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OTOY uses AMD GPUs, black magic to put Crysis on iPhone

No need to dust off your spectacles -- Crysis on the iPhone has been achieved. Just last week we took a peek at the graphical enhancements on the iPhone 3GS, but this demonstration didn't rely on the factory goods from Apple. Instead, a recent OTOY demonstration put to use some of AMD's newest GPU technology in order to play back one of the leading-edge 3D titles on a smartphone. In short, OTOY renders the game on remote servers and then sends information to a recipient; needless to say, an HDTV displayed all sorts of artifacts, but on a screen that's just a few inches large, those flaws become invisible. So, is this really the killer app to supplant Apple's own App Store for gaming on the iPhone? We get the feeling OTOY needs at least few clean-cut commercials with little-known underground music before they can bank on that.

[Via SlashGear]

xpPhone runs Windows XP, gets costumed as a MID


You see, the name "xpPhone" is rather disingenuous here. At first glance, you may assume that you're about to discover what's likely the planet's first cellular telephone to run a full-fledged version of Windows XP. Sadly, we've got to slot the device shown above squarely into the MID category -- GSM support be darned. Still, we can't help but applaud the engineering efforts; after all, this thing somehow packs an AMD CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchpanel, WiFi, various cell radios, a 1.3 megapixel camera and a battery good for five solid hours of use into a device barely larger than the average, yawn-inducing MID found in every last corner of Computex. In fact, it's so impressive that we're beginning to question its authenticity as a real, working product. Much like the number of licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know.

AMD sells handheld graphics unit to Qualcomm for $64M

AMD's been looking to sell off its handheld graphics business since July, and it looks like it's finally found a buyer in Qualcomm. The $65M deal announced today is already approved, and Qualcomm is planning on hiring key design and development people from AMD -- some nice news amid the most recent round of layoffs at the struggling chipmaker. We'll see if this cash infusion helps AMD get back to its feet -- and, on the flipside, if the tech infusion helps Qualcomm actually do something with Snapdragon except demo clunky vaporware prototypes.

Qualcomm lets the Windows Mobile 7 cat out of the bag along with $299 mini laptop

Qualcomm Anchorage
As if things weren't confusing enough in the world of tiny computers, Qualcomm went and blurted off news about a $299 machine that will run Windows Mobile 7 on its Snapdragon mobile chip set. Qualcomm's senior veep Luis Pineda boasted that the machine will run WinMo7 and is more efficient than its competitors from the likes of Intel, AMD, and Via. When pressed, he wouldn't give up any additional hardware specs, but he promises a "big presence in Snapdragon-based devices at CES 2009". This isn't the first time we've seen mention of Windows Mobile 7, but it's quite possibly the first tie-in with a specific product group. We look forward to the Snapdragon-Intel-AMD-Via mobile computing war in the coming year, indeed.

Chime in on the HTC video driver controversy over at Engadget!

It's pretty clear that HTC's stance on the lack of ATI Imageon video drivers in recent devices has caused quite a stir over here at the Mob, so we thought some of you would be interested in heading over to Engadget classic to voice your opinions in poll form. This seems to be a somewhat divisive issue, so your input would be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to take part in the burgeoning comment thread: gotta keep the pressure on, right?

AMD licenses graphics technology to Qualcomm


We first got wind of AMD's wishes to boost the graphical prowess of handsets way back in February of this year (and saw it reaffirmed in March), and now it seems that the firm is making it happen. Apparently, AMD has agreed to license "cutting-edge graphics core technology to Qualcomm" for next-generation chipsets. The deal will reportedly bring AMD's Unified Shader Architecture (introduced in the Xbox 360) to Qualcomm's Mobile Station Modem chipsets, which both firms hope will boost the adoption of 3D gaming and graphic-intensive applications on mobiles. Sadly, we're still left to wonder when we'll see a device actually take advantage of the horsepower, but at least it's in motion.

[Via ExtremeTech]

AMD wants to power handheld graphics with licensed mobile technology

Are you wanting a gaming console experience with your mobile? Well, with AMD aiming to get its graphics technology (from recently-acquired ATI) into that mobile handset, your day may at least partially come soon. We've all seen the lag in some recent handsets, and we attributed that slowness to the advanced graphics capabilities some newer units have along with an underpowered CPU under that cellphone skin. AMD seems serious about attacking that problem as handsets grow even more complex and turn into miniature multimedia powerhouses, as it's created an entire new business segment focused on developing and licensing leading-edge graphics core technologies. This division will not only attack cellphones, but all handheld across the industry. With PDA sales trickling down to nothing and smartphones becoming "the handheld," this means AMD is entering the graphics business for wireless devices, in a nutshell.




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