NVIDIA Tegra 4i software update adds LTE-Advanced speeds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/nvidia-tegra-4i-soft-update-adds-lte-advanced-speeds/

NVIDIA's Tegra 4i appeared in February boasting, amongst other things, its built-in Cat. 3 LTE modem capable of speeds as high as 100Mbps. What NVIDIA didn't make obvious at the time was that the i500 modem, the fruit of its Icera acquisition, had the processing grunt to enable a software modem update to boost its speed to Cat. 4 LTE (150Mbps.) We had a quick visit with NVIDIA and saw a "perfect world demo" (pic above) of the device being bombarded at 150Mbps as well as placing an actual call on AT&T's network and streaming video. Of course LTE-Advanced doesn't exist in the real world yet, nor does a real handset sporting this chip, though seeing another player battling incumbent Qualcomm in this space before these networks have even been lit up certainly warms our hearts. Check the PR text for all the nitty gritty details after the break.

Brad Molen contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones

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Twitter's Innovator's Patent Agreement launched, applied to first patent

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/twitter-innovators-patent-agreement-launched/

The patent wars have grown long and tiresome for many, but Twitter's among the first to take meaningful action to stop them with its Innovator's Patent Agreement. Today, the company launched version 1.0 of the IPA and is using it for the first time. Patent number 8,448,084, which claims a method for refreshing a scrollable list of content (aka pull-to-refresh) is the first to get the IPA treatment, which means that Twitter has pledged to use this patent for defensive purposes only.

What's that mean? Well, under this version of the IPA, Twitter can assert claims against anyone who has filed, threatened or participated in a patent infringement suit against Twitter or any of its users, affiliates, customers, suppliers or distributors. It can also assert the patent to "deter a patent litigation threat" against Twitter and its peoples. If you're thinking that such a broad definition of "defensive purposes" means Twitter can pretty much use its IPA'd patents how it chooses, you're pretty much right. Still, we applaud Twitter's effort to pre-empt future patent litigation, but we'll have to wait and see if it accomplishes its goal of having companies spending their money on innovation instead of litigation.

Filed under: Software

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Source: Official Twitter blog

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Sharp launches two new Aquos 4K LCD TVs into the Japanese market

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/sharp-launches-two-new-aquos-4k-lcd-tvs/

Sharp has just added a couple of choices if you're rich enough to be seeking an UltraHD set and lucky enough to live in Japan: the 70-inch LC-70UD1 and the 60-inch LC-60UD1, part of the new 4K Aquos UD1 series. Each will feature Sharp's 4K "Moth-eye" panel, Aquos 4K-Master Engine Pro HD upconversion engine, 2.1 channel THX surround and 3D capability. The 70-inch model will run 850,000 yen ($8,290) and launch on June 15th, while the 60-inch set will arrive August 10th for 650,000 yen ($6,335). There's no word yet on a stateside arrival, but based on what Sharp said at CES 2013 in January, it may join a 32-inch 4K Aquos model some time later this year.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Via: AV Watch (translated)

Source: Sharp (translated)

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ASUS PadFone Infinity review: the convertible phone goes full HD and beyond

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/asus-padfone-infinity-review/

Almost exactly two years ago, Motorola's Android-in-Webtop-OS solution was kicked off the stage by ASUS' PadFone, the world's first phone that could fully power a tablet module from its own OS. The original concept took a while to materialize, but since then the company has kept up with a surprisingly rapid product cycle. It was only five months from the first PadFone to the PadFone 2; and now seven months later, ASUS is offering the PadFone Infinity: a non-surprising full HD update for both the phone and the tablet module. The phone itself also benefits from a newer 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 SoC, as well as a new brushed-aluminum body. So, does this upgraded package have what it takes to kill the "glass is half empty" mentality? Or would consumers still rather have two separate devices? Read on to find out.

Gallery: ASUS PadFone Infinity review

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS

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Opera for Android drops the beta, available on the Play store now

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/opera-for-android-drops-the-beta/

If your ears perked up when you heard about Opera for Android going WebKit, but were holding out for the final, non-beta version, then that wait is over. More recent features of the browser include the option to toggle the nav-bar location, text-wrapping when zooming and a full screen view of active tabs, but beyond that, the "what's new" section on the download page isn't saying much. So, while it's mostly the Opera we saw back at MWC, tools such as off-road mode (for data compressing) and a discovery mode are finally set for primetime. Ready to let Opera take the stage on your Android? Get your tickets at the source.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile

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Via: Phone Arena

Source: Google Play

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