MediaTek Blesses Wold with New Helio P10 SoC
SoCs, or System-on-Chips, do what their name suggests: combine all system functions on a single chip. MediaTek has announce a new Helo P10 series chip aimed at the mainstream market, so get ready to break out that soldering iron!
TAIWAN, Hsinchu– June 1, 2015 – MediaTek, a leader in power-efficient, System-on-Chip (SoC) mobile device technology solutions, today announces the launch of the MediaTek Helio™ P10, a high-performance, high-value SoC focused on the growing demand for slim form-factor smart phones that provide premium, flagship features. The Helio P10 showcases a 2 GHz, True Octa-core 64-bit Cortex-A53 CPU and a 700MHz, Dual-core 64-bit Mali-T860 GPU. The Helio P10 will be available Q3 2015 and is expected to be in consumer products in late 2015.
The P10 is the first chip in the new Helio P family, a series which aims to integrate into a high-value chipset, premium features such as high-performance modem technology; the world’s first TrueBright ISP engine for ultra-sensitive RWWB; and, MiraVision™ 2.0, for top-tier display experiences. The features available in the P series include several of MediaTek’s premier technologies, such as WorldMode LTE Cat-6, supporting 2×20 carrier aggregation with 300/50Mbps data speed; MediaTek’s advanced task scheduling algorithm, CorePilot®, which optimizes the P10’s heterogeneous computing architecture by sending workloads to the most suitable computing device – CPU, GPU, or both; and, MediaTek’s Visual Processing Application – Non-contact Heart Rate Monitoring, which uses only a smartphone’s video camera to take a heart rate reading and is as accurate as pulse oximeters/portable ECG monitoring devices.
“The P series will provide OEM smartphone makers with greater design flexibility to meet consumer demands for slim form-factors, which provide dynamic multimedia experiences,” said Jeffrey Ju, Senior Vice President of MediaTek. “The P10 enables state-of-the-art mobile computing and multimedia features all while balancing performance and battery life.”
The Helio P10 is the first product to use TSMC’s 28nm HPC+ process, which allows for reduced processor power consumption. With the help of the latest 28HPC+ process and numerous architecture and circuit design optimizations, the Helio P10 can save up to 30% more power (depending of usage scenarios), compared to existing smartphone SoCs manufactured using the 28 HPC process.
“We are pleased to see MediaTek’s achievement in producing the world’s leading 28HPC+ smartphone chip,” said Dr. BJ Woo, Vice President, Business Development, TSMC. “As an enhanced version of TSMC’s 28HPC process, 28HPC+ promises 15% better speed at fixed power or 50% leakage reduction at the same speed over 28HPC. Through our competitive 28HPC+ technology and process-design collaboration with MediaTek, we believe MediaTek will deliver a series of products which benefit smartphone users across the world.”
As with the entire line of Helio SoCs, the P10 is packed with premium multimedia features. With a concentration on advanced display technologies, premium camera features, and HiFi audio, the P10 delivers leading functionality around the features most used on today’s mobile phones:
- 21MP premium camera with the world’s first TrueBright ISP engine:
- Enables ultra-sensitive RWWB sensor to capture twice as much light as traditional RGB sensors in order to retain true color and detail, even in low light. The RWWB sensor also enhances the color resolution, even when compared with RGBW sensors.
- Other features include a new de-noise/de-mosaic HW, PDAF, video iHDR, dual main camera, less than 200ms shot-to shot delay, and video face beautify.
- Hi-fidelity, hi-clarity audio achieves 110dB SNR & -95dB THD
- Full HD display at 60FPS with MediaTek’s suite of MiraVision 2.0 display technologies:
- UltraDimming – Dimmer background lighting for more comfortable reading, even in low-light situations.
- BluLight Defender – A built-in blue light filter that saves more power than conventional software applications.
- Adaptive Picture Quality – Ensures the best picture quality when using different applications. True-to-life colors when in camera preview; vibrant colors when watching videos.
The MediaTek Helio P10 will be released in Q3 2015 and is expected to be available in consumer products in late 2015.
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About MediaTek Inc.
MediaTek is a pioneering fabless semiconductor company, and a market leader in cutting-edge Systems on Chip for wireless communications and connectivity, HDTV, DVD and Blu-ray. MediaTek created the world’s first True 8core™ smartphone platform with LTE and our CorePilot® technology releasing the full power of multi-core mobile processors. Through MediaTek Labs, the company is creating a worldwide ecosystem in support of device creation, application development and services based around MediaTek offerings. With an emphasis on enabling technology for the masses and not the chosen, everyone can be an Everyday Genius®. MediaTek [TSE:2454] is headquartered in Taiwan and has offices worldwide. Please visit www.mediatek.com for more information.
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Is Nintendo looking to Android for its next video game console?
There is a possibility that the next video game console released by Nintendo is powered by Android. The upcoming hardware, known internally as NX, would take advantage of the third-party developers support that Google has cultivated with its operating system. Nintendo would also seek to bring together phones, tablets, and other form factors if Android becomes the backbone for its “dedicated gaming system.”
Gaming with Android devices has certainly evolved over time. Just take a look at what the NVIDIA SHIELD set-top box is capable of. It packs the powerful Tegra X1 processor to stream PC-level games to your television. Nintendo may see what NVIDIA is doing and feel that they can capture a new audience with a unique approach.
Nintendo has shipped around 10 million units of the Wii U since being released in late 2011. Two other consoles, from Microsoft and Sony, have managed to match or best that number despite being released an entire year after the Wii U. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 also trounce the Wii U in terms of capabilities and content library. Consumers are looking to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC for serious gaming machines. Now is the time for Nintendo to make changes.
We will see Nintendo’s first title for smartphones later this year with even more to follow by 2017.
The Nintendo NX will not be detailed until 2016, four years after the Wii U launch. The life cycle of a video game console is normally 6-8 years and that would set the NX’s arrival for late 2018 or later.
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Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 LTE getting Android 5.0.2 Lollipop OTA
Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 LTE is getting the upgrade to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. It adds yet another device to the small percentage running Lollipop.
Android 5.0 Lollipop brings with it a myriad of awesome changes, mainly with animations, effects, design, and the progressive move towards Material Design. Notifications have been drastically improved, the recent apps menu has been improved, and performance has greatly increased. However, running Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, aside from added features, you may not see a whole lot changes on the design front.
Updates like these do take some time to get to you. So, if you haven’t gotten the notification to download the OTA update, you should see it within a couple of days.
If Samsung keeps this up, maybe we’ll just see Android M on the device this time next year.
source: Samsung
via: SamMobile
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LG G4 gets dunked in 4-inches of water for two hours
The LG G4 has many features, but water and dust resistance is not one of those. YouTube user Harris Craycaft decided to put that to the test, submerging the device in 4-inches of water for a two hour period. Will it survive?
Normally when you throw a smartphone or really any device in four inches of water for two hours, they tend to, well, stop working. Will the LG G4 stand up to the test? Find out in the video below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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Apple’s North Carolina Data Center Suffers Chlorine Leak, Injures 5 People [Mac Blog]
Apple’s data center in Maiden, North Carolina has been affected by a chlorine link that has injured at least five people, reports The Charlotte Observer. The leak was reported at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and hazmat crews are said to be on site.
Little else is known about the leak, including its cause, but it follows a fire last week at Apple’s former GT Advanced facility in Mesa, Arizona. The two-alarm fire was extinguished shortly after it began and it appeared to originate at the solar panels on the rooftop. No one was injured in that incident.
Apple’s Maiden, North Carolina data center is the company’s largest, at 183 acres. Its accompanying solar farm puts out more than 50 megawatts of power at peak efficiency, and Apple began expanding the data center in February of 2014.
MacRumors will update this post if any additional information on the chlorine leak becomes available.
Apple’s New Streaming Music Service and Revamped iTunes Radio to Debut Next Week
Apple’s much-rumored streaming music service is set to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 alongside a revamped iTunes Radio, The Wall Street Journal confirmed today. Apple’s Beats-based streaming music service will not include a free listening tier like Spotify, but it will include unlimited on-demand streaming for $10 per month.
Rather than offering its music catalog for free, Apple will supplement its upcoming streaming music service with free music available through iTunes Radio. As has been rumored, iTunes Radio will be gaining new channels created by and hosted by DJs. Apple has made several hires for iTunes Radio, most notably snatching DJ Zane Lowe from BBC Radio in February.
The radio push is said to be aimed primarily at users who are not located in the United States, and has been rumored earlier, Apple has plans to debut its streaming music service and iTunes Radio in multiple countries around the world. Apple is hoping that users outside the U.S. who do not have access to Pandora will use the radio service and later subscribe to Apple’s streaming music service.
According to The Wall Street Journal‘s sources, Apple is fully prepared to cannibalize its iTunes music downloads with its new streaming service and it plans to promote it heavily to iTunes customers. For example, a customer purchasing a $10 album may be encouraged by Apple to subscribe to the music service instead.
Apple has not yet closed deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, or Warner Music Group, but the negotiations are expected to be completed in the near future. Because deals are not complete, there’s a possibility that the new service will not debut at WWDC, but the WSJ‘s sources say this is “unlikely.”
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off next week, with a keynote event taking place on Monday, June 8. Along with its new streaming music service and updated iTunes Radio, Apple is also rumored to be debuting a new Apple TV set-top box, a streaming television service, and updates to HomeKit and Apple Pay. iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 will also be announced.
Netflix is testing ads surrounding its shows (update: only its own)
Anxious to see what happens next in Daredevil? In the future, you might have to endure an ad first. Netflix has confirmed to Cord Cutters News that it’s publicly testing ads both before and after shows. What you see as a test subject varies in length and whether or not it’s skippable, so it’s not certain just how tolerable these promos would be. However, Netflix is quick to note that a lot of things are up in the air, and that you might not see these clips at all — it warns that many experimental features “never see a rollout,” so your subscription may remain blissfully ad-free.
The company isn’t discussing its ultimate aims, to no one’s surprise. However, the ad trial is likely meant to open the door to new pricing options that do more than tweak the number of simultaneous streams. Netflix could offset price hikes (and undercut streaming rivals) by launching a cheaper, ad-supported tier; alternately, it could compensate for slowing growth by asking you to pay more for ad-free viewing. We’re certainly hoping it’s the former rather than the latter. Either way, it’s clear that Netflix isn’t completely satisfied with its status quo.
Update: Don’t panic just yet! Netflix tells TechCrunch that there are currently “no plans” to run third-party ads. Instead, this would be more to get you checking out other exclusive shows (say, Bloodlines) once you’re looking for something new to watch.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: AmongTech
Source: Cord Cutters News
Apple’s new music service will reportedly cost $10 a month
Rumors that Apple is going to debut its retooled music offering at WWDC next week are nothing new. However, in a report by The Wall Street Journal comes word that the streaming service will be priced at $10 a month when it’s announced in a matter of days. That would put the unlimited Beats Music/iTunes listening option right in line with Spotify, Rdio and Tidal in terms of pricing. Previous reports indicated that Apple thought Beats’ price was too high, but it seems knocking a few dollars off of the monthly subscription may not be part of the strategy to lure new users.
What’s more, that free tier we’ve heard about won’t be and all-you-can-eat buffet like Spotify’s. Instead, the folks in Cupertino will serve up ad-supported internet radio that’s run by real DJs at no cost. And it seems Dr. Dre, Q-Tip and Drake are part of the talent Tim Cook & Co. plans to put on air as hosts. With a new option that’s reportedly not unlike broadcast stations, Apple will take another stab at internet radio after its first foray didn’t take off. WSJ also notes that the company has locked in licensing deals with Universal Music, Sony and Warner Bros — three of the biggest labels in the industry. We’ll have to wait to hear whether or not the subscription tier will provide exclusive content and releases like Tidal. If you’ll recall, Taylor Swift, Florence and The Machine and others were rumored to be part of Apple’s exclusive push. Either way, we should have all the details early next week.
[Image credit: Kim White/Getty Images]
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Internet, Software
Source: The Wall Street Journal
U of Oregon’s robo-ostrich can blindly clamor over obstacles
So what if some mechanical cheetah can hop curbs in stride? The ATRIAS bipedal robot from University of Oregon can now step over obstacles without even looking. For this experiment, the ATRIAS was not outfitted with an imaging or navigation system and could only react to obstacles once it ran into them. As you can see in the video below, a 15-cm step is no match for this robo-ostrich. Even when planting its foot awkwardly or catching a toe, the ATRIAS soldiers on. It’s only a matter of time until climbing stairs is just a walk in the park for the high-stepping automaton.
Filed under: Science
Source: University of Oregon
Use Foursquare to hail your next Uber ride
Since it gave check-ins the boot, the main Foursquare app became a directory of restaurants, coffee shops, retail locations and more. Thanks to a partnership with Button, though, the mobile software is more useful. After you find a new spot for dinner, you’ll be able to book a ride with Uber from inside the app. Once you select the option, you’re given the choice of car and the wait time for each. If you’re not familiar with Button, the company that links apps together, leveraging tools and services to enhance the experience. The new feature is already live in the Foursquare app, so if you fancy it, you can give it try right now.
Via: Re/code
Source: Button
AIVAnet 