Subscribe:

Ads 468x60px

Labels

ARM unveils new rich media solutions using system-wide approach

ARM has announced a new suite of integrated media IP that is designed to deliver rich content to users of mobile devices. ARM notes that the new IP is ideal for the highest volume segments for smartphones and tablets; the new IP is called the ARM Mali media IP suite.



The goal of the new IP suite is to ensure that graphically intensive content is assigned to the most appropriate processor inside a device to deliver the best user experience with the lowest energy usage. The media suite is comprised of the Mali-V550 video accelerator, the Mali-DP550 display processor, and the Mali-T800 GPU family.


The media IP uses several ARM technologies that are aimed at energy savings. The Mali-V550 and Mali-DP550 processors also have new features including Motion Search Elimination tech that reduces bandwidth by up to 35% to make the device more energy efficient. The ARM Mali-T800 GPU family includes the Mali-T820, Mali-T830, and Mali-T860.


The 820 is aimed at entry-level products and promises up to 40% more performance density compared to the Mali-T622. The T830 is up to 55% better performing than the T622, and the T860 is up to 45% more energy efficient than the Mali-T628 GPU. ARM's Mali-V550 is the first single-core video encode and decode solution for HEVC in the industry.


It offers scalability to 1080p/60fps on a single core and up to 4k120 on eight cores. It is the first ARM video IP to support multi-standard codecs including HEVC (H.265) for encode and decode on a single core. The Mali-DP550 supports up to seven layers of composition for image rendering optimization. It also has a co-processor interface for integration with ARM partner IP blocks and can be configured to support a range of resolutions. All of the products are available for licensing now and are expected to hit the market inside devices in late 2015 and early 2016.


SOURCE: ARM


Pre-release screenshots of HTC Sense on Android 5.0 leaked

Most of you have probably wondered what those tweaked versions of Android would look like under the new Lollipop banner – like Samsung’s TouchWiz and HTC’s Sense UI. Well, these exclusive previews will go a long way to initially answering those questions. And for HTC users, don’t worry – we actually think these look good.



What it looks like is that HTC will be unveiling a new UI – called Sense 7.0 – to match Android Lollipop. The UI is still under development right now, but these great pics provide an idea of what the lovechild of HTC Sense and Material Design would look like. They look fiiiine.


Screenshot_2014-10-26-22-55-05


There’s very little to separate from what is purportedly Sense 7.0 from Sense 6.0. But with a dollop of Material Design and the aesthetic suddenly looks sleek, techy and nice. The screenshots were apparently taken from an HTC One M8.


Screenshot_2014-10-26-18-28-39


What do you guys think? We have to warn you that the source has not given any confirmation as to the authenticity of the screenshots. But if these are even halfway true, they don’t look bad at all. HTC has promised that Sense 7.0 will be rolled out for the HTC One M7 and M8 around 90 days after Android finally comes out with Lollipop official. So that means late January to early February for all you HTC One users out there.


VIA: YouMobile





Unlocked Sony Xperia T3 hits US Sony store

Fans of Sony Xperia smartphone have a new device that they can pick up in the US. The new smartphone is an unlocked version of the Xperia T3 that launched this summer and it is available to order directly from the Sony Store. The version offered in the US is model D5106 and it supports LTE bands 4,7,17.



That means the device will support AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Sony offers the T3 in three colors including black, purple, and white. The T3, as the price suggests, is a mid-range device that isn’t packed with the latest and greatest hardware.


The smartphone has a 5.3-inch screen supporting 720p resolution. The processor is a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon unit and it has 1GB of RAM. Internal storage is 8GB with a microSD card slot for expansion. Sony fits the T3 with an 8MP rear camera and a 1.1MP front camera.


The big feature of this device is that it sells unlocked for $399.99. That's not all that much more than some smartphones will cost you on contract. Sony is also now selling the Xperia M2 D2306 LTE smartphone for $279.99 supporting the same LTE networks as the T3.




SOURCE: Xperiablog


HERE app clarifies issues, problems with beta for Android

It's still in beta version for Android devices, but mapping app HERE from Nokia is already creating waves as an alternative to Google Maps (some say it's even better). But as with everything that is digitally beta, there have been issues experienced by users who have been testing it on their mobile devices. To address and clarify these problems, the developers have released an FAQ that seeks to answer the most common complaints they have received so far.



One of the most common complaints is that those who have existing Nokia accounts still need to create a new account on HERE. Nokia said they are still working on making it easier in the long-run, but for now, people will have to take a few extra steps to use the app on Android. Another big problem is that when the users employ a cache cleaner app on their smartphones, it usually erases the voice files that they save on the app (for directions and all). They are currently working on a fix for that issue, but for now, their advice is not to use a cache cleaner if you don't want the files deleted.


While HERE was tested on the preview build of the Android Lollipop before its release, it seems that the app is not working on the release build. Again, they are working on a solution to the problem, but it looks like you have to live with Google Maps on your phones already running on Lollipop, at least until Nokia finds a fix for it. Other issues like storage for the app and the offline maps, permissions for the integration of the check-in app Glympse, as well as arrival in other platforms is also addressed in the FAQ.


One important question is when will the app be available in the Google Play Store, since some people find it a hassle to have to manually download it to their smartphone. But Nokia says they are focusing right now on processing the initial feedback from beta users and so they are hosting the app first on their site to ensure that all issues are directly sent to them. If you haven't yet installed HERE on your Android device, you can get the APK from their website.


SOURCE: HERE





Google Fit Hits the Play Store

Google Fit Hits the Play Store


Google Fit just hit the Play Store, and, well, it looks pretty much exactly like Google said it would. It also looks a heck of a lot like Apple's HealthKit and corresponding Health app —not in terms of design but in terms of features. That said, it does look pretty useful!


Read more...
















Sideload Applications to Android TV Thanks to Chainfire

image

Android TV played quite a major roles at this year’s Google I/O’s keynote. We didn’t have to wait long to see the first Android devices designed specifically to work with TVs. One of the most exciting Android TV devices is the recently launched Google Nexus Player, which was introduced alongside Lollipop and other Nexus devices.


Google added a requirement that every existing application that is to work on Android TV must be declared as compatible by the app’s developer(s). Such a situation is far from perfect, because users often can’t use their favorite applications or games even if they actually work with Android TV but aren’t officially tested. Luckily, there are a few folks on XDA who routinely make the impossible possible. One of them is XDA Senior Recognized Developer and Senior Moderator Chainfire. His intervention was needed, and after two hours of coding, he wrote a launcher that allows you to sideload applications to Android TV.


With Sideload Launcher, you will be able to run some applications (not every app, since there are some compatibility issues with some) directly on the screen of your TV. If you own (or plan to own) an Android TV device, especially the Google Nexus Player or ADT-1, installing this launcher is a must.


You can find download links and more information by visiting the Android TV Sideload Launcher application thread.


The post Sideload Applications to Android TV Thanks to Chainfire appeared first on xda-developers.


Samsung site reveals full HD display, 64-bit proc for Galaxy A7

A couple of things we’ve already written about here – first, about the rumored Samsung Galaxy A7 which will be part of the Korean company’s metallic we’ll-prove-you-wrong A-series, and secondly about the Internet being full of people with nothing better to do than dig into websites’ source codes and user access profiles to get information. As per usual, the Internet proves us right on both counts.



Motorola and Verizon have recently been bitten by this bug when some people dug up the Verizon website’s code to reveal pictures of the yet unannounced DROID Turbo. This time, it’s Samsung’s website that gave up the details on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A7 – mainly confirming that it will be sporting a full HD 1920x1080 display and that it will be using an ARMv8-A CPU, which is a 64-bit proc.



sm-a700fd-a7-uaprof



And at least in the Chinese market, the Galaxy A7 will be launching with a dual-SIM variant, as is common even to high end phones launched in some Asian markets. Interestingly, the Galaxy A7 will be launching with Android KitKat out of the box, so the 64-bit proc might not yet come into play until Samsung chooses to update the devices to Android 5.0 Lollipop.


Samsung continues to be committed to pushing this “A series” – a group of phones intended to show the world that Samsung can indeed make metallic phones, among other reasons. The Samsung Galaxy Alpha was first out of this line, and the A-series phone models just keep on coming. It really does look like someone’s out to prove something to the rest of the world.


VIA: Sam Mobile





Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)