Tag Archives: CPU

ASUS Transformer Prime Camera Gets Tested, 8MP Sensor Actually Takes Nice Shots

Posted by on November 16, 2011 No comments

We’ve heard about tablets with 8 megapixel cameras before, but none of them were as impressive as what I’m about to show you. I’m talking about the ASUS Transformer Prime and its 8MP sensor, that actually takes good pictures, as shown in the following samples. Of course, feel free to consider the camera still a useless feature on a slate…

Considering how good these shots are, we might actually have to get good at holding these tablets and trying to take good pictures, especially when reviewing a device like this. ASUS might just be the first tablet maker that actually cares about photo taking on the go with a tablet and video recording as well, trying to hurt the competition on this field as well, not only CPU innovation.

I guess that the quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU also helps with image processing on the Transformer Prime, right? The photos you see here were posted by ASUS on Facebook, so you can imagine they’re doctored in some way as that’s the usual way of the PR. I’m particularly impressed by how the camera handles low lighting situations where even a 12 MP phone like the Nokia N8 would fail.


Panasonic ToughPad Rugged Tablets Launched: 7 Inch ToughPad B1, 10 Inch ToughPad A1

Posted by on November 14, 2011 No comments

Panasonic has just announced the launch of the ToughPad tablets, in the 7 inch B1 and the 10 inch A1 versions. These are rugged models, that can survive a drop from up high, it seems. They can even take on harsh weather and rough treatments, so they’ll be ideal in industrial environments.

Both run Android and meet the durability standards of ToughBook PC products from Panasonic. You also get 3 years of warranty, a water resistant shell on the slates and resistance against dust, screen glare and more. Extreme heat and cold doesn’t bother the ToughPads, so temperatures from 14 degrees to 122 Fahrenheit won’t be a problem.

Falls from 4 feet are also faced and you can use one of these tablets at an elevation of up to 15,000 feet. Plus, the specs aren’t bat at all, including the 1.2GHz Marvell dual core CPU on the A1, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and the 10.1 inch multitouch display. Digital pen input and a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution round things up, while on the software front, Android 3.2 Honeycomb is the name of the game.

The A1 integrates a mic and speaker, a microSDHC card slot, a stylus holder, a 5MP camera at the rear and 2MP one upfront, plus a micro HDMI port, Bluetooth, GPS and micro USB port. 3G and 4G connectivity are supported, but the price is pretty premium at $1299.


Intel Preparing CPUs for Tablets, Coming in 2012

Posted by on November 11, 2011 No comments

Intel has yet to tackle the mobile device market in a serious way, but 2012 is the year they’ll be setting loose some pretty interesting computing solutions. The Medfield CPU range will be focused on handset applications and Intel will also create a special processor for tablet PCs.

Industry sources confirmed that the CPU maker is working on a tablet-oriented technology. Intel wants to take on ARM and its famous processors and offer better thermal design power and performance, if possible. The TDP ratings of Intel’s chipsets for tablets and smartphones aim at being lowered to 10W in the following years. The next 3 years will include launches of the 32nm Saltwell, 22nm Silvermont and 14nm Airmont chipsets, according to inside sources.

Benchmarks will tell us if Intel have a winning hand here, but they have to hurry since Nvidia is already evolving fast and Qualcomm plus TI OMAP have big plans for the future, especially the Android universe.


Fujitsu Arrow LTE Tab Ruins Android And It’s Indestructible (Video)

Posted by on November 10, 2011 No comments

There are few tablets out there that are rugged and even fewer that claim they’re indestructible. We have the Panasonic ToughPad and now a new model called the Fujitsu Arrows LTE Tab, an Android slate that can be submerged under water completely without problems.

This is a 10 incher model with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, Android 3.2 Honeycomb on board and Tegra 2 as the CPU. There’s also 1GB of RAM available, as well as 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot with support for 32GB of extra memory, a microUSB port and a microHDMI port. The CPU inside is the usual 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2, so the specs here are average but the external shell is the selling point, since it’s resilient.

Right now, this model seems rather prone to diving not very strong shocks, so the Panasonic ToughPad A1 might actually be better. I’d have to see them side by side and run them over with a car to know that… Promo video below:


Nvidia Tegra 3 Is Now Official: Quad Core 1.3GHz Chip Provides 5 Times the Power of Tegra 2, Uses Less Battery (Video)

Posted by on November 10, 2011 No comments

Nvidia Tegra 3 has just become official and it’s no coincidence considering the ASUS Transformer Prime tablet has just been announced. This is the first quad core tablet and also the first with this CPU on board… Tegra 3 should have come back in August, but Nvidia chose to tweak it a bit more, for a more successful launch.

Nvidia Tegra 3 aka Kal-El was first showcased at MWC 2011 in February and it has gone a long way to break down the records of the Tegra 2 solution. Tegra 3 promises 5 times the performance of the predecessor and it comes with a four core Cortex A9 setup as well as a new 12 core graphics processor. Actually this solution is a five core one, with an extra lower power companion core, that handles the standby and low intensity processes.

What Nvidia praises most about its new CPU is the dynamic core management system, that gives it more battery life than what the user gets from a standard mobile device. As a test, the Nvidia Tegra 3 was set up to play back 720p video side by side with the Tegra 2 and overall it used up 61% less power. The GPU demos have also shown the gaming potential of the new chipset, that will grant the game developers the environment to create impressive games with even better graphics.

Tegra 3 will play 1080p video at a bitrate as high as 40Mbps, so get ready for stunning graphics. Here’s what the games of the future might look like on tablets:


Qualcomm Putting Its CPUs on 30 Snapdragon Tablets in 2012

Posted by on November 6, 2011 No comments

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ARM CPUs are famous because they’re used on a lot of smartphones, but as far as tablets go Nvidia Tegra 2 is the favorite chipset. Apparently, 2012 will be all about Snapdragon, since Qualcomm announced that it intends to power at least 30 tablet models with its processing solution next year.

In total there will be around 350 new devices with Snapdragon processors in 2012, so we’re going to have a looot of fun. Some of these slates and smartphones will be released in the following months and they will rely on the Krait architecture. The MSM8960 CPU uses two cores at 1.7GHz and also integrates a LTE/3G modem plus an Adreno 225 graphics core.

Just like other Krait models, there will be a 28nm process used to make the new CPU, reducing power consumption and increasing power. Of the whole tablet lineup, Android and Windows 8 are expected to go along with Snapdragon.


LG Prada K2 Hits the FCC, NFC On Board

Posted by on November 4, 2011 No comments

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We still have very little information on the whens and wheres of the LG Prada K2 but the new handset is on the horizon. We got a look at the first Android entry into the Prada lineup last month, but a recently-filed FCC report is revealings just a bit more. The LG Prada K2 may or may not see a US release, but it will feature dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM/EDGE 850 and 1900, and WCDMA 1900. Also included is NFC support.

Other rumored specs include a NOVA display, dual-core CPU, and front and rear cameras.

[FCC via WirelessGoodness]

Karuma PlayBase Tablet For Children is Also Very Slim

Posted by on November 3, 2011 5 comments

Karuma isn’t a name that says a lot to me, but you should remember it, since they handle an interesting niche product. I’m talking about the tablets for children, like the Karuma PlayBase model shown below. This is a very slim device meant for kids.

This 7 inch Android slate comes with a 9.7mm thick case, it weighs 325 grams and it’s marketed as a “child-proof” product. To face the expectations, the tablet comes with a silicone tablet case, that protects the sides and the back of the device. This silicone case also provides extra grip, not only resilience. When the case is off we find that the tablet looks very much like the HTC Flyer.

Priced at 169 pounds, Karuma’s pre-orders will start on November 15th at play-base.com. Normal orders will start on December 1st and they’ll include Amazon and eBay. Here’s the list of specs for this tablet:

  • Display: 7 inch, capacitive, multitouch, 800 x 600 pixels
  • CPU: single core, 1.2GHz, Rockchip RK2918 Cortex A8
  • Memory: 1GB RAM, 8GB internal, microSD card slot
  • Connectivity: WiFi
  • Other features: front camera, stereo speakers

 


HTC Raider Now Available through Bell

Posted by on November 1, 2011 No comments

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If you call Canada home and want to lock into the LTE airwaves currently permeating the Great White North courtesy of Bell, you get your chance today as the carrier has released their first 4G smartphone, the HTC Raider The Raider features a 4.5-inch qHD display, 8MP camera, and 1.2GHz dual-core CPU. If you can stand to give up three years to a Bell contract and one device, the Raider is yours for only $149.99. Otherwise look to spend over $500 for two-year and one-year deals.

[via Bell]

Nvidia Kal-El Processor Takes Off on November 9th, Courtesy of the ASUS Transformer Prime

Posted by on October 28, 2011 1 comment

ASUS CEO Jonney Shih has made an impressive unveiling, saying that Nvidia’s Kal-El quad core CPU will debut as soon as November 9th. How does he know that? Well, he IS the head of a company that actually made the first tablet based on this CPU: ASUS Transformer Prime… that will come on the same date.

Kal-El, aka Nvidia Tegra 3 is the latest generation of CPUs from Nvidia and it was supposed to come out at the end of the summer or early September, but power management problems pushed it back. Now it will surface on the fresh ASUS gear, that packs a 10 inch display and measures a very thin 8.3mm in thickness. Nvidia officials blame the delay on software optimization for the hardware, but it may not be entirely true…

We’ve heard that Nvidia wasn’t in fact able to achieve the promised 5X time performance of the Tegra 2, so they pushed the product will it was ready o deliver. Asus Transformer Prime was announced on stage at the AsiaD conference last week and it should bring a very impressive 14.5 hours of battery life and pack USB and mini HDMI ports, plus an SD card reader. Word has it that the slate doesn’t come with Android 4.0, but it will get it as an update.