Kal El - Nvidia's "Superman" :)

 Tegra 3 (Kal-El)

 The new generation of Nvidia's mobile SoC is codenamed Kal El, guess that Superman has fans everywhere or they just might tease their competitors in the likes of Texas Instruments or Qualcomm.
 The race is on ladies and gents, place your bets and let's get started before it's too late 'cause I doubt that someone will find the "kryptonite" to stop Nvidia's "Superman" on his tracks...
 Here are some of the specs for all ya geeks (hot tech chicks included) out there:

 Processor: Quad Core ARM Cortex A9 MP Core, up to 1.5 GHz;

 Graphics: 12 Core Nvidia GPU with support for 3D stereo and Ultra Low Power GPU mode,
                  video output up to 2560x1600 pixels and 1080p H.264 High Profile video decode.

 The Kal EL's CPU and GPU are to be about five times faster than those on Tegra 2 wich is already faster than any other SoC. For all Superman's fans out there there's no word on X-ray vision capability yet :p

 Tegra 3 SoC (system on a chip) will be available later this year for Android based tablets and for smartphones starting from 2012. Microsoft's Windows 8 would run on SoC's just fine but I guess that each software program that the user would want to run would have to be recompiled.
 Who knows? Someday, maybe the mobile apps for iOS and Android will replace the desktop/notebook ones... or maybe I'm thinking too far ahead since there are still lots of people who use Windows XP and bulky desktop PC's on a daily basis.
 The mobile technology gets better by the day, and it's up to the users/consumers to set the trends. Based on the fact that many of the users want to play 3D games and watch HD video on the go, the mobile technology is constantly developing and improving.
 Meanwhile I'm lookin' forward for your comments. See ya!

 Links: NVIDIA Kal El reference tablet
           NVIDIA Tegra
           Mobile Technology

Acer's "Ethos" - Aristotle was no "gamer"...

  Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G

 What's up? Still using your PC in ancient "desktop" setup? If the answer's "yes" then you should definitely check the "desktop replacement" class of notebooks. The processing power is on par with the bulky desktops so no matter what task you're up to - these notebooks can deliver. The first thing that sets Acer's "Ethos" apart from the crowd is the marketing gimmick they came up with - a detachable touchpad that can be used as a remote control for the system. As the savvy users that you are, I'm sure this novelty won't be the selling point for the system but rather its hardware configuration so let's roundup the specs:

 Processor:

 Intel's 2nd Gen Core i7 (Quad-Core Technology) 2630QM (6M L3 Cache) @ 2 GHz with max speed @ 2.9 GHz

 Chipset:
 Mobile Intel HM65 Express

 Ram:
 8 GB DDR3 PC3-8500 @ 1066 MHz (up to 16 GB max)

 Storage:
 HDD 750 GB @ 5400 rpm - Serial ATA-300

 Optical drive:
 DVD±RW (±R DL) / BD-ROM (Blu ray player)

 Display:
 18 inch TFT active matrix LCD Backlight Technology with LED backlight
 Max Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 16:9 Image Aspect Ratio
 Features: HDCP, CineCrystal

 Video:
 NVIDIA GeForce 555M GT with 2 GB DDR3 VRAM

 Audio:
 5.1 complies with Dolby Home Theater standards

 Networking:
 WLAN 802.11b,g,n
 Bluetooth 3.0
 Gigabit Ethernet

 Interfaces:
 1 x USB 3.0
 2 x USB 2.0
 1 x HDMI
 1 x VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T RJ-45
 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
 1 x eSATA

 Battery:
 8 cell Lithium ion - 6000 mAh (up to 5.5 hrs)

 Power:
 External AC adapter 120/230 V (50/60 Hz)

 Down to Earth now, I guess all the geeks out there are drooling over these tech. specs and the lack of a SSD drive it's not a setback given that the "Ethos" should replace a desktop PC. Gaming should be a pleasant experience along with watching HD video content.
 How about you "happy power users" - would you replace your bulky desktop PC with one of these?

 Link: Acer Aspire Ethos

High-style + high-tech = A7

 Audi A7's navigation system

 The most advanced navigation system for the consumers can be found installed in the latest Audi A7. Based on nVidia's hardware and Google's expertise Audi has decided to integrate cutting edge technology in its flagship models - don't know about you but I'd still choose the R8 without any sat-nav system :)
 Combining class with technology it's not an easy task but at the end of the day the customers are the ones who decide. The sat-nav system is based on nVidia's Tegra technology and allows for: rendering 3D maps and terrain, video and audio playback.
 The processing power will change the way people drive. With the help of computer vision and augmented reality the blind spots are easily detected and the driver alerted while the assisted parking and the night vision experiences add value to the system. The comfort of the passengers hasn't been overlooked, a wi-fi hotspot can be activated so they can access the internet from their smartphones, tablets or notebooks. So, what do you think?
 Don't forget to post your opinions, see ya!

 Link: The Audi A7 Does High-Tech In High-Style

Do you want to know what the Atrix is? :)

Motorola Atrix

 "Welcome, to the real world!" this is how Morpheus from The Matrix would great you. Today I'm gonna tell you about a device that's worthy of 21'st century. This is a powerful smartphone that can be easily transformed into a netbook with the help of a docking station that includes a 11.6 inch LCD display, a qwerty keyboard and usb ports among other things. The hardware powered by an nVidia Tegra 2 system on a chip can easily handle most of everyday tasks whether you are editing docs, browse the net or watch HD movies. This device might be a good choice for those who are annoyed by the multitude of devices to choose from when up to a task. Should I use the desktop pc, the notebook, the tablet, or the smartphone? Motorola seems to get back in the game with a device that has multiple uses for the consumer. It's not everyday that innovation strikes and gives us a glimpse of the future, it seems Moto has challenged another "Milestone". Be sure to post your opinions on this. See you around!

Link: Complete review





                                                 

Your multiple lifestyles, you decide!

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101

 The tablet wars gets hotter by the day. Many companies have deployed lots of foot soldiers on the battlefield but it's seems that Asus has the advantage of a sharpshooter, aiming right at their hearts - the price tag. The Eee Pad Transformer runs on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and it's based on nVidia Tegra 250 SOC (system on a chip) platform.

 Apart from being the most affordable Honeycomb tablet on the market, it can be hooked up to a keyboard dock thus transforming into a netbook form factor with full Qwerty keyboard and extended battery life up to 16 hours. Here are the full specs: Eee Pad Transformer

 This video: I can transform ya  - would make a fine product commercial, don't you think?

Smartbooks - to be ola or not to be ola *(ola - online always)

 So, here we are ladies and gents almost mid 2011. The tablet-hype reached it's peak. Nowadays even grandma wants to read the news online or check the e-mail  - most of which could be spam anyway. You can find touchscreen tablets everywhere, ranging from dirt cheap to the full price of a Core i5 powered Notebook. I won't get into much details cause stirring up an Apple fanboys rebellion it's not my cup of tea, at least not today.
 So let's take a look at the big picture: Smartphones, Netbooks, Touchscreen Tablets - they all fit in the MID (mobile internet devices) bucket. What about smartbooks? First time I heard about 'em I was like wtf? A mobile OS designed for touchscreen usability transferred to a netbook form factor? As I got the chance to experience Android 2.2 on a Asus Eee PC 900 (fresh OS install by me) I had a sudden change of heart. Everything fell on place just like a 3 year old puzzle. Using keyboard and mouse with the Android OS it's not a bad user experience after all.
 Nowadays I'm eager to get my hands on a Toshiba AC100 Smartbook. It's powered by a nVidia SOC (system on a chip) Tegra 250 with dual core cpu, full HD capabilities and it runs Android 2.2 Froyo. Don't know if an update to Android 3.0 Honeycomb would be available but still, hardware wise it's more than a match for most Netbooks out there powered by Intel's Atom cpu's. So I'd like to hear from you, don't be shy and post your own opinions/comments on the matter. To be continued...

Links you might be interested in:

Porting Android OS to x86
Smartbook - Wikipedia
Toshiba AC100 Smartbook