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MSI says it will announce a 10.1-inch tablet that runs Android on an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor at next month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). At CES, MSI will also announce a similar Windows 7-based tablet touted as one of the first devices using Intel's “Oak Trail” Atom — yet battery life and performance improvements over current Atoms will be “not extremely significant,” an MSI official reportedly told Engadget.
Portwell announced an entry-level desktop network appliance featuring Intel's Atom D510, D410, or N450 CPUs. The CAD-0210 comes with six gigabit Ethernet ports, hard disk or CompactFlash storage, Mini PCI Express and PCI expansion slots, and a reset button for quickly loading default settings, the company says.
Transduction announced a “server class” industrial PC with up to two Intel Xeon processors and provision for four hard disk drives. The TR-Maxim-JF is equipped with a “telecom-grade” micro-ATX motherboard, supports up to 48GB DDR3 memory, offers PCIe and PCI expansion, and includes gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, and serial connectivity, says the company.
The Linux Foundation announced that OpenEmbedded developer and Yocto Project maintainer Richard Purdie has been appointed to the position of Linux Foundation Fellow. The appointment signals the growing importance of embedded in the Linux pantheon, as well as the LF's commitment to its new Yocto Project for standardized embedded Linux builds.
To support the near field communication (NFC) capabilities in Android 2.3 and its Nexus S phone, Google is providing NFC-enabled stickers to local businesses in Portland, Oregon. Meanwhile, NXP Semiconductor, which makes the short-range NFC chip in the Nexus S, says it expects 50 million NFC-enabled smartphones to ship over the next year.
Google is revising its Android Market client app with a new carousel view as well as a streamlined discovery and purchasing process. Other Android Market revisions include content ratings, a more limited return window, more categories, and better device targeting tools for developers, says the company.
Aaeon announced an 8.4-inch, SVGA industrial HMI touch-panel computer touted for its light 3.3-pound weight, under two-inch depth, and IP65-compliant dust and water resistance. The ruggedized AHP-1081 is equipped with an Intel Atom N270 processor, a mini-PCI slot, SATA and CompactFlash storage, and dual gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, and serial ports, says the company.
Silent Communication announced a visual voicemail product that will offer smartphone users text transcriptions of their voice messages. The “Silent VVM” client will support mobile operating systems including Android, and can be deployed by any mobile operator, the company claims.
Adlink announced a rugged PC/104-Plus SBC (single board computer) featuring single- or dual-core Atom processors and an onboard 4GB SSD (solid state disk). The CoreModule 745 accepts up to 2GB of RAM, has two SATA II ports, and sports three serial ports as well as gigabit Ethernet, the company says.
Google's chief Android guru Andy Rubin says that some 300,000 Android phones are being activated every day, jumping up from a claimed 200,000-unit activation figure cited by Rubin only recently. Meanwhile a Frost & Sullivan analyst is questioning the claim.
Notion Ink is taking pre-orders for its 10.1-inch, WSVGA “Adam” Android tablet, with prices ranging from $375 for the LCD/Wi-Fi version to $550 with 3G and a Pixel Qi transflective display. The Adam is built on an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, offers GPS, Bluetooth, and a 3.2-megapixel swivel camera, and features a tablet-optimized version of Android called “Eden.”
Google's Cr-48 notebook beta-testing prototype for Chrome OS has received several first-look unboxings and quickie reviews, earning mostly positive feedback. Meanwhile, analysts responded to Chrome OS' delays, problems, and promise, and eWEEK took a closer look at Chrome OS' upcoming Citrix Receiver virtualization client, suggesting it signals a corporate turn for the Linux-based OS.
Gumstix announced a new version of its Linux-compatible Overo computer-on-module (COM) that doubles RAM to 512MB, said to improve performance on designs running Ubuntu or using SIM cards. The Overo Tide is equipped with the 720MHz version of the Texas Instruments OMAP3530 processor used on some other Overo modules, and retains the same 0.7 x 2.3 x 0.2-inch dimensions.
Intel says its Atom Z6xx processor, in both “Moorestown” and “Oak Trail” versions, will form the basis of 35 different tablet computers in 2011. But Atom-powered smartphones, using the smaller “Medfield” Atom, won't come out until the second half of the year, Intel CEO Paul Otellini is quoted as adding.
Userful Corp. has released new desktop virtualization software claimed to share the resources of a single Linux computer among 11 workstations via USB connections. The Userful MultiSeat 4.0 software shares resources via low-cost USB MultiSeat devices — including those from DisplayLink, HP, MCT, and Wyse — for as low as $59 per seat, says the company.