News & Reviews

Intel News Release
Intel and Nokia Merge Software Platforms for Future Computing Devices

Global leaders Intel Corporation and Nokia merge Moblin and Maemo to create MeeGo, a Linux-based software platform that will support multiple hardware architectures across the broadest range of device segments, including pocketable mobile computers, netbooks, tablets, mediaphones, connected TVs and in-vehicle infotainment systems. MeeGo offers the Qt application development environment, and builds on the capabilities of the Moblin core operating system and reference user experi-ences. Using Qt, developers
can write once to create applications for a variety of devices and platforms, and market them through Nokia's Ovi Store and Intel AppUpSM Center. MeeGo will be hosted by the Linux Foundation and governed using the best practices of the open source development model. The first release of MeeGo is expected in the second quarter of 2010 with devices launching later in the year. Nokia and Intel expect MeeGo to be      
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The Final Word on
the Best Radeon HTPC Card
Since we published our reviews of the Radeon HD 5450 and the Radeon HD 5570, we have been going back and forth with AMD over the results of our video quality tests using the Cheese Slices test. Our initial results showed that neither the 5570 nor the 5450 had enough compute power to handle the full suite of post-processing abilities on 1080i video, the most important of which was Vector Adaptive deinterlacing. Since then, AMD has let us in on a few things that have changed that significantly, so let’s dive right in. Enforce Smooth Video Playback (ESVP): The first thing that changed is that we finally got a complete answer on what Enforce Smooth Video Playback does. The short answer is that it’s an “idiot button” for users, to keep them from using so many post-processing settings on low-end video cards that It causes frames to drop. Specifically, AMD has their own internal test suite that they use to test their low-end cards to see what they’re capable of when it comes to post-processing. If those cards are incapable of a certain feature(s) at certain settings    ===

Nvidia’s GF100:
Graphics Architecture Previewed, Still No Benchmarks

ATI is currently rocking a substantial lead in the DirectX 11 space—it’s blazing a trail where it has, in the past, often followed suit. “But Chris, ATI gave us DirectX 10.1!” And look how pervasive or impactful that turned out to be. This time it’s different, though. ATI and Nvidia both agree that DirectX 11 is the API that’ll change the figurative game. Has it yet? Is this boat already sailing off into the sunset? Decidedly not. ATI’s own schedule of DirectX 11-compatible software lists three titles currently shipping with support, three more slated for Q1, and two more expected in 2010. The undeniable reality is that ATI is out in front, and Nvidia brings up the rear this time around. But its tardiness means very little in the big picture (so long as you’re an enthusiast, and not a shareholder). Playing Catch-Up The real values in ATI’s Radeon HD 5800-series lineup, as it stands today, are gaming performance in the more pervasive DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 titles, Eyefinity   
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