Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been hearing plenty of chatter about Samsung’s rumored 8-inch Galaxy Note tablet lately, and we’ve already seen plenty of leaks of the new tablet, as well as a hint from a Samsung exec that we should be seeing the new device at Mobile World Congress next month. However, we’re now seeing the tablet itself out in the wild in all its glory.

Italian website DDay.it ended up getting a hold of some photos of the new device, where the tablet is actually being used by a patron out in the public without so much as a, “How do you do?” It’s said that this is the Galaxy Note 8.0 that Samsung may reveal at Mobile World Congress, and while we’re definitely excited for an 8-inch variant of the Note, the tablet looks pretty much like an enlarged Galaxy S III.

However, what’s perhaps particularly striking is the button layout. Samsung’s Galaxy tablets in the past have traditionally used on-screen buttons when Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich rolled around, but it looks like the new Galaxy Note 8.0 is a different story. Instead, it looks to have a physical home button, with two capacitive touch buttons.

The photos also suggest that the Galaxy Note 8.0 will have two cameras, one on the back and one on the front. Plus, there looks to be a speaker above its display, which we’ve seen before on the Galaxy Tab 7. Other than that, it’s rumored that the new tablet will have a 1280×800 resolution, a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and up to 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card for expandable opportunities.

[via SamMobile]

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 shows up in the wild is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Details on the rumored multi-billion Microsoft investment in Dell continue to emerge, with chatter of the expectations the Windows maker would have for its supposed target. Whispers of Microsoft considering up to a $3bn injection to help stabilize Dell as a private company circulated yesterday following CNBC reports, and now the WSJ weighs in with further insider talk of how the deal might work out. Perhaps most important is the criteria that “Windows software [would] power the vast majority of its devices,” though there are concerns that perceived favouritism might push other Windows OEMs to look elsewhere for their software.

That Microsoft might have a Windows bias hardly comes as news, though beyond mandating predominant use of its software, the company would supposedly be a quiet partner. Day-to-day operations would be left to Dell to decide, without Microsoft involvement, under the current deal being proposed.

Microsoft is also apparently hoping to weight the payout in its favor should Dell – even with the extra financial help – collapse under the strain. The preferred security it hopes to hold in Dell would put it ahead of the line of stockholders, should Dell go bust and debts be settled out of what was left over.

The potential deal is already being compared to Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia, which switched to focus its smartphone efforts on Windows Phone back in 2011. Although talk of Microsoft buying out Nokia wholesale proliferated both before and after that partnership was agreed, the two companies have remained distinct, with Microsoft merely sloshing cash into the Finnish firm’s account on a quarterly basis.

Microsoft has also helped foot the bill for some of Nokia’s advertising and promotional work around Windows Phone, a move that led many to wonder whether other smartphone manufacturers using the OS might balk at the apparent favoritism. A similar concern has arisen around this rumored Dell deal, with suggestions that Acer, ASUS, Sony, and other OEMs might react to the proposed investment by looking to Google’s Chrome OS or other platforms.

However, even with its close ties to Nokia, Microsoft doesn’t always turn to Lumia devices when Windows Phone needs promoting. The company surprised many by opting to brand HTC’s 8X and 8S handsets as “Signature Windows Phones” last year, rather than their Lumia counterparts.

Microsoft wants Windows commitment not Dell control tip insiders is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

AMD has snatched two mobile processor specialists from Qualcomm and Apple, bolstering its footprint in low-power chip design as it attempts to expand from the desktop and notebook markets. Wayne Mertsky, formerly of Apple’s A-series chip division, and Charles Matar, previously one of Qualcomm’s embedded chip experts, have joined AMD’s ranks, the company confirmed to Reuters, but exactly what they’ll do at their new employer is still the stuff of speculation.

According to insiders familiar with the new roles, Meretsky will lead AMD’s software development efforts, customizing code to work more efficiently with the firm’s silicon. That’s not a new area for AMD; back at the launch of the Trinity chip series for notebooks, ultraportables, and tablets, AMD highlighted the collaborative work it had done with software companies, fettling their code to squeeze the best out of its APUs.

As for Matar, he will supposedly take up a role as VP of System-on-Chip Development, a clear indication of AMD’s ambitions for the mobile market. SoCs pull together the processor, as well as memory, other components, and sometimes radios, into a single, compact package, making them ideal for the space-short confines of smartphones and tablets.

Interestingly, joining AMD is a return of sorts for both execs, with each having worked at the company earlier in their respective careers. Meretsky will also find at least one familiar face waiting for him; AMD snatched up Apple chip architect Jim Keller midway through 2012.

Exactly how much work AMD needs to do if it wishes to be as competitive as, say, Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, and others in the mobile chipset market is unclear. The company announced a range of new APUs – Kabini, Kaveri, Richland, and Temash – at CES earlier this month, but is yet to publicly detail a roadmap for SoCs.

AMD grabs ex-Apple and Qualcomm mobile chip specialists is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s been but a mere few days since ASUS quietly introduced that Jelly Bean-loaded, 7-inch Memo Pad, though if a recent video shown off on YouTube is to be believed, the company’s got yet another, larger Memo Pad up its sleeve. Such tablet’s said to be the MeMo Pad 10, which has yet to be officially unveiled by the Taiwanese firm but has somehow made its way to the folks over at MobileArena. Just like its smaller sibling, the MeMo Pad 10 is reportedly sporting a flavor of Android’s latest, but, as its moniker would imply, a 10-inch (1280 x 800) display is among the highlights here — other purported specs include a 1.2GHz Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB RAM and 16GB of built-in storage (which could be expanded via microSD). We’ll have to wait and see if ASUS makes a MeMo Pad 10 announcement in a few weeks at Mobile World Congress; until then, however, there’s a video after the break for anyone interested in getting an early peek at the slate.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

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Via: Android Community

Source: MobileArsenaldotcom (YouTube), Tablets Magazine (translated)

This week we’re seeing no lack of Sony on the mobile front, with a relatively massive component leaking from what its sources say is a plant creating a 6.44-inch phablet for this Summer season. This machine, if proven real, would be a real competitor for not just the Samsung Galaxy Note, but the LG Intuition as well, complete with 1080p or higher resolution, extremely thin bezel coverage around the display, and a teeny-tiny Sony logo up top. Of course when you see a photo like this isn’t not exactly drowning in details, but what’s obvious is obvious – Sony appears to be getting into the giant smartphone business.

This device would also look to be taking on the 6.1-inch beast known as the Huawei Ascend Mate, a machine we got to see for ourselves at CES 2013. This component photo you’re seeing above comes from the form known as Digi-Wo and also makes it appear as though Sony is going the Motorola DROID RAZR M route with a “near-borderless display”. With such a device the user is meant to feel like they’re holding one massive touchscreen rather than a machine that just so happens to have a display in and on it.

Sony also revealed their new Xperia Tablet Z in the past 24 hours, this device appearing very much to be coming in with many of the same design cues. Have a peek at the rather sharp corners and you’ll see what it’s all about for Sony’s mobile hardware for 2013; no cutting down for this manufacturer! Does it look like they’re on-point to you?

Meanwhile we’re expecting the Sony mobile team to be bringing the heat to Mobile World Congress with a variety of offerings, even if this rather sharp looking component is not included amongst them. Have a peek in the timeline below to get an idea of what Sony’s been showing off in the past few weeks and see if you can get a handle on what’ll be appearing in Barcelona. Follow us soon and very soon in our massive MWC 2013 portal!

[via Engadget]

Sony smartphone display photo leak tips Galaxy Note competitor is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.