SanDisk 19nm 128Gb flash memory chip is world's smallest

SanDisk has announced the world’s smallest 128Gb (16GB) NAND flash memory chip built using a 19nm process, knocking another nanometer off of the world’s current smallest flash memory chip, Micron’s impressive 20nm 128Gb version that was announced in December.

Toshiba teamed up with SanDisk to develop the new memory chip, in a joint effort led by Yan Li, director of memory design at SanDisk’s Milpitas campus. It can store up to 128 billion bits of information on its silicon die that measures just 170mm² and uses SanDisk’s multi-level cell (MLC) NAND chips combined with their own  three-bit per cell X3 technology, which allows for read/write of three bits of information in each memory cell.

"At 19-nm, SanDisk is deploying its ninth generation of multi-level cell (MLC) NAND products and fifth generation of X3 technology," the company said in their press release. "This combination of manufacturing and technical expertise helps SanDisk pack more information into each memory cell making it possible to create a smaller, denser NAND flash memory chip."

The 3X technology gives the new memory chip an industry leading 18MB/s write performance when combined with the company’s All-Bit-Lane (ABL) architecture, which allows for reliable simultaneous access to two word lines.

"Building a 128Gb NAND flash memory chip with this level of complexity is an incredible achievement," said Mehrdad Mofidi, vice president, Memory Design. "This innovation allows SanDisk to continue to be a leader in helping our customers deliver smaller, more powerful products capable of doing more at lower cost."

A single 128GB memory module would consist of eight 128Gb (16GB) NAND chips, making it tiny, fast and power efficient for its size and capacity. Micron is already mass producing 128Gb versions on the 20nm process, so the increased competition should help drive prices down as the new memory chips make their way into the latest next generation tech gadgets such as tablets, smartphones and solid state drives.

Also announced is a 19nm 64Gb (8GB) NAND flash memory chip that is compatible with the MicroSD format. SanDisk has begun shipping both chips, with production expected to ramp up to full capacity and mass production very shortly.

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Top 10 Most Anticipated Smartphones in 2012

Do you still remember what your first mobile phone was? It has been decades since they first introduced mobile phones in the market. If we’re going to back track the history of mobile phones, we will see that it has gone far from where it started. It has evolved a lot from only being a call and text mobile phone to the smartphones that we have now. The smartphones that were being released in the market nowadays offers a lot of great features from instant messaging, gaming, social networking and many many more. And because of this, the demand for smartphones has grown from year to year. This is the reason why top mobile phone manufacturing companies are launching different and new variants of smartphones.

Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Blackberry are some of the top mobile phone companies nowadays and to give you an idea on what these companies may have in store for us this year, here are the top 10 most anticipated smartphones in 2012.

1. iPhone 5

Since 2011, we already heard a lot of rumors regarding this phone. Many Apple fans have been waiting for the release of this smartphone and have become a big hit already. It is believed that it will be one of the best Apple products ever launched with its improved features. More details on iPhone 5 here.

2. Samsung Galaxy SIII

It boasts a 12 MP camera with 1080p full HD video recording, a dual core 1.8 GHz processor and a brilliant connectivity features. This phone is known as the biggest competitor of iPhone 5.

3. Blackberry 10

This superphone as it was called is one of the most awaited Blackberry of all times. Although there are rumors about the features, it has not really been evidently revealed. But they are pointing out that it will level up to the latest smartphones to be released.

4. Nokia Lumia 900

After Nokia released the version of Lumia 800 last 2011, they come up with Nokia Lumia 900 which is packed with features. It is considered as the superior form of the previous Lumia which has a 4.3 inch AMOLED ClearBlack screen at 800×480 pixels, 8 megapixel with Carl Zeiss optics and 1.4 GHz Snapdragon processor.

5. Sony Xperia S

This smartphone was launched during CES 2012 and believed to be released on the 2nd quarter of 2012. Runs in Android 2.3 with 4.3-inch HD display, dual core 1.5GHz processor and NFC capabilities.

6. Lenovo S2

Lenovo S2 is an Android smartphone that is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It is great for social networking, has a good battery life and also has good 3G and WIFI connectivity features. This smartphone also comes in two versions, the 16GB and 32GB.

7. Sony Xperia Ion

Another one from Sony Ericsson that is said to be released this year is the Sony Experia Ion. It is powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, has a 12.1 MP camera and an internal memory of 16GB.

8. Motorola Droid Razr Maxx

For 2012, Motorola will be releasing a new Android phone. It has an advanced touch screen display with qHD, a remarkable 8MP camera with flash and image stabilization and an excellent battery life.

9. Lenovo K800

Another one from Lenovo, the first Intel-powered smartphone, Lenovo K800. This smartphone has a 1.6GHz Intel Medfield processor, a TFT display, and an 8 megapixel camera and runs in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

10. HTC Titan II

The smartphone which may become the next target of HTC fans this year. It has superb LCD capacitive touch screen, a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S2 processor, and a 16MP camera that provides excellent quality photos and videos.

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Windows 8 Consumer Preview coming Feb. 29, bundled apps leaked

As promised, Microsoft will release a public beta of Windows 8 this month. The company scheduled a launch event for the "Consumer Preview" of its next operating system on February 29 in Barcelona, Spain -- the same timeframe and city as Mobile World Congress but they're separate occasions. Although the company is doling out invitations, it hasn't shared much about the event or whether a US affair is planned.

While Microsoft's announcement is lacking juicy details, The Verge has learned more about the programs that might ship with Windows 8. According to unnamed sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, the OS will offer Metro-style camera, messaging, mail, calendar, SkyDrive, photo, video, music and "people" applications -- all of which will be present in the Consumer Preview, but aren't set in stone for the full release.

It's noted that the calendar, mail, messaging and people apps will be more encompassing and useful than solely Windows Live software. The messaging app, for instance, is claimed to have support for SMS. The music and video apps are currently labeled as Zune, but they were built by the Xbox team and they'll soon be rebranded as such. Xbox Live will be the entertainment brand for Windows 8's music, videos and games.

Microsoft has kept Windows 8 in the headlines by gradually releasing information over the last year or so. Although there are new features for conventional desktop users, the next OS is expected to address the many mobile-oriented shortcomings of Microsoft's previous offerings, including the addition of a touch-friendly "Metro" interface.

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Galaxy S III is 7mm thin, has quad-core CPU, coming in May

Although Samsung's Galaxy S III won't appear at Mobile World Congress at the end of February, the device is expected to hit shelves in the first half of 2012. According to South Korea's Electronic Times News, the next-generation Galaxy S will be one of the thinnest smartphones to date and it'll supposedly arrive in May -- later than the previously-speculated April launch and more in line with the Galaxy S II's anniversary.

If the rumored info is accurate, Samsung's upcoming flagship will measure a mere 7mm thick, roughly 1.5mm thinner than the Galaxy S II, 2.3mm thinner than Apple's iPhone 4S and a hair slimmer than the Droid Razr. To achieve such a trim profile, the company is reportedly using components that are 10 to 20% thinner than standard parts, including the printed circuit board, connectors and miscellaneous chips.

Inside its diminutive shell, the handset will pack a quad-core processor -- a first for Samsung -- along with 2GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera and support for LTE networks. It'll also have a HD Super AMOLED Plus display and it'll run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Separate rumors from late January suggest the Galaxy S III will carry a 12MP camera and 64GB of storage.

ET News notes that if the Galaxy S III's camera is as thick as its predecessor's, it will likely protrude from the phone. If we understand the translation right, Samsung hopes to ship 30 million of its next-gen device and its primary goal is to defeat the iPhone 5. Not only does Samsung want its highest-end Galaxy S III to outshine Apple's upcoming handset, it wants to offer more variety with up to seven iterations.

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New Developments in Consumer Robotics

The development of robotics into the consumer market has been expanding in many directions in the last decade. Fueled by some of the same algorithmic technology as computer applications that allow users to download utorrent files and customize their mobile devices, modern robotics continues to accelerate. Recently, consumer robotics took another turn and this time it involves kissing.

Artificial intelligence researcher Hooman Samani, who has been exploring a new field known as “Lovotics”, recently released his latest iteration which is called “Kissenger,” a miniature Skype-enabled computer that simulates the feeling of a kiss. The way it works is that a small synthetic pig with a pair of rubber lips is plugged into your company via a USB cord. When you or your partner, on the other end of the line, kiss the lips of Kissenger it will create a second kiss for your significant other. The technology behind Kissenger ranges from the practical to the bizarre, featuring a virtual mouth that simulates the act of kissing and touch sensitive lips that detect trends in kissing patterns.

While this may sound incredibly strange, Samani claims it’s part of an effort to make advanced robotics cater to human relationships and emotions. He thinks inventions like Kissenger will not only make intimacy more convenient for long distance couples, but that they will evolve the relationship between humans and machines. He and Lovotics have also created what they called a “Mini-Surrogate,” which is a doll-shaped robot that simulates a child or pet while also facilitating various telecommunications applications.

These aren’t the only recent dalliances into consumer robotics, or even kissing robots. A Japanese grad student recently created what he calls the “kissing box,” which transmits tongue movements between devices, so that the user can kiss people over the Internet.

Fortunately, not all robotic inventions entail kissing. A slate of new consumer robotics from CES involve more utilitarian functions. Romibo, for example, is a robotics collaboration project that involves crowdsourcing a robot into existence for the purposes of therapy, education and recreation. PerMMA is a personal mobility appliance that uses state of the art technology like robotic arms and teleoperation in order to grant people with disabilities more movement and independence. Finally, Myoma is an interactive rehabilitation system for stroke victims that seeks to combine a person’s own natural biological signals with a proprietary neuro-robotic technology.

As we can see, the field of robotics is running the gamut of innovation, catering to various forms of recreation, emotions, physical needs, and medical applications. At the very least, we can rest assured that no matter how advanced our robotics operations get, they won’t making kissing obsolete any time in the near future.

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The end of L and R markings is near, as new earbuds know in which ear they’re inserted

A Japanese research team has come up with a set of prototype headphones that detect which ear they've been inserted in, then changing the channel accordingly, so users don't have to check first.

The one thing we all do before putting on a pair of headphones is check we’re putting the correct ‘bud in the correct ear, either with the little L and R markings, or by using another visual clue such as an in-line microphone to check which is which, thus ensuring the stereo separation is heard as the artist and audio mixer intended.

It’s a tried-and-tested but decidedly low-tech solution, however a Japanese team of researchers at the Igarashi Design Interface Project have come up with an far more high-tech alternative.

They call them Universal Earphones, and there’s a proximity sensor fixed to each earbud that knows which ear it has been inserted in, then adjusts the channel accordingly. With a 30mm detection zone in which to find either your ear or clear air, they work in a similar way to your phone’s proximity sensor.

That’s not all either, as another sensor is used to see whether both earbuds are being used by the same person, and if not, both the ‘buds get a mono signal. Why? So you don’t get just one side of a stereo track when you’re sharing a pair of earphones with another person.

Future plans for the Universal Earphones include a feature where the ‘buds know they’ve been removed from your ears, and pausing the music until they’re re-inserted, or even playing one track through the right earphone and another through the left.

At this stage, the Universal Earphones are in still in development and according to the BBC, there are no firm plans to mass produce them. However, the promo video reveals they would cost less than $1 per pair to manufacture, which could see them being snapped up in the future.

Of course, if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t check to make sure your headphones are in the correct ear, this won’t be of any interest. Just a quick question though, how can you be so blasé?

                            

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Nokia accidentally leaks an international white Lumia 900?

Did Nokia accidentally reveal a white Lumia 900 on Facebook? If so, where is it going to be released, as without the AT&T branding, it could be about to make its international debut.

Yesterday, Nokia made a lot of noise about the impending release of a white Lumia 800 Windows Phone handset, trumpeting its arrival on its Conversations blog and on its official Facebook page.

A subsequent snap of the virginal phone posted to Facebook has revealed something the previous pictures did not. It’s a forward facing video-call camera, and as we all know, the Lumia 800 doesn’t have one.

However, the Lumia 900 does. Except this phone doesn’t have the AT&T branding found on the currently US-only Lumia 900, leading many to believe the phone could be making its international debut soon. If so, it won’t be coming with its 4G LTE radio, as such services are still a rarity elsewhere in the world.

The Lumia 900 has never been confirmed for launch anywhere else, but has regularly appeared and quickly disappeared from various European online retailer’s websites since then. It has also been speculated that an international version of the Lumia 900 would be released under the name Lumia 910, a phone said to have a 12-megapixel camera instead of the 8-megapixel found on the 800 and 900.

Initially expected to be part of Nokia’s grand return to Mobile World Congress, this week the existence of the Lumia 910 has been refuted by Nokia’s imaging expert Damian Dinning, who tweeted that it “didn’t exist.”

So, is this phone the Nokia 800, 900 or a Europe-bound 910? Whichever it turns out to be, the white polycarbonate body looks absolutely flawless, something Nokia themselves say was extremely difficult to achieve. They call it “extreme product making” and admit the crisp color is the result of two years work.

White phones aren’t for everyone, but Nokia’s attempt is sure to win plenty of new fans.

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