Virgin Media trials Netflix on Tivo

9 September 2013 Last updated at 19:12 ET By Tom Espiner Technology reporter

Virgin Media is to pilot Netflix's video-streaming service with 40,000 of its Tivo set-top box subscribers.

The cable firm will send letters this week inviting a selection of its UK customers to download and test the TV and movie on-demand app.

Those participating in the pilot will need a Netflix subscription to be able to view the content.

Virgin Media said it planned to roll out the app to all of its 1.7 million Tivo customers by the end of the year.

The BBC understands that Virgin may offer Netflix as part of a bundled service.

The tie-up could strengthen the position of both companies, according to one media analyst.

"It's a win-win situation," said Toby Syfret from Enders Analysis.

"It's a positive move for both, and should help them in any competitive tussles they've got."

On-demand competition

Virgin Media would benefit from being able to offer a broader range of content, and Netflix would potentially gain a larger UK audience, suggested Mr Syfret.

Virgin's digital set-top competitors include Sky, BT and TalkTalk.

Netflix is up against established services such as Amazon's Lovefilm and Tesco's Blinkbox.

It also faces competition from a more recent entrant, Wuaki.tv. The new business is currently offering its service at half the price of Netflix's. It is owned by the Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten which is best known in the UK for its ebook brand Kobo.

Virgin Media has previously shown its willingness to create a partnership with what might be seen as a competing service.

The company struck a deal in August to offer BT's sports channels to its cable customers.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coders get early look at Windows 8.1

10 September 2013 Last updated at 06:41 ET

An outcry by programmers has forced Microsoft to give them early access to Windows 8.1.

The furore came after Microsoft announced that developers would get the new release at the same time as everyone else.

That marked a change from established practice which saw certified developers get early access to new versions.

Microsoft has now given coders access to 8.1 so they can start testing and developing before the public release.

Programmers who subscribed to Microsoft's TechNet and MSDN developer services historically got early access so they could ensure code for their own applications was not broken by the new versions of Windows.

Microsoft's strong developer community were unhappy with the change Microsoft made with 8.1, particularly as the new version made changes to its appearance and the way programs can work with it.

Windows 8.1 is due to be released to the public on 18 October. The version that will ship to customers has been ready since late August.

One of the more visible changes in Windows 8.1 will be to make the start button more obvious.

As Windows 8 was largely created to serve touchscreen devices such as tablets, the start button was far less prominent in the original release of the software.

Windows 8.1 will see the button partially restored and allow users to choose whether to stick with a touchscreen display or revert to the more familiar control system seen in desktop and laptop computers. A mouse click on the lower left corner of the screen will let them switch between the two interface styles.

In addition, the start button will always be visible when working with the desktop version of Windows 8.1.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Disney develops whispering fingers

10 September 2013 Last updated at 07:04 ET By Joe Miller BBC News

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Disney has demonstrated its new Ishin-Den-Shin audio system

Disney has developed a device to transmit sound through the human body.

The Ishin-Den-Shin technology uses a standard microphone to record audio and then converts it into an inaudible signal transmitted through the body of the person holding the microphone.

When they touch someone's earlobe, an organic speaker is formed and the sound becomes audible, effectively whispering a message into that person's ear.

The sound can be passed from person to person using any physical contact.

The technology, which was developed at Disney Research in Pittsburgh, received an honorary mention at this week's Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria.

Continue reading the main story

It would be almost magical and appear to come from nowhere"

End Quote Prof Trevor Cox University of Salford

Small vibrations

It records sounds through a device fitted to the microphone that creates a "modulated electrostatic field" around the user's skin.

"When touching another person's ear, this modulated electrostatic field creates a very small vibration of the earlobe," Disney Research says on its website.

"As a result, both the finger and the ear together form a speaker, that makes the signal audible for the person touched.

"The inaudible signal can be transmitted from body to body, using any sort of physical contact."

The recorded sound can be heard only by the specific ear touched.

'Almost magical'

The use of bodies to conduct sound has been on the increase.

Bone conduction, a technology that transmits sound through to the inner ear through bones of the skull, is used in Google's Glass, and in some high-spec headphones.

"You can of course transmit signals through the body because it can conduct electricity," said Trevor Cox, professor of acoustic engineering at the University of Salford, "but I don't know quite what they are going to do with this."

He added that the technology would be "almost magical and appear to come from nowhere".

Ishin-Den-Shin is a Japanese mantra that translates as, "What the mind thinks, the heart transmits," and represents unspoken mutual understanding.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dyson sues Samsung over new vacuum

10 September 2013 Last updated at 07:05 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

British manufacturer Dyson is suing Samsung over claims that the South Korean firm "ripped off" one of its inventions.

The dispute centres over the launch of the Motion Sync vacuum cleaner which the South Korean firm showed off at the Ifa tech show in Berlin last week.

Dyson alleges that the machine infringes its patent on a steering mechanism for cylinder cleaners.

Samsung has rejected its rival's accusation.

"We will take all necessary measures, including legal actions, to protect our technological innovation against Dyson's groundless claims," said a spokeswoman.

Dyson said it had issued proceedings in the High Court in England, but has not said whether it wished to block the sale of Samsung's product or impose a licence fee.

"This looks like a cynical rip-off," said Sir James Dyson, the firm's founder.

"Samsung has many patent lawyers so I find it hard not to believe that this is a deliberate or utterly reckless infringement of our patent.

"We have been forced to issue proceedings in the English High Court, but I would much rather invest in research to develop new technology than have to sue."

'Swift motion'

Dyson first filed a patent for its steering mechanism in 2009.

It describes a way to allow the device to rapidly spin quickly from one direction to another on the spot, and to follow the user's path rather than just being dragged behind, in order to prevent the vacuum getting snagged on corners.

It said the system took three years to develop and has since been used in two of its models.

Samsung's marketing materials for its new vacuum cleaner specifically highlight the "revolutionary" design of its swivel body machine saying it "makes swift motion for sudden turns much easier".

The firm rejected the idea that it achieved this by copying Dyson.

"The Samsung Motion Sync is an outcome of our own extensive research and development," added a spokeswoman.

This is not the first time the two firms have clashed in the UK courts.

In February 2009 a judge ordered Samsung to pay about £600,000 of Dyson's legal costs after the UK firm challenged its rival's attempt to patent a suction technology already used in its "triple-cyclone" cleaners.

Dyson has also sued Hoover, Vax and Bosch in the past to protect its technologies, with varying success.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Apple reveals two new iPhone models

10 September 2013 Last updated at 14:19 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The BBC's Richard Taylor tests the new Apple iPhone 5S and 5C smartphones

Apple has unveiled two new handsets: the top-end iPhone 5S and a cheaper iPhone 5C at an event in California.

The 5S introduces a fingerprint sensor built into the phone's main button to identify the user. The 5C comes with a plastic back in a choice of colours.

It marks a change of strategy for Apple which had not launched two distinct types of handset at the same time before.

The iPhone is the firm's most important product in terms of earnings power.

The new fingerprint system can be used to unlock the 5S and provide authentication for purchases from Apple's online marketplace.

One analyst suggested the feature would help the handset stand out against its Android rivals.

"Touch ID is actually quite an elegant solution to an ever more significant problem: namely, the theft of mobile devices and, perhaps even more critically, the information stored on those devices," said Windsor Holden from the tech consultancy Juniper Research.

"Many people haven't yet bothered to implement any kind of security solution on their handsets and for those who have, securing handsets with Pin authorisations can be quite a time-consuming process."

However, Apple is not the first phone company to offer such a fingerprint reader.

Continue reading the main story

For all the usual superlatives about the amazing capabilities of its new phones, today's Apple event was more about new markets than new technology.

True, the iPhone 5S does have one major innovation in the fingerprint sensor, a security feature which may help make consumers more confident in banking and shopping online.

Under the bonnet, it may also prove to be the fastest smartphone on the market - for a few months until the game of leapfrog continues. But in appearance - unless you go for the gold version - you would be hard put to differentiate it from the previous model.

But the big and risky move is the arrival of the cheaper, more plasticky and colourful iPhone 5C. Apple's has been so successful in burnishing the iPhone's luxury brand and thereby keeping its margins sky-high that it may well qualify as the most profitable single product ever made.

If the kind of people who have always traded up to the top-of-the-range new iPhone opt instead for the cheaper version, that will eat into Apple's profits. But Tim Cook and his colleagues are betting that this product will instead widen the appeal of the phone.

In particular, it is China where the prize is huge. Chinese consumers seem to admire the iPhone, but what they buy is Android phones in huge numbers, with Samsung and the home-grown Xiaomi both very popular.

Now Apple, which has seen its market share dwindle over the last year, will hope that it can make a bigger dent in what is the world's biggest mobile phone market.

What it hasn't done is anything much to surprise and excite either investors or the wider world. Under Tim Cook, Apple is still waiting for a "wow" moment to give it new momentum.

Motorola added the facility to its Atrix handset in 2011, but many owners had problems using it. The feature is not included in the Google-owned business' latest models.

The new handsets are compatible with the radio frequencies used by O2 and Vodafone's new 4G services in the UK. The only 4G network the old iPhone 5 could use was EE's.

'Not cheap'

The 5S' Sim-free price ranges from £549 for a 16 gigabyte version to £709 for a 64GB model.

The basic 5C model, with 16 gigabytes of storage, has been priced Sim-free at £469. That is more than UK retailers had been charging for the 4S with the same amount of memory.

"The 5C is far from being 'cheap' as the iPhone 4S [which now costs £349] continues in that role," remarked Ben Wood from tech advisors CCS Insight.

There had been speculation that the 4S was going to be phased out.

The new iPhones go on sale in the US, UK, China, Australia and Canada among other countries on 20 September. It marks the first time China has been included in the initial wave of sales.

China slowdown

Its most recent financial report said the iPhone product line accounted for $18.2bn (£11.6bn) of sales in the April-to-June quarter. That figure, which did not include downloads from its App Store, represented just over 50% of Apple's total revenue for the period.

However, while the number of iPhones sold was 20% up on the previous year, the company has been losing market share.

iPhones accounted for 13% of global smartphone shipments in the second quarter, according to research firm IDC, down from 17% for the same period a year earlier.

In contrast Android's share has grown from 69% to 79%.

	UK	US	China
Based on smartphone shipments over first half of 2013 (Source: IDC)
Android	57.3%	52.9%	88.4%
iOS	28.2%	42.6%	8.0%
Windows Phone	5.3%	2.8%	2.0%
Blackberry	9.3%	1.7%	0.1%

Investors have been particularly concerned about Apple's performance in China.

At the start of 2013, chief executive Tim Cook predicted the country would eventually become Apple's biggest market.

But the company's latest results showed sales in China and Taiwan were 14% lower in the April-to-June quarter than the previous year. That was despite the fact it saw 12% growth for the same period in the US.

"The cheaper iPhone is critical for expanding the addressable market, because many people in China and elsewhere simply can't afford to buy a current generation [top-end] iPhone, especially when it's not subsidised," said Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at the consultancy Ovum.

"However, the key risk for Apple in launching a cheaper iPhone is that it may cannibalise sales of the high-end phone.

"That would exacerbate a problem Apple's had for the last few quarters, as average selling prices for iPhones have fallen from $608 to $581 in the past year. That in turn squeezes margins and it's only likely to get worse with a cheaper iPhone."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Rory examines how the new iPhones might help Apple prosper in China

The 5S features Apple's new faster A7 processor and adds a chip that continuously monitors motion, providing data for fitness apps.

Apple has also made efforts to improve the phone's photography capabilities over the previous generation.

It said it had included a 15% bigger sensor, which should help the device cope with low-light situations. The handset also has two LED flashes providing different types of light. They can be combined to help improve colour balance.

The firm has also included automatic image stabilisation to prevent shots being ruined by shaky hands, and the ability to shoot video at 120 frames per second so that it can be used to create a smooth slow-motion effect.

However, it has not boosted the resolution above 8 megapixels. Apple said using "bigger pixels makes a better picture".

But the decision will limit owners' ability to digitally zoom into the view in front of them or to crop photos after they are taken.

High-end camera features are a way smartphone-makers have sought to distinguish themselves with Sony and Nokia among recent firms to have claimed their mobiles create the best images.

The 5C retains the A6 processor and most of the other specifications of the old iPhone 5 but has a higher capacity battery.

The new devices will include copies of Apple's word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and video editing apps which had previously cost extra.

Apple also revealed the revamped mobile operating system, iOS 7, would be available to download for use on the earlier iPhone 5 and 4S models as well as some iPads from 18 September.

But there was no mention of an NFC (near field communication) chip being included in either new device. The technology can be used to make payments in high street stores and to easily link phones to speakers and other gadgets. It is a common feature in rivals' handsets.

Apple's shares fell following the announcements and closed 2.3% below their opening price.

Device	Vital information	What the experts say
Apple iPhone 5S	UK release: September 2013 Screen size: 4in Operating system: iOS Camera: 8MP Cost: £549 for 16GB version from Apple Full specification	"We watched the fingerprint sensor unlock the phone quickly and easily but presumably these were ideal conditions... Apple has clearly put more effort into this sensor than the failures we've seen on some Android phones — but we can't vouch for it until we've tried it ourselves." The Verge
Samsung Galaxy S4	UK release: April 2013 Screen size: 5in Operating system: Android Camera: 13MP Cost: £549 for 16GB version from Carphone Warehouse Full specification	"On the plus side, it has better battery life, the same smooth performance and a beautiful display... but we can't help but think of one word to describe Samsung's particular flagship entry: predictable." Engadget
HTC One	UK release: March 2013 Screen size: 4.7in Operating system: Android Camera: 4MP Cost: £480 for 32GB version from Phones4u Full specification	"I'm a sucker for beautiful hardware, and this device is one of the best-designed smartphones I've ever used... the problem lies with the camera. Maybe I'm in the minority when I say I care about the quality of my cellphone images, but I do, and the One just doesn't deliver." The Verge
Moto X (not available in UK)	US release: August 2013 Screen size: 4.7in Operating system: Android Cost: $600 (£380) for 16GB version from Verizon Full specification	"If only the camera were better and Motorola's apps were a little sharper, we'd give it a no holds barred recommendation. As it is now, the Moto X deserves to be in the conversation when discussing the best Android has to offer, but a few key flaws keep it from being called an excellent phone." Techradar
Nokia Lumia 1020	UK release: September 2013 Screen size: 4.5in Operating system: Windows Phone 8 Camera: 41MP Cost: £550 for 32GB version from Unlocked Mobiles Full specification	"A niche device, the Lumia 1020 is $100 pricier than most high-end smartphones. The lens makes it a little bulky... Avid mobile photographers will love the Nokia Lumia 1020's exact controls, but casual users should stick to cheaper camera phones." Cnet
LG G2	UK release: October 2013 Screen size: 5.2in Operating system: Android Camera: 13MP Cost: £462 for 16GB version from Handtec Full specification	"The LG G2 has lots of worthy features and is an excellent upgrade of its Optimus G predecessor. The only thing that bothers us is the lack of memory expansion at a time when more and more manufacturers are favouring the return of the microSD card slot." GSM Arena
Sony Xperia Z1	UK release: September 2013 Screen size: 5in Operating system: Android Camera: 20.7MP Cost: £550 for 16GB version from Carphone Warehouse Full specification	"Small and cute it certainly isn't, the Sony Xperia Z1 is the Tonka Truck of flagship smartphones. But it's tough, chunky and exceptionally well made, and its camera is seriously promising." Trusted Reviews
Blackberry Z10	UK release: January 2013 Screen size: 4.2in Operating system: BB10 Camera: 8MP Cost: £450 for 16GB version from O2 Full specification	"Does it match the features and opportunities for tinkering of Android? No. Does it match the quality and quantity of apps available for the iPhone? No. But BlackBerry 10's innovative features - from its superb keyboard to the fantastic TimeShift [photo editing tool] - have got us excited." Stuff magazine
Huawei Ascend P6	UK release: July 2013 Screen size: 4.7in Operating system: Android Camera: 8MP Cost: £312 for 8GB version from Clove Full specification	"It's got good looks, runs well and it feels well built. Yes, there are some really minor niggles, like that daft headphone cover/pin, among some more major issues such as the limited battery life - but we still rather like the phone when it's in full swing." Pocket-lint

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Museum celebrates women in tech

10 September 2013 Last updated at 20:06 ET Continue reading the main story

The National Museum of Computing has opened a gallery celebrating the role of women in computer history.

Sponsored by Google, it documents the important role women have played in building and programming pioneering computers.

The idea for the gallery arose when the Museum found that only 10% of students on its educational courses were women.

It is hoped that the gallery will help to inspire more young women and girls to take up a job in the computer world.

"Girls must take advantage of the revival of computing in schools and recognise and grab the opportunities that our wonderful sector offers," said Dame Stephanie Shirley at the opening ceremony for the gallery.

The Museum is sited in the grounds of Bletchley Park, the wartime code-cracking centre.

On show at the gallery are contributions from Joyce Wheeler, one of the first academics to use the Edsac computer; Mary Coombs, the first female programmer for the Lyons Electronic Office and Kathleen Booth, an academic who wrote the first book about programming in Assembly language.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Google faces wi-fi snooping action

11 September 2013 Last updated at 08:00 ET

A US judge has ruled that Google did break the law when it scooped up unsecured wi-fi data while collecting images for Streetview.

It means a group of users can now press ahead with their claim for damages against the search giant.

Google had hoped to have the case dismissed, arguing that its "mistaken collection" of the data did not break wire-tapping laws.

Privacy experts called it a "landmark decision for internet privacy".

The lawyer representing the plaintiffs said that the case would now be resumed.

A Google spokesman said: "We are disappointed in the Ninth Circuit's decision and are considering our next steps."

It had hoped to put the issue behind it, arguing that it had no case to answer because such data was readily accessible to members of the public and therefore not subject to wire-tapping laws.

The US Court of Appeals in San Francisco disagreed.

Circuit judge Jay Bybee said: "Even if it is commonplace for members of the general public to connect to a neighbour's unencrypted wi-fi network, members of the public do not typically mistakenly intercept, store, and decode data transmitted by other devices on the network."

"The court made clear that federal privacy law applies to residential wi-fi networks," said Marc Rotenburg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

"Users should be protected when a company tries to capture data that travels between their laptop and their printer in their home."

'Inadvertent'

Between 2008 and 2010, Google collected data from unsecured wi-fi networks in 30 countries.

The data included emails, user names, passwords, images and documents.

Google has always claimed that the collection was inadvertent, following the mistaken inclusion of code, written by an unnamed Google engineer, in its Streetview software.

It later emerged that a senior manager was aware that data was being collected by Streetview cars.

Google has apologised and agree to destroy the data.

In the US it has paid $7m (£4.4m) in US fines to settle a case involving 38 states.

As well as agreeing to delete all the harvested data, Google was also required to launch an employee training programme about privacy and data use which it must continue for at least 10 years.

It must also run a public service advertising campaign to educate consumers about how to secure their information on wireless networks.

The German privacy regulator, which exposed the issue in the first place, imposed fine of 145,000 euros ($192,500, £121,000) on the firm in April.

It described the debacle as "one of the biggest known data protection violations in history".

By contrast, the UK privacy watchdog imposed no fine, but did order Google to destroy all the stored data.

Google is currently embroiled in another privacy dispute with European data protection watchdogs over its decision to create one privacy policy to cover all of its services.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Work exoskeleton under development

11 September 2013 Last updated at 08:42 ET

Efforts to develop an exoskeleton for the workplace are under way, backed by EU funds.

Twelve research institutions from seven European countries are involved in the Robo-mate project, which hopes to test a robotic suit that can be worn by factory employees within three years.

They say the machine could reduce the number of work-related injuries.

One expert warned employers would need to be convinced the equipment would not pose safety issues of its own.

Manufacturers including Italian carmaker Fiat and the French vehicle recycler Indra are working with the teams.

The companies will suggest situations in which the tech could prove useful and have also said they would help test it.

The EU has committed 4.5m euros (£6m; £3.8m) to the scheme.

Heavy weights

The project aims to address the fact that many manufacturing tasks are difficult to automate.

For example Indra has to deconstruct many different types of car, and at present humans, rather than robots, are the only ones capable of handling the complexity of the choices involved.

Because of the weights involved, this can put staff at risk of developing medical problems.

"People have to manipulate parts or components that weigh more than 10kg [22lb]," said Dr Carmen Constantinescu, from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute, one of the organisations involved.

"These activities are not carried out just once per day, but are repetitive.

"An exoskeleton with a human inside represents a new type of research for the manufacturing industry.

"It offers a hybrid approach in which the robotic parts support the human who can provide the decisions and cognition needed."

The partners have highlighted a study by the UK's Work Foundation think tank that suggested as many as 44 million people in the EU have suffered work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Not all would be preventable by such an exoskeleton, and one of the other researchers involved said part of the challenge would be indentifying where the tech could prove useful.

"One area would be, is it useful to lift heavy loads?" Prof Darwin Caldwell, from King's College London, told the BBC.

"The other is situations when people are working above their head.

"If you hold a paint brush or a screwdriver above your head for more than two to three minutes your arms become very fatigued and it can be very bad for your heart."

However, he said the engineering teams were mindful of the risks involved.

"At the minute the motors or hydraulic systems required tend to be rather large and clumsy," Prof Caldwell said. "What we have to do is find ways to miniaturise those.

"What we also have to remember is that an exoskeleton is essentially a robot in physical contact with a human.

"That raises safety issues so we will be looking at making the interaction between the two softer and more organic - it won't be like having a large industrial robot which is dangerous."

One roboticist who is not involved in the project said he expected such technology to become commonplace within the next two to three decades.

"A number of exoskeletons have been developed for military use in the US, and for helping the disabled and frail older people to walk again in Japan - industrial use is an obvious next step," said Prof Noel Sharkey, from the University of Sheffield.

"But one hard problem is how the human user interfaces with the device. It is vital that the operator can perform dextrously with natural movements without having to think about it.

"Another problem is how to work in environments with other humans without hurting them. This will require new natural collision avoidance methods."

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

NSA 'subverted random-number code'

11 September 2013 Last updated at 09:48 ET

US intelligence agency the NSA subverted a standards process to be able to break encryption more easily, according to leaked documents.

It had written a flaw into a random-number generator that would allow the agency to predict the outcome of the algorithm, the New York Times reported.

The agency had used its influence at a standards body to insert the backdoor, said the report.

The NSA had made no comment at the time of writing.

According to the report, based on a memo leaked by former NSA contactor Edward Snowden, the agency had gained sole control of the authorship of the Dual_EC_DRBG algorithm and pushed for its adoption by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Nist) into a 2006 US government standard.

The NSA had wanted to be able to predict numbers generated by certain implementations of the algorithm, to crack technologies using the specification, said the report.

Nist standards are developed to secure US government systems and used globally.

The standards body said that its processes were open, and that it "would not deliberately weaken a cryptographic standard".

"Recent news reports have questioned the cryptographic standards development process at Nist," the body said in a statement.

"We want to assure the IT cybersecurity community that the transparent, public process used to rigorously vet our standards is still in place."

Impact

It was unclear which software and hardware had been weakened by including the algorithm, according to software developers and cryptographers.

For example, Microsoft had used the algorithm in software from Vista onwards, but had not enabled it by default, users on the Cryptography Stack Exchange pointed out.

The algorithm has been included in the code libraries and software of major vendors and industry bodies, including Microsoft, Cisco Systems, RSA, Juniper, RIM for Blackberry, OpenSSL, McAfee, Samsung, Symantec, and Thales, according to Nist documentation.

Whether the software of these organisations was secure depended on how the algorithm had been used, Cambridge University cryptographic expert Richard Clayton told the BBC.

"There's no easy way of saying who's using [the algorithm], and how," said Mr Clayton.

Moreover, the algorithm had been shown to be insecure in 2007 by Microsoft cryptographers Niels Ferguson and Dan Shumow, added Mr Clayton.

"Because the vulnerability was found some time ago, I'm not sure if anybody is using it," he said.

A more profound problem was the possible erosion of trust in Nist for the development of future standards, Mr Clayton added.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Intel Bay Trail chips target tablets

11 September 2013 Last updated at 12:50 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Intel has launched Bay Trail - a family of chips it hopes will help it make further inroads against processors designed by its rival ARM.

The chips are designed for use in low-power devices, including tablets.

They incorporate what the US company calls "3D transistors", which it introduced to its PC chips in 2012, designed to boost computational power while using less energy.

One analyst said Bay Trail could pose a serious challenge to ARM.

Unlike Intel, the British company does not make chips of its own but rather makes money by licensing its designs to other companies, including Qualcomm, Apple and Nvidia, which then adapt them for their own uses.

ARM's designs currently dominate central processing units (CPUs) used in smartphones and tablets, while Intel's x86-based architecture is far more common in desktop and laptop computers.

This has been a consequence of ARM having the reputation of being the more energy efficient of the two.

But the new Bay Trail chips may cause some tablet manufacturers to think again, according to one industry watcher,

"I actually do think they have what it takes, but it's not going to be an overnight transition for Intel," said Chris Green, principal technology analyst at the Davies Murphy Group consultancy.

Continue reading the main story

Traditionally transistors have used "flat" planar gates designed to switch on and off as quickly as possible, letting the maximum amount of current flow when they are switched on, and minimum when they are switched off.

The transistors' gates in Bay Trail chips are just 22nm long (1nm = 1 billionth of a metre), meaning you could fit more than 4,000 of them across the width of a human hair.

Intel plans to switch its Atom series to even smaller 14nm transistors by 2014.

The problem is that the smaller that planar gates become, the more energy leakage occurs unless their switching speed is compromised.

Intel's solution has been to make the transistors "3D" - replacing the "2D" gates with super-thin fins that rise up from the silicon base. Three gates are wrapped around each fin - two on each side and the other across the top.

There are several advantages beyond the fact that more transistors can be packed into the same space.

• Current leakage is reduced to near zero while the gates can still switch on and off more than 100 billion times per second.

• Less power is needed to carry out the same action.

• The innovation only adds a relatively small cost to making a chip.

"It has huge ground to make up against ARM who really still have a stranglehold on the mobile market.

"But this is a great chip on paper for Intel to mount a challenge. Certainly, the fact that it has got backing from the likes of Samsung - who we know is very enthusiastic for the prospects of this chip - I think speaks volumes for its chances in the months to come."

Samsung surprised the tech industry in June when it announced that the 10in (25.4cm)-screened version of its Galaxy Tab 3 tablet featured an Intel chip - Bay Trail's Atom-series predecessor, Clover Trail+.

The South Korean firm had previously relied on ARM-based chips made by itself or others to power its Galaxy smart devices.

Intel says the new quad-core chips double the computing performance and treble the graphic performance of Clover Trail+.

It also introduces the company's Burst Technology 2.0, which can vary which parts of the chip receive the most power to maximise performance without breaching temperature limits.

"You might want to take 15 to 20 photos in a touch application and apply some filters to them to get them ready to post to a blog," explained Intel manager Chris Walker.

"That's a situation where you'd be doing less with the display, might not be using the camera at all but you'd need to apply the effects very quickly. The CPU can dynamically adjust for that.

"Now in a different application, maybe a 3D-rich game which is more compute and graphics intensive, what can happen is dynamically the graphics [processing parts] can go up and take power from other areas. It's just responsive to the user."

Mr Walker also highlighted the fact that Bay Trail can support both Android and the full Windows 8 operating systems, allowing manufacturers to offer hybrid tablets that allow their owners to swap between the two environments.

ARM-based processors can support Android and Windows RT, however the latter does not support as many applications as Windows 8. Missing ones include the full version of Photoshop and many bespoke programs written for companies.

According to a recent study by analytics company Net Applications, Windows RT - which was launched in October - still accounts for less than 0.5% of the global operating system market.

Asus recently announced it was stopping making Windows RT tablets because of weak sales and the lack of backwards compatibility.

"I would argue ARM should be very worried," said Mr Green.

"Intel has started to wake up and realise they were about to lose this race which is why they have really put their foot down and come back with some interesting products."

However, the British firm is not resting on its laurels.

On Tuesday it released a video showing how Samsung's forthcoming ARM-based Exynos 5 Octa chip - which has eight CPU cores - makes use of its Big-Little design while being used to play video game Angry Birds.

Big-Little refers to the fact that four of the CPU cores are more powerful but also more power-hungry, while the other four offer less computing power but are less demanding on batteries.

According to what the user is doing, different ones can be switched on and off to ensure the owner gets the best mix.

23.59 | 0 komentar | Read More