Windows 8 tablet from Samsung has Intel inside

A Samsung tablet expected to be shown at a Microsoft conference next week will be powered by an Intel chip, according to a source familiar with the device.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 currently on the market runs the Android operating system and uses an Nvidia processor.


The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 currently on the market runs the Android operating system and uses an Nvidia processor.

Windows chief Steven Sinofsky is expected shows off an early version of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system running on a tablet from Samsung at the BUILD developers conference next week in Anaheim, Calif.

At least one version of the tablet being shown--and possibly distributed to some attendees--will be based on Intel silicon, said an industry source who is familiar with the device.

The fact that Intel is inside could be viewed as a surprise because many Windows 8 tablets are expected to favor competing ARM processors from suppliers like Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Nvidia--the latter is the same supplier whose chips currently power Motorola, Samsung, and Sony tablets that run Google's Android operating system.

It is not clear if other Windows 8 tablets will be shown at the conference running on ARM processors. Nvidia, for example, is expected to have a quad-core chip for tablets and smartphones ready by the end of this year.

Generally, ARM processors are more power efficient than Intel processors, thus their wide use in tablets and smartphones. But Intel is working to close the power efficiency gap. Power efficient versions of its Sandy Bridge Core i series chips will power "Ultrabook" laptops as thin as 0.6 inches--not unlike a tablet's thickness--and Intel continues to accelerate development of Atom processors, which are already relatively power efficient.

Windows 8, which is a much more tablet-friendly OS than Windows 7, will run on both Intel/AMD chips and ARM. A first for a mainstream Microsoft operating system.

Microsoft and Intel declined to comment on this story. Samsung could not be reached for comment.

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MacBook Air reloaded with latest Intel Sandy Bridge processors, OS X Lion

Apple has announced the refresh for the MacBook Air range. The new MacBook Air gets the latest generation Sandy Bridge ultra-low voltage processors, Thunderbolt Input/Output technology, backlit keyboard and the new Operating System X Lion straight out of the box. The display sizes of 11-inch and 13-inch have been retained as such. However, the dual core Sandy Bridge Intel Core i5 (1.6GHz and 1.7GHz versions) and Intel Core i7 (1.8GHz) processors are now used to power these slim machines.

Intel’s HD 3000 graphics is used in the Air, in the absence of any dedicated graphics chip. Flash storage remains the interesting factor, with 3 storage capacity options offered which are 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The lowest spec 11-inch display version comes with 2GB of RAM, but all versions above that, both in 11-inch and 13-inch displays, come with 4GB of RAM. We assume the second-generation Core i5 processors onboard are the 1.6GHz Core i5 2467M processor (2 cores, 4 threads, 3MB cache, Turbo up to 2.3GHz), and the 1.7GHz Core i5-2557M processor (2 cores, 4 threads, 3MB cache, Turbo up to 2.7GHz) with TDPs of just 17W can deliver the astounding battery life expected from the MacBook Air.  A 1.8GHz Core i7 processor can be selected if the laptop is built to order.

The MacBook Air also gets the Thunderbolt Input/Output technology, which has been introduced in the MacBook Pro in the last refresh. In terms of usability, the introduction of the backlit keyboard is more than welcome! This unique feature was not presented with the previous generation Air.

Apple promises that the 11-inch version will offer about 5 hours of battery life, and the 13-inch version offers morethan 7 hours of battery life. Some of the main attractions of the MacBook Air include FaceTime capabilities, 2 USB ports, Glass track pad with multi-touch gestures and a unibody design made of highly recyclable aluminum.

And yes, the new MacBook Air is available with the new OSX Lion straight out of the box. So there is no need for any updates later.

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Apple's Lion reached 1 million copies sold

Apple today revealed that it sold more than 1 million copies of Lion on its first day of availability. Lion is  the latest version of Apple's Mac OS.

The software, which went on sale yesterday, made its debut back in October during the company's "Back to the Mac" event. In today's release, the company noted that customers are buying Lion faster than any other operating system release in company's history.

"Lion is off to a great start, user reviews and industry reaction have been fantastic," said Philip Schiller who is  Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, in a statement. He added "Lion is a huge step forward; it's not only packed with innovative features but it's incredibly easy for users to update their Macs to the best OS we've ever made."

Lion is the first version of Apple's Mac OS which is available as a digital download through the Mac App Store. The company is planning to let customers buy it on a USB stick for $69 which is more than double the software's $29.99 digital price tag.
Apple says that Lion packs in "morethan 250 new features." Some of the highlighted features include support for full-screen applications, more multitouch gestures, auto save for app data, AirDrop file transfer, and a feature which is similar to icon based application launcher in ios called "Launchpad".

So far the new operating system has gained 9,376 user ratings on the Mac App Store and there is about 2,091 written reviews. So it will get an average of 4.5-star rating (out of 5 stars).

This is the first time Apple revealed about sales numbers for one of its OS updates since releasing Leopard back near the end of 2007. That version of the Operating System sold more than 2 million copies in its first weekend on sale.

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Unlimited Text, Data Plans from T-Mobile

T-Mobile has introduced new plans intended to be more flexible to its customers' needs, a move that can be considered a sign of the company trying to maintain its value proposition in the midst of its proposed merger with AT&T.

All the plans, which debut July 24, require a two-year contract agreement for both new and existing customers. Users will be given a set of voice plan options that include unlimited texting and unlimited data. They will then be able to select a certain amount of high-speed data available in 2GB, 5GB, and 10GB increments.



They're just doing it differently


While AT&T and Verizon have done away with their unlimited plans, T-Mobile has not. Instead, it has chosen to throttle data throughput significantly after a set amount of bandwidth. With these new plans users will be able to control where this throttling begins.

This places the price of a plan with two lines with unlimited data and texting, and 2GB of data at $99.98 monthly ($49.99 per line). T-Mobile says that similar plans on AT&T would cost $199.99 with only 2GB of data, Sprint $209.98 with unlimited data, and Verizon $209.99 with a 2GB data cap.

Even adding in a option that allows for consumers to pay off smartphone purchases in installments of $15 per month per line -- and frankly, it's confusing how that works -- the plans still come in cheaper per month, savings that add up on an annual basis.

Concerns and confusion


T-Mobile appears eager to get rid of overages, and show it is serious about keeping wireless prices down, even as it comes ever closer to being swallowed up by AT&T. The issue of higher prices is something that has worried lawmakers, with some going as far as asking for the rejection of the deal over such concerns.

One thing is clear: T-Mobile really needs to explain how these plans work better, especially the installment plans for buying phones. Why would somebody want to pay full retail price for a device (with a contract to boot), when paying up front would save them hundreds right off the bat?

Is T-Mobile trying to do away with subsidized phones or something? It doesn't make sense to me why somebody would want to do this, regardless of whether the customer is paying no interest with this option.

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HTC ChaCha launched in India @ Rs 15,990

Taiwan-based HTC Corp and Tata DOCOMO have launched HTC ChaCha in India. HTC ChaCha runs on Android operating system and boasts of a 2.6-inch screen. The 480 x 320 resolution touchscreen comes with a full QWERTY keypad.

The smartphone features a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera for video calling.

HTC ChaCha is the company's rumoured 'Facebook phone'. Featuring a dedicated Facebook key it gives users one-touch access to the social network.

As a part of the offer, 3G prepaid customers get 3GB free data valid for a period of 90 days. Postpaid customers get 1GB free every month valid for 90 days. All 3G customers will also get 3 hour of free Mobile TV this includes data access charges valid for 90 days.

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