NVIDIA to offer up documentation for Tegra graphics core to prove its commitment to open-source (video)

NVIDIA to offer up documentation for Tegra graphics core to prove its commitment to opensource

There’s nothing like a little smack talk to light the fire under certain derrieres. It’s been a few months since Linus Torvalds got verbal about NVIDIA’s support for the semi-eponymous OS, prompting the chip-maker to say “supporting Linux is important to us.” Proving that its word is good, NVIDIA will be releasing programming documentation for its Tegra architecture graphics core. The news comes from a talk given by Lucas Stach of the Nouveau project (who develop free drivers for the NVIDIA platform) at the XDC2012 conference. The focus will initially be on Tegra’s 2D rendering engine, but it’s hopes the 3D will soon follow. So, while Torvalds’ approach might have been a little bit brusque, you can’t fault its effectiveness. Video of the XDC talk after the break.

Continue reading NVIDIA to offer up documentation for Tegra graphics core to prove its commitment to open-source (video)

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NVIDIA to offer up documentation for Tegra graphics core to prove its commitment to open-source (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Sep 2012 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA loses mobile division lead Mike Rayfield

NVIDIA loses mobile division lead Mike RayfieldNVIDIA’s road into mobile may have just taken an unwanted (if temporary) detour. The company confirmed at week’s end that its Mobile Business Unit’s General Manager Mike Rayfield quietly left the company on August 24th to join another firm, although we don’t know whether he’s headed to a rival or in another direction altogether. NVIDIA also hasn’t yet said who replaces Rayfield at the helm. No matter who takes his place, the departure is a significant blow to the crew in Santa Clara: the executive had been heading mobile development at NVIDIA since 2005, before anyone really knew the company was interested in the handheld space, and helped make the Tegra name synonymous with fast Android phones and tablets like the One X and Nexus 7. There’s little doubt that more than a few competitors would like to have him onboard.

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NVIDIA loses mobile division lead Mike Rayfield originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 01:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu’s Stylistic M532 quad-core tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security

Fujitsu's Stylistic M532 quadcore tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security

Fujitsu’s Stylistic M532 has had a protracted development process that saw it appear on our radar as early as January; imagine our surprise after it ships to the US with barely more than a knock on the door. Now that it’s here, it looks to be on the sunnier side of average for an Android 4.0 slate. A quad 1.4GHz Tegra 3, a 1,280 x 800 display and 32GB of built-in space won’t rock our world in mid-2012, but the rough-and-ready among us will likely appreciate the military-spec abuse tolerances and support for optional Absolute CompuTrace theft tracking, just in case it’s pilfered from an open bag. Fujitsu’s obstacles? Apart from not having much of a cachet in the tablet arena, the company also has to convince buyers that the extra safeguards are worth a $549 price — for those who treat their tablets more delicately, there are a few tempting alternatives.

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Fujitsu’s Stylistic M532 quad-core tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Iconia Tab A110 allegedly caught brandishing Jelly Bean in press shots

Acer Iconia Tab A110 allegedly caught brandishing Jelly Bean in press shots

When we last left Acer’s Iconia Tab A110, it was going to be yet another 7-inch Android 4.0 tablet. No big deal. The proposition just became a little more intriguing now that online shop Ebuyer has posted what might be formal press shots of the A110 sporting a fresh coat of Jelly Bean, making it one of the first third-party Android 4.1 tablets that we’ve seen. Assuming the gallery isn’t just a clever attempt to whip customers into a frenzy, the posting suggests Acer’s design will follow the Nexus 7 formula all the way through to the stock interface. About the only differences are that empty home screen and incredibly generic wallpaper. Where it goes awry is the timing: without any hint of a release date, we don’t know if a Jelly Bean update would push the A110 beyond its original summer launch target. Any truth to the story, however, can only mean good things for the tablet’s larger A210 sibling.

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Acer Iconia Tab A110 allegedly caught brandishing Jelly Bean in press shots originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZTE Grand X reaches UK shops a tad early through Phones4U

ZTE Grand X reaches UK shops a tad early through Phones4U

Virgin Mobile had originally promised the UK version of the ZTE Grand X for early August. The carrier just can’t contain its enthusiasm: it’s letting retail partner Phones4U sell the budget smartphone as of today. While you’re busy skipping the start of the Olympics, the store will give you a Grand X for free if you’re willing to spend at least £20.50 ($32) per month on a tariff instead of opting for the £190 ($299) pay-as-you-go hardware price. As we saw in China, the appeal of the Grand X is in those numbers — it’s more the temptation of stock Android 4.0 in a low-priced (if capable) suit than the hardware. Phones4U does hope to sweeten the pot through a contest. We hope you like the musical styles of Professor Green, as the British retailer is giving early Grand X adopters a chance to win both a custom Professor Green case as well as tickets to a private concert.

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ZTE Grand X reaches UK shops a tad early through Phones4U originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kontron preps first Tegra 3-based Mini-ITX board, homebrew gets an ARMful

Kontron preps first Tegra 3based MiniITX board, homebrew gets an ARMfull

Believe it or not, there’s a potentially cheaper (and more customizable) way to get NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 into your life than to spring for a Nexus 7. Kontron is readying a rare Mini-ITX motherboard, the KTT30, that combines the ARM-based chip with expandable RAM and a trio of mini PCI Express slots for expansion like a micro SATA drive or a 3G modem. The external ports are more the kind you’d find on a do-it-yourself x86 PC, too: full-size HDMI, USB and even Ethernet make a show at the back. The only hurdles are an unusually throttled back 900MHz processor speed and, quite simply, the lack of release details. Kontron hasn’t promised more than a release “coming soon” — with much more complete Tegra 3 devices now hitting the $199 mark, though, we can’t see the KTT30 putting much strain on any budding hobbyist’s wallet.

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Kontron preps first Tegra 3-based Mini-ITX board, homebrew gets an ARMful originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Vertex pops up in benchmarks, might bring a slice of One X muscle to tablets

HTC Vertex pops up in benchmarks, might bring a slice of One X to tablets

HTC has been stoking the fires of anticipation for its return to tablets, and that small flame is quickly turning into a full conflagration. A slab nicknamed the Vertex has surfaced in benchmarks with a 1.3GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 and a 1,280 x 752 usable resolution that’s noticeably wider than the similarly Tegra 3-equipped One X’s 720p display. Other than Android 4.0 (and a probably Sense 4.0), however, there’s scant else to go on. The last murmurs of a Vertex from the fall had it carrying a rear 2-megapixel camera and a front 1.3-megapixel shooter, but it’s been long enough now that we wouldn’t count on that still being true — or that the new benchmarks necessarily reflect what we might get. Let’s just hope that the resulting device is more competitive than the pricey Jetstream.

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HTC Vertex pops up in benchmarks, might bring a slice of One X muscle to tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Blog of Mobile (translated), Notebook Italia (translated)  |  sourceNenaMark  | Email this | Comments