Hasta La Gadget!

Today at the Qualcomm mobile benchmarking workshop in San Francisco, Jon Peddie of Jon Peddie Research suggested that using augmented reality (AR) to test the performance of mobile devices could be “the mother of all tests.” By stressing all processors and sensors on modern smartphones and tablets — including CPU, GPU, DSP, ISP (image processor), GPS, gyro, compass, accelerometer, barometer, mic and camera — the benchmark would represent the worst case scenario in term of computing load. While AR adoption is still in its infancy amongst consumers — technology such as Project Glass still faces serious challenges — Qualcomm’s been very active in the field over the years and even provides and SDK for developers. Could this be a hint of what’s coming from the company in terms of benchmarking beyond Neocore and Vellamo? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software

Is Qualcomm considering an AR benchmark as ‘the mother of all tests’? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Box has been available on iOS and Android for quite some time, and now the cloud storage app has made the jump to Windows Phone. The company took to its blog to announce the latest addition, which offers the same functionality you’ll find elsewhere but gussied up in a beautiful Metro interface. There are a couple of features exclusive to Windows Phone, however, such as live tiles and starting slideshows for images directly within the app.

Otherwise, everything is as you would expect. Users can manage their content from within the app, upload, share, and delete files and folders, search your contents, and password protect everything to hide content from nosy individuals. First time users signing up for Box are granted 5GB of free storage, but the company has announced a partnership with Qualcomm that will see certain devices gain 50GB of free storage.

The partnership will extend to Android and Windows Phone devices with Qualcomm’s chipsets, although Box didn’t go into specifics about which devices will see the bundle. It’s a move that mirrors one made by Dropbox, who has partnered with HTC and Samsung to deliver free cloud storage of their recent flagship devices. The American Galaxy S III variants, however, didn’t see the same promotion.

Box spreads cloud to Windows Phone and inks Qualcomm preload deal is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Lenovo’s 10-inch IdeaTab S2 was one of the belles of its CES ball in offering a distinctly Transformer Pad-like experience for those not beholden to ASUS’ view of the world. While there wasn’t much attention given to the Android 4.0 tablet outside of the FCC filing we saw last month, it’s getting its time to shine at last: the device is now sitting on Lenovo’s virtual shelves as the S2110. The 10.1-inch slate’s selling point remains its (strictly optional) keyboard dock, which supplies a trackpad, an SD slot, USB and 10 extra hours of battery life to keep that movie marathon going. Even if you have no intention of constructing the Gobot to ASUS’ Transformer original, though, the S2110 is still a big leap over the so-so S2109 from the spring. A 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon APQ8060A, a rear 5-megapixel camera and a landscape 1,280 x 800 screen are all incentives to pay the premium over the S2110’s budget predecessor. Not that there will be much of a premium to pay — despite setting a $449 official price, Lenovo is already discounting the S2110 to as little as $343. That’s low enough to lure the cost-conscious away from the Transformer Pad elephant in the room, even if it reminds us of relatives that always bought us the cheaper robot toys when we were kids.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 quietly goes on sale as the Gobots of transforming tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Talk about flying under the radar. While everyone’s focus on Qualcomm’s results last week centered on the mobile chip business going gangbusters, the company quietly revealed during its fiscal results call that it’s backing out of producing Mirasol displays itself. CEO Paul Jacobs instead wants the company licensing out the butterfly-inspired screens to interested companies and will limit its direct commercialization to “certain” devices. The company isn’t explaining why beyond the plan more closely matching “addressable opportunities,” although the absence of any widescale launches (and unconfirmed but repeated talk of low yields at The Digital Reader) suggests that factory output never quite reached critical mass. We’re hoping that someone picks up the color e-reader torch before too long and delivers more than just the reference model derivatives we’ve seen to date.

Filed under: Displays

Qualcomm axes its own Mirasol production, will only bring some devices to market itself originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The fall-out from Apple and Samsung‘s escalating in-court spats includes the destruction of a gentleman’s agreement between Samsung and chip rival Qualcomm over 3G patents, new documents have confirmed. The 18 year long pact had seen Samsung promise not to sue Qualcomm or its customers over use of 3G patents; however, Samsung dissolved the agreement in April 2011, so that it could use those 3G patents in the ongoing IP war with Apple.

Qualcomm was notified that the deal- which had been first inked in 1993 – was terminated when Apple first filed against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab slate in the US, ZDNet reports from Australian courts. ”There was an agreement between Samsung and Qualcomm. That agreement was not a licence agreement” Samsung’s counsel confirmed. “It contains a contractual provision that Samsung would not sue Qualcomm or customers of Qualcomm who apply [the 3G patents].”

At that point, Apple is believed to have sought independent licensing with Samsung, but the South Korean company claims that its FRAND-term “commercial rate” for use of the technology was rejected, and that Apple failed to continue taking part in negotiations. “Apple has refused to enter negotiations for the UMTS patent” Samsung’s legal team argues.

Samsung is attempting to convince courts in Australia that Apple infringes on three patents in the country, covering different methods of data transmission, while Apple argues that the technology in question is included under ETSI laws. The South Korean legal team has previously attempted to secure access to Qualcomm’s contracts with Apple to see exactly what coverage the iPhone maker enjoys from its customer position.

Meanwhile, Samsung itself is under investigation over its handling of FRAND licensing, with the European Commission hunting for possible antitrust behavior.

Samsung kills Qualcomm ceasefire to attack Apple is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.