Following close behind the low-power Nano X2 comes the Eden X2, or what VIA is calling “the world’s most power-efficient” fanless dual-core processor. While we’ve yet to see any official numbers, the original Eden did 500MHz on one watt of power, so we should see similarly thrifty specs here. Aside from that, the unit houses two 64-bit cores in a 21 x 21 millimeter package, is compatible with Windows CE and Linux operating systems, and was built using a 40-nanometer manufacturing process. The Eden X2 made its debut at the World Embedded conference this week, and should make it to the real world by the end of Q2. Full PR after the break. Continue reading VIA says Eden X2 is world’s most power-efficient dual-core processor VIA says Eden X2 is world’s most power-efficient dual-core processor originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Google’s Chrome OS , and thus the Cr-48 , has seen a lot of updates and big fixes since we took a hard look at it back in December, but the wonky touchpad, which we seriously struggled with, hasn’t exactly seen much love. That is, until today. The most recent Chrome OS update, which now brings it to version 0.10.156.46, includes new “trackpad and sensitivity settings,” and it definitely makes a world of difference. We updated ours just a couple of moments ago and lots of the issues — namely the jumpy cursor and the flaky scrolling — have been mended. Thanks to the fresh software, we had a much easier time highlighting text and scrolling down the length of this very website. That said, the touchpad still isn’t as responsive as what you get with Apple’s MacBooks or Synaptics ClickPad Series 3 , and that’s because the physical hardware is based on Synaptics’ older generation profile sensing technology rather than its newer image sensing panel. Either way, the new software update makes the Cr-48 a lot less frustrating to navigate. Google’s also rolled in some new power optimizations, screen indicators, and GChat improvements — go on and try it out for yourself and let us know what you think in the comments. New Chrome OS update finally fixes the Cr-48′s touchpad issues originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Multi-core voltage regulator uses fast voltage scaling to curb your processor’s wasteful habits
March 3, 2011 No Comment
Your processor may be able to react to your every, fickle demand when it comes to churning out the numbers that make the magic happen, but when it comes to managing its own power it’s a bit more lazy. Chips can throttle an individual core’s consumption back, but do so slowly, a problem that Harvard grad student Wonyoung Kim appears to have solved. He’s created an on-chip multi-core voltage regulator that uses what’s called fast-voltage scaling, a technique of rapidly cutting power that could drastically extend battery life on mobile devices — or, you know, make it so that your gaming rig doesn’t dim the lights quite so badly when you crank it up to the gigahertz. No word on when this regulator will start making an appearance in consumer electronics, but Mr. Kim has achieved a patent for his work, so you can be sure he’ll be making bank whenever it does. Multi-core voltage regulator uses fast voltage scaling to curb your processor’s wasteful habits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You might have seen Motorola’s WiFi-only Xoom popping up at European e-tailers , but it’s reportedly flying the red, white and blue today, having materialized at Sam’s Club in the good ol’ USA. Droid-Life stumbled upon several snapshots of these Xoom Wi-Fi vouchers, with a $539 price tag hanging above their heads — plenty cheaper than a cellular Xoom , and also slightly more affordable than a similarly specced iPad 2 . Of course, Sam’s Club deals in wholesale merchandise, and even should this price be accurate the tablet may not be widely available at the same rate, so don’t count out $599 as the Xoom Wi-Fi’s MSRP. Meanwhile, let us know if you manage to find and ring one up at the register, eh? [Thanks, Michael] WiFi-only Motorola Xoom appears at Sam’s Club, bearing $539 price? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Google gave folks a brief glimpse at its super secret self-driving cars last fall, but nothing like what it’s just showed off at the TED conference that’s happening this week in Long Beach, California. The company is not only actually letting attendees inside the autonomous car for a first-hand demonstration, but it’s intentionally stepped things up to an “aggressive” level to show just how capable the car really is — we’re talking squealing tires and really tight cornering (all on a closed course, naturally). Head on past the break for a view from both inside and outside of the car courtesy of Search Engine Land . Continue reading Google’s self-driving cars take TED attendees for a wild ride Google’s self-driving cars take TED attendees for a wild ride originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Courtney, who obviously thinks the virtual iOS keyboard isn’t svelte enough for her needs. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com . “I’m sort of overwhelmed by the amount of iPad keyboard cases on the market, and would love to hear opinions from owners. Which one feels most sturdy, and which has the nicest key travel? They’re all priced nearly the same, so it really comes down to quality, fit and finish. Thanks for any guidance!” Ignore the fact that the iPad 2 is likely just a few weeks away — we’re talking about the here and now. You’ve read our $0.02 on a few of these , but why not throw a few opinions of your own in comments below? Ask Engadget: what’s the best iPad keyboard case? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ve caught wind of many whispers about a Windows designed specifically for tablets, but the latest scuttlebutt states we won’t get to add them to our mobile arsenal anytime soon — Bloomberg ‘s anonymous sources report that Microsoft won’t release a tablet operating system until the 2012 back-to-school season, and will only begin to test the OS at the end of this year. That suggests not only a timeframe, but also a likely plan — it’s not hard to imagine Microsoft would enjoy a slice of the educational market before iPads replace textbooks entirely at schools with cash to burn. Of course, Dell seems to think there’ll be a Windows 8 slate in January of next year . Microsoft tablet OS not coming until fall 2012? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We’ve caught wind of many whispers about a Windows designed specifically for tablets, but the latest scuttlebutt states we won’t get to add them to our mobile arsenal anytime soon — Bloomberg ‘s anonymous sources report that Microsoft won’t release a tablet operating system until the 2012 back-to-school season, and will only begin to test the OS at the end of this year. That suggests not only a timeframe, but also a likely plan — it’s not hard to imagine Microsoft would enjoy a slice of the educational market before iPads replace textbooks entirely at schools with cash to burn. Of course, Dell seems to think there’ll be a Windows 8 slate in January of next year . Microsoft tablet OS not coming until fall 2012? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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What might Android gaming look like on a Samsung Galaxy S II ? You’re staring it in the face right now. We spotted Samsung’s Orion / Exynos 4210 at GDC 2011, showing off the power of its dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPU and Mali-400 graphics on a nice big 1080p television screen — with a completely playable asteroid obstacle course that ran at a butter-smooth 60 frames per second in stereoscopic 3D. ARM representatives told us the chip actually has even more headroom, but was actually constrained by its HDMI 1.3 port, and could push stereoscopic content at up to 70fps if their reference board had HDMI 1.4 . When we asked if there were any plans to publish the TrueForce space shooter demo, ARM said it might indeed be done; the company’s thinking of releasing it on the Android Market as a benchmark of sorts. Samsung’s Exynos 4210 flexes 3D gaming muscle at GDC 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Netflix for iPad updated with a new custom UI but loses features like DVD queueing
March 3, 2011 No Comment
While its page on iTunes doesn’t show any change, HackingNetflix points out Netflix for iPad was updated today with a new version of the app that gives it a customized interface instead of just pulling up a lightly customized version of the standard webpage. That reduces browsing options to four areas: Home, Genres, Search and Instant Queue. Note the word instant, because there is no longer any way to access one’s DVD queue from within the app (pulling up the Netflix page in a browser window or using a third party app, still works just fine) mirroring the changes made on TV streaming frontends in January . While there are a few reviews praising it for sleeker, speedier access, removing access to DVDs (plus detailed info on each movie like user or critic reviews, cast lists and more) has already been met with angry comments. We’ve always found the Netflix interface on iPhone and iPad somewhat lacking when it came to queue management anyway, now that Watch Instantly streaming is its only reason for being we’re wondering if you consider that a positive or negative change. Netflix for iPad updated with a new custom UI but loses features like DVD queueing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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