New Android SDK Released, T-Mobile First to Release Android-powered Phone

The Android Alliance released the .9 version of the SDK to developers, featuring an overhauled interface and home screen, new applications, and more development tools. This version marks the last version with major changes before the final build ships. Although many bugs were fixed and some features were added, the GTalkService and Bluetooth API were removed. 

T-Mobile also confirmed that they would be the first carrier to ship an Android phone, the HTC Dream. Although no release date was given, the New York Times speculates that the phone will be released before Christmas, "perhaps as early as October."

There was some worry that the project wasn't ready for prime time until the latest beta shipped earlier today. Back in July, news broke of a secret SDK released only to select developers, which left the rest of the community with buggy, out of date software. Now that the operating system has had time to mature, we can finally get a better idea of how it will compete with the more mature iPhone and Windows Mobile handsets.

I'm pretty happy today, for two reasons. First, I'm happy because I get to let everyone know that we're releasing a beta SDK. You can read about the new Android 0.9 SDK beta at the Android Developers' Site, or if you want to get straight to the bits, you can visit the download page. Once you've got it, be sure to visit our Developer Forum if you have any questions.

T-Mobile said Monday it plans to launch a mobile phone powered by Google's Android software, making it the first operator to do so and posing a direct threat to Apple's popular iPhone.

Source: Android , Source: Yahoo! News

Logitech Buys Ultimate Ears

Last Thursday, Logitech purchased Ultimate Ears, famous for their high end in-ear-monitor products, for a reported $34 million. Logitech, a company known for releasing popular audio components for PCs and game consoles, has yet to offer a line of headphones that compete with other makers, with the exception of their FreePulse wireless set, and Ultimate Ears is one venue with a lot of promise.

Loyal fans of the Ultimate Ears brand hold some concern that Logitech will merge the companies and kill off the UE name, but previous purchases have done well, including Harmony and, more recently, Slim Devices, witch have remained largely unchanged. However, in my opinion, I wouldn't be surprised if Logitech begins to offer more consumer oriented headphones with Ultimate Ears technology under the Logitech brand, which would help both devisions.

Logitech is getting into the earbuds game, announcing today that it's buying privately-held Ultimate Ears. Historically focusing on spendy in-ear monitors for live musicians, Ultimate Ears has recently hit the earbud game with full force, and Logitech seems to want a piece of that action. Plus the acquisition price of $34 million is like, what, profits from your last seven minutes of iPod dock sales, Logitech? Logitech and Ultimate Ears expect the deal to close in August.

Source: Engadget

So, Where's the HD 4850 X2?

For the first time in a while, AMD now dominates both the mid-range and high-end GPU market, and it's good to see. Competition is good, and AMD's offerings up to recently haven't instilled much faith in us, or the investors. As we saw in our coverage of the HD 4870 X2 though, AMD is back, and is sure to make oodles of cash this coming quarter. But what's next?

AMD hasn't talked much about the HD 4850 X2, although they did briefly mention it in the press release last week regarding the HD 4870 X2. The HD 4850 X2 is going to be set loose in September, so if you are looking for a slightly less-expensive dual-GPU option, it might be smart to wait. As you can see below, it's supposed to improve upon the GTX 280 in all regards, and at $399, it will cost less.

While the HD 4870 X2 has a 750MHz Core and GDDR5 memory, the HD 4850 X2 gets scaled back to a 625MHz Core and GDDR3, so there are going to be some obvious differences. It will still prove faster than the GTX 280 (or so we're told), but the HD 4870 X2 will remain the prime choice for those who want ultimate performance. Interestingly, the HD 4850 X2 will still feature 2GB of memory, like its bigger brother.

One important thing to bear in mind here though, is that while two HD 4870's in Crossfire is generally more expensive than the HD 4870 X2, the HD 4850 X2 won't follow. The single GPU cards retail for $185 right now, and most of them have mail-in-rebates. At that point, it'd be less expensive to just go that route. The HD 4850 X2 does look good for those who want Quad-Crossfire, though, because the memory is there, and so is the speed. It's a great time to be pondering a GPU purchase, that's for sure.

Setting a new performance standard in graphics cards priced under $400, the ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 provides the power to play today’s most demanding titles at ultra-high settings. Like its big brother, the ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 features 1600 stream processors, and two GPUs clocked at 625 MHz. The ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 features 2GB of GDDR3 memory.

Source: Our Review of the HD 4870 X2

Intel's Developer Forum Starts Tomorrow, Check Back for Our Coverage!

If the reminder I posted the other day wasn't enough, let's try it all again. As you read this, Rory and I will have probably already landed in San Francisco, ready to take in all that Intel's Developer Forum will throw at us. If you didn't read the post I made the other day, I recommend you do, since I tackled what we covered at the last event.

What are we going to hear about this year? Without question, the biggest news will hover around their upcoming Nehalem processors, the first proper successor to the 65nm Core 2 series that launched in the summer of two-years-ago. We already know that the initial processors will be called Core i7, so I'm sure we'll be seeing banners representing the new branding all over the Moscone Center.

Besides Nehalem, Intel is sure to update us the X58 chipset, their record-breaking SSDs, USB and PCI-E 3.0, and they might even unveil more about their Larrabee architecture. Whew, how we will be able to comprehend all of this is beyond me, but we'll do our best to keep you guys up to date on anything interesting that comes out of the conference. Coverage begins tomorrow, so check back often!

Intel's Senior VP & GM, Digital Enterprise Group, Pat Gelsinger

Intel Developer Forum only happens in the U.S. once a year, which means you should not miss this invaluable opportunity to hear major announcements, get job-critical training, ask questions, and get answers from Intel Fellows and top engineers on next generation processor technologies that impact your work.

Source: Our Coverage of IDF

August 18th Tech Roundup

• Gigabyte EP45-DS3L - ThinkComputers

• PowerColor HD 4870 - Bjorn3D
• GeCube HD 4870 CrossFire - Technic3D
• PowerColor HD 4850 - Overclock3D
• ASUS TOP GeForce 9600GT - Bigbruin
• Zotac 9800GTX+ AMP Edition - t-break

• Mushkin XP2-6400 4GB - techPowerUp
• Vantec NexStar External HDD Enclosure - ThinkComputers

• Audio-Technica ATH-CK7 Headphones - TheTechLounge

• Cooler Master Passive Hyper Z600 CPU Cooler - XtremeComputing
• NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler - Virtual-Hideout
• NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller - Overclockers Club
• NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller - DragonSteelMods

• Cooler Master Centurion 590 - Overclock3D

• BlueAnt Z9i Bluetooth Headset - I4U