Category: OS

LG Optimus Pad

Posted by – February 16, 2011

The new tablet from LG, Honeycomb on Tegra2 powered, comes with LG´s built-in 3D camera, to allow consumers to make more 3D contents for their 3D HDTVs. It uses a 8.9″ capacitive touch screen, hdmi output, no usb host.

Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL)

Posted by – February 15, 2011

New standard first used in the Samsung Galaxy S2 to output HD and charge at the same time through the Micro-USB connector, it also allows for some data to be sent back from HDTVs such as using the TVs standard remote control to also remote control the device. The MHL 1.0 spec for now does not transmit Gigabit Ethernet or USB 3.0 Host functionality.

Sub-$200 4.3″ capacitive Android Smartphone

Posted by – February 15, 2011

Yuhua Teltech released this Marvell powered Android Smartphone they call the Touchstone. It’s basically like one of those HTC HD, Droid X, except it costs less than $200 instead of the $500+ that the big brands such as HTC and Motorola are selling those form factors for. It runs on the Marvell PXA935 processor (also known as Tavor P65), same as in the Dual SIM clam-shell Dion MID from Shenzhen ACT that I filmed at CES and which Yuhua Teltech is also manufacturing as well. This device has been sold in China, India and some other emerging markets for 6 months already, Yuhua Teltech wants to bring this device to the European and US market, and they are announcing their next generation Gemstone design which will have a faster Marvell processor and dual-sim support.

Malata releases new Tegra2 Tablets

Posted by – February 15, 2011

Their designs are used by ViewSonic, Interpad, HiSense and others. Now they use a better screen with 1280×800 resolution and wider viewing angles. They are also making a version with a new 9.7″ 4:3 aspect ratio.

Honeycomb will work on cheaper tablets!

Posted by – February 14, 2011
Category: Tablets, MWC, Archos, Android

I got this confirmed from a source at Google (to remain anonymous) that Honeycomb will likely work just fine on all the cheaper tablets, such as the ARM Cortex-A8 ones like Archos and even the super cheap ones with Rockchip ARM9 or Telechips ARM11 processors. We’re all set for disruptive Android Tablet future with no need to be member of a “high-end special club” to get Honeycomb and especially to be allowed the Google Marketplace and all Google Apps. Google are to update the compatibility guidelines for devices to be Google Marketplace compatible and they “simply” add more filters to prevent consumer confusion.

I’ll try to get this confirmed and explained on video by some Google representatives during the Mobile World Congress.

Honeycomb on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Honeycomb is simply awesome. It’s the first OS ever made really designed for tablets. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs on the Nvidia Tegra2 processor and has a really cool new design.

Honeycomb Designer Matias Duarte Interview

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Chief Honeycomb designer Matias Duarte explains how Google develops Honeycomb.

Google MWC 2011 Booth Tour

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Smoothies (with taste of Honeycomb, Donut, Gingerbread..), Slides, Pictures taken, 50 Android app demos, 50 Android OEM demos, sofas, lava lamps, free water, free stickers, free candy, where are the Nexus S givaways?

Texas Instruments OMAP4 runs Android and Ubuntu at the same time


Texas Instruments is showcasing that the OMAP4 ARM Cortex-A9 development platform can run full Android on the built-in LCD and Ubuntu on the HDMI output both at the same time, this is awesome. It shows how Texas Instruments OMAP4 can be used to power the upcoming all-in-one ultimate ARM Powered devices that combine Laptop and Media player functionality into the Smartphone.

Chrome OS on the Texas Instruments OMAP4 ARM Cortex-A9 platform

Posted by – February 14, 2011

This is just the Chromium OS based on the open source Chromium OS source code, until manufacturers and Google bring up Chrome OS to real ARM Powered laptops and desktops to be shipped hopefully soon.

Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 5.0

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Samsung is doing a 5″ LCD Hummingbird 1Ghz based WiFi-only Android Tablet! Basically, it does look awesome. To be seen what kind of prices Samsung plans to sell this for, my guess is it won’t be cheap, $300-400 maybe. I like this, it’s not Exynos ARM Cortex-A9, but this pocketable 5″ tablet design is cool.

Mediatek MTK6573 powers $80 3G Android Smartphones

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Cheaper Android phones is key to making Android the absolute most popular smartphone platform of the future, bringing the mobile Internet and apps to potentially billions of people around the world. Mediatek is showing their new ARM11 based SoC platform for sub-$80 Android smartphones at Mobile World Congress, this is one of the areas that I find to be the most fascinating.

LG Optimus 3D

Posted by – February 14, 2011

The product manager on LG Optimus 3D presents what may be the most powerful smart phone ever shown thus far. It uses the Texas Instruments OMAP4 ARM Cortex-A9 Dual-core processor, that is fast enough to record 720p 3D video, it includes even the new LG 4.3″ glasses free 3D screen, where the 3D effect can be turned on or off.

Samsung Galaxy S2

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Awesome. It uses Samsung’s new Exynos Orion ARM Cortex-A9 processor, Multimedia High-definition Link technology, the new 4.3 Samsung Super AMOLED Plus screen with better anti-reflection, better colors, better clarity and more, all of this in a thinner and lighter form factor. To be available around April or so. But Samsung is probably not going to make this cheaper.

Samsung Galaxy Ace

Posted by – February 14, 2011

The form factor on this Android phone is about the same as an iPhone. It has a 3.5″ HVGA capacitive touch screen and a Qualcomm MSM7227 ARM11 processor. But this one is designed to be sold around $200 unlocked or on pre-paid plans. This Android Smartphone is cheap.

Live from the Samsung MWC event!

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Well this is not exactly live, but you get the point. Samsung organized a gigantic event in something that looks like a stadium, huge show, funky music, awesome devices.

Samsung Galaxy Mini

Posted by – February 14, 2011

The cheapest new Samsung Galaxy phone. It uses the Qualcomm MSM7227 ARM11 processor.

Netflix on OMAP4

Posted by – February 14, 2011

Texas Instruments implements some security features in the new OMAP4 processor which allows for access to DRM sites like Netflix on Android.

Samsung Galaxy S2, Tab2 details, infos, release dates

Posted by – February 13, 2011
Category: Samsung, MWC, Android

I’ll post my videos once I get the bandwidth tomorrow. Here are some infos I grabbed from the awesome Samsung event, I don’t know if those are common knowledge or if those pieces of infos are interesting:

– Samsung Galaxy 10.1 is Nvidia Tegra2 based, to be released next month, design is pretty awesome (except a bit heavy, no HDMI, no kick-stand), Honeycomb is freaking awesome, the first real tablet OS ever made. (iPad OS is not a real tablet OS). Wow Google made awesome work.

– Samsung Galaxy S2 has a MHL (Multimedia High-definition Link) connector, which basically allows the Micro-USB to do much more than just be a Micro-USB connector, it can for example output 1080p with a Micro-USB to HDMI cable, it can do USB host stuff such as USB keyboards, which basically means, if Samsung wants, they can make it do most of the things the Motorola Atrix 4G does. My understanding is Samsung’s Exynos is better than Nvidia Tegra2, has better/faster memory bandwidth, better graphics in ARM Mali-400 (did they say it does 320 Million triangles/polygons per second?). The units on display were hot, but that’s probably just cause of the hot lights and many people fondling them while launching videos and 3D stuff. It may also be I guess because the Exynos are pre-production and being over-clocked for good performance in these pre-production prototypes, but they told me that was not the case. The Linux kernel in S2 Gingerbread supports Dual-core, but I think Samsung and Google have plenty of software optimizations still to do to fully utilize the dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 power. This might be what happens once 2.4 comes out with all the 3.0 tablet features and hardware acceleration but adapted for smartphones.

– I think Samsung should turn the S2 into an Atrix 4G-like all-in-one chameleon of a device, basically just provide the right types of accessories for it, hopefully they’d price those more reasonably than Motorola. Also, Samsung says the MHL standard is going to be a standard for the industry, first introduced with S2, so perhaps any third party accessory makers could make alternative and compatible Laptop Docks, TV Docks, Desktop Docks, Keyboard Attachments and more interesting stuff.

– Samsung Galaxy Family, they are releasing a whole range of cheap Android phones. The Samsung Galaxy Mini is the cheapest of the bunch. Prices are confidential, up to carriers or/and distributors to decide, but I expect the Mini to be available below $150, perhaps towards $100, for unlocked or/and prepaid plans. Those are extremely great capacitive smartphones, 3.something inch screens (some weird Samsung LCD sizes), but most are QVGA, and the middle range Samsung Galaxy Ace goes to 3.5″ HVGA.

You can probably find much more real infos on other blogs, but here are some of the things I heard. Overall, the S2 is totally awesome, just beautiful slim nice phone, Tab2 is probably the best Tegra2 tablet I’ve seen. To be seen and retested what Acer and LG does with that.

Look for tons of my videos starting tomorrow. I’m at Mobile World Congress, no sim card in sight, only roaming. I’ll get a Yoigo SIM card tomorrow.

Samsung Galaxy S2, Tab2, new images

Posted by – February 13, 2011

Look for my videos on these as early as later today. My wild guess is Samsung may need their new Super AMOLED factory that may not be ready before June, before they mass release the new Galaxy S2 with the new Samsung Orion processor that starts mass manufacturing next month. Samsung has a press conference on these at 6PM Barcelona time, check back for a lot more.

Source: samsunghub.com