High-definition video and graphics processing coming to a Windows Mobile Smartphone near you

It wasn't too long ago that cell phone LED screen resolutions touted incredible resolutions of 100 pixels. After the switch to LCDs, most mobile phones today carry resolutions in excess of 100,000 pixels, and in full color too. With the convergence of hand-held and mobile devices, it was only a matter of time before the graphics giants jumped headlong into the world of mobile computing.

NVIDIA announced today the APX 2500 application processor for mobile devices. The new chip features high-definition computing capabilities such as HD 720p video playback and capture.

One of the more significant hurdles of any mobile platform is power consumption. Because mobile devices rely on low power batteries in such small packages, NVIDIA designed the processor to operate with restrictions under an ultra-low-power GeForce core. NVIDIA won't tell just how low yet, but competing processors from Samsung and AMD run in the 10 milliwatt range.

The APX 2500 will support decoding of 720p H.264, MPEG-4, and VC-1/WMV9 media and encoding of 720p H.264 and MPEG-4 media along with the support for standard audio formats including AAC, AMR, WMA, and the ever popular MP3 format. The display subsystem of the APX 2500 also includes HDMI 1.2 support for outputting video at 720p as well as output to a monitor at resolutions up to 1280x1024.

Additional features of the APX 2500 processor include support for up to 12 megapixel camera sensors (opposed to current 3 megapixel cell phone cameras) and 3D graphics processing capabilities including OpenGL ES 2.0 and Direct3D Mobile support.

NVIDIA worked closely with Microsoft on the APX 2500 so its safe to assume the processor will initially or ultimately be a Windows Mobile device exclusive.

The APX 2500 will take center stage at NVIDIA's booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The company indicates it will announce high-definition mobile video and graphics processor by mid-summer 2008.

If the APX 2500 solution is indeed an exclusive for Windows Mobile-based devices, Microsoft may see a powerful gain in the mobile OS market among mobile software developers such as Nokia and Google's upcoming AndroidOS.

Source from DailyTech

Canon's new Digital Rebel brings a 12.2MP image sensor and 3" Live View LCD

When it comes to D-SLR cameras, Canon and Nikon are usually the first companies to come to mind. Both companies trade blows back and forth year after year as they release new models with more advanced features.

In late 2006, Canon introduced its Digital Rebel XTi to much fanfare. The XTi brought a 10.1MP image sensor, 2.5" LCD screen and the EOS Integrated Cleaning System (ICS) to the Digital Rebel line.

Today, Canon is going one step further with the Digital Rebel XSi. The XSi brings a new 12.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 3.0" LCD screen with Live View, a 9-point autofocus system, DIGIC III image processor, larger viewfinder, higher-capacity battery and a 3.5 FPS burst mode (53 JPEG or 6 RAW). Canon also made the move to SD/SDHC memory cards with the XSi -- it is the first Canon D-SLR with this capability.



"The EOS 450D bears the fruits of more than 20 years of ongoing investment into EOS," said Canon's Mogens Jensen. "This camera continues Canon’s policy of taking technologies proven in the professional arena and putting them within reach of a wider market of amateur photographers."

The new XSi measures 5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4" and weighs one pound without the battery. Dimensionally, the XSi is slightly larger than its XTi predecessor.

The Canon Digital Rebel XSi will be available soon for $799 in a body-only version. The kit version of the XSi with an 18-55 mm IS lens will cost $899.

Digital Photography Review has a hands-on preview of the Digital Rebel XSi for those who want to take a closer look.