PCI Express over Optical Cable, PLX Demos 32 Gbps Transfer Rates

When someone says PCI Express, anyone who knows anything about computers will think about those slots on motherboards, used for graphics cards and other add-in-boards. PCIe technology has been used differently in recent years, however, and now we see it work over optical cables, of all things. In the end, the PCI Express interface standard is one that defines how data is moved through certain media. Adding one more medium shouldn't come as such a big shock. Still, for those used to motherboards and the like, it may very well be. Anyway, PLX Technology, an expert in PCI Express (PCIe) silicon and software connectivity, teamed up with FCI, a manufacturer of connectors and interconnect systems, for PCIe over optical cabling. A demo was...

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BlackBerry Agrees on Acquisition by Canadian Fairfax Financial Consortium for $4.7 Billion (€3.5 Billion)

Canadian Fairfax Financial consortium has just announced it has agreed to purchase BlackBerry handset maker for $4.7 billion (€3.5 billion). BlackBerry confirmed today it has signed a letter of intent agreement under which its shareholders would receive $9 in cash for each share of BlackBerry share they hold. Fairfax Financial already owns approximately 10 percent of BlackBerry's common shares and plans to contribute the shares of BlackBerry it currently holds into the transaction. “The Special Committee is seeking the best available outcome for the Company's constituents, including for shareholders. Importantly, the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from...

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BlackBerry Kopi, an Entry-Level BlackBerry 10 Smartphone

Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry has already confirmed plans to launch entry-level handsets in the not too distant future, and details on one of its upcoming devices are now available. The phone, supposedly codenamed BlackBerry Kopi, will arrive on the market with a price tag set below BlackBerry Q5’s mark, though it will sport a faster processor, BGR reports. The handset is also said to have a removable battery inside, but will not feature LTE connectivity when released. No specific release date for the device has been unveiled as of now, though it might not be too long before BlackBerry makes the smartphone official. Until more details on this cheap mobile phone become available, have a look at its outer design, courtesy...

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Nokia to Launch 6-Inch Lumia 1520 in October

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia has been long rumored to plan the release of a large Windows Phone 8 smartphone in October, and new reports on the matter converge towards the same idea. According to a recent article on DigiTimes, industry sources have confirmed Nokia’s plans to launch a 6-inch Windows Phone 8 device next month. The handset, supposedly called Lumia 1520, should arrive on the market with Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 GDR3 platform release loaded on top. With the launch of BlackBerry Z30 last week, Nokia becomes one of the few smartphone makers to have not launched a large smartphone as of now. However, the release of Lumia 1520 will change that, and will provide the company with the possibility to tap into territories...

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Oppo N1 Full Specifications and Photo Gallery

Today, Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo announced the N1, its latest flagship smartphone, which will arrive on shelves with a wide range of appealing features and capabilities packed inside. This is the first device included in the company’s N-Lens flagship series, packed with a large screen, rotating camera, rear touch panel, and an appealing design. The main selling point of the new handset will be its 13-megapixel camera, which can be rotated 206 degrees, and which also sports six physical lenses, an upgraded type 1/3.06 imaging module, and f/2.0 wide aperture. The camera also comes with a special light-diffusing LED flash design, and can boot from sleeping mode in only 0.6 seconds via a simple 120° rotation.  Oppo N1 also...

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Oppo N1 Goes Official with 5.9-Inch Screen and Rotating 13MP Camera

Today, Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo officially announced the latest addition to its lineup of high-end smartphones, namely the Oppo N1. The new handset went official during a special press event held in Beijing, China, which was streamed live over the Internet. The device was announced with a large 5.9-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a full HD resolution, and which sports a pixel density of 373 pixels per inch. The new mobile phone features Oppo’s own Color OS loaded on top, and the usual three capacitive Android keys placed beneath the display, namely back, home, and menu. The smartphone comes to the market with a 13-megapixel camera with dual LED flash and an f/2.0 aperture, which is paired with Oppo’s Owl imaging processor. The...

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 "Cheaper Version" in the Works, Launching in November

This is not the first time we hear about Samsung planning to release a much cheaper version of Galaxy Note 3 in emerging markets. Back in August, sources close to the matter claimed Samsung would launch an affordable Galaxy Note 3 in several countries in order to boost its sales. Today, Sammobile reports new details on the unannounced phablet emerged and point to an imminent launch of a cheaper Samsung Galaxy Note 3 model. According to Sammobile citing ETNews, the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will sport a 5.5-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen display instead of the Super AMOLED screen included with the original model, as well as an 8-megapixel main camera. We can expect this affordable Galaxy Note 3 to go on sale in countries like...

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Secret 3G Radio in Every Intel vPro CPU Could Steal Your Data at Any Time

We wonder if anyone expected this, but we suppose Intel had to drop a bomb at some point. And what better way to secure your spot on the enterprise 2-in-1 laptop, tablet and mobile workstation market, than by giving all of those PCs 3G support? Hilariously enough, Intel has created one of the most sought after technologies without letting anyone know about it. Basically, all Intel vPro CPUs (which include new mobile Core i5 and Core i7 chips) have an undocumented 3G chip inside. That chip is visible to the 3G network, even when the PC is not powered on. Freelancer Jim Stone has just discovered the secret (or so he says), and according to him, the 3G is part of a second physical processor embedded within the main one. Said second CPU...

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