Apple testing A5-packing MacBook Air?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/28/apple-testing-a5-packing-macbook-air/

We've seen it put its processing power behind the iPad 2 and heard rumors of its presence in the upcoming fifth-gen iPhone, but could Apple really be considering putting its mobile-minded A5 processor in a MacBook Air? According to Japanese website, Macotakara, a trial of the ARM chip is already underway. Apple's reportedly been experimenting with a Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Air with the A5 on board, and "according to someone who has seen a model running with [Apple's] A5 processor, the performance is better than had been thought." Two weeks ago, we reported on rumors that the upcoming MacBook Air refresh could be on its way as early as next month, featuring Intel's Sandy Bridge 17W mobile processors -- a claim we'd say could hold water. Of course, this information has trickled a ways down the grapevine, and the presence of an A5-packing test vehicle doesn't mean much anyway, but you can consider our interest piqued, regardless.

Apple testing A5-packing MacBook Air? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 19:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD ships five million Fusion chips, says it's sold out

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/28/amd-ships-five-million-fusion-chips-says-its-sold-out/

Sounds like Notbooks are making a dent: AMD says it's shipped five million Fusion processors since the architecture's debut, according to a report at CNET. In January, the company said the hybrid CPU / GPU chips had momentum, and as of last month it was quoting 3.9 million APUs out in the wild, but this week AMD says that demand has overtaken supply and it's completely sold out of the Atom alternative. Sounds like Intel's more than justified in seeking out hybrid solutions of its own, no matter where it might have to look to get a leg up in the integrated graphics market. Here's hoping AMD's other Fusion chips show just as much pep per penny (and milliampere-hour) as the original processor.

AMD ships five million Fusion chips, says it's sold out originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our ter! ms for u se of feeds.

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This is the ASUS PadFone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/29/this-is-the-asus-padfone/

Wow, so our theory and mockup turned out to be pretty much spot on: indeed, the oddly named ASUS PadFone does tuck itself into a shielded docking bay on the back of its companion tablet, and the latter's hinged cover appears to pop up upon releasing the latch. You can also just about make out the two ports inside which are likely to be HDMI and micro-USB -- one for driving the larger display, and the other for taking care of touch input while possibly sipping juice from an extra battery somewhere. Now, what we really like to know is which version of Android will be shipped (if ever) with this split-personality phone -- our money's on Ice Cream Sandwich, given that this flavor will happily cater both phone and tablet form factors later this year. That said, given the uniqueness of this product, ASUS could probably still get away with taking a step back and launch this as a Gingerbread tablet. Well, we shall dig up more answers for y'all tomorrow, and stay tuned for some sweet hands-on time.

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This is the ASUS PadFone originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA refreshes mobile graphics with GeForce GTX 560M, attracts ASUS, MSI, Toshiba and Alienware

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/29/nvidia-refreshes-mobile-graphics-with-geforce-gtx-560m-attr/

If you've enjoyed NVIDIA's fine tradition of merely bumping along its GPUs time and again and affixing a new badge, you'll like the GeForce GTX 560M -- it's much like last year's GTX 460M, but with more bang for the buck than ever. ASUS, MSI, Alienware, Toshiba and Clevo have all committed to new notebooks bearing the graphics processor in light of the potent performance NVIDIA claims it will bring: Namely, those same 192 CUDA cores (now clocked at 1550MHz) and up to 3GB of GDDR5 memory (now clocked at 1250MHz, with a 192-bit bus) should enable the latest games to run at playable framerates on a 1080p screen, with maximum detail (save antialiasing). Of course, that also assumes you've got a recent quad-core Sandy Bridge processor and gobs upon gobs of RAM, but NVIDIA also says that with the built-in Optimus switchable graphics, those same potent laptops should be able to manage five hours of battery life while idling.

If you're looking for the bare minimum in discrete graphics, however, NVIDIA's also got a refresh there, as the GeForce GT 520MX bumps up all the clock speeds of the GT 520M. When can you expect a mobile GPU to knock the GTX 485M off its silicon throne, though? Glad you asked: a chart shows a "Next-gen GTX" coming late this year. See what NVIDIA says the GTX 560M's capable of in the gallery below and a video after the break.

Continue reading NVIDIA refreshes mobile graphics with GeForce GTX 560M, attracts ASUS, MSI, Toshiba and Alienware

NVIDIA refreshes mobile graphics with GeForce GTX 560M, attracts ASUS, MSI, Toshiba and Alienware originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smiling Stool Gives Hope

Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/05/26/smiling-stool-gives-hope/

The Smile Stool is the result of a study on the declining Indonesian furniture industry, that in recent years has had incredible difficulty competing its handmade craftsmanship against China’s mass manufactured products. In addition, the more than 3500 Indonesian companies often end up with huge amounts of excess material that often ends up as firewood. Using the waste in the construction & streamlining a simple assembly process, this sustainable design gives hope to the industry & provides a solution for the survival of the local craftsman.

Designer: Fitorio Leksono

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