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OMAP 5's dual A15 cores wipe the floor with four A9s in browsing benchmark
We've seen Texas Instrument's OMAP 5 in action, but we haven't been able to pit it directly against a competitor. The Dallas company must be growing more and more confident in its product however, as its posted a video demoing its pair of A15 cores alongside an unspecified quad-core A9 part -- presumably the Tegra 3. The video shows the next-gen TI part powering through the EEMBC BrowsingBench in 95 seconds, while its opposition takes a whopping 201. What's more, this thrashing was performed by an 800MHz part -- the four A9s were clocked at 1.3GHz. Of course, Tegra 3s are already in shipping products, while the OMAP 5 might not find a home in consumer devices before 2013. It's also unclear just how much of a hit these new high-powered ARM cores will have on battery life or how much the pair of M4 companion cores helped in the benchmark. Head on after the break to watch a pair of tablets load up 20 websites in quick succession.
Nike+ FuelBand's internals get splayed at the FCC
All of these wrist-mounted fitness gizmos are pretty nifty, but we always wonder how they get those rigid circuit boards into such an unsuitable form-factor. Well, thanks to those scalpel-happy boffins at the FCC's underground bunker, wonder no more. Nike's FuelBand was wheeled in on a trolley and torn (quite literally) to pieces, and we felt we just had to share the pictures with you. A long peruse of the user manual revealed that the two metal extender links (for bigger-wristed enthusiasts) have to be swapped out using a sizing tool -- but the manual notes that if one isn't to hand, a bent paperclip will suffice. The documents also revealed that it's using a TI CC2564 Bluetooth radio and a stack provided by Stonestreet One. The monopole antenna is etched directly into the substrate of the flexible circuit board -- ensuring it'll bend around your bones and still operate. We also learned that once connected to your cellphone, it'll sit in a low-power "sniff mode," for two minutes and if there's no further activity it'll shut down. Of course, what's interesting to you (and us, honestly) is all the pictures in the second gallery, so get looking!
Disney Mobile on DoCoMo brand launches with two new Android phones in Japan
It appears Disney's mobile efforts in Japan are going pretty well, and with the help of carrier NTT DoCoMo they're expanding under the joint "Disney Mobile on DoCoMo" brand name. The partnership is kicking off with two new Android-powered handsets launching over the next couple of months that pack in access to exclusive content from Disney like full-length animations, games, wallpapers and more. First up is the F-08D (left), a "luxury smartphone" that features silhouettes of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, a 4.3-inch HD (720x1280) LCD display, dual cameras and 1.2Ghz dual-core OMAP4430 CPU available in pink or white next month with preorders opening up February 17th. Next up is the P-05D (right), which has a slim 7.8mm thick frame, rear camera and 4.3-inch 540x960 res OLED screen all powered by a dual-core 1Ghz CPU that will launch at some point in March. Check out the press releases after the break for a few more details on each of these Japan-only cellphones, or hit the source link for even more specs -- no word yet on pricetags or which version of Android these will end up launching with.
Notion Ink explains OMAP over Tegra decision for the Adam II
While which chip ends up in a particular device will significantly affect its performance and access to future upgrades, it's not often that we get to peek behind the curtain and find out why those decisions were made. A post on Notion Ink's new Adam II development blog adds some transparency to the process, discussing the switch from an NVIDIA Tegra chip in its first Adam slate to a TI OMAP solution in the just announced tablet. According to the blog, while theoretical performance marks are nice, the company decided its expertise and that of available programmers would let it squeeze the most out of a Texas Instruments chip, as opposed to its first effort that didn't "fully utilize" the power of Tegra. Hit the source link for more details and a breakdown of some of the tech packed into the OMAP4 CPU, and keep an eye on the blog for more details in the run up to the Adam II's release.
Texas Instruments 2011 Q4 earnings: $3.42 billion in revenue, $298 million in profit
It's that special time of year after CES, when many tech companies regale us with their latest earnings reports. Texas Instruments is the most recent firm to divulge its financials, and while the company isn't breaking any records, it did beat Wall Street's expectations. TI pulled in $3.42 billion in revenue, a three percent dip from the previous year, and profit dropped to $298 million from the $942 million it made in Q4 2010. While the company's spinning the numbers as a positive, stating that orders for its chips are up and its revenue beat estimates, the fact that TI's closing two manufacturing plants over the next year and a half doesn't paint such a rosy picture. Of course, if the future with OMAP 5 is as good as we think it is, Texas Instruments should be just fine.
Notion Ink's Adam II promises TI OMAP CPUs, Ice Cream Sandwich, broken dreams
Notion Ink's teaming up with TI in order to get at its OMAP4xx silicon for the forthcoming Adam II tablet. It'll also be jamming in the company's Wi-Link 7.0 and Phoenix Audio gear onto the Ice Cream Sandwich-running slate. The chip was apparently chosen thanks to its modular setup, HD visuals and powerful low-energy multitasking. Novice owners will also get their hands on a modular software architecture which will let casual users develop specific applications using a drag-and-drop interface. It's pitching that functionality at home-brewers, students and professionals who can tailor the software to meet a specific need, casually mentioning that it could be used for signal processing, 3D modeling or medical imaging. Do we hear expectations being raised to unrealistic levels again? Given our experiences with the original, we suspect the answer is: "Yes."
CES 2012: interview roundup (video)
The Engadget stage was home to many an interview at this year's CES. Many, many interviews. Given the deluge of guests we hosted in Las Vegas this year, you could be forgiven for not keeping up -- for throwing up your hands in exasperation and making a sandwich to heal the hurt. You could, but you won't. That's because this year, we thought it'd be a good idea to corral all of our CES 2012 interviews into one big metallic box, and hand-pick only the plumpest, juiciest and most eyebrow-arching ones for your enjoyment. We then took those select few and put them in a smaller, spotlit box, which was affixed atop the aforementioned metallic box with a butterfly shaped bow and maybe some duck fat. Add some mood lighting, a splash of bourbon, and voilà. It's the CES 2012 interview roundup, and it's after the break.
TI's wireless charger for tablets does amazing things with electrons, sticky tape
Either TI has the hots for Arduino in a big way, or its latest wireless charging kit isn't quite ready for mass production. When it does arrive, however, it promises to do away with those cumbersome specialized sleeves and back covers that are currently needed for inductive charging. Instead, it'll deliver efficient in a package that's small enough to be installed as part of a device's internal circuitry. In addition to the Qi-standard 5W version we glimpsed a while back, the company is also working on a 10W variant for the iPad 2 and other tablets, which could wipe the smile off LaunchPort's face and perhaps make MicroUSB 3.0 superfluous before it even gets here.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Texas Instruments (update: video embedded)
If you heard that Engadget would be scoring some one on one time here on stage with TI, you would be right. Texas Instruments has been in the gadget industry longer than most, and we've got a lot of catching up to do. Join us here live at 8:30PM ET. Update: Interview video is now embedded.
Texas Instruments demos first OMAP 5, Android 4.0-based reference design, promises it in laptops next year (video)
Texas Instruments promised us a new helping of OMAP right around a year ago, and sure enough, OMAP 5 processors will be sampling to partners as early as next week. Texas Instruments' Remi El-Ouazzane (VP of OMAP) just debuted an OMAP 5-based reference design (or "development platform," if you will) on our CES stage, a solid four years after OMAP 3 debuted on a nondescript Archos tablet. OMAP 5 brings along a pair of cores and plenty of power savings, a dual-GPU architecture and more raw horsepower than the average simpleton is used to handling in a single palm. We saw quite a bit of swiping through Android 4.0.1, and as you'd expect, everything looked decidedly snappy. 720p video at 30 frames per second is no real chore, with the platform capable of pushing 1080p material at 64 frames per second (130 frames per second without screen refresh limitations). Of course, with everything being hardware accelerated, we can't feign surprise about its future on netbooks and laptops. To quote Remi: "This is the greatest platform on Earth right now... way ahead of Apple, and it's the first Cortex-A15 (which runs 2x faster than the Cortex-A9) product on the market. When running two Cortex-A15 chips at 800MHz, it's more or less the same performance as running two Cortex-A9s at 1.5GHz. You'll see [commercially available products] ramping up with this stuff in late 2012 or early 2013. We are also running Windows 8 on the latest OMAP; it runs perfectly well, and we've been working very closely with Microsoft. We're working on multiple form factors -- tablets, thin-and-lights -- and we think ARM is going to bring tablets to the masses."He also made clear that he's hoping to bring more and more Android into the enterprise, therefore accelerating the proliferation of the OS as a whole. Moreover, he told us to "expect" OMAP 5 in laptops and Ultrabooks running Windows 8, and alluded to the possibility of seeing the first ones by CES 2013. Have a peek at the first-ever reference demo in the gallery below, and have a look at the video just past the break.
TI promises 33 percent drop in power consumption with new Bluetooth system-on-chip
Bluetooth may enable a whole host of different wireless possibilities, but that often comes at the expense of one important factor: battery life. Texas Instruments is hoping to make that slightly less of an issue with its new CC2541 Bluetooth system-on-a-chip, however, which promises a 33 percent reduction in power consumption compared to its previous CC2540 SoC. That's done without changing the configuration of the chip itself, which means manufacturers will be able to switch to the new design without making any major changes to their own devices -- it's intended for use in everything from sports and fitness gadgets to home automation equipment. The full rundown of specs can be found in the press release after the break.
Texas Instruments unveils new car infotainment processors, wireless systems
Texas Instruments wants to add a little extra pizazz to your morning commute, with a set of new car infotainment processors and connectivity platforms. Unveiled today at CES, the company's new line of Jacinto C6000 and auto-friendly OMAP mobile processors boast 3D graphics accelerators capable of supporting 1080p HD video playback. The Jacinto C6000 systems additionally feature digital signal processors (DSPs) that will allow manufacturers to customize their own radio, audio and speech capabilities to onboard apps. TI also took the opportunity to unveil its new WiLink 7.0 (WL128x-Q) and BlueLink 7.0 (BL6450-Q) wireless "solutions" today. These combo-platforms bring WiFI, Bluetooth, GPS and FM technologies on a single chip -- something TI heralds as an industry first. What this means, then, is that drivers would be able to turn their car into a bona fide WiFi hotspot while simultaneously conducting Bluetooth business, without breaking a stride. For more details on the new technologies, check out the PR after the break.
MasterImage 3D touts 720p glasses-free 3D smartphone display, WUXGA tablet panel
3D had its way with CES 2011, and despite throngs of consumers who could not possibly care less, it looks as if the third dimension will be doing its best to seem important at this year's gala, too. MasterImage 3D has just announced that it'll be showcasing a pair of new panels here in Las Vegas, with both relying on cell-matrix parallax barrier technology to pull off the "glasses-free" effect. Up first is a CMI-rivaling 720p HD 3D display meant for 4.3-inch smartphones; given the popularity of the EVO 3D, we're guessing it won't take HTC too long to snap a couple of these up in a bid to concoct an equally successful successor. Over on the tablet front, there's a 10.1-incher with a native WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) resolution, but there's no word yet on any OEMs selecting it for use on their next slate. We're told that all of the demos given will rely on Texas Instruments' OMAP4430 and OMAP4460 mobile processors, and not surprisingly, Android will be the OS underneath. We'll have a gander once the show floor opens up, but something tells us it'll look precisely like every other glasses-free 3D application: subpar.
Neonode's NN1001 optical touch controller tracks gestures with any object, 'gloved fingers' included
Neonode's name isn't plastered on your spate of gizmos, but if you've purchased a touchscreen-based device in the past year or so, there's a better-than-average chance that it's technology is tucked within. In the run-up to CES, the outfit is introducing the world's first ultra-low power single-chip optical touch controller, NN1001. This guy was developed in cooperation with Texas Instruments, specifically designed to shave costs and increase performance / functionality for smartphones, tablets, e-readers and automotive applications. The device has a scanning speed of 1,000 Hz (latency down to one millisecond) and consumes less than 1mW at 100Hz; better still, it'll track any high-speed multi-touch gesture with any object (including a finger, gloved finger and passive pens). We're told that it'll work in single or multiple configurations to support screen sizes up to 20 inches, but there's no clear view as to what products are lined up to receive it. That said, we're promised an early look of an automotive application at CES, where it'll head into the public world in the latter half of 2012.
Amazon Kindle Fire review
It seems like ages since Amazon introduced us to the $199 Fire at a hectic New York City event, but in truth that was only about six weeks ago. Maybe our perception of time is warped because we've been hearing talk about this 7-inch Android tablet for months now. Maybe it's because Amazon launching a tablet seemed like such a natural thing to do after Barnes & Noble paved the way with its Nook Color. Or, maybe it's just because the gadget Amazon shipped looks nigh-identical to the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook that we've had for, well, ages.For whatever the reason, what Amazon has delivered is a device that is intimately familiar yet mysterious -- a simple, minimalistic exterior design hiding a flashy, seemingly quite trick customization that's sitting atop a decidedly ho-hum Android Gingerbread build. Our questions leading up to this review were many: How will it handle sideloading? Are the battery life and performance better than the PlayBook? Can a tablet that costs two hundred bucks stand a chance against those that cost two and three times as much? C'mon baby, click on through to find out.%Gallery-139262%
Motorola Atrix 2 review
Lapdock 100 brings a Webtop IQ boost to Moto phones on Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T Sony Music Unlimited arrives for Android tablets, bearing gifts of unlimited music Motorola Atrix 4G, HD multimedia dock, and laptop dock hands-on We've seen a lot of game-changing devices this year, haven't we? 2011 has already witnessed the first Honeycomb tablets, the influx of LTE and the introduction of a boatload of smartphones with dual-core processors. One of those groundbreaking devices was the Motorola Atrix 4G, which we called the best smartphone at CES 2011 because of its powerful Tegra 2 SoC and simply innovative Webtop operating system with an accompanying Lapdock. It was new, and it was powerful. Not even ten months after the Atrix's February 22nd launch, we're already seeing its successor, aptly named the Atrix 2. At the risk of sounding blunt, it's not a groundbreaking device -- aside from a few bumps in specs, larger display and a fresh redesign, it doesn't offer the same level of showmanship or innovation so eagerly demonstrated in the first iteration. But does the sequel compensate for the lack of sizzle? How much does this improve over the original? Does the newest version of the Lapdock satisfy? We'll answer these questions and so much more after the break. %Gallery-137617%
Nokia Lumia 800 vs. Nokia N9: the tale of the tape
Sure, they might look the same, but are they actually the same? Inside that smooth, shapely polycarbonate shell lies internals that are actually significantly different between these two. How different? Well, the guy on the left, the newly-unveiled Lumia 800, has a 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor paired with 512MB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The guy on the right? That's the ill-fated N9, and it packs a 1GHz TI OMAP chip with 1GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage. Inside the chart below lies the information you need, and the details you crave.
Nokia N9 review
MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012 Want a Nokia N9 in the US? Expansys has some, but it'll cost ya Motorola Droid 2 stars in its first video, touts 1GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM? It's taken a long time for Nokia's MeeGo-packing N9 to make its way into our top-secret labs (the N9 moniker was first applied to early E7 prototypes), but it's here in our dirty little hands, at last, and it's glorious -- well, as glorious as a stillborn product can be, anyway. The N9 is the latest and greatest in a long line of quirky, interesting, yet ultimately flawed touchscreen experiments from Nokia that includes the Hildon-sporting 7710, a series of Maemo-based "internet tablets" (770, N800, N810, N900) and most recently, the N950 MeeGo handset for developers. What makes the N9 special is that it represents Nokia's last flagship phone as an independent player. MeeGo is already dead, and future high-end devices from the manufacturer will run Windows Phone and use Microsoft's services. So, is this the company's final bittersweet hurrah? Did MeeGo ever stand a chance against Android, iOS and Mango? In its attempt to stay relevant, is Nokia throwing out the baby with the bathwater? Most importantly, how does the N9 fare in today's merciless dual-core world? Find out after the break. %Gallery-137175%
Biscotti TV dunked in the FCC's latte, still a bit hard
Webcams have certainly narrowed the distance between loved ones, but it's hard to argue that two people hovering over their laptop screens can rival an in-person conversation. Moving things over to the big screen could make the exchange much more comfortable for everyone involved -- you just need an HDTV, and a Biscotti. The small black box should be ready to turn the biggest screen in your home into a high definition video phone fairly soon, having just landed in the FCC's living room. Packed inside is a camera, microphone and 802.11b/g/n WiFi -- plug the contraption into your TV and you can instantly make calls to family and friends, with no monthly charges. A pair of HDMI ports let the device serve as a bridge between your television and cable box, so folks with limited connections don't have to choose between Dad and Mr. Mom. Biscotti will also interact with computers, tablets and smartphones via an as-yet unnamed "video player" to bring life-sized video chat to the masses. There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but if the FCC has finished nibbling at it, then it shouldn't be long before we get a taste ourselves.
Archos 80 G9 review
Archos debuts Arnova 9 G2 Android tablet, offers Gingerbread on a 9.7-inch IPS display Nokia to release Windows 8 tablets this June, top drawer Lumia in the works? Velocity Micro Cruz T410 Gingerbread tablet will run you a penny under $300 As far as tablets go, a couple of interesting things are going to happen between now and the holiday season. One, we're going to see a glut of smaller 7- and 8-inch tablets running Honeycomb (like this, this and this) hit the market. And if the Kindle Fire and Acer Iconia Tab A100 are any indication, they're going to be cheaper, making slates palatable to folks who previously couldn't bring themselves to spend $500 on a plaything. The Archos 80 G9, then, is the perfect specimen on both counts. Here you have an 8-inch tablet running Android 3.2 with a kickstand and full-sized USB port -- costing just $300 for the base model ($270, even, on sites like Amazon). So how does it stack up against other diminutive, aggressively priced tablets? Let's see. %Gallery-134564%
