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Despite Nokia's Qt-free plans to adopt Windows Phone 7, its Qt Software subsidiary released a high-level “Qt Quick” UI stack and other upgrades. New releases include an incremental 4.7.2 upgrade to the cross-platform Qt development framework, plus Qt SDK 1.1, Qt Creator 2.1, and Qt Mobility 1.1.1, following last week's alpha release of a Qt for Android (“Necessitas”) port.
AMD has been touting its “Fusion” line of “accelerated processing units” — devices incorporating x86 CPUs along with graphics on a single die. But now the company has announced three G-Series processors that are distinctly un-fused: aimed at headless embedded applications, they save power by leaving the graphics out.
Xilinx announced its first application processors in the form of Linux-ready, dual-core Cortex-A9 system-on-chip (SoCs) that offer FPGA functionality. The Zynq-7000 devices integrate dual 800MHz ARM Cortex-A9 cores with 28nm-fabricated, low-power programmable logic derived from the Xilinx Artix7 (Zynq-7010 and Zynq-7020) and higher-end Kintex-7 (Zynq-7030 and Zynq-7040) FPGA technologies.
Via Technologies announced a new chip it claims is the world's most power-efficient dual-core processor. The Eden X2 runs fanlessly, is compatible with 64-bit instructions, offers an out-of-order x86 architecture, and provides hardware-based data encryption, the company says.
Texas Instruments announced several Linux-ready system-on-chips (SoCs) with multiuser HD conferencing and analytics capabilities. With ARM Cortex-A8 cores and TI DSPs, the high-end TMS320DM8168 can power up to three simultaneous 1080p60 frames per second (fps) video streams, or 12 simultaneous 720p30 streams, while the more power-efficient TMS320DM8148 supports a single 1080p60 fps video stream or three simultaneous 720p30 video streams, says TI.
New Jersey can be proud of its nerdy Congressman Rush Holt, the only lawmaker who managed to beat IBM's Linux-based supercomputer Watson at a mock Jeopardy tournament on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, IBM has stated it will not apply Watson to the general search market to compete with Google and Microsoft's Bing, but will instead focus on medical diagnostics, among other applications.
Motorola's Atrix 4G smartphone provides a solid AT&T answer to Verizon Wireless' Droid lineup and the various Samsung Galaxy S Android handsets, says this eWEEK review. With features like a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and HSPA+ support, the Atrix 4G is dubbed the best Android phone from AT&T yet.
Yet another Atom processor has broken cover — this time offering 64-bit processing, the ability to use up to 4GB of RAM, and support for hardware virtualization. The 1.66GHz N570 will be offered first in SeaMicro's SM10000-64 server, which employs 256 of the chips in a 10U rackmount case.
China Unicom announced its own Linux-based, Android-like WoPhone operating system, with initial phones to be offered by Huawei and Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment. The WoPhone announcement follows last week's news that China Unicom rival China Mobile will offer four Asus smartphones and a tablet running the carrier's new OMS 2.0 (OPhone) Android variant on a new TD-CDMA-ready Marvell PXA920 processor.
Accelerated Memory Production (AMP), Apacer, and Diamond Systems unveiled a memory standard that's said to provide a cost-effective way of adding memory to rugged devices. RSODIMM satisfies reliability requirements affordably by simply adding 10mm of height and two mounting holes to the industry-standard SODIMM form factor, the companies say.
Freescale Semiconductor announced two new members of its i.MX53 family of Cortex-A8 system-on-chips: an industrial-focused, 800MHz i.MX37 and the consumer-oriented, 1GHz i.MX538. Also unveiled were a $149 “Quick Start” development board for the original i.MX535 SoC, as well as a 10.1-inch, $1,499 “SABRE” tablet reference design, both compatible with Android, Linux, and Windows Embedded Compact 7.
HTC announced it will launch an Android-based “world phone,” including both CDMA and GSM. Due this spring, the HTC Merge features Android 2.2, a 3.8-inch display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a five-megapixel camera, and appears likely to be heading for Verizon Wireless.
Verizon Wireless launched the Motorola Xoom Feb. 24 for $600 with a two-year contract, and the dual-core Android 3.0 tablet has earned solid reviews — although with concerns over the high price and lack of apps. Android tablets certainly have a long way to go, however, since Apple's iPad represented 93 percent of the 4.5 million tablet PCs sold in 3Q 2010, says ABI Research.
Data Ltd Inc. (DLI) announced a vehicle-mount computer that comes with a dual-core Atom processor, IP54 sealing against liquids or dust, and a choice of 12- or 15-inch touchscreens. The DLI 9200 includes up to 3GB of RAM, up to 240GB of storage, plus connectivity including an optional GSM or CDMA cellular modem, the company says.
Toradex announced a Linux-based single board computer (SBC) with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom E6xx, and also debuted a PC based on it that's claimed to be “the world's smallest.” The “Topaz” SBC underlies the fanless, aluminum-housed “Xiilun,” which measures 3.50 x 2.36 x 0.63 inches, features up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and offers a bootable microSD slot, DVI-D, and four USB 2.0 ports.