Thread: Anandtech News

Another quick bit of news from CES: Toshiba is aiming to release two 4K (UHD, 3840x2160) 15.6" laptops in mid-2014.  The first is a workstation design based on the Tecra W50 which sports a Haswell mobile GPU and a 2GB NVIDIA K2100M, and the second is the Satellite P50t, a touch-screen design thinner than the Tecra W50 using either integrated graphics or a mid range mobile graphics solution.

The Tecra W50 edition (note Toshiba do a 1080p W50 as well) will be configurable up to the high end quad core models and support up to 32GB of memory.  Being a workstation class product, Toshiba puts this model under their Highlt Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) in order to ensure longevity.  The 'ultradurable' design incorporates a spill resistant, LED backlit keyboard with 10-key number bad, an integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a fingerprint reader and optional SmartCard technology.  The chassis will also provide dual USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, a media card redia, eSATA/USB combo, HDMI and VGA ports.  Gigabit LAN included as well.
Until Toshiba put out a formal press release, pricing is speculative at best.  Hopefully they will be on the Toshiba stand at CES for when we are able to have a look.  The 1080p version of the W50 starts at $2000 MSRP for reference.
Sources:  Microsoft, Toshiba 1080p W50 PR

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We've been covering and tracking ambient noise reduction technologies in smartphones for a while now, and one of the players in that space, Audience, is announcing its fourth generation of smartphone voice processor, the eS700 series. The fourth generation builds on the prior generation by including support for full band voice up to 48 kHz, improvements to the amount of noise rejected (SNRI), and the addition of an always-on voice activation feature similar to the always-on voice feature we saw first in the Moto X called VoiceQ.

Keeping with the previous generation, Audience is still offering one version with a built in audio codec for OEMs who wish to go with something other than what the silicon vendor supplies, which now offers better quality sound as well. 

The eS75x series includes an audio codec that now supports up to 119 dB SNR and relatively low 3.2 mW MP3 playback power. OEMs that don't want a codec go with the eS70x series which includes the traditional noise reduction features, but no standalone codec. 

Audience believes its VoiceQ keyword voice activation feature is the lowest power in the industry as well, compared to the feature shipping in similar devices today. Audience's detection system uses a 3 step system beginning with a voice activity detector (not just a certain sound pressure level), then active keyword spotting before finally turning on the AP and waking up the phone. Expect to see Audience eS7xx inside devices being announced probably around MWC.
Gallery: Audience Announces its Fourth Generation Voice Processor – eS700

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2014 looks like to be the year where 4K comes en mass to the market – or at least the high end and professional market to begin with.  We might have to wait another year before the cheaper panels filter through the chain, but until that point, we can still all gaze in awe at what comes on the market.  Lenovo is one of the manufacturers coming to the front with a 28” 4K (3840x2160) offering, although unlike the Dell version which is meant to be more mainstream than their higher end panels, Lenovo’s high end aims at the professional market with the 28 inch panel, the Pro2840m.

Along with the resolution, we have a 5ms response time, 72% color gamut, DisplayPort, mDP, HDMI and MHL connectivity, three USB 3.0 ports and dual 3W speakers.  Lenovo is promoting a true 10-bit color, and streaming capabilities via other digital devices.
Backed by a three year warranty, the Pro2840m should be available in April for around $800.
Source: Lenovo

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A couple of months ago Brian and I did a mobile show on video live from IDF where we discussed a lot of what was going on in mobile at the time. Intel was a huge help to us back then by providing support in the filming and production of the whole thing. It went over so well that Intel offered to help us out at CES this year to do the very same.
Tomorrow evening (at 6PM PT) Brian and I will be at Intel's booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Central Hall, Booth #7252) filming the second on-location AnandTech Mobile Show. We'll be discussing all of the mobile announcements at CES thus far, including the Tegra K1 that was just announced last night. If you're at CES, feel free to drop by Intel's booth to check out the show as it's being filmed. We'll post the show to our YouTube channel immediately afterwards so look for it tomorrow evening.

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We’re here at Huawei’s 2014 CES press conference, where they’ve announced their newest smartphone, the Huawei Ascend Mate 2. The Ascend Mate 2 is the successor to the Ascend Mate launched at last year’s CES, and includes a 6.1-inch display with 1280x720p resolution. It’s Huawei’s refresh for its popular phablet form factor device, and although resolution doesn’t creep up at all, it's an LTPS based panel this time around.
What the Ascend Mate 2 does include however is Category 4 LTE for downlink speeds of up to 150 Mbps versus the HSPA+ 21.1 that the previous gen Ascend Mate offered via an Intel XMM6260 modem. 

Huawei thankfully called out what SoCs are inside the Mate 2, and there's a split depending on what market. In the global market, Huawei is using MSM8928 from Qualcomm, inside China it's using Hisilicon's own SoC, the 1.6 GHz quad core ARM Cortex A9 based silicon, probably a rev of K3V2. MSM8928 is a Snapdragon 400 tiered SoC from Qualcomm with four Cortex A7s inside, clocked at up to 1.6 GHz, and Adreno 305 graphics at up to 450 MHz.
I suspect the Chinese version of the Mate 2 is using Hisilicon's own modem (Balong) with Category 4 LTE onboard, and the global version is clearly using the Cat 4 LTE modem built into MSM8928 which supports all the usual air interfaces – CDMA/EVDO in addition to WCDMA, GSM, TD-SCDMA, FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE. 
 

The Mate 2 has a 4050 mAh battery (~15 watt hours assuming 3.8V nominal), and Huawei promises more than 2 days of uninterrupted use. The Mate 2 has a 5 megapixel front camera with 1.4 micron pixels and F/2.4 aperture, and the rear camera is an F/2.0 system with 13 MP Sony BSI sensor (second gen, so probably Exmor RS). 
Huawei also noted that the Mate 2 will launch in the US with banding for T-Mobile and AT&T in addition to the Chinese and other global markets. 
Gallery: Huawei Announces Ascend Mate 2 - 6.1 inch and 1.6 GHz Quad Core

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In the name of connectivity, local networks, data sharing and charging, D-Link are showcasing their DIR-510L WiFi AC750 Portable Router and Charger at CES this week.  The principle behind the DIR-510L is simple: it looks like a normal 4000 mAh rechargeable battery pack with two USB ports, but it also has an Ethernet port to connect to a wired internet connection and share it with 802.11 b/g/n and 802.11ac devices up to 750 Mbps.  The DIR-510L will also act like a WiFi Hotspot and connect to a WiFi router to extend the signal, or you can tether your 3G/4G device to the portable router and share that signal via 802.11ac.  The device also accepts USB drives and the data on that drive can be shared with any connected technology.

One of the USB ports is set to deliver up to 1A (rather than 0.5) to allow for quicker charging, and the DIR-510L will allow users to share files via USB while charging a device while acting like a WiFi Hotspot while connected to internet.  It also offers firewall protection from public networks when connected through.  With the UPnP nature of the device there is also a built-in DLNA server.
If one of our on-foot minions editors gets a chance to swing by D-Link at CES, we will try to see more of what D-Link has on offer.  The DIR-510L should be on sale via etailers in January for $100.
D-Link are also promoting their stock of WiFi Range Extenders, which have all been updated to 802.11ac editions.  The DAP-1650 and DAP-1520 deliver AC1200 (N300 + AC867) and AC750 (N300 + AC433) wireless speeds respectively while in dual band connectivity, and the DAP-1650 offers four Gigabit Ethernet ports as well.  These fit into normal wall sockets and offer one-touch extender setup while the DAP-1520 weighs 104 grams (3.67 ounces).

Both range extenders should be available in February, with the DAP-1650 at $90 and the DAP-1520 at $60.

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We're seated at Qualcomm's CES 2014 press conference, which is getting underway shortly at noon PT. Stay tuned for our live coverage. 

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We just walked over from the Qualcomm press conference slash Q&A extravaganza to Intel's press conference, which should be getting underway at 1 PM PT. 

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This year at the Consumer Electronics Show, ASUS are attacking mobile in more ways than one.  We have bodies/editors on the ground to get hands on with all the equipment on display, but ASUS provided a few apt press releases in advance for us.  They include the PadFone Mini, the Transformer Book Duet TD300, the ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, ZenFone 6, the VivoTab Note 8, the Padfone X and the ROG 27” Gaming Monitor, all with specifications, images, details and for a few, release date and pricing.  

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All aboard the press release train and up next is Mushkin, launching their new range of ProSpec Enterprise SSDs based on the SandForce SF-2582 controller.  Available in capacities from 100GB to 480GB, these drives are 128-bit AES hardware encrypted and implement Mushkin’s Power Safe Technology designed to provide enhanced power-loss data protection through hardware and firmware based features.

Mushkin ProSpec Enterprise SSDs
 	100GB	200GB	300GB	400GB
Read Speed	555 MB/s	560 MB/s	540 MB/s	540 MB/s
Write Speed	525 MB/s	530 MB/s	460 MB/s	460 MB/s
Controller	SF-2582	SF-2582	SF-2582	SF-2582
Interface	SATA 6 Gbps	SATA 6 Gbps	SATA 6 Gbps	SATA 6 Gbps
IOPS	80K	80K	42K	42K
MTBF	2m hr	2m hr	2m hr	2m hr

It seems a little odd for an Enterprise SSD to have only a three year warranty, and then decrease in IOPS as the size gets bigger.  The sizes are most likely 128GB, 256GB, 384GB and 512GB each with 28% over provisioning, which is at least inline with standard enterprise products. Nevertheless, if we get one in to test, we will test it!  Prices and release dates are as yet unannounced.

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