Todays & Tomorrows Technology

AMD are planning to announce a new flagship processor, the 3.4GHz Phenom II, to take on Intel’s Core 2 Quad range, according to a number of sites. The so-called AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition has been spotted on the ASRock site, which seemingly confirms that it will have the same cache and 125W TDP as the Phenom II X4 955.

News of the unannounced chip has prompted speculation about pricing for AMD’s new flagship. Currently the X4 955 – the highest-spec CPU in AMD’s Phenom II range today – is priced at around $245; Intel’s highest-spec Core 2 Quad CPU meanwhile, the Q9650, is around $320.

AMD might choose to price the new 3.4GHz processor up near the Q9650, at least at first, before dropping it down so as to remain competitive when Intel begin delivering Lynnfield processors later in 2009. Lynnfield chips will slot into Intel’s i5 and i7 mid- and high-range processor lines.

Intel’s upcoming 32nm Clarkdale processor could be seeing a release sooner than expected, according to unnamed sources at motherboard manufacturers. The company has reportedly brought forward mass-production of the Clarkdale CPU to Q4 2009, compared to the original Q1 2010 date on their timetable.
Clarkdale will have two cores each capable of two threads, and include integrated graphics and a memory controller. It’s expected to be positioned as the company’s latest mainstream desktop processor, and account for 10-percent of OEM shipments in Q4 2009, rising to 20-percent in Q1 2010.

That’s still behind 45nm-process chips, which will still account for an expected 78-percent of OEM desktop shipments in the new year. Intel themselves have declined to comment on the report.

Rumors regarding a PSP phone have circulated for almost as long as the gaming handheld itself has been available, and despite Sony’s best efforts they refuse to die down. According to the Nikkei business daily this weekend, Sony is looking to set up a department that would explore gaming/phone hybrid devices; the team could be established as early as July, suggests the report.
While the Nikkei’s sources are unspecified, the Sony project is tipped to bring together their own gaming-device experience and the cellular functionality of Sony Ericsson handsets. That implies that the project may not be a Sony Ericsson device but solely bear Sony’s branding; previous rumors have suggested strong internal disagreement over Sony Ericsson handsets using the PlayStation name.

Sony themselves have declined to comment on the report, which does at least make a change from the usual “we have no plans” we tend to hear from them. Their most recent handheld, the PSP Go, has WiFi but no 3G connectivity; however as it relies on digital distribution for its gaming titles and content, it would be a likely candidate for the sort of anywhere-downloads integrated WWAN would permit.

According to an unnamed phoneArena tipster, Verizon have confirmed that they will be offering the CDMA version of Samsung’s Omnia II this July. The source is seemingly Verizon’s customer services, who revealed that the touchscreen AMOLED Windows Mobile phone will be dropping just next month.
Samsung made the Omnia II official earlier this month, surprising with the fact that the device publicly announced was not the GSM HSPA handset expected but a CDMA device. Verizon’s latest smartphone will offer EVDO Rev.A; there’s no talk of it being a “worldphone” with both CDMA and GSM support for roaming.

Also unknown is a specific release date in July, and what sort of pricing the Omnia II might command. The phone has a 3.7-inch WVGA display, 5-megapixel camera, WiFi and A-GPS.

The clock is counting down to HTC’s London press event, with a little over three hours to go until we get to see exactly what the smartphone manufacturer has in store. We’re fully expecting to see a new Android handset, most likely the HTC Hero, which we’re hearing that the company has been quietly showing off to select groups of journalists and analysts. SlashGear will be at the event this morning, bringing you all the details.

The Hero is expected to feature similar hardware to the HTC Magic, so figure a capacitive touchscreen, 3G and WiFi connectivity, GPS and a camera. What stands it apart are the modifications HTC have apparently made to Android; while the company’s first two devices have pretty much delivered the typical Google platform experience, leaked ROM builds from the Hero suggest a new UI called “Rosie”.

Rosie blends some of HTC’s TouchFLO 3D UI, as seen on their Windows Mobile devices, with Android, and we’re hearing very positive things from those running the ROM on their devices. Other rumors, though, are saying that HTC will bring a second device, similar to the Hero but with a QWERTY keyboard, called Memphis along today. We’ll only know when the curtain (likely metaphorically) goes up, so keep reading SlashGear to find out all the news today.

Intel are about to announce a deal whereby they will supply Nokia with mobile processors, according to an anonymous Bloomberg tipster. The deal is expected to be revealed today in a conference call with Anand Chandrasekher, senior VP of Intel’s ultra-mobility group; Intel themselves have only confirmed that they have an “important announcement” to make.

What’s unclear at present is the nature of the chips Intel will be supplying Nokia. The company’s CEO has previously said that they’ve considered a move into the notebook or netbook segment, though failed to specify whether such a device would take the form of a traditional, 3G-connected laptop, or something more unusual such as a MID or UMPC.

It seems likely, then, that Nokia are looking to use Intel’s Moorestown platform, expected to arrive in 2010, or – further in the future – their Medfield platform for smartphones that’s penciled in for 2011.

The surprise is perhaps diminished thanks to their joining the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) back in December 2008, but according to Taiwanese industry sources Toshiba are currently developing an Android-based cellphone. No details regarding the smartphone have been disclosed, and Toshiba themselves are yet to publicly announce any Android intentions.

One possibility, however, is that Toshiba are considering a Qualcomm Snapdragon based Android device. The company’s TG01 Windows Mobile smartphone already uses the Snapdragon chipset, and Qualcomm themselves demonstrated Android running on a reference prototype back at CES in January. Such a handset could have significantly improved AV capabilities, with various Snapdragon processors supporting anything from integrated WWAN and GPS to high-definition support, mobile digital TV, HSPA+ and WiFi.

Back when Toshiba joined the OHA - at the same time as Garmin, ASUS and Sony Ericsson – no specific intent for any one member was given. Instead, they were tipped to either “deploy compatible Android devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project, or support the ecosystem through products and services that will accelerate the availability of Android-based devices.”

So, we don’t know if these are for real or not, but some specs for the Canon 1D Mark IV DSLR Camera were revealed today at Photography Bay. These specs reveal quite a bit about the new camera and if proven true, will be pretty interesting to see in action.

Specs include a 1.3x crop sensor for 16-megapixel images, sRAW1 format for 8-megapixel images and an ISo sensitivity of 50 to 26,500. The supposed beta tester reveals that the camera has a burst shooting mode that’s faster than the 1D Mark III and has a super fast autofocus as well.

Other features include a 3-inch LCD screen, video recording, and ergonomically arranged buttons and controls. We already heard about an August release date for this model, so if these specs are real and there are beta models in tester’s hands, that date is looking more and more likely.

Never one to under-egg the photography pudding, Nikon have organized two separate press conferences in the upcoming months, first on July 30th and then another on August 4th. That’s prompted speculation as to which two products might be imminent; the Nikon D300s, with its SD card slot, seems a likely candidate for one date, but there’s less certainty about the second DSLR.
Over at Photography Bay, they’re speculating about two main possibilities. Firstly, that Nikon will replace their D60 entry-level DSLR, perhaps by adding video recording capabilities so as to stay in line with entry-level rivals; second, that the Nikon D3s will be replaced.

CrunchGear are putting their money on a D60 replacement, based on the premise that the obvious update to the D3s – again, video recording – would be less important on a professional DSLR. Of course, there’s always the chance that Nikon will use one event to unveil their new point-and-shoot range.

The thought of Swedish uber-car manufacturer Koenigsegg ever actually putting their Quant concept car into production was a laughable joke back when they revealed it in March. The solar electric vehicle was billed as a “car of the future” designed to showcase NLV Solar’s nifty photovoltaic and accumulator tech; now, according to one Koenigsegg insider, the firm intends to put the Quant into limited production.

The concept behind the Quant is straightforward: as well as a standard recharging system, which is apparently capable of fully juicing the supercar in 20 minutes, the whole thing has a photovoltaic coating that constantly tops up the batteries. That means the Quant is good for a 500km range, helped by the slippery aerodynamic shape.

Of course, since this is Koenigsegg we’re talking about, speed isn’t in short supply either. Twin rear-wheel drive electric motors can push the Quant 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 170mph. Not bad for a four-seater with gullwing doors, 3-zone climate control, at least six airbags and all the usual electronic safety gubbins.

Commentators are already linking the leak to Koenigsegg’s recent buyout bid for Saab, though there’s no telling whether the two are connected. Whatever the badge on the front, look out Tesla: Sweden is coming for you.

Chalk this one up under the “big rumor” heading for the moment, but a moderator at the Vodafone View forums has claimed that the carrier will be releasing a “Nokia N97 Mini” in Ireland later this year. The phone is described as “competitively” priced, which the moderator suggests will “appeal to a wider segment of customers”; as such, the Nokia N97 will not be launched in Ireland.

No other details regarding the “N97 Mini” have been disclosed, but if authentic it is presumably a simpler version of the N97 which has just launched in the US. You can see our video unboxing and hands-on gallery of the Nokia N97 here.

The moderator goes on to confirm that Vodafone Ireland will not be be offering the Palm Pre, due to another carrier having exclusivity. It’s unstated, but previous rumors have tipped rival O2 as clinching the Pre. Finally, it’s confirmed that the BlackBerry Storm 2 is coming to Vodafone Ireland as well, though there’s no word on exactly when that might happen.

The 11.6-inch netbook/CULV segment continues to look to be the next area of growth in budget ultraportables, as display panel manufacturer Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) are tipped to have secured orders with both Dell and Samsung. The company has been demonstrating the 11.6-inch panel along with a 13.3-inch version intended for CULV machines at the Display Taiwan 2009 expo.

Also on show have been 3D-capable panels and a multitouch display intended for netbooks. No word on whether they have been picked up by manufacturers yet.

The 11.6-inch CPT display, like most of its size, runs at 1366 x 768 resolution. It has a 220 cd/m2 brightness rating and 3.6W power consumption; CPT expect it to go into mass production come July 2009, though there’s no word on when we can expect to see the Samsung and Dell machines using it.

MacBook Pro confusion this weekend, as some owners of the new unibody 13- and 15-inch notebooks are reporting that their machines are apparently limited to 1.5Gb/s SATA connections rather than the faster 3.0Gb/s SATA-II. Full details are unclear, but it seems that Apple have either switched to SATA hardware or used firmware for the newest MacBook Pros that limits hard-drive connections to the slower speed.

The move has the most impact on those who upgraded to the SSD option in their new MacBook Pro. Regular hard-drives, which the notebooks are both fitted with as standard, will prove unaffected, as the read/write speeds of the drive are slower than SATA. However SSDs, which can manage higher sustained read rates, are clocking in with lower speeds compared to previous-generation MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

Any impact on real-world performance, however, is unknown. Transferring files to external drives would be limited by the USB/Firewire connection rather than the choice of SATA or SATA-II. It’s possible that a new firmware update could “unlock” the faster connectivity, but so far Apple have not publicly commented.

One blurry image does not a guaranteed product make, but according to the latest leak from Chinese forum PDAFans you’re looking at Dell’s upcoming Android smartphone. Looking like the bulk of a Palm Pre with the kick-out chin section of an HTC Magic, the unnamed smartphone is tipped to be launching by the end of 2009.

Other than the one picture, there are no details on possible specifications for the handset. However if authentic it’s likely to have a capacitive touchscreen and touch-sensitive controls in the lower-bezel to cover Android’s button requirements.

Dell’s imminent entrance to the smartphone market has been rumored for months, though the company themselves have been cagey about their plans. Back in March, Michael Dell confirmed that his company was working on “smaller screen” 3G devices, though declined to elaborate on whether that meant smartphones or WWAN-integrated netbooks.

We're actually surprised we didn't make the connection earlier, but word on the street today is the the rumored Samsung Omnia Pro will actually be a renamed Louvre B7610, a set's which been popping up a lot lately. Makes sense -- the Louvre's 3.5-inch WVGA AMOLED screen, 800MHz processor, and 5.1 megapixel camera match up nicely with the Omnia line. It's running Windows Mobile 6.1 right now, but we wouldn't be too surprised if the rumored August release date is held back to September or October to coincide with WinMo 6.5. One more pic after the break, couple more at the read links.

It seems a day doesn’t go by without some new technology rumor. But hey, it keeps things exciting. Today, there’s a rumor going around on the Pentax Forums that Samsung will be releasing the GX-30 very soon.

The GX-30 is set to be the successor to the GX-20, a DSLR camera. The suspected launch date is July 7th. Interestingly enough, we heard last month that the GX-30 would be launching in June but nothing has come of that yet.

However, not everyone thinks it’s the GX-30 set to launch. Others are set on the idea that the NX-series will be making it’s debut next month. Of course, nothing official has been revealed by Samsung just yet, so for now all we can do is speculate.

Prepare for more Palm Pre carrier confusion, as the Wall Street Journal reports that their source tips a Pre launch on Verizon Wireless come January 2010. The leak comes mere days after Sprint CEO Dan Hesse suggested that rival Verizon may like to “check its facts” over the length of the Pre exclusivity deal Sprint has signed with Palm.


That retort came after Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam’s well-publicized suggestion that handsets “like the Palm Pre” would be showing up on their shelves in the next six months. The comment led to speculation that Palm and Sprint had arranged a six month exclusivity deal that would likely run up until the end of 2009.

The WSJ doesn’t name its source, only claim it is a “person familiar with the situation”. As we pointed out on Friday, Hesse’s comments did not lay out exactly the length of the sole-provider agreement, nor did it confirm or deny that it was any longer or indeed shorter than six months. Sales of the Pre over its launch weekend set new records for Sprint, but the freshly-announced iPhone 3G S and the ongoing talk of a Verizon version may dampen enthusiasm over the rest of 2009.

Acer are reportedly considering phasing out their 11.6-inch Aspire One netbook, in favor of a new model in their Timeline range with the same screen size. The news, which comes from industry sources in Taiwan, suggests that the new 11.6-inch Acer Timeline will launch in June, with the netbook either discontinued or discounted to differentiate between the two models.

Lower than expected sales of the 11.6-inch Acer Aspire One have led the company to reduce orders with OEM manufacturer Quanta. One possible reason for the netbook’s poor result is the choice of Intel’s Atom Z520 processor, a low-power chip which has proved unable to keep up with the 720p-capable display credentials of the AO751.

Quanta are tipped as the manufacturer of the new 11.6-inch Timeline, though no specifications have been revealed for the ultraportable. The existing Timeline range begins at $598, and consists of 13.3-inch, 14-inch and 15.6-inch models.

Further details regarding the Samsung GT-I8000 have emerged, and it seems that you’re looking at the Samsung Omnia II (or Omnia2; the nomenclature isn’t decided yet). Packing a 3.7-inch WVGA 800 x 480 touchscreen - that’s tipped to use an AMOLED panel - the Omnia II has an 8.1-megapixel camera with dual LED flash and VGA video recording at 30fps.

Connectivity is tipped to include 3G UMTS, WiFi, Bluetooth and miniUSB, while there’s also GPS and a microSD card slot. The UI is prompting discussion: some are saying that it’s unchanged over previous iterations of Samsung’s Windows Mobile TouchWiz overlay, while a video demo said to be of the Omnia II shows a new, cubic arrangement.

Other hardware specs include an unspecified Qualcomm processor and 150MB of internal memory. There’s also some confusion over the display specifications, as at least one source tips the AMOLED panel to support up to 16.7m colors while at present Windows Mobile will only support 65,000 colors.

Nonetheless, this looks to be an interesting follow-up to the original Windows Mobile Omnia i900. There’s talk of it being announced at a Samsung event on June 15th.

Over 50,000 people may have taken home a box just like this at some time over the weekend, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Paul Cooster. While Palm and Sprint are yet to comment regarding first-weekend Pre sales, analysts have tentatively pegged the figures as ranging from 35,000 to 60,000, with shortages of the smartphone having a significant impact on numbers.