to be first with WiFi?
You know what Amazon's Kindle doesn't have? No, we're not talking about color, the other thing. Right, WiFi. That looks set to change when the rumored slimster -- codenamed "Shasta" -- launches in August. The screencap above displaying the results of an internal Amazon device query shows entries for "Shasta" and "Shasta WiFi." That would seem to indicate that Amazon's next reader will launch in two flavors: WiFi + 3G and 3G-only (our source isn't sure). There's even an outside chance that one could be a WiFi-only device. Another grab after the break. Oh, and here's an interesting footnote: the original Kindle was apparently codenamed "Fiona" after Fiona Hackworth in Neal Stephenson's novel The Diamond Age. Many of the names in the device list above -- Nell (the protagonist), Miranda (mother figure to Nell), and Turing (i.e., Turing Machines) -- are all related to that very same story. What we can't figure out is how the word "Shasta" fits into all this so lay it on us Cyberpunks if you know. Update: Freddo411 seems to have nailed it in the comments: Shasta, Lassen, and Mazama are all volcanoes in the Cascades.
HTC Glacier, LED, and Vision among next round of vague codenames?
Start that wild imagination of yours running, because you're going to need it to make sense of this little tidbit. A tipster who claims (and gives us visual evidence as proof) that he was able to root out HTC product names like Incredible and Legend months before release on some sort of internal component bidding site has sent us a new shot showing three names we haven't heard before: "Glacier," "LED," and "Vision." Vision is listed with "TMO" next to it, suggesting it's coming to T-Mobile -- though we've no idea whether that's referring T-Mobile's European or American branch, which typically operate with virtually zero overlap. Glacier sounds like a phone that's either really slow, really cold, or is rapidly disappearing due to environmental forces beyond HTC's control, and LED sounds like... well, Light Emitting Diode. Yep, your guess is as good as ours. [Thanks, foil]
HTC wants some help naming a phone, turns to Facebook users
HTC is known for being one of the more prolific codenamers in the entire wireless industry, going all the way back to the early days with unforgettable devices like the Canary and Blue Angel, but let's be honest: thinking up awesome names for all these phones when you're pumping out dozens of models a year gets tricky after a while. The English language is only so big, right? On that note, HTC has turned to its Facebook followers to come up with a name for "something new" that it's got cooking in the labs right now, and the choices are "Jovi," "Zeal," "Wildfire," and "Festi." Of course, we think that the nature of the device plays a big role in our choice (Jovi would be a good name for a washed-up phone with last year's specs, for instance), but the company isn't revealing an iota of detail about it, so we've gotta do this blind.
TUAW exclusive: Makers of Aurora Feint unveil new game, codenamed "VSL"
Aurora Feint was one of the iPhone's first big games, way back in the early days of the App Store. Since then, the company behind that first hit has added on a few different games in the same universe, each with their own separate features and focus, but all in the same vein of puzzle-based RPG. Today, Aurora Feint, Inc. has pulled back the curtain just slightly to reveal their very first original effort since that initial App Store release. The game is only codenamed so far -- they're calling it "VSL" -- but the developers at Aurora Feint plan to turn it into a "showcase" of what's possible with Apple's new policy of allowing free apps to provide content on demand. Above is the very first screenshot of the yet-to-be revealed game, and TUAW got a chance to talk exclusively with both Peter Relan and Jason Citron of Aurora Feint about the new game, what it'll be like, and how it'll integrate with their growing social gaming platform, OpenFeint. Click the link below to read on.
Sneak peek at Sony Ericsson's Elena and Sophia?
Sony Ericsson, like Apple, has a faithful collective of rumor hounds chasing after tidbits on its newest handsets; while we're frequently skeptical (why all the blurry pics?) we do love 'em and the insight they occasionally provide. We've heard various bits and bobs about the M610i and K850i -- codenamed Elena and Sophia, respectively -- and judging by the shots above, they both are starting to look a little more legit. Specs are still unclear, though the word is the K850i will be packing a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, xenon flash, a metal body, and judging by the pic above, a really crazy-looking key layout. The M610i will apparently replace the M600i as a business users' handset and add a 3.2 megapixel cam to the mix, a feature sorely missed in the M600i. No prices, availability, or concrete specs yet, but we'll do our darndest to keep the updates flowing as we get them.[Thanks, Michael and David]
Rumor: Revolution to be renamed this Thursday
According to CVG, there's "a strong whisper that the Revolution's real name will finally be confirmed this week" at GDC.Satoru Iwata's disruptive GDC keynote, scheduled for Thursday at 10:30 AM PT (1:30 PM ET) to 11:30 AM PT, would be the perfect opportunity to reveal the new name for Nintendo's next console.The other rumor--regarding a highly unlikely June launch for the machine still code-named Revolution--was a lot less believable. Then again, this week's events could simply confirm that the Big N's going with its hardware code name for the Rev as it did for the DS. Questions, questions... hopefully we'll have some answers this Thursday.[Via Gamecloud]See also: Joystiq @ GDC: In the beginning... [a few upcoming GDC highlights] Revolution's real name and final form to be revealed in May Revolution still just a "codename?" Nintendo overhauls the DS [but keeps the code name]
