photon

Tegra-2 Galaxy S II, Photon 4G cleared FCC?

The Samsung Galaxy S II has already taken off in global markets, becoming Samsung's fastest-selling phone with sales of 3 million units in 55 days, according to a Samsung press release issued July 3.

CNET certainly appreciated the dual-core, 4G-capable Android handset enough to give the unlocked version a coveted Editors' Choice Award ahead of its official U.S. launch. Although a U.S. version cleared the FCC in early May, possibly AT&T-bound, there's still been no official word on a timeline or carrier pickup.

We did, however, learn of a few more clues in another recent FCC filing, this time for a handset with a variation on the Galaxy S II's model number, one that outlets like Engadget have speculated means that there's an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor onboard.… Read more

Rumor: Conquer 4G and Photon 4G due at Sprint

Sprint's Android roster is set to grow by at least two handsets with the Conquer 4G and Photon 4G expected to arrive within the next few weeks. According to a leaked Sam's Club document passed to AndroidCentral, the midrange Samsung handset has a specific release date of July 24, whereas the Motorola superphone is associated with a vague "July" release.

The Samsung Conquer 4G was briefly listed on Samsung's Web site before disappearing within a few hours. Specifications were shown to include a 1GHz processor, 3.5-inch display, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and a front-facing … Read more

Sprint debuts Motorola Photon 4G, Triumph; hands-on impressions

NEW YORK--In a renewed effort to bring more innovative devices to market together, Sprint and Motorola introduced the Motorola Photon 4G and Motorola Triumph today, 2 of 10 new devices the companies plan on launching together in 2011.

Though Motorola handsets have been available on Sprint and its prepaid brands, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, for years, they have tended to be more on the entry-level to midtier side, especially when compared with the carrier's higher-end offerings from HTC and Samsung. Realizing that void, Sprint said it made the conscious decision about a year ago to work more closely … Read more

IBM chips: Let there be light signals

IBM has achieved a major milestone in making the dream of silicon photonics, in which computer chips send signals of light rather than electricity, into reality.

At the semiconductor industry conference Semicon in Tokyo today, IBM photonics leader Yurii Vlasov is detailing how IBM has created a chip that integrates many of the necessary elements of optical communication between a processor and other devices. Significantly, the design uses conventional rather than exotic chip manufacturing technology, involves very small components, and essentially permits a fiber-optic communication line to be attached directly to a processor.

And more significantly, it's headed for … Read more

MIT: New germanium laser better for computing

MIT has demonstrated a laser that's built from germanium and that works at room temperature, a move the university said could be useful for high-speed optical data pathways within computers.

Lasers today are widely used to transmit large amounts of data over long distances, but the technology isn't economical for short-haul trips. However, many researchers are investigating ways to integrate lasers directly with conventional computer chips in an effort to reduce those costs and make high-speed communications more widespread.

Today's lasers typically are made from gallium arsenide and other expensive materials that have to be attached to computing chips after each component has been separately manufactured. In a paper to be published in Optics Letters, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers said Thursday they made the germanium lasers work using a technology called indirect-band-gap semiconductors that other researchers thought wouldn't work. And the germanium technology is more easily integrated during manufacturing with today's chips. … Read more

Intel toots its research horn for chips--and more

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Much more than most companies, Intel's success depends on the technology that will arrive in its field years hence. As a result, the company has more than 1,000 researchers beavering away to gauge and develop that technology.

And the company wants everyone to know it.

At its Intel Research Day at the Computer History Museum here Thursday, the company touted a wide range of projects that extend beyond the company's core business of making computer processors. On display were projects to improve the WiMax regional wireless network technology, improve mobile devices' processing power while … Read more

Intel develops fast, cheap optical links on silicon

Intel is claiming "world record" performance in optical communications using silicon photonics, in a development announced in the journal Nature Photonics.

Silicon photonics-based photo dectors are used to send and receive optical information, particularly in very high-bandwidth applications like supercomputers. Intel says silicon photonics is essential for "ultra-fast transfer of data (in) future computers powered by many processor cores."

The development is significant because it is based on silicon--a readily available, low-cost material used in semicondutor chips today--and outperforms more exotic, pricier materials. To date, Silicon photonics technology, using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) techniques, has suffered … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 728: Rock the Roku

Today in "we have actual tech news to report" tech news, Netflix's new box hits the price sweet spot, Napster is offering 6 million DRM-free MP3s (déjà-vu?), and Gizmodo! Confirms! The 3G! iPhone! Release! Date! Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 728

Look out, Apple TV: The $100 Netflix Player has arrived http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9947582-1.html

6 million DRM-free MP3s now at Napster http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9945987-7.html

Breaking: iPhone 3G launch date confirmed http://gizmodo.com/391960/iphone-3g-launch-date-confirmed http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/05/20/ apple_wwdc_rumour_revival/

Microsoft … Read more

Researchers switch to photons in race for faster microchip

The University of Texas at Dallas has entered the race to produce a more powerful semiconductor using a $1.75 million grant from DARPA to develop a microchip that is "faster than anything" on the market today.

The new technology will still be silicon-based but will use photons rather than electrons to speed things up, according to a UT press release.

"This research is intended to produce a completely new class of components that could have a revolutionary impact on information engineering," Professor Duncan MacFarlane said. "The photonic integrated circuit (PIC) we're developing will … Read more