Motorola tablet taps Nvidia for 3D

Motorola's upcoming tablet packs relatively powerful Nvidia 3D silicon, confirming a demo Nvidia did a year ago at the Consumer Electronics Show and underscoring the importance of graphics in future tablets.
The Motorola prototype running Google's Honeycomb, the next version of Android, was shown at the D: Dive Into Mobile in San Francisco Monday.
"We're taking advantage of the 3D processing power. The particular processor is Nvidia. Their dual-core 3D processor. These guys really know 3D," said Google's Andy Rubin when showing off a new 3D version of Google Maps, which is due for cell phones "in a matter of days." The new version of Google Maps for Mobile will draw using vector graphics, which can result in more responsive mapping because less bandwidth is required. Google Maps will also allow buildings and locations to be rotated via a touch interface. His discussion of the tablet was streamed from the conference (see video, right).

That processor would be Nvidia's Tegra 2, of course. That chip is one of the first to pack a dual-core Cortex-A9 ARM processor with a graphics chip that delivers mobile "3D game playability and a visually engaging, highly-responsive 3D user interface," according to Nvidia.

Motorola's tablet was first revealed via an Nvidia demo at last year's Consumer Electronics Show. At that time, an Nvidia representative characterized the device as a Motorola-Verizon tablet and said it contained an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.
The tablet's 3D capability that Rubin praised shows that Nvidia's expertise in 3D may give it a leg up on competitors. And it certainly puts Intel on notice, which has not emphasized 3D to date in its mainstream Atom processors targeted at small devices like tablets.
And a wave of tablets is about to break packing dual-core chips from Texas Instruments (OMAP 4) and Qualcomm (MSM8660), according to Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, all packing enhanced 3D processing. "[Nvidia] is fairly competitive but the offset is Qualcomm, which has most of the wins in new tablets," Kumar said, adding that TI will also be in a few high-profile designs.

iPad 2 to start shipping as early as Feb

Apple Inc's next iPad tablet will start shipping as early as the end of February from electronics maker Foxconn Electronics' factories in China, DigiTimes reported on Tuesday.

The report, citing unnamed sources from Taiwan-based components makers, said Apple originally planned to start mass production of the new device, known as iPad 2, in January.

Those plans were postponed since the device's firmware, or set of software instructions that are programmed into the device's hardware, was still being tested, according to the report.

The iPad 2 will mainly be supplied by plants in Shenzhen belonging to Foxconn, the parent company of Hon Hai, DigiTimes reported. An initial shipment of 400,000 to 600,000 units are expected.

An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

Apple sold 4.19 million iPads in the fiscal fourth quarter. That was lower than markets expected, but analysts expect sales to ramp up this holiday season as Apple resolves supply glitches.

Apple updates iPhone operating system

The newest version of the operating system that powers iPhones, iPads and the iPod touch - iOS 4.2 - is ready for installation.

IPad users will notice the biggest changes, since this is the first ever update for that machine's operating system. It will allow multitasking on the tablet computer, so multiple applications can run at once with the possibility of transferring data between them.

IPad users have also missed out on the themed folders for sorting apps that iPhone users have been able to enjoy for a while.

The new Mail software can aggregate several accounts into one inbox, while a Game Center offers a sampling of simple online games.

But there is something new for the iPhone - AirPrint, which allows printing via a wireless connection. Initially, the function will be supported by multiple HP printers. To download and install the system updates, the devices have to be hooked up to a computer running the iTunes programme.

Tablet and e-reader buying advice

This holiday season, it will be hard to enter a store without setting eyes on a tablet computer or an e-reader. In both categories, big-name manufacturers — along with some you might not have heard of — are jumping on the bandwagon, trying hard to undercut each other with lower-priced gadgets.
It doesn't help that so many of them claim to do the same thing. The iPad dominates the field, but there's a slew of contenders that all run Google Inc.'s Android software, which is already common on smart phones. Meanwhile, the smaller tablets look almost indistinguishable from some new e-readers that hope to unseat the Kindle.
So which to buy? Here are the best options and some advice for figuring out which is the right choice for the person on your list.
E-readers:
Amazon Kindle (Wi-Fi only: $139; 3G: $189)
Pros: The Kindle's display, which measures 6 inches diagonally, uses "electronic-ink" technology, which makes it easy to read books, newspapers and magazines in direct sunlight. It falls somewhere between an iPhone and an iPad in size and weighs half a pound, making the device from Amazon.com Inc. thinner and lighter than Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Nookcolor, its strongest rival. The Kindle also lasts longer on a charge: up to one week with Wi-Fi on and two to three weeks with it turned off.
Cons: Screen is gray-scale only. The pages are slow to turn, and zooming and scrolling don't work. Lacks a built-in light source. Clunky built-in Web browser. Doesn't accept books from public libraries.
Barnes & Noble Nookcolor ($249)
Pros: Displays books and magazines in color. The brightness of the 7-inch touchscreen can be adjusted for comfortable reading in a wide range of lighting conditions. Besides a large library of books, magazines and newspapers, Barnes & Noble sells children's books with built-in narration tracks. Some books can be lent to friends, who can download Barnes & Noble's software for free to read them.
Cons: Children's books are expensive — $8, compared with child-friendly iPad apps that cost about $2. The screen is too small for comfortable reading of magazines. At 1 pound, it is twice as heavy as Amazon's Kindle, although still lighter than the iPad. Its battery life (eight hours with Wi-Fi turned off) is relatively short, although still sufficient for a round-trip flight across the country.
Tablets:
Apple iPad (Wi-Fi only: $499-$699; 3G: $629-$829)
Pros: Has the same intuitive interface as the iPhone and iPod Touch, but optimized for the iPad's larger 9.7-inch display. Syncs with the popular iTunes software, whose store sells music, movies and e-books. Up to 10 hours of battery life. There are more than 300,000 apps available in the app store; more than 40,000 of them were designed specifically for the iPad, making this the most versatile tablet, by far. All models connect over Wi-Fi, while 3G versions can use AT&T's cellular network, whose plans in the U.S. cost either $15 or $25 per month and require no long-term contracts.
Cons: It is relatively large and weighs about 1.5 pounds, so it's not as easy to use one-handed as a smaller tablet such as Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Tab. Lacks a camera for video chatting. Students will find fewer textbooks available in Apple Inc.'s iBooks than in Amazon's Kindle store.
Samsung Galaxy Tab ($399 with two-year contract; $599-$649 without)
Pros: The Tab runs the same Android software that can be found on many a smart phone. Solid build quality and brisk performance. It is a bit smaller than the iPad and about half its weight. It has dual cameras, something the iPad lacks entirely, allowing people to video chat, record HD movies and snap still photos. The Tab's display is sharper than the iPad's.
Cons: The Tab's 7-inch display makes for a less immersive movie-watching experience than the iPad's larger one. Many Android apps weren't designed to fill the Tab's larger screen. Video chat can be slow over both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular networks. The Tab only costs $399 if you commit to a two-year contract with Sprint or Verizon Wireless, which let the Tab run over their 3G networks. Verizon Wireless and AT&T sell the Tab with optional contracts, but it costs more up front ($599 on Verizon and $649 on AT&T). Monthly data plans range from $25 to $60.

Computer-shy CPI-M now logs on to Facebook

Their party was once vehemently against the introduction of computers and modern technology in India as it would mean loss of jobs for the proletariat, but West Bengal's ruling Marxist leaders are now swearing by the revolutionary reach of social networking sites like Facebook.

With the state gearing up for assembly polls next year, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is eager to reach out to as many people as possible, particularly the younger generation.'It is a social networking site. I use it to remain in touch with my friends and comrades. It's true that I may be tagged in someone else's album. It is true to an extent that it is being used as a means of propaganda and communication,' admitted Students' Federation of India (SFI) state secretary Kaustav Chatterjee, one of the young faces of the party. SFI is the student wing of the CPI-M.

Front-ranking party leaders like Sujan Chakraborty, Moinul Hassan, Samik Lahiri, Manab Mukherjee and state Industry Minister Nirupam Sen are regular visitors on Facebook.The site is not only being used to reach out to the young generation but also to serve as a podium of propaganda against archrival Trinamool Congress and its chief Mamata Banerjee.

The wall of Manab Mukherjee's Facebook account, for example, includes articles related to the alleged Maoist-Trinamool violence against CPI-M workers, and a picture of Mamata Banerjee chatting with the pro-Maoist tribal body People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) convenor Chhatradhar Mahato.
In the late 1980s and early 90s, the CPI-M was burning with ideological fury against computers, saying it was a bourgeoisie conspiracy to take away jobs from the hapless proletariat.

But the party, which has ruled Bengal since 1977 and was famously derided for being 'on the wrong side of history', has taken a remarkable U-turn. The CPI-M now showcases the information technology sector as a success story in its industrialisation efforts.With the CPI-M-led ruling Left Front going through tough times following a series of electoral debacles recently, the communists are leaving no stone unturned to rebuild their dwindling support base. Even if it means camping on digital highways.

However, leaders maintain that joining Facebook is their personal decision and there was no party diktat. 'It's not a party decision, it's my individual decision to join Facebook. I am using it as an effective tool of two-way communication where the young generation can reach out to me and I can also reach out to them,' state Tourism Minister Manab Mukherjee said, taking pride in his friend list of 104.'I do have a Facebook account, but frankly speaking I don't have much time to visit the site. I do it for personal reasons. But I think if we can use Facebook as an effective communication tool, then it will be really helpful,' CPI-M state committee member Sujan Chakraborty told IANS.

State committee member and former Lok Sabha member Samik Lahiri said he used his Facebook account primarily to stay in touch with friends, but sometimes people ask questions regarding current issues.Kaustav Chatterjee agreed that Facebook is partially used for political campaigns, but claimed his party had never opposed computers per se.'But it is not true that we were against computers. At that time we had said we are not against computers, but automation should not trigger a layoff,' said Chatterjee, whose profile album has pictures of the slain comrades of the CPI-M.

Analysts say CPI-M leaders joining social networking sites was a welcome development, but it was too late.'It's good they have now realised that computers are not our enemy. If you see the current situation, the CPI-M boasts of the IT sector, which is based on computers. But I don't feel they'll be able to attract the young generation by joining social networking sites,' noted economist Dipankar Dasgupta told IANS.'The younger generation has seen the CPI-M from its birth and the anti-incumbency factor is highest among the group. So the Marxists will not reap dividends by canvassing through sites like Facebook. Actually, it's too late for the CPI-M,' political scientist Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury told IANS.

Apple''s iPhone sales range has outdone BlackBerry

Apple's iPhone range has outdone BlackBerry, as one of the world's biggest mobile phone companies, new figures have suggested.

Apple shipped 14.1 million handsets during the most recent financial quarter, up 91 per cent on the same quarter last year, according to analysts at Strategy Analytics.

Bumper sales of Apple's flagship iPhone 4 has seen the company outperform Research in Motion, the Canadian company that makes the BlackBerry range of smartphone devices, reports the Telegraph.

RIM shipped 12.4 million units during that period, an increase of 46 per cent on the same quarter last year.

The reversal of fortunes has prompted some industry experts to question whether the popularity of the BlackBerry could be on the wane, as other devices match the mobile emailer for efficiency and usability.

A total of 327 million mobile phones were shipped worldwide during the third financial quarter of this year, up from 291 million on the same period last year.

Strategy Analytics said that growth had been less than expected and slightly down on the first six months of the year, but blamed this on component shortages and ongoing economic volatility, which "slightly constrained volumes".

Strategy Analytics said this figure represented just a two per cent annual growth on the same figure last year, but was the ninth consecutive quarter in which the troubled Finnish company had grown volumes above the market average.

Samsung promotes chairman's son Lee As president, shares hit record

The son of Samsung Electronics Co.'s chairman has been promoted to president in a reorganization of top management posts at the conglomerate the giant technology company anchors.

Lee Jae-yong, 42, who is being elevated from executive vice president at Samsung Electronics, would retain his chief operating officer title, Samsung Group said in a statement Friday. Samsung Electronics is a major force in the global electronics industry, where it holds the top spots in memory chips and flat screen televisions and ranks No.

2 in mobile phones behind Finland's Nokia Corp. The company is also the flagship corporation of the Samsung Group conglomerate, which consists of dozens of other businesses including shipbuilding, construction, leisure and finance.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee's father founded the Samsung Group in 1938. The move to promote Lee Jae-yong, who also goes by Jay Y. Lee, was widely expected after Lee Kun-hee, 68, said last month that his son was set to move up the ranks.

Investors appeared to welcome the news, sending shares in Samsung Electronics 3.3 percent higher in late morning trading to a record 887,000 won ($775). The announcement came about 30 minutes after trading started Friday.

Samsung Electronics has at least 10 executives with the title of president, according to the group. Lee Jae-yong's promotion, however, has been closely watched given that he is a member of the conglomerate's founding family and widely expected to eventually to succeed his father.

The promotion of Lee and other executives was an "organizational realignment to better prepare for the future in the rapidly changing business environment of the 21st century," the statement said. Lee Jae-yong "is expected to continue to strengthen the competitiveness of Samsung's strategic businesses and to lay the foundation for Samsung's future new growth businesses," the statement said.

Lee Jae-yong, who has previously served as chief customer officer and vice president for strategic planning, graduated from South Korea's elite Seoul National University with a degree in East Asian history and has an MBA from Japan's Keio University. His father is a graduate of Japan's Waseda University.