Hasta La Gadget!

AMD will bring Android apps to PCs based on its processors, the chip company has revealed, with the new AMD AppZone Player offering thousands of titles as well as remote smartphone control. The deal with BlueStacks uses a specially optimized version of the virtualization software tailored for AMD Radeon graphics, and allows Android apps to run as if native to x86 systems.

There’s also native support for AMD’s OpenGL drivers as used in the company’s APUs and GPUs, along with support for Cloud Connect. That works with an app on your Android phone to allow your computer to sync apps and SMS, and run software on your phone on your PC’s display.

AMD invested in BlueStacks back in late 2011, at the time describing the deal as a way to put Android’s broad app portfolio on Fusion-based tablets. The company isn’t alone in its interest, either; ASUS has released a BlueStacks-based tool, and Qualcomm has thrust money at the firm too.

You can download the AMD AppZone Player here [.exe link]. Alternatively, if you attempt to download an app that requires the Player framework from AMD’s App Zone, it will be installed automatically.

AMD AppZone Player puts Android apps on APU PCs is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Being the industry underdog means you’re always in need of a punchy pitch. Fortunately, AMD’s latest briefing to journalists in London yesterday contained exactly that: for something like the cost of an Intel Core i3 you’ll be able to pick up an overclockable Trinity A10-5800K which, we’re told, belongs in the same weight class as a Core i5 with HD 4000 graphics. Exact pricing won’t be revealed until the full stack of A10, A8, A6 and A4 processors hits shelves next week, but the top-end A10 will likely cost around $130, based on recent leaks and a glance at what Newegg currently charges for an i3. Unluckily, however, whereas Ivy Bridge was compatible with some previous-generation motherboards, Trinity will require the purchase of a new Socket FM2 motherboard.

The claim of performance parity with the Core i5 just cries out to be tested, but we’ll have to wait until early October before we can round up verdicts from full reviews on specialist sites. In the meantime, check out the More Coverage links below for some early previews. Also, if you require something more directly head-to-head with an Intel chip, then that’s exactly what you’ll find in the video after the break, albeit under AMD’s auspices and solely in relation to a single game, Sleeping Dogs. As you’ll see, there’s nothing to turn hardcore gamers against discrete graphics cards, and there are no clues about non-gaming performance (which is arguably more relevant on an APU-powered system). But the quad-core A10-5800K does offer plenty of scope for escapism on a low-power HTPC or all-in-one. Indeed, the more expensive Core i5 is left for dust, not least because it’s locked — unlike AMD, Intel charges a premium for its overclockable K-denoted chips. We’ll add further preview links as they become available.

Update: Just added HotHardware‘s preview, which shows that the A10 really does game as well as our video suggests in addition to providing a mostly fluid computing experience. As mentioned, however, it’s impossible to reach a final verdict until AMD allows sites to publish full benchmarks next week.

Continue reading AMD Trinity desktop chips due next week, promise Core i5-matching power at Core i3 price

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

AMD Trinity desktop chips due next week, promise Core i5-matching power at Core i3 price originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting old isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sure, you get a hefty discount at the Country Kitchen Buffet. But you also suffer from stuff like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a retinal disease that afflicts more than 10 million people a year in the US alone. There’s hope for the eyes of America’s elderly, though: A new pea-sized ocular implant can restore vision to the those who have lost it. More »

Are you extremely particular about the kind of processor that your budget-friendly notebook has underneath the hood? I suppose if you have answered in the negative, then you would be pleased to hear that the HP Probook 4545s notebook will be able to pack in quite a decent performance without breaking the bank, while running on an AMD processor to boot. You know the saying, it does not matter what color the cat is, as long as it is capable of catching mice. Well, the HP Probook 4545s notebook is said to be specially designed for the enterprise market, so you can be sure that a handful of key points such as durability, multimedia capability, performance and a full array of ports are taken into consideration.

When it comes to the issue of durability, it is rather obvious that folks who are always busy as a bee and are on-the-go tend to put have their precious notebooks endure some rather harsh moments, through transportation and perhaps even the environment. Good to know that HP has taken the corrective steps to make sure that HP Probook 4545s’ chassis remains rigid all round, using aluminum that has been treated to be smudge and scratch resistant in the process.

Not only that, just in case you are feasting on a dinner of pizza and Coke again, the keyboard has been specially constructed to be spill-resistant, which is a must-have feature for business notebooks as you can never quite tell when a clumsy moment will send that can of Coke flying across the keyboard. Apart from that, there is also an integrated sensor which will park the HDD heads in order to prevent a fatal disk crash just in case you drop your HP Probook 4545s by accident.

HP has also thrown in a webcam that works decently for standard use,while a discrete GPU should make it a decent gaming machine, although do not expect to run the latest titles in the highest quality settings. It has a 15.6″ display at a resolution of 1366×768 which is not too hot in this day and age, but functional. You can have up to an AMD quad-core A8-4500M 2.8GHz + Radeon HD 7640 GPU, up to 8GB RAM, where it carries a pair of USB 3.0 ports and an equal number of USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, and VGA connectivity. Any takers?

Company Page

[ HP Probook 4545s notebook runs off an AMD processor copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

HP has outed a new range of lightweight notbeooks, kicking off with the metal-clad HP ENVY m4 thin-and-light, and including the Sleekbook 14 and 15 for the mainstream. The ENVY m4 slots a choice of Intel Core i3/i5 processors inside its aluminum casing, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and a 1,366 x 768 display; HP tells us we can expect up to eight hours.

There’s also a choice of SSD or HDD storage, the option of a backlit keyboard, and integrated optical drive, and an HD webcam. Intel WiDi wireless display streaming is supported, and there’s both stereo speakers and a subwoofer squeezed inside, with Beats Audio branding. A fingerprint scanner in the palmrest closes out security.

The HP ENVY m4 will go on sale from October 26, priced from $899.99.

As for the Sleekbook 14 and 15 – offering, unsurprisingly, 14-inch and 15.6-inch display options, both running at HD resolution – with Intel doing processor duty on the larger model and AMD’s chips running the smaller version. HDMI, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0 connectivity, along with HD webcams and optional discrete NVIDIA graphics make up the bulk of the specs, and the larger Sleekbook 15 gets a numeric keypad too.

The HP Sleekbook 14 kicks off at $499.99, while the Sleekbook 15 starts at $559.99; both will go on sale from October 26.

HP ENVY m4 and Sleekbook 14 and 15 ultraportables revealed is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.