Snapdragon S4: Kraits quadricore in 2012

The information arrive on the next SoC at Qualcomm, "S4". If S1, S2 and S3 are already available, the S4 are expected in 2012. Los of our last meeting with Qualcomm, we learned that the S4 (which had not yet this name) dual core went out before the end of the year, now it is known that the quad core S4 are expected for early 2012, with probably the announcements at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February.

S4 is the future high of Qualcomm. The SoC will integrate support for the 4 G (LTE) technology and a CPU based on Kraits. Qualcomm is one of the rare companies to propose RAM architecture processors based on a core "House." If Scorpion, the current CPU, moves between the Cortex A8 and Cortex A9 at the level of performance, Kraits should place themselves between the Cortex A9 and Cortex future, A15. And as Qualcomm has historically more facilities to frequency than the others, this processor might be a good surprise. Typically, Qualcomm reached 1 GHz in 65 nm and 1.5 GHz in 45 nm there where the ARM chips are limited to 1.2 GHz in 45 nm. In the S4 range, should be one to four cores Kraits with a frequency that can reach 2.5 GHz 28 nm.

For the graphic part is an Adreno which will be part, with two or four "cores". Adreno is from chip of the redemption of the ATi range a few years ago and its performance are very correct in the mobile world. Some versions should be compatible with Direct3D 9.3 and thus directly with Windows 8 ARM version.

As seen, if NVIDIA will draw the first for the next generation of chips with Kal - El (future Tegra 3?), the competition is also.

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NVIDIA Tegra Kal - El: a 5th heart surprise!

NVIDIA released the architecture of its future chip Tegra Kal - El. This SoC that will very likely be the first ARM Xeon market includes an original technology to control consumption: Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP). It is neither more nor less than to add a 5th heart very low frequency.

Kal - El is therefore not a Xeon but a pentacoeur. The fifth, called heart companion, is functionally identical to the other Nvidia (ARM Cortex A9). But it is engraved following a different process, a variant of the 40 nm TSMC optimized for low consumption. In other words, it cannot operate at frequencies levelled as high as these brothers (it off at 500 MHz), but in Exchange, it requires a lower voltage and therefore consumes much less power.

This fifth wheel of the bus takes over from the other four hearts for tasks very few gourmandes in CPU power: relieved of emails in background, synchronizations, audio listening, video playback, etc. When CPU load is more important, Kal - El switches on his hearts high frequency, the heart being disabled Companion. Their activation is also progressive also (see opposite picture).

In the end, while Kal - El offers raw power twice Tegra 2, it can consume up to 60% less video and even read 34% less in a game.

This toggle management complex between 5 fact hearts appeal both to dedicated circuits and a software component of low level. However, NVIDIA ensures that no changes should be made to the OS (Android Honeycomb) or applications. All hearts are identical, the presence of the companion is transparent to the OS. In addition, the five Cortex A9 use a level 2 common cache. According Nvidia measures, time the rocking of the heart companion to major hearts is less than 2 ms and does not result in noticeable latency.

The only point that Nvidia keeps well to talk about is the size of Kal - El: with 2.5 times more than hearts Tegra 2, the same fineness of engraving, hearts larger given the addition of a SIMD unit a GPU with more units and circuits dedicated to management of the vSMP, Kal - El will necessarily be a big chip. It will be expensive to produce and difficult to integrate into smartphones that the public wants always fine and light.

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The Asus Transformer 2: aluminium and Kal - El

The transforming of Asus Tablet has had some success, the company already preparing suite: EeePAD Transformer 2, alias TF201.

The transforming of Asus Tablet has had some success, the company already preparing suite: EeePAD Transformer 2, alias TF201. And according to our colleagues, this tablet will propose a hull aluminum like the UX21, the Asus ultrabook. Best used SoC - chip integrates CPU, the GPU, the memory controller, etc. - would be a "Kal - El, the successor of Tegra 2.

Reminder, Kal - El will be a kind of Tegra 2 boosted: 4 cores Cortex A9 (more exactly 4 + 1), a GeForce ULP faster, faster memory controller. Early returns indicate a quite interesting gain between Tegra 2 and Kal - El: it would of 29.2 fps on Tegra 2 to 53 fps on Kal - El with GLBenchmark 720 p test "Egypt offscreen. It's quick, even if the iPad 2 and its GPU oversized remains the reference with 85 fps in the same case and that the Exynos of the Galaxy Samsung S2 reached 42 fps with its 400MP4 Mali.

In the end, Asus should propose a speedy Tablet and especially convince users with one of its big advantages: its detachable physical keyboard.

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LucidLogix: Virtu passes to the HyperFormance

LucidLogix, originally the Hydra chipsets and Virtu software solution company, recently announced a new technology called HyperFormance in a new version of their software.

Unveiled at the end of last year, launched earlier this year, Virtu allows for callback use the GPU of the Sandy Bridge processors and a dedicated graphics card. LucidLogix solution is able to choose which graphics card to use and activate the IGP or the dedicated adapter, the needs (Office Automation, 3D,...).

Virtu Universal MVP integrates therefore HyperFormance, a technology that allows - at least on paper - to improve the responsiveness of the games and the Visual quality by reducing redundant tasks between the CPU and the GPU, and between the GPU and the display device. LucidLogix does not specify exactly what criteria its solution basis for deciding what should or not be calculated and displayed. However, one can imagine that HyperFormance analyzes the parts of the image that have not been modified, and it is not necessary to recalculate and return to the display buffer.

Virtu Universal MVP is also capable of taking in charge of the frequency of 120 Hz refresh, making it compatible to this software with 3D solutions. It remains therefore more to wait until motherboards manufacturers and integrators adopt the new LucidLogix… multi-GPU solution

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Mebromi: the virus that replaces your BIOS

If talking about for years of viruses (and other malware) capable of dealing with the BIOS, nothing really effective was outside CIH/Chernobyl in the ' 90s (and fortunately). But this is no longer the case: a new malware, Mebromi, uses in effect the BIOS of the computer as a vector of spread.

Unlike ICH which completely cleared the BIOS of the computer, Mebromi changes it to remain in the computer even if the hard disk is formatted or replaced. The operation is quite simple: the program will save the BIOS, change some internal routines and then the new BIOS flasher, without either visible to the user. Once this is done, it will automatically infect the MBR (which is the map of the partitions on the hard disk).

Fortunately, Mebromi has a few limitations. First, it does address what type Award BIOS, so the friend, Phoenix and other UEFI are not vulnerable. Then, it does work only on 32-bit Windows systems and administrator accounts only. Finally, as the program infects the MBR, the hard drives that use a different partition scheme are not vulnerable.

Remains a problem: disinfection. The classic full format has no effect and it is therefore necessary to Flash the BIOS with a "clean" version, in the hope that it exists...

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Archos, the Turbo and the OMAP4

The saga of the frequency of the processors in Archos continues: the pre-announcement several months ago talked of processors at 1.6 GHz. The announcement last June was "limited" to 1.5 GHz (which is above the competition). A few days ago we learned that the entry-level tablets work at 1 GHz and 1.5 GHz (Turbo) range top models, with output in October. And the latest information, in an official press release the company indicates that available since yesterday shelves are well timed to 1 GHz, expected in October will be timed to 1.2 GHz and 1.5 GHz models will be available only in 2012.

The first thing is that Archos was awaiting a series 4460 OMAP4: a chip with two Cortex A9 at 1.5 GHz and a PowerVR SGX540 384 MHz. This chip was not available for the announcement and does not always seem to be present, in any case not in mass. The other chip used by Archos on the "classic" versions, it is the OMAP4430. This SoC (smart all-in-one) is compatible with the 4460 pine pine but works less quickly: both at the level of the processor - 1.2 GHz maximum - and at the level of the GPU, running at 304 MHz. In view of the "Turbo" to 1.2 GHz, is the chip that is used in the range.

If Archos highlights problems of Texas Instrument on its chip - which seems clear-, there is another problem that society overshadows a little: Ice Cream Sandwich, the next version of Android, will offer a platform of reference based on the OMAP4 (such as Honeycomb uses Tegra 2). From there to think that Texas Instrument retains its chips for "large" manufacturers and Android tablets, there is will not take that one not... that us not.

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Gumstix: Linux on a chewing gum Tablet

Gumstix, a company specialized in small computers, proposes a new model, the Overo Sand. As the company name suggests, the devices are the size of a chewing gum tablet.

The Overo Sand measures 5.8 x 1.7 x 0.5 mm and incorporates an SoC Texas Instrument OMAP, a Texas Instruments OMAP 3503 family. This SoC integrates a CPU ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz (as in many smartphones in 2009) but misunderstands the GPU. The Overo Sand has connectors for Gumstix accessories (cameras, for example), 256 MB of RAM and a microSD for storage location.

Faster versions (720 MHz) and incorporating the SoC with GPU (and HDMI output) and the Wi - Fi also exist.

The Overo Sand can run under Linux and is sold $115.

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