Tegra

Nvidia and Asus take on Kindle, Nook with $249 tablet

While no huge announcements came out of Nvidia's CES conference this afternoon, the company did manage to fuel the tablet price wars by teasing a yet-to-be named 7-inch, Tegra 3-based tablet that Asus plans to sell for just $249.

A company spokesman confirmed that there's no launch date for the tablet, which would be similar to the powerful Asus Transformer Prime and would ship with the newest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. Strictly from a hardware perspective, though, it's sure to provide some fierce competition for Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet.

Along with that announcement, Nvidia … Read more

Nvidia talks tablets and Tegra 3 (live blog)

LAS VEGAS--CEO Jen-Hsun Huang took the CES stage today and talked about three things: tablets, a surprise feature of Tegra 3... and cars.

Yes, cars. He explained that each car serves a different need. Just like each mobile device. "Different strokes for different folks," he said. Whatever you want, Android will make it possible.

Huang continued by showing off tablet apps enhanced by Nvidia graphics technology and highlighted Tegra 3 games found in the Nvidia Tegra Zone. He showed how a Tegra tablet can remotely connect to your PC via Spashtop, treats it like a server "and … Read more

Apple lists quad-core chip in iOS 5.1 beta, report says

The iPad and iPhone are going quad-core, according to a report citing references in the latest iOS beta.

9to5Mac said it has evidence that Apple will bump up future iPhones (iPhone 5?) and iPads (iPad 3?) to quad-core processing. The A5 chip used in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S is dual-core.

"While not quite confirming that a quad-core processor will power Apple's third-generation iPad, we have obtained evidence that suggests Apple is currently working on quad-core iOS devices," 9to5Mac said Friday.

That reference comes in the latest iOS 5.1 beta "processing-core management software," … Read more

Apple, Amazon, Asus: Three awesome tablet choices

Apple made the tablet viable. Amazon showed that a populist concept can work. Now Asus may bring the latest wrinkle to the market.

Before we get to Asus, let's look at two of the most prominent players as of December 2011.

Apple's iPad 2:

Screen: A gorgeous 9.7 inch screen: the perfect size for me. Interface: Ditto. iOS-based interface is the gold standard. Speed: Apple's A5 chip delivers good performance for a tablet. Responsiveness: No lag to speak of jumping between apps. Apps: Plenty of those. Battery: Acceptable but worse than the original iPad. Features: Two … Read more

More leaks on Acer, Lenovo Android 4.0 tablets

One thing is certain. The Android tablet crowd has beaten Apple to the punch with quad-core silicon--and the list is growing.

In the wake of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime becoming available for order at stores like Best Buy in the U.S., a few more details have leaked on upcoming quad-core tablets from Acer and Lenovo, according to an Asia-based Digitimes report. … Read more

Buy an Android tablet now or wait for the Transformer Prime?

Editor's note: Updated with correct physical dimensions facts.

You've been patient. You've done your research and are now ready to finally plop down the cash for a tablet. For whatever reason, you've chosen to overlook the iPad 2 and are dead set on bringing an Android tablet home this year.

There are plenty of available Android tablets to choose from, the very best of which are running the Honeycomb OS; however, the recently revealed Asus Transformer Prime--the next iteration of the well-received Asus Transformer--represents the most significant hardware upgrade for Android tablets since the launch of the Motorola Xoom.

So, do you take the plunge now or wait for the Prime? Make no mistake, thanks to its increased specs over current Android tablets, anyone interested in buying a tablet should watch the Prime's launch closely. I'm looking at you, original Transformer owners, as the Prime will include all the features of the original Transformer, plus more.

So keep reading as I plow through what I consider are the most relevant concerns when considering your tablet-choosing dilemma.… Read more

Wanna see Ice Cream Sandwich on a tablet? Look no further

Ice Cream Sandwich runs on tablets and smartphones--but thus far its debut has been a phone phenomenon only, what with the release of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus.

Now, though, Nvidia has released a promotional video showing Android 4.0 on a tablet. Specifically, on an Asus Transformer Prime, which uses the quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Oops, I mean five-core Tegra 3 processor--the fifth core is there for low-power moments when the quad-core power isn't needed.

Nvidia's demo, using Ice Cream Sandwich and built two days after Google released its source code, shows a number of features: the … Read more

Qualcomm sees Snapdragon-powered PCs by late 2012

Qualcomm expects the first Snapdragon-powered Windows 8 PC to arrive a year from now, marking the entry into a lucrative new business for the wireless chip company.

Qualcomm is already working with Microsoft to ensure that computers running on the next-generation operating system will be able to run on its chips based on ARM's technology, which sacrifice processing power for more energy efficiency and ability to always remain connected. Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said he sees a majority of the Windows 8 products coming after the end of fiscal 2012, which comes in September.

"We're going to … Read more

Nvidia's ARM chips power supercomputer

Nvidia's Tegra chips will for the first time power a supercomputer--more evidence that ARM is movin' on up into Intel territory.

The chipmaker said today the Barcelona Supercomputing Center is developing a new hybrid supercomputer that, for the first time, combines energy-efficient Nvidia Tegra CPUs (central processing units), based on the ARM chip architecture, with Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs).

The supercomputing center plans to develop a system that is two to five times more energy-efficient compared with today's efficient high-performance computing systems. Most of today's supercomputers use Intel processors.

"In most current systems, CPUs … Read more