Google: Nexus S will come with chip and SW for mobile payments

WorldWideTech.  Francisco De Jesús.

Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt showed off a yet-to-be-released phone on Monday with a special chip that allows consumers to quickly pay for items by tapping the phone against a special terminal.

Schmidt said support for the technology, dubbed Near Field Communications, will be integrated into the next version of its Android software, "Gingerbread", which he said will be introduced in a few weeks.

"One way to think about it is, this could replace your credit card," Schmidt said, speaking at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco.

Google had no immediate plans to develop any of its own mobile applications to take advantage of such payment capabilities, but Schmidt expected other companies to do so.

"My guess is that there are going to be 500 new startups in the mobile payment space as these platforms emerge," Schmidt said. He added that Google would partner with traditional credit card industry players, like payment processors, rather than compete with them.

While NFC technology has been available for years, interoperability with Google's Android software should make the technology more widespread. Google's Android was the second most popular smartphone operating system in the third quarter, according to industry research firm Gartner, behind Nokia's Symbian and ahead of Apple Inc's iOS software, which is used on the iPhone.

In a roundtable briefing with reporters, Schmidt said Google's ability to marry its smartphone software with Internet-based services enabled features like turn-by-turn driving directions and real-time foreign language translation, which distinguished it from rivals' offerings.

"We would argue that our platform is better for applications that are network-resident and that need that kind of power," Schmidt said.

Google, which controls roughly two-thirds of the Internet search market, is increasingly competing with Apple and with social networking giant Facebook.

Earlier on Monday, Facebook unveiled a revamped version of its messaging system that could make it increasingly competitive with Web-based email systems like Google's Gmail and Yahoo Inc's mail service.

Asked about Facebook's potential effect on Gmail, Schmidt said that additional competition would be beneficial, and chided the press for focusing too much on the competition between Google and other technology companies.

"You all are focused on the competition, as opposed to the fact that the market's getting larger," Schmidt said. "And there's no question that more entrants into communications technologies, mobile technologies and so forth, bring more people in."

Related post: 

Samsung Google Nexus- S pics and specifications

http://worldwidegadget.blogspot.com/2010/11/samsung-google-nexus-s-pics-and.html

Intel on track with Oak Trail tablet chips.

Code-named Oak Trail and due to begin shipping in early 2011, the chips have much-improved energy efficiency and hold their own compared to processors made by rivals, Marketing Director Anil Nanduri told Reuters.

"The biggest power part of the tablet is the panel. In terms of an idle-use case we are competitive in a tablet usage compared to any other solution out there," he told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

The microprocessor at the center of Oak Trail lets users web browse or watch video for up to 12 hours without recharging their batteries, an improvement from previous versions, Nanduri said.

Related articles

• UPDATE 1-Intel says on track with Oak Trail tablet chips (reuters.com)

Backstage IDF 2010 -- Intel Atom Tablets and Handheld

INTEL COMMENT:
After the Day Two keynotes at the Intel Developer Forum 2010, we go backstage to look at some Intel Atom gadgets, including a prototype Tablet and new Ocosmos OCS1 handheld device -- both with Intel's energy efficient Oak Trail Atom-based processor inside. We also see Dell's Inspiron Duo flip tablet, also with Intel Atom inside. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Intel’s Sandy Bridgehead in graphics world

 Intel’s Sandy Bridgehead in graphics world

Intel introduced “Sandy Bridge” on Monday as a chip that would revolutionise the PC, with analysts agreeing it was part of a graphics trend that could reshape the industry.
Sandy Bridge will compete with rival products from AMD and Nvidia, with chipmakers focusing on consumer interest in watching and processing high-definition video as the best use case for the extra capability they are adding to processors.
Sandy Bridge represents the latest annual refresh of Intel’s microprocessors on it’s so-called “tick-tock” timeline.
The “tick” year is when Intel shrinks the size of the circuitry on chips as it did with “Westmere” chips this year, narrowing it to 32 billionths of a metre.
The “tock” year is when the chips are redesigned and Sandy Bridge marks a major overhaul of the Intel architecture.

The Silicon Valley company has long been a leader in selling integrated graphics chips embedded in PC motherboards as a cheap if less powerful option than competing “discrete” graphics cards that take up their own upright slot in the PC - AMD’s ATI division and Nvidia dominate this category.


With Sandy Bridge, Intel has been able to put its graphics processor on the same chip die as the central processing unit (CPU) microprocessor for the first time. This means they can share resources, such as memory on the chip, making computers more energy efficient.
“Sandy Bridge will revolutionise PCs again,” Paul Otellini, chief executive, told the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

“This chip has unprecedented feature integration for us: on one single chip, we’ve put in place all the critical capabilities for computing.”

AMD acquired ATI in 2006 to achieve its ambitious vision of “Fusion” computing, where the CPU is merged with the GPU (graphics processing unit) on a single chip. It has suffered delays, but its “Zacate”, “Ontario” and “Llano” “accelerated processing units” are finally due in the first half of next year.

“The GPU on Sandy Bridge is still their little integrated graphics processor put on the die,” said John Taylor, AMD spokesman.

“It’s a much smaller fraction of the overall die area than what we’re doing with Fusion, where we’re delivering a true discrete-level GPU, true parallel-compute engine, in addition to the multi-core x86 microprocessor.”
Dual-core Zacate and Ontario should appear in products early in the New Year around the same time as Sandy Bridge, Zacate drawing 18 watts will challenge it in laptops and all-in-one PCs, while Ontario at 9 watts is a netbook processor rival. The more powerful Llano has been delayed and should appear in products by mid-2011, says AMD, in both dual-core and quad-core configurations.

Nvidia has specialised in GPUs and discrete cards, but has been challenging Intel in devices such as netbooks with its Tegra microprocessor in recent months.

In a response to the unveiling of Sandy Bridge, it said: “Intel’s been proclaiming the death of discrete graphics for years, but real GPUs just keep getting more important. Today’s visual computing applications - like photo and video editing, playing games, and browsing the web - use a GPU for the best experience.”

We are likely to get the first sight of desktop PCs and laptops running Sandy Bridge chips, probably labelled as second-generation Core i3/i5/i7 processors, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.
Intel showed a laptop prototype running Sandy Bridge and displaying the same graphics capabilities as a laptop with a discrete card.

Nvidia said consumers didn’t need to wait for Sandy Bridge: “There are excellent Nvidia GPUs today at every price point that run rings around Sandy Bridge. Of course, our GPU performance will increase again next year to maintain our advantage.”

A study released today (above) by Jon Peddie Research says an inflection point is occurring with the combination of CPU and GPU on the same chip that will make traditional integrated graphics processors extinct by 2015. Discrete graphics cards will also decline to 10 per cent market share by then, from 30 per cent today, it suggests.

“[These combination chips] will truly revolutionise the PC and associated industries,” the study predicts.
“The amount of computation capability available in the size, weight, power consumption of systems equipped with [these chips], and for the price they will be offered, will upset the market dynamics like never before, and maybe not since the introduction of the PC.”

  

Intel to Unveil Graphics Chip

Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Intel Corp., the world’s largest semiconductor maker, will show off its first chip design that has graphics capabilities built into the processor, stepping up a threat to Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Nvidia Corp.

Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini will demonstrate the product next week at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, the company said. The design, known as Sandy Bridge, will go into production next quarter and become the basis for Intel’s entire lineup.

The new approach marks a shift for the industry, potentially eliminating the need for separate graphics cards in most personal computers. AMD got a jump on that change with the 2006 purchase of ATI Technologies Inc., giving it access to a stand-alone graphics maker. It’s been using ATI’s capabilities to craft a new line of processors called Fusion. Intel’s existing graphics features, included in chips attached to the processor, haven’t been good enough to replace rival products.

“Intel never really took graphics that seriously -- they were pretty pathetic for a while there,” said Steve Kleynhans, an analyst at Gartner Inc. who was briefed on Sandy Bridge. The new lineup is probably good enough for most PC users, which means manufacturers don’t need to add separate chips, he said.

Putting graphics on the same piece of silicon as the main processor gives Intel a cost advantage, said Nick Knupffer, a spokesman for the Santa Clara, California-based company. The approach also consumes less power and improves performance because the chips communicate more efficiently, he said.

Slowdown Concerns

Intel fell 10 cents to $18 today on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have dropped 12 percent this year on concern that demand is declining for computers, which provide more than 90 percent of Intel’s revenue.

AMD and Nvidia lead the market for so-called discrete graphics, which are used in the add-in cards favored by video gamers. AMD is adding more of those features into its processors to create Fusion. They will appear in computers in the first quarter of next year, said John Taylor, a spokesman for the Sunnyvale, California-based company.

AMD expects to maintain its edge in graphics, he said.

“There are decades of research and design that goes into our discrete graphics,” Taylor said. “Intel has yet to deliver a product that has discrete-level performance. Right now, it’s just claims.”

Good Enough?

Nvidia, meanwhile, only makes graphics chips, not central processors. That means it’s facing the prospect of a shrinking market, said Gartner’s Kleynhans. As long as the new built-in graphics meet the requirements of most consumers and companies, they won’t need to pay for additional cards, he said.

“Up until fairly recently, integrated graphics couldn’t even do the basics,” Kleynhans said. “They’ve improved it to the point where it’s crossed the threshold of what most users are looking for today.”

Hector Marinez, a spokesman for Santa Clara-based Nvidia, said it’s too early to write off the market for discrete- graphics chips. Intel hasn’t hurt the market for stand-alone cards so far, and demand for such products is only increasing, he said.

“Intel’s been proclaiming the death of discrete graphics for years,” he said. “Discrete graphics are as much as 40 times faster than integrated ones, and Sandy Bridge’s limitations won’t allow users to make full use of the system’s visual capabilities.”

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Intel ships new six-core Core i7 chip, cuts chip prices

 

IDG News Service - Intel on Monday introduced a six-core Core i7 desktop processor targeted at enthusiasts like gamers, while also cutting prices of some desktop and server chips by up to 48%.

The company announced the Core i7-970 processor, which will run at 3.2GHz and have 12MB of L3 cache. This is the second six-core desktop chip launched by Intel after the Core i7-980X Extreme Edition, which was launched in March.

Intel offers standard Core i7 processors for high-end desktops and Core i7 Extreme Edition processors, which are expensive chips targeted at specific users like hardcore gamers who may be looking for extreme performance. The Core i7-970 is an attempt to trickle down six-core chips and fast performance from the Extreme Edition to the main Core i7 lineup, an Intel spokesman said.

The new Core i7-970 should bring a new level of performance to Core i7 lineup. Intel's 980X Extreme Edition processor has captured many benchmark crowns, outperforming even the company's Xeon server chips.

The Core i7-970 is priced at $885 in units of 1,000. The processor is made using the 32-nanometer manufacturing process, which helps boost system performance compared to chips based on earlier architectures.

The company also cut the price of the lower-end Core i7-870 processor by 48% from $582 to $294, according to the company's price list (PDF), which was published on July 18.

The price was cut to put the offering in line with the company's other Core i7 offerings, the spokesman said. Intel also cut a numerous dual- and quad-core Xeon server and workstation chips from its offerings, including the older 5400 series of chips belonging to the X, L and E series. The company also cut the price of the Xeon X3470 processor by 44% from $589 to $328.

Intel on Monday also started shipping the new quad-core Core i5-760 desktop processor, which will run at 2.8GHz and includes 4MB of L3 cache. The chip is made using the company's older 45-nanometer manufacturing process.

    

Intel’s next Atom chips are powerful, but not power hungry

In a bid to move beyond the PC, Intel is announcing a new generation of its Atom microprocessors today that can become the brains of smartphones and tablet computers with high performance and long battery lives.
The new chips can get by on 50 times less power than previous Atom chips and provide twice the computing power of similar devices in the market today. The message for consumers: if you’re impressed with performance of Apple iPhones and iPads today, you haven’t seen anything yet.

The gains in performance and power efficiency are pretty astounding. With these new Atom Z6xx series chips, smartphones could run at 1.5 gigahertz and still have an idle time battery life of 10 days. Smartphones using the chips could run video for four or five hours before running out of battery.
They could run music for two days straight and run smartphones with screens that are 3.8-inches diagonally. Tablet computers can use a 1.9-gigahertz version of the chip — that’s far faster than the ARM-based A4 chip that Apple created for its iPad tablet computer (using Samsung as a manufacturer). Those tablets can be as thin as 15 millimeters.


Intel was able to achieve the faster performance and lower battery life through a combination of chip design, investments in advanced process technologies for its chip factories, and software. For instance, the chip designers divided the chip into 19 different “power islands,” each of which could operate on a different power settings. That means that sections of the chip that aren’t being used can be turned off. It’s a common technique that others use as well, but it shows that power efficiency has been designed very deeply into the chip. The new Atom is also good at waking up from sleep mode and going immediately into processing tasks as needed. That means users won’t have to wait so long when they switch tasks.

Intel has very high hopes for the market. Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Ultra Mobility Group, said at a press event that Intel believes there will be 10 billion connected devices and a billion new connected users by 2015.

In a demo, Intel showed that it could run a full video conference on an Avaa Mobile prototype smartphone at the same time it is playing a high-definition video. Intel contends that the graphics performance is two to four times better than today’s devices. The chip can run games such as Quake III at 100 frames per second — a pretty speedy performance for a portable computing device.

The new Atom chip incorporates things that were in separate chips before. It integrates 3D graphics from Imagination Technologies. It also has video and display processing built into the microprocessor. In demos, the company showed that a prototype phone with the chip could do good quality 3D graphics.
Chandrasekher said that the Atom Z6xx chips are in production now and Intel has received revenues already. But he wouldn’t identify any customers. One of the only announced customers is Open Peak, which is doing a kind of iPhone for the living room or kitchen. (pictured, right).

Pricing for the chips hasn’t been disclosed. Smartphone platforms typically are produced for $175 and Intel says its prices will be low enough to fit within that kind of platform.
Analyst Tom Halfhill said the chip means that Intel can finally get into the party in the smartphone business, but it faces tough competition from Qualcomm and Texas Instruments, as well as other strong players such as Broadcom, Nvidia and Marvell.

But Intel isn’t stopping here. It is working on a future Atom platform, code-named Medfield, which it will provide more details on in the second half of the year. Jeff Bier, an analyst at Berkeley Design Technology, said, “The stakes are clearly going up for the chip makers. This is a huge undertaking. It’s so expensive and risky to make a chip like this. The ante for this game is $100 million.”

The new Atom chips will be able to run the Moblin version of Linux as well as MeeGo. It will also run the Android operating system. But, interestingly enough, will not run the Windows Mobile operating system of longtime partner Microsoft.

Related news:

Intel snags former Palm and Apple VP Mike Bell for smartphone plans

http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/07/16/intel-snags-former-palm-and-apple-vp-mike-bell-for-smartphone-plans/