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

Tablet hardware - Netbook form factor

 Toshiba AC100

 To begin with, I started this blog writing about "smartbooks" and today I can give you a heads up regarding this category of devices.
 The AC100 is a niche product and in my opinion it has been launched ahead of its time. The "smartbook" defines a product that has the hardware of a smartphone inside a netbook form factor.

 Nowadays the smartphones tend to be an important part of our everyday lives and interesting crossovers have emerged (see the Motorola Atrix and its docking station).
 Nevertheless the Nvidia Tegra 250 SOC (system on a chip) has been designed for every mobile form factor that exists today. Today the users tend to own a notebook, a tablet ('cause of the hype) and a smartphone. Sooner or later you'll think about having a single device that can do it all. The AC100 isn't such a product by any means but it's a step forward. It has great hardware and the Android 2.2 does the job well although the Android Market is not officially supported. "Let's roll" - this time with the specs, not with the Autobots :)

- 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 250 SoC (built around a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor);

- 8GB, 16GB or 32 GB SSD;

- 512MB of DDR2 memory;

- 802.11n WiFi, optional 3G data, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;

- 1.3 megapixel webcam;

- HDMI out;

- headphones jack;

- microphone jack;

- 1x USB 2.0;

- SD card reader;

- 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display;

- integrated stereo speakers;

- "fanless" design - no noise during operation;

 The keyboard is comfortable to use whether you write e-mails, chat with friends or edit a doc. The chassis is quite slim an the weight of the device is "featherweight".
 I'm not aware of future software updates for AC100 but Toshiba released an update by the end of July that solved some battery draining issues. They might be able to update the AC100 with an Android 3 version aka Honeycomb given that the Asus Transformer runs it pretty well.
 So, what the future holds? Quad core tablets and netbooks for mobile fan(s)atics...

 Links: AC100
           Hacking the AC100

Galaxy Mini - for the minimalist

Samsung Galaxy Mini

 Hey, what's up? Guess this guy likes gadgets... the minimalist way, at least for today :)
 If you haven't lived in a cave for the last year or so, you might have heard about Samsung's line of Galaxy products. High end smartphones and tablets waiting to be snatched off the shelf. The mini has all the features of a complete smartphone but at the cost of a low-res screen and a mediocre camera. The build quality is quite good for a device with this kind of price tag. The best thing about it it's that it runs Android 2.2 Froyo so the users can enrich their experience by installing apps and games from the Android Market or from other sources :D
 If you are looking to buy cheap look no other way - the Mini is the answer but it won't help you save earthrealm from evil. If you're after all the bells and whistles go for its bigger bros like Galaxy S and S II. That's it for today folks, don't forget to post your opinions... as usual :))
 Have a good one!

 Link: Samsung Galaxy Mini

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