Chocolate RAM: Chocolate Chips

To celebrate its 33rd anniversary, a Japanese electronics company called IO Data is going to give away a special Valentine’s Day treat to three lucky online shoppers. It’s a chocolate bar that looks like a RAM module!

io data ram chocolate bar

As you can see they’re quite detailed; you can even make out the word ‘Samsung’ as well as other characters etched on it. Here’s a shot of the chocolate bar along with an actual RAM stick:

io data ram chocolate bar 2

A confectionery shop called Maple House made the awesome chocolate bars, which IO Data are calling “Memory of Love Chocolate.”

io data ram chocolate bar 4

Customers who bought or will buy from IO Data’s their online store between February 6 to February 15, 2013 will have a chance of winning a Memory of Love Chocolate. I guess you could say that the winners… will be picked randomly.

[via IO Data & CNET Japan via Kotaku]

Raspberry Pi Model B gets RAM boost to 512MB, keeps $35 price tag

Raspberry Pi Model B gets RAM boost to 512MB, keeps $35 price tag

So you got your Raspberry Pi all set up, you overclocked it and you even made it run Atari 2600 games. But then, it seems, many of you wrote to the UK-based outfit to complain about the fixed 256MB of RAM. Indeed, the budget mini PC maker says that requests for a memory upgrade have been among “the most common suggestions” it’s received since it launched the device. However, rather than introduce a pricier version, the company has decided to offer 512MB as standard with all future Model Bs (including all current and outstanding orders), while sticking to the original $35 price tag. Good news? Sure, even if your current unit just got relegated to secondary secondary PC status.

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Raspberry Pi Model B gets RAM boost to 512MB, keeps $35 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 06:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JEDEC announces final DDR4 RAM specification

JEDEC announces final DDR4 RAM specification

A couple of companies have been jumping the gun on DDR4 production, but the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association is finally bringing order to the industry by releasing its official standard for the next-gen DRAM. It calls for “higher performance, with improved reliability and reduced power” — which we roughly take to mean: less gigs for better rigs. The DDR4 per-pin data rate standard is 1.6 gigatransfers per second (GT/s) at the minimum and 3.2 GT/s at the top-end, although this cap is expected to increase in future updates (given that DDR3 also surpassed its initial target). Speeds will begin at 2133MHz, a significant jump from your average DDR3 stick, and will also operate at lower power thanks to the Pseudo Open Drain Interface. Check out the PR below if you want to delve deeper into the specs, and if even that’s not enough to sate you, head to the source link below to tackle the full documentation. Godspeed!

Continue reading JEDEC announces final DDR4 RAM specification

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JEDEC announces final DDR4 RAM specification originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung starts producing faster 2GB LPDDR3 memory for mobile devices, 128GB flash storage too

Samsung announces new 2GB 30nmclass DRAM and 128GB mobile memory chips

While the scales may be steadily tipping towards mobile in the world of DRAM production, there’s still plenty of room for technological enhancements. To prove the point, Samsung has just started mass production of what it claims to be the first 2GB LPDDR3 DRAM chip for mobile, which can shuffle information in and out 1,600 Mbps (compared to its 1,066 Mbps LPDDR2 predecessor), with up to 12.8 GB/s of bandwidth. In addition, the manufacturer has also started mass production of a place to hold all of that lovely data, in the form of a 128GB mobile flash storage chip. When will you be able to buy a superphone sporting 2GB of RAM and 128GB of storage? We don’t know for sure, but even in the face of adversity all of the components seem to be falling into place.

Continue reading Samsung starts producing faster 2GB LPDDR3 memory for mobile devices, 128GB flash storage too

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Samsung starts producing faster 2GB LPDDR3 memory for mobile devices, 128GB flash storage too originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 06:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SammyHub  |  sourceSamsung (Korean), Samsung Tomorrow (Korean)  | Email this | Comments

IHS iSuppli: PCs no longer command biggest share of DRAM market

IHS iSuppli: PCs no longer command biggest share of DRAM market

Times change, this is an indisputable truth. But nothing reminds us of this fact as well as a landmark statistic. If there was ever any doubt about the shift towards of mobile computing, then let this be it: personal computers no longer account for the majority of demand for DRAM chips. With 49 percent of all new memory still headed for PCs, it’s hardly time to book the hearse for desk- and laptops just yet, but the statistic from IHS iSuppli remind us of the increasing market share that mobiles and tablets are taking. In fact, even though total DRAM shipments for PCs continues to rise, it’s estimated that the total share will slip another 6 percent, to 42.8, between Q2 this year and the end of 2013. Of course, this is good news if you have a vested interest in both, not so good if you don’t.

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IHS iSuppli: PCs no longer command biggest share of DRAM market originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 04:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC

Unsurprisingly, Apple left us in the dark regarding some specifics of the iPhone 5 upon its release. Thankfully, the good folks over at Anandtech have done a bit of digging into those numbers you see bordering Apple’s Apple A6 SoC, definitively figuring out that Cupertino’s latest phone packs in a total 1GB of Samsung-sourced memory. The site clocks the DRAM inside at 1,066Mhz, noting that it’s comprised of “two 512MB dies in a dual-channel LPDDR2 package with 32 bits per channel.” Further, Anandtech lists the the speed of the iPhone 5’s memory at 8,528MB/sec — an ample 33 percent boost over the 6,400MB/sec rating for the RAM in the iPhone 4S, but well below the 12,800 MB/sec needed to drive the new iPad’s bandwidth-hungry screen resolution.

Beyond that, the site believes that the A6 is Apple’s first truly in-house creation, as it’s using math units too new to be found in a ARM Cortex-A9 architecture (like the A5 or A5X) but reportedly isn’t a match for the soon-to-be-released Cortex-A15. If true, the implication is significant — it suggests Apple is taking the more aggressive path of a chip designer like Qualcomm and custom-tailoring large parts of its processor designs to get the speed it wants on a more exacting schedule. That’s a quick summation of the details; hit up the source links below if you want the explanation in full geek speak.

Jon Fingas contributed to this post.

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Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courts

Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courtsFujitsu’s bank balance may be a little lighter today, since Acacia Research Corp. has reported that subsidiaries of both companies have signed a settlement deal over patent disputes. As usual, Acacia is keeping tight-lipped about exactly what the patents cover, but a little digging on our part has revealed they are related to flash memory and RAM technologies. The agreement resolves lawsuits in the works at district courts in Texas and California, which is probably a good thing. After all, these cases can get pretty messy when they go to court.

Continue reading Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courts

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Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kingston HyperX Predator RAM

Kingston HyperX Predator RAM

Kingston Technology has rolled out the HyperX Predator RAM series that features a new heatsink design. The memory module provides speeds of up to 2666 MHz with CAS latencies of 9 and 11. The Kingston HyperX Predator RAM series also operates at between 1.5V and 1.65 V, which is perfect for overclocking. Available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB kits, the Kingston HyperX Predator RAM series is priced at between $56 and $338. [Kingston]

ASUS Zenbook Prime faces teardown, affords a little expansion in an even smaller space

ASUS Zenbook Prime faces teardown, affords a little expansion in an even smaller space

We often assume that Ultrabooks scarcely have any room to budge on the inside, and that’s usually true. An iFixit teardown of ASUS’ Zenbook Prime has proven that there’s always an exception to the rule. Looking at a UX32VD with the same base layout as the UX31 we reviewed, the repair outlet finds that the upgraded Zenbook has both embedded and removable RAM: provided owners are still willing to perform some surgery, they can upgrade past the 4GB of included memory on their own terms. The repair team is a bit dismayed that there’s a 5,400RPM hard drive spinning near the mini SSD — how very 2011 — but notes that it’s equally swappable by those who want something faster. Whatever you think of the fully pieced-together ASUS PC, it’s apparent there’s a reward for those willing to take it apart.

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ASUS Zenbook Prime faces teardown, affords a little expansion in an even smaller space originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler taps Sprint for new Uconnect in-car data, wants always-on internet that’s hands-off (video)

Chrysler taps Sprint for new version of Uconnect incar data, wants alwayson internet that's handsoff video

Interior technology is increasingly the main battlefield for automotive giants. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that Chrysler is bringing in some bigger guns for its Uconnect service through a team-up with Sprint. The carrier will integrate its cellular data into a Uconnect Access system where the source of pride is precisely how little Chrysler drivers will need to touch it: the two want voice commands that cut down the amount of involvement needed to plot a new course, change the music input or send a text message. Smartphones also get much more of a say in the matter this time around, providing remote control to open and ready the car before owners even set a foot inside. WiFi hotspot support carries on as well. Just be aware that you’ll have to go big or go home to get an early taste of the new Uconnect — it’s available only in the 2013 model years of the Ram 1500 and SRT Viper for now, neither of which is especially gentle on the pocketbook.

Update: It looks like the 2013 Dodge Dart R/T will also get the Uconnect goodies, which Sprint’s press release neglected to mention. [Thanks, Nathan]

Continue reading Chrysler taps Sprint for new Uconnect in-car data, wants always-on internet that’s hands-off (video)

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Chrysler taps Sprint for new Uconnect in-car data, wants always-on internet that’s hands-off (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 23:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUconnect Access  | Email this | Comments