Meizu MX3 to Arrive with Exynos 8-Core CPU, 5.1-Inch Full HD Screen Resolution at 1920x1200

Xiaomi Mi3 is only one of the high-end Android-based mobile phones that should emerge in China this year, as Meizu is also said to be getting ready for one such device, called Meizu MX3.

The smartphone did leak online a few time before, and is now said to be en route to shelves with an 8-core processor packed inside, none other than the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa CPU that was announced to power Samsung Galaxy S4, just as UnwiredView notes. Furthermore, the phone is expected to arrive on the market with a 5.1-inch touchscreen capable of delivering a 1200 x 1920 pixel resolution.

The upcoming mobile phone is also said to sport a narrow bezel when released, as well as various services integrated right from the start. For the time being, however, nothing has been officially confirmed on the matter.

Meizu MX3 to sport an 8-core CPU
Image credits to MyDrivers via UnwiredView

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XIAOMI Mi3 Spotted in China with Snapdragon 800 CPU

Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi has been long rumored to be working on the launch of a new smartphone in its popular Mi Series, and some more info on the matter is now available.

The handset, supposedly called Mi3, has allegedly made a photo appearance online, and is expected to become available for purchase in the country sometime this fall. According to UnwiredView, the device will arrive on the market with a 5-inch 1080p display on the front, while being powered by a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

The smartphone is also said to feature a 13-megapixel photo snapper on the back, capable of recording videos in full HD resolution. Xiaomi Mi3 also packs a 3000 mAh battery, while rumored to run under Google’s Android 5.0 operating system, with Xiaomi’s custom MIUI interface loaded on top.

Xiaomi Mi3
Image credits to it163 via UnwiredView

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Thuraya SatSleeve, Convert Your iPhone to Satelite Phone

UAE-based Thuraya Telecommunications Company has released a press statement confirming that its “satellite phone” converter for Apple’s iPhone is being launched today to the public.

The Thuraya SatSleeve is the first product of its kind. It offers access to mobile satellite communications to iPhone users, using the company’s own extensive satellite network. The cool image above may suggest the SatSleeve also works on Pandora, but knowing that you’ve got Earth coverage is probably good enough for now. After all, it does give a whole new meaning to the term "global phone."

The accessory is only slightly larger than the iPhone itself. According to its makers, “the compact adaptor provides users with the ability to turn their iPhone into a satellite phone that allows them to have reliable connectivity beyond the coverage of traditional terrestrial networks.” Thuraya is holding events in Washington DC and NYC this week (today is WA), and you’ll be able to pick one up relatively soon. Check out the fact sheet for a rundown of the specs. No word on the pricing just yet.

Thuraya SatSleeve promo
Image credits to Thuraya Telecommunications Company

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ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Video Card

The thing about HTPCs is that, while they are squarish most of the time, they aren't usually short (as in not tall).

While there are some low profile HTPCs, that is more the area of set-top boxes and nettops, because HTPCs can benefit more from a full-size graphics card than a low profile build. That is why ASUS saw fit to release the short, mini-ITX-ready but full-height GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini graphics adapter. It supposedly runs at 26 MHz better GPU frequency (so 915 + 26 makes 941 Base clock, and 980 + 26 leads to 1,006 MHz), while the memory is left at 6 GHz. This is what SweClockers reports anyway.

Dual DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort connectors are available, along with a single-fan cooler (aluminum base plate for VRM and memory, copper vapor chamber for GPU). Sales will start in April 2013, by which time the price will be out as well.

ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini Video Card
Image credits to ASUS

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NVIDIA Tegra Roadmap (Updated): Logan in 2014, Parker in 2015

NVIDIA is holding its annual GPU Technology Conference (March 18-21), which means that long-awaited information on its future products is finally coming out.

The Tegra platform for tablets and super smartphones is, as always, one of the bigger subjects. As the slide above shows, the Tegra 4, with its computational camera and LTE support (and which is already out) will be followed by the Logan. After that, will come the Parker, which makes us wonder if “Strong” was just a fake rumor all along. Tegra 6 Parker will get a Denver CPU, a Maxwell GPU and FinFET transistors. It will debut in 2015, which means Logan (Kepler GPU, CUDA support, OpenGL 4.3) will have 2014 all to itself. 

Given the tendency of Tegra SoCs to get stronger with each generation, it is unlikely that they will be used in smartphones at all. Tegra 4i will need successors of its own.

NVIDIA has updated Tegra roadmap
Image credits to NVIDIA

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Android 4.2.1 Starts Arriving on yakjuxw Galaxy Nexus

Owners of a yakjuxw flavor of Galaxy Nexus should now be able to download and install the Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean operating system on their handsets, the latest reports on the matter suggest.

Sold and managed by Samsung themselves, the yakjuxw Galaxy Nexus usually receives new OS upgrades months after the takju and yakju models have been upgraded, and things have happened exactly the same this time as well. The update is said to be 95MB in size, and will arrive on all yakjuxw Galaxy Nexus devices currently running under Android 4.1.1, AndroidOS reports.

It will be pushed over the air, yet users can check on its availability by going to Settings > About Phone > System Updates > Check now. This Galaxy Nexus model still has to receive the Android 4.2.2 OS flavor, which is currently being pushed to Verizon’s flavor of the device.

Galaxy Nexus
Image credits to Google

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