| Samsung Exynos 5 Octa multi-processing feats seen in action in ARM demo videos Sep 11th 2013, 07:23, by Juan Carlos Torres We’ve heard the pitch and now we’re seeing how well Samsung‘s new Exynos 5 Octa chip performs in reality now that it has gained Heterogeneous Multi-Processing (HMP) capabilities. Samsung’s latest eight-core chip is put to the test in this series of videos published by ARM, and the results are interesting indeed. 
Samsung revealed yesterday the enhanced functionality of its latest Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processors brought about by the addition of true multi-processing. In a nutshell, this means that software can now make use of all or any number of the four Cortex-A7 and four Cortex-A15 cores found on the chip, depending on the need of the processes. Resource-hungry threads can get allocated to the big cores simultaneously as the little cores deal with other less intensive threads. What looks good on paper is now being verified using a special tool developed by ARM precisely to test the chip. A number of appps are tested, including QuickOffice and Angry Birds Rio running at 1080p to demonstrate which and how many cores are utilized depending on the use case. Most of the time, the energy-efficient A7 cores are more than enough to handle the load, but at times, all 8 cores, or a mix of any number of the 8 are activated, something which was lacking in Samsung’s previous octa core implementations. Here’s a demo video with QuickOffice running. As mentioned, Samsung has promised to deliver next quarter its HMP solution to its Exynos 5 Octa 5420 processors, the same chips used in the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note III and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition. Unfortunately, those Exynos-powered devices will be only available in selected markets, while 4G LTE markets, like the US, will be receiving Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 versions. This video shows that even running Angry Birds Rio at 1080p only utilizes the little cores most of the time. This last video makes use of a custom ARM app developed to showcase the Exynos 5′s ARM Mali graphics capabilities. VIA: Engadget |  | ASUS PadFone Infinity A86 launching in Taiwan next week Sep 11th 2013, 06:30, by Juan Carlos Torres The IFA trade show may be over, but that’s not stopping ASUS from announcing its refreshed PadFone Infinity, which it has apparently scheduled to happen next week in Taiwan. It seems like we will finally get to see if this new PadFone Infinity will have other surprises in store for us. 
The ASUS PadFone is a line of smartphones that has one defining characteristic: a tablet accessory that serves as a dock as well as an extended display for the device, effectively transforming a smartphone into a tablet as the need arises. The concept sounds both strange and convenient at the same time, and seems to have been successful enough for ASUS to continue the device line. The company unveiled its latest iteration, the PadFone Infinity¸ early this year although the device has yet to land on US soil. You can read about our initial experience with the device here. A few weeks ago, we got word, and some leaked photos, that ASUS has an updated version of the PadFone Infinity in the works. The new PadFone Infinity, with a model A86, sounds almost the same as the old one, except for an all white color option, and, perhaps more importantly, an upgraded quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. It was mentioned that the new PadFone Infinity will be compatible with the older model’s accessories, but we don’t know all those options yet, like whether it will have a keyboard dock again this time. Whatever other secrets it holds, we’ll know for sure when ASUS CEO Jerry Shen unveils the device in Taipei Tuesday next week. VIA: Engadget | | Motorola Moto X Texas factory makes its way to Google Maps, includes insider tour Sep 11th 2013, 05:59, by Juan Carlos Torres “Made in the USA” is a slogan that Motorola is really serious about when it launched its latest Moto X flagship. Now the company is taking that idea to heart and pinning it down on Google Maps to emphasize the point, going as far as providing an inside look at where the device is made. 
Motorola seems quite proud of this particular accomplishment. It went and defied conventional business sense and decided to manufacture the Moto X right back at home in the US. It took a great risk, considering how many consider the US to be lagging behind in the manufacturing industry and how labor is more expensive compared to China, were almost everyone has outsourced their smartphone manufacturing processes. But Motorola stayed firm and decided to help bring innovation back to its home turf. CEO Dennis Woodside says that the world has changed much, that labor is still higher but no longer exorbitantly more expensive, and that consumers have developed a desire to be part of the creative process of making a smartphone. That is why Motorola created Moto Maker, to let buyers design their own Moto X and make it truly theirs. Only time, and earnings, will be able to tell if Motorola’s radical investments in the Moto X, which now ships 100,000 units weekly, will pay off. In the meantime, to celebrate the official launch of its manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, the company has put up a Street View tour to let you see inside the place where each and every Moto X is born. SOURCE: Motorola      | | Plants vs Zombies 2 for Android tipped to arrive in China soon Sep 11th 2013, 05:33, by Juan Carlos Torres It’s been almost a month now and we’re still waiting for the highly popular Plants vs Zombies 2 to hit our Android devices with no end in sight. It seems, though, that those in China will have their pea-shooting zombie-killing cravings satiated as the game is rumored to be launching in Chinese markets very soon. 
The sequel to the blockbuster game was also met with blockbuster success, gaining 25 million downloads in just half a month after it was launched. That’s more than what the first Plants vs Zombies made. The numbers could probably have been higher if the game was also launched on Android and the PC instead of on iOS only. All we can do, unfortunately, is to make some noise about it and wait. But if these rumors pan out, Chinese Android users won’t have to wait very long. Word is that Plants vs Zombies 2 will arrive this month on three of China’s major Android markets, namely Baidu AppSearch, 91 Assistant, and HiMarket. In case you’re wondering, Google Play Store isn’t available in the country so users have to resort to other sources for their Android apps. Details are a bit murky as to the exact date of the release, with some pointing to September 17 and others marking September 12. But if an authentic Plants vs Zombies 2 Android version does come out, it could mean that we’re not that far away from finally seeing the game on Google Play Store. VIA: MyDrivers | |
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