According to WithinWindows.com it looks like Microsoft have quite a few demands in regards to what hardware needs to be within any tablet which runs Windows 8 and features it must boast, firstly there will need to needs to be at least five buttons on the device, these are for power, volume up / volume down, rotation lock and just like Windows Phone 7 there needs to be a Windows key – Microsoft specifically say that the Windows key must be no less than 10.5 mm in diameter and have also stated that the CTRL + ALT + DEL function will be replaced by pressing the Windows key and power button simultaneously.

In terms of internal hardware there must be at least one USB 2.0 port, speakers, Bluetooth 4.0, WLAN, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, speakers, Bluetooth 4.0 and a multitouch display which supports at least 5 touch points. Microsoft has also said that any camera which features on a Windows 8 tablet must be 720p or better and the touchscreen display must output at no less than 1366 x 768.

It looks like Microsoft is also keen to support NFC. Apparently all devices which run Windows 8 and offer NFC will require “touch marks”, this sounds posh, but all it means is that hardware manufacturers will have to mark where the NFC contact can be made (we’re sure that this most companies will put this somewhere on a tablet’s rear cover so you can easily tap two NFC devices together).

Before we leave you there’s a few other tidbits to tell you about, firstly ARM hardware running Windows 8 won’t allow for manual operating system installations, secondly there will need to be at least 10GB of free space after Windows 8 is installed (given Microsoft’s track record this suggests that in total you will need at least 20-25GB of storage), thirdly ARM hardware won’t support two second resume and finally video card driver installation won’t require a reboot.

As you can see Microsoft are really enforcing some strict guidelines to ensure that the Windows 8 platform doesn’t become too fragmented, this is particularly great news for app developers and we’re pretty happy with almost everything we’ve seen, but ARM Holdings probably won’t be. What requirements would you like to see changed? What would you like to see added? Let us know in the comments section below.

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A detailed article over at ComputerWorld suggests that both LG and Samsung may unveil new Android smartphones next week at CES, what’s unique about these is that they may utilize one of Intel’s latest Atom chips, rather than an ARM-based microprocessor. CW says that ARM currently makes up for 95% of the processors in smartphones, so this is a very bold move. One analyst claims that Intel and Google have spent time together to optimize Android for Atom chips, there are also rumors that Intel-owned McAfee could perhaps be somehow integrated into the operating system to further-enhance security.

We recently suggested that Intel could perhaps be showing off an Android smartphone at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, which further solidifies rumors of Atom chips being brought to smartphones in 2012 – it will be interesting to see how such chips compare to top-end offerings from Qualcomm and Nvidia. Maybe Intel could undercut its rivals to tempt smartphone manufacturers to move away from established mobile processor suppliers, either that or perhaps Intel feel confident that Atom chips will outperform chips such as the Tegra 3.

It makes sense for Intel to dabble in different markets as these days a lot of people use their smartphones and tablets for tasks which we once had to use desktop computers and laptops for, it looks certain that Windows 8 will run on ARM-based hardware when it arrives, therefore AMD may not be Intel’s biggest rivals in years to come – what do you think?

We can’t wait to see how Intel’s new Atom chips compare to Qualcomm and Nvidia offerings at CES 2012, however we do remain a little skeptical at present. Hopefully we will come across some useful benchmarks next week, when we do we will keep you posted.

More About: ARM, Intel, Intel Atom, NVIDIA, Qualcomm

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This means that the new chip will offer up to five times more battery life than before. The Cambridge based company says that in 2013 we will see cheaper smartphones that include longer battery lives. They believe these devices could cost as little as $100 by then, due to more energy efficient designs.

According to the Guardian, the technology has already received several manufacturers signed up for it including Texas Instruments, ST-Ericsson, Sprint, Samsung, LG Electronics and more. Even Apple has the license to build and use chips with ARM technology in their iOS devices, although the company was not allowed to say whether they had actually signed up to use it too.

ARM provides the chips for the majority of the smartphones and tablets on the market. The chip they believe could be so revolutionary in 2013 is their Cortex-A7 processor, their most energy efficient design yet. The reason their design is so successful is because it prioritized low battery demand rather than huge power output and ended up with both.

The company’s Chief Executive, Warren East, admits that in terms of processing power the new ARM design will not offer much more than what is on offer from the high-end smartphones on the market today. That means in a couple of year the technology will be lower-end and therefore cheaper, yet will still provide the power needed for a decent smartphone. Will you be looking for the cheapest smartphone or best that money can buy in 2013?

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Sony does not want to make the same mistake as they did with the PS3 when it comes to manufacturing costs, which was the main reason why they were selling PlayStation 3 consoles at a loss for some time. Nintendo kept things very simple with the Wii and it worked – not saying it will still work now, but it is worth exploring. We still do not know if the PS4 or even the Xbox 720 come to that is needed.

Sony knows that the more advanced hardware they use the more it can go wrong; Sony and Microsoft know that through personal experience. ITProPortal explains how using ARM technology will be pivotal for the future of gaming, and they could be on to something. We know that we always hunger for more power, but software developers can be very clever with what they do.

We have mentioned on a number of occasions that Apple could decide to shift over to using the ARM processor in the iPhone 6 and even the next MacBook Air. This could have a quad-core processor and be as powerful as the PS3. Now there is the little concern of the battery; Apple needs to come up with new battery technology before then.

Do you think that the PS4 and the iPhone 6 will both use ARM processors?

More About: ARM, iPhone 6, Sony PS4

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Another company that is well established is ARM, a company that has opposing intentions to Intel as they already have a foothold in the smartphone market thanks to their chip licensing with various other companies such as Qualcomm. Instead, according to an article at VentureBeat the company is hoping to have more success in the mobile PC market.

This market includes computers such as tablets, notebooks and laptops. The company already is taking an early lead in the tablet market but would like to broaden that success with devices that are powered by Windows. Windows 8 is rumored to be designed to be compatible with ARM processors, these rumors also point to MacBooks switching to ARM instead of Intel.

ARM has just 10% of the mobile PC market share at the moment according to Tudor Brown, the company’s President, if things continue to grow as they intend, it expects to have more like a 50% share by 2015. Check out the full article for more details about the company’s in intentions by clicking the link above.

Do you use devices that take advantage of the ARM processors? What do you think of them?

More About: ARM, Intel, Qualcomm

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According to a recent article posted on SlashGear Apple may be looking to switch over to ARM-based chips in 2013, it is hard to say whether SlashGear’s sources are reliable, however it kicks off an interesting debate none-the-less.

Over the last year or so we have seen ARM processors come on leaps and bounds, with low power consumption, fast performance and small size in their favor we can see why Apple may be interested in switching across.

At the moment the ARM processors are not powerful enough to run Mac OS X on par with an Intel chip, however there are talks of an quad-core ARM chip coming in the future, if this arrives it should be able to cope with modern-day operating systems.

Apple’s A4 and A5 SoCs both feature ARM CPUs and the new iPad 2 shows just what ARM processors are capable of, therefore it does not sound too far-fetched to see MacBook’s using ARM chips in the future.

Do you think that ARM processors will dominate desktops and notebooks in the future?

More About: apple, Apple MacBook, ARM, Intel

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Currently LGs Optimus 2X and Optimus Pad both use the Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor, and this news will be a change of direction for the company as it will use the ARM license for its own chips, according to an article by Marc Chacksfield from TechRadar.

Boik Sohn, LGs VP and Head of System IC Center said “LG’s relationship with ARM over a number of years has provided significant value to our overall business”. He went on to say the deal will give LG new processor technology for devices such as smart TVs “and drive our platform strategy.”

This is not the first time LG has used ARM chips as they first used them in 1995, but this agreement will see ARM processors inside more of LGs products. This news could concern the likes of Nvidia and Qualcomm as LG and other big companies shy away from their products.

More About: ARM, ARM Cortex Processors, lg

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This is pretty evident in their recent acquisitions of Infineon Technology’s wireless division and security software giant McAfee, also they have apparently played a big part in the development of Nokia’s MeeGo operating system.

Many suspect that Intel will soon be taking on mobile chip manufacturers such as ARM, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments in the smartphone processor market, however previously Intel have struggled to develop low power consumption processors.

Recently Intel has been working on Atom chips for netbooks and tablets, therefore they have probably a better idea as to how to get great performance from a more economical chip.

In recent years the smartphone market has grown rapidly, therefore it is no surprise to see Intel looking into this avenue of business, however will it be too little too late for them?

As I always say the more competition in a particular market always results in end users getting a better overall product, therefore I am looking forward to Intel attempting to outdo other mobile chip manufacturers.

Do you think Intel can take on the likes of ARM, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments in the smartphone market?

Source: ComputerWorld

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As reported from Tech Radar, ARM has become quite popular with companies recently, with more and more gadgets being equipped with one of ARM’s mobile chip designs.

You may not be aware, but Apple actually founded ARM in 1990 in a partnership with Acorn, but Steve Jobs eventually decided to sell Apple’s shares of ARM to keep their books healthy. As a result of that, Apple still pay royalty payments to ARM today, since products such as their iPod range are equipped with ARM chips.

If the buyout does happen, could this have any effect on the upcoming iPhone 4G? Probably not, but ARM could play a significant part in further versions of the iPhone. Let us know your thoughts on this.

More About: ARM

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