Thread: Anandtech News

The SATA IO working group announced one new spec and that it has begun work on another: µSSD and SATA Express, respectively. These two specs span the gamut from ultra mobile devices all the way to high end PCs and servers. Let's tackle the smaller one first.
Tablets and smartphones are quickly becoming very powerful. We'll see another 20 - 50% gain in CPU performance in the next 12 months, and chances are we'll see a repeat performance another 12 - 18 months after that. As we've learned from the PC industry, increases in processor performance must be met with faster memory and IO. We're already running into IO bottlenecks on tablets. Copying large videos and audio to the current generation of tablets is a pain, with write speeds averaging less than 20MB/s. Faster storage is necessary.
The µSSD spec simply introduces a standard electrical interface for SATA on BGA devices. Currently if you want to connect a SATA controller to a SATA device you use a physical connector, whether standard SATA, micro or mini SATA. Either way it's a big physical connector. With µSSD the SATA interface is in the ball-out of a BGA chip on a motherboard, there's no physical external connector - just route the traces from your SSD to your SATA controller.
What we'll see going forward is integrated SATA controllers in SoCs, which will now have the option of interfacing with either a standard SATA SSD or a µSSD soldered onto the motherboard. The latter is more desirable for ultra small form factors. SanDisk has already been shipping a µSSD compliant device: its iSSD. Expect others to follow.
The next interface is SATA Express. This one is designed to keep SATA relevant while allowing for the growth of high performance SSDs. It took SandForce all of one year to release a controller that could saturate a 6Gbps SATA interface. Many companies have turned to PCI Express as a solution to offer more bandwidth than a single SAS/SATA port can deliver. SATA Express is designed to fix this issue.
The spec won't be complete until the end of the year, but it will allow for two new SATA speeds: 8Gbps and 16Gbps as well as backwards compatibility with existing SATA devices. SATA Express will leverage PCIe 3.0 for higher operating speeds, perhaps indicating that it'll layer on top of PCIe rather than remain as an independent interface. If the spec is completed at the end of this year, don't expect to see controller support until mid to late next year at the earliest. It'll take a while for SSDs to natively support the standard as well.


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Just a few weeks after its official announcement, The Binding of Isaac has taken up residence on Steam. Despite the store page saying September, its creator Edmund McMillen (one half of the duo behind indie platformer Super Meat Boy) is confident the game will be on sale by the end of August.
McMillen describes The Binding of Isaac as “a roguelike shooter based on the dungeon structure of Zelda (NES).” Like Rogue and its many descendants, the game’s dungeons will be randomly generated, and players will rely heavily on items to upgrade and transform their hero. The controls will be reminiscent of old-school arcade shooters like Smash TV and Robotron, predecessors to the twin-stick shooter craze kicked off by Geometry Wars.
Though its gameplay differs greatly from the punishing platforming of Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac’s aesthetic is quite similar. McMillen’s crude, bathroom humor-friendly art style remains, and Danny Baranowsky (composer of the excellent Super Meat Boy soundtrack) once again provides his musical talents.
The Binding of Isaac will cost just $5. McMillen has yet to discuss any release plans other than the initial Steam launch. Considering how well Super Meat Boy sold on PC compared to Xbox Live Arcade, it might be a while before we see The Binding of Isaac anywhere other than Valve’s digital storefront.


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Well, this could be interesting.
Amazon yesterday announced the availability of its new Kindle Cloud Reader, an HTML 5 web app designed to let you read your Kindle books on devices without necessarily having to install the standalone Kindle app.
Amazon's reasons for this are clear: Apple started demanding a 30% cut of all in-app purchases, and Amazon (as well as others) complied with this demand not by giving Apple its 30% but by removing support for in-app purchases from its programs. Either way, Apple wins: it either gets its money, or it pushes its competitors out of the low-margin-but-ascendant ebook and digital music businesses on its devices (bystanders take note: this is the sort of behavior that got Microsoft into so much hot water with regulators a decade or so ago). The Cloud Reader gives Amazon a chance to take advantage of the iPad's ubiquity while also avoiding giving Apple an unsustainably large cut.
The Kindle Cloud Reader supports only three browsers at this point: the iPad version of Safari, the desktop version of Safari, and Google Chrome - support for other browsers is "coming soon." As time goes on, I suspect we'll start to see more developers take this route, since HTML 5 apps not only sit outside of Apple's tightly-controlled App Store but are also fairly portable across all HTML 5-supporting browsers - Apple may soon be in the uncomfortable position of having to compete with apps using a standard that it helped to popularize.
Source: Amazon


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Dell has released three new laptops today: Inspiron 13z, 14z and Vostro V131. The first two are spinoffs of Dell's XPS 15z which was released in late May and it received quite good reviews. Fundamentally, 15z is a good competitor against Apple's MacBook Pro since 15z finally adopted a thin, full metal body which is what Apple has been shipping for years. This is what Dell is trying with 13z and 14z as well, although they will not be available in aluminum colour, but in black and red (the body is still aluminum though). The Vostro is Dell's low-cost business laptop and it's a good budget alternative if you don't like Inspirons. Lets list the specs right away:

	Inspiron 14z		Vostro V131
	Standard	Built to order	Standard
Screen size	14.0"	N/A	13.3"
Resolution	1366x768	N/A	1366x768 (matte)
Processor	Intel Core i3-2330M (2.2GHz)	Intel Core i5-2410M (2.3GHz)	Intel Celeron 847 (1.1GHz)
Graphics	Intel HD 3000	N/A	Intel HD 2000
Memory	4GB (1x4GB) DDR3	6GB (4GB+2GB) 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3	2GB (1x2GB) 1333MHz DDR3
Storage	500GB 5400rpm	640GB 5400rpm, 750GB 7200rpm	320GB 7200rpm
Optical drive	DVD+/RW	N/A	Optional external DVD+/RW
Ports	2x USB 3.0, USB 2.0/eSATA, Mini DisplayPort, Ethernet, headphone/mic, SD card slot	N/A	2x USB 3.0, USB 2.0/eSATA, Ethernet, headphone/mic, card reader
Dimensions(WxDxH)	13.6" x 9.7" x 0.92-1.0"	N/A	12.96" x 9.36" x 0.63-0.83"
Weight	5.0lb	Varies	3.6lb
Price	$599	Varies	$499

Inspiron 13z and 14z
Inspiron 14z will be available immediately but unfortunately, the 13z is only available in some Asian countries so we weren't able to get any detailed specs and the US release is still pending. However, we do know that the screen is 13.3" and has the same, 1366x768 resolution. We also expect the other specs to be very similar, the biggest difference being dimensions and weight.
14z seems to be a good all arounder in terms of specs and the price isn't too bad either but there is one part that could have been done better: the screen resolution. 1366x768 is okay for a budget laptop, which is what 14z is, but 1600x900 shouldn't be too much to ask as a BTO, there are people willing to pay for extra pixels. Currently there aren't many sub-$1000 ~14" laptops with 1600x900 and those are usually very close to the $1000 mark, so a $100 BTO for 1600x900 would have been a very good move from Dell.
Inspiron 14R is probably the closest to 14z when looking at Dell's other offerings. Basically, 14z is just a slimmed down version of 14R as the other specs are very similar. 14z also has a bit faster CPU and more RAM but that is pretty much it 14R does have a price advantage of $100 though. When compared to 13" MacBook Pro, Dell has a huge price advantage. Apple gives you a faster CPU, smaller form factor and less weight but to be honest, it can be very hard to justify the extra $600 for such small differences.
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Vostro V131
Since Vostro is meant for business, the specs are relatively weak but business users are rarely looking for powerful laptops. Thus the use of ULV Celeron can be justified along with only 2GB of RAM. Vostro V131 is actually very thin and light for its price: only 0.7lb heavier than 13" MacBook Air and 0.15" thicker at the thickest point. That is pretty good when considering that Vostro starts at $499 whereas MBA starts at $1299. Of course, there are other differences such as the CPU and storage but V131 might be a good option for people who want an affordable, yet very portable computer.
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Final Words
Dell is clearly into making things thinner and lighter at the moment, which is actually what the whole industry is trying to do. Intel's Ultrabook concept has just thrown fuel for the fire and we should see the first Ultrabooks in a few months. While Ultrabooks won't compete in the budget market, they are definitely a nice addition and evidently, all laptops seem to aim at being thinner.
Dell's newest offerings are a proof of this. They are thinner than their predecessors while still keeping similar price range and specs. We will most likely see other manufacturers following Dell in case they haven't already slimmed down their laptops already.


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Symantec, well known for its extensive lineup of security products on both the Windows and Mac platforms, today released Norton Mobile Security Lite, a freeware security product aimed at devices running Google's Android OS.
Like desktop antivirus software, Mobile Security Lite scans downloaded files (and, optionally, files on inserted SD cards) and compares them against an automatically updated definitions database in order to detect malware. It also helps to secure your data by offering you the ability to lock your phone remotely. A paid version, Norton Mobile Security 2.0, adds to this feature set the ability to locate your phone and to wipe it remotely. Symantec claims that the product does all of this without slowing your device down or draining its battery, though your mileage may vary.
Android's ability to install and run apps from just about anywhere is well-liked by fans of the platform, but this openness also leaves Android devices open to a growing malware threat. As smartphones and tablets become more prevalent (and thus, bigger targets), they'll have to worry about many of the same security concerns that plague more traditional PCs today.
Norton Mobile Security Lite is available for free from the Android Market, and requires an Android device with version 2.x of the software and 1.8MB of available storage.
Source: PC Mag


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Since Llano's introduction, the value of AMD's new APU has been the subject of some debate, even between editors here at AnandTech. With notebooks sporting the new A-series processors trickling out from vendors (and Toshiba waving the banner) it's been fairly difficult getting a good feel for what the chip brings to the table for the end user, but thankfully that's changing. Today we have on hand the Toshiba Satellite L775D-S7206, a budget 17" model that also gives us our first look at the AMD A6-3400M.

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SIGGRAPH tends to be an interesting mix of announcements and demonstrations. Major vendors like NVIDIA like to make their announcements at their own trade shows – or at the very least at a more press-focused show – but amidst the real-world demonstrations you’ll find a few new things that aren’t quite being announced but are being previewed for the very first time. In this case NVIDIA is using SIGGRAPH to present two new technologies to its workstation user base: Project Maximus, and Quadro Virtual Graphics Technology (AKA Monterey Technology). While we aren’t attending SIGGRAPH this year, we did have an opportunity to sit down with NVIDIA and discuss these new technologies.

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It was inevitable. Like Facebook before it, Google+ will have games.
The online search leader recently announced their plans to “gradually roll out” gaming on their social network, which launched in June. “The experiences we have together are just as important to our relationships. We want to make playing games online just as fun, and just as meaningful, as playing in real life,” said Senior Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra in the official Google blog.
Presumably to prevent the glut of notifications that clog gamers’ Facebook feeds, Google+ games will be confined to a separate feed away from the already segregated Circles of Friends, Families, and Acquaintances. A separate post in the Google+ Platform blog stressed a curation process of “quality before quantity,” though it encouraged developers to submit requests for the APIs, which have already been given to a select few partners.
Google will likely move swiftly to welcome worthwhile partners, given the success of games on Facebook. A Nielsen study last year showed that social networks and online games take up a third of the average American’s time online.
Games already on the docket for Google+ include Angry Birds, Bejeweled Blitz, Zynga Poker, and Dragon Age Legends. Facebook games such as FarmVille thrive on their interaction with users’ news feeds, so it will be interesting to see how well similar games fare on Google’s more strictly delineated platform. There’s also the matter of anyone using Google+, but that’s a larger question the two month-old service has yet to answer.
Source: Google




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With today's introduction of the Acer Iconia Tab A100, the 7-inch Honeycomb tablet era begins. Vivek and Jarred looked at the new entrant's big brother, the 10.1" A500, and were left . . . well, a little underwhelmed. Some of their complaints are endemic of everything Honeycomb, so far: occasionally sluggish performance, potentially awkward form factor, bugginess. Some of their complaints, though, were fixed on Acer’s 10.1” tablet itself: questionable build quality, uncompetitive pricing, less than stellar viewing angles. So what does Acer’s diminutive tablet offer up?
If you put the spec sheets for the A500 and the A100 next to each other, it might take you a few minutes to see the difference. In truth, the A100 shares the same SoC, memory, and connectivity with the larger tablet (Tegra 2, 1GB RAM, 802.11 b/g/n). The A100 will also launch with Android 3.2; the A500 recently received the 3.1 update, but 3.2 isn't here quite yet (though it's coming). Where the two models differ is in screen size, ports, and software. The 7” capacitive display is driven by a 1024x600 TFT LCD panel, not inspiring on paper, but if it’s related to the shipping panel in the A500 it can still impress with its visuals, even if the viewing angles aren’t spectacular. The full size USB port of the A500 is omitted, and the HDMI port takes on a mini configuration. By the pictures, the A100’s design looks similar to the A500, but with a decorative rear panel that will be available in multiple colors in the future.
Battery life is quoted at 4.5 hours of video playback, about half of what we saw in the A500, which isn’t surprising given it carries a half-sized battery. Pricing, which has gotten more and more competitive for the A500 is coming in a little higher than expected. Originally rumored to be the first sub-$300 Honeycomb tablet, the 8GB A100 will come in at $329, while a 16GB SKU will retail for $349. (Hooray for 8GB upgrades no longer costing an extra $50+, though!)
Like Samsung, Acer has prepared some tablet optimized software to extend Honeycomb's utility a little further. Social Jogger is their riff on a social media aggregator; it’s currently configured for Facebook and Twitter, hopefully with more services to be added soon. LumiRead is Acer’s e-reader software, complete with book store, and there's also Day Planner. Much of the PR for this device focuses on its utility for families and “modern moms,” in particular. Day Planner is a potentially valuable scheduling app that does more than display your calendar and agenda; it also integrates your e-mail, news, weather, contacts, note taking and, even, mapping services. The use case for this kind of software could be huge, and we will be interested in how good the software turns out.
We’ll update more when we have a sample in-house. Until then peep the gallery and judge the tweaked Iconia design for yourself.
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When T-Mobile launched the G2, I was super psyched. It was an HTC-designed slider, ran the stock Android UI, and happened to be one of the first phones running Qualcomm’s 2nd-generation Snapdragon (S2) chips. I was so psyched that I ended up buying one, three days before launch (thank you Radio Shack!) I must say, I loved that phone. The hinge mechanism was an initial concern for me, but the rest of that phone was absolutely brilliant. I still regret selling it to buy an HD7, but I had some major durability issues with the hinge. It started loosening up majorly after the four month mark, and it was out of my life by month five. If HTC had seen fit to equip it with a normal spring-loaded slider, I would almost definitely still have it.

T-Mobile EOL’d the G2 last month, and I was sad to see it go. But it set the stage for the MyTouch 4G Slide, which released last week and on paper looks like the ultimate slider phone. There’s one dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor, one real slider with one brilliant HTC keyboard, and one very highly touted 8.0MP camera. It joins the HTC Sensation and the T-Mobile G2x atop the T-Mobile smartphone list. How does it stack up versus the rest of the elite smartphone class? Read on to find out.


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