Ubuntu 10.7 Smartbook Edition coming for ARM!

Posted by – June 22, 2010

Canonical is showing the Freescale i.MX51 Pegatron Laptop reference design running the latest version of Ubuntu Netbook Edition optimized for ARM for speed (could they be calling this the Ubuntu Smartbook Edition?). In this video, the representative of Canonical explains some of the things that are being worked on to optimize Linux as a full laptop experience on ARM platforms like the ARM Cortex A8 and the multi-core ARM Cortex A9 that are coming out soon. I will film another video with Canonical to try to get more details on how the upcoming ARM Powered laptops are going to look like and how Linux is being optimized for it.

Dell promotes the 5″ Android Tablet form factor

Posted by – June 21, 2010

Here’s my review of the Dell Streak, 5″ capacitive Qualcomm Snapdragon powered Android Tablet, as posted by JKKmobile.com a few minutes after I first tried to use his unit at the recent Computex in Taiwan.

The 4.8″ to 5″ Android Tablet is in my opinion the coolest and the best size for a Tablet because it is the largest possible screen that fits in most pockets, thus this form factor Android tablet can be carried around everywhere with the largest screen size for web browsing and watching videos and launching apps always available.

Archos created and has been selling this form factor since 2003 with their release of the Archos AV300, back then the first large screen PMP device. Since 2005, Archos released the first WiFi enabled touch screen embedded Linux Qtopia based PMA430 and for over 9 months, the Android based Archos 5 Internet Tablet has been available on the market at $249 in Radio Shack.

The release of the Dell Streak is a good thing for Archos as it popularizes the form factor. Also, I believe Archos has some advantages even with their 9 month old Android product such as pricing with a 9 month old pricing that is at about half the launch price of the Dell Streak, support for all video codecs and high profile H264, larger storage capacities up to 500GB, HDMI output, USB host and a bunch of other features. Also, Archos is expected to release 45nm based OMAP3640 Android tablet devices by September, thus further improving on the features and on the price/value performance.

Freescale low power small size low cost accelerometer MMA7660 for portrait and landscape detection

Posted by – June 20, 2010

Featuring the popular ZSTAR3 (zigbee like wireless sensor demo).

Freescale new 12-bit digital accelerometer MMA8450Q

Posted by – June 20, 2010

Embedded Innovative features like transient detection (High pass filter for gravity offset) and 32 FIFO samples associated with auto wake-up function.

A brief introduction to Freescale pressure sensors portfolio

Posted by – June 20, 2010

Featuring the medical invasive blood pressure MPX2300DT1, the ultra small absolute barometric sensor MPL115A and the water level demo DEMOAPEX.

$99 Android e-ink e-reader platform enabled by Freescale i.MX51e and i.MX508

Posted by – June 14, 2010

I am a big fan of the e-reader market, it helps people read again, as TV and the Internet has taken over more and more of people’s time, the e-readers makes it possible to read any book, any article at any time with a quality up close near to paper quality.

I filmed an early Android e-ink prototype at CeBIT that was showcased by Gigabyte, now Freescale is pushing further the use of Android as the software stack for e-ink e-readers with the i.MX51e development board demonstrated in this video. This could mean awesome use of feed readers, where articles, blog posts could also be beamed from the Chrome browser extension directly to your Android based e-reader. The feature of adding text contents from your laptop to your e-reader could become really really powerful.

Freescale ultra low-power controllers simplifies design for capacitive touch solutions

Posted by – June 14, 2010

Featuring pocket size touch demo DEMOMPR031 (4 µA current consumption with ITO pads) and Freescale appliance touch control hob demo. I filmed this at the Freescale European headquarters in Toulouse.

$88 5″ Android Tablet: Acorp EM501R

Posted by – June 10, 2010

Acorp is releasing the EM501R, 4.8″ Android Rockchip RK2808 powered tablet to be sold at only $88 (for distributors buying at least 1000 pieces). This is the Acorp 5″ Rockchip 600mhz ARM9 based Android tablet. This sized tablet fits just fine in most pockets and provides better view of web browser, video and apps than on a 3.5″ phone.

Delta Electronics color e-paper

Posted by – June 10, 2010

Delta Electronics and Japan’s Bridgestone Corporation have developed this 13.1 inch color e-paper prototype.

JKKmobile.com: Viliv X10 Android tablet

Posted by – June 10, 2010

Here’s JKKmobile.com filming the new Viliv Android Samsung ARM Cortex A8 Powered tablet:

Source: http://jkkmobile.blogspot.com/2010/06/viliv-x10-android-tablet-at-computex.html

Acer Stream: New 3.7″ 1 GHz Android Phone

Posted by – June 9, 2010

Acer is launching this new 3.7″ AMOLED, 1ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon based Android 2.1 phone with the new customized Acer user interface layer on top of Android.

Malata SMB-A1011, 10 Inch Capacitive Android Tablet

Posted by – June 9, 2010

This tablet has a nice design, it’s compact and light for a 10″ capacitive Android tablet. It comes with a HDMI output for 1080p video output, USB host ports, is based on the ARM Cortex A9 based Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.

Here are the specs:

Processor: Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core ARM Cortex A9 at 1ghz
Screen: 10.1″ 16:9 1024×600 Capacitive touch-screen
Storage: 512MB to 1GB SLC, 2GB to 32GB iNand (depending on the chosen configuration)
RAM: 512MB to 1GB DDR2 (depending on the chosen configuration)
Inputs/outputs: Mini USB, Mini HDMI output, Headphones, MicroSD
Connectivity: WiFi b/g, Bluetooth (optional)
Other: G-sensor, built-in stereo speakers
Battery: 3500mAh lithium polymer
OS: Android 2.1
Size: 253 x 164 x 12.5mm
Weight: 660gr

Ubiquituous QuickBoot, 1-second Android boot

Posted by – June 8, 2010

Android usually takes about 30 seconds to boot. Ubiquituous, somehow, has made their QuickBoot solution to work for the Freescale i.MX51 processor, where Android can boot in about 1 second. In this video a full Android OS is demonstrated booting from complete power off in about 1 second.

Pocketbook 602

Posted by – June 8, 2010

The Pocketbook 602 is a new touch screen, WiFi, Bluetooth, anti-glare matte resistive 6″ e-ink e-reader.

dmobile shows MIO V720 7″ Tablet with built-in Wimax

Posted by – June 5, 2010

dmobile is showing some Tablets with built- in Wimax and HDMI video output.

Linaro, new company to make ARM compatible software

Posted by – June 4, 2010
Category: Software, IBM

ARM, IBM, Freescale, Samsung, TI, ST Ericsson are the founding members of a new not-for-profit open source software engineering company called Linaro.

Linaro plans to invest resources in open source projects that can be used on all Linux-based distributions like Android, LiMo, MeeGo, Ubuntu, and webOS. The goal is to provide stable and optimized base for creating new optimized tools for developers along with kernel, middleware, and more validated for a wide range of SoCs every six months.

Find more informations: http://linaro.org

Source: http://dailytech.com

Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660, the third generation, 45nm dual-core 1.2ghz

Posted by – June 4, 2010

At Computex 2010, Qualcomm announced the sampling of their third generation Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660, it’s a 45nm process, dual-core 1.2ghz. Here’s an interview with Mark Frankel, product manager of the Snapdragon processors at Qualcomm.

ZTE V7 4″ Maemo device

Posted by – June 4, 2010

A new design for a 4″ 800×480, Marvell PXA310 based Maemo Linux device, with the integrated thumb keyboard below the screen. Built-in camera for video-conferencing and GPS.

Foxconn 7″ Capacitive Android Tablet

Posted by – June 4, 2010

Cool looking, low cost, Qualcomm MSM7227 based Android Tablet, made by Foxconn.

Dell Streak Android Tablet

Posted by – June 4, 2010

So this is the first 4.8″ capacitive Android tablet, to be released at $500 or more (with unlocked 3G) according to rumors. Dell has been working on this for a while as Michael Dell first showed it to Techcrunch at Davos in January.