A Preview of the Krait-Based S4 Vs Tegra 3 and Exynos 4210
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 21, 20124 Comments">4
While it’s not completely surprising if you understand where Krait is coming from as an architectural overhaul for Qualcomm’s CPU’s that finally has out of order execution, but also many performance improvements and bigger memory bandwidth, the Krait architecture and the dual core 1.5 Ghz S4 chip that is based on it manage to show some impressive numbers in benchmarks, making it the most advanced ARM chip that will arrive to market in the coming months. S4 vs Tegra 3 The dual core 1.5 Ghz should beat Tegra 3 in most benchmarks, but also in real world use for most …
Asus Transformer Prime TF700T vs iPad 3: Battle of the Best
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 14, 20127 Comments">7
You thought 2011 was going to be the year of the tablets, but ended up disappointed with the showing of tablets in 2011? I don’t blame you. Both Google and the initial tablet manufacturers screwed up with the launch of the “real tablets” with Android 3.0x Honeycomb. Google did it with the half-baked Honeycomb, and it was obvious it was rushed with Motorola scrambling to release it before the iPad 2, with features that weren’t even ready for launch. Little good did that do for them, when they released the Xoom with a starting price of $800, which brings me …
Mediatek MT6575 1 Ghz Cortex A9 Chip to Power Sub-$200 Android 4.0 Smartphones
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 13, 20120 Comments">0
Mediatek is announcing a new 1 Ghz single core Cortex A9 chip called MT6575, that is optimized for Android 4.0, and should play a big role in the low-end smartphones in the next few years. I’m actually surprised we are not seeing more single core Cortex A9 chips around instead of the same old Cortex A8 that we still see in mid-end phones today. Cortex A9 has the advantage over Cortex A8 in every way, except perhaps being a little more expensive, but definitely worth it. It’s completely out out order, while Cortex A8 still has in-order execution of instructions, …
Amazon Ad: Three Kindles Still Cost Less than an iPad
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 09, 20120 Comments">0
Amazon has had some pretty good commercials for the Kindle, and they’re usually very good at pointing out the Kindle’s big advantages as an e-reader. This new ad is no different and it points out not only to the Kindle and Kindle Fire’s main advantages, but also pokes fun at the iPad for costing more than “three Kindles”. I really enjoyed this ad, and I hope to see more of them. They remind me of Apple’s Mac vs PC ads, which were always funny. The Kindle Fire has a clear advantage over the iPad thanks to its $200 price point. …
The Carriers Hate the iPhone (And Love Android)
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 08, 201210 Comments">10
That carriers love Android is not really a surprise. Go to any carrier, anywhere in the world, and you’ll notice that most of their smartphones are now based on Android. They even have their best promotions and marketing campaigns around Android smartphones. Android phones are a great way for carriers to also hook customers that have never used a smartphone before and never needed data, on their data plans, and get them to sign more expensive contracts. The conclusion: carriers make more money with Android. But is the same true about the iPhone? Do carriers love the iPhone, too, and …
Using an Android Smartphone as Your PC
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 08, 201211 Comments">11
I don’t remember exactly when I first thought of this idea (your phone being the only computer you need), but I know it was many years ago, probably before Android was on the market. Imagine using your phone/mobile computer everywhere, because it’s always with you, and coming home, putting it on the desk, and boom – it connects to your desk’s monitor, and then you start using it as a PC. This future seems increasingly more likely thanks to Android. I knew this is getting closer to reality when dual core ARM processors started appearing and when Motorola launched their …
Beta ICS ROM Comes to the Viewsonic G-Tablet
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 07, 20120 Comments">0
The G-Tablet was one of very first Tegra 2 tablets, long before the Motorola Xoom appeared. Unfortunately this also meant that it came with an un-optimized version of Android for tablets. To make matters worse, Google didn’t open source Android 3.0 or Honeycomb, so it wasn’t available for the G-tablet, because only a few manufacturers had early access to it. Others have tried putting custom versions of Honeycomb on it, but it kept being limited by the performance and bugs of Honeycomb, plus the fact that Honeycomb wasn’t fully open source. The G-Tablet was a decent tablet for its price, …
AT&T Galaxy Note to Have Snapdragon Chip with Lower Performance than Exynos
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 06, 20126 Comments">6
One of the things I like about Samsung and don’t like about HTC is that they are willing to use other chips for their devices, especially if one of their favorite chip is not top dog anymore (fortunately Samsung’s chips have always maintained the lead so far). HTC on the other hand, no matter how good or bad was the performance of Qualcomm chips, they would stick with them. There are hints that this year they will use Tegra and even OMAP chips alongside the Qualcomm ones, but that remains to be seen. I do like that Samsung is …
Google Glasses – The Next Computing Paradigm?
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 06, 201215 Comments">15
There’s something big coming, and that’s the Google Glasses. I don’t know exactly what the next “personal computing” paradigm will be, but I know that it needs to be even more personal (mainframe-to-minicomputer-to-PC-to-laptop-to-smartphone – all were ever more personal), more mobile, and also cheaper. If I was trying to find out what’s the next computing paradigm, I would go with something that we use even closer to our bodies than laptops or smartphones – it has to touch the skin somehow. A lot of unexpected gadgets could take that place, that we don’t even know about right now, but if …
How to Install Carrier-Blocked Apps Such as Wireless Tether, Google Wallet and Car Home
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 04, 20122 Comments">2
From time to time, Google complies with carrier demands that, unfortunately; censor applications that would circumvent certain restrictions that are being imposed by the carriers – even if such restrictions have already been made on some of Google’s own apps, like the Google Wallet application. But sometimes, a few smart developers are able to find other ways to install these apps from the market (you can do it anyway if you’re rooted). It might not last too long, so use it while you still can. Apparently, someone did it again and found a loophole for downloading any type of carrier-blocked applications …
Lookout Launches “Push Ad Detector” for Those Annoying Notification Ads
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 04, 20120 Comments">0
Some apps use ads from shady ad networks which allow developers to push ads into the notification bar of the phone; without requiring any action from you. In a way, they are as bad as pop-ups that show up when you click a link on the web. Not to mention, they are annoying because they will keep popping up in your notification bar. Lookout is now releasing a solution to fight this. Called Push Ad Detector, the app will warn you if the apps you’ve installed use this strategy. It does this mainly by scanning for the following ad networks …
“Secure” Android Phones to Be Given to Government Officials and Contractors
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 03, 20121 Comments">1
This piece of news is probably a bigger hit to RIM than anyone else, because when it comes to enterprises and Governments who want to use secure smartphones, they have always been their first choice. Now it’s becoming increasingly more clear that Android is a viable choice for Governments, military, security agencies and companies who want secure devices. Currently, those with access to classified information are not allowed to view it using unsecured smartphones, and unfortunately for them they still have to use “secure” phone models from maybe more than 5 years ago, that don’t even have touchscreens. That is …
Samsung to Make Super AMOLED Displays Even Stronger Thanks to Lotus Glass
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 03, 20120 Comments">0
Samsung was already using Gorilla Glass in their Galaxy S devices to make them more scratch resistant and shatter proof, but they are now signing a partnership with Corning to manufacture the next generation of Gorilla Glass, called Lotus Glass. The Lotus Glass will withstand higher processing temperatures that are needed to manufacture AMOLED displays, so Samsung will benefit not just from being able to brag with a stronger display, but also to more easily and more cheaply manufacturer their panels. The Lotus Glass will also consume less power and will support higher resolutions. In fact, beyond using them in …
Galaxy S 3 to Be Waterproofed by Liquipel?
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 03, 20120 Comments">0
Liquipel is a company that can completely waterproof your phone for about $60 with a nano-coating that is completely transparent so you won’t even notice it with the naked eye. If this rumor is true, then Galaxy S 3 may come waterproofed by Liquipel. The rumor comes from an independent UK retailer and is said to be reliable. The source also says the insurance coverage will likely be altered account for the device’s new protection against water spilling and such. So how believable is this rumor? I think the rumor is believable because it would give Samsung a nice way …
Comscore: Android Continues to Lead in US by a Large Margin And Is Still the Fastest Growing OS
by Lucian Armasu on Feb 02, 20121 Comments">1
Market research reports appear all too often, but some of them seem very different or contracting. It’s important you know what type of market share the new chart represents and what the numbers show. Some of them show market share based on last quarter alone, which is all about *new* sales market share. Others, like this one here, show how many subscribers in *total* the main platforms have, while others are simply being misleading by combining data that doesn’t make sense. Also, some are for US while others are for global market share, so that’s always good to recognize, too, …
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