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NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC

by Sean Cooper posted Feb 18th 2009 @ 4:47PM

We had a brief peek at yest another pico projecting set at MWC, this time an NTT docomo Samsung affair without a name, price, or even a release date. Specs are as sketchy as these are usable in a brightly lit room, but the hopes are this device will be used for services like mobile TV, home theater (yeah, right), document editing, presentations, and video calling. We were enthused to see the mock ups (pictured above) of where the design of this device could go -- and we're hoping that by next year the bricks we've seen lately will be gone and sleek design will become the norm. We filmed a bit of it in action and honestly, we've seen TI's pico projector before and it doesn't seem to have changed significantly. Follow the link to see the media.

Gallery: NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC

Continue reading NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC

TI's OMAP 3 hardware doesn't manage to do Windows Mobile 6.5 any favors

by Paul Miller posted Feb 18th 2009 @ 11:16AM

We were really impressed with Texas Instruments' OMAP 3-based mobile development platform when we saw it running Android earlier today, and the hardware seems to hold up well to all sorts of video-accelerated magic for a multitude of Linux-based interfaces. Not so much with Windows Mobile 6.5. Granted, this is a very early build of the OS according to Microsoft, and is lacking all sorts optimization mojo that will go into the final product due end-of-year-ish, but at the same time this is basically an interface skin to Windows Mobile 6 that Microsoft has had nearly a year to work on since 6.1, and it's not exaggerating to say that performance is a complete joke at the moment. TI's OMAP 3 was clearly struggling to handle basic scrolling of the home screen and app menu, though "smoothness" was slightly improved in scrolling through a gallery of photos. TI has been working with 6.5 for "a few months," and claims to have added optimizations to interface performance -- and interestingly is running this on a capacitive touchscreen device, something that isn't officially supported as far as we're aware. They're also saying that they plan on achieving full smoothness by the time this launches, but there's really a long way to go, and it's difficult to understand why this seems to be a last priority for Microsoft at the moment. On the other hand, TI is doing great things with its own 3D-accelerated interface, something which Windows Mobile 6.5 brings support for, so perhaps these will all one day (soon) meet in the middle and give us the sort of interface smoothness and usability we'd expect on a phone built a decade into this century. Check out the painful videos after the break.

Gallery: TI's OMAP 3 hardware doesn't manage to do Windows Mobile 6.5 any favors

Continue reading TI's OMAP 3 hardware doesn't manage to do Windows Mobile 6.5 any favors

Texas Instruments and Wind River do up Android right

by Paul Miller posted Feb 18th 2009 @ 7:06AM

We just got a great look at the potential of Android on Texas Instruments' new Zoom OMAP34x-II Mobile Development Platform, a sort of sexy cousin to Compulab's exeda. The OMAP3430-powered unit is being built by Logic and is meant for software developers to work on the OMAP3 chipset, but it's actually a pretty neat "device" in its own right, with a 4.1-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen LCD, HDMI out, all sorts of connectivity, 16GB of storage, an SD card slot, large QWERTY keypad and an 8 megapixel camera. There's also a debug board with Ethernet, USB plugs and some other technical stuff. For $1150 developers can pick up a WiFi-only unit, and $1399 buys you a 3G unit -- consumers can buy 'em too, and we can imagine certain enthusiasts wouldn't mind the cost for what basically amounts to the ultimate Android device. The unit runs other flavors of Linux, but we're really in it for the Android, especially thanks to that screen. Wind River has been doing development on Android for a while, contributing to the original source code as part of the OHA, and one of its developers even ported Android to OpenMoko. They've got a refined Android interface running on the Zoom, which includes a tabbed application browser, fancier widgets and a spruced up unlock screen. They wouldn't consider what they're doing a skin or a port, but it's exactly the type of stuff that device manufacturers will be looking for to differentiate their Android-powered handset. Video of all the magic is after the break.

Gallery: Texas Instruments and Wind River do up Android right

Continue reading Texas Instruments and Wind River do up Android right

TI's OMAP 4 bringing 1080p support to smartphones and MIDs

by Darren Murph posted Feb 17th 2009 @ 1:59PM

Right around this time last year, Texas Instruments was busy showing off its OMAP 3 platform, which enabled 720p playback from a mobile phone. At this year's MWC, we've got a real live handset recording 720p, and TI upping the ante once more with a chip that handles 1080p. For those still with us after being blasted with resolutions, the predictably titled OMAP 4 aims to bring 1080p support, 20 megapixel imaging and "approximately a week of audio play time" to mobiles and MIDs that house it. Granted, TI also calls this stuff "future-proof," so don't believe it's totally incapable of uttering some pretty outlandish stuff. At the heart of the platform is a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 chip, a programmable multimedia engine based on TI's C64x DSP and a POWERVR SGX540 graphics engine. We're told that it'll play nice with Linux variants such as Android and LiMo, Symbian and Windows Mobile, though it'll have to be mighty impressive to outgun NVIDIA's Tegra. Battle on, we say.

[Via Linux Devices]

Skyhook XPS integrates with TI's NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions

by Darren Murph posted Feb 16th 2009 @ 12:01AM

It's not that hybrid GPS systems are all that new, it's just that most are working totally under the radar. Skyhook's hoping to get its rendition out in the open a tad more via a new partnership with Texas Instruments. The company's XPS hybrid positioning system is now cleared for integration within TI's NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions, though there's no mention made of who all is drooling to get this into their phones. In short, Skyhook's XPS works by detecting WiFi hotspots, raw GPS readings and cellular IDs, and then comparing that information against a known database of geo-located points. In theory, this stuff could totally amp up the location abilities of most any handset, but in reality, we wouldn't be surprised to see it get swept away and forgotten just like the eerily similar announcement between Skyhook and Broadcom. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Skyhook XPS integrates with TI's NaviLink and WiLink mobile solutions

Nokia ramping orders in preparation for "several" multi-touch phones?

by Thomas Ricker posted Feb 3rd 2009 @ 4:20AM

While DigiTimes tends to nail rumors focused on Taiwanese companies like Acer and ASUS, its component supplying sources can be hit or miss across other geographies. So take it with the usual lump of NaCl when talkative sources say that Nokia is increasing orders in March as it prepares to "launch several 3G and 3.5G products with multi-touch and multimedia functions in 2009" -- Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Synaptics being the chief beneficiaries. Of course, Nokia has been perfectly clear that its 5800 was the just the initial salvo in an onslaught of touchscreen devices to come and led by its flagship N97. Nevertheless, with profits down and the economy mired in the suck, it's nice to have confirmation (as tenuous as it is) that things are on track in Espoo.

Texas Instruments almost set to ship Android dev platform

by Sean Cooper posted Feb 13th 2008 @ 6:34PM

Aside from the Android test platform we saw earlier this week, Texas Instruments has its Android development platform up and running and expects to be in a position to start shipping to developers -- yeah you, the programmers that will make our dreams come true -- in the next two months. Running TI's OMAP 3430 CPU at 600 Mhz, video output at 720p, a big ugly black housing, and it will apparently ring in for under a grand. Check the rest of the pics in the gallery.

Gallery: Texas Instruments almost set to ship Android dev platform

Google attacks: Android at Mobile World Congress

by Sean Cooper posted Feb 11th 2008 @ 9:06AM

Seeing as Mobile World Congress is all about the cellular experience, we weren't too surprised to bump into some Android goodness while here. Texas Instruments had the handset you see above -- from an unknown vendor -- to demo the OS running on an OMAP 3430 at 500 MHz. The interface is dead quick and rather glorious, and while we had no internet connectivity on it, we still were able to have a peek at various applications -- check the gallery for more photos. NEC / Wind River were also showing off an Android prototype platform running on a Medity2 testbed -- also at 500 MHz -- though it's a pretty early implementation and was pretty wonky. Interestingly, neither of them had functional input in the browser, so while the NEC version was online, we couldn't point it anywhere useful. Radio types in the devices were GSM but we expect they'll likely have HSDPA once they finally land in our hands. In a few words, we like what we see.

Gallery: Google attacks: Android at Mobile World Congress

Engadget checks out TI's cellphone projector

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 20th 2007 @ 12:15PM

It's not ready for prime time just yet, but Texas Instruments (among others) appears to be getting closer to a projector that'll cram inside a phone with enough brightness and clarity to make it usable. How cool is that? Granted, this isn't a real phone here that we got to play with -- but it's phone-sized. You get the idea. Read on for the full pictorial!

Motorola tightens belt again, changes 3G chip supplier

by Michael Caputo posted Sep 19th 2007 @ 5:07PM

In an effort to introduce yet more cost saving measures, Motorola has announced that it will change its 3G chipset supplier from Qualcomm to a combination featuring both Texas Instruments and Freescale (a spinoff of Moto, coincidentally). Motorola hopes to achieve lower manufacturing costs while increasing margins for its shareholders by changing chip suppliers away from Qualcomm. We think it might be beneficial for Qualcomm to rethink its royalties game plan starting -- now.

ULP Bluetooth gets Texas Instrument lovin'

by Brian White posted Jun 30th 2007 @ 3:00PM

Texas Instruments loves Bluetooth. The RF and semiconductor company announced that it'll take what experience it has in the ZigBee arena into the Wibree realm since it apparently loves all tech ending in "ee." Seriously though, Ultra Low Power Bluetooth (which took over the Wibree standard just recently) will be TI's focus here as it tries to ply into the short-range connection explosion that we're still waiting on to occur between watches, toys, sensors and more. We love Bluetooth (who doesn't?) and ULP Bluetooth's potential to be a low-cost wireless connectivity scheme that expands beyond cellphones and PCs seems to be ripe for exploitation.

TI showcases diminutive DLP pico-projector

by Darren Murph posted Mar 27th 2007 @ 6:53AM

If anyone doubted Texas Instruments' sincerity in taking the mobile projection world by storm, now would probably be a good time to start boiling some crow. Making good on its wishes to cram DLP into even the most minuscule of locations, the company will be demonstrating its newfangled DLP pico-projector to select media groups, and apparently, those interested in taking a peek better have a front row seat. The mini projector will supposedly "fit in your fingertips," but beyond that vague descriptor, we're not exactly sure about the hard measurements. Notably, it appears that TI's wee PJ could act as a standalone unit "or as an integrated component in a mobile device," which would definitely spruce up current smartphone offerings. Sadly, there wasn't an estimated timeframe as to when we'd (barely) see these devices crammed into cellphone enclosures, but it's just a matter of time before we're streaming live television shows and simultaneously beaming 'em up for all of the subway car to see.

TI pushing to get DLP in your cellphone, local cinema

by Darren Murph posted Jan 10th 2007 @ 5:40PM

It's not terribly uncommon to see a manufacturer try to push a product (or platform) into every crevice of your life, and it seems that Texas Instruments is diverting quite sharply from its calculatorish ways of old and making an aggressive push to get that DLP logo slapped on everything you own. While we've seen (literally) the diminutive Microvision display do its thang here at CES, TI is hoping to steal that thunder away by talking up its forthcoming palm-sized DLP projectors. The "fully featured" Pocket Projectors, which are co-developed by OMAP, would weigh "less than one pound," use the .55 DLP chip, and could purportedly connect to handsets or PDAs to beam up that big(ger) screen imagery for a crowd to see. Unfortunately for TI, these devices are not (at least initially) supposed to be integrated units, which could easily get overlooked if those built-in alternatives can muster acceptable quality. Additionally, TI is hoping to get that DLP logo stamped on your brain even when you visit the cinema, as the company now has its technology in 3,000 theaters worldwide and is frequently throwing logo-clad splash screens onto the canvas during pre-show advertisements. So if you wonder why you're strangely drawn to the DLP sets during your next HDTV shopping trip, trust us, it's not the mirrors, it's the marketing.

[Via AboutProjectors]

TI launches chipset for entry level featurephones

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 12th 2006 @ 6:16PM

As multimedia features typically associated with higher-end handsets -- music players, video cameras, 3D acceleration, and the like -- start to trickle down to the mainstream, chip suppliers are looking at ways to make the requisite chipsets mainstream, too. Enter TI's OMAPV1035 "eCosto" single-chip platform; with an ARM9 processor core, the 1035 will be manufactured using a 65nm process when it begins volume production in early 2008. Features include EDGE support (but no 3G in sight -- we question that logic for a multimedia chipset that isn't due for another year), 30 fps video streaming at resolutions up to 320 x 240, 3D gaming, and support for still cameras up to 3 megapixels. Just as long as we get an HSDPA version of this goodness, TI, we're with you one hundred percent.

TI chipset boon for couch potatoes

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 8th 2006 @ 5:44PM

As manufacturers gear up to ship second- and third-generation handsets with mobile TV support, it seems the lines between phones, televisions, and the TiVo in your family room will be doing a bit of blurring. Texas Instruments is demoing new functionality in its DTV1000 "Hollywood" (no, not that Hollywood) digital TV chipset this week that, when paired up with their OMAP2430 core, offers users DVR and picture-in-picture functionality -- both features usually reserved for more traditional tee vees. Also notable is that TI's solution requires far less buffer memory to get DVR working than other solutions, resulting (hopefully) in cheaper handsets. The software and hardware are available immediately to manufacturers for integration, setting the stage for retail devices some time in 2007; with any luck, that'll line up nicely for US entrants in the DVB game to get rolling.