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Adobe is preparing to supplement its popular-but-proprietary Flash product with a standards-based animation tool based on HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. Supporting imported bitmap and vector graphics, Adobe Edge produces output compatible with browsers including Firefox, Internet Explorer 9, and the Safari versions used in Apple's iPad and iPhone, the company says.
More details have surfaced about Android 3.2, including support for seven-inch screens and Qualcomm processors. The release may appear on Amazon.com's Android tablets, which are rumored to be arriving in August bearing Texas Instruments processors and could hasten the fall of the monochrome Kindle.
Sony Ericsson announced two compact Android 2.3 phones, including a 1GHz, 3.0-inch Xperia Active, which offers features such as water resistance and Ant+ wireless networking — aimed at personal fitness and health monitoring. The company also announced a 1GHz, 3.3-inch Xperia Ray phone without the fitness extras, but featuring a healthy 8.1-megapixel camera and a front videocam.
Sprint will begin selling the HTC Evo 3D 4G on June 24 for $200 on contract. According to this eWEEK review, the phone offers a lot to like, including a super 4.3-inch qHD screen, a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, and a surprisingly good Sense 3.0 UI — but the battery gets buried under 4G, and the touted 3D capability can be rather dizzying.
In a case that could threaten open source GPL licensing in Germany, a Berlin court began hearing a lawsuit from German DSL router vendor AVM against web-filtering software firm Cybits. AVM charges that by modifying Linux kernel code in router firmware, Cybits is infringing on copyright, while Cybits' defense claims GPL licensing permits it to alter the code.
Axiomtek announced a PICMG 1.3 single board computer (SBC) supporting Intel's latest “Sandy Bridge” line of Core i3/i5/i7 processors. The SHB106 offers up to 8GB of unbuffered ECC DDR3 memory, PCI Express and PCI expansion, six RAID-enabled SATA connectors, dual gigabit Ethernet ports, and 14 USB 2.0 ports, says the company.
Despite challenges posed by the Japan earthquake and tsunami, the semiconductor market continues to grow, according to analysts from IHS iSuppli and Gartner. Both firms warned that the uncertain economy will play a role in how the rest of the year shakes out, however.
Nokia announced its long-awaited MeeGo Linux-based follow-up to the N900 phone — but when this ships later this year it may well be the company's first and last MeeGo device. The Nokia N9 features an OMAP3630 processor, up to 64GB storage, a 3.9-inch AMOLED display, an eight-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera, NFC, and a “Harmattan” UI with swipe-gesture support, says the company.
Intel quietly unveiled three new entries in its “Sandy Bridge” line of Core processors, each with a TDP of just 17 Watts. They're the 1.8GHz Core i7-2677M, the 1.7GHz Core i7-2637M, and the 1.7GHz Core i5-2557M, according to the company.
Freescale Semiconductor announced a series of 28nm-fabbed QorIQ multicore processors, featuring a 64-bit PowerPC core clocked up to 2.5GHz. The Linux-ready Advanced Multiprocessing (AMP) QorIQ series will debut in early 2012 with the T4240, offering 12 cores dual-threaded to 24 virtual cores, numerous acceleration engines, and cascading power management, says Freescale.
Huawei announced a seven-inch tablet that will apparently be the first to include an upcoming Android 3.2 version of Honeycomb — said to be better optimized for seven-inch designs. The MediaPad offers a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, as well as a WSVGA display with a pixel density of 217 points per inch (ppi), and is set for a global launch in the third quarter.
A startup called Naratte has released an ultrasonic alternative to near field communication (NFC) short-range transaction technology for Android and iOS devices. The software-based technology uses a device's microphone and speaker, thereby avoiding the need for a special NFC chip.
Samsung announced a netbook with a built-in solar panel and 14.5-hour battery life. The NC215S also offers hybrid fast start technology, the ability to charge portable devices even when it's turned off, a choice of Atom processors, and a 250GB or 320GB hard disk drive.
Sigma Designs announced an IPTV set-top-box (STB) reference design that uses HomePlug AV powerline networking to transmit HD and 3D IPTV streams to TVs around the home. The Ultra-Thin Reference Platform runs Android, Linux, or Windows CE on a new, low-power SMP8670 media processor, and integrates Z-Wave RF technology for non-line-of-sight remote control and home automation, says the company.
The Linux-based Powertop energy monitoring tool is nearing a final version 2.0 release, rewritten using the Linux 2.6.36 kernel's “perf” event subsystem to offer more granular power-consumption diagnostic options. The new version is mainly developer-focused, but gains a new user interface and offers an easier way to tune a notebook's power-saving features, says the Intel-backed LessWatts.org project.