devices

By using IGZO oxide semiconductors, Sharp will be able to produce LCD screens that require lower energy consumption through smaller, thin-film transistors and increased pixel transparency.

The technology lends itself well to mobile devices that require low-power components. With a new breed of ultrabooks promised by Intel and updates to Apple's mobile lineup, it seems highly likely that Sharp will work its way in as a primary supplier of display panels.… Read more

Google has started to warm up Chrome with features designed to make it interact more smoothly with Android and other computers, as the summer's Google I/O conference and a possible final street-ready version of Native Client wait in the wings.

Google Chrome 19 beta for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome Frame landed today, updated with Other Device support. The new feature lets you access your Chrome tabs from other computers, and includes Chrome for Android if you've got an Ice Cream Sandwich device. The Other Devices option is available at the bottom of the New Tab page, … Read more

What's more fun? Playing with your Xbox, smart device, or Rubik's Cube, or playing with yourself? OK, we know that's a tough one for this crowd. How about the following: which is healthier?

Well, when it comes to testicular cancer, the answer is probably playing with yourself -- provided, of course, you're playing by the rules.… Read more

Of the 50 million people worldwide estimated to have epilepsy, almost a third do not respond to treatment. Those patients must rely on implantable anti-seizure devices that detect pre-seizure electrical activity and shoot small electrical impulses to the brain to interrupt the seizures.

The downside is that the tech, still early in development, also produces false positives, causing devices to send currents to the brain when a seizure is not actually occurring. One new approach, developed by a biomedical and electrical engineer at Johns Hopkins University, appears to reduce those false alarms.

Tested on real-time recordings of brain activity in … Read more

TomTom sat-navs have been struck down by a "leap year" bug that sees the road-navigating gadgets failing to find their location.

In a statement on its support site, TomTom says the problem is caused by a bug in the GPS receiver's software that has left some devices unable to obtain a GPS position since March 31.

"We are working hard on a permanent solution that we will make available on our website as a downloadable software fix," TomTom assures. The company says a "limited number of models" are suffering from the glitch, so let us know in the comments below if your TomTom is borked.

Symptoms could include a gray screen, or a notice that reads, "Waiting for a valid GPS signal..." or "Poor GPS signal..."

Read more of "TomTom sat-navs broken by 'leap year' bug" at Crave UK. … Read more

Sony's incoming chief executive, Kazuo Hirai, has been hard at work behind the scenes preparing his company for his arrival.

The consumer electronics giant today announced its "One Sony" business structure, which it says is designed to "establish rapid and optimized decision-making processes." Part of the plan involves installing executives to lead certain divisions, while another will shift the company's focus to "three core pillars" -- digital imaging, gaming, and the mobile market.

That might not come as a surprise to many investors and those who have followed Sony. The company recently … Read more

You'll have a hard time buying a new TV that isn't 3D by the end of 2012. But that isn't the same as saying you'll be watching 3D TV.

In this episode of Device & Conquer, Brian Cooley gives explains the aspects of this new technology you have to get used to, how it's still evolving and what there is to watch. This isn't a story of a technology that doesn't work -- it does, often spectacularly -- but of on that may not have a mandate to become the next big thing in television, or reverse sliding TV sales numbers. … Read more

Sprint and HTC are gearing up for a big announcement. Linux and Android's not-so-secret affair goes public, and the Galaxy S II plus one equals Galaxy S III. We will check out the latest rumors surrounding what could be the next big phone on this week's episode of Android Atlas Weekly.

NEWS:

-Samsung Galaxy S III image could be the real thing

-Samsung-Galaxy-SIII-to-allow-for-wireless-charging-up-to-2-meters-away/

-Sprint and HTC hosting big event April 4

-Linux and Android together at last… Read more

With the smartphone and tablet markets firmly in its grasps, ARM Holdings is looking elsewhere to capitalize on its growth.

The chip designer yesterday announced its new ARM Cortex-M0+ processor. The chip is designed for intelligent sensors and smart control systems in a host of markets, including home appliances, medical monitoring, and motor-control devices.

The secret to the Cortex-M0+'s market appeal is its energy-efficiency, ARM says. The company is calling the chip "the world's most energy-efficient microprocessor," consuming just one-third of the energy of any 8- or 16-bit processor. However, ARM claims the processor can deliver … Read more