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Saturday, December 05, 2009

Intel's Larrabee graphics processor delayed, downsized to mere software development platform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/05/intels-larrabee-graphics-processor-delayed-downsized-to-mere-s/

Well. NVIDIA has to be loving this. Intel has announced today that not only is its Larrabee graphics chip delayed, that chip which promised to usher in a new era of post-GPU computing, but that it's been downgraded to a "software development platform." Intel isn't even saying what that "software development" will be aimed at, though we have to assume it would be some future version of the hybrid GPU / CPU chip. As to when the kit itself might arrive is anybody's guess, Intel is merely saying "next year." Meanwhile we can look forward to Intel's first example of a GPU / CPU hybrid in the upcoming Pineview Atom processor, which kicks those lackluster integrated graphics to the curb and moves everything onto the CPU. Who knows if that will be enough to quell the NVIDIA's quiet takeover of the higher-end netbook space with its ION graphics, but with Intel's current track record in the graphics space, we doubt it.

Intel's Larrabee graphics processor delayed, downsized to mere software development platform originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Direct Insight debuts SODIMM-sized, ARM-based computer-on-a-module

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/05/direct-insight-debuts-sodimm-sized-arm-based-computer-on-a-modu/

Well, it may not exactly be the computer everyone's been pining for, but those that have dreamed of an ARM Cortex-A8-based computer on a SODIMM module now finally one to call their own. That comes in the form of Direct Insight's new TRITON-TX51, which outdoes the Nokia N900 with an 800MHz Cortex-A8 processor, along with Freescale's i.MX515 system-on-a-chip, 128MB DDR400 RAM, 128MB of NAND flash, and a touchscreen controller that can drive screens at resolutions up to 1,280 x 768. You'll also get some other things nice to have on a computer like a 10/100 ethernet controller and a USB 2.0 interface, and even a reasonably capable PowerVR graphics engine that can do OpenGL ES 2.0 and hardware 720p decoding for MPEG-4/H264 video. Look for this one to land sometime next month for €150 (or just over $220).

Direct Insight debuts SODIMM-sized, ARM-based computer-on-a-module originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Arrington says CrunchPad litigation is "imminent," provides more details -- but where's the contract?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/05/michael-arrington-says-crunchpad-litigation-is-imminent-provi/

The strange saga of the CrunchPad is getting even stranger: although Fusion Garage has a press conference scheduled for Monday, the company's apparently been hinting to some members of the press that the split with Michael Arrington was no surprise, and that TechCrunch didn't actually contribute anything of value to the CrunchPad. As you'd expect, that's got Arrington on the warpath. In a post titled "CrunchPad Litigation Imminent," he offers up an email from Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan and two letters dispatched from his lawyers to both Fusion Garage and would-be CrunchPad ODM Pegatron that paint a much different picture: Chandra calls the split "out of the blue," Pegatron won't produce anything without TechCrunch's "explicit approval," and there was apparently even talk of merger between Fusion Garage and Arrington's CrunchPad, Inc. That certainly puts the timeline into dispute, but Mike's various CrunchPad intellectual property claims are far less solid, and unexpectedly weak -- even if you completely accept Arrington's side of the story, his CrunchPad dealings simply don't reflect his reputation as a bulldog Silicon Valley attorney. Let's break 'em down:

Arrington claims he's the "outright owner of the CrunchPad trademark," but that's simply not true: the CrunchPad trademark was only applied for on November 17, the same day Arrington says Fusion Garage notified him of the split. Oops -- and even stranger because Arrington's said the CrunchPad was due to be launched on November 20. Why wasn't this sewn up months ago?
Assuming there isn't some secret CrunchPad patent application we don't know about, the only major rights we can see TechCrunch asserting to the CrunchPad device have to do with the copyright to the code , and that's a total mess. Since Arrington apparently didn't draw up a contract giving him sole copyright to the CrunchPad's code, he and his lawyers are arguing that TechCrunch and Fusion Garage are "joint owners" to any rights, and that's just about the weakest position Arrington can be in. Joint copyright owners are legally considered to have equal rights to the entire product, and unless there's a written agreement (see how that keeps coming up?) saying they both have to sign off, each joint owner is allowed to non-exclusively sell the entire thing without the other's approval. In our experience it's pretty rare for joint copyright ownership to be an ideal business arrangement, and we can't imagine how Arrington got to within three days of launching the CrunchPad without hammering out the details of who owned what.
In fact, the most notable thing about the letter from Arrington's lawyers to Fusion Garage is that it doesn't contain any contractual language whatsoever -- it only references emails and conversations between the two companies. That's particularly odd because the letter to Pegatron says TechCrunch will be suing for breach of contract, so you'd think Arrington's attorneys would be laser-focused on his contractual rights if he could assert them. Then again, you'd think Arrington would have known better than to start this project without doing the appropriate paperwork first, so really anything's possible.

Now, we could be totally wrong about all of this: we haven't heard anything directly from Fusion Garage, and there very well could be contracts we haven't seen. But for right now, we're absolutely mystified as to how Michael Arrington -- who, again, is an attorney -- found himself in this position, and we're still mildly convinced this is all some kind of stunt. We're sure there's more drama to come, stay tuned.

Gallery: Letter to Jason Cheng (Pegatron Corp)

Gallery: Letter to Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan (Fusion Garage)

Michael Arrington says CrunchPad litigation is "imminent," provides more details -- but where's the contract? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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StylePix Image Editor Packs a Big Punch In a Little Package [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Ip5ZdXjZqFE/stylepix-image-editor-packs-a-big-punch-in-a-little-package

Windows: Labor-intensive image editing jobs need heavy-hitting applications to get the job done. If you're just looking for a lightweight tool to slap on a netbook or thumb drive for quick photo editing, StylePix might be just what you need.

StylePix image editor has plenty of bells and whistles to help you easily manage and edit your photos, no matter what your level of experience. It supports all major image formats, including .png, .tif, .gif, .bmp, and more. Zoom in and out, adjust colors and hues, batch process, and, transform your pictures in loads of different ways.

Use the included drawing tools to erase, spray, brush, and add shapes to your pictures, or use one of the image filters to morph, sharpen, or blur it. StylePix can lighten or darken your image, and even remove red-eye and dust.

StylePix a terrific little app that offers a lot of editing options but doesn't take a degree in computer science to work with. Weighing in at only 20 MB, its small footprint makes it an ideal portable tool to take with you on the go.

StylePix is a free app that works on Windows XP or higher. If you're looking for a similar tool, don't forget to check out one of our favorite Photoshop alternatives, Paint.NET.

StylePix