Monday, August 17, 2009

NVIDIA confirms Tegra processor within Zune HD, details it real good

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/nvidia-confirms-tegra-processor-within-zune-hd-details-it-real/


It's no big secret that NVIDIA's potent Tegra chip will be powering Microsoft's forthcoming Zune HD, but up until now, the former company had been rather quiet about its involvement in the project. Just a few days after the OLED-equipped portable media player went up for pre-order around the web, NVIDIA has stepped in to affirm that its own Tegra processor will be "providing the multimedia muscle in Zune HD." We're told that no fewer than eight independent processors make up Tegra's collective whole, with each one engineered for a specific class of tasks; among them are an HD video processor, an audio processor, a graphics processor and two ARM cores. Each of the chips can work together or independently to minimize power consumption, and the built-in nPower technology is said to optimize system power use and enable extended HD video / MP3 playback time. Sounds good in print, but we've got just under a month to find out how it performs for real.

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NVIDIA confirms Tegra processor within Zune HD, details it real good originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's big plans for OLED HDTVs may slip to next year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/sonys-big-plans-for-oled-hdtvs-may-slip-to-next-year/


Hope you weren't too attached to the idea of "medium to large" sized OLED HDTVs coming from Sony this year, according to the Wall Street Journal's sources, the company's slipping share of TV sales mean profitability takes precedence over sweet, super slim new displays. Surprised by its inability to sell truckloads of $2,500 11-inch versions CEO Howard Stringer decided to put the project on the back burner, apparently more focused on things like competing in Wal-Mart and implementing cheaper LED technology for its LCDs. With LG also on a timetable that puts us a year or more away from seeing one of these on store shelves in decent sizes, things are up to Samsung to bring it home -- we're waiting.

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Sony's big plans for OLED HDTVs may slip to next year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Timeline 1810T gets renamed and reviewed ahead of imminent US release

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/16/acer-timeline-1810t-gets-renamed-and-reviewed-ahead-of-imminent/

With a 1.4GHz Intel SU3500 chip, up to 4GB of memory and a 1366 x 768 display, Acer's 11.6-inch Timeline 1810T threatens to bridge the usability gap between netbooks and workhorse laptops. And now that the first review has come in, we can say that the verdict is... well, ambivalent. Multitasking, battery life and general build quality scored the thumbs up, but the glossy screen and casing weren't so well received, and 1080p and Flash video playback were hit-and-miss. Set to be known as the Aspire 1410 in the US, this grown-up netbook is expected to arrive pretty soon, with some online retailers already offering pre-orders at $450. The video review is after the break, or hit the read link to check out the unboxing and more extensive thoughts on the laptop.

[Via Netbooked]

Read - 1810T to be sold as 1410 in US
Read - 1810T / 1410 unboxing and review

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Acer Timeline 1810T gets renamed and reviewed ahead of imminent US release originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 3i smartphone gets official outing in China

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/dell-mini-3i-smartphone-gets-official-outing-in-china/

At last, the much rumored Dell cellphone has made its first official appearance. The 3.5-inch 360 x 640 pixel device with capacitive touchscreen was on display in China running the Android-based Open Mobile System (OMS). The Mini 3i was on-hand as part of the launch of China Mobile's new Application Platform that offers music, video, and app downloads to mobile phones from Nokia, Samsung, LG, and apparently, Dell. The candybar device lacks WiFi (or Chinese WAPI) and is strictly 2G GSM (no 3G) but does come with a 3 megapixel camera, microSD slot, Bluetooth, and 950mAh battery. Guess now we know why the early prototypes were met by a collective meh by mobile carriers earlier this year. No idea when this will ship but it looks China-bound for at least the near future. A few more pics after the break.

[Via Cloned In China]

Read -- China Mobile's Application Platform
Read -- Dell cooperating with China Mobile
Read -- Dell Mini 3i unveil

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Dell Mini 3i smartphone gets official outing in China originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World's smallest laser cracks open the door to THz CPU race

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/worlds-smallest-laser-cracks-open-the-door-to-thz-cpu-race/

So you thought 100nm was about as narrow as lasers could get, huh? Well think again brother, because scientists at Norfolk State University have now demonstrated a 44nm 'spaser' that performs a laser's functions by the alternative means of surface plasmons. By using such an unorthodox technique, the researchers have been able to overcome the minimum size limitation to lasers, and they even claim spasers could be made as small as 1nm in diameter. Peeking into the (not too near) future, this could improve magnetic data storage beyond its current physical limits, and even lead to the development of optical computers that "can operate at hundreds of terahertz" -- and here you were, thinking that your brand spanking new Core i7 system with Blu-ray was future-proof.

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World's smallest laser cracks open the door to THz CPU race originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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