Hasta La Gadget!

AMD has a disproportionately large $6.4 million investment in BlueStacks, and now we’re seeing one clear reason why. The two companies have teamed up to create a special version of the BlueStacks App Player that’s tuned for AMD’s Fusion-based processors and Radeon graphics cards, running Android apps with the full help of the chip desgner’s hardware in Windows 7 and 8 PCs. Accordingly, over 500,000 Android apps are invading AMD’s new AppZone portal without any needed tweaks of their own, giving the service a much larger catalog than if it had gone with Windows alone. Both companies have a clear incentive to this melding of desktop and mobile: BlueStacks suddenly gets exposure to as many as 100 million AMD-running users, while AMD can tout a giant app catalog that may be preloaded on future PCs using its components. We don’t know if the world needs yet another avenue for playing Angry Birds, especially when many AMD-based PCs won’t have touchscreens, but the BlueStacks partnership could be a strong lure for new PC buyers who’d like an instant software library.

Continue reading BlueStacks teams with AMD to optimize Android App Player for Fusion, Radeon chips (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

BlueStacks teams with AMD to optimize Android App Player for Fusion, Radeon chips (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, ASUS. While it was so forthcoming with an update to Jelly Bean for the Transformer Pad TF300, it has been shy about upgrading the tablet’s higher-end cousins. The company must be coming out of its shell: it just posted a teaser for Jelly Bean updates coming to the Transformer Pad Prime TF201 (formerly the Eee Pad Transformer Prime) and the flagship Transformer Pad Infinity TF700. ASUS was initially hesitant to say more than that it would come “soon,” but Technical Marketing Manager Gary Key has stepped in to confirm that North America will get the update within a surprisingly quick 72 hours. The only glaring omission is a matching refresh for the original Eee Pad Transformer to give veteran owners a little TLC.

Filed under: Tablets

ASUS teases Jelly Bean update coming to Transformer Pad Prime and Infinity within 72 hours originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interior navigation with Google Maps for Android has usually been the province of only a handful of regions at best. But what about Provence? While the deal isn’t all-encompassing, Google is now serving indoor maps for popular locations throughout France. Coverage starts with the major airports in Paris and Lyon, extending to include major nationwide stores like Carrefour and FNAC, shopping centers like the Carrousel du Louvre and museums like La Géode. All told, over 50 venues have signed onboard and should be enough for those moments when you’re rushing to catch a connecting flight at Orly… or just want to find the salad dressings in aisle three.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Mobile

Google Maps for Android takes navigation indoors for France, helps find your way through Carrefour originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there’s one thing that defines the phablet, it’s not hand portability — what’s on the market usually demands something of a stretch. Pantech wants to keep our grip at least slightly in check through its imminent Vega R3. The Android phone’s 5.3-inch, IPS-based LCD isn’t what we’d call modest, but it’s framed by an extra-thin bezel that Pantech claims is still comfortable in one hand. The R3 will be powerful, no matter how you hold it. It touts the same quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro we just saw in the LG Optimus G along with 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera and a 2,600mAh battery that can top up 100 minutes. South Koreans can pick up the Vega R3 from one of their three major carriers on September 25th. Sadly, we’re not expecting an American variant of the design given an emphasis on cheaper and smaller Pantech models in the US.

Continue reading Pantech Vega R3 packs Snapdragon S4 Pro, 5.3-inch screen into one hand

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Pantech Vega R3 packs Snapdragon S4 Pro, 5.3-inch screen into one hand originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can imagine that the team building Alibaba’s Aliyun mobile OS must have hurt feelings following Google’s accusations that Aliyun is just a corruption of Android. Alibaba chief Jack Ma is keen to restore some of that wounded pride, at least on the surface. The CEO has used a since-confirmed staff memo to spin out Aliyun as a separate entity that will “safeguard the healthy growth” of the platform and Alibaba’s mobile strategy. It’s not solely an instance of tough love, either: Alibaba is putting $200 million into the new firm and will use executive Wang Jian as a link between the two sides, having him serve as the CTO for both companies. With that in mind, Ma’s ultimate intentions aren’t clear. While the separation may be a sign of a tighter focus on software, it also reduces the impact for Alibaba if anything drags Aliyun down — and either motivation would be helpful for a company devoted to the web before anything else.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Alibaba spins out Aliyun team with $200 million investment, pep talk originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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