Samsung readying Windows RT tablet for October launch

Samsung is reportedly working on a tablet running Microsoft's next generation operating system ahead of its worldwide release in October. According to sources familiar with the matter cited in a report byBloomberg, the South Korean firm plans to release the ARM-based tablet running Windows RT at the same time as Microsoft releases its new OS to the public.

Both of the sources asked not to be named as the plans weren't public. One of them claimed Samsung's Windows RT tablet would be released in October.

Windows RT is a fine-tuned version of Windows 8 for touchscreen devices that will be powered by ARM-based processors. Samsung’s Windows RT tablet in particular will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. ARM-based chips have risen massively in popularity in recent years and are now used to power a whole host of smartphones and tablets, including Apple's industry leading iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone.

Samsung's entry will provide a welcome boost to the Windows 8 tablets available at launch. Two weeks ago rumors emerged suggesting one of Microsoft's biggest OEMs, Hewlett Packard, was towithdraw from making ARM-based Windows RT tablets after the software giant unveiled its own Microsoft Surface tablet.

HP has since confirmed in a statement to Forbes it plans to focus on x86 Windows 8 tablets with business users in mind for the foreseeable future. That said, they didn't completely rule out ARM-based Windows RT tablets, saying it "continues to look at using ARM processors in business and consumer products".

If the latest rumors are true, Samsung would join Asus, Dell and Microsoft in building ARM-based tablets running Windows RT for launch in October. The launch will mark the first time ever that the Redmond software firm has released a cross platform operating system working on traditional x86 computers and notebooks as well as ARM-based tablets at the same time.

Intel reorganizes mobile business to speed up development

Intel has announced a sweeping reorganization that will see four previously separate product groups -- mobile communications, netbook and tablet, mobile wireless, and ultra mobility -- merged into a single one focused on mobile products. The new unit, known as the Mobile and Communications group, will be headed by former Infineon executive Herman Eul as well as Mike Bell, who worked on the iPhone at Apple and came to Intel from Palm in 2010.

The move marks Intel's latest effort to break into the fast-growing mobile market, something it hasn't been able to achieve so far despite its vast network and its expertise in the PC and server markets.

According to the company, the consolidation will reduce duplication of effort and help teams share intellectual property more quickly. This isn't the first time Intel has reorganized business units and shifted executives around small devices, however. They made a similar move a year ago by creating a unit to focus on networks and tablets, and Intel also changed up its wireless leadership this year after Anand Chandraskher, former general manager of the now-defunct ultra mobility group, announced he was leaving to pursue other interests.

Besides focus and leadership, Intel's problem is it hasn't been able to produce a low-power and cost-effective chip that manufacturers actually want to use in their smartphone and tablet designs over an ARM-based solution from companies like Nvidia, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and others.

Intel executives stated at their annual developer conference in September that Android phones featuring Intel chips should be available in the first half of 2012. But seeing how even Microsoft, one of its longest standing partners, is betting on ARM support for Windows 8, Intel's future in the mobile market remains uncertain.

Google giving away 10 Galaxy Nexus smartphones on Twitter

Google has launched a contest on Twitterto give away 10 Galaxy Nexus smartphones in 10 days to promote the phone’s pending release. The promotion started on Saturday and will run until Monday, November 21.

To enter, you must first have a Twitter account and follow @googlenexus. Each day Google will post an essay question or puzzle for hopefuls to answer. To submit a solution, reply to Google's tweet and include the #googlenexus hashtag.

To give you an idea of what to expect, the first challenge presented contestants with an image and asked them to decipher a code to finish the following sentence: “#GalaxyNexus is well-traveled, coming to @googlenexus from [answer].” The answer was “The Sandwich Islands”, although I have no clue how to arrive at that answer based on the hint. Any ideas?

Challenge two required users to make something geeky and edible. Photo and video submissions were accepted for this challenge and entries were evaluated based on creativity, originality and use of humor. The third challenge is set to kick off today at 3pm PST. A complete list of rules can be foundhere.

Samsung and Google announced the Galaxy Nexus at a press event in Honk Kong on October 18. The handset features a curved 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display running at 1270 x 720 resolution, a 1.2GHz dual core processor, 1GB of RAM, your choice of 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a 5MP rear camera with zero shutter lag, backlit-illuminated sensor, built-in stabilization and LED flash and a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video chat.

Aside from its impressive hardware specifications, the device is the first to ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Google’s latest mobile operating system. The phone will be sold exclusively by Verizon Wireless in the US although an exact launch date hasn’t been announced.

Toshiba announces 24nm toggle-mode DDR NAND flash

Toshiba has introduced new flash memory chips that offer more performance and storage capacity in less space than existing parts. The company's new 24nm e-MMC chips feature toggle-mode double data rate (DDR) NAND flash memory, which boosts random access and sequential performance over single data rate NAND. All the while, they offer plenty of storage capacity for today's smartphones, tablets, e-book readers, digital cameras, printers, and more.

The JEDEC e-MMC v4.41-compliant parts cram up to 128GB of NAND (16 64Gb/8GB chips) alongside an e-MMC controller in a single package -- a feat that Toshiba claims to be the first to achieve. Featuring the world's smallest geometry e-MMC, the company's new components utilize advanced chip thinning and layering technologies to produce parts measuring only 30 micrometers thick (0.0001 inches -- thinner than the average human hair).

"The utilization of our new toggle-mode DDR NAND die at 64Gbit density is key to enabling our e-MMC to support the higher performance, and smaller, thinner packages that customers desire," said Scott Beekman, Toshiba America's senior business developer manager of mobile communications memory . "For example, our 128GB e-MMC can now be supported in a smaller 14 x 18 package, which many space conscious applications can support."

We've included Toshiba's list of key features at the end of the post. Samples of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB packages are already shipping with mass production set for the third quarter. Meanwhile, 2GB, 4GB and 128GB densities will begin sampling later this year with mass production scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2011 or first quarter of 2012. The company hasn't said precisely who plans to purchase the chips or what devices they'll appear in.

• Faster performance using toggle-mode DDR NAND.
• The JEDEC e-MMC V4.41 compliant interface handles essential functions, including writing block management, error correction and wear leveling. It simplifies system development, allowing manufacturers to minimize development costs and speed up time to market for new and upgraded products.
• A wide product line-up supports capacities from 2GB to 128GB.
• The 24nm 64Gbit die enables smaller e-MMC packages.
• The new chips support the advanced partitioning and security of e - MMC V4.41. Multiple storage areas can be configured, including several enhanced memory areas for system files or code, and a multi-level cell (MLC) area for data storage.