Samsung tonight said it has started mass production of two variants of its 30 nanometer NAND flash memory. Leading off is relatively new DDR (double data rate), multi-level cell NAND memory; like DDR RAM, it puts through twice as much data in a given cycle and promises to be much faster than historically slow NAND chips. The Korean company goes so far as to claim more than three times the speed, estimating that a single DDR multi-level cell NAND chip could read data at a peak 133Mbps versus 40Mbps for its old equivalent….
A number of developers from Intel’s Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance (MIDIA) have decided to abandon the platform, according to a report issued by the Taiwan-based newspaper DigiTimes. The companies allegedly left the organization to focus efforts on other projects such as smartphones, according to unnamed sources associated with the defectors….
Compounding its retail delay, Barnes & Noble quietly noted today that pre-orders of the Nook have been pushed back yet another week, to January 11th. The news comes less than a week after the first delay into 2010 and doesn’t come with an additional explanation. The bookseller has already promised to give out “IOU” cards for those whose Nooks will ship after Christmas….
QuickerTek has expanded its line of solar chargers to include new models capable of supplying power to MacBooks. The Apple Juicz chargers feature a flexible solar cell that can be folded for storage while traveling. The 27 watt version unfolds to 41.5 x 30.5 inches and is claimed to recharge a MacBook or MacBook Pro in eight to 12 hours when used in optimum sunlight conditions. A 55 watt model is said to charge a notebook in as few as five hours….
Verizon’s pro-Android stance may push Apple to choose T-Mobile as its next US carrier for the iPhone, Thomas Weisel analyst Doug Reid said today in an investor’s note. Assuming AT&T’s exclusivity in the US ends next year, the researcher believes T-Mobile would be the easier option as Google’s deal with Verizon creates a united front that sets up Verizon as an ‘enemy’ to Apple. T-Mobile would be a relatively easy addition, while Verizon is deemed less likely to be an option until 4G is widely available in 2011….
Echofon (formerly TwitterFon) has been a favorite for many iPhone users for tweeting on the go. naan studio, the developers behind Echofon for iPhone and Firefox, have brought Echofon to the Mac with a newly-launched beta version.
Motorola’s Droid smartphone may have sold several hundred thousand units in less than a month, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Sue said in a research note today. Based on store surveys, the expert believes between 700,000 and 800,000 of the Android devices may have been sold since November 6th. Major Verizon stores could be selling as many as 100 to 200 Droids every week….