 | Micron first to market with phase-change memory modules for portable devices (video) Jul 18th 2012, 20:54  Look out silicon and magnetic storage, here comes glass. Micron has announced production of the first commercial cellphone phase-change memory (PCM) modules, a type of flash RAM that works by changing a crystal solid to an amorphous state. The 1Gb chips will share a circuit board with 512Mb of standard volatile memory, just enough to go in feature phones for now -- but the company claims it will eventually offer larger modules for smartphone and tablet storage as well. PCM could scale to much faster speeds than conventional NAND flash, since it doesn't require a time-sapping erase before rewriting -- and with read speeds of 400MB/s, it's already into regular flash territory while still just a first generation product. Once the tech gets even quicker, PCM could even replace volatile RAM, allowing more secure storage in case of a power loss and reducing device costs and power usage. That means the glassy new kid could eventually bump silicon-based storage altogether -- ending its 40-year plus reign as king of the memory substrates. To see some of the ways it trumps NAND, check the video after the break. Continue reading Micron first to market with phase-change memory modules for portable devices (video) Filed under: Storage Micron first to market with phase-change memory modules for portable devices (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments |  | Qualcomm Q3 2012 earnings show revenue ($4.63b) and profit ($1.21b) up sharply over last year Jul 18th 2012, 20:36  Qualcomm is reporting its financial numbers for the last quarter and has been the trend, it's a good time to be everywhere in the wireless business. Continued strong demand for 3G and 4G-connected hardware is keeping sales high, driving "strong year-over-year growth" according to CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, contributing to a bottom line of $4.63 billion in revenue and net income of $1.21 billion. The company's MSM (mobile station modem) chipsets continue to be the main contributor with 141 million units sold, also up yearly by 18 percent but down 7 percent from Q2, with reported device sales following the same pattern at $47.8 billion. About that slight drop from last quarter, the Doctor continues by saying the company expects demand to be back-loaded as "new devices" are launched for the holiday season. With that in mind, it's ramping up production for 28nm Snapdragon S4 chipsets, a move that reportedly has required help from Samsung and UMC. With the next iPhone, new Android Jelly Bean hardware, Windows Phone 8 / Windows 8 devices and much more expected to arrive soon, we'll keep the old money-flying-at-Qualcomm's-HQ graphic close by. For more details, hit the source link for the PDF or read the press release after the break. Continue reading Qualcomm Q3 2012 earnings show revenue ($4.63b) and profit ($1.21b) up sharply over last year Filed under: Cellphones Qualcomm Q3 2012 earnings show revenue ($4.63b) and profit ($1.21b) up sharply over last year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Qualcomm (PDF) | Email this | Comments |   | Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible' Jul 18th 2012, 20:13  Still unable to resist its techno-philanthropic urges, Google has just unveiled the Web Lab at the Science Museum in London. Paid for entirely with Google juice and constructed in a basement area that was previously used for storage, the exhibition consists of five experiments that help us to "discover the power of the internet while we're on the internet." That might sound cheesy, but we've had a good play with each installation and they're actually very well thought out and accessible -- although, if you're already a hyper-connected nutcase then you might find it more appropriate for friends and family. We won't give too much away in case it spoils your fun, but you can get a flavor from the attached promo video we saw back at Google I/O, plus our gallery and the PR after the break. In any case, it's safe to say that each experiment involves creating and sharing media in a way you've never tried before. What's more, everything you do is stored in a little personal account in the cloud that you can access using the unique "lab tag" shown in the photo above. (Incidentally, all those symbols floating around in the background represent other individuals who are also currently participating in the project -- which ought to give you some idea of the overall premise.) The exhibition opens to the public tomorrow, is free to enter and follows the same opening hours as the main museum -- although the lab's online dimension will remain active for a distinctly un-British 24-7-365. Continue reading Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible' Filed under: Science, Internet Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments |  | Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999 Jul 18th 2012, 19:58  The mammoth 75-inch ES9000 LED smart TV that Samsung recently unveiled for the Korean market is making its way stateside. Today the 3D-capable, LED-backlit set was on display in New York as part of the Sammy-sponsored SpaceFest marking the Space Shuttle Enterprise's arrival at the Intrepid. How smart TVs relate to Space Shuttle orbiters is beyond us, but the ES9000's US debut is welcome news for those with a massive living room to fill, and were disappointed after the ES8000 75-incher shown at CES and even given a price tag earlier this year failed to materialize. Detailed specs are currently MIA, but as we noted before in our hands-on, the 75-incher's bezel measures just 0.31 inches, and the frame sports a rose-gold finish. There's also a built-in web camera that retracts when not in use, and the TV comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. Being a smart TV, this guy also includes the full suite of Smart TV features, such as Smart Interaction for enabling gesture and voice controls and Smart Content for sharing media across several devices. Samsung also used today's occasion to introduce a new Angry Birds app for its smart TVs, which lets users play the game entirely with gesture controls. The app will be available for a free download later this month, and the ES9000 will go on sale in August for a super-sized price of $9.999. Check out the PR below for more info. Continue reading Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999 Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household Samsung 75-inch ES9000 smart TV makes stateside debut: on sale in August for $9,999 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments |  | Microsoft responds to critics, defends touch UI in Office 2013 Jul 18th 2012, 19:45  If you read our preview of Office 2013, you know we liked it. A lot. But if we had one reservation it's that Office still isn't that finger-friendly, even with the addition of a touch mode that widens the spacing between onscreen objects and flattens the menus so that you don't have to tap quite as much. As if in response to critics like us (and readers too!) Microsoft has published a lengthy blog post detailing the thinking that went into the design of Office's new touch-enabled features. Which is to say, it's a more detailed recap of how the company's engineers tweaked the desktop interface for touch, and designed some standalone apps that better match the Metro experience of Windows 8. At the very least, it's a handy primer for folks who missed Steve Ballmer's keynote and haven't yet read up on radial menus or the Metro-styled OneNote MX app. Even if you have, though, it's worth a read: Microsoft offers some interesting insight into the various scenarios where it imagined each touch-enabled app being used, and what kind of posture the user is likely to have, even. Whether that's enough to prompt a change of heart is up to you, but it's interesting nonetheless to get a little more color on how it all came together. Filed under: Software Microsoft responds to critics, defends touch UI in Office 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Office Next | Email this | Comments |  | AT&T and Verizon shared data plans compared Jul 18th 2012, 19:32  With the introduction of AT&T's Mobile Share this morning, the two largest mobile operators in the US (the other one, of course, being Verizon) have officially embraced the idea of pooled data plans. The concept is simple: bundle talk, text and data together in the same family plan, instead of forcing each individual member to pay a separate fee if they want internet access. With the announcement of these plans, we were instantly curious to find out if these new options will save customers money on a monthly basis -- and which company offers the best value. Determined to get some answers, we've broken down AT&T and Verizon's plans and will highlight the pros and cons for you after the break. Continue reading AT&T and Verizon shared data plans compared Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Wireless AT&T and Verizon shared data plans compared originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments |  |
