Hasta La Gadget!

NVIDIA’s Tegra chip has shown itself to be quite a gem, especially in the field of augmented reality zombie destruction. Looks like Samsung agrees with that sentiment, and has confirmed that it’s currently developing a smartphone with the powerful processor. That’s not a lot to go on, but knowing the capabilities of the CPU, we’re excited. It’s probably safe to assume an AMOLED touchscreen is a given, as well as a plethora of TouchWiz widgets, but whether or not the phone goes with Windows Mobile or Android is still a mystery. A recent rumor suggested one of the “top five” smartphone makers would be releasing a $199 GSM-based Tegra device by year’s end — no indication if these two reports are one in the same, but we’d love to see what Sammy has in store sooner rather than later.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung confirms a Tegra-based smartphone is in the works, all other details shrouded in mystery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although we get irked by all the names assigned to netbooks, smartbooks, or in this case, viewbooks, we are still pretty excited about the élan’s 1080p capabilities, and now the Netbook News crew are adding to our enthusiasm with a pair of videos investigating the machine’s chassis and software. The UI they looked at is notable for being supplied by NVIDIA, and may therefore give a good indication of what future Tegra-based devices of all shapes, sizes and naming nomenclatures may look and feel like. We like the media-centric approach, which complements the platform’s strengths well, and the chunky navigation icons avoid the pitfalls inherent in a screen of this size (8.9-inches). Click through for the vids, but be warned: super-glossy screens and pink laptop enclosures lay ahead.

Continue reading Video: Mobinnova élan sporting a custom Tegra UI

Filed under: Laptops

Video: Mobinnova élan sporting a custom Tegra UI originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorry Nvidia fans, there’s no Nvidia Tegra netbook on the horizon.

Contrary to reports that Nvidia is planning to release a netbook made  by Taiwanese manufacturer Mobinnova under its brand, the company says it has no plans to do so.

“It’s not true,” Derek Perez, director of public relations for Nvidia told Wired.com

Nvidia will focus on getting its Tegra system-on-a-chip into cellphones and mobile internet devices produced by its partners. The company launched Tegra earlier this month as an ultra-low power chip package that could significantly improve audio and video processing capabilities in pint-sized devices. Tegra includes an 800-MHz ARM CPU, a high-definition video processor, an imaging processor, an audio processor and an ultralow-power GeForce GPU, that can be used together or independently.

Nvidia will support Mobinnova, which announced a Tegra-powered netbook called élan earlier this month. The élan is expected to be the size of a hardcover book, weigh less than 2 pounds and offer five to ten hours of high-definition video playback.

Looks like Mobinnova will have to market élan on its own or find another company to rebrand the product.

Photo: Mobinnova élan netbook/Mobinnova

You can stop wondering what exactly is powering the new Zune HD. On the official Zune Insider podcast, host Matt Akers confirmed the rumors: yep, it’s rocking a Tegra. No surprise, that announcement came with a heap of praise for NVIDIA’s chip, so much so it’s almost painful to listen. “So sick, so much better battery life, graphics acceleration. This thing is like a mini laptop in your hand, right, it’s so awesome.” We’ll have to see about that for ourselves (in September, maybe?), but we are indeed encouraged by the news. Hear it for yourself just below.

[Thanks, Jon]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Zune HD has a Tegra processor, confirms official Zune podcast originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The case for running Android — an OS developed for smartphones — on cheap, ultra-portable laptops has yet to be made. However, that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from tinkering with the idea as demonstrated by the broad range of Android “smartbooks” running on ARM-based (be it Snapdragon, Tegra, or Freescale) architectures at Computex. Now Gartner, the guiding force for many corporate CIOs, has issued a research note that puts Atom-based netbooks running Windows 7 on notice while giving credence to the emerging smartbook category of ultra-portables. Analysts Christian Heidarson and Ben Lee said the following in Gartner’s Semiconductor DQ Monday Report:

When Android did work, we found that the user interface was very snappy on relatively low-performance ARM processors, more so than Windows 7 on Atom.

Of course, Windows 7 scales much better than Vista and as a full-blown desktop OS gives users a lot of flexibility as long as the netbook’s chipset is up to the task. Then again, if you’re looking for a purpose-built, fanless 10-inch ultra-portable with integrated WWAN data and FireFox browser that costs less than $200 and plays 25 days of music or 10-hours of 1080p video off a single charge, well then a smartbook might be the device for you. We’ll see which carrier is brave enough to sell ’em come October.

Filed under: Laptops

Gartner: Android on ARM “more snappy” than Windows 7 on Atom originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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