Hasta La Gadget!

Wearables are set to be big business, and smartwatches perhaps biggest of all, so it comes as no surprise that Samsung has been doing its homework with a new flexible multi-function timepiece design. The concept filings, submitted to the Korean design office earlier this year, show a long, slender screen-centric design that can bend to […]

Apple has acquired Passif Semiconductor, a low-power wireless chip specialist with a product range that includes Bluetooth LE support for wearables like smartwatches. The deal, confirmed by Jessica Lessin and AllThingsD, has been confirmed by Apple, but no financial details – nor examples of what the Cupertino company intends to do with the wireless expertise […]

Earlier this month, there was a rumor that Apple was facing possible delays with its next-gen iPad mini due to supplier issues with an (also rumored) next generation Retina display. Now WSJ is reporting that Apple may have gotten around the problem thanks to, of all companies, Samsung. The ubiquitous “people familiar with the matter” told the journal that Cupertino originally wanted to be supplied solely by LG Display and Sharp for the high res screens (likely to be the same 7.9 inches as the current model). However, to ensure enough supply, Apple has reportedly been forced to resort to Samsung’s display division for the next iPad mini, too. It bears noting that such supplier leaks are often unreliable, and as we’ve mentioned before, Apple frequently tests components before deciding on a final design. If true, though, it would show that despite its best efforts, Apple can’t make a clean break from its frequent sparring partner.

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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Source: WSJ

Alfa Romeo’s new Spider droptop will launch late in 2015 and eschew the retro styling of the 2uettottanta concept for a more contemporary aesthetic, it’s claimed, after the company struggled to make the Pininfarina design work alongside other high-profile models like the upcoming 4C. The Alfa Romeo Spider, a collaboration between the Italian company and Mazda, will share a far chunk of its construction with the new 2015 Miata/MX-5, and is expected to have a 168HP turbocharged 1.5 TB MultiAir engine, Autocar sources claim.

That’s different from the new Mazda drop-top, which is expected to use the Japanese company’s own engines. The Spider will have a single powerplant option at launch, it’s said, routing its power through a six-speed, dual-clutch auto gearbox; the engine will be mounted longitudinally so as to fit into the sub-1,100kg body.

Exactly what that body might look like is what’s been giving Alfa enthusiasts sleepless nights. For a start, the insiders say, it will be completely different to what Mazda prepares for the new Miata, though both will make considerable use of high-strength steel to keep weight down.

For the Spider, it’s expected to result in a roughly 4m long by 1.7m wide car, slightly longer in the process than the Miata, though both will have the same windshield and surrounding structure, front bulkhead, engine compartment, and front/rear axels. There’ll be “conventional” headlight clusters, rather than the outlandish lights of the 4C, and the traditional Alfa Romeo grill with “whisker” air intakes low down on either side.

According to the sources, the overall aim is to make a car with more mainstream appeal than the enthusiast-friendly 4C, including approachable suspension settings to make it “accessible” to everyday drivers. Again, that’s another area in which Alfa Romeo and Mazda are expected to go their own ways, with each company responsible for its own tuning and setup.

Even so, the 2015 Spider will be manufactured in Japan, alongside its Mazda cousin, with Alfa Romeo apparently close to signing off the final design by chief Marco Tencone. Pricing is still a mystery, however, though is expected to be lower than the roughly $55,000 the 4C is expected to come in at when it hits forecourts later this year.

2015 Alfa Romeo Spider goes modern, eschews “boat-tail” 2uettottanta is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s about that time for a Kindle Fire upgrade, and it seems Amazon is on it already, which makes sense considering the Nexus 7 received a refresh and the iPad has gone through some major transformations in the past couple of years. Specs of the next-generation Kindle Fire series have been leaked, and they’re a doozy.

According to Boy Genius Report, sources are saying that the next-generation Kindle Fire lineup will come packing with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors clocked at “around” 2GHz, which seems like overkill for the Kindle Fire, seeing as how Amazon wants to keep the price point low, but they may have some intense plans for the tablets.

The tablets are also said to pack in 2GB of RAM, which certainly seems feasible — it’s mainly the Snapdragon 800 that we’re mostly surprised about. The 800 is usually reserved for top-tier, expensive products, and while the Kindle Fire is Amazon’s flagship lineup, we’re curious as to how Amazon will keep the cost down of the tablets, as that is one of their main selling points.

However, seeing as how Qualcomm wants to push its Snapdragon 800 processor to “virtually every global OEM” within the next few months, it could make sense that Amazon would be one of those companies picking up the new chip for their tablets.

Earlier this month, we heard that the new Kindle Fires would be receiving display upgrades as well, with the Kindle Fire HD getting an impressive 1920×1200 resolution while still keeping the screen size at 7 inches. This is the same pixel density as the refreshed Nexus 7 that was released late last week.

However, the current 8.9-inch tablet already sports a 1920×1200 resolution, but it’s said that this version will be bumped up to 2560×1600, which would take on the iPad and the Nexus 10, but with a way better pixel density. We’ve contacted Qualcomm for more information and we’ll update this post accordingly whenever we hear back from them.

SOURCE: BGR

Kindle Fire refresh tipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2GB RAM is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.