Thread: Anandtech News

Many Android based media streamers have been announced and demonstrated at various trade shows over the last year. We covered the Patriot Box Office Alpine which was on show at the 2011 Computex.
While the details of the SoC powering the PBO Alpine haven't been officially revealed, other Android running media players haven't been so coy. The TizzBird F30 is quite popular in the Asian markets. Based on a 1 GHz ARM processor with 3D acceleration, it runs Android 2.3. However, consumers in the US haven't had the opportunity to purchase an Android based media player yet. The Nixeus Fusion XS is not expected to be up for order until December 2011, and Xtreamer Prodigy will only get Android 2.2 in a future firmware upgrade (probably as a dual boot option).

Sigma Designs announced Android support in the 865x series back in October 2009, and the first videos of 8656 running Android began to surface in November 2010.
TViX started development of the Xroid A1 soon after. The efforts were made public at CES 2011.
After many months of development, the Xroid A1 started hitting the hands of the European consumers last month. Now, it is ready to hit the US market. Based on the SMP 8657, it runs on Android 2.2. The inbuilt browser doesn't have Flash. The processing power is similar to that of the 8654 / 8655 used in the WDTV Live / Live Hub / Live Plus. However, it includes a Imagination Technologies SGX 530 core (which is not present even on the SMP 8670 used in the WDTV Live Streaming Media Player).

A good starting point for the Xroid A1 would be the local media compatibility of the WD TV Live series. The version of Android running on the system is 2.2. The inbuilt browser, however, doesn't support Adobe Flash. Unlike other media streamers which implement a dual boot solution for Android support, Xroid A1's media player function is seamlessly integrated into the OS. A TViX app market also offers curated apps for the users. Obviously, it is also possible to sideload apps.

With Google TV, Google tried to bring the Android experience to the big screen. It is fair to say that Google's intent to bring people to spend more of their TV time online didn't meet with much success. However, I believe this doesn't mean that people don't want smart apps on the TV. In this context, it is efforts from the smaller players like TViX and Nixeus that may end up providing more satisfaction to consumers. Hit up the source link below for more information about the TViX Xroid A1.

What sort of Android apps would make sense on the TV? How much will consumers be ready to spend for Android on the big screen? Chime in with your thoughts below.



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Late last year, Dell announced the relaunch of their XPS brand. Since the announcement, we’ve reviewed several XPS laptops that have impressed in various ways. The XPS 15 is a larger mainstream notebook with the option for a beautiful 1080p display upgrade with a moderate discrete GPU and awesome speakers. If you’d like something slimmer and lighter, the XPS 15z cuts the fat and still hits most of the important features. We liked both laptops enough that they garnered Editor’s Choice awards, and we were quite interested in seeing what Dell would do with their smaller 14” offering.

The XPS 14z takes over for the now-defunct XPS 14, but with more of the 15z design language as opposed to the larger XPS models. One of the most impressive aspects of the 14z is that it packs a 14” LCD into the same size chassis typically used with 13.3” LCDs. The 14z is reasonably thin and light, and at least on paper it looks like it could go up against Apple’s MacBook Pro 13. Read on to find out where it does well, and where it comes up short.


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Apple has very quietly bumped the specs on its Sandy Bridge MacBook Pro lineup ahead of the holiday shopping season - all models see small clock speed bumps (0.1 GHz in the 13" and 0.2 GHz in the 15" and 17" models), while the 13" models get bigger hard drives and the 15" and 17" models get a GPU upgrade. Base prices remain the same for all configurations - see the updated spec table below for details.

Late 2011 MacBook Pro Lineup
	13-inch (low end)	13-inch (high end)	15-inch (low end)	15-inch (high end)	17-inch
Dimensions	0.95 H x 12.78 W x 8.94 D	0.95 H x 12.78 W x 8.94 D	0.95 H x 14.35 W x 9.82 D	0.95 H x 14.35 W x 9.82 D	0.98 H x 15.47 W x 10.51 D
Weight	4.5 lbs (2.04 kg)	4.5 lbs (2.04 kg)	5.6 lbs (2.54 kg)	5.6 lbs (2.54 kg)	6.6 lbs (2.99 kg)
CPU	2.4 GHz dual-core Core i5	2.8 GHz dual-core Core i7	2.2 GHz quad-core Core i7	2.4 GHz quad-core Core i7	2.4 GHz quad-core Core i7
GPU	Intel HD 3000 Graphics	Intel HD 3000 Graphics	Intel HD 3000 + AMD Radeon HD 6750M (512MB)	Intel HD 3000 + AMD Radeon HD 6770M (1GB)	Intel HD 3000 + AMD Radeon HD 6770M (1GB)
RAM	4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (8GB max)	4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (8GB max)	4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (8GB max)	4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (8GB max)	4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (8GB max)
HDD	500GB 5400 RPM	750GB 5400 RPM	500GB 5400 RPM	750GB 5400 RPM	750GB 5400 RPM
Display Resolution	1280x800	1280x800	1440x900 (1680x1050 optional)	1440x900 (1680x1050 optional)	1920x1200
Ports	Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 2x USB 2.0, SDHC slot, combined audio in/out jack	Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 2x USB 2.0, SDHC slot, combined audio in/out jack	Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 2x USB 2.0, SDHC slot, separate audio in/out jacks	Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 2x USB 2.0, SDHC slot, separate audio in/out jacks	Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 3x USB 2.0, separate audio in/out jacks, ExpressCard 34 slot
Price	$1,199	$1,499	$1,799	$2,199	$2,499

The refresh also replaces the AMD Radeon HD 6750M in the high-end 15" and the 17" MacBook Pros with the 6770M, which has the same number of shaders but faster core and memory clock speeds (Notebookcheck.net says that the core/memory speeds are 725MHz and 1600MHz, compared to the 600MHz and 900MHz of the 6750M, though Apple's clocks may differ slightly). The 256MB 6490M in the low-end 15" configuration has now been replaced with the 6750M, as well.
Those looking for a more substantial upgrade to the lineup will likely have to wait until next year, when in all likelihood the laptops will receive Intel's forthcoming Ivy Bridge CPUs and chipsets.
Source: Apple



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Intel has quietly released a new top-of-the-line Sandy Bridge CPU: Core i7-2700K. We reported the i7-2700K "leak" about a month ago, and guessed that i7-2700K will be released around the same time as AMD's Bulldozer CPUs, which ended being quite accurate. In terms of specs, 2700K is very similar to 2600K - the only difference is the extra CPU multiplier and hence the extra 100MHz in 2700K. That means 2700K has default frequency of 3.5GHz and up to 3.9GHz Turbo. Otherwise 2700K is equal to 2600K: Four cores, Hyper-Threading (up to eight threads) and 8MB L3 cache. Like the "K" implies, the CPU multiplier is unlocked, allowing effortless overclocking. Intel hasn't, however, added 2700K to their product database yet (aka ARK), so possible changes in stepping for example are unknown. 2700K is sold for $332 in 1000 unit lots, making it $15 more expensive than 2600K.
On top of the launch of i7-2700K, Intel has also reduced the prices of three CPUs: i3-2120, Pentium G850 and G630. As the naming suggests, these CPUs are lower-end desktop models. The new prices are $117, $75 and $64 respectfully. The price cuts range from 13% to 15%, the biggest cut being i3-2120's $21.



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NVIDIA today released the final, WHQL-certified version of its 285.62 graphics driver package for desktops and laptops running 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. The new drivers feature "improved compatibility and performance for Battlefield 3," as did the beta drivers released last month, and they do the same for RAGE and the forthcoming Batman: Arkham City. A timeout issue that existed in the beta package has also been fixed.
Additionally, the new package contains an updated version of the PhysX System Software (9.11.06.21), a new HD audio driver (1.2.24.0), OpenGL 4.2 support for 400 and 500-series GeForce cards, and small performance gains in many games for GTX 560 and 580 users. The desktop version of the package supports all integrated and dedicated GeForce cards going all the way back to the GeForce 6 series, while the laptop version supports most DirectX10 and DirectX11-capable GPUs (GeForce 8 series and later).
32 and 64-bit Windows XP users get the 285.58 driver package for desktop cards, which includes most of the enhancements listed above (though there is no particular mention of Arkham City in the release notes). As usual, NVIDIA's Verde driver for laptop users doesn't support Windows XP.
You can grab the latest drivers for your card from GeForce.com.
Source: NVIDIA



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Corsair seems to have completed their case lineup with their latest addition, the Carbide 500R. Though currently made available in black, this enthusiast-geared enclosure was originally advertised in its attractive pearl white coloring, and that's the model we have on hand today. Does this powered up Carbide 400R have what it takes to make it as a compelling alternative to not just its cheaper sibling, but also to Corsair's Graphite 600T and 650D as well as the other enclosures around the $139 price point?

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At GeForce LAN 6, DICE's senior software architect Johan Andersson gave a fantastic talk about the technical rendering aspects of DICE's Frostbite 2 engine, which is the engine being used with the recently launched Battlefield 3. Short of a GDC session it's one of the most comprehensive graphics tech talks we've seen in recent years, and definitely one of the most accessible. While the talk was public, the official recording of it was withheld until today to promote the release of Battlefield 3.
It has since been posted in 5 parts on YouTube, each covering a different aspect of the engine: objects, lighting, effects, terrain, and post-processing. If you have an hour and an interest in game engines I'd highly recommend taking the time to watch all 5 parts - it's an extremely enlightening view on how Frostbite 2 works, and a good insight into how similar DX10+ engines will be built in the future.




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The low powered AMD Fusion market is still an active one, and although the ASUS E35M1-M Pro has been available for a while, we have been asked to have a look. By definition, it is a low powered board with a 1.6 GHz dual core and a 500 MHz GPU clock with 80 stream processors. We clocked a basic system at around 32 W idle, with the APU cooled passively. Read on for our E35M1-M Pro review.

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Looking for information on Rockstar Games? Good luck. As I write this, the company’s website is dominated by a single splash page announcing the existence of Grand Theft Auto V. No further information is included, save the news that a trailer should be released next Wednesday.
It’s been over three years since GTA IV, the franchise’s first entry on current-gen hardware. Rockstar followed it up with two DLC packs, collectively titled Episodes from Liberty City, but has since moved on to other projects: Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, and the forthcoming Max Payne 3.
While it’s not surprising that Rockstar would return to their marquee franchise, it is curious that they’d announce it in the waning years of the current hardware cycle. The previous two numbered entries in the series each released in the first few years of their respective console generations, affording Rockstar the opportunity to improve its tech significantly. Rockstar’s RAGE engine has received some upgrades since GTA IV, but GTA V cannot make the type of leap its predecessors have made if it is handicapped by current hardware.
We'll hopefully have more information next week if Rockstar puts out anything more substantial than a teaser.
Source: Rockstar Games



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DonahimHaber has leaked a slide concerning AMD's next generation APU, called Trinity. The slide does not reveal any detailed specifications, it's merely an overview of Trinity. Lets begin with a table comparing Llano and Trinity:

Comparison of AMD's Higher-End APUs
	Llano	Trinity
Core	Husky	Piledriver
Core Count	Up to 4	Up to 4
RAM	Up to DDR3-1866	Up to DDR3-2133
GPU	AMD 6000 Series	AMD 7000 Series
Socket	FM1	FM2

Those are the differences in a nutshell. Husky core is based on upgraded 10h microarchitecture (also known as AMD K10), the same microarchitecture that is used in Phenom II CPUs. As for Piledriver, AMD is referring to it as second generation Bulldozer core (see our Bulldozer review). Trinity will have up to four cores, just like Llano, which means up to two Piledriver modules (each Bulldozer/Piledriver module has two cores). In terms of speed, AMD is claiming up to 20% increase over Llano. Bulldozer's poor single-threaded performance might cause the performance upgrades to be limited to multithreaded tasks though, unless AMD can do magics with Piledriver (aka 2nd gen Bulldozer). RAM support is also up from DDR3-1866 to up to DDR-2133.
GPU department will also get an overhaul. We already reported that Trinity's GPU will be named as AMD 7000 Series, which suggests that it will be based on the same design as other 7000 Series GPUs (this might sound obvious, but Llano's GPU was named as 6000 Series, yet it was based on 5000 Series "Redwood" core). The leaked slide supports this since it mentions support for next generation DirectX 11, most likely DX 11.1. AMD will also compete with Intel's QuickSync by including Video Compression Engine (VCE) in Trinity. Performance increase will be around 30% compared to Llano's GPU according to AMD.
Trinity will continue to use the same chipsets as Llano. However, the socket will change to FM2, which will most likely be compatible with FM1. Another leaked slide shows that mobile Trinity's package is FS1r2, whereas Llano's is FS1. The APU after Trinity, called Kaveri, will use FS2 package. This suggests that FS1 and FS1r2, as well as FM1 and FM2, are very similar and hence backwards compatible. This has not been confirmed though.
Availability is unknown but if roadmaps are to believe, Trinity should make its first appearance in Q1'12, full availability being in Q2'12.



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