Posted 11/10/09 at 04:08:09 PM by Pulkit Chandna

A day after NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang was snapped with what clearly resembled a tablet, the company shed some light on the mysterious device. According to Engadget, the graphics chip maker has revealed to it the true identity of the tablet. It is actually a Tegra prototype developed by original design manufacturer (ODM) called ICD.

The site also claims to have been tipped about some of the tablet's specs. According to Engadget's "credible" sources, the tablet currently runs Windows CE and features a resistive touchscreen. It went on to add that an Android-based variant, also featuring a capacitive touchscreen, is in the works. Apparently, the plan is to have the tablet ready for a March 2010 launch. The site even named T-Mobile as a likely carrier.

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Posted 10/27/09 at 09:43:36 AM by Paul Lilly

MSI has so far been pretty quiet about its plans to enter the increasingly crowded e-book market, instead letting others steal the spotlight. Maybe not for long, based on what we just found out. According to MSI chairman Joseph Hsu, the company is developing an e-reader built around Nvidia's Tegra platform.

Sounds promising just on that tidbit alone, but unfortunately, we won't see anything from MSI in time of the holidays. There are still some kinks to be worked out, so MSI has decided to hold off until the first half of 2010 to divulge any more details. Bummer.

The timing might not be terrible for MSI. It's true that rival Asus also plans to release an e-book reader in the near future, but first run batches will be limited and aimed at charities. Consumer models aren't expected to ship until the first quarter of 2010. Plus, tapping into Tegra could potentially turn out to be a huge advantage for MSI, particularly when pitted against grayscale e-book readers like the one Asus is working on.

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Posted 10/14/09 at 03:27:18 PM by Paul Lilly

Nvidia's Tegra platform continues to woo big-name customers, most recently attracting Nintendo, who reportedly is in talks with Nvidia to provide some extra oomph for its next-gen DS handheld console.

The deal marks a win-win situation for both involved. For Nvidia's part, no other handheld console would put Tegra in more hands, courtesy of the DS's 68.3 percent worldwide market share. And for Nintendo, tapping into Tegra gives the company's console a power boost sure to be well received by consumers and developers alike.

Until more details are released, we can only speculate on what the next DS might be like, but it's at least feasible that on top of the added muscle, it will also sport backwards compatibility with the existing DS library, assuming Theo Valich's sources prove reliable.

What will also be interesting to watch is how this relationship between Nintendo and Nvidia plays out in the home console market. Might Nvidia replace ATI as the graphics vendor of choice in whatever supersedes the Wii? We'll have to wait to find out.

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Posted 09/24/09 at 01:45:28 PM by Paul Lilly

Turns out the rumors are true - at some point in the not too distant future, you will see Google Chrome OS devices running on Nvidia's Tegra platform. At least that's what Mike Rayfield, Nvidia's GM of Mobile Business, told jkOnTheRun.com.

Rayfileld said Nvidia is "working closely with Google" on the Chrome OS platform, which is part of Nvidia's two-pronged approach. The first is to put Tegra on Windows Mobile and Google Android devices, but far from being just for handhelds, Rayfield said Tegra will also find a home in Windows CE and Google Chrome OS-based smartbooks and netbooks.

This could potentially be a huge development, given Tegra's prowess in the portable space. The Tegra platform excels at running small, energy efficient gadgets, as evidenced by the new Zune HD, and when combined with Chrome, a Tegra netbook could give today's units a run for their money.

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Posted 08/14/09 at 12:55:50 PM by Paul Lilly

Microsoft's upcoming Zune HD will get more than a little help from Nvidia in going toe-to-toe against Apple's iPod and every other handheld media player on the market. Providing extra processor oomph, the Zune HD will use Nvidia's multi-core Tegra processor.

"Nvidia brings power graphics to the portable media player. This is a unique capability," said Jeff Orr, senior analyst for mobile content at ABI Research.

What makes Nvidia's Tegra so special -- and the Zune HD so promising -- are eight independent processors, which will go a long ways in helping the Zune HD handle high definition video and Flash content on its OLED touch screen without necessitating a bulky formfactor.

"Apple probably builds a pretty good SoC [System-on-Chip], but in terms of what they have already enabled [on the iPod Touch], I don't believe it has nearly the graphics and power management that Tegra does," said Mike Rayfield, a general manager at Nvidia. "We've benchmarked against everyone out there, and we are the most advanced in terms of graphics and overall power management."

The Zune HD will be just one of many devices to make use of Nvidia's Tegra processor. According to Nvidia, there are about 50 other gadgets in design right now with Tegra.

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Posted 06/18/09 at 04:28:30 PM by Andy Salisbury

For some time now there’s been speculation as to just what processor is under the hood of the Zune HD. Now, it has finally been confirmed that it is the Nvidia Tegra that’s allowing potential users to view video in HD.

PC Perspective’s Ryan Shrout was able to confirm the news after hearing about the Tegra’s role in the new Zune at Computex in early June. The Tegra was chosen due to its ability to decode a video stream using only 150 mWatts of power and output audio at only 20 mWatts.

With the Zune HD’s 3.3-inch 480x272 OLED display, it’ll be able to playback H.264 content and output video via HDMI at 720p.

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Posted 06/02/09 at 09:40:48 AM by Paul Lilly

At Computex today, Nvidia and its partners announced a dozen high-definition mobile internet devices (MIDs) built around the GPU maker's Tegra processor, the "world's smallest and lowest power computer-on-a-chip," according to Nvidia.

"The mobile computing revolution has arrived," stated Micheal Rayfield, general manger of mobile business at Nvidia. "These new Tegra-based products combine excellent Internet and media capabilities, always-on operation, and wireless connectivity for the un-tethered Internet experience consumers have been craving."

Not to be confused with MIDs as handheld devices (as Intel uses the term), Nvidia's MIDs include several Tegra-based netbooks and tablets. We'll let you be the judge on that one.

The Tegra platform brings several goodies to the table, including 25 days of music or 10-hours of 1080p video playback on a single charge, playing videogames at up to 46 frames per second, GPU accelerated Adobe Flash, and more.

According to Engadget, look for Tegra devices to start shipping by the end of the year for $200 or less.

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Posted 02/17/09 at 09:00:19 AM by Paul Lilly

Nvidia this week unveiled a new platform that ties its Tegra 600 Series 'computer-on-a-chip' technology with a $99 always-on, always-connected HD mobile internet device (MID). According to Nvidia, devices built around the new platform can last for days before it becomes necessary to charge the battery.

"Mobile internet devices have evolved to provide consumers with the performance and connectivity required by today’s lifestyle," said Michael Rayfield, general manager of the mobile business unit at NVIDIA. "Until now, consumers could get just another ‘gadget’ with limited functionality or a PC that’s not ‘always on’. A Tegra-based platform combines the best of both worlds."

In addition to a super-long battery life, Nvidia says its Tegra MID will be capable of both 720p and 1080p video playback and come equipped for full WiFi and 3G connectivity. The company also says the hardware will be optimized for Web 2.0 applications and utilize a complete software solution consisting of Microsoft Windows Embedded CE OS, application viewers, an internet browser, UI framework, a web mail client, and host of other goodies.

Too good to be true? Time will tell, but if Nvidia can deliver on all that it's promising, some very compelling devices could wind up in the market place. The graphics chip maker has indicated it is working with manufacturers who will build the new MIDs, the first of which are expected to show up in the second half of 2009.

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