Hasta La Gadget!

We saw a leaked hint of what was coming for Intel’s Valleyview system-on-a-chip (SoC), but now the full plan appears to have been outed by Chinese blog Expreview. The lineup will feature four models of the 22nm chips, with the D- and M-series looking to replace the Cedar Trail 32nm SoC chips used in current netbook and low-end desktop devices. The I-series is for embedded and industrial use, while the T-series would appear in tablets and other small form-factor devices, according to the leaked slides. That model would supersede the Clover Trail SoCs, which are only just arriving themselves in upcoming Windows 8 slates like the Acer W510 or Asus Tablet 810.

The chips should offer a burly horsepower bump over their predecessors, with up to four cores and clock speeds topping out at 2.4Ghz. The icing on the cake will be the integrated Gen 7 graphics engines of Ivy Bridge fame, featuring the same HD 4000 and HD 2500 GPU‘s as the grownup chips, but with only four “execution units” instead of the 16 you’d find there. That would offload functions like video decoding and 3D rendering from the CPU and allow simultaneous display to a TV or monitor. Bay Trail would also support 8GB of DDR3 RAM, double that of the “last” gen, as well as USB 3.0, SATA 2.0 and a host of other connection options. If the leak is accurate, the processors would arrive sometime next year, we’ll just have to wait and see if that’s soon enough for Intel to take a run at its formidable competition.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets

Intel’s full Atom ‘Bay Trail’ roadmap leaked: 22nm, Ivy Bridge graphics, quad-core originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week the folks at ARCHOS have revealed the GamePad, a gaming tablet with physical controls integrated into the device itself. This device brings on a lovely 7-inch display made to display games like the brand new Gameloft title Asphalt 7 – a racing game to be reckoned with. This device comes packed with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor paired with a Mali 400mp quad-core GPU for high-class graphics.

This device is an officially Google-licensed device, meaning you’ve got full access to Google Play for apps as well as media of all types – music, music, magazines, and books. ARCHOS also notes that this device works with a brand new bit of technology that ensures control compatibility with every advanced Android game: “automatic game recognition and mapping tools.” You’ll be able to play anything!

This device takes on the Android gaming dream, what ARCHOS describes as follows:

“Until now, tablets provided gamers with touch controls that lacked response and compatibility for their advanced games, providing a disappointing gaming experience. As one of the main tablet uses, there is a strong need for a tablet that does more for gaming. Thanks to the complete touch and physical controls of the ARCHOS GamePad, Gamers can enhance their experience.”

This device will be popping up with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the first Google mobile OS to get game controller support right in the software framework. Once Ice Cream Sandwich was introduced, several groups started developing games that are ready to use 3rd party controllers. The ARCHOS GamePad will be able to work with those games, but with a brand new bit of mapping and game recognition tech, they’ll be able to make use of any virtual controls, mapped to the physical control buttons of the GamePad.

Henri Crohas, ARCHOS Founder and CEO noted that “thanks to the mapping and automatic game recognition systems included on the GamePad, we already have over a thousand android games compatible with the ARCHOS GamePad’s physical controls, including back catalog titles that originally didn’t include physical controls.”

This device will be popping up near the end of October for less than 150 Euro – we’ll find out soon if this device will be appearing in the USA (and for what price). Meanwhile have a peek at our full review of the Archos 101 XS convertible tablet from the G10 series.

ARCHOS GamePad gets physical for Android gaming is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft announced a few weeks ago that it intended to offer a new SkyDrive app for Android smartphone users. Microsoft has announced that as of yesterday the app is now available for download. The Android version of the app is similar to the apps available for Windows Phone and iOS devices according to Microsoft.

The new app is one of the key features in making SkyDrive files accessible from all devices. Microsoft designed the Android app to keep the same intuitive SkyDrive experience while using Android design patterns and conventional Android interactions. Using those Android interactions allows the app to be comfortable and natural to use and navigate for Android users.

The Android app is designed to work with Android 4.0 for the best experience, but it’s functional on Android 2.3 and higher. The Android app allows users to access documents, photos, and other files stored on their SkyDrive. Users can also view recently used documents.

The app allows multiple photos or videos to be uploaded from the Android smartphone or tablet. Users can also share files and photos by sending a link via e-mail or in other apps. SkyDrive files can be opened from within other Android applications and folders can be deleted or created from within the app.

SkyDrive app for Android Launches is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

When I pointed out yesterday that people who use Google’s homepage to search tend to be less technologically inclined, some people took it very personally. To be honest, I use Google.com probably a third of the time, myself, but still think it’s safe to say that if you never use the address bar you’re probably not a gadget guy. More »

Archos already has its hands in the kiddie-tablet market, with its 7-inch Arnova Child Pad, and it’s taking on the productivity-minded crowd with its keyboard-toting 101 XS. Now the company is going after another niche segment with the just-announced GamePad. The 7-inch slate runs Android 4.0 with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and a quad-core Mali 400 MP GPU, and it sports physical gaming controls in addition to the standard touchscreen. Archos includes its own “game recognition and mapping tools,” which ensure that the physical buttons are compatible with Android games that use virtual controls (some 1,000 titles are apparently compatible with the GamePad at this point). Of course, this is an internet-enabled device as well, and it will include full access to the Play market and WiFi connectivity when it goes on sale at the end of October. Other specs include 8GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot that adds up to 64GB. There’s also a mini-HDMI connection for outputting content to your TV. For now, Archos is only announcing pricing as “less than €150”, and the device will drop in the US and Europe at the same time. For now, the below-the-break press release will have to satisfy your curiosity.

Continue reading Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for ‘less than €150’

Filed under: Gaming, Tablets

Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for ‘less than €150’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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