The Far Side of Tech » Mobile

What nVidia’s Tegra Means for Mobile Devices, and Why You Should Care

Devindra — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:03:04 +0000

Note: I wrote this post back in September 2009, before Tegra started showing up in many devices. I think many of my points still stand, so I’m reproducing it here for archival purposes. Enjoy.

The first device to feature nVidia’s much-hyped “Tegra” technology, the Zune HD, has been out for a few weeks now. I figured it’s worth spending some time reflecting on the technology, and what it means for the future of mobile computing. I’ve been eagerly following Tegra since 2008 because of its potential to revolutionize mobile devices; it promised to deliver powerful computing, video and 3D performance all with a very low power footprint. And given its relatively smooth implementation in the Zune HD, I believe nVidia has accomplished what they initially set out to do.

What’s behind Tegra?
In short, the Tegra is what’s referred to as a “system on a chip”. It’s the combination of a processor, graphics chip, memory, and several other components that go into a typical computing system — the difference being that Tegra fits all of those components onto a single chip. Its minuscule size, along with its impressively low power consumption (it can decode HD video while only drawing 1w of power!), makes Tegra an ideal technology for mobile devices. You can check out the further technical details on Wikipedia.

How is it different than other solutions?
Their currently isn’t any other technology that can take on Tegra toe-to-toe. Due to its system on a chip design, Tegra can be placed in cellphones and similarly sized portable media devices like the Zune HD.

The closest competing solution would probably be Intel’s Atom line of processors–however, Atom still requires a separate chipset to handle graphics, memory, and storage. This currently makes it impossible for Intel to get the chip in mobile products, but it remains ideal for netbook-sized devices. Intel is eventually planning to go with a system on a chip design for future Atom products, so nVidia won’t be alone in this segment for too long.

Why should I care about Tegra?
The biggest draw for Tegra is its ability to do a lot of work while drawing very little power. Since improvements on battery technology move at a far slower pace than other tech, hardware manufacturers are often forced to figure out ways to get more performance while not killing battery life. Tegra accomplishes this by consolidating many components onto one chip. It’s also what allows the Zune HD to be so generous with its use of 3D (among other visual flourishes) while not taking a huge battery hit.

The Zune HD also provides a glimpse at what Tegra is capable of when power isn’t an issue–in particular, when its connected to a dock and used as a media center for HDTVs. We’ve also seen demos of netbooks running Tegra that can handle HD video without issue, even when sending the video to a large HDTV. In comparison, my Intel Atom-based netbook can’t play 720p video without occasionally hiccuping. Tegra will ultimately allow for more capable mobile devices, and will give us computing power to spare.

What do other companies need to do to compete?
The mobile space forces hardware manufacturers to think smarter, because they can’t simply increase the processor speed to get more performance — they also have to consider battery life and the portability of the hardware. Tegra has made nVidia king of the hill, and now everyone else has to catch up. As I mentioned above, Intel’s looking at upgrading Atom to a system on a chip design to compete with nVidia, but there hasn’t been much word from other potential players. AMD, the rival processor company to Intel (and owner of ATI), has been mum on this segment.

With rumors swirling that Nintendo may be using Tegra in its next DS, coupled with the fact that Microsoft will surely want to stick with it for their future portable devices (phones, or otherwise), it’s clear that nVidia is onto something. I just hope other chip manufacturers sit up and take notice; as I’ve written about before, competition is always a good thing.

What nVidia’s Tegra Means for Mobile Devices, and Why You Should Care

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Looking Forward to the Android Takeover

Devindra — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:50:47 +0000

The Archos 5 Android Tablet

Om Malik wrote up a great post today on the “Androidification of Everything” which served as a reminder that 2010 is truly going to be the year of the Android. I offered some predictions on what we’ll see from Android in 2010 over at Royal Pingdom, and Om’s post serves as an elaboration on one of my previous points. I wrote:

Part of the beauty of Android is that it’s not just limited to cellphones. Google has crafted a lightweight operating system that could do well on many other devices. We’ve already seen Android implemented on the Archos 5 portable media device, as well as the Barnes and Noble Nook eBook reader. In 2010 we can look forward to it showing up on netbooks (Acer already has one planned), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it popping up on Internet tablet devices either.

Om mentions that both chip companies and semiconductor firms are excited about the possibilities for Android hardware. In terms of making Android ubiquitous, this is something that is possibly more important than Android phones eventually defeating the iPhone in marketshare. Smartphones are just one segment of Android’s importance. Android’s ubiquity among all mobile devices (e-book readers, tablets, netbooks, etc.) will be far more significant in the long run.

Read: The Androidification of Everything

Looking Forward to the Android Takeover

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The Android T-Mobile G1 is the Real Successor to the Helio Ocean

Devindra — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:09:03 +0000

photo credit: MobileBurn

I’ve come to the realization that I desperately want the T-Mobile G1. Last year I was itching for a new phone, and ended up grabbing a Helio Ocean in November. But, let’s face it, the Ocean is so 2007 by this point–not to mention that Helio has since been bought out by Virgin Mobile, which makes their future (along with that of a potential Ocean successor) somewhat murky. Along comes the G1–which retains the Oceans oh-so-necessary QWERTY slider keyboard–and, conveniently enough, seems to improve on all the features of the Ocean.

Evolving from Dual Sliders

The defining characteristic of the Helio Ocean is the phone’s dual slider configuration. Slide up vertically and the phone reveals a standard number pad. Slide horizontally, and you get a QWERTY keyboard. While ingenious (it required the invention of a new type of triangular spring), this configuration also makes the Ocean a bit bulkier than some other phones. [Technology Review ran a large feature covering the Ocean's design in 2007, and it's well worth their site's annoying registration.]

The G1 improves on this design by foregoing the number pad (which I never use anyway), and instead relies on a larger, touch-enabled screen. Unfortunately for Helio, the first generation iPhone was released only a few months after the Ocean, which rendered the Ocean’s slider configuration almost instantly obsolete. Since the iPhone, touch screens have become the new milestone for cellphone manufacturers. Word is that the Ocean 2 is retaining the dual slider configuration, and won’t feature a touch screen. If that’s the case, then Helio has truly learned nothing from the iPhone’s success.

Open to Third-Party Applications

Helio kept the Ocean’s appplication development even more restricted than Apple did for the iPhone. At least Apple developed a system whereby independent developers could get their third party apps approved–Helio only made software by large companies available, and offered no solution for independent developers. Of course, as is usually the case when artificial limitations are placed on a platform, a homebrew scene eventually formed around the Ocean, and power users were able to take more advantage of the Ocean’s capabilities.

The open nature of the Android operating system is one of it’s biggest selling points, and while I’m sure we’ll see a fair amount of useless applications, I’m more excited about the potential for truly great independent software coming from the community.

It’s Still Ahead of the iPhone 3G in Some Ways

Some of the most satisfying “features” of the Ocean were those that the first generation iPhone conspicuously lacked; specifically, 3G network access and GPS. While that’s no longer the case for the iPhone, the G1 continues the trend of braggably better features like the 3 megapixel camera, the previously mentioned open application philosophy, and copy and paste functionality (I’m sad I have to list this too). That the G1 is directly integrated into all of Google’s services is also a plus for some, myself included.

Wrapping Up

My main issue with the G1 right now is T-Mobile–a company that unfortunately doesn’t have the most robust 3G network in America. Looking at their 3G coverage map, it turns out that I only have Edge coverage in the places I would use the phone the most. Sure, Wi-Fi is always an option, but I’m not quite sure if that inconvenience is worth giving up the 3G speeds I’ve been so spoiled with this past year. Hopefully T-Mobile will get their act together for 2009, or Google will get the G1 and other Android phones on other carriers soon.

I know I’m not alone in my technolust for the G1, and this is definitely a good sign for Google. They’ve pulled an Apple, and have shown significant clout in an unfamiliar market. Let’s face it, Apple needs competition in this sphere–because they’re certainly not going to get it from Microsoft. That the T-Mobile G1 has already made me justify paying the $175 fee to get out of my Helio contract speaks volumes. I just hope Google, along with the Android cellphone carriers and hardware manufacturers, can keep this up.

Update 10/15/08: Dean Takahashi offers a great overview of the G1 over at VentureBeat. MG Siegler is also reporting that some preorder customers may be getting their G1 this Friday, October 17.

The Android T-Mobile G1 is the Real Successor to the Helio Ocean

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Lamenting the Death of Helio, and How the iPhone Helped Kill It

Devindra — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:07:29 +0000

I’m always one for the underdog, and I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a big part of why I chose to purchase a Helio Ocean last winter. At the time, I was looking for a slick smartphone that wasn’t a Blackberry, had 3G (so the iPhone was out), and generally appealed to my geeky sensibilities. The Ocean, Helio’s flagship phone, fit the bill quite nicely–so I eagerly made the jump.

(Honestly, I was waiting for the release of Google’s Android phones, but knowing that they wouldn’t show up until the end of 2008 (at the absolute earliest), I decided that the Ocean would tide me over for the next few years.)

But, like every underdog tech product/company I’ve loved (see: HD-DVD, the Rio Karma), it looks like Helio is ready to call it quits. They’re selling to Virgin Mobile, who will be getting rid of the Helio brand and making all Helio customers Virgin subscribers.

Honestly, I can’t say that I’m entirely surprised. While Helio has offered some great software improvements since the Ocean launched in May 2007, and they’ve even released a new handset recently (the Mysto), Helio simply couldn’t compete with Apple’s massive influence in the cellphone market. Sure, it took Apple until the iPhone 3G to match most of the Ocean’s features, but it was the iPhone that became a cultural phenomenon due to its groundbreaking user-interface.

(This is actually very similar to how the iPod took over the MP3 player market, even though Rio led the initial portable player charge.)

Now that the iPhone 3G is on its way, and practically every cellphone manufacturer is aiming to catch up to the iPhone’s innovations, Helio just can’t seem to do the same. Sure, they’ve got the mystical Ocean 2 on the way (some good spy coverage here), but it simply looks like a slimmer Ocean. Unless it has a bigger screen, along with touch capabilities, it won’t fair too well against the post-iPhone smartphones/mobile computing devices.

It’s a shame that Helio was never that successful. Their initial phone offerings weren’t all that great, but I appreciated their mission–to bring the high-tech phones from Korea to the America’s barren cellular marketplace. With the release of the Ocean, they succeeded in doing just that.

I know many knock the Ocean for not looking “sexy” enough–which I suppose is true if you consider sexy to be an anorexic nightmare like the Motorola Razr–but the Ocean is sexy to me as a geek. It screams of well thought out industrial design with its unusual oval shape, the infamous dual slider design (which still gets me “wows” to this day), and the gorgeous screen. Hell, I even love the Ocean’s every-so-satisfying thunk when closing the phone. For those interested in an in-depth look at the Ocean’s fascinating industrial design process, check out this excellent cover article from Technology Review (registration required).

Software-wise, the Ocean launched with a decent feature set, but it is the upgrades that came later that really make the phone shine. Helio has since added a great mobile Youtube interface, push e-mail, and, taking a cue from user hacks, support for Mobile Opera. It aimed to compete with T-Mobile’s trendy Sidekick, and it put up a heckuva fight–the only problem was that they didn’t see the iPhone coming.

For now, I’m not itching to get out of my Helio contract just yet. Assuming Virgin doesn’t start disabling Helio services, and doesn’t start charging me more for my monthly bill, I still think I can ride out my contract and wait for an Android phone.

If anything, Helio’s demise has shown me that I truly have a knack for liking scrappy technologies. I’m not quite sure what to make of this yet…

Update: Helio’s official announcement is now online. Cnet also has coverage of the deal.

Lamenting the Death of Helio, and How the iPhone Helped Kill It

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The iPhone 3G is a Call to Arms for Mobile Computing

Devindra — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:21:56 +0000

photo credit: _Andrish_

The iPhone 3G announcement has come and gone, and it seems like the main take-away for many is the $199 price, along with the new 3G and GPS capabilities. Of those three, I think the surprisingly low price for the 8GB iPhone 3G is the most important. Let’s face it, while 3G and GPS are new features to the iPhone, they’re not exactly fresh technologies in the cellphone market.

But while I’m all for a cheaper iPhone, I’m personally more interested in the iPhone software announcements from the WWDC than anything else. Everything from the SDK, to the application store, to the new MobilMe synching all cement the iPhone as a major mobile computing platform. And now that Apple is actually taking enterprise users into account, it has the potential to trump Microsoft’s Pocket PC platform and become a major competitor to RIM’s Blackberry domination.

Saul Hansell at the NY Times Bits blog (someone who I’m finding myself linking to a lot these days) seems to agree. In a recent column, he writes:

The most important battle here isn’t between the iPhone and the latest from Samsung or Nokia. The fighting now is over what will become the dominant platform for mobile computing. In that fight, Apple is competing with Microsoft, Symbian, Google’s Android, Palm and R.I.M. The company’s play is to make the iPhone, and the tools to develop for it, very closely related to the platform it uses on the Mac and on the Apple TV.

Indeed, it seems that the hardware changes to the iPhone 3G are practically irrelevant compared to Apple’s improvements to the iPhone platform. This is especially true if you consider that all of the software improvements will also benefit users of the original iPhone. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the tactic Apple takes for the next few years–minor hardware updates to the iPhone itself (next year, expect a better camera, faster processor, more RAM, etc.), all the while spending more energy on solidifying the iPhone platform.

The iPhone was such a fresh take on cellphone hardware upon its launch that other manufacturers are still struggling to catch up. This head start allowed them to coast on the hardware for this past year, and give us features that honestly wouldn’t have been difficult to implement at launch. But it’s obvious from their platform announcements that Apple wasn’t just twiddling their thumbs–they’re aiming to dominate mobile computing, and frankly doing a damn better job at it than Microsoft’s “Origami” ultramobile PC project.

When it comes to mobile computing, the only other competitor to Apple that has the potential to compete with the iPhone’s features and ease of use is of course Google’s Android platform. Check out the video below to see one of the many ways I think Android will outdo the iPhone. You can find more Android videos and images over at Android Community.

The iPhone 3G is a Call to Arms for Mobile Computing

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