Apple and Intel unveil Thunderbolt I/O technology

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-unveils-thunderbolt/

So it's perhaps not the most original moniker that Apple and Intel could have chosen, but it's here just the same. After years of waiting Apple has launched its implementation of Intel's Light Peak standard and it's called Thunderbolt. It's making its appearance on new MacBook Pro models and it's promising 10Gb/second transfer rates. That's dual-channel, too so you'll get 10Gb/sec both to and from your devices. Apple suggests this will be useful for external RAID arrays, Gigabit Ethernet adapters, and also mentions support for "FireWire and USB consumer devices" along with HDMI, DVI, and VGA over DisplayPort. Apple expects that Thunderbolt will be "widely adopted as a new standard for high performance I/O," but we think the USB 3.0 crew might have a thing or two to say about that. Full PR is embedded below.

Update: Intel has thrown up its page on the technology, and it looks like the Light Peak name is officially no more. Intel indicates this speed will be enough to transfer a full-length HD movie (roughly 10 - 20GB in size) in less than 30 seconds. Intel also reinforces that this is compatible with existing DisplayPort devices and it also uses the PCI Express protocol for enhanced compatibility. Daisy-chaining will be possible, along with bus-powered devices, and cables can be made using either optical or electrical construction.

Continue reading Apple and Intel unveil Thunderbolt I/O technology

Apple and Intel unveil Thunderbolt I/O technology originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-refreshes-macbook-pro-family-with-sandy-bridge-processors/

Come on, you knew this was coming! Oh yes, Apple's pulling the curtain off its new MacBook Pro family, and compared to the last refresh cycle, there are a serious amount of updates. Just as we had heard, all three will be getting new Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6000M graphics (bye bye, NVIDIA!), FaceTime HD cameras, and some super fast Thunderbolt I/O transfer speeds. There are two new 13-inchers, two 15.4-inch versions, and one lone 17-inch model. How much will they cost you and what are the exact specs? You'll want to hit the jump for all of that and the official press release.

Gallery: Apple MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt

Continue reading Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras

Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble says Nook owns one quarter of US e-book market, we don't doubt it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/barnes-and-noble-says-nook-owns-one-quarter-of-us-e-book-market-w/

There are many players in the e-reader world, but few have managed to gain any sort of traction. Though it hasn't achieved Kindle levels of success Barnes & Noble is taking pride in saying that its Nook series of readers has conquered 25 percent of the US e-book market. The company doesn't cite any specific sales figures to back up that number, but we'll go with it. Sadly, though, there's another 25 percent number that is detailed and isn't nearly so positive: that's how much the company's profits dropped from this period last year. That was said to be due to heavy investments in the Nook but, despite that, B&N managed to post a $60.6 million profit -- certainly better than some of the competition.

Barnes & Noble says Nook owns one quarter of US e-book market, we don't doubt it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEC's razor-thin MEDIAS N-04C Android launched in Japan, gets carefully manhandled

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/necs-razor-thin-medias-n-04c-android-launched-in-japan-gets-ca/

We've already seen product shots of the crazy thin, drool-inducing NEC MEDIAS N-04C, but for a product boasting the "world's thinnest" title, it's always useful to see comparison shots for the sake of our curiosity. Thankfully, the good folks over at Akihabara News were present at DoCoMo's launch event, and they were able to get up close to inspect this 7.7mm-thin Android 2.2 handset (with Android 2.3 upgrade available around July). It's pretty amazing considering all the goodies packed within this phone -- here's a quick recap: NFC, 1seg TV Tuner, infrared port, 5 megapixel camera, 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 chip, etc. Oh, and this phone uses Gorilla Glass, too. If you happen to reside in Japan -- which is where it'll remain exclusive to -- you'll be able to pick up this NEC in black or white flavor on March 15, though price has yet to be announced. Video after the break, and more hands-on photos over at Akihabara News.

Continue reading NEC's razor-thin MEDIAS N-04C Android launched in Japan, gets carefully manhandled

NEC's razor-thin MEDIAS N-04C Android launched in Japan, gets carefully manhandled originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IMEC creates flexible microprocessor with organic semiconductors -- computational clothing right around the corner

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/imec-creates-flexible-microprocessor-with-organic-semiconductors/

Organic semiconductors have been teasing us with the possibility of computationally-inclined clothing for years, but until now we could only dream about our pants being the computer. That dream is closer to reality than ever, as researchers from IMEC have created a cheap (potentially 1/10th the cost of silicon chips), bendable microprocessor by layering a plastic substrate, gold circuits, organic dielectric, and a pentacene organic semiconductor to create an 8-bit logic circuit with 4000 transistors. Executing 6 instructions per second, these things won't be challenging Watson any time soon, but the chips should prove useful in creating cheaper flexible displays and sensors to tell us whether that week-old chicken in the fridge has gone bad. The trick was to overcome individual organic transistors' variable switching voltage thresholds -- as opposed to silicon's predictable nature -- that eliminated the possibility of organic-based logic circuits previously. But by adding a second gate to each transistor, IMEC was able to control the electrical field in each to prevent unwanted switching and usher in the dawn of plastic processors. The zenith of nerd fashion can't be far behind.

IMEC creates flexible microprocessor with organic semiconductors -- computational clothing right around the corner originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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