There has been a lot of whispering about Nvidia’s next-generation Tegra chip, code-named Kal-El (Superman’s Kryptonian name, for the uninitiated), since it was first detailed on a roadmap back in Februrary. But it hasn’t shown up quite yet in any actual handsets or tablets, though we’re told it has been adopted by the majors and will have its debut soon.

Nvidia today released some new information about the SoC that confirms Tegra’s status as the brand to beat in the mobile computing world. Turns out it’s not quad-core, it’s penta-core. And the “companion core” is designed to take over while all the others go to sleep.

As you have probably suspected, load balancing and optimizing processor use is important to the battery life of many devices. The screen is usually a bigger draw, but with demand for CPU- and GPU-intensive content rising, the portion of a battery used for that processing is as well. But when you’re not playing games or watching HD movies on your phone, those high-power cores don’t operate as efficiently as one designed for low-power, low-priority tasks. So Nvidia put another one on the die, a low-power optimized core, that takes over for mundane things like notification monitoring while the phone is inactive, low-bandwidth stuff like e-reading, and so on.

Nvidia explains it all in this handy diagram, though be on the watch for self-congratulatory jargon (“console-class gaming” isn’t an industry standard term):

It’s a bit like having a city car and a hot rod in your garage. You don’t want to drive your Aston Martin in bumper-to-bumper traffic. That’s why you have a Civic too, or perhaps a Leaf. Same here. Why use ten times the CPU power necessary to perform a simple task?

You can read the rest in Nvidia’s whitepaper (PDF), but take it with a grain of salt, because TI might have some tricks up its sleeve, and even Intel might be creeping up.

The TrimSlice is a mini-PC with a mission: to be amazingly small and light and feature TV-in and a number of useful and surprising outputs. It is, in short, one of the coolest kiosk or dedicated use PCs I’ve seen in a long while.

The Tegra 2 chip is housed in a thin, fanless case with stereo line in/out as well as HDMI out. It can hold a laptop hard drive and runs 1GB of DDR2 memory. It has four USB ports, SD and MicroSD readers, and even a freaking Ethernet port. If I weren’t worried about processing power, I’d say it would make a great HTPC. No pricing, but it won’t cost very much, that much is sure. Click through for full specs.

Product Page

Japanese PC maker Onkyo, which rolled out three Windows tablets in its home market earlier this year, has unveiled an Android-based tablet that will go on sale (again, in Japan first) this week. Dubbed SlatePad TA117 [JP], the device features a slew of nice features.

Here are the main specs of the TA117C3 (Onkyo also offers another model, the TA117C1, with just 512MB RAM and 8GB flash memory):

• 10.1-inch LCD screen with 1,024×600 resolution
• Android 2.2
• NVIDIA Tegra 250 processor (1GHz)
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB flash memory
• one HDMI interface, two USB ports, one micro SDHC slot
• IEEE 802.11b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• 1.3MP camera
• internal mic, speakers
• 3-axis acceleration sensor
• 6.5 hours battery life
• size: 267x173x14.8mm, weight: 800g

No word on an international release (in Japan, Onkyo will be offering the SlatePad with an open price model).

Harsh. I wonder if this guy reads my articles?

Huang feels, like me, that the current crop of non-iPad tablets are pretty much useless one and all. The iPad works for a “beginner” tablet, and the next generation of tablets will bring new capabilities, new hardware, new tools, and so on. Nvidia thinks they’re going to be a part of that, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t be, except that the Tegra 2 hasn’t really made many waves. The new one is on its way, though (and the new new one) so we may see that change.

[via CNET]

We reported yesterday about Toshiba’s plans of bringing Android-powered tablets to the US next year, and here at CEATEC, big T gave all attendees the chance to try out the Folio 100, a Europe-only device. The Toshiba employee at the booth told me it will probably hit Japan and other markets next year though.

To recap, the Folio 100 has a 10.1-inch LCD touchscreen with 1,2024×600 resolution, runs on Android 2.2 and is powered by a Tegra 2 chip. It has Opera pre-installed, and during my 5 or so minutes testing the device, the browser was really quite fast. I also took a quick picture. Big downer: Toshiba won’t let you access the Android market through this tablet.

Other than that, the Folio 100 seems to be a pretty solid device.

The models showcased at the CEATEC booth didn’t have too many applications installed on them, but this hands-on video I took may give you some more insight anyway:
http://blip.tv/play/hMQ5goKZNAA%2Em4v

Very little was actually said about the chip, and no partners were announced. As for the announcement that they would come out with a new one every year, well, that’s a bit of abracadabra that any company can do. Package up what you’ve got and call it the next version. Hopefully NVIDIA will do a bit more than that, though.

We’ll probably hear more about Tegra towards the end of the year, when we’ll hear more about the makeup of all the upcoming tablets from HTC, HP, and so on.

And yet another tablet. This time, we get an Android 2.2-powered model [JP] from Japanese company Mouse Computer. The so-called LuvPad AD100 (what a name) features a 10-inch multitouch LCD screen with LED backlight and 1,024×600 resolution.

Other specs include:

• NVIDIA’s Tegra 250 mobile processor
• 512MB of DDR2 RAM
• 8GB flash memory
• microSD card slot, USB 2.0 mini port
• built-in speaker
• IEEE802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• weight: 760g (iPad: 730g for the Wi-Fi+3G model, the Wi-Fi only model is 50g lighter)

Mouse Computer plans to start selling the LuvPad in Japan within this month for $480. If you’re interested but live outside Japan, you can pre-order it over at Geek Stuff 4 U now for $530.75.

If there is one rumor that tends to come and go and agonizes Windows Mobile fans, it’s the one about a Zune phone. Although it’s not officially confirmed, Gizmodo has it on good word that Microsoft will be introducing a Zune phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year. More specifically, it will be a Windows Mobile 7 phone with Zune features and capabilities, so it’s not a Zune phone, per se.

Giz says their source confirmed that “the Zune Phone presentation at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress 2010 is 100% confirmed.” Details are scant, but the new phone is said to have an Nvidia Tegra series chip, 480×272 screen, HDMI out and weighs in at a lightweight 2.45 ounces. We’re certainly looking forward to what Microsoft has in store for MWC and hoping that WinMo 7 takes off on some killer hardware.

[Via MuyComputer]

Here’s a nice, juicy rumor to start the day off on the right (or wrong) foot. After those recent supposed screenshots of Google’s upcoming Chrome OS, Taiwan’s Shanzai.com is now reporting the following:

“According to our reliable sources on the Mainland, both Lenovo and Acer are planing to launch Tegra-based devices running Google’s Chrome OS, and the word on the streets is that it could even happen sometime later this month.”

If true, that would be pretty wild. It’d also serve to steal a bit of thunder from a certain company based in Cupertino, California that’ll be announcing new products on September 9th. I’ve no doubt that Tegra+Chrome OS smartbooks (or MIDs or netbooks or whatever) will eventually make it to market, but to see one or more of them this month would be a bit surprising considering we’ve been hearing mid-2010 for just about everything else.

As always, take this news with a grain of salt until it can be officially substantiated.

Exclusive: Lenovo and Acer to launch Tegra devices with Google’s Chrome OS [Shanzai]

There’s a reason why the Zune HD’s interface moves so smoothly. Powering the device is the Nvidia Tegra, which Nvidia recently described as an “an entire computer-on-a-chip,” and one with “eight separate processors, including: a GPU, two video processors, and audio processor, two ARM core processor and more.” (That “and more” bit is a bit ambiguous for my liking, but what are you gonna do?) In any event, the Zune HD looks to have some serious computational power going for it. WILL IT BE AN IPOD KILLER?

As Peter’s video shows, the interface zips around with not a hint of slowdown. You can thank Nvidia’s GeForce for that, assuming you’re in the business of thanking big companies for anything

Web pages are accelerated by the GPU, as is any video you play, be it from the Zune itself, transferred over from your Xbox 360, or downloaded from allthelatestmoviesarehererightnowforyoutodownload.com.

So yeah, the Zune HD looks neat, but as a Mac user, and given the device’s lack of compatibility with my preferred operating system, I wonder whether I should even bother getting excites, let alone prepare myself to shell out hundreds of dollars to be able to listen to a couple of MP3s.

I really have no idea whether the sub-netbook species can carve out a spot in the laptop taxonomy. Netbooks have certainly proven themselves, but they’re still small potatoes compared to regular laptop sales, and I’m guessing smartbooks will be small potatoes compared with netbook sales. All well, more choice is usually good, but people are having trouble parsing the different price points and capabilities that are out there already.

Tegra was supposed to change the way we thought about smartphones a few months ago but the chipset never took off. Sadly, this doesn’t seem like it will make any headway either.

Semiaccurate writes:

The idea is simple, take a Tegra ARM part and saddle it with Wince. You get all the bloat of Windows with none of the compatibility. Throw in Flash Lite, Acrobat Reader, and a handful of other apps, and you have a passable crotchtop. That is what Nvidia is peddling around to ODMs with Firefly.

There are two problems though, first is that it is not a standard chip. The launch parts may have a smattering of accelerated wares, but like all the other purpose built software, as soon as the spotlight is off, you will probably never see another update. Then your widget becomes a doorstop.

Nvidia’s Tegra chip hasn’t even hit the market, but we know for fact that Tegra 2 is on its way next year. There’s no set timeframe, but we believe it will hit the market sometime during the summer or so its been hinted at. The first Tegra device to be released stateside will be the Zune HD in the fall. I’ve already seen what it can do with Windows CE on a handful of netbooks that were showcased at Computex last month and I walked away very impressed. So what can we expect from Tegra 2?

The chaps from Nvidia stated that Tegra 2 could go toe-to-toe with current laptop configurations. In other words, Tegra 2 is said to be twice as fast and powerful as Tegra 1. Does that mean we’ll see it as the stand-alone core for a regular laptop? Maybe. All we know is that it’s “twice as powerful” and will drop next year.

Ah, Project Pink, I haven’t heard anything from or about you in quite a long time. But it looks like Redmond made some key changes to its agency roster and McCann picked up the “Pink” account. McCann also handles Windows Mobile.

According to ZDnetter Mary Jo Foley, Pink will be built on top of Windows Mobile 7, which MS plans to release the code for this fall when WinMo 6.5 devices start to flood the market. Foley goes on to say that she’s heard that Motorola will manufacture Pink alongside the Sidekick. Except she fails to realize that Sharp manufactures the Sidekick; Motorola built the Slide that has since been axed from the lineup. So does that mean Danger is in the mix? Maybe. On a side note, it’s pretty funny that the UI for Pink is codenamed “Purple” because Bing’s earliest codename was also Purple or so I’ve heard.

Going back to early May, Foley detailed purported specs for Pink and the biggest indicator that the device could be tied in with the Zune platform is the use of Nvidia’s Tegra platform. And it wouldn’t surprise me if Danger had a big hand in all of this because they haven’t done much with the Hiptop unit other than including Live Search in the latest Sidekick LX. Just don’t go to Verizon.

We’ve been talking about Nvidia’s Tegra on CG here and there, but not very many people know exactly what it is. Sure, it’s a tiny mobile computer, but how does it work and where did it come from? Where can we find it and why is it better than Intel’s Atom? We asked Nvidia this and more.

CrunchGear: What is Tegra?

Nvidia: Tegra is a mobile internet device platform that runs Windows Embedded CE, and devices will sell from carriers for as low as $99 USD. Tegra is an entire computer-on-a-chip, which includes 8 separate processors, including: a GPU, two video processors, and audio processor, two ARM core processor and more. This processor enables a low-cost, always-on, always-connected HD mobile Internet device (MID) that can go days between battery charges.

This platform will enable OEMs and ODMs to quickly build and bring to market devices that carriers can offer at minimal cost —bringing broadband connectivity and the entire Web’s HD content to the masses. The Tegra MID delivers:

* Up to 1080p high definition video playback
* Full resolution web page viewing
* Accelerated Flash support for a responsive full web experience
* Days of typical use between charges
* Wireless connectivity with WiFi, 3G or WiMax support
* Optimized hardware support for Web 2.0 applications for a true desktop-class internet experience
* A complete software solution including Microsoft Windows Embedded CE OS, application viewers, full Internet browser, UI framework, board support package (BSP), software development kit (SDK), Web mail client, and more

CrunchGear: Why and how is it better than atom?

Nvidia: Atom is just a cpu…nothing else.

Tegra is a low power full computer on a chip – 2 cpus, gpu, 2 video processors, audio processor, IO processor and a data processor. It runs a less that a watt for the most daunting tasks, ie: hd video playback.

CrunchGear: Why windows CE?

Nvidia: Right now we support Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Google Android…we feel that right now the Windows platform are more developed and more robust for the netbook market.

CrunchGear: Where will consumers buy Tegra?

Nvidia: Consumers will be able to get Tegra –based devices from carriers, like AT&T or T-mobile, for $199 USD, depending on the contract, by the end of this year.

CrunchGear: What does Tegra mean for the netbook space?

Nvidia: We think there are three meaningful categories of consumer computing devices—the PC, Mobile Internet Devices (also known as MIDs), and smartphones. If consumers are looking for a device that runs Windows 7 or Vista with demanding applications, they should get a PC. But if consumers are looking for an always-connected device for social media applications such as Facebook and YouTube, as well as great multimedia performance for recording and watching HD movies and videos on the go, they should think about a Tegra-based MID. If you need to fit your communications and entertainment device in a pocket – you need a Tegra-based smartphone or media player.

Nvidia Tegra

I still would have liked to see a slightly bigger screen, the better to show off that beautiful UI, but I guess you can’t have everyzing.

Nvidia has announced that it plans to power $99 mobile internet devices with its Tegra 600 series chips, perhaps as early as this summer.

What’s a mobile internet device (MID)? Well, it’s a gadget that fits somewhere in between a smartphone and a netbook. It’s compact and internet-enabled, but it can’t quite fit in your pocket or make phone calls. It’s primarily intended for web surfing and watching videos over a WiFi or 3G connection.

According to VentureBeat, Nvidia is touting both the long battery life and the HD video capabilities of these Tegra-based devices. General Manager Michael Rayfield says they can go for days without a recharge and they support 1080p HD video playback, which is the high end of what you’ll find streaming online.

Nvidia plans to use both Windows CE and Android to power its cheap MIDs (although it appears as though the Windows CE-based versions will come first, with Android-based devices a more distant prospect). The $99 Tegra-based device is just the low-end of a product line that includes a $299 device (that also runs on an Intel Atom processor) and a $599 device that has more of the functionality you’d find in a regular laptop.

Part of me wonders whether Nvidia is trying to fill a niche that doesn’t really exist. If I want to surf the web, my smartphone does just fine – and I’m already paying a monthly data plan for it anyway (I certainly don’t need to pay for two). As for video, I’ll stick with my laptop since it can play DVDs, which are still the most reliable way to watch TV shows and movies.

It also doesn’t help that Nvidia plans to run Windows CE (really…Windows CE?). Android sounds more promising, though, especially with its greater potential to power netbooks and an array of smartphones all at the same time.

On the current state of netbooks, Huang believes that they’re too underpowered to run modern software from the likes of EA, Adobe, and Microsoft, the three largest software companies in the world. The biggest area where netbooks are lacking is — surprise, surprise – in the graphics department. Huang believes that adding better GPUs to netbooks would improve things a lot.

Apparently, putting NVIDIA’s Ion GPU in a netbook would only add $30 to $40 to the price but it would also replace the Northbridge and the Southbridge, bringing that total back down a bit. “Almost every single OEM in the world is exploring it,” according to Huang, although he didn’t give a definite timeframe about when we’d see Ion-based computers on the market.

When asked about Intel’s take on Ion, specifically about rumors “that Intel is discouraging the uptake of Ion by forcing customers to buy the Atom processor and Intel’s chipset as a bundle,” Huang stated that he’d heard rumors but “couldn’t understand why Intel would limit great PCs from reaching the market. Great PCs help Intel. Great PCs help humanity.” He goes on to say:

“I would hope that Intel isn’t doing anything to prevent consumers from getting the most innovative products, in this case, built around Atom, their own processor. I think consumers would be really disappointed if they learned that Intel is sabotaging their ability to get access to breakthrough technologies…

…It’s the OEM’s responsibility and prerogative to design systems around technology components. We’re a technology component company, and Intel’s a technology component company. It’s weird for me to tell somebody the type of computers they can design. I thought they were supposed to take all of these tech components and build amazing products from them by mixing and matching and differentiating. I would be disappointed to learn that Intel is doing something to keep innovation from progressing, and keep end users from getting the best products out there.”

On the subject of other competing platforms, Huang said that up against AMD’s Neo platform, “Atom by itself with integrated graphics would get crushed” but that “Atom plus Ion will give Neo a good run for its money.” He says he likes VIA’s Nano platform, saying that “it’s architecturally one generation beyond Atom” but that VIA lacks “the resources to build the GPU into the system to be competitive.” NVIDIA plans to support integrating Ion with Nano in the future, though.

Finally, when asked about Tegra, NVIDIA’s platform for smartphones and mobile internet devices, Huang said that it’d be able to power a ten-inch screen capable of displaying HD and 3D content with a full keyboard running Windows Mobile or Windows CE for two or three days before needing a recharge. The price of such a devices would be around $199.

“You can create a full keyboard device with about a 10-inch display. With a 10-inch display and a full keyboard you also have the opportunity to include a full notebook battery. You could have a two- or three-day computing experience without another charge. Now you’re talking about a device that exceeds the users’ expectations, and delight them in a way that would cause them to buy the product and keep it. I expect to see $199 full notebook–form factor MIDs, based on Windows Mobile and Windows CE; based on processors like Tegra with full HD capability, but consume less than a watt. It’s like a little motorcycle with a tanker behind it. How far can you go? Well, around the earth. Telcos could be giving them away for Internet access as part of  your cable service. I fully expect to see a whole new class of MIDs with full keyboards.”

Now THAT actually sounds interesting. Might make a great blogging machine.

Nvidia CEO Sounds Off on Netbooks, Ion Platform, Tegra, and MIDs [Laptop]

They demonstrated a prototype in an NVIDIA mobile a few months ago, but starting in mid-2009 the Tegra “system-on-a-chip” will probably start popping up all over the place. I’m guessing it was meant to launch earlier and with more hardware, but NVIDIA’s recent troubles may have delayed that.