tegra

Microsoft did not skimp on specs for its new tablets.

More than any single feature, the 3mm-thick Touch Cover (see photos below) stands out. Using pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, allowing faster touch typing than is possible with on-screen keyboards, Microsoft claims.

The Touch Cover attaches to the tablet with a built-in magnetic connector, "forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover," Microsoft said.

There is also an option for a slightly thicker 5 mm Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing experience. … Read more

Recently, I haven't been so impressed with a string of LG phones. Though a lot of them are good, solid handsets, none of them have wowed me.

That is, until now.

I mentioned the LG Optimus 4X HD back in February, when it was going by the name LG X3. It was rumored to have a quad-core CPU and I'm glad the rumors were true.

Its 1.5GHz Tegra 3 quad-core processor from Nvidia makes it impressively snappy. Not only does it launch and quit graphics-heavy gaming apps like nobody's business, but the 8-megapixel camera is stupid … Read more

While American smartphones have yet to taste the fruit of quad-core computing, yet another fire-breathing handset boasting the technology has hit European shores. LG has confirmed its Optimus 4X HD is now for sale in Germany. … Read more

Though we've see a decent selection of quad-core smartphones so far in 2012, Nvidia says there are a lot more to come.

Speaking at the company's annual investor meeting, Nvidia General Manager Mike Rayfield indicated that his company hopes to deliver 30 Tegra 3 handsets this year. Beyond just being faster and performing better, the new crop of smartphones also will be less expensive than earlier models.

Indeed, any new superphones can't come soon enough for Android early adopters in the United States. Even with high benchmarks and accolades, there's still a small contingent of users … Read more

Nvidia first LTE modem is ready for AT&T's network.

The Icera 410 LTE modem chipset for tablets and laptops has been tested and validated for operation on the AT&T 4G LTE network, the Santa Clara, Calif. chip supplier said today.

"Validation with AT&T...paves the way for Nvidia Icera-powered LTE devices on the AT&T network through this year and next," Stan Boland, senior vice president of mobile communications at Nvidia, said in a statement.

The 410 is the first Icera modem to implement 4G LTE in Nvidia's "… Read more

The Google 7-inch tablet is on the way, according to a fresh report -- the latest in a long line of reports dating back to the beginning of the year.

The tablet will hit the market in July, according to a Thursday report from DigiTimes. Shipments -- about 600,000 initially -- are set to begin in June, the Taipei-based publication claimed.

Asus is expected to manufacture the device.

NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET previously that a 7-inch Goggle tablet was in the works, though a June shipment date means that an original projection of an April production … Read more

Graphic chips player Nvidia raised its sales outlook for the second quarter and touted the ramp-up of its latest Tegra chips for smartphones, tablets, and Windows 8 on the ARM architecture.

But the company misjudged demand for its latest GPUs and is straining to get enough supply from TSMC, its semiconductor manufacturer. How Nvidia muddles through its supply issues will dictate its success in the ultrabook market.

The details emerged as Nvidia reported first-quarter results that were hamstrung by supply constraints. Those constraints, specifically 28-nanometer chips, hurt Nvidia's high-end graphics chip business.

The company reported first-quarter earnings of $60.… Read more

Today, CNET and other U.S. mobile reviewers got a chance to gush over AT&T's HTC One X superphone powerhouse. It boasts a stunning 4.7-inch display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and 4G LTE muscle. But the spec that's tripping up many is the processor: a dual-core Qualcomm chip in the U.S. instead of a quad-core Nvidia chip abroad.

On the surface of things, the change within seems like a step down for poor U.S. customers. After all, four cores (and Nvidia's fifth, "power-saving core") are better than two, right? Not necessarily.

The U.S. version for AT&T and for Sprint's forthcoming HTC Evo 4G LTE (the One X by another name) both use Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 processor, a dual-core chip that's a strong contender in its own right.… Read more

If you want to create some pretty apps, look to Nvidia.

The company, best known for its graphics processors in PCs and laptops, has during the past year branched out into the mobile world with its ARM-based Tegra processor, specifically designed for mobile devices such as phones and tablets. The company has quickly gone from an outsider to a niche player, serving high-end devices.

Its Tegra 3 quad-core processor is found in a handful of top-tier products, including the Asus Transformer Prime, the first tablet with Google's Ice Cream Sandwich variant, as well as international versions of HTC's … Read more