4.5″ IPS, Qualcomm 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, 768MB RAM, ICS with JB upgrade later.
Category: OS
Huawei Emotion UI
Posted by – August 30, 2012
Huawei launches their new proprietary Android UI Home Replacement at IFA 2012, I wish that Huawei allow the users disable that custom UI and that they let the user get a vanilla Android experience on their devices if they want.
Huawei IFA 2012 Press Conference
Posted by – August 30, 2012
Category: Tablets, Smartphones, Exclusive videos, Texas Instruments, HiSilicon, Qualcomm, IFA, Android
Here are some of the highlights of the Huawei IFA 2012 Press Conference. They are launching a whole range of new Android phones Y201 pro for $129/129€, G330 for $199/199€, G600 for $299/299€, P1 for $399/399€ and D1 Quad XL for $449/449€ and tablets 10FHD and MediaPad 7 Lite on the European and worldwide markets in October, and they are also launching their new Huawei Emotion UI.
Huawei Ascend G330 for $199/199€
Posted by – August 30, 2012
4″ WVGA screen, 1Ghz dual-core Qualcomm processor, 512MB RAM, ships with ICS, JB upgrade likely.
Huawei Ascend Y201 pro, $129/129€
Posted by – August 30, 2012
3.5″ IPS, 800Mhz Qualcomm processor, 512MB RAM, ICS now with JB later.
Toshiba AT300 10.1″ Tegra3 Tablet for $399/399€
Posted by – August 30, 2012
Thin 1280×800 tablet with Tegra3.
Toshiba AT270, 7.7″ Super AMOLED Plus Tegra3 Tablet for $449/449€
Posted by – August 30, 2012
So it’s kind of expensive at 449€ for a 7″ tablet, but it comes with a nice 7.7″ 1280×800 Super AMOLED Plus screen.
Archos 101 XS review, Ultrabook-killing machine
Posted by – August 25, 2012
In this video, I show web browsing speed on this OMAP4470 ARM Powered Laptop/Tablet convertible. This ARM Powered Laptop loads web pages faster than the Ultrabook, both over the same WiFi home network! I load web pages like Engadget.com, Gizmodo.com and TheVerge.com faster on the $400 Archos 101 XS than on the $1000 Toshiba z830 Ultrabook! And the firmware isn’t even Jelly Bean yet! It’ll get the Jelly Bean firmware by the time Archos starts selling this device next month in Europe or the month after that in the USA! Everyone knows Jelly Bean and Linaro speeds up Android even more!
This Archos 101 XS likely provides one of the industry’s fastest performance for productivity on Android, it’s the first OMAP4470 device announced and demonstrated that I know of. Productivity is in Chrome on Android and a few other productivity apps that can be the Office suite (included for free for word/excell/powerpoint stuff) and that can also be Remote Desktop for enterprise professionals who want productivity that way using Teradici and Citrix on Android stuff. I would like Archos to integrate Ubuntu on Android also, I hope they call Canonical to get that included with the Jelly Bean firmware. Thus you’d click on the Ubuntu icon to switch to Ubuntu in a second, do whatever you want in Ubuntu including run any Ubuntu application, and then have the same icon on Ubuntu to switch back to full Android in a second too.
While we’re waiting and looking forward to even faster ARM Cortex-A15 with Mali-T604, that likely doesn’t reach consumer devices until next year though. Right now, the latest and best class of ARM Cortex-A9 processors, with OMAP4470, with 32nm Exynos 4412, with 28nm Qualcomm S4 Pro Quad-core, with HiSilicon K3V2, i.MX6 Quad, we’re getting some excellent memory bandwidth performance on ARM allowing for fast enough full 720p/800p even 1080p web browsing speeds on Tablet, Laptop screens and on any external monitors as a Desktop/Set-top-box with full fast enough performance for productivity!
The time we’ve been waiting for is here! The ARM Powered Laptop is faster than an Intel Atom Netbook! It’s even faster than an Intel Core i5 Ultrabook!!!
While at $299 and an unlimited amount of cash (think: French/EU Francois Hollande national IT investment project) for mass production, I think Archos can single handedly be able to sell more Android Laptops like this one than all the Intel/Microsoft Ultrabooks/Netbooks and new Windows 8 convertibles put together. At $399 introductory Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price, Archos can still get in there and sell as many as Archos can afford to manufacture, selling easily at 50% cheaper than the iPad3 with keyboard ($598), at 63% cheaper than the Asus Transformer Prime/Infinity with keyboard ($648), this is the thinnest, lightest 10.1″ ARM Powered Laptop/Tablet convertible yet. And it has features other tablet makers don’t have such as full hardware accelerated video and audio codecs support, MicroSD/HDMI and USB Host, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi Direct, 1080p@60fps/3D@1080p@30fps and multimedia streaming features such as Samba/Upnp and DLNA.
I think it’s great value and I’m looking forward to try to use this as my main 10.1″ tablet/laptop instead of my ultrabook for the next few weeks and months. Let me know in the comments what specific features you’d like me to test on this device in my next video of it.
Archos 101 XS launched, check back for my video-review tomorrow
Posted by – August 22, 2012
Sure $299 with keyboard would have been nicest, but even at $399 it’s a no-brainer:
Archos 101 XS with keyboard: $399
Asus Transformer Pad TF300 with keyboard: $528 (+33%)
Acer Iconia Tab A700 with keyboard: $598 (+50%)
Asus Transformer Prime with keyboard: $648 (+63%)
iPad3 with keyboard: $598 (+50%)
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 with keyboard: $598 (+50%)
Microsoft Surface with keyboard: $599 (likely) (+50%)
Archos 101 XS is the thinnest, the lightest, has better performance than Tegra3, offers fastest GPU and memory bandwidth on the market (the 32nm Exynos4412 probably beats or equals though), offers features none of those more expensive devices have.
Check back for my initial extensive video-review of Archos 101 XS Gen10 tomorrow!! I expect to use this as my favorite 10″ device to replace all other 10″ tablets, Netbooks and Ultrabooks in the months to come.
Related articles
- Archos 101 XS first hands-on and review (androidauthority.com)
- Hands-on: Archos 101 XS review (pocket-lint.com)
- Archos 101 XS Tablet Comes With Keyboard Cover Case (pcworld.com)
- The Archos 101 XS Review: Prettier, Faster, So Much Better (anandtech.com)
- Archos 101 XS Tablet Review (androidcommunity.com)
- Review: The Archos Gen10 101 XS Android Tablet (techcrunch.com)
- Archos 101 XS: Hang on… Did Archos just launch the best 10-inch Android tab ever? (electricpig.co.uk)
- Archos 101 XS Review (ubergizmo.com)
FCC does it again, leaks new Archos generation
Another year, another Generation of Archos tablets is leaked exclusively through blurry pictures on the FCC leaking machine. Same happened with G5 in 2007, G7 in 2009, Home Tablet in 2010, G8 in 2010 (2). Here’s the Archos G10 XS (all FCC documents):
Rumored or confirmed:
TI OMAP4470 ARM Cortex-A9 processor
New Proprietary Dock for the included Keyboard Dock (maybe something else too)
Kick-stand (called Tablet Stand) is on the Keyboard Dock
Keyboard doubles as thin screen protector and seems to use a new twist function (with or without magnets) to attach and detach from the tablet.
Micro-SD, Mini-HDMI, Micro-USB (dunno if doubles as host)
Is there some kind of conspiracy? Why does the US FCC always leak Archos new devices before Archos decides to unveil those products to the press officially?
Consider some reasons why Archos Generation 10 can be very attractive to massive audiences:
– Price can start $299 for 10.1″ with the included Keyboard Dock.
– That can be $200 to $300 cheaper than Microsoft Surface.
– No technical reason that Archos G10 can’t also dual-boot into Chrome OS for ARM and even triple-boot into Windows 8 for ARM, Windows RT, if Microsoft simply allows Archos have a triple-boot on it (give the option to the consumer to pay for the Windows RT licence if they want to be able to triple-boot into it).
– This at $299 can be a very attractive ARM Powered Laptop/Tablet combo. Why not triple-boot Ubuntu, or Archos pick up the phone and talk with Canonical to ship it with the Ubuntu on Android app.
– This is the first TI OMAP4470 Tablet that I hear leaked and talked about. Texas Instruments dominated the market by the end of 2011, they can do it again and Archos has a long relationship with TI always shipping TI’s latest most advanced processors early. Expect a wide range of smartphones and tablets other than Archos to also use OMAP4470 before the end of the year, that helps provide a foundation for good software support, such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean using the OMAP4460 Powered Samsung Galaxy Nexus as the reference design. That makes it easier for Archos to always stay up to date on the latest version of Android.
– OMAP4470 uses the SGX544 GPU, one of the most powerful GPUs on the market yet.
– OMAP4470 increases memory bandwidth further from OMAP4460, memory bandwidth is one of the most important functions of a powerful ARM Powered device, often more so than Ghz, number of cores and other.
– Consider this ARM Powered Laptop/Tablet combo can weight less than 500 grams. When productivity proves itself sublime on Android, Ubuntu on Android, Chrome OS dual-boot and an eventual Windows RT triple-boot, this form factor can prove itself to be one of the most demanded by consumers.
Related articles
- Archos announces $90 Million revenues for 1st half of 2012, here are my expectations for the second half (archosfans.com)
- Archos 97 Carbon Android 4.0 Tablet Announced (geeky-gadgets.com)
- Archos 101xs FCC photos available, something super thin with a keyboard dock we get to see (arctablet.com)
- Archos Arnova 70 Cobalt tablet visits the FCC (liliputing.com)
Neonode to turn OLPC Pixel Qi Laptops into Tablets
Neonode announced today a licencing agreement with the One Laptop Per Child project, turning a new version of the OLPC XO 1.75 Marvell Armada 600 ARM Powered Laptop into a tablet. Keeping the exact same form factor, keeping the exact same readability, keeping the same screen bezel form factor but adding in there the cheap Neonode IR based touch-screen technology. One Laptop Per Child thus far have shipped over 2.5 million Pixel Qi Laptops to Children in about 50 mostly developing countries worldwide. OLPC is still the biggest deployment of Pixel Qi screens worldwide, until someone as Google, Amazon or Apple comes in and gets it mass manufactured for commercial Tablet use. To keep the best possible readability, the least possible reflections in sunlight, using Neonode’s IR touch screen technology may be the best idea for the future of Tablets and Smartphones instead of capacitive.
Here’s the press release:
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – July 26, 2012 – Neonode Inc., (NASDAQ:NEON), the MultiSensing touch technology company, announced today a licensing agreement with One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organization that designs, manufactures, and distributes laptops to children worldwide, to embed Neonode’s MultiSensing™ touch technology into the next generation of OLPC’s XO-1.75 laptop, called the XO Touch. The innovative OLPC XO Touch 1.75 is a 7.5” combined laptop and tablet that has a Dual-Mode (sunlight-readable) TFT LCD display which rotates 180 degrees and folds flat over the keyboard for tablet/e-book or game mode.
Embedding the Neonode MultiSensing touch solution will allow OLPC to build a completely new type of rugged laptop-tablet that is extremely fast, cost efficient and energy saving, offering 100% visibility in bright sunlight. This is done without compromising the quality of the first-rate user experience, in full color, and with the highest resolution possible, i.e., 300 dpi. The Neonode MultiSensing technology consists of a state-of-the-art interactive touch user interface that includes gestures, multi-touch, and sweeps at an extraordinary scanning speed of 1000 Hz. Thanks to the energy efficient engineering, consuming just 2W, the XO Touch can be powered through alternative power generators like solar cells or even hand cranks. In addition, Neonode’s green engineering feature AlwaysON™, enables full gesture activated wake-up of the XO Touch when it is in sleep or off mode.
OLPC, created by faculty members from the MIT Media Lab, sells the laptops in large quantities to governments and private institutions around the world, that in turn issue them to children or schools on a basis of one laptop per child.
“We are honored to be collaborating with OLPC to produce the XO Touch, a truly pioneering and sustainable device that shows the broad versatility of our technology. This market entry confirms that our MultiSensing technology makes it possible to create a top class product that is both affordable and extremely energy saving and still has a user interface that is radical enough to satisfy the uncompromising demands of knowledge and entertainment thirsty children” says Thomas Eriksson, CEO Neonode. “Our company philosophy is to contribute to a better and happier world, and we have the opportunity to do so by supporting OLPC’s mission”
“OLPC is proud to partner with an organization that shares its appreciation for innovative and transformative technology. Neonode’s expertise in engineering and design will turn the XO Touch, which combines the best features of laptop and tablet, into a next-level innovative machine.” said Rodrigo Arboleda Halaby Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at OLPC
See how awesome Neonode’s touch-screen technology looks outdoors in sunlight on a Pixel Qi tablet in this video I filmed in May 2011:
Here’s my video filmed with Neonode last February:
Related articles
- OLPC XO Touch 1.75 to use Neonode tech, take multi-touch on world tour (engadget.com)
- OLPC partners with Neonode for XO Touch (slashgear.com)
- Neonode to bring multi-touch tech to OLPC’s XO Touch (electronista.com)
- Neonode Signs License Agreement with One Laptop Per Child (virtual-strategy.com)
EU makes sure full Chrome browser is on Windows RT at launch
Posted by – July 19, 2012
Category: Windows
Reuters reports that the European Union antitrust regulators are right now making sure Windows RT ships with the Chrome Browser, Firefox, Opera and more.
the investigation will focus on charges that Microsoft allows only its own Internet Explorer browser to be installed on devices running Windows 8 on Windows RT tablets with British chipmaker ARM’s chips.
The way I see it, the ARM Powered Windows RT Laptops and Tablets to be released starting October 26th should be able to run a full Chrome bowser, run most x86 applications through Remote Desktop software like Teradici PCoIP, full Microsoft Office and then of course all Metro apps which basically is the new touch-compatible applications platform for Microsoft’s Windows 8 RT Tablet/Laptop hybrid system.
In theory as HTML5 improves to support full HD and 4K video editing through the cloud, as web based photo editing apps are available, using the grid to render media files is going to be much more desirable than rendering anything on the local hardware anyway. Making thus Windows RT suitable for advanced users just as well as beginners who them really don’t care about x86 backwards compatibility.
Related articles
- EU investigating Windows RT for allegedly blocking browser choice (theverge.com)
- Will EU regulators dump cold water on the Windows 8 launch party? (zdnet.com)
- EU regulators investigating Windows 8 browser lock-out (arstechnica.com)
- Windows RT browser restriction sparks Senate Committee probe – ZDNet (blog) (zdnet.com)
- EU looking into Windows 8 browser lockout (electronista.com)
- Microsoft Does Not Obey the Law (techrights.org)
- Mozilla, Google cry foul over Windows tablets (lenovo.com)
$129 Exynos4412 Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 development board!
Posted by – July 12, 2012
HardKernel presents their new ODROID-X, it’s a quite affordable open mobile development platform based on Exynos4412 ARM Cortex-A9 Quad Core (same as in the Samsung Galaxy S3) which shows PC-like performance.
Specs:
* Low-cost mobile software development platform
* Quad core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore
* 6 x High speed USB2.0 Host port
* 10/100Mbps Ethernet with RJ-45 LAN Jack
* Audio codec with headphone jack and microphone jack
* Android 4.0.4 ICS
HardKernel pretty much is the official/unofficial Samsung Exynos/Hummingbird development kit maker out of South Korea. You can watch my previous videos when they launched the ODROID-A Exynos4210 Tablet Development Kit in March 2011, the ODROID-T in June 2011 and when they launched the original ODROID gaming development device in March 2010.
I guess you can consider this a bit like the official Exynos4412 development board, the Exynos4412 is one of the most powerful ARM platforms on the market today. If there’s a box, you may consider this an awesome ARM Powered desktop and set-top-box also. Can you run Jelly Bean, Ubuntu, Chromium OS and Windows RT on it? And it’s a games console, see how Super Mario Kart 64 is emulated smoothly on it:
And Ubuntu:
And if you’d like it in a tablet form factor, HardKernel provides the new $850 ODROID-Q with a built-in 3G modem.
Related articles
- Hardkernel ODROID-X: $129 Android developer board with quad-core CPU (liliputing.com)
- ODROID-X is like a quad-core Raspberry Pi for $129 (geek.com)
- Marcin Juszkiewicz: ODROID-X developer board (marcin.juszkiewicz.com.pl)
- Odroid-x development board brings quad-core Exynos 4 Quad processor to budding Android hackers for $129 (theverge.com)
- Friday Video: Two more low-cost, ARM-based, embedded-Linux development boards from ODROID and Google (eda360insider.wordpress.com)
- HardKernel ODroid-X: Low Cost Exynos 4412 Quad Core Cortex A9 Development Board (cnx-software.com)
Lenovo LePhone S899t smartphone using ST-Ericsson Nova A9500 launched in China
Posted by – July 12, 2012
There’s a new dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 3G TD-SCDMA Android ICS phone on the Chinese market to be sold at around $200 (1299RMB) starting mid-july on Lenovo’s Chinese website and China Mobile retail stores all over China. In addition to the Nova A9500, ST-Ericsson CG2900 and CW1100 connectivity solutions were also selected by Lenovo enabling GPS, Bluetooth, FM and Wi-Fi features. Maybe the screen size is 4.5″ IPS, is it a qHD resolution 4.5″ IPS screen? Let me know in the comments if you know more specs about this phone.
This could be a big deal if Lenovo and China Mobile plan to mass manufacture and mass sell this dual-core phone at sub-$200 price points all over China. That can help the ST-Ericsson A9500 platform reach a good position as a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 solution for affordable Chinese Android smartphones, ready to compete with the upcoming dual-core MediaTek MT6577 platform.
Source: press release at stericsson.com
Related articles
- Lenovo bringing two affordable Android 4.0 handsets to Chinese markets? (theverge.com)
- Lenovo LePhone K860 with Exynos Quad-Core CPU and 5-Inch HD Screen Spotted in China (news.softpedia.com)
- Lenovo LePhone S899t with ICS reportedly in the works for China Mobile (engadget.com)
Microsoft’s efforts for Education in the UK at LeWeb 2012
Posted by – June 20, 2012
Microsoft wants Windows in every school used by every student and they are also doing alot to encourage programming in schools and more.
JWD 7″ AllWinner A10 Tablet Factory Tour
Posted by – June 18, 2012
Here’s a 8-minute video tour of the JWD 7″ AllWinner A10 Factory.
JWD 10.1″ AllWinner Factory Tour
Posted by – June 18, 2012
Here they are assembling 10.1″ AllWinner A10 based tablets.
Entering the JWD Factory
Posted by – June 18, 2012
This is a large factory making AllWinner based tablets and more. This is the largest best organized factory I have visited yet in Shenzhen, it features the bunny suits, dust control etc. They manufacture AllWinner A10/A13 Tablets, pocket audio recorders and some other things.
MK802 Android 4.0 Mini PC AllWinner A10 HDMI Stick Factory Tour
Posted by – June 18, 2012
Check how the now famous MK802 Android 4.0 Mini PC AllWinner A10 HDMI Stick is being manufactured in Shenzhen China. This is the factory that likely manufactures for all the different brands that have gotten blog coverage over the past few weeks featuring this same design.
YF Technology Factory SMT
Posted by – June 18, 2012
See how they manufacture AllWinner A10 Tablet motherboards.
