Leopard O.S.

We’ve always thought switchable graphics made a lot of sense on laptops, and NVIDIA’s new Optimus tech looks like it’s going to bring it mainstream in a serious way — there’s no more manually toggling between the powerful discrete GPU and the power-saving integrated chip. More than just automatically switching off the discrete GPU when the laptop is unplugged, the idea is that you don’t have to think about when you want to use the different graphics options: the software and hardware combo will take care of deciding which graphics processor is best for the application or content. For instance, launch Call of Duty 4 and the discrete GPU will power on, close out and start writing an e-mail and it will switch to the IGP. Sounds pretty simple, but under the hood its much more complicated as NVIDIA has moved to running the drivers for both graphics subsystems concurrently and removed the multiplexers under the hood. For more details on all the technical fixes hit the more coverage link.

Unsurprisingly, Intel hasn’t been involved in these innovations, but NVIDIA says Optimus will work with Intel’s new Core 2010 processors and the Pineview Atom platform, along with NVIDIA’s GeForce 200M series, GeForce 300M series, next-gen GeForce M, and next-gen Ion GPUs. Speaking of Ion, NVIDIA wouldn’t officially say what the next version will look like, but they confirmed it will be announced in March and use Optimus technology (we’re pretty much assuming that it will combine the Pineview platform with a lower-end discrete GPU, like the previously hinted G310). The first Optimus-enabled laptops will hit at the end of this month courtesy of ASUS, and will include the UL50Vf, N61Jv, N71Jv, N82Jv, and U30Jc. We’ve been playing around with the $849 UL50Vf, so hit the break for some early impressions and video of the new graphics technology.

Continue reading NVIDIA Optimus automates graphics switching, promises the best of both worlds

NVIDIA Optimus automates graphics switching, promises the best of both worlds originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, software engineers of all shapes and sizes — are you keeping an eye on this? Navigon is releasing yet another significant update for its continually improving MobileNavigator iPhone GPS app, and at this point, we reckon these guys and gals should get some sort of medal for pursuing innovation on an existing product rather than leaping to “the next best thing.” The latest refresh adds in three primary features: 3D terrain views, a 3D panorama view ($9.99 extra) and in-app connectivity with Facebook and Twitter. As you’d expect, the latter enables users to broadcast current position, destination and ETA to social media outlets, which should make existing Foursquare addicts overwhelmed with joy. Version 1.5.0 also throws in MyRoutes, which is said to analyze your driving habits, patterns, location and time / day in order to provide “up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each.” Best of all? It’s just $69.99 ($20 less than normal) until February 15th, while the real-time traffic add-on is reduced $5 to $19.99 for the same duration.

Navigon keeps MobileNavigator iPhone app fresh with 3D terrain views, Facebook / Twitter integration originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brando camera holster is cheap, might actually hold your camera originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Moore, formerly the big cheese in charge of Xbox, is now the head of EA Sports, but he’s lost none of the forthrightness that’s made him a popular man to interview in the past. In his latest sitdown with CVG, Peter expressed his admiration for the nascent OnLive cloud gaming service, but also noted that he remains uncertain as to whether it will actually work when millions of people decide to play the same game at the same time — a reservation we probably all share. He did point out that the sort of readily accessible gaming OnLive represents was in his company’s plans, and would be expanded with more browser-based games. Finally, as someone who’s seen the PlayStation 3 Arc controller in action Peter should be well qualified to assess it, and he describes it as a “great complement to what’s out there,” claiming that it brings a substantially different experience to Nintendo’s Wii Remote. Check out the source for the full interview.

Peter Moore wants to be convinced by OnLive, already a fan of Arc controller originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ATI seems to be so enamored with its 40nm DirectX 11 Evergreen chips that at this point it’s bringing out new graphics cards just to remind us of how awesome its technology is. Slotting in between the $100 HD 5670 and $50 HD 5450, the new Radeon HD 5570 will predictably retail at around $75 to $80, with up to 1GB of onboard GDDR3, a 650MHz core clock speed, and a thrifty 43W power budget under full load. Reviewers were big fans of its performance relative to the HD 5450 — nearly doubling it in some cases — but still struggled to recommend this as a better value for gamers than the only marginally more expensive HD 5670. Then again, the low profile card, single-slot cooler, and minimal power requirements make the 5570 an absolute gem for HTPC or SFF setups, so whether you’re in that particular market or just curious, we recommend you check out the full reviews below.

Read - HotHardware
Read - AnandTech
Read - HardOCP
Read - Legit Reviews

ATI Radeon HD 5570 fills the last remaining gap in DirectX 11 empire originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re a sucker for immaculate specs at a discount price then the Cube e-book reader might be the device for you. The Chinese outfit is said to be working on a 6-inch, E Ink reader built around the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system with baked-in WiFi (sorry, no mention of 3G data) for “remote server synchronization.” And as declared in the image above, the Cube e-reader features a capacitive touchscreen just “like the iPhone.” Apparently, it’ll do more than just display e-books though, with a touted ability to make VoIP calls, browse the web, send and receive email, and download music and photos — all this for just 999 Chinese Yuan or about $146. Sure, go ahead and build it Cube, but until we see a product render at least forgive us for being skeptical.

Cube’s 6-inch capacitive touchscreen e-reader is a Windows Mobile 6.5 fantasyland originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Had enough of dealing with oligopolistic wired broadband suppliers? Well, with Netgear’s brand spanking new MBRN3300E you can just ride off into the 3G sunset and say goodbye to those pesky wires. Like the majority of wireless routers today, it comes with 802.11n WiFi and a built-in firewall, but what sets it apart is the integrated 3G modem provided by Ericsson. With it, you can suckle down broadband straight from the ether and transport it throughout your home, whether you live in New York City or some remote part of Minnesota. Netgear is announcing it with immediate availability, and there will be optional car charger and battery pack accessories to maximize the mobility of the unit. Okay, it’ll never be as small and portable as a MiFi router, but it’s always good to have options, right? Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Netgear partners with Ericsson for a 3G-receiving, WiFi-emanating router

Netgear partners with Ericsson for a 3G-receiving, WiFi-emanating router originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To say that we’ve been waiting for AMD’s Fusion CPU / GPU combo for a long time would be an understatement. In fact, while AMD was busy talking about it, Intel swept in with its own Arrandale and Clarkdale chips that pack graphical and computing processing into the same chip. Lest we were discouraged, then, AMD is making a return to form with news that its first Fusion APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) is about to start sampling to manufacturers, with a now definite 2011 launch window. Codenamed Llano, this will be a quad-core beastie with intended operating speeds of more than 3Ghz and graphics parts borrowed from ATI’s successful line of Evergreen GPUs. That means DirectX 11, a feature Intel is unlikely to match, whereas AMD will have everything Intel currently does and more, with a 32nm production process, on-die integration (rather than just the same chip packaging), and power gating allowing for dynamic per-core overclocking a la Turbo Boost. It’s been lonely without you AMD, now just fulfill this promise and all that absenteeism will be forgiven.

AMD Fusion sampling soon, arriving in 2011 with Llano APU originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking to get a Bluetooth earpiece without actually upping your tool factor by 40x or so? Good luck. Helium Digital’s so-called alternative (that’d be the HDBT-990 Bluetooth wristband) was recently reviewed by our iPhone-lovin’ pals in the Great White North, and while they found it to work well when it came to handling calls without actually using the speaker and microphone within the iPhone 3GS, everything else about it was ho hum at best. There’s no inbuilt LCD for watching Caller ID streams, the mini-USB jack was “flimsy,” and there’s still the issue of this unit being at least somewhat unsightly. It’s also $90, which puts it just north of the all-important “ah, who cares” range for most of you price-conscience consumers. Hit the source link for their full impressions, but don’t be shocked if you come away still in search of the aforementioned mystery device.

Helium Digital HDBT-990 Bluetooth wristband gets reviewed, given 3.5 Jack Bauers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you think non-disclosure agreements apply if you’re one of the guys who built the company you represent? Probably not, as evidenced by Shigeru Miyamoto, who recently took the opportunity — while receiving an award, no less — to blab about forthcoming hardware and games based around the MotionPlus peripheral. There wasn’t much content to his mentions, beyond us now knowing that he’s actively engaged in the design of multiple games outside of the next Zelda iteration, but this is the firmest confirmation yet that the Wii is set for a Wiiplacement. Parsing this with earlier comments from Miyamoto-san would suggest the company will be looking to optimize its present formula (maybe with a touch of HD?) rather than revolutionize what is already a wildly successful console. Until then, let’s just be happy that one of gaming’s patriarchs is still going strong and dropping crumbs of knowledge for us undeserving earthlings.

Nintendo’s Miyamoto casually references new hardware, MotionPlus games originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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