MIPS driving Android to digital home @ Computex 2011!

MIPS Technologies Inc. is having a good run at the ongoing Computex 2011. First, with Taiwan’s Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. (SiS), it announced the latest milestone in driving the Android platform into the digital home. It launched the MIPS Application Development (MAD) Program designed to promote rapid development of applications on the MIPS architecture.

MIPS, along with Ingenic Semiconductor, a leading China-based CPU provider for mobile multimedia applications, have brought the Android 3.0, also known as ‘Honeycomb’, to Ingenic’s new JZ4770 mobile applications processor, which leverages a MIPS-Based XBurst CPU running at 1GHz. Honeycomb is the newest version of the Android operating system designed specifically for tablets and other large format products. MIPS and Ingenic will work together on porting Honeycomb to the Ingenic chip for tablets.  Lastly, MIPS and Actions Semiconductor Co. Ltd, one of China’s leading fabless semiconductor companies that provides solutions for portable consumer electronics, are collaborating to bring Android 3.0, also known as “Honeycomb,” to a new 1.3GHz MIPS-Based chipset from Actions.

Jennifer Bernier-Santarini, senior PR manager, MIPS.

So, how is MIPS aligning with SiS to drive the Android into the home? Jennifer Bernier-Santarini, senior PR manager for MIPS, said that SiS is a long-time MIPS licensee, and like many of the licensees, is innovating with Android on the MIPS architecture for the digital home and for mobile/portable products.

Over the years, as MIPS has introduced new high performance cores, SiS has progressively and quickly licensed these cores for its products. Its newest chip for Internet TV leverages dual-core MIPS processors along with the latest technologies including support for high-end graphics and enhanced video processing, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, video on demand recording, plus interoperability with mobile devices.

Santarini added: “SiS recently licensed our 1074K core, which combines a superscalar architecture with coherent multiprocessing, for its next generation product. SiS works with other leading IP companies including MIPS’ partner Imagination Technologies to build the most advanced technologies into its products. Earlier this year, SiS announced support for MIPS’ new Android based SmartCE platform for connected entertainment on DTVs, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes and other home products. We are continuing to work with SiS through our Android on MIPS community on further development and optimizations around its Android on MIPS products.”

MIPS has also launched the MAD Program designed to promote rapid development of applications on the MIPS architecture.

Santarini added: The MIPS Application Development (MAD) Program is the latest offering from MIPS designed to promote rapid development of applications on the MIPS architecture. Initially we will focus on Android applications for MIPS-Based mobile devices. We are providing performance and compatibility testing so that applications developers can ensure their applications run smoothly on the MIPS architecture and provide an ideal user experience. Through the program, we are also offering technical support and a MAD Kit of tools for MIPS application development.

“Ultimately, applications developers will want to ensure that their apps run across all of the major architectures, so we are making it easy for them to do this. We will soon be announcing some other initiatives to further build the applications ecosystem for Android on MIPS-Based mobile devices with a focus on the China market, where there is not currently an official Android market. Stay tuned for that news.”

Tablets likely to transform ICT industry landscape: Computex 2011

Stephen Su, general director of IEK, Taiwan.

According to Stephen Su, general director of IEK (Industrial Economics & Knowledge Center), Taiwan, tablets are likely to transform the ICT industry. He was delivering a keynote at the Computex 2011 pre-show conference being held in the city’s well known Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC).

Tablets are now said to be moving from ‘experience’ to ‘industry.’  Tablets will provide more innovative user-interface experiences as well. More cost will be spent on the user interface on tablets, as far as BoM is concerned, he added.

Further, tablets are likely to change the transactional model of the ICT industry, and will emerge as the new ‘service platform’  for the integration of ICT and the other industries as well.

In this scenario, Taiwan is now well poised to once more play a leading role among mobile devices. The country not only has leading mobile device manufacturing capabilities, it can also supply most of the required electronic components, said Su.

The next step will be to strengthen the technology of key components, terminal design, application platform and service innovation. In future, Taiwan could go on to become te leading development and innovation center in the world, he added.

Earlier, he said that there was a cross-over evolution among mobile devices. In smartphone usage, messaging and apps had overtaken voice. As for non-voice usage, heavy media content was currently being accessed regularly on the Apple iPad than the iPhone.

The iPad users are said to be spending more time with media content other devices. The users’ response has shown that the iPad truly affects the usage of other devices, besides smartphones. Smartphones will soon impact the growth of mobile phones, PMPs and PNDs. However, the tablet will mostly affect the netbook and e-reader, while gradually impacting the notebook, Su noted.

Consequently, there has been a transition in the mobile device industry —  from product to the ecosystem. More companies are now creating their own ecosystems, such as Apple, RIM (Blackberry), Nokia Ovi, Samsung, etc.

Three types of smartphone platforms — closed, hybrid and open — are shaping up for the ecosystem based competition. Innovative applications are said to be leading the development of key components.

Mobile devices are now focusing more on the experience, than on the product. Cloud services are being offered  around the clock for experience offering.

As a result, tablets are likely to transform the ICT industry, noted Su, as it is now moving from ‘experience’ to ‘industry.’