CES 2011 NVIDIA’s Tegra Coming Out Party

There has been a lot of hype and speculation about NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual core processor. Many of us in the industry have been waiting to see it in action for some time and at this-years CES our wishes have come true.

Nearly every major press conference I attended included the release of a super phone or tablet running NVIDIA’s dual core ARM processor named Tegra 2. The total count so far is five Tegra 2 devices and the show just started.

At NVIDIA’s press conference their CEO Jen-Hsun Huang referred to Tegra 2 as a “super chip.” I’ve written before on why I consider this new generation of dual core devices super phones rather than smart phones. Which is why I think the term super chip is fitting and certainly emphasizes how 2011 will certainly be the year dual core mobile phones and tablets emerge onto the mobile landscape in a major way.

All the vendors launching devices with Tegra 2 remarked at how fast and powerful the products were. Referencing the Atrix 4G Motorola called it the world’s most powerful smartphone. The demo of the Atrix powering a secondary display and being used to power a desktop and notebook shell all demonstrated how powerful the processor is and showcased what it could do.

NVIDIA will also be launching an application that will be on Tegra 2 super phones called the “Tegra Zone” which will contain applications specifically created for Tegra 2 super phones. The Tegra Zone will launch with games first which are incredibly graphically rich and take advantage of NVIDIA’s graphics expertise but will also include other apps for other media as well this year.

We are at a very interesting time for personal computers. These new class of mobile devices certainly have the processing power to do nearly all the tasks every day consumers regularly do. The emphasis and interest level of those who make computers and those who buy them are quickly moving from PC’s to things like super phones and tablets.

I’m not saying PC’s will go away, I do think PC sales stay consistent. It’s simply that the computing habits of consumers are shifting. As the every day devices we use become more intelligent and powerful personal computing transitions to become a personal computing ecosystem.

These new devices are landmarks for the end of the PC era or perhaps the beginning of a new era of computing. What do you think this new class of dual core super phones and tablets means for the industry?

Digits Live Show: The Need for Speed at CES Video

Next-generation 4G wireless service is in the spotlight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Roger Cheng talks about what Verizon and AT&T are doing to catch up to current 4G leader Sprint, and what the new devices will be able to do.

Plus, videogames without the console could be coming to Internet-connected televisions. But will they be a good experience?

Source: The Wall street Journal

CES: Playing with the RIM Playbook Video

Research in Motion gives MarketWatch's Dan Gallagher a close-up look at its answer to the iPad: the RIM Playbook.

Source: The Wall street Journal

Verizon Is Expected to Say It Will Carry iPhone

Verizon will announce on Tuesday that the network will support Apple's iPhone. Earlier, MarketWatch's John Letzing talked with Lauren Rudser about a cryptic invitation Verizon sent and the significance of the anticipated announcement.



Source: The Wall street Journal

CES: Attendees Abuzz With Verizon iPhone Chatter Review

Verizon has invited reporters to a press event where it is expected the wireless carrier will announce it will carry the iPhone. At the Consumer Electronics Show, conference goers weighed in on the news.



Source: The Wall street Journal

Verizon Finally Lands the iPhone

The iPhone is finally coming to Verizon Wireless.

The largest U.S. wireless carrier will make the long-awaited announcement at an event Tuesday in New York City, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.
The move will for the first time let U.S. consumers choose the network that carries their iPhone and perhaps give them additional pricing options that could affect their monthly bills.

It will also upend the balance of power in the industry, ending Verizon rival AT&T Inc.'s exclusive hold on the device and leaving smaller players like Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA facing two well-capitalized competitors offering the world's most popular smartphone.
It wasn't immediately clear when Verizon would have the device in stores.
The Verizon phone will be similar to the iPhone 4 but run on the carrier's CDMA technology, people familiar with the matter have said.
Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc.
Apple is moving to expand its carrier base in the U.S. at a time when it is facing increasing pressure from phones powered by rival Google Inc.'s operating system, called Android.
Google gives its software away, hoping to stake out space on mobile phones where it can sell ads and other services.

Android-based phones passed the iPhone in sales in the second quarter, according to research firm Gartner. The surge appeared to get to Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who made a rare appearance on a conference call with analysts in October and criticized Android as fragmented, referring to the myriad ways the software appears on the many different phones that use it.
AT&T has had the iconic device to itself since its introduction in June 2007.
Since then, the iPhone has fueled much of the carrier's subscriber growth and has given it a solid lead in smartphone customers.
The arrangement between Apple and AT&T was groundbreaking at a time when carriers tightly controlled the appearance and function of their phones, and put Silicon Valley companies like Apple and Google in the wireless industry's driver's seat.

Apple feels it has had tremendous success through its exclusive relationship with AT&T, but it recognized that it needs to partner with Verizon to grow sales faster in the U.S., a person familiar with the matter said.
"It's a big boost for Apple," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of New York-based Solaris Asset Managmenet which counts Apple in its portfolio worth $2 billion. "It opens up a huge uninstalled base for them in this country."
Verizon Wireless fought its way back into the smartphone race last year by heavily promoting Google-powered phones made by companies like Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and HTC Corp.
Top Verizon executives have continued to meet regularly with their counterparts at Apple, however, and have long expressed interest in carrying the iPhone, which could help add to the carrier's base of 93 million subscribers. Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein, has estimated that Verizon could add more than 10 million U.S. iPhone customers.
"It's great news," said Michael Benkoski, 55 years old, who works at a technology leasing company in Chicago. "I've been waiting for it for about two years."
IPhone users have long complained about dropped calls and poor service on AT&T's network, even as the carrier boosted spending to improve coverage. A Consumer Reports survey last month ranked Verizon's network as most reliable among the major carriers and AT&T's as the worst.
Analysts fear AT&T could see one to three million fewer new subscribers because of the Verizon iPhone. AT&T has been preparing for a loss of exclusivity, however.
This summer, it made it easier for customers to upgrade to the new iPhone 4, in the process locking them into new two-year service contracts. The carrier says many are also on family or business plans, making it tricky to switch.
Colby Synesael, an analyst with investment bank Cowen and Co., said that "the loss of the iPhone is more of a headline risk than a financial impact."
Smaller carriers like No. 3 Sprint and No. 4 T-Mobile could be harder hit, however.
"This is the worst case scenario for the other carriers," said Roger Entner of Recon Analytics. "When Verizon comes out with the iPhone, there's only one carrier in the U.S. that will gain customers, and that's Verizon."

While Verizon's network is popularly perceived to be better than AT&T's, it has yet to be tested by the heavy volume of data use that accompanies the iPhone. The carrier has been strengthening and testing its network for months to avoid the public relations nightmare AT&T has suffered from, one person familiar has said. Verizon executives also point to their success handling laptop traffic and the data demands of a growing base of Android phones.
Analysts will be eager to know when other U.S. carriers might also get to carry the iPhone. They aree also waiting to see whether Apple will offer the CDMA iPhone to other CDMA operators around the world in countries such as in India and China.
Verizon sent out invitations for an event to be held in New York City on Tuesday asking that recipients "Join us as we share the latest news," but didn't specify the subject matter. The event will be headlined by Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon Communications.

The event threatens to overshadow Verizon's keynote address Thursday at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, where the carrier touted its new 4G network and announced a number of Google-powered phones and tablet PCs designed to make use of the network's capabilities.

HTC Thunderbolt Android phone for Verizon - 4G LTE Speed Test - CES 2011