Computex Bits n Bytes – Day Two

Core Blimey! Freescale’s new processor tips up
Embedded processor maker Freescale has used Computex as a springboard to launch its new cryptically named i.MX535 processor, based on the ARM Cortex-A8 family.
Although unveiled this week, Freescale won’t be making the new processor available until Q1 of 2011, which means it sadly might be a while until we see some cool gadgets and gizmos running on the platform, but that doesn’t mean OEMs and ODMs aren’t already lining up, with rumors that even giant Microsoft has shown an interest. Could this mean a Freescale based Windows 7 Phone coming next year? We’ll keep you posted.
Freescale, which prides itself on designing balanced processors with an abundance of features is boasting that the i.MX535 will include full 1080p HD support including duplex video conferencing and support for Adobe Flash 10.1 optimized through the OpenGL ES 2.0 engine.
The i.MX535 cores apparently also sport up to 2 GB of external memory for that extra added boost so important to the graphics and media playback being demanded by consumers, all while purportedly being rather power efficient to boot.
Qualcomm’s army of Snapdragons
Qualcomm, much like China, is sometimes referred to as the sleeping giant: a firm so huge, yet seemingly much more low key than its brash and boastful competitor, Intel. But at this year’s Computex in Taipei, the sleeping giant appears not only to be stirring, but marching forward with force, showing off an impressive 140 Snapdragon processor based devices at its booth.
The tour de force by Qualcomm includes products that have either already launched or are currently in design and run the gamut from smartphones to pocket tablets, and smartbooks in a variety of form factors.
Just some of the noteworthy mentions in Qualcomm’s impressive line-up are Acer’s Liquid and neoTouch smartphones, Dell’s Streak five inch Android tablets, HP’s Compaq Airlife 100 smartbook, HTC’s Droid Incredible and Google’s Nexus One smartphone. There is also a Huawei S7 tablet and Lenovo’s LePhone smartphone.
As if that wasn’t enough to awe the crowds, Qualcomm is also wowing punters with a whole host of Gobi-equipped devices, eZone wireless technology and MediaFLO.
D2 raises its VoIP at Computex
Converged IP communications outfit, D2 Technologies, is showing off its VoIP wares in the halls of Taipei’s convention centre this week, with the firm’s vPort Gateway (GW) embedded VoIP software taking the spotlight.
D2 reckons it is actually showing off the industry’s broadest range of VoIP platform offerings for OEMs/ODMs at the COMPUTEX 30 Taipei tradeshow.
The firm is also saying that its vPort Gateway VoIP software is so good because it allows manufacturers to use their own IC platforms – or any of their choice – to deliver advanced Integrated Access Devices (IADs), residential gateways and other CPE with “carrier-grade” VoIP functionality over wireline, WiFi and WiMAX connections.
Meego – What a Novell idea!
Software and services outfit Novell has come out in vociferous support of Intel and Nokia’s Meego platform and announced it would be releasing SUSE MeeGo as a fully supported operating system for netbooks, expecting to see the first offering emerge on the market within the next year.
Novell says it fully expects SUSE MeeGo to woo OEMs enough for them to want to pre-install it on a veritable plethora of devices.
The Linux-based operating system is destined not only for netbooks, but also for other mobile devices, which somewhat puts it at odds with Nokia’s Symbian offering, although no one at the firm will openly admit to this being an issue.
Not only is Novell supporting Meego, the firm also says it is taking a key role in its development too. The firm even announced it had established a Novell OpenLabs in Taiwan, in conjunction with the local government.
Seems Meego might not be such a No-go after all.
Vroom, Vroom! Acer wants to put a Ferrari in your pocket
Local Taiwanese company Acer is feeling racy at Computex this year, and is satisfying its need for speed by teaming its mobile phone efforts up with Ferrari, a formula [one?] the firm has obviously found successful in selling laptops.
The Acer Ferrari laptop has been on the circuit for a while now, but here at Computex the company announced it would be bringing a bit of the slick red chique off the road and onto its Liquid E smartphone, making it a must-have luxury item for auto-enthusiasts.
The bright red and Ferrari branded device certainly packs power too, with a 768 MHz Snapdragon Processor under the hood, as well as Google’s Android 2.1, 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM a 5MP autofocus camera a 3.5″ 800×480 display, Wi-Fi and GPS.
Of course, no Ferrari would be complete without obnoxious engine-noise ringtones, and the Liquid has these in abundance.
No word on pricing yet, but we reckon it will probably be a fair bit more affordable than owning the real thing.