Samsung Fabricates New Apple A5 Chip

iPad 2 by adamjackson1984 / Flickr (CC BY-ND)

Despite reports that Apple might have tapped Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to make Apple’s new A5 processor, Samsung fabricated the A5 processors currently powering the recently-released Apple iPad 2, a recent teardown by United Business Media’s (UBM) TechInsights reveals.

The conclusion was drawn by the firm after comparing the results of their teardown of the Apple A5 chip with previous results from when they studied Apple’s A4 processor.

Allan Yogasingam, a technical marketing manager for TechInsights, told UBM’s EE Times that TechInsight can “say with 100 percent certainty that this is a Samsung-made chip.”

According to TechInsights, which analyzed an A5 chip which came with an iPad 2 using optical die and SEM cross-section images, the A5 chip is able to use low power DDR2 DRAM memory and used the 45-nanometer fabrication process of Samsung.

According to the report by EE Times, a study done by IO Snoops revealed that the clock speeds for the A5 chip is also varied at about 890 MHz to 1 GHz.

In light of this, the iPad 2 is said to be utilizing advanced power management to regulate clock speeds of the A5 processor depending on how resource-demanding running applications are.

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Lexus CT 200h 2011

Lexus Gets Young, Fun and Green
The 2011 Lexus CT 200h at a press event held in Delray Beach, Florida, a town that's the less exclusive neighbor to Boca Raton, that famously moneyed Florida retirement enclave. It's a fitting location, given that the CT 200h aims to be the affordable player in the Lexus lineup. With a sub-$30,000 price (the least expensive in the Lexus family) and frugal fuel efficiency, the CT 200h stands poised to beckon fresh blood to the brand's silver-haired customer base.

Lexus executives firmly refer to the CT 200h as a five-door compact, but as we take our first look at the car in the bright Florida sun, its sheet metal tells a humbler story. This is a hatchback, no two ways about it, a car meant to occupy the space in your imagination between a Mazda 3 five-door and an Audi A4 Avant.

It's also a hybrid, the fifth in the Lexus family, with the same powertrain as the Toyota Prius. As we'd expected, this translates into fuel economy that's the best in the premium compact segment, but what we didn't expect is how much fun the CT 200h is to drive. Though it's no overachiever in straight-line acceleration, this Lexus feels tightly buttoned up, with sharp, responsive steering. Hybrids aren't usually this entertaining, least of all those that share parts with a Prius.

Thin but diverse, the herd of premium compacts includes the lively BMW 1 Series, the handsome Volvo C30 and the luxurious, eco-minded Audi A3 TDI. Less pricey than most of its rivals and more frugal at the pump than all, the Lexus CT 200h distinguishes itself as a value-oriented luxury car that just happens to be a hybrid.


Who should consider this vehicle
The 2011 Lexus CT 200h is a good pick for shoppers who want Lexus prestige without sticker shock and steep fuel bills. It's also a solid bet for those in search of a less ubiquitous, more high-end alternative to the frugal Prius.

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Infiniti G-Sedan 2011

2011 Infiniti G-Sedan

(2.5L V6 7-speed Automatic)

Design/Fit and Finish
The Infiniti G25's 2011 pleasantly familiar exterior combines with modern details that seem appropriate for a vehicle that touts its high-tech credentials. Wraparound headlights and a contoured grille are Infiniti hallmarks, as are the muscular bulges on the hood. Inside the cabin, the design is slightly more subdued and austere. The rounded dash and a good portion of other surfaces in the cabin are soft to the touch and well grained. Elements are tightly fitted and devoid of squeaks and creaks.


Who should consider this vehicle
Unless power and performance are primary concerns for your luxury sport sedan decision, the 2011 Infiniti G25 is an excellent choice. There's more than enough power for the average driver, in a well-mannered package. Plus, buyers can save some cash up front, as well as down the road in fuel economy compared to the Infiniti G37.


The venerable BMW 3 Series is still the leader in this segment of sporting luxury sedans, yet the Infiniti G25 is worth serious consideration, much like the Audi A4 2.0T with its 211-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder engine — a car with which this Infiniti has much in common, from its power to its price. On the more luxurious side of the spectrum, the Hyundai Genesis, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz C-Class could be of interest, but most of these can't compete with the Infiniti's driver engagement or its agreeable bottom line.

Performance
Powering the 2011 Infiniti G25 is a 2.5-liter V6 that produces 218 hp and 187 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed automatic is the only transmission offered, but buyers can choose rear- or all-wheel drive.

In Edmunds testing, our rear-wheel-drive G25 accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds. While this is 2.6 seconds slower than the more powerful G37 (something like a light-year in sport-sedan time), the G25 nevertheless doesn't feel weak by comparison. The 2.5-liter V6 has an energetic character and revs quickly, even as it offers a smoother feel than the 3.7-liter V6.

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Mazda5 2011

The all-new Mazda5 is fitted with a newly-developed 2.0-litre DISI1 petrol engine equipped with i-stop, and a six-speed manual transmission with gear ratios specific to this version. This new direct-injection petrol offers linear and smooth performance characteristics and is fun to drive. It is also one of the most frugal and clean C-MAVs on the market, achieving approximately 15 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the 2.0-litre petrol it replaces. The gasoline line-up features a 1.8-litre engine with a six-speed manual transmission as well.

The all-new 2011 Mazda5 will go on sale in Europe this fall.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 details leak

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 details leak

A video purporting to be a teaser trailer for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Tab 2 has leaked out, offering a glimpse at what the company may be planning for its follow up Android tablet.

The original Galaxy Tab was well-received, if somewhat expensive, offering a powerful alternative to Apple's popular iPad in a 7in form factor. Its successor keeps the same size, but looks to improve on the original in almost every way.

Although Samsung has yet to confirm details of the device, it is rumoured to feature a high-resolution display - with claims that it will feature the Super AMOLED promised for the original Galaxy Tab but swapped out for a more readily available LCD panel at the last moment - along with a dual-core ARM-based processor, thought to be either one of Samsung's own models or the increasingly popular Tegra 2 platform from graphics specialist Nvidia.

The display will be protected by Corning's tough Gorilla Glass, and the device is also thought to include integrated 3G connectivity alongside 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and the latest version of the Bluetooth standard. 1GB of RAM, up to 64GB of storage, and a raft of sensors - including accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, and even a barometer.

The leaked details include the claim that the rear camera will feature an 8 megapixel sensor with dual LED flash and feature 1080p high-definition video recording capabilities, along with a front-mounted 3 megapixel camera for video calls.

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Samsung Star II details leak

Samsung Star II details leak

Details of Samsung’s upcoming S5260/Star II have surfaced online, giving us some idea of what to expect from this phone. While there isn’t any official word on the operating system, the user interface looks very much like Samsung’s bada OS and it should feature specifications such as a 3-inch 240 x 400 pixel capacitive display, 3.2-megapixel camera, EDGE support, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, Office document support, 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card support. The phone is expected to land sometime this quarter and should be aimed at budget-oriented consumers.

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Report: Samsung's Bada To Offer In-App Advertising Capabilities

Report: Samsung's Bada To Offer In-App Advertising Capabilities

Bada, Samsung's own mobile operating system, on track to power around 5 million phones by year-end, has just updated its software development kit (SDK) to version 1.2.1. The update reportedly includes an important new feature: in-app advertising capabilities. The feature, which will allow bada developers to monetize their apps, will go live beginning January 1st, 2011. At least, that's the news coming out of Samsung Hub, an unofficial source that typically publishes reliable content and scoops.

This news has not been officially published anywhere as far as we can tell, not on Samsung's blogs, Twitter accounts, Facebook pages or in its news rooms. But the updated SDK is available for download now. Samsung Hub, as noted above, is an unofficial, but often accurate, source for Samsung-related information, so we're betting on this news being credible while awaiting official confirmation.

According to the blog post, developers implementing in-app advertising capabilities into their apps will retain all the revenue generated - they will not have to split that revenue with Samsung.

In looking through the release notes for the Samsung bada 1.2.1 SDK, we don't see any mention of "advertising," "ads," "revenue," or anything else that hints at this new feature, though. (Let us know if you spot it, maybe we just missed it.)

It makes sense that Samsung would launch this capability, though - bada-powered phones are selling well...very well, in fact. Considering that the first bada phone, the Samsung Wave, didn't ship until June, and the Wave was the only bada phone available until October, the platform is off to a decent start. Samsung has also noted that it has seen over 50 million downloads of apps from its own app store, too, mostly thanks to bada's popularity.

In addition, with the upcoming bada 2.0 OS, Samsung will add more features to the platform, including a better user interface, Near Field Communication (NFC), a smarter homescreen, SDK support for Linux and Mac, SNS integration and more.

Although bada's numbers are promising, analysts recommend developers consider their options carefully before jumping on board this train. Samsung has not fully committed to the OS, Strategy Analytics analyst Alex Spektor reminded us recently - it also supports Android and Windows Phone 7, for example. However, Samsung is ending support for Symbian as of January 1st, it should be noted, giving the company more time to focus on bada going forward into the new year.

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