MURMER GADGET

Communications chip maker Broadcom announced a first of its kind 5G WiFi Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system-on-a-chip that will bring faster 802.11ac connectivity with 2x2 MIMO to mobile devices. The Broadcom BCM4354 chip  is the first to implement 2×2 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) on a smartphone, bringing up to twice the Wi-Fi performance with 25 percent more power efficiency than the current 1x1 MIMO chips. Consumers expect a fast, always-on smartphone experience. Performance however can be degraded by many factors including how a phone is held or positioned. In the past, MIMO systems have solved these problems on tablets and larger devices by using multiple antennas. With Broadcom’s advanced antenna and PHY design, the BCM4354 can now deliver the benefits of 5G WiFi 2×2 MIMO to smaller platform designs like smartphones while reducing implementation complexity for designers. This achievement enables the industry’s first practical implementation of 2×2 MIMO on ...

Amazon has announced a special Kids Edition of the Kindle Fire HD. This is essentially the newly announced Kindle Fire HD in 6-inch and 7-inch sizes but with a special rubber case around it to prevent it from being damaged. If, however, your kid does somehow managed to break it, the Kids Edition comes with a two-year, no questions asked replacement guarantee.  The Kids Edition also includes a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, a service meant for kids with age appropriate educational apps, games, books, and movies. The FreeTime mode also blocks access to stores so kids don’t end up purchasing anything. The Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition is priced at $149 for the 6-inch model and $189 for the 7-inch model, $50 more than the standard Kindle Fire HD.

Alongside the new Moto X, Motorola took the wraps off an updated Moto G. The successor of Motorola’s best selling smartphone offers improved key features and specs, yet it retains the barely believable $179.99 price tag. The new Moto G packs a 5” 720p IPS display with impressive quality, covered by Gorilla Glass. The screen is flanked by a duo of stereo speakers, which add a massive dash of appeal to the device, and help set it apart from its competitors. Like its predecessor, the new Moto G packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, and a gig of RAM. The device will be available with 8 or 16GB of built-in memory, which can be further expanded via a microSD card slot. The latter can be found under the device’s swappable back cover.       New Moto G live photos The camera of the new Moto G is an 8MP f/2.0 unit, coupled with a 2MP front-facing snapper. Users can use the volume rocker to activate the camera shutter. The new M...

Photokina is here and Canon has announced three new point and shoot cameras. The best of the lot by far is the new PowerShot G7 X, which features a new one-inch sensor. The new 20.2 megapixel CMOS sensor has an ISO range of 125-12800 and is paired with Canon’s new Digic 6 processor. The camera has a new 31 point AF system and a continuous shooting mode of 6.5fps. The lens is a 24-100mm equivalent with an aperture range of f/1.8 to f/2.8. The lens features a nine-blade aperture diaphragm and a built-in ND filter. The G7 X can record videos in 1080p at 60 frames per second. On the back is a 3.0-inch, 1,040k dot capacitive touchscreen that tilts upwards by 180 degrees to take self portraits. The camera also includes Wi-Fi and NFC to send your photos wirelessly to a smartphone. The PowerShot G7 X will be available from October for $699.99. Next is the PowerShot SX60 HS, which is a superzoom camera. The camera has a 21-1365mm equivalent 65x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization...

In their pursuit for dominance in the tablet market in 2014, Samsung has announced, at its CES 2014 show, four new tablets under the NotePro and TabPro names. The Galaxy NotePro 12.2 takes the spotlight, while the Galaxy TabPro 12.2, 10.1 and 8.4 followed it. As the Pro designation suggests, these are high-end tablets, hence, theyll be on the expensive side. All four Galaxy Pro tablets feature 2560 x 1600 displays and are available in Wi-FI only and LTE versions, and are powered by either the Exynos 5420 processor or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800. Galaxy NotePro and TabPro 12.2 This is perhaps the most interesting of these four tablets. The Galaxy NotePro 12.2, basically a larger Note 10.1 (2014), explores a display size that is seldom used in tablets. Some people (me included) think that 12.2" is too large for a tablet, while others may appreciate the extra screen real estate. The NotePro 12.2 has a very high 2560 x 1600 resolution, which leads to a 247ppi pixel density, just shy o...