RSS Feeds
Software
Adobe, ARM Teaming Up to Optimise Flash on Mobile Devices
Posted by Adrian Covert at 10:50 AM on November 19, 2008
According to the MIT Technology Review, Adobe is working with mobile processor manufacturer ARM on optimising Flash Player 10 and AIR for ARM processors. Why does this matter? Because ARM processors are found in 90% of mobile phones (iPhone and G1 included), not to mention set top boxes, PMPs, and gaming devices (like the Nintendo DS). And how will they do it? Adobe and ARM say they have three main areas they're working on to improve the mobile flash experience.
In case you were wondering what 
If you're looking into getting a new laptop, you should probably hold off until after the holidays for an extra boost in processing power. According to sources at AppleInsider, Intel's planning a refresh of its Montevina Core 2 Duo processors for Spring 2009. The update will give notebooks two new variants of chips, a P88000 running at 2.66GHz and a T9900 with 3.06GHz. These next Montevina chips will be the last ones Intel produces before it turns to its Core i7 architecture - but that switch-up is at least a year down the line, and who's going to put off laptop buying for that long? [
As a former AMD fanboy, this is kind of sad news. AMD will be splitting up into two companies—one that designs chips, and another that makes 'em. The constant need to build expensive new chip plants was a big drag on AMD, which lags behind Intel on multiple fronts. Intel is now the only company left that designs and makes its own chips, a fact that will likely increase its advantage over AMD. 
AMD has confirmed rumours that it is working on DirectX 11, announcing at CEATEC that it plans to release its first DirectX 11-compatible GPUs in 2009. The company also predicted an increase in general purpose computing on GPUs (GPGPU) and a transition to a 40nm fabricating standard, which ought to give graphics chip performance rates a considerable boost. In layman terms: Things are about to get a lot bigger and a lot prettier. [
Broadcom already makes a boatload of the GPS chips found in mobile phones and other location-aware gadgets, and now they're adding Skyhook's Wi-Fi positioning service to most of their mobile Wi-Fi chipsets, spreading the location-based love even without GPS. This is how iPhone regular finds your location in addition to using nearby cell towers (Skyhook IDs your position by comparing to those of known hotspot SSIDs in the vicinity), so look for even more location-based services coming to more phones in the future. [
Stacked-up chip technology isn't new, but scientists at the University of Rochester have built the first properly-3D chip recently. Unlike previous attempts, with layered standard 2D chip-circuitry on top of similar layers, the new chip actually has components built into a 3D-matrix, with interconnects between layers.
Biswahoman Pani worked for Intel. Claiming to miss his wife, he requested a transfer from California to Intel's Hudson facility where she worked. That same day, when the request was granted, Pani turned in his resignation and announced that he'd be taking vacation for his last two weeks at the company. His new job would be with a hedge fund.
Yesterday it was 
