Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Google Music gains scan and match feature in the US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/google-music-gains-scan-and-match-feature-in-the-us/

Google Music gains scan and match feature in the US

It wasn't very long ago that Google Music landed in Europe -- to the delight of local music lovers, we're sure. On its trip across the pond, the service gained a unique new feature called scan and match, wherein Google scans your local music library and makes the songs it matches instantly available in the cloud -- no upload required. Until now the feature, which is similar to iTunes Match, was only available in Europe, but it's coming to the US starting today. From now on, any US Google Play users who upload their music collection will benefit from this new feature. Over time, the company will also upgrade users with existing cloud libraries. It's a free service and it's automatic -- you're unlikely to notice that it's even happening. The upside is that entire collections will be uploaded faster. We're not aware of any downsides yet -- matched songs will be available for streaming at 320Kbps like regular Google Play purchases, while re-downloaded music will be available at or close to the bitrate of the original file.

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Source: Google Play (Google+)

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NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor details leaked: 4-plus-1 cores, 28nm, six times the power of Tegra 3

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/nvidia-tegra-4-processor-leak-4-plus-1-quad-core-28nm/

NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor details lead 4plus1 quadcore, 28nm, six times the power of Tegra 3

NVIDIA's next superhero-themed mobile chipset has possibly made an early appearance in a leaked side in China, and it looks like it wants to go toe-to-toe with the latest processors from Samsung and Qualcomm. The Tegra 4 (codenamed Wayne) will apparently offer the same power-efficient 28nm process found on its Snapdragon rival and according to the slide from Chip Hell, there's a dizzying 72-core graphics setup. That's six times as many GPU cores as Tegra 3 -- the processor found in the Nexus 7, for example -- and the increase is claimed to result in six times the overall visual performance. Those graphics cores will be able to feed displays of up to 2,560 x 1600, with 1080p output at 120Hz, while the leak also mentions 4K -- if only in passing. There's no increase in CPU cores this time, with the same 4-plus-1 setup , but we are seeing its move to ARM's latest design, the Cortex-A15. Tegra 4 will apparently also catch up with USB 3.0, being NVIDIA's first mobile chip to do so, alongside dual-channel DDR3L memory. We've reached out to chipmaker and we'll let you know when we hear more, but it's highly likely we'll be welcoming this next-generation processor early next year -- say, at a certain mobile trade show.

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Via: Mobile Geeks

Source: Chip Hell

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HTCâs Next Android Flagship to Pack a 1.7GHz Quad-Core Processor and 1080p Screen?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969336/htcs-next-android-flagship-to-pack-a-17ghz-quad+core-processor-and-1080p-screen

HTC’s Next Android Flagship to Pack a 1.7GHz Quad-Core Processor and 1080p Screen?Some leaked tech specs supposedly tell us what to expect from HTC's flagship Android model for 2013, with the phone maker apparently set to launch a 4.7-inch model with a 1080p display.

The phone, which is currently known under the codename HTC M7, features an enormous 468PPI image density output thanks to the display numbers, which ought to see our beloved old flip clock bursting out of the screen clearer than ever.

Elsewhere, the M7 is said to contain a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor alongside 2GB of RAM, the required chips to make it compatible with 4G networks, and version 5.0 of HTC's popular Sense user interface stuck over the top of Android 4.2.

There should also be a 13-Megapixel camera inside it, plus a 2-MP front facing secondary cam for looking at your own face with and a 2,300mAh battery to give it a decent desk life. Stick it on the next phone list. And if those numbers are all correct, it ought be close to the top. [Unwired View]


HTC's Next Android Flagship to Pack a 1.7GHz Quad-Core Processor and 1080p Screen?Our newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.

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WSJ: Apple, Foursquare in talks to share local data

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/wsj-apple-foursquare-in-talks-to-share-local-data/

WSJ Apple, Foursquare in talks to share local data

The battle over localized data continues to heat up, and according to rumor's Apple's next weapon against Google, Nokia and the rest could be a partnership with Foursquare. Last week TechCrunch noted a check-in tweeted by Apple SVP Eddy Cue, coincidentally at the same time Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley happened to be in the San Francisco area. Now, the Wall Street Journal has followed up with its always-helpful "people familiar with the talks" who indicate that yes, the two are in early discussions about sharing data.

Currently, iOS features deep ties with Yelp, but Apple could swap in Foursquare and its check-in supported database, giving both a leg up on the competition. At the same time, Foursquare's iOS app received an update today, shifting location details like phone number and hours to the top, and bringing bigger photos and info after users have checked in somewhere. Of course, we'll have to wait for an official announcement to see what, if anything may arise from the talks, but with Google's Maps app off to a quick start on the App Store, the folks in Cupertino may not want to wait very long.

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Source: TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal

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Trustonic: a way for mobile apps to benefit from ARM's hardware-level security

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/trustonic-mobile-security/

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This here narrative begins back in April, when ARM, Giesecke & Devrient and Gemalto teamed up and gave themselves precisely nine months in which to find the perfect brand name for their newly merged mobile security platform. Today, we're looking at the fruits of their efforts: Trustonic; a word which snappily captures the essence of what's at stake (trust-onic) and which you may soon encounter in connection with your next-gen smartphone, Mastercard payment app or 20th Century Fox DRM'd media.

What does Trustonic do, exactly? Pretty much what Mobicore already does in the Galaxy S III, or what Trusted Foundation does inside a Tegra-powered tablet: it allows certain pieces of software to tap into hardware-level encryption and authentication, courtesy of the TrustZone silicon that many ARM chips already contain, thereby removing many of the risks associated with malware and other intrusions within the mobile OS. As far as we understand it, the key difference with Trustonic is that it won't require direct input from OEMs like Samsung and NVIDIA, but will instead be more readily accessible to any banking, payment or DRM service that is willin! g to pay for a key. In return, the service would get enhanced security and faster logins for its users, who'd only need to enter a short, locally-verified PIN rather than wading through cloud-based steps to prove their identity. Indeed, perhaps that's where the tonic comes into it.

Continue reading Trustonic: a way for mobile apps to benefit from ARM's hardware-level security

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