Cowon has finally got official on its long-rumored D3 PMP, and as teased it does indeed run Android. The Cowon D3 Plenue has a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen display and uses Android 2.1, paired with WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 and a T-DMB TV tuner.
In fact, there’s a lot of tech you’d usually expected to find in a phone inside the D3, like an accelerometer and vibration feedback. There’s also a microSD card slot – augmenting 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage – along with HDMI and USB 2.0 connectivity. It doesn’t look like Android Market access is included, but Cowon does throw in a Twitter and social networking app.
As you’d expect from Cowon, the list of supported file-types and codecs is huge, and includes 1080p Full HD support. No word on pricing at this stage, but audiophiles looking for an iPod touch alternative might find something here worth waiting for.
ASUS has pushed out a new version in its O!Play media streamer range, slimming down the STB and simplifying the onboard connections. The ASUS O!Play MINI drops the USB 3.0 connection found on the O!Play HD2, making do with a single USB 2.0 port and a multi-format memory card reader; you still get HDMI connectivity, among other ports, and a healthy clutch of supported media standards.
That includes 1080p MPEG 1/2/4, H.264 and VC-1 formats with ISO, AVI, MP4, MTS and various other file types supported. Audio doesn’t fall short either; Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD all make an appearance, with 7.1 surround sound on offer if you have the speakers for it.
Unfortunately, there’s no network connection – either wired or wireless – which means you can’t use the O!Play MINI as a DLNA streamer or access online video such as YouTube or Netflix. Still, it’s priced accordingly: €69 ($91) when it arrives in January 2011.
With cellphone cameras improving all the time, point-and-shoots have to aim high if they want to stand out of the crowd. Iain Sinclair’s Poco Pro certainly makes plenty of promises; tipped to launch in Q2 2011 for a bargain £200 ($308) or thereabouts, there’s a 14.6-megapixel sensor, 1080p HD video capture, a 2.4-inch AMOLED preview display and a microUSB 3.0 port for data and option HDMI output, all in a credit-card sized black-anodized magnesium chassis.
In fact the spec sheet is impressive all round, with only the dual-LED flash – rather than Xenon – being a low point. It’ll supposedly record stereo audio and support auto-focus and macro shots, while there’s an optional WiFi-enabled microSD card for throwing wireless into the mixture as well. That memory card slot boosts the 4GB of onboard storage.
It’s ambitious stuff, and we can’t help but suspect that the Poco Pro is trying to do too much at once. A 14-megapixel CMOS sensor of the small size required to fit into a 85.6 x 54 x 5 mm casing is probably not going to be great at dealing with normal lighting, and the £200 price tag seems over-ambitious. Iain Sinclair is taking £100 ($154) deposits on the first units now, but we’ll wait until the reviews come through before getting over-excited.
Vizio is certainly investing itself in the 3D market, and they look to be making a bigger push as of today. In a late announcement, the company has officially unveiled their latest, and largest, 3D-capable TV. The XVT3D650SV is said to be more aggressive in the pricing area due to the fact that, instead of using active shutter technology, it focuses on the passive 3D glasses.
Most would say that the passive 3D glasses aren’t as advanced as the active shutter technology used in most glasses, and many would agree with that. However, it does do a few noteworthy things: like not use batteries, gets rid of the flicker that usually causes eye-strain, and they’re cheap for manufacturers to use with their 3DTVs. With that last part being said, that’s why Vizio is able to toss in four pairs of the glasses with the new, 65-inch 3DTV.
As for the TV itself, here’s the rundown: a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio; LED-backlit, and features 1080p HD with a 120Hz refresh rate. The set also features integrated WiFi, and will use applications like on other Vizio HDTVs to draw in customers. There are also 5 HDMI ports on the side of the display, so connecting devices to the TV shouldn’t be a problem. Vizio says that the 65-inch 3DTV should be available in their online store before the end of the month, and should feature a price tag of $3,500. It will also be made available in Costco and Sam’s Club around the same time.
One of the first Tegra 2 powered smartphones has been made official, the LG Optimus 2X, with the 4-inch Android handset set to hit the Korean market in January 2011 and Europe and Asia after that. Built around NVIDIA’s dual-core 1GHz processor, a WVGA touchscreen and an 8-megapixel camera, the Optimus 2X promises 1080p MPEG-4/H.264 playback and recording.
There’s also a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, for stills and video calls, together with an HDMI port for hooking the Optimus 2X up to your HDTV. Internal storage is 8GB, but you’ll be wanting to slot a microSD card – up to 32GB in size – inside if you plan on making the most of the Full HD capabilities.
LG says the Optimus 2X will launch with Android 2.2 Froyo, with an update to 2.3 Gingerbread expected in due course. Even with the older version of Android, this is still expected to be one mighty powerful phone; we’ll just have to wait until the new year to find out exactly how much speed-freaks will have to pay.
LG LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST AND FASTEST DUAL-CORE SMARTPHONE
LG Optimus 2X with Tegra 2 Offers Top Multimedia Features for a Better User Experience
SEOUL, Dec. 16, 2010 — LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the LG Optimus 2X, the world’s first smartphone with a dual-core processor. Along with more powerful multimedia features, the LG Optimus 2X’s high-performance Tegra 2 processor makes for faster, smoother web browsing and applications and lets users multitask with virtually no screen lag.
“Dual-core technology is the next leap forward in mobile technology so this is no small achievement to be the first to offer a smartphone utilizing this technology,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, CEO and President of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “With unique features such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) mirroring and exceptional graphics performance, the LG Optimus 2X is proof of LG’s commitment to high-end smartphones in 2011.”
Developed by graphics processor powerhouse NVIDIA®, the dual-core Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip found in the LG Optimus 2X runs at a clock speed of 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio. Users will experience faster web browsing and smoother gameplay compared with single-core processors running at the same speed as well as instantaneous touch response and seamless multitasking between applications.
The LG Optimus 2X offers 1080p HD video playback and recording with HDMI mirroring that expands content on external displays to full HD quality. The LG Optimus 2X can connect wirelessly to any DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible digital device such as HD TVs for a console-like gaming experience taking full advantage of the phone’s HDMI mirroring, accelerometer and gyro sensor. The smartphone also includes both rear- and front-facing cameras, microSD memory expandability, Micro-USB port and a hefty 1500mAh battery.
The LG Optimus 2X will be available in Korea next month with countries in Europe and Asia to follow. The phone will initially be released with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The upgrade schedule will be announced in local markets in due course.
Key specifications:
???? 1Ghz Dual-core Processor (NVIDIA Tegra 2)
???? 4-inch WVGA screen
???? 8GB memory (up to 32GB via microSD)
???? 1,500 mAh battery
???? 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera
???? HDMI mirroring
???? 1080p MPEG-4/H.264 playback and recording
VIA has made its name with tiny mainboards, and the EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX is no different. Featuring a 1.2GHz VIA Nano E-Series processor and VX900 media processor, the EPIA-P830 measures 10 x 7.2 cm but is still capable of up to 1080p HD video playback and HDMI connectivity.
While onboard connectivity is minimal – though you do get plenty of pin-outs – you can add the P830-B I/O add-on-board to get a VGA port, gigabit LAN and two USB 2.0 ports. VIA Vinyl HD audio codec provides 6 channel, DTS capable audio with S/PDIF support, and there are two SATA ports.
VIA reckons the EPIA-P830 is ideal for embedded applications, but we can see it gaining favor among the DIY HTPC community. No word on pricing at this stage.
Press Release:
VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX: Multimedia Prowess Meets Networking Versatility in the Smallest of Places
Latest Pico-ITX board offers incredible HD multimedia over HDMI plus dual Mini-PCIe slots for enhanced connectivity options, delivering the smartest, most connected Pico-ITX board ever
Taipei, Taiwan, December 15, 2010 – VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX board for advanced portable and network connected embedded applications. The VIA EPIA-P830 features the VIA Nano E-Series processor and the latest VIA VX900 media system processor with additional support for dual Mini-PCIe modules, bringing a wealth of 3G and wireless connectivity options.
“Modern enterprise environments in healthcare, logistics and fleet management require more connected and portable devices that don’t hold back on multimedia ability,” said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The VIA EPIA-P830 addresses these needs, creating the most complete Pico-ITX board on the market with great HD video performance and a variety of display and network connectivity options.”
The VIA EPIA-P830 extends the Pico-ITX form factor further than ever, using low profile expansion boards to provide easy on-board access to VGA, RJ45 and two USB ports plus dual Mini-PCie slots ideal for accommodating a range of Mini-PCIe modules.
The Ultimate Embedded Platform – VIA Nano E-Series & VIA VX900
The latest microprocessor platform from VIA is tailor-made for embedded applications, a potent combination that comprises the mature and optimized VIA Nano E-Series processor and the latest VIA VX900 media system processor. VIA embedded processor platforms have extended longevity support of up to seven years and offer the most compelling low power microprocessor design in the industry today.
The VIA Nano E-Series processor delivers out-of-order 64-bit processing that keeps in step with the need for raw performance while remaining within rigidly low energy, low heat parameters. The latest VIA VX900 MSP adds support for DDR3 memory, HD audio support, advanced display connectivity and a high performance hardware HD video decoder with the latest VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 video engine.
The VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 delivers advanced filtering and cutting edge post-processing to perform ultra smooth decoding of MPEG-4/AVC, H.264, MPEG-2, VC-1, WMV-HD, providing smooth playback of the most demanding multimedia titles at resolutions up to 1080p without incurring a heavy CPU load.
To learn more about VIA Nano architecture and the embedded focused E-Series processors, please go to:
VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX – Product Overview
Measuring a mere 10cm x 7.2cm the ultra compact VIA EPIA-P830 features a 1.2GHz VIA Nano E-Series processor and supports up to 4GB of DDR3 800/1066 SODIMM system memory. The highly integrated, all-in-one VIA VX900 Media System Processor provides flawless hardware acceleration for the latest HD video codecs at display resolutions of up to 1080p with very low CPU utilization. The VIA Chrome9™ HCM 3D integrated graphics core boasts full DirectX 9.0 support and a 128-bit 2D engine with hardware rotation capability.
The VIA EPIA-P830 uses a specially designed I/O add-on-board which supplements the native HDMI port to add a VGA port, a Gigabit LAN and two USB 2.0 ports. The VIA Vinyl HD audio codec provides 6 channel, DTS capable audio with S/PDIF support. Storage is provided via two SATA ports. On board pin headers provide support for 1 channel LVDS display support, an additional 5 x USB 2.0 ports, an LPC connector, SMBus connector, PS/2 support, audio jacks, LVDS, 4 pairs of DIO and two UART ports. A DC-in power connector is also provided.
To learn more about the VIA EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX board, please visit:
Roku has pushed out the latest firmware update for its Netflix streamers, with 2.9-b1509 bringing 1080p HD support to the older Roku XR STBs and various other Hulu optimizations that affect all models. Hulu streams should now start playing quicker, and be more resilient to higher-latency networks.
The new 2.9 firmware will automatically install on your Roku box at some point over the next few days, but you can also manually trigger the update from the Settings page.
-Enabled 1080P support for XR units.
-Hulu application optimizations for quicker trick play navigation and start of playback.
-Hulu application optimization for improved playback performance on networks with higher latencies.
-Fixed a bug that could result in a crash if an app tried to load an image that was too large (greater than 1280×720).
-Fixed playback of poorly interleaved video streams which resulted in rebuffers around the 25 minute mark in Roku Newscaster programs.
-Fixed a remaining case of playback at the incorrect aspect ratio.
-Changed option menu action name from “change order” to “change position” for re-arranging channels.
-Fixed a bug in channel re-ordering related to presence of screen savers.
-Modified channel store “go to channel” behavior to launch the selected channel instead of only focusing the icon on the Home screen.
-Added screensaver preview and set options to the channel store springboard.
-Fixed a subtle audio playback issue in UFC streaming.
Consider this my official holiday gift guide column. I’m not going to do a round-up of all my favorite gift ideas. I’m not going to recommend which phone you should buy, which laptop, which Lexus, or whatever. There are plenty of great gift guides to tell you all that (and I’ve even worked on some of those, myself). I’m not even going to recommend a specific product. I’m just going to tell you to buy a Blu-Ray player. I don’t really know which one to buy, and I don’t even have one myself. But it’s become the number one item on my list, and it should be for you, too.
A Blu-Ray player will make everyone happy. Everybody likes movies or TV shows, sold by the season. Personally, I think we’re in a golden age of television. Though there is plenty of garbage on the tube every night, the good shows are more thoughtful, complex and interesting than ever before. They have huge budgets behind them, talented actors, and clever writing. Of course, I’ll bet critics say this every few years about their current wave of programming, but then won’t it be fun to have something to look back on later? To pop in a copy of “Lost” and tell your kids how cool it was, even though it hardly stands up better than the old episodes of “The Prisoner” (which is pretty good, actually)?
Movies look better than ever, and the best way to watch movies is Blu-Ray. Hands-down. You get the fantastic picture, the surround sound, the interesting extras, all in one convenient package. Plus, if you’re like many people I know, you’ve already taken advantage of the huge glut of large screen TVs that are so inexpensive right now. I bought my first HDTV, a 36-inch Panasonic plasma, for nearly twice the cost of today’s 55-inchers. Instead of searching through your cable lineup for HD content, or trying to grab some HD channels over the air, go buy some movies that will look great on your set and make you truly happy with your purchase. Or, better yet, in addition to channel surfing, make your Blu-Ray library a part of your entertainment lineup.
Does it sound like I’m shilling for the Blu-Ray industry? I swear I’m not. Like I said, I don’t even have a Blu-Ray player myself, but I’m going to get one soon, for good reason.
You might have heard that Blu-Ray is already a dying technology. After all, you can watch streaming movies, in HD, from Netflix. You can download HD movies from iTunes or other online services. You can rent movies on your Xbox console. So why on earth should you buy a Blu-Ray player?
Because the technology behind digital media is not there yet. It’s getting close, but there is still a long way to go. First of all, storage has never been cheaper, and storage capacities for digital players is rising exponentially, even as costs are dropping. But there still isn’t enough storage to hold all of your movies.
A downloadable HD movie will take up about 4-5 GB of storage space. But that’s usually a 720p movie. That should look great on your 30-inch desktop monitor, but on your 55-inch HDTV? It won’t deliver the quality you’re aspiring to. Larger movies will consume more space, but many download stores aren’t even offering full, 1080p movies yet. Plus, if you have a more advanced sound system, current downloads won’t take advantage of your system’s capabilities. It isn’t hard to find a solid 7.1-channel surround setup for under $300, so I’d bet these advanced home theater systems are going to become more prevalent in homes. But with current downloadable content, you won’t hear everything to its full potential.
A Blu-Ray movie, which is to say a high-definition, 1080p movie with 5.1-channel (or better) surround sound and all the bells and whistles, takes up between 10GB and 15GB of space, approximately. I have a laptop computer with a 320GB hard disk drive. Many laptops are crammed with 500GB or more, and it isn’t unusual to find a desktop in the 2TB range. So, that should be enough storage space, right?
Not really, especially not if you’re a movie collector. Even if you could download movies at this quality level, you would quickly fill up a hard drive. Throw in the photos, the music, the home movies, the applications and documents that we all keep on our computers, and you aren’t left with enough space to hold more than a handful of high quality films. Want to keep an entire TV series at hand? Think again.
You could always buy an external drive, but those can be a hassle, especially if you want to watch movies while traveling. Portable drives spin at a lower RPM, and they usually aren’t meant to handle the heavy load of constant media streaming. In fact, the biggest problem with all hard disk drives is that they are almost guaranteed to go down at some point. Hard drives are like tires. They wear out over time. If you’ve ever had a drive crash irreparably, and I’m assuming most of you have, you know what I mean. So, are you going to keep a backup of all your saved digital movies? You’ll need another external drive just to make sure your films are safe for as long as you want them. And even then, drives always die, eventually.
Netflix and other streaming services are great, and great value, but even with today’s faster networks, the streaming services are too heavy for the bandwidth load. Some cable and Internet providers are starting to push back, and there’s no telling which way the net neutrality wind will blow. It could shift with every incoming administration. Even at today’s data rates, you can’t be sure you’ll get the best, HD quality content, and even if you do, it won’t live up to the quality of a Blu-Ray disc. It won’t even come close.
I still have the first DVD I ever purchased. It was The Matrix. I watch it from time to time. Sure, physical media can get scratched or cracked, but with just a modicum of care, they can last for decades. My copy of The Matrix has outlasted 4 different hard disk drives. I used to have a backup of the movie on my computer, but the hard drive went down, and when I went to restore the drive from a backup, that backup was corrupted (damn you, Time Machine!). Now I use 3 separate drives to backup my work computer, but I don’t bother keeping my digital media files stored on all three. They would simply take up too much space.
A good Blu-Ray collection can grow to massive levels, and still be enjoyable years down the road. There is also something so much more pleasant about physical media. Would you rather have shelves on a bookcase devoted to Blu-Ray discs, with their cover artwork and glossy cases, or would you rather flip quickly through a list of titles on a machine? Even with all other considerations being equal, which they are not, I would rather be able to stand in front of my titles and have the sensory thrill of pulling each off the shelf, checking out the cover and the details on the back, and replacing it. It’s extra work and some organization, but that’s a trip down memory road. Organization on a computer? A few clicks and a bunch of typing. Blech.
The real reason I’m pushing Blu-Ray so hard is because I worry about the technology. Blu-Ray players are cheap, but they obviously aren’t catching fire like the industry hoped. That’s why so many players are filled to the brim with extra, unnecessary features, especially connected Internet features. Skip those, if you like. The real benefit is in the movies themselves. Blu-Ray players can be found easily for under $100, and Blu-Ray discs cost about the same as early DVD movies. As they become more popular, and as they have more competition in digital HD downloads, those prices could come down.
One strange phenomenon of digital media? Nobody wants to sell it cheap, at least not yet. Books, music, movies, these all cost about the same for digital versions as they do for a real physical copy. The most you’ll pay for a physical copy of Iron Man 2 on Blu-Ray is about $20, for an edition without all the collectible tchotchkes. That’s the same price you’ll pay to download an HD copy from iTunes, except that the Blu-Ray is higher quality picture and sound. Like I said, on your laptop screen, or on your iPad, you won’t notice the difference. But if you care about quality and you own some nice home theater equipment, you’ll see a difference.
I would still hold off on the 3D movie purchases, I think that glasses-free 3D technology is just around the corner, so I wouldn’t spring for the current line of 3D sets just yet. Personally, I’m planning on buying a PlayStation 3. I’ll probably watch more movies on it than I will play games. It’s network connected, and it can receive firmware updates easily, so I think it’s one of the more future-proof players around. Case in point, the PS3 got an update in September to handle 3D Blu-Ray movies, if you decide to spring for a more advanced TV set.
But, by all means, go buy a Blu-Ray player. Remember what it was like when you have a treasure trove of high quality films and TV shows at your disposal. Future proof your collection against dying hard drives, and save some money on cheaper films while you’re at it. Now is the best time to buy, and the future is still a long ways off.
Texas Instruments has announced its latest mobile processor, the TI OMAP4440, a SoC packaging a pair of 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore CPUs along with two ARM Cortex-M3 cores to power-efficiently offload time-critical and control tasks. Coupled with the POWERVR 3D graphics engine, that provides a quoted 1.25x increase in graphics performance (including 2x faster HD video playback, with support for 1080p60 and 3D stereoscopic 1080p) and a 30-percent cut in webpage loading times.
There’s also support for 1080p video conferencing and gesture recognition, along with two 12-megapixel cameras operating in parallel. The latter will mean that devices based on the OMAP4440 – which could include smartphones or tablets – will be able to record Full HD 3D video. TI is betting big on video teleconferencing, with 720p HD video support for multi-chat with up to four other users, and native support for H.264, VP7, H.263, SVC and other formats.
TI expect the OMAP4440 to begin sampling in Q1 2011, with volume production in the second half of the year. It’s pin-to-pin compatible with the company’s OMAP4430, itself set to show up in commercial products in the first half of 2011 (and powering the TI Blaze developer tablet), offering a straightforward way for manufacturers to significantly boost performance.
Press Release:
TI’s OMAP4440 processor boasts new upgrades, raises the bar for mobile design
Mobile video teleconferencing, stereoscopic-3D and gesture recognition capabilities gain from OMAP™ 4 technology upgrades, including speeds of 1.5 GHz per CPU core
DALLAS (Dec. 8, 2010) – Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN) today announced that the OMAP4440 applications processor enhancements deliver impressive performance improvements beyond the OMAP4430 processor, including a 1.25x increase in graphics performance, a 30 percent decrease in webpage load time, a 2x increase in 1080p video playback performance and clock speeds as fast as 1.5 GHz per ARM® Cortex™-A9 MPCore™. These marked performance advantages, along with other feature enhancements, reaffirm the OMAP™ 4 platform’s ability to drive today’s most coveted Smartphone and tablet user experiences, such as 1080p stereoscopic 3D (S3D), 1080p video conferencing and gesture recognition. For OMAP4440 processor details, visit: www.ti.com/omap4440.
“The increased performance given by the OMAP4440 applications processor illustrates TI’s ability to push mobile computing possibilities with the right processor architecture enveloped in the right platform, ” said Remi El-Ouazzane, vice president, OMAP platform business unit, TI. “We seized an opportunity to enhance the platform capabilities driving the OMAP4430 processor’s success today. As OMAP4430 processor-based products hit the market in first half 2011, we’re arming our customers with a huge performance boost via an easy migration to OMAP4440 processor for their next wave of exciting devices. The resulting user experiences will radically impact how consumers continue to integrate mobile technology into their daily lives.”
OMAP4440 processor: Primed for upgraded mobile user experiences
The OMAP 4 platform is a highly-optimized system-on-chip (SOC) leveraging two ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore general-purpose processors, reaching speeds of 1.5 GHz per core, complemented by two ARM Cortex-M3 cores to power-efficiently offload time-critical and control tasks. High-performance multimedia capabilities are provided by programmable cores including a POWERVR™ 3D graphics engine, TI IVA 3 for high-definition/multi-standard video, TI image signal processor (ISP) for high-quality/high-megapixels imaging, TI low-power audio processor and TI digital signal processor (DSP) based on the TI C64x DSP for natural user interface and signal processing innovations optimized for mobile applications.
The OMAP 4 platform efficiently supports concurrent, high-performance processing and high-definition multimedia with dual, high-bandwidth memory channels. The platform is secured with TI M-Shield™ security, and delivers high performance within the small power budget of mobile devices by leveraging TI SmartReflex™ power and performance management technologies. As the second member of the OMAP 4 product family, the OMAP4440 processor’s upgraded features and benefits include:
Feature*
Benefit
Two ARM® Cortex™-A9 MPCores™ optimized to 1.5 GHz each
50% increase in overall performance; 33% reduction in webpage load time
End-to-end graphics acceleration enhancement (triangles per second, fill rate and shaders)
25% increase in overall graphics performance
Support for HDMI v1.4 3D modes
Full 1080p HD S3D playback to 3D TV
1080p60 video format support
2x higher performance video playback
Support for up to two 12-megapixel cameras in parallel
Higher stereoscopic resolution encode enabling stereo photography, which meets the same resolution previously experienced only with 2D photography
IVA 3 multimedia hardware accelerator
Industry’s highest quality video playback at low bit rates
Complete pin-to-pin hardware and software compatibility
Easy migration from the OMAP4430 processors
*Comparative data is relative to the OMAP4430 processor’s performance
The OMAP4440 processor is uniquely positioned to support the widely anticipated mobile video teleconferencing experience. For example, successful mobile video teleconferencing requires a few key components directly addressed by the following OMAP4440 processor features:
Mobile video teleconferencing component
OMAP4440 processor-enabled feature
High-quality mobile video conferencing
Improved video quality in low-light conditions; video stabilization
Chat software (i.e., Skype or Google Talk)
Video codec support includes H.264, VP7, H.263, SVC, and more
Peer-to-peer (1 local user with one other user) chat functionality
1080p mobile video conferencing
Multi-chat (1 local user with up to 4 other users) functionality
720p resolution with stereo audio support
Cloud access for simultaneous application support (e.g., browsing the web while chatting or document sharing)
Optimized symmetric multiprocessing architecture to deliver low latency and high bandwidth support
Availability and pricing
The OMAP4440 applications processor will sample in first quarter 2011, with production expected by the second half of 2011. These products are intended for high-volume wireless OEMs and ODMs and are not available through distributors.
Ah, LG’s LU3000, the sprightly young thing that made the iPhone 4 and Galaxy S look a wee bit aged in some YouTube tests has now become official over in South Korea. It boasts a 1GHz TI OMAP3630 chip, allowing it to jot down 1080p video playback on its spec sheet, which in turn goes very nicely with the built-in HDMI port and DLNA wireless capabilities. A 3.8-inch screen offers an 800 x 480 resolution, there’s a 5 megapixel camera around the back, and a mildly skinned Android 2.2 performs the OS duties. Curiously enough, the LU3000′s home screen looks identical to the one on the leaked LG Star, suggesting that the stuff they’re running will represent LG’s default Android treatment for the near future. 800,000KRW ($705) buys you the 3000 when it ships in its native land a week from now, though there are apparently no plans to spread the wealth to other nations. Why so selfish, LG?
