It seems as if Apple may be preparing to ditch Samsung for TSMC

It seems as if Apple may be preparing to ditch Samsung for TSMC, as Cupertino will likely tap the latter company to build its next-gen A6 SoC in 2012.

As Chris Foresman of Ars Technica points out, Samsung is currently producing Apple A5 processors on a 45nm process, while TSMC is fabbing mobile SoCs for other smartphone and tablet makers on a 40nm process.  



 

"As we mentioned, Apple has reportedly been working with TSMC to move to a 28nm process. [This] may offer Apple a slight advantage, at least until its competitors migrate to the same process. For this reason, it seems more likely that Apple is making the change to cut some, if not all, Samsung-made components out of its supply chain," Foresman explained.



"[Remember], Apple [also recently] launched a massive legal attack against Samsung for allegedly copying the look and design of Apple's iPhone and iPad for its Galaxy S smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablets... So Apple very likely sees moving production to a non-competitor as a strategic business move."



Meanwhile, tech guru Charlie Demerjian confirmed the situation was bound to "get ugly" if the new Apple Acer as07b41 battery hp dv6000 battery life chips are being fabbed at TSMC instead of Samsung. 


"Sources at TSMC tell SemiAccurate the volumes coming off the lines are far more than any possible test, and look like a large volume run. The chips themselves are still a bit of an open question, some say A5 variants, others say A6/new design, all say ARM CPU.

"[Now you may recall that] Samsung is in the process of building a fab that is more or less dedicated to Apple, or so insiders tell is. If this is true, and Apple just said, 'Nice of you to build that for us, but we are going over to TSMC' at this late stage, you can be pretty sure Samsung won't be pleased.

"Could TSMC making Apple CPUs be the underlying cause of the Samsung/Apple tiff of late? Possibly. Even if it isn't the sole cause, wherever the chips end up being made, we are very likely seeing a contributing factor to a very public shouting match. Strap in, this one is going to be a lot of fun, as long as you aren't paying the lawyers."

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iPhone 5 Review: Six Amazing Phone Technologies We Want in iPhone 5

What will Apple's next iPhone be like? If rumors are to believed, it's going to be a radical redesign from previous models, mining some of the best features from the current crop of mobile-phone technology.

But that's almost a given. With competitors offering things like OLED screens, NFC communication for mobile payments, and 4G connectivity, Apple has to be at least considering including those things for iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 4S, or whatever it's going to be called). But what about those wild cards, the things on the outskirts of current mobile tech, which could give the next iPhone an edge over all comers?
Apple's pulled high-tech rabbits out of its hat before. With the iPhone 4, it introduced two unexpectedly novel features: the so-called retina display and the external antenna. While the iPhone 4's retina screen still reigns as phone display on the market with the highest pixel density, the external antenna made headlines for all the wrong reasons, leading to “antennagate” after several users posted evidence of the phone's “death grip.”
Questionable antenna designs aside, there's no shortage of bleeding-edge phone technologies that could be game-changers. Some have already begun to appear in phones, while others have only been seen in prototypes or laboratories thus far. In either case, their benefits and abilities would give any phone that integrates them an boost in the rapidly evolving world of mobile.
There isn't a phone manufacturer on the planet right now that's making plans around NFC and 4G. But how many would introduce radically different screen or camera technologies, a new type of connector, or solar charging? We know almost certainly these features won't be in iPhone 5, but we can still dream… of iPhone 6.

Quantum-Dot LED Screen

Lots of phones on the market today sport OLED screens, which boast sharpness, brightness as well as low power consumption. What could be better? How about a quantum-dot display, which has many of the same qualities, but doesn't exhibit the same degradation problems of OLEDs and is possibly cheaper to make. Quantum dots are inorganic nanoparticles that emit a specific color of light when excited by an electrical current or light beam. Although an early prototype of a quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) screen looks promising, commericalization is said to be three years out at the earliest, unless a heavy hitter fast-tracks the tech for its flagship phone...

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Liquid-Lens Camera

Camera phones are starting to have a decent number of megapixels, but they’re still limited by the need to be crammed into such a small space in an everything gadget. That means the complicated optics of D-SLR cameras or even point-and-shoots almost always need not apply. Enter the liquid-lens camera, which uses refractive fluid to achieve some of the effect of optics. Take this recently demonstrated model, which uses a few drops of fluid to create the effect of optical image stabilization and tilt control in camera the size of a fingertip. Best of all, it uses no moving parts, a key advantage in a phone, which can’t afford the energy lost in moving lenses with motors.

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Tactile Touch Screen

One of the chief complaints about the iPhone is that some people simply don’t like to type on touch screens and instead opt for a phone with a full keyboard. Until now, Apple’s had nothing to offer fans of tactile feedback, but sophisticated haptic technologies could change that. A new technique can actually create “sticky” areas on an otherwise smooth touch screen, vibrating certain parts so fast that they have different friction than others. The result is a touch screen that can feel like it has buttons when you want it to, which would do wonders to please both keyboard traditionalists and those who like the smooth feel an LCD beneath their fingers.

Transparent Display

We’ve seen transparent parts shown in phones like the LG GD900, but no one so far has created a phone with a transparent main display, apart from a couple of concepts. For it to be practical, the display would need to become opaque when playing video or showing photos, but the design would be a game-changer. It would also be a classic Apple move to debut something miles ahead of the curve in terms of sexiness. An iPhone with a transparent screen would only be hampered by the inconvenient fact that it’s borderline impossible today.

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Solar Charging

Will Apple be the first major player to free us from the inconvenience of needing to charge our phones every night? A Kindle needs to charge up only once a week or so, but to do the same for a smartphone would require a radical change—like making the it solar-powered. It sounds silly, since phones spend a lot of their existence in pockets, but technology like the recently demonstrated Wysips absorbs whatever light energy happens to be around, be it big (the sun) or small (room lighting). Best of all, it can be built into a layer on top of the screen itself, so that sexy design is unaffected.

MHL Connector

The MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) connector combines both a USB and an HDMI jack, giving a phone data connectivity, power, and the ability to play 1080p HD video, all through one tiny plug. However, there's virtually zero chance Apple would replace its proprietary connector—and obsolete the entire ecosystem of iPhone accessories—by switching the iPhone to MHL, but we’d love at least an adapter.

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MacBook Air Review: Apple MacBook Air, Mac Pro, and Mac Mini rumor control

Hardly a week goes by without some widely disseminated rumor about an Apple product winding its way around the Internet. Typically it's about future versions of the iPhone or iPad, but with the impending release of Apple's OS X Lion operating system update, there's been a surge in rumors about the MacBook Air laptop, the small form factor Mac Mini, and even the full-size Mac Pro desktop.

As we've always cautioned, these rumors are usually based more on wishful thinking than on hard fact (although in recent years, supplier leaks have become an invaluable resource for insider info on upcoming Apple products). Case in point, you can almost do a daily counterpoint of blog posts about how the next iPhone is going be physically identical to the iPhone 4 versus equally strident blog posts about how the next iPhone will have a radically different design.

We've summed up some of the most prevalent current Apple computer rumors below, covering the MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro (the MacBook Pro and iMac were updated in 2011 already, so they'll most likely remain as is for now) along with a quick gut check on each one.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

MacBook Air

With the late 2010 second-generation refresh, the thin MacBook Air has gone from niche curiosity to a fast-growing part of Apple's laptop mix, thanks especially to the handy 11-inch version and its reasonable $999 starting price.

The latest rumor making the rounds is that Apple has been working on a black version of the Air. These reports originate with a MacRumors.com post, which stated, "Over the past week, we've received several anonymous tips claiming that at least some models of the next-generation MacBook Air will be be available with a black finish." From that single source, the story quickly ricocheted around the Web, even making its way to outlets such as The Atlantic and the Huffington Post.


Of course, about 7 hours after that original black MacBook Air rumor surfaced, MacRumors ran the other way, publishing an e-mail from a purported Apple employee, which read in part, "We tried to powder coat the Air's [sic] (and Pro's [sic] for that matter) in black as a test run...The coating looks good and holds up well, but it also soaks up body oils, making the palm rest look pretty gross. Ultimately that is the reason that the top brass (Jobs) killed the idea...it was just too easy to make the computer look like crap."

Also in the "nay" category, this alleged leak from 9to5mac.com: "A reliable source has told us that they haven't seen any black in the new MacBook Air materials."

Beyond the new color options, or lack thereof, the other longstanding MacBook Air refresh rumors concern a CPU upgrade to Intel's second-generation Core i-series processors (sometimes called Sandy Bridge) and the inclusion of a Thunderbolt port, like the ones found on current MacBook Pros. These updates, which seem likely, if not guaranteed, may well come with the release of the OS X Lion update, which is coming sometime in July.
While the proposed hardware updates seem perfectly reasonable, keep in mind that the last MacBoor Air refresh was in October 2010, which would make this a nine-month life cycle for the current models, so an updated Air may come at some point after the OS X Lion update.

(Credit: CNET)

Mac Mini

The diminutive Mac Mini feels somewhat like the first-generation MacBook Air did: a niche product with a small but dedicated user base.

First spotted on micgadget.com, the latest Mac Mini rumors say the system will also get Intel's second-generation Core i-series processors and a Thunderbolt port. That means these systems would use Intel's decent-for-video integrated graphics, instead of the current Nvidia graphics (which may even make the $699 Mac Mini less expensive).

This seems as likely as not, but given that the Mac Mini isn't on a regular refresh/redesign cycle, a new version certainly isn't a sure thing for the OS X Lion release date. One wished-for upgrade we haven't even seen a rumor abut this time around is a Blu-ray drive, which would make the Mac Mini a much more useful home theater machine.

Mac Pro

Yes, Apple still makes traditional desktops. The Mac Pro is a throwback to the glory days of hulking desktop towers, with the highest-end models running twin six-core Intel Xeon processors.

Once again, micgadget.com is the lead source for update rumors. The site claims that the Mac Pro is getting a redesigned chassis, which may also include a version that is rackmountable, perhaps replacing the current $2,999 "Server" version of the Mac Pro.

A Thunderbolt port is also part of the speculation, but the most interesting rumor is that the new Mac Pro will have a previously unseen Intel processor (perhaps the not-yet-released Xeon E5), along the lines of the exclusive Intel CPU from the original first-generation MacBook Air. This presumes that none of the current Intel Sandy Bridge processors is suitable for the Mac Pro, at least at the higher-end configurations. In these rare cases, it's usually a timed exclusive on a particular new CPU, rather than a custom-made part, which would be cost-prohibitive.

One disturbing part of the Mac Pro rumor dump is that they will lose the handy ability to hot-swap hard drives without shutting the system down.

It's worth noting that nearly all these Mac Pro and Mac Mini rumors can be traced back to a single micgadget.com post, so no matter how many times they've reverberated through the online echo chamber, there's really no independent corroboration. That said, the Pro hasn't had a serious redesign in some time, and is considered a high-end specialty product at this point; most desktop-shopping consumers gravitate toward the all-in-one iMac.

As always, Apple's official position is that it won't comment "regarding rumors and future products," as we were told when inquiring about some of these rumors. Your best bet is to hang around until the still-unspecified July release date of OS X Lion to see which, if any, of these updates actually happen.

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imagine future computing - Concept tablet recharges via finger energy

Recently, Designboom offered a challenge to designers: imagine future computing. 


The results of the Fujitsu Design Award 2011 "A Life with Future Computing" competition are now in, and one of entries selected from among 3,000 submissions, the Ecopad, has been recognized with a  "judge's special award."


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This vision of greener computing comes in the form of a tablet that recharges its own energy via piezoelectrics — i.e., by harvesting energy generated via the movement of human hands as they use the tablet's touchscreen.
According to Ecowizer, on average, people press their touch screens over 10,000 times a day; the Ecopad gets rid of the old AC adaptor simply by harvesting that energy via a nano piezoelectricity film located below the touchscreen display.

The design works with current touchscreen technology in use in commercialized tablet PCs and smart phones while working electricity generation directly into their use, overcoming the traditionally limited battery lives of such products.

In recognition of this forward-thinking green design, the designers of the Ecopad will receive  €1,000 ($1416 USD).

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Microsoft's Kinect, Coming to Windows 7, Browsers and Watching You!

Microsoft (news, site) is officially bringing its Xbox Kinect movement tracker/camera system to PCs, where it could soon watch what we browse and how we interact with the Web.

When Your Desktop Is Watching You

Microsoft's Kinect has been a massive hit with Xbox gamers, tracking their movements and translating them into game play. Unofficially, since its launch, coders have been hooking it up to PCs and doing all kinds of cool stuff with it.

All of that has just become official as Microsoft announced the SDK for Windows 7, allowing developers to patch in the various cameras, microphone and sensors to applications for all kinds of new tricks. You can check out coverage of the launch event here. What sort of tricks? Well, controlling robots, being watchdog and many others. But, for web marketers, the Holy Grail has always been to see what users look at when we browse the net.

Kinect, staring at you from a PC soon

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Taking Control of the Web

You can have that kind of monitoring in a research lab, with willing subjects, but it's a lot harder to get the general public involved. Imagine a browser patched into Kinect that looks at where your eyes are focused, calculates the angles and figures out exactly what parts of the page you look at most on a site.

Then, it might monitor your mood, are those frown lines on the face, are you annoyed or confused? A smart future browser could pop up an agent to help you out or offer assistance. Happy-looking users could be rewarded pop-up offers that they are more likely to take, over grumpy users who could see sites dynamically altered to try and improve their mood.

To benefit the user, sites and applications could become motion activated, with users enacting scenes resembling those from minority report — ideal for PowerPoint presentations or interactive meetings on digital whiteboards, the possibilities are massive.

The Kinect for Windows SDK comes with drivers, rich APIs for Raw Sensor Streams, natural user interfaces, installer documents and resource materials. The SDK provides Kinect capabilities to developers building applications with C++, C# or Visual Basic using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010.

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Review: Yahoo launches "app search" apps

If you're happy with the current methods of finding apps, Yahoo is throwing its hat into the ring.

The once dominant search company has launched new apps on the Android Market and the iTunes APP Store that allow users to search for apps on the respective platform.

 

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The company uses its own proprietary search algorithms and says results will be more personalized than the existing options available.

Of course, for both operating systems, there are already multiple ways to search for apps. Because every iPhone and iPad app is available on the Web version of iTunes, it's possible to search for apps through Google or any other search engine.

And with Android, because it's an open platform there are a multitude of third-party app sources, not the least of which is the Amazon Appstore, which has gained high marks for its organization and searchability of apps.
Nevertheless, Yahoo thinks it brings value to the plate with its own method of searching for apps, and it does have one edge - cross-platform searching, so you'll know if an app is available on both iOS and Android.

In addition, there's also a Web-based version of the new Yahoo app, so you can compare and contrast the availability between Android and iPhone before you decide which new smartphone to buy.
Yahoo's new apps, as always, are free and are available now.

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Splashtop Hits a Top Spot For Business Apps

A new iPad app has reached the top of the iTunes App Store's business section. No, it's not Angry Birds; this one's a little more

practical. Splashtop allows you to remotely link your PC to your iPad or smartphone, giving you the flexibility to access your data from whichever device you prefer.
Simply direct your work or home computer to Splashtop's home page, then download the free software and create an account. It works with Windows XP, 7, and Vista, or Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. Next, purchase the app from your iPad, iPhone, or Android handset. Once downloaded, Splashtop will automatically search for devices running its software on your network. Find yours, enter your password, and you're ready to go.

As of this writing, the app costs only $1.99 to download. By contrast, remote desktop tool Wyse PocketCloud Pro is $15. and LogMeIn Ignition costs $30. Undoubtedly, the low price has helped Splashtop secure the top spot in the Apple App Store. (Apple's iTunes rankings are based off of units downloaded, not gross sales. So it's in the interest of developers to keep their prices low to increase individual sales and hopefully get featured.)



More other business: hp 484170-001 battery  Hp pavilion dv9700 batterySplashtop enables you to control a PC from an iPad. Splashtop isn't the first computer-linking app available. But while its competitors allow you to share and transfer files between computers, Splashtop gives you the option of streaming video from your computer to your iPad or smartphone, including DVD movies, video files, or from online streaming services. It also gives you the option of streaming audio files, including MP3, WMA, and AAC formats.

One annoyance is that the app works best when synced with a computer running on the same Wi-Fi network--that is, within the same office or house. If you want to jump networks and access your work computer from home, for example, you'll have to do it through a feature that Splashtop still refers to as "experimental." This requires a Google Gmail login, and is currently only available for PCs. Given their recent success, however, chances are this functionality will be rolled out for Macs in the near future.

Splashtop does have a built-in keypad that mimics the buttons on your PC, and has also built out its own library of finger gestures to help you control your PC remotely. Still, accessing your PC on your smartphone may become tedious as you try to zoom way in and way out to navigate your PC. Overall, though, the app looks like a compelling solution for those wanting to get their devices synced.

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