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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> 2013 New Computer Stuff /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1357052688 Message started by Oldfeller on 01/01/13 at 07:04:48 |
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Title: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/01/13 at 07:04:48 Combined with a new, much terser format for easy reading. Last year we talked a lot about what these changes meant, so we are done with all that discussion. Jest the toys, boys, jest the toys .... Here comes the year that reinvents the "computer" as you know it. In ways you weren't necessarily looking for. This $99 space ship isn't as nice as an Ouya and it has no game controllers or game base, so it gets low marks comparatively. So our $99 still goes to the Ouya box if you are ARM/Android TV box buying. ;D http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tronsmart-prometheus.jpg http://liliputing.com/2013/01/tronsmart-prometheus-android-tv-box-with-amlogic-cpu.html The idea that you can plug a dongle into your HDMI TV and turn it into a living room computer has gone main-stream throughout the orient and is now becoming main stream in Europe and the USA. There are dozens of them out there now and I will only mention the latest/greatest of that constantly upgrading crew from now on. =============== The ARM chip based TV+ concept is solid now with Android 4.0+ as the base OS and $99 as the price point. No US manufacturer can play in this low low price range, so all these TV+ units are built and shipped from the orient or, in one case, from old Ugoslavia. The games are mostly free, with the non-free games cost $5-$10 and these "pay me" are much much better than phone based games. http://https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQLNw1wTqGXxsPNtHCQmqvc3GEMP0d3usWPIIhGFZQdB7KQz0U- The Tegra 3 Ouya Game Console is out & shipping now, and has already hinted they will announce plans to upgrade to Tegra 4 sometimes during the 2013 upcoming year. Ouya can also play as a computer on your TV as well as play free Android games on your TV with full wireless controllers, etc. Base Ouya cube costs $99 as well, with a $30 bump if you want the two controllers to go along with it. Ouya supports video streaming services like Amazon and Netflix which are handled by XBMC, and NVIDA has recently released Ubuntu/NVIDA (their and Canonical's official Ubuntu port for the Tegra 3 chipset). Being an open source box, Ouya will get new stuff as it rolls along through its many to be released versions (new version to go along with each new Tegra ARM superchip that will be released on a yearly basis) ================ http://www.oled-info.com/files/images/Samsung-4-5-inch-wvga-flexible-amoled-img_assist-350x283.jpg Samsung is working on new flex screens for the super thin cell phones that are all the rage now-a-days -- this is to address the #1 customer complaint on the super thins which is "I put it in my front pocket and the screen broke when I got into the car". This happens due to the super thins lacking enough mechanical strength and mass to resist normal handling deflection which will always bust a glass based screen system. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by LANCER on 01/02/13 at 03:17:35 Kelly, I envy your mind at times dude. I would like to have the tech "cells" up there that you do but God saw fit to do otherwise. I can handle some in an understanding way when it is being explained by someone good at teaching but to work it my self ??? Not so much. I have a big Mac on the table, an ipad and iphone, and my wife has an iphone and ipod. She is much better than me with the machines. They all exceed my techy limits. I just do the basics to communicate, search and play with photos. These are my last machines tech wise, if they die I would only replace them with something that does the basics. When my phone contract is up with my iphone I'm going back to a simple "pay as you go" phone, without data access. Just a plain phone. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/02/13 at 05:37:09 I got me a plain Jane phone too. I don't need to have on-line access sitting in my pocket, I work at a university with PC access points in every building, so I got PC at work whenever I want it. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by clearush on 01/02/13 at 07:50:43 not bad at all but I still like my current Roku box not real big on gaming on the tv and the kids have their nabi tablets so they can play their without fighting over who's next. I guess if those boxes were more $40-50 they would strike my interest more. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/02/13 at 22:59:39 There are "me too" competitors coming up (like GameStick) that cost $79 right now. If GameStick hangs in there and/or a plethora of others jump into existence you could see your $40 price point eventually. Ouya was the first to become real, Ouya has the best processor so far .... I am sure there will be others to beat the Ouya and when the big boys finally hop into the pond the price point will be set at $99 which is the same price point as a Roku that can't do the gaming or internet on the computer stuff YET (but they will, trust me). |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/02/13 at 23:13:02 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpWHJDLsqTU[/media] Why this man is worth listing to. This man has finally done what everyone has been saying needs to be done. He has one operating system (and it is a full OS) that is light enough and configured well enough to run on ANY computer device that has a 2013 current processor of whomever's variety. Now, having done this he has set a benchmark that Microsoft must meet to be seriously considered. When listening, please remember this man comes originally from South Africa, he lives in London now and he could give a flip about the USA's historical preferences in software/hardware. When he talks about the world this and the world that, he is really talking about all of Europe, the Far East, Russia, South America, Africa, Indochina, the whole civilized computing-based world. And he is talking about things that are real, physically here, today. This is not about vaporware, it is about realware. That is what makes him worth listening through his full presentation as we don't get realware talks very often out of Microsoft or Intel. He ALREADY HAS the backing of Linus (linux), Linaro, Dell, Lenovo, IBM, HP, Google, etc. etc. He HAS DONE THIS already, his tweaks are already part of the 3.7 & 3.8 kernel and he is part of the reunification of Linux and Android that you keep reading about (which is just about done now, BTW). The fact he is going to be offering a full service any device OS is noteworthy. He is the pioneer, the ground breaker, the visionary. Microsoft has acknowledged him by making their Win8RT hardware & software so you can't load his stuff on their overpriced surface tablets (and by doing so laying themselves wide full open to a new round of anti-trust legislation in Europe and the USA accordingly). He is the Steve Jobs of open source. What makes him different from Steve Jobs is he doesn't intend to rape your wallet to give you real innovation. (his stuff runs on an Apple too, BTW. You can ask his phone verbal questions and it will answer you back, you can also ask it to read you an electronic book and it will do that for you too. Verbal driving instructions, no sweat. Anything Google can do, his phone will be able to do. Software upgrades will happen seamlessly at a touch when new stuff comes out) If the world of computing does indeed become unified, you likely have this guy to thank for it. If you eventually see low cost superphones that will seamlessly automatically connect you through any nearby available open wifi system before going over to your cell tower connection and burning expensive plan minutes, you likely have this guy to thank for it. With his easily tweeked completely free phone/tablet/computer OS and cheap open source hardware from countries where the people DON'T like to spend money, the cheap/free but good stuff that is impossible to bring about here in the USA will take place anyway. Since I am never ever away from a free wifi connection (got it at work and at home) I will be looking eagerly for these sorts of cheap open source phones to arrive. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/03/13 at 16:58:24 GameStick $79 Android gaming console raises $100,000 in under 2 days http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gamestick_01.jpg http://liliputing.com/2013/01/gamestick-79-android-gaming-console-raises-100000-in-under-2-days.html Well, what can you say? Ouya raises 10 million in a few weeks and GameStick is headed the same way, gonna bust a half million by tomorrow. I would guess there is a market for Android games on TV. The new stick PCs are still rolling out weekly and I don't bother telling you about them unless they are unusually good for some reason. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/03/13 at 17:13:35 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYWzMvlj2RQ[/media] Linus finally gets Nvida's attention about their secrecy over their drivers. Shortly after this Nvida very quickly and very publicly sent their drivers in for Tegra 2, for Tegra 3 and surprise of a lifetime the drivers for Tegra 4 were sent in as well (the new superchip they won't even formally announce until CES next week). They missed the cut-off deadline for 3.8 kernel (indeed 3.8 was released last week) so you will wait 6 months to see the improvements in the Tegra Android/Linux experience in kernel 3.9 or there about. Part of this change of heart was begun in LinaroCon from last month, in which it was decided to simply totally ignore all vendor's chipsets that will not send in complete drivers sets (assuming they also refuse to honor the new video standards that already exist or were just created). This means no Android support for your stuff and no Linux support for your stuff. And customers are getting smarter about buying stuff with no long term support (the Chinese cheapie guys just got called on this as well). This leaves just 1-2 major sore spots that quite frankly no one will miss when they quietly go bankrupt for lack of sales. As Linus said, you done been told, but you still got your head up your butt, so FY. VR Graphics for example is currently betting that Apple and Microsoft will keep them afloat all by themselves. Maybe VR Graphics should give Nokia a call and see how that sort of thought pattern is working out long term for Nokia .... |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Cavi Mike on 01/03/13 at 19:27:11 That little Android game stick is pretty slick. Just goes to show that it doesn't matter how much graphics and however many options you throw at a game, people will still pay to play Angry Birds on a big screen. If my computer wasn't already hooked up to my TV, I'd prolly get one of these things. Nothing like Fantastic Contraption on a big screen or Random Defense blasting through the stereo. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/04/13 at 00:16:12 http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/tv-connect_05.jpg http://liliputing.com/2013/01/archos-tv-connect-turns-any-tv-into-an-android-powered-smart-tv.html Oh, making TVs into computers is gonna be really really BIG this year. Archos, a fairly large, old name in tablets has come out with a $130 unified TV box that does camera in the monitor box video calls with grandma while you thumb yourself a text or play you a game while you talk to her in the little window on the TV screen. You see, you gots you a ShadowGun running in the main part of the big screen and you are setting the guys up for a big Boss battle .... simo-texting Tommy to go over to the building and get up on the third floor so he can snipe down on their asses .... "Yeah Grandma, I really liked the sweater you sent me" .... <get your grenades ready guys -- counting down to throw in 5-4-3-2-1> Mind you, Archos knows that the kids have Android in their genes now-a-days, just like all the orientals do. They don't have any concept of Android being a cut down anything -- to them it is "just how you do it, man". They, like all the adult orientals, grew up using Android from the get go. Meanwhile, in high schools and colleges they now have to give required courses in how to use MS Office and Accel and PowerPoint for business uses. The kids then cheat, crank up a shared common homework file using Google Docs and save the results as .exe files with slightly changed row heights and fonts to turn in as their MS Office homework. Kids ain't dumb, you know. BTW, Microsoft is not giving the keynote speech at this year's CES. That's a first for the American computer industry, not even considering Microsoft as being "the leader of the new stuff" any more. Because they aren't. The level of innovation in the computer industry is SIMPLY AMAZING right now and it isn't big company driven at all. Worldwide, open source is showing to be the innovation cutting edge -- and it is moving faster and faster as folks like Archos are picking up chip fabrication abilities of their very own. Yup, they can't get all the chips they need when they need them from the existing suppliers, so some of the big regular seasonal seller guys like Amazon and the larger sized tablet people like Archos are picking up ARM incenses and are buying into new 20nm or below global chip foundaries that are being built in China and elsewhere. As co-owners, they expect to get what they need when they need it .... and the investment will pay them dividends in the long run too as a simple good investment. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/06/13 at 06:35:18 http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cloud-client_05.jpg This one is $90 for a box, keyboard and mouse. It uses a "dual core Allwinner A10" (likely soon to get correctly called an Allwinner A20 once the guy gets his nomenclature all squared away). http://www.deviceonchip.com/cloud-client.html [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlX3DWIq_wU[/media] He's selling it as a cloud client box and he has posted 5 videos on Youtube of the machine doing all the things you normally do with your tablet. Notice it is completely cased and actually has the full set of 4 USB ports made actual and real, it has an on/off button and headphone and mike connections, with built-in Wifi. Both HDMI and VGA outputs are there with the req'd speaker output jack, so finally somebody is shooting squarely at the low end PC replacement market in public schools, etc. The instructor would have to prepare an SD card with the course materials on it and insert it in the machines as needed (or load the stuff on a lan drive and give the kids an icon to point to it). Please understand, in other countries they are not all that tied up in their nickers about having to have MS products. Android or Linux are considered to be perfectly acceptable OS systems in a lot of the newly industrialized countries of the world. Europe accepts Linux and Android readily as well. This box is a "silk screen in your name" generic, so expect to see it sold under several names through several channels and expect it to quickly drop to $60 like the rest of the stick PCs have done. It will also likely get new stronger processors over time as they become available. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Boule’tard on 01/06/13 at 07:17:38 Dang, Oldfeller, that last one hits a sweet spot for me. Mainly because its horsepower blows away my comuter, and it still does VGA (my monitor has no HDMI input). Hooking it to the TV around here would require some sort of converter from RF cable or rabbit ears. [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif] I am going to look into that one, and similar devices, if any. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/06/13 at 07:41:48 Hold off, no Linux support yet for the A20 chipset. Actually, I think the guy has his head up his butt and this board uses an old A10 chipset with a dual core Mali 400 GPU (which is where he is getting his dual core nonsense). And this is like the third board I have seen that has a VGA output jack as all the Allwinner chipsets all support VGA, just that in the orient nobody has a legacy PC monitor and they all seem to have HDMI TVs so the oriental makers tend to leave off the VGA jack completely. Question for me -- I plan to buy a 1080p or better new computing device and then I plan to hook it up to an old ageing 800 by 600 VGA monitor ?? That's sorta sad that my expectations are set so low. ============= The new Ubuntu phones will all do the desktop dock and energized screen/keyboard/mouse trick, so I am looking to see the monitor specs for that particular trick. I doubt it will be doing just plain jane 800 by 600 VGA monitor output, I think it will likely be fairly high res HDMI like 1080p or better. I will say that LED monitors last a long long time compared to the old huge CRT tube things we used to use. This old monitor will likely outlive me ...... ;D |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Boule’tard on 01/06/13 at 08:06:20 But the link at http://www.deviceonchip.com/cloud-client.html says it "..supports Android, Debian, Ubuntu and other ARM based Linux distributions." So I could just switch to Debian or something? Or do you mean there's no community support yet.. as in, it will run, but you're totally on your own as far as troubleshooting. I am also running an old LCD monitor, and see no reason to change. Except that VGA plugs will go away sooner or later, and the computers' compatibility will dry up.. Everyone just INSISTS on HDMI at some astronomical resolution, and with the aspect ratio stretched out super-landscape.. yup, this old 4:3 LCD's days are numbered. Not that it will ever break, it just won't hook up to a decent computer anymore. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by houstonbofh on 01/06/13 at 09:07:39 VGA is low res and HDMI is high res? My monitor right now is 1600x1200 and has VGA and DVI ports only. Good thing as HDMI only goes as high as 1080p. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/06/13 at 13:46:44 Huston, Boule and I have first generation flat screens, way before DVI was ever invented. Sounds like you have a nice modern monitor. DVI and HDMI are very much akin, add sound to DVI and that is what makes up HDMI. Indeed, there are some accessory cables that go from HDMI to DVI with a pair of audio jacks included in the grouped cable to carry out the sound function. My old flatscreen can go up to to 1260x880 I think, but it stutters like a bug at that high a resolution. It is old and tired technologically. =============== Yep, I read that stuff Boule and what it tells me is the chip is an old single core A8 Allwinner A!0 at only 1 gigahertz, swinging a dual core Mali 400 GPU which the "dual core" the guy is creating confusion with. It is NOT the new dual 1.2 ghz A7 cores in the Allwinner A20 chipset (which has a four core Mali 400 GPU) at all. This group does not have a complete, custom compiled Linux distro on their site, and you need for them to do a complete custom compiled version that fully supports the VGA function as nobody else's site has anything but HDMI driver compiled Linux distros. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by rfw2003 on 01/06/13 at 14:24:55 20273D3B3C27262A272E20480 wrote:
Actually HDMI 1.4 goes well beyond 1080, HDMI 1.4 spec is now up to a resolution of 4096 pixels wide by 2160 pixels high over a single link. This is otherwise known as 4K when you are looking at the specs of what your graphics card or drivers are supporting as well as hardware that is coming out as well. The A10 chips are capable of the 2160 resolutions as well, but I haven't seen any monitors out there yet that have 2160 resolution yet. You have also got to remember when they are talking about the specific names of SD and HD it really only applies to televisions and not computer equipment. SD resolution as refered to TVs was 640x480 then the jump to HD is now either 720 which is 1280x720 or 1080 which is 1920x1080 for the norm. On the horizon is the newer 4K stuff which I have yet to see hit the market myself, although I could be wrong. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Boule’tard on 01/06/13 at 15:46:29 40636B696A63636A7D0F0 wrote:
Ah ok, thanks for checking. I will be looking for a low-overhead little PC like that when they're ready. I couldn't find a link to actually buy one, even if it was perfect.. looks promising though. Could be vapor, but hopefully in a couple months it'll be on Newegg with lots of reviews. [smiley=smiley.gif] |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/07/13 at 00:42:18 Yup, as promised, it's got a total of 76 cores on it .... http://liliputing.com/2013/01/nvidia-pulls-the-wraps-off-tegra-4-quad-core-arm-cortex-a15-chip.html http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/t4.jpg [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SIhbPLbgAw[/media] |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/07/13 at 01:06:20 Now, the Tegra 4 is going to be FAST and powerful -- PC powerful. So, what can you do with that sort of power? PLAY GAMES, PC LEVEL GAMES. On your hand held, or on your TV. Plus you have internet and Linux available too. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9edRfTn1hzQ[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmfOf1epclc[/media] |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/09/13 at 08:21:37 Intel has finally posted up some real technical specs on their proposed five new vaporware processors that are supposed to be 7 watt processors. They aren't. Intel has simply invented a new metric to make their existing current draw chips look better. Lying, in other words. http://liliputing.com/2013/01/intels-new-low-power-ivy-bridge-chips-are-more-like-13w-processors-than-7w.html Is this a CES public admission from Intel that they simply CAN'T get their chips down into the ARM/Android chip power draw range? This is bad news for Intel because the ARM chips are getting better, not worse as they roll on into the A15 era. And by all expectations, next year they when they go to A57 they will get even more powerful and still get mildly better on power draw as well (any time you bump down in nanometer lithography size you draw less power). Tegra 4 draws less power than Tegra 3, but is six times more powerful. Ditto again for next year and Tegra 5. Intel can't just make up power draw parity, their slick marketing jive lasted exactly 2 minutes before they were called on it from the CES showroom floor by savvy reporters calling in the story on their cell phones. Intel's lithography advantage isn't going to save Intel, they already have a 22 vs 28 nm advantage that has yielded them nothing. Next year it will be 22 vs 20 and ARM will be smaller and Intel's problems will just get bigger. Not to mention the big cost gap is still there. ARM costs less than half what Intel costs. And when the Chinese foundries finally kick in on a design that drops to 1/4 as much (or even less over time). http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/01/power-saving-through-marketing-intels-7-watt-ivy-bridge-cpus/ |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by verslagen1 on 01/09/13 at 08:35:53 smackdown on the ces floor... got to be awsome. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/09/13 at 09:46:22 Verslagen said it, the smack down at CES continues with Steve Balmer physically gate crashing the Qualcom keynote address. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57562703/microsoft-ceo-crashes-qualcomm-keynote-at-ces/ Gotta go look at this one because the images are integral HDML scripts and aren't simple pics. Microsoft wasn't invited to give a keynote because they had nothing new to show (Win8RT isn't new, neither is Surface). So Balmer just walked his ugly butt up on the stage during the Qualcomm keynote address and stole the mic to say how wonderful Surface is and that his microsoft coding people have written "10,000 world class apps" for the unsupported (and totally locked down and isolated) Win8RT Surface system. You know, the one with the 30% inside 30 day warranty return rate? The one that he cancelled all production orders on after the first 30 days, fired the team leader and has now made arrangements with Best Buy and Dell to try to sell off the excess units at a 30% discount (soon to be 50%)? Yeah, that one .... And his new win8 phones are selling 7 times better than the win7 phones did this time last year. Let's see, 7 times more than nothing is .... nothing plus 7 phones? How do you do that math, Steve? This is how Wall Street does it .... http://www.businessinsider.com/the-windows-8-sales-data-is-in-and-its-horrible-news-for-microsoft-2012-11 http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/4ee66a73eab8ea051d000037-389-298/steve-ballmer-facepalm.jpg http://www.businessinsider.com/demand-for-windows-8-is-weak-says-fujitsu-president-2012-12 http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4e2882de4bd7c8a93a010000-399-302/ballmer_thoughtful.jpg And how about MicroSoft's cell phone partner, Nokia, the one who is struggling to make enough Win8 phones to meet the tiny demand? How are they doing as MicroSoft's exclusive Win phone partner? http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57556961-94/nokia-sells-finnish-headquarters-amid-financial-troubles/ Nokia Corporation (ADR) NYSE: NOK - Jan 9 1:02pm ET 3.84-0.22[ch8206] (-5.31%[ch8206]) http://https://www.google.com/finance/chart?q=NYSE:NOK&tlf=12&chst=vks&p=1d&chs=306x96&chsc=1.3333333730697632&nocache=1357754383013 Still got you a lot of traction in that phone market, hey Steve? |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Cavi Mike on 01/09/13 at 10:26:28 57747C7E7D74747D6A180 wrote:
Actually 7x0=0 Just saying... ;D |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/10/13 at 09:35:35 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_CdUj0vG4U[/media] Take the time to watch this one .... Watch it after you read the below "look for it" statements so you will actually see all that is shown. I done told you that the big guns would come out early on the A15/A7 generation because the next A57/A53 64 bit generation was pushed forward a year early by Apple. I also told you that the Allwinner 31 quad core A7 was likely to be the low end chip of the generation, that everyone would come out high end from the get go to try to get something useful out of their 2013 investment, crowding the best in before the inevitable 64 bit customer preference puts it all in the dust in early 2014. So, watch this short slice of the Samsung keynote address as the head of Samsung (Apple's CPU partner) and the head of ARM talk about the new Exnos 5 octa (8 active CPU cores, 80 GPU cores = 88 total cores). Watch the demo of the chip in action where it shows the little cores and the big cores kicking in "mix and match" style to handle the multi-tasking workload that is shown. Realize that big screen is being driven by the little tablet up on the table, and that the guy crashing the cars in section 1 of the demo was actually driving the thing on the stage using the tablet. This demo is all real time being driven by a low power consumption high output power ARM chipset which is apparently in pretty much a stock ARM big/LITTLE configuration. Listen to the ARM president, as he mentions in passing that the 80 GPU cores can also be tasked to do compute duties if they are not needed for driving the screen. This is APPLE's little dirty trick that is built into APPLE's I OS, which is why their stuff works better than you would think it could just looking at CPU core counts. Ask yourself what APPLE products are going to be introduced soon, as this stuff was all worked out last year and the chips are being produced for the next big APPLE roll-out as we type. Get a better grip about what "a sea of cores" really means out into the future. This chip can drive a laptop easily. They mention facial recognition and smart camera technology, other vendors have mentioned support for "stereo cameras" (two you facing cameras on the tablet that get slightly different views of your face). They talk in passing about 3D pictograhics capability being built into the SOC system .... APPLE will "splash out" all this neat new stuff soon. Lastly, realize that the performance that they show up on the big screen from the hand held tablet kicks the ass of my whole computer system by 3-4x. This is the first time I have considered simply getting a 10" super tablet and not bothering with a desktop system at all. All of these super tablets accept bluetooth keyboard typing, so the real keyboard and rapid typing is the only thing I would miss when using it mobile (but I might well learn "to talk it in" instead as that funtion is built into all the supertablets now). I'd blither the thoughts in, then edit it by on screen keyboard. My wife uses a tablet now as her main computing device, she only touches her laptop if she needs to type something for work. Her IPad goes with her everywhere ..... |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/12/13 at 04:31:45 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRaou0Vkh18[/media] This is a follow up on the last post, where I mention neat new stuff, dual you facing cameras on each corner and what you can do with them. http://liliputing.com/2013/01/tobii-technologys-eye-tracking-system-lets-you-use-your-eyes-as-a-pc-mouse.html And you thought I was kidding about "eyeball controls" for your tablet .... Imagine a first person shooter that follows the path your eyes take and instantly the crosshairs jump up when you close one eye like you were looking in the scope .... You can do a lot of neat stuff like this. Take typing for example -- the on board keyboard comes up and you just look intently at the letter to type it. You got all the processor that you need now, 70 to 80 graphics cores, dual front facing cameras and the open source technology was worked up over a decade ago to help Stephen Hawking communicate after he became totally crippled and dumb. Heck yes APPLE is going to roll it out as theirs -- it's NEAT and its NEW and INNOVATIVE and APPLE will sue you next year if you do it because they just "invented it" this year. :D Sorry APPLE, Hawking is still with us and can still testify that his eyeball tracking stuff is still open source. Lastly, once dual "you facing" cameras are common, Google will be using these built into Android eyeball functions, capturing your unconscious eyeball preferences when you look at ads (you know how they used to offer you a choice of stuff up on drop bars). Next, people will know if you are telling the truth if you are on line with them video conferencing (little private android app called Truthsayer which uses eyeball tracking of unconscious eye motions when lying) The world is gonna get interesting real soon .... |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/24/13 at 07:00:38 http://www.howchip.com/data/cheditor4/1301/5b435a5b028acde819f104b1c6d5aa31_mP3WGoers3fYyvHHX9zl3.jpg http://www.howchip.com/shop/item.php?it_id=BRIX5250A OK, the first of the A15 dual core mini computers is out now -- this one swings Mali 604 graphics and according to the folks at Howchip.com is Linaro compatible from the get go since the chip is a plain jane ARM designed standard dual core A15 with Mali 604 graphics. This means Ubuntu support. This means Linaro support. This means updates, tweeks, etc. etc. will come out as they are written through the standard Ubuntu upgrade method. This is how ARM should work. Notice the Howchip.com home web page is kinda blunt and proud that it is Linaro Compliant and Ubuntu Compatible. This too is how ARM should work. $145 for a complete computer is how it should work too. Maybe a little high $$$ right now (first one out and all) but the price will drop quick enough when the competitors show up. Also, all the links to all the software need to be "made real" before somebody shells out their hard earned dollars. I would wait until the Youtube videos come out and the Linux guys do their exhaustive reviews -- you are looking for a stock "it just plain works" Ubuntu support level, then instantly your Mint etc. will be working with it too. And yes, when this happens then they will sell a bunch of them. Chipset "clocks" 1.7 mhz per core, so that is a 2.4 combined mhz the way we used to do it back in the day, first core counts full and second core counts half. Mali604 graphics isn't a slouch either, full 1080p HDMI at 60 frames a second will play any game acceptably. So, we have arrived. For $145 I could "double up" my old white box PC with a Ubuntu box that could easily fit in the palm of my hand. :D It will be interesting to see what Hardkernel.com and the other miniboard makers comes up with using these same fully supported A15 dual and quad and octo Exnos chips ..... ONCE AGAIN -- wait for the actual user reviews to expose the warts and "overstatements" on any newly released oriental product. They all have compatibility warts of some kind and some of the intentional "overstatements" can be flat amazing once they are outed. For example, this SOC is actually made at the 32 nanometer lithography level, instead of the "proper" 28 nanometer lithography, which is one reason it is only a 1.7 mhz A15 chipset instead of a 2.0 mhz chipset which is what it will eventually be when run on the 28 nm process. Why? APPLE helped pay for the 28 nm process at Samsung, so APPLE has the 28 nm stuff locked up tight until they go down to their next nm level, which is 20nm and will occur next year. Then Samsung will come out with Exnos "upgraded" chips that are 25% faster. ;) Ain't it all interesting? That is why they call them "development boards" after all .... |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/24/13 at 15:51:19 Now, this is for the simply neat-o of the idea -- and for $49 I know people who will buy one just for the shits and giggles of it. Something to remember, the bigger than my white box computing power to balance this little sucker and keep it stable in 3D space relative to you (and always pointed at you) using the GPS signal your phone is always sending out (along with the battery to drive the little powerful little motors) lives right on that little bitty motherboard, thanks to cell phone technology. Don't you know you could drive a cat flat assed crazy by sic'ing two or 3 of these little things on a GPS signalling pet tag? (the real time Youtube videos of Carlos the driven completely paranoid/insane kitty cat are coming out soon, count on it) http://liliputing.com/2013/01/mecam-49-flying-camera-concept-follows-you-around-streams-video-to-your-phone.html http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/mecam_01.jpg |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by arteacher on 01/24/13 at 15:54:24 I have been reading this thread with more interest than understanding. Please explain in layman's terms what all these developments mean to the average consumer. I have no interest in a laptop or tablet because the screens are too small, although everyone else does not seem to mind. At what point will a computer be smarter than me? (Be nice, now). :-? |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/24/13 at 16:03:06 That's the wonder of it, isn't it? I read science fiction growing up and by golly all the old stuff has all come true and then some. Do you remember Tom Swift and his "you name it outlandish device"? Repellatron Skyway = maglev train Nuclear Submarine = nuclear submarine Ion Spaceship = ion spaceship Nuclear car = they built a 1971 prototype and it wasn't considered crash safe, so they scrapped it. But, fuel cells are considered safe and people are still trying to build a viable car out of that technology (Honda, for one is still trying). And now, stuff we didn't even dream about is gonna be popping up like daisies all over the place. I mean, I carry a Star Trek communicator in my pocket now and the Dicki Tracy radio watch has turned into a full bore little wrist computer now. And now my own little spy kids helicopter? Kids these days eat sleep and dream up this stuff, then they go build it. As jr. high school science fair projects no less ..... ..... never underestimate the cultural impact of the Raspberry Pi to the next generation of Tom Swifts -- their imaginations have all been unlocked and they have been given the gizmos they needed to do the things that you can't even imagine ..... ======================= Besides, you have learned more than you think you have -- when the kids start talking about A15 and big/LITTLE and stuff you can at least make the appropriate noises now. And when you go into buy a new phone, the AT&T dude won't be able to sell you an overpriced windows phone without you saying "That's nice, now were are all the 10's of thousands of FREE APPS to go on that Win8 phone again? What, they all cost $19.99 !!! Heck no, I don't want it -- show me the Android phones that are unlocked .... what, you ain't got any? How about a Google Nexus phone or a Firefox phone or an Ubuntu phone?" You at least understand in broad strokes what is what now. You are not techno sucker food any more. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/27/13 at 09:02:02 The Motley Fool (financial and investing) has started running this ad about PCs "The Death of the PC The days of paying for costly software upgrades are numbered. The PC will soon be obsolete. And BusinessWeek reports 70% of Americans are already using the technology that will replace it. Merrill Lynch calls it "a $160 billion tsunami." Computing giants including IBM, Yahoo!, and Amazon are racing to be the first to cash in on this PC-killing revolution. Yet, a small group of little-known companies have a huge head start. Get the full details on these companies, and the technology that is destroying the PC, in a free video from The Motley Fool. Enter your email address below to view this stunning video. Now, here is the real skinny -- the old PCs still work and people are still lazy and like what they are used to. ;) |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by verslagen1 on 01/27/13 at 10:27:27 That's ok for the private sector and maybe 50% of business, but until they port 3 cad and 3 analysis packages to them, I'm stuck. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by houstonbofh on 01/27/13 at 19:35:45 If I had a nickel for every technology that was "dead within a year" and still with us... The other one I love is "this will change everything..." Really? |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/28/13 at 11:36:51 I agree with both of you, I was waiting for "double up" and it is here now and I still seem to have zero motivation to buy the new hardware. I could wait until later in the year when 3x and 4x up processors get there, but I have the same issue -- no felt motivation to go ahead and spend the money. And its not the money, I just blew $400 on a trailer and a hitch set up and spent $80 on some bullets. The trailer was a weak need and the bullets were linked to the trailer/trip scenario. "Need" drives first, then the "wants" comes later, and then never just new for the heck of it -- this is the way folks think during depressions they tell me. ================================= I didn't expect this little nugget -- apparently Chrome OS is taking off some in the business and education worlds. For Chromebooks to make up 10% of Acer's total laptop sales and for Chromebooks to consistently stay in Amazon's top ten laptops for so many months running indicates the Chrome OS is getting something useful done for the folks who are using it. http://liliputing.com/2013/01/up-to-10-percent-of-acers-laptop-shipments-are-chromebooks.html Ballmer has something else new to worry about now (ditto for Intel). Companies with strong intranets and their own web-based apps on that intranet really don't need anything more than a Chromebook to function just fine. And there are some newer companies that use the Google Apps (or Google Play, the current term it goes under) for collaborative working on spreadsheets, etc. so they don't need anything stronger than a Chromebook either. This fits into the new BYOD corporate workspace too. It is all on the intraweb here at XYZ Corporation, so any device you like is fine. (that's "bring your own device" to the older folks on the list) Chromebooks in public schools make sense too, just grab one off the stack and go sit down and start the computer based exercise for today. So much of the education materials is going web based .... even in classroom based colleges. SMART boards are going up in every classroom which allow kids to see the board from a distance and walk up and write on the board when called on. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/28/13 at 12:08:27 So, here is a nonsense poll just to see where we all sit right now. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Cavi Mike on 01/29/13 at 02:03:46 4261696B686161687F0D0 wrote:
I have a few terabytes of TV shows and movies spread across 7 HDD's right now and my collection is only growing. By the time a computer exists that's small enough to fit in the palm of my hand that can hold that much information - we'll be into the next generation of HD content (4KUHD and 8KUHD) and the files will be even larger which means I'm still gonna be forced to have a full-sized computer. The "death of the PC" or even the "death as we know it" is nothing but sensationalist garbage. It really is tiresome listening to you post that same sentence over and over. Full size PC's aren't going anywhere. Maybe the moms and grandmoms who only use their computer for email and solitaire will no longer have a real PC but that's about it. People who actually use their computer for what they're made for are still gonna own them and continue to buy them. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/29/13 at 05:13:31 If you only define "the computer" as the white box sitting at your desk, your point of view is valid. Your old computer won't change, you'll always have one because the hardware doesn't evaporate on you even if the OS does go away on you (like many will starting in 2014 when XP support ends and Ballmer's boys quietly "encourage" you to upgrade your old box by letting it get munched by a virus). Even then you can always load another OS on your old hardware, or you can take the hint and go buy a new small box. However, what is changing is the "tool" itself -- a lot of other people are choosing to do their computing on alternate instruments instead of the traditional white box, especially to do their casual or entertainment computing. Xbox, Nintendo, Wii, Roku, tablets, phones -- all of these things do computing tasks as well. And they are getting used more and more because they ride in your pocketbook or your pants or are hooked up to your big screen TV. Many consider these "entertainment" devices in their thinking, but they are really little computers. So, back to your main point -- death of the computer as you know it. What will kill off "the PC as you know it" will be the form factor shrink the new technology provides, plus the drastic increase in the horsepower of those little portable devices. Even Intel thinks the Next Unit of Computing comes in a 4" by 6" by 2" little box (which will get even smaller as time goes on). Go ask Dell how big a computer is (not much bigger, really). HP still makes a few larger boxes, but they are mostly empty air inside at this point. ;) So, do what I do with the news, jest don't watch it very often. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Serowbot on 01/29/13 at 09:10:47 I'll take one of those, sub-$100, fanless, low power consumption, 'puters... but, I want to run XP, and I want enough space in the box to have a couple of full size hard drives... I also want the power supply in the box... What I hate, is a bunch of little add-on boxes to make anything useful... ???... :-?... I tried Linux, (puppy, Macpup, Mint 11,.. for 1 1/2 years... It sucked... I'm back to Xp,.. and it works... |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 01/29/13 at 12:10:00 USB 3.0 currently enables power transmission through the USB cables from device to hub to device (including the little PC box). You need a powered hub because some of your devices need the power feed. Your little box PC is just one of these devices. I also like the new USB 3.0 monitors, because they can supply power to other devices through the hub (if you buy the correct hub that is). What are you going to hook up anyway? A keyboard, a mouse, a little PC box, a speaker equipped HDMI monitor, a small format portable hard drive and a printer? Your printer and your monitor are candidates for powering the rest of the stuff as they hook into 120 volts now. This is less wiring than you have around your desk right now with your old main box type PC. |
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Title: Re: 2013 New Computer Stuff Post by Oldfeller on 02/06/13 at 08:49:26 Hey, everybody that bought a Win 8 Surface Table, was grievously disappointed, complained and then got told, "Oh, you wanted to use real Windows programs? That's the Win 8 Pro model and it will be along next year sometimes .... and no, you can't have your money back as you are past the 14 day early return period." It's here now. Everyone is lining up not to buy it. http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/surface-pro.jpg http://liliputing.com/2013/02/microsoft-surface-pro-review-roundup-is-a-windows-8-tablet-worth-1000.html It costs $1,000 (more than a laptop) Battery life sucks (2-4 hours max) It is large, thick, heavy and awkward to use Most real windows programs don't support touch very well But don't take my word on it -- here are the rest of the reviews trying hard to find something good to say about it. While it’s impressive that you can now buy a slate that looks a lot like an iPad but can do much of what a laptop does, it’d be even more impressive if the Surface Pro offered the best of both worlds. Instead, it seems like a jack-of-all-trades master-of-none type device. And even though the hardware’s probably more than worth the $1000 asking price, it’s kind of hard to justify dropping that kind of money on a device that does a lot of things… but doesn’t necessarily do them very well. Here are some of the first reviews of the Microsoft Surface Pro: ABC News All Things D AnandTech Ars Technica BGR Business Insider Chicago Times CNET Engadget Gizmodo Los Angeles Times Mashable TechCrunch Time VentureBeat The Verge ZDNet The Surface Pro is good enough that most reviewers agree that if you really want a Surface tablet, this is the one to get… not the cheaper Surface RT. But they seem to be searching for reasons you might want to buy it at all. NEWS FLASH !!!! Microsoft has heard your plea for better battery life !!!! For only $199.99 as an optional accessory you can buy the super special custom lid cover that includes a state of the art mylar thin film battery that adds an whole extra hour of run time to your Win 8 Surface PRO tablet. Wowsers, Batman !!! ::) ================ Launch day news !!!! Special Launch event in New York City is CANCELLED by Microsoft (bad weather, might get snowed upon you know). Microsoft knocks $100 off the item before it even gets launched (something about bad press for "ludicrous pricing") |
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