ces 2012 News - Page 2 of 3 - CNX Software

January 12, 2012January 12, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Marvell SMILE Plug Enables Education 3.0

Marvell worked in collaboration with Stanford University to design the Marvell SMILE Plug, a development kit designed to turn a traditional classroom into an interactive learning environment. Designed to engage students (via their smartphones / tablets) in critical reasoning and problem solving, the SMILE Plug creates a “micro cloud” within a classroom that is controlled by the teacher. The Plug based on Stanford’s Mobile Inquiry Based Learning Environment (SMILE) – hence the name – provides the ability to establish a local Wi-Fi network for up to 60 students. To simplify deployment and management of the SMILE Plug, Marvell has developed a plug administration API and user interface called Plugmin. Key Features of the SMILE Plug: Wi-Fi support for 60 clients Easy deployment and management 5V Lithium Ion Backup battery Open Platform: Arch Linux for ARM and NODE.js SMILE Junction Server: Plug server/client environment & SDK and access to SMILE applications […]

January 11, 2012January 11, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Google TV at CES 2012

Google TV was not very successful in 2011 to say the least, Google decided to cancel Google TV appearance in some tradeshows and the Logitech Revue is now phased out, but may come back with a vengeance in 2012 as many companies showcase Google TV based solutions and products at CES 2012. I will mainly talk about the devices and hardware platforms in this post, if you want to know what’s new in Google TV 2.0 checkout “Google TV 2.0 For Android 3.1 Released“. Google TV Reference Design Last week, Marvell announced it would offer the official Google TV Reference Design based on its Armada 1500 (Dual Core ARMv6/7 CPU + GC1000 GPU) “Foresight Platform” replacing Intel CE4100 used with the previous version of Google TV. If you have not seen it yet in my previous post “Marvell Armada 1500 Google TV at CES 2012“, you can watch the video […]

January 11, 2012May 1, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Vuforia: Qualcomm Augmented Reality Platform

Qualcomm named its Augmented Reality Platform “VuForia” at CES 2012. I was a bit confused reading the press release and thought it was a new product. Actually, it is the augmented reality platform whose Beta SDK has been released in December 2011. Qualcomm explains that “Vuforia’s computer vision functionality will recognize a variety of 2D and 3D visual targets. With support for iOS, Android, and Unity 3D, Vuforia will allow you to write a single native app that can reach over 400 models of smartphones and tablets.” To showcase the AR platform, Qualcomm and Sesame Workshop, the producer behind Sesame Street, have joined forces to explore augmented reality experiences for children and created a prototype playset that brings physical toys to life. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and […]

January 11, 2012January 11, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Asus Unveils 249 USD Nvidia Tegra 3 Android 4.0 Tablet

During Asus Keynote at CES 2012, the company showed the Eee Pad MeMo 7 (ME370T) featuring a Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-core processor running Android ICS with 1GB of RAM, 16GB to 32GB of storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, aGPS, a SIM card slot, micro-HDMI output and up to 8.5 hours of battery life. As you can see in the picture above, the good news is that the Tablet would be available for 249 USD in Q2 2012 according to reports in several websites. I could not find Asus official press release. In another blog, I found that Nvidia also announced DirectTouch technology that uses the Nvidia Tegra 3 companion core to sample touch on the device more frequently (about three times more often) resulting in a more responsive UI. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting […]

January 9, 2012January 9, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Freescale Announces i.MX6 Lite Series

Last year, Freescale introduced i.MX6 series processors to the market in single, dual and quad core Cortex A9 configurations, today at CES 2012, they have announced i.MX6 Lite Series in single and dual core configuration respectively the i.MX6SoloLite and i.MX6 DualLite. Both processors incorporate ARM Cortex-A9 cores and E-Ink controllers and are especially suited to e-Readers, but Freescale expect the i.MX6 DualLite to also to be used in tablets, IPTVs, IP phones, medical patient monitoring systems and home energy management solutions. The new processors are software-compatible with other i.MX 6 series devices, so that developers can create end-product at different price points using a common platform. Freescale explains that “this scalability enables the rapid creation of complete end-product portfolios that can adjust and scale to meet evolving market demands and requirements”. The two new processors come to replace Freescale i.MX508 device, which is currently used in millions of eReaders. Here […]

January 9, 2012January 9, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

HTC and Via Mobile Smartphones Powered by ST Ericsson Nova U8500

ST Ericsson is showcasing HTC and Via Mobile Android smartphones based on ST Ericsson Nova U8500 dual-core Cortex A9 processor at CES 2012. The two phones are the HTC Sensation (Z710t) and Via Mobile Smartphone (I could not find any names) targeted at the Chinese market, although they plan to sell them in Europe and US later. The Via Mobile phone features a 4.3″ capacitive touchscreen, HSPA+ (14.4Mbps) and a 5MP rear camera. The smartphones were apparently running gingerbread, but they will also release an Android ICS version soon, as the latest Android release is already running on their hardware reference platform. Performance wise, I’ve seen an Antutu Benchmark that gives HTC Sensation Z710t a score of 4729 that’s roughtly equivalent to LG Optimus 2X (Score: 4729) based on Nvidia Tegra 2. The price of the phones were not disclosed, but the ST Ericsson HTC Sensation is already sold in […]

January 9, 2012January 9, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Marvell Armada 1500 Google TV at CES 2012

Last week, I gave some details on the new Marvell Armada 1500 Google TV reference design. Marvell is now at CES 2012 showcasing their product. You can watch the video below with the reference design running Google TV in Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). The interesting part of the BOM cost of this type of device should be close to 25 USD. (That means possibly around 50 USD retail). I would love to see a Google TV HDMI Dongle, similar to the “Roku Streaming Stick“. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011. www.cnx-software.com

January 9, 2012January 9, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Acer Iconia Tab A700 10.1″ (1920×1200) Android 4.0 Tablet

CES 2012 is almost there. Yesterday, Acer introduced its new Android Tablet based on the quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 @ 1.3 Ghz, with a 10.1″ capacitive touchscreen (1920×1200) and running Android 4.0. Acer Iconia A700 comes with Bluetooth support, a microSD card slot, HDMI port and a 5MP rear camera. Acer customized the UI with Acer Ring, a circular launcher menu that lets you access specific apps straight from the lock screen. although this is still broadly Android 4.0. As we could expect, Android runs pretty smoothly with the Tegra 3. The 1920×1200 resolution allows to play 1920×1080 (1080p) videos and have the Android menu bar at the bottom of the screen at the same time without scaling the video. The device is expected to ship in Q1 2012 for an undisclosed price. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job […]