Samsung's $249 Chromebook lights up benchmarks with the latest Ubuntu build

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/20/arm-samsung-chromebook-ubuntu-benchmarks/

A Googler managed to load up Samsung's latest Chromebook with Ubuntu and spelled out the process for like-minded DIYers in October, and now some benchmarks of Mountain View's $249 machine running Raring Ringtail -- which is still in development -- have surfaced. With a 1.7GHz dual-core Exynos 5 Dual processor under the hood, the ARM-based machine can hang with -- and in some cases beat -- the likes of a 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom D525 chip and a 1.4GHz quad-core Calxeda Highbank node in benchmarks using the Phoronix Test Suite. The rig also holds its own when pitted against a PandaBoard equipped with an OMAP4460 1.2GHz dual-core processor. Hit the source link to dig into pages of the test results for yourself.

Filed under: Laptops, Software, Samsung, Google

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Source: Phoronix

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AOC's 23-inch IPS monitor almost skips the bezel, ships soon for $199

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/21/aoc-borderless-i2367fh-ips-monitor/

Close on the heels of its "virtually borderless" (when it's turned off) 27-inch IPS monitor, display maker AOC has come up with a smaller sibling to add to the family. The 23-incher, tagged the i2367fh, totes similar styling and specs -- IPS technology, a claimed 2mm bezel, 1920 x 1080 resolution with 50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 5ms response time and two HDMI ports. The off timer function its predecessor sported also remains. However the new model, which is part of a different series, can't boast of the same height-adjustable stand and 4-watt speakers, integrating a 2-watt pair instead. The monitor carries a $199 sticker, but you can snag it for 10 bucks lower on backorder from B&H Photo and Amazon -- stock is expected later this month.

Continue reading AOC's 23-inch IPS monitor almost skips the bezel, ships soon for $199

Filed under: Displays

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Source: Amazon, B&H Photo

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Samsung to outline 8-core big.LITTLE ARM processor in February

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/20/samsung-to-outline-8-core-big-little-arm-processor-in-february/

Samsung's processor design team has been on a roll with fast chips this year with the Exynos 4 Quad and Exynos 5 Dual. Based on its agenda for the International Solid-State Circuits Conference, that momentum isn't about to stop. A company presentation at the event on February 19th will delve into a new heterogeneous, 8-core processor that relies on ARM's concept of big.LITTLE computing: one half is a quad-core, 1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A15 that will do all the heavy lifting, while the other is a quad 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 that takes over in quieter moments. We don't know much more about the chip beyond the expected 28-nanometer manufacturing process, but it's easy to see a mobile chip that's fast without having to consume much energy in its downtime. Most of the mystery surrounds where Samsung will launch the processor first, rather than what it can do: the big.LITTLE chip would be most valuable in a smartphone, but a potentially large size could relegate it to tablets early on.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: EETimes, GSMArena

Source: ISSCC (PDF)

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Oppo's Ulike 2 boasts 5MP front camera, clearly made for self-portrait addicts like you

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/20/oppo-ulike-2-u705t/

Hold up! Oppo's not quite done with teasing just yet for the day. The company's Sina Weibo account has quietly announced the Ulike 2, a white 4.5-inch phone designed with ladies in mind: not only does it have a common eight-megapixel main camera on the back, but there's also a staggering five-megapixel front-facing imager with beautification features (like face slimming, skin whitening, skin smoothing and more) to keep the self-portrait addicts busy. Other specs include a gapless 960 x 540 LCD (with 2.2mm-thick bezel), 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage, micro-SIM slot, a 2,020mAh battery, and TD-SCDMA radio for China Mobile's network. There's no telling how much this Android 4.0 phone will hurt your wallet, nor is there any official information on the underlying processor, but we shall find out when it hits the Chinese market on December 19th, if not at the Find 5's launch event on the 12th.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Oppo

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Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Teardown: A Samsung Tablet By Another Name?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5962075/kindle-fire-hd-89-teardown-a-samsung-tablet-by-another-name

With its little brother having already spilled its guts, it was always going to be interesting to see how the new 9-inch Fire compared. Turns out it owes an awful lot to Samsung.

Powerbook Medic has torn the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 apart for the world to peer inside. It seems Samsung has done well out of the tablet, as it's supplying—at the very least—the display, RAM, and flash memory. The processor is courtesy of Texas Instruments, though.

One weird finding is that the battery is actually a split unit: it uses two separate cells, joined by a battery controller board, to provides its rather weedy 6000MAH 22.2wh power source. That's not particularly common, nor is it obvious why it's been done—space, perhaps.

Elsewhere, the teardown contains lots of nerdish findings, but there's one take-home message worth listening to: the device seems fairly easy to repair, especially the screen. [Powerbook Medic]

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