All the way back in the 90s, Qualcomm approached Apple to suggest that it might want to put a radio in its Newton PDA. It could have led to the first ever iPhone two decades early —but instead, Apple told Qualcomm to stick its radio chip somewhere else. More »
A few details have been leaked by an anonymous tipster as to what the next-generation DROID RAZR M will be, building on the greatness of the already fabulous palm-sized beast. We had our first look at the original DROID RAZR M earlier this year in NYC, the reveal event also playing host to one of the first public showings of a newly minted Google-owned Motorola, complete with Google-minded software choices for Android – like on-screen buttons, for example. Here we’re seeing the logical next step for the DROID RAZR M with an “HD” name addition, but the specifications we’re seeing aren’t quite as solid as we’d hope – not logically, that is.
When you deal with leaks, tips, and rumors such as these, you’ve got to use logic above all else. We’ve got a bunch of text from a tipster that PhoneArena seems to trust well enough, but given the notion that this device would nearly out-do the now-hero-status-holding DROID RAZR HD, we’ve got to question its authenticity. The original DROID RAZR M is known for its lovely tiny 4.3-inch display, while the current DROID RAZR HD (and RAZR MAXX HD, for that matter) has a 4.7-inch display. The tip we’re seeing today cuts the gap between the two with a 4.5-inch display for a new M HD.
This machine has been tipped to work with Android 4.1, size up at 5.15 x 2.52 x 0.035 inches, and weigh in at 5.22 oz. The display is said to be a 4.5-inch 720 x 1280 pixel resolution TFT LCD, that being 326 PPI (highly impressive). This smartphone is being tipped here as coming with a massive 3300 mAh battery and will work with the same processor the original M had (and has) with the MSM8960, that being the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus dual-core 1.5GHz SoC.
Inside you’ve got 1GB of RAM (Dual-channel, 500 MHz) / DDR2 / 8192 MB ROM and built-in storage at 16GB. You’ll be able to add a microSD or microSDHC card for memory expansion up to 32GB with this device’s microSD card slot, and the machine will of course be working with Verizon’s brand of 4G LTE data. This machine will likely be appearing at CES 2013 if it does indeed show its face in the real world at all – stick with us in the [CES 2013 tag portal] until then – not too much longer now!
Motorola DROID RAZR M HD leaked with details is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Once in a while we’d come across some cool DIY projects inspired by Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running sci-fi TV show, but nothing beats this little TARDIS that would actually make you gasp out the classic line: “It’s bigger on the inside!” Greg Kumparak, a former writer of sister site TechCrunch, initially built nothing more than just a convincing model of the iconic blue police box (with a functioning light at the top) by hand, but soon afterwards he wanted to somehow give it an interior as well.
By utilizing the Blender 3D creation suite (which was a first for Kumparak), Unity 3D engine and Qualcomm’s Vuforia AR SDK, the result is an Android app that renders the 3D interior atop the random wave-like pattern — visible once the door’s removed — on the TARDIS in real time (no pun intended). Once you’ve seen the demo video after the break, you’d probably agree that Kumparak’s only one sonic screwdriver away from becoming an honorary Time Lord. For more detail on how and why this project was put together, head over to Kumparak’s blog post.
Continue reading Mini TARDIS really is bigger on the inside, thanks to augmented reality (video)
Filed under: Misc
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Greg Kumparak
Qualcomm Atheros has announced its new QCA1990, a low-power NFC chip that holds the title of being the smallest ultra-low system-on-a-chip currently available. This NFC chip is 50-percent the size of its competitors, and aims to solve the current criticism regarding the battery usage of NFC technology. Samples will begin going out in Q1 of 2013.
The QCA1990 is integrated with the Snapdragon S4, and, according to the press release, creates “seamless user experiences” when used with Qualcomm’s WCN3680 wifi/Bluetooth chip. Also, and perhaps one of its best offerings, the QCA1990 supports antennas that are 8 times smaller than current standards.
What does this mean for consumer technology? While NFC has been generating a nice deal of buzz amongst adopters of the latest and greatest gadgets, many devices still lack the feature due to its energy drain, with many critics saying that Bluetooth 4.0 is a better option. This new chip by Qualcomm puts the kibosh on those arguments, however, and is certainly a step in the right direction.
Qualcomm’s Vice President of Product Management David Favreau offered this statement. “Qualcomm Atheros believes NFC will be another key element of an enriched experience for smartphone and tablet consumers. As consumers continue to adopt functions like mobile payments and contactless data exchange, Qualcomm intends to be at the forefront of delivering simple, easy-to-use solutions to OEM partners.”
Qualcomm announces ultra-low power NFC QCA1990 chip is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Near field communication might be all the rage at the checkout counter, but there are still plenty of devices shirking the technology. Qualcomm subsidiary Qualcomm Atheros hopes to change that, announcing an ultra-low power NFC chip that might help OEMs cut costs. The QCA1990 boasts a footprint half the size of contemporary chips, and claims support for antennas eight times smaller than today’s standards — offering manufacturers, by Qualcomm’s estimation, a large enough savings to make NFC integration viable for more devices. The hardware is built to work seamlessly with the Snapdragon S4, too, and features special polling algorithms designed to minimize battery drain.
There’s no guarantee the chip will make its way into Cupertino’s next handset, but Qualcomm seems optimistic about its place in the market. “Qualcomm intends to be at the forefront of delivering simple, easy-to-use solutions to OEM partners,” states vice president of product management David Favreau, “By enabling client devices, Qualcomm Atheros is paving the way for rapid adoption of products that incorporate NFC technology.” Manufacturer samples ship out early next year, and the final chip should be in consumer devices by Q3. More internal chips, less sticker goop. Sounds good to us.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc
Qualcomm has unveiled two new quad-core processors, the MSM8226 and the MSM8626. These 28nm silicon chipsets offer support for 13-megapixel cameras and feature an Adreno 305 GPU, which can handle video playback and recording up to full HD 1080p. Both of these processors and their Qualcomm Reference Design versions will make their appearance in Q2 of 2013.
Both the MSM8626 and MSM8226 offer multi-SIM support, including Dual SIM/Dual Standby and Dual SIM/Dual Active. Also featured is a WTR2605 multi-mode radio transceiver, which is tuned to China’s TD-SCDMA, CDMA, and HSPA+ networks. The chipsets have a built-in GPS that supports Beidou and GLONASS.
The WTR2605 transceiver is 60-percent smaller than comparable past offerings, and uses 40-percent less energy. Also slated for release are the Qualcomm Reference Design QRD8226 and QRD8626 processors. With QRD, manufacturers will receive “comprehensive handset development resources,” as well as access to hardware/software that has been tested specifically for QRD devices.
Qualcomm’s Executive Vice President and Co-President of Mobile and Computing Products Cristiano Amon offered this statement. “The expansion of our Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 family extends our leadership in performance and low power for the high-volume smartphones. This expanded roadmap provides our customers with a differentiated feature set upon which to build compelling smartphones for budget-conscious consumers.”
Qualcomm unveils quad-core MSM8626 and MSM8226 processors is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 chips are flying off the shelves so fast these days that the company’s had to enlist other manufacturing companies just to keep up with the demand. That’s not keeping the San Diego-based firm from further expanding its entry-level quad-core lineup, however, as Qualcomm just unveiled the MSM8226 and MSM8626 CPUs.
Each features an Adreno 305 GPU capable of 1080p video recording and playback and support for up to 13-megapixel shooters. The 28nm silicon also packs dual SIM support, multi-modal radios tuned to Chinese TD-SCDMA, CDMA and HSPA+ networks and has GPS, GLONASS and Beidou on board as well. Aside from the broad frequency coverage, the new radio promises 40 percent power savings and is 60 percent smaller than Qualcomm’s older comparable wireless transceivers. Want to know more? PR awaits after the break.
Continue reading Qualcomm adds two new China-bound SoCs to its Snapdragon S4 lineup
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Sharp and Qualcomm subsidiary Pixtronix have inked a $120m deal which will see the two companies collaborate on energy-efficient IGZO displays for mobile devices, as Sharp struggles with falling market share. The deal – which will see Qualcomm inject up to 9.9 billion yen into Sharp – follows rumors of the display firm courting Qualcomm among other US companies, after long-term negotiations with Apple production partner Foxconn stumbled. As a result, the companies will set up a joint development on panels combining IGZO and MEMS display tech.
Those displays will be developed and produced at Sharp’s LCD panel plan in Yonago city, Japan. The technology will be a combination of Sharp’s indium gallium zinc oxide manufacturing, which uses a different semiconductor for reducing power consumption and increasing potential pixel density, and Qualcomm subsidiary Pixtronix’s micro electro mechanical systems, which use so-called “digital shutters” to improve picture quality while also dropping power demands.
Qualcomm acquired Pixtronix at the start of the year, though at the time it was expected that the company would use MEMS in its own mirasol low-power screens for ereaders. However, mirasol was sidelined midway through the year, with production plans frozen amid low yields, and Qualcomm instead exploring technology licensing instead.
“MEMS display to be developed jointly by the two companies is a display using ultrafine process technology and existing display manufacturing infrastructure” Sharp said of today’s deal, “with features including high color reproducibility and low-power consumption.” Sharp and Pixtronix have already been working together for the past 18 months.
Sharp is hoping the deal – which is expected to see it earn Qualcomm’s cash piecemeal, as different stages toward commercialization are reached – will jumpstart its small- to medium-sized LCD business. However, the company warns, while development and initial investment will begin immediately, the point at which actual production will begin is unclear; Sharp says it will only take that step when it makes financial and technological sense.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm and Sharp are keeping the door open to possible future collaboration, including working together on chipsets.
Sharp and Qualcomm ink $120m IGZO/MEMS mobile display deal is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
We already knew that Sharp’s been asking around for some much-needed help recently, and now we can all breathe a sigh of relief, as Nikkei is reporting that said manufacturer has finally found a new friend to help co-develop its energy-efficient IGZO LCD panels. Set to announce as soon as Tuesday (presumably Japan time), the deal will involve Qualcomm initially throwing in five billion yen ($61 million) by the end of the year, with a double-down of another five billion yen after “sufficient progress has been made.” There’s no timeline yet on when (or if) a full investment would be secured, but if all goes to plan, Qualcomm will eventually hold nearly five percent of Sharp’s stock, whereas Sharp will more or less get back the 10 billion yen it lost to Sony following the termination of their joint venture earlier this year. Not a bad way to prepare for 2013, eh?
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays
Via: Reuters
Source: Nikkei (subscription required)
For those of you waiting for the real-deal collection of Star Trek gadgets and gizmos, you’ll find that today is a great day – the tricorder has arrived. The folks at Scanadu have been developing a handheld device that, while not exactly service the same function as the 60′s series tech, is certainly Star Trek-worthy in its abilities. This device has been in development for less than a year and will be prototype ready by the end of 2012 – so says the NASA-Ames Research Center-based startup team themselves.
This unit goes by the name SCOUT and is ready to connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth in a snap. Once you’re synced up, you’ve only to press the SCOUT device up to your temple and let it sit for 10 seconds. In those 10 seconds you’ll find that your vital signs will be scanned with great accuracy, this including your temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, ECG, and SPO2.
Photo via Scanadu’s official Facebook page showing Tan Le and Kim Vu “Scouting” themselves.
Development of this project happened rather rapidly if you count only the time since it was announced until now – that, again, being less than a year. If you’re counting the amount of time since Scanadu co-founder Walter De Brouwer prototyped his first tricorder effort, it’s a bit more extended. De Brouwer’s first tricorder was backpack-sized and didn’t quite have the consumer potential that this new SCOUT project does.
The SCOUT will retail for under $150 and is small enough to easily slip into your pocket – and it’s not just made for doctors. In fact, De Brouwer made it clear this week with FastCO that it’s made primarily for those everyday citizens that want to keep themselves monitored on a daily basis.
“We really want to show people their health stream. You go to a doctor and you get data points. You probably forget about them. But in this time of personalized readings we should have personalized parameters. What is a fever for me might not be a fever for you.” – De Brouwer
The SCOUT is just one entry in the massive rally for the Qualcomm Tricorder X prize – that being $10 million USD for the best tricorder that meets specifications set up by Qualcomm itself. In addition to the SCOUT, Scanadu is bringing forth a couple more medical-oriented tiny gadgets as well: ScanaFlo and ScanaFlu.
The ScanaFlo is a urine analysis system made specifically for pregnant women, scanning for signs of complications like preeclampsia and diabetes. The device works with a set of 20 cartridges that are dipped in urine with data sent back to the Scanadu app – again, on your smartphone. ScanaFlu is a saliva test that’s made primarily for the flu, but also checks for upper respiratory infections of many kinds. Each of these three products is set to be released by the end of 2013 in their final form.
Scanadu SCOUT Medical Tricorder recalls Star Trek – and it’s real is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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