Sony Xperia tipo dual shares SIMs, still fits in tiny pockets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/sony-xperia-tipo-dual/

It looks like Sony's not quite finished today, with two more phones sneaking out on its YouTube channel ahead of any official fanfare. The Xperia tipo dual (and its single-SIM version, the tipo) keep things small and simple, with a 3.2-inch 480 x 320 TFT screen and 800MHz Snapdragon processor. Both, however, will be running Ice Cream Sandwich out of the gate -- embarrassing Sony's bigger (presumably pricier) smartphones. The sub-100g (3.5-ounce) frame houses 3.2-megapixel camera and 2.5GB of user-accessible memory, expandable by microSD. A dedicated hardware key will switch the tipo dual between those SIMs, while you can also automate the phone to swap between them at different times of the day. There's no launch date or pricing yet, but you can take a video tour of both phones below.

Gallery: Sony Xperia tipo dual

Continue reading Sony Xperia tipo dual shares SIMs, still fits in tiny pockets

Sony Xperia tipo dual shares SIMs, still fits in tiny pockets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 03:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A123 Systems' new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/a123-systems-nanophosphate-ext-lithium-ion-battery/

EV battery maker A123 Systems has had a rocky history as of late following a Fisker battery recall, but it may just be turning the corner with a new lithium ion advancement. Nanophosphate EXT widens the temperature range that A123's lithium iron phosphate-based batteries can withstand before losing power: an EXT battery musters 20 percent more power than before when it's as chilly as -22F and can keep over 90 percent of its original capacity after 2,000 full charges, even if it's been run in a blistering 113F heat. The longevity has its obvious advantages for anyone who lives in an extreme climate, but it could also lead to cheaper EVs and hybrids -- the less cooling a car battery needs, the lower the up-front cost and the lighter the car gets. Full production won't start until the first half of 2013, though that's ample time for companies to at least think about slotting Nanophosphate EXT battery packs into 2014 or later cars such as the Atlantic.

Continue reading A123 Systems' new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check

A123 Systems' new lithi! um ion t ech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome Web Store adds offline app section, more markets and greater analytics for developers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/chrome-web-store-offline/

Just two months ago, Google added badges to its Chrome Web Store to denote whether a specific app offers offline functionality. Now, the company is making it easier for users to specifically root out these apps with a new offline section in the Chrome Web Store. The change won't be immediately apparent to many, as the "Offline Apps" section is nested within the "Collections" portion of the store, but once here, users will find a host of familiar titles such as Angry Birds, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Offline Google Mail, along with selections such as Nitro for task management, NYTimes for news and Space Invaders for those who like to kick it old school. Along with the new collection, Google is also making life a bit sweeter for developers. First, it's announcing the availability of the Chrome Web Store in Turkey, Ukraine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. Along with this, devs will find new analytics tools to view the trending performance of their titles throughout the past 90 days. For a bit more insight, feel free to hit up the source link below.

Continue reading Chrome Web Store adds offline app section, more markets and greater analytics for developers

Chrome Web Store adds offline app section, more markets and greater analytics for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An ARM core in an AMD device? It just happened, but not the way you think

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/amd-arm-security/

Yes, you heard right. AMD just added to ARM's burgeoning heap of gold coins, having licensed the British company's Cortex-A5 design for use in its own hardware. While this might sound like a dramatic capitulation on the part of the struggling giant, particularly after yesterday's news, it probably isn't. AMD says it'll use the ARM component solely for adding better security features to its next generation of business-focused laptops and tablets. A spokesperson told us the company's "commitment to x86 hasn't changed," referring to the fact that it'll continue to use its regular in-house chip architecture for the primary task of running applications.

The Cortex-A5 will be one tiny core squeezed in amongst everything else on the future 28nm silicon. It'll be dedicated to running ARM's proprietary TrustZone technology, which protects sensitive apps from tampering -- stuff like mobile payments, DRM, and nudge, nudge corporate documents. Rather than invent its own system for doing the same thing, AMD reckoned it'd be easier to work with ARM's, and who can blame it? If we remember rightly, even Intel made a similar call five years ago.

[Tentacles via Shutterstock]

Continue reading An ARM core in an AMD device? It just happened, but not the way you think

An ARM core in an AMD device? It just happened, but not the way you think originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer unveils $450 Iconia Tab A700: 1920 x 1200 display and Tegra 3 under the hood

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/acer-iconia-tab-a700-1920-x-1200-display-and-tegra-3/

With new laptop announcements coming practically every other day as of late, a tablet unveiling is a nice change of pace. We have Acer to thank for that, as it's lifting the curtain on the 10-inch Iconia Tab A700. As you might recall, we first saw this slate at CES, where we got some quality hands-on time. Like the earlier Iconia Tab A510, this slate has an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and runs Android 4.0, but it's the first Acer tablet with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. The A700 also features Dolby Mobile 3+ technology and 5.1-channel surround sound, and there's an HDMI port for watching locally stored video on a bigger screen. The 32GB version of the Iconia Tab A700 will cost $450, and it's up for pre-sale starting today.

Gallery: Acer Iconia Tab A700 hands-on

Continue reading Acer unveils $450 Iconia Tab A700: 1920 x 1200 display and Tegra 3 under the hood

Acer unveils $450 Iconia Tab A700: 1920 x 1200 display and Tegra 3 under the hood originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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