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Qualcomm has just announced its new family of Snapdragon products which aren’t expected to see the light of the day before the end of 2012. This new family will be composed of the single-core MSM8930, the dual-core MSM8960 and the quad-core APQ8064. All three will be using the latest 0.28nm process and features the newest Adreno 320 GPU with the APQ8064 having a quad-core version of it. It also goes without saying that these will also natively be able to render stereoscopic 3D content, LTE and have build-in NFC support. Qualcomm president Raj Talluri was also happy to point out that the recent Nokia and Microsoft partnership was a big win for the company given that they are the only certified chipset maker for Windows Phone 7 (his comment makes it seem like it will still be the case..).
Qualcomm Announces Next-Generation Snapdragon Mobile Chipset FamilyBARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) today announced its next mobile processor architecture for the Snapdragon family. The new processor micro-architecture, code-named Krait, in the next-generation Snapdragon will redefine performance for the industry, offering speeds of up to 2.5GHz per core and delivering 150 percent higher overall performance, as well as 65 percent lower power than currently available ARM-based CPU cores. These chipsets will be available in single-, dual- and quad-core versions and include a new Adreno® GPU series with up to four 3D cores, and integrated multi-mode LTE modem.The latest family of Snapdragon chipsets will include the single-core MSM8930™, the dual-core MSM8960™ and the quad-core APQ8064™. All chipsets in the family will integrate a quad-combo of connectivity solutions — WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and FM — and include support for near field communication (NFC), as well as stereoscopic 3D (S3D) video and photo capture and playback. Support for every major operating system, across all tiers of products, comes standard on all Snapdragon chipsets.The software compatible chipset family will share the same 28nm technology and new, purpose-built CPUs and GPUs for the best mobile performance at the lowest power consumption. The latest Adreno GPUs will also be included in the family, allowing developers to continue to utilize high-performance Adreno graphics capabilities to drive spectacular gaming and user experiences across all device tiers. The Adreno GPU has the largest mobile graphics ecosystems with hundreds of games for Android, Windows Phone 7 Xbox gaming, and PlayStation Certified gaming.At the high end, the Adreno 320 quad-core GPU will deliver up to 15 times the performance of the original Adreno to drive the latest games and S3D video on larger-screen devices. Adreno 320 delivers similar graphics performance to today’s latest game consoles, but for mobile devices. In addition, the chipset family will support 3D and S3D games, capture and playback of S3D photos and videos, and output in full HD to a 1080P flat panel display over HDMI.“Just as the original Snapdragon revolutionized smartphones with the first 1GHz processor, these new generations of Snapdragon will revolutionize the next wave of mobile entertainment and computing,” said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president for Qualcomm. “We believe we have an incredible lineup of chips and software, representing a single platform that OEMs can utilize to create new devices ranging from mass market smartphones with integrated LTE, to tablets, to next generation computing and entertainment devices.”The single-core MSM8930 is the world’s first single-chip solution with an integrated LTE modem designed to take LTE to mass market smartphones. It will include the new Adreno 305 GPU which delivers more than six times the performance of the original Adreno.The dual-core MSM8960 is the world’s first dual-core solution with an integrated multi-mode 3G/LTE modem and was designed to meet the requirements of multi-tasking smartphones and tablets. It will include dual asynchronous CPU cores which can be independently controlled for maximum efficiency. The MSM8960 will also support dual-channel LP DDR memory and will feature the Adreno 225 GPU which delivers eight times the performance of the original Adreno.The quad-core APQ8064 will be designed to meet the performance requirements of the next generation of computing and entertainment devices while minimizing power consumption. As with the Snapdragon dual-core, the APQ8064 will include four asynchronous CPU cores which can be independently controlled for maximum efficiency. The Adreno 320 quad-core GPU debuts in the APQ8064 processor where it enables console-quality gaming and renders rich user interfaces.The APQ8064 will also include a variety of features that make it a compelling processing solution for use in mobile entertainment and computing devices, including support for both PC and LP DDR memory, serial and PCIe interfaces, and multiple USB ports. The APQ8064 will also seamlessly integrate with Qualcomm 3G and LTE MDM™ modems and modules, giving OEMs a flexible and cost-efficient platform that can meet all of their design configuration needs and help reduce time to market.Samples of the MSM8960 are anticipated to be available in Q2 2011 and samples of the MSM8930 and APQ8064 are anticipated to be available in early 2012.
iOS' user interface is one of the best, and that's partly what made it so popular. Nonetheless, it isn't perfect, and it's definitely not very customizable. If you jailbreak, you can download an app calledWinterBoard from Cydia (Cydia is the great jailbreak package manager for iOS—kind of like the jailbreak version of the App Store) and start applying new themes and modifications. Although iOS 4.0 and up provides a bit more room for customization, and you can change your icons without jailbreaking, you get a lot more control over the iOS interface with WinterBoard.
We've shown you how to play SNES on your iPad, but there are tons of emulation options on all iOS devices when jailbroken. All of the cartridge-based Nintendo systems are covered, from NES to N64, and many allow you to play with a Bluetooth Wiimote as a controller. MAME, Sega Genesis, and even the original Playstation all have emulators available that you can easily grab through Cydia. PureMac offers a short list of iOS-friendly game emulators, but you'll find more simply by searching Cydia. Emulators range from free to fairly pricey (for an app), but either way you should be able to find one that works for you.
There are plenty of iTunes App Store apps that allow you to connect to VNC servers on your computers to control your computer from your iOS device, but what about the other way around? If you jailbreak, you have the option of installing a VNC server on your device and remoting in to control it with the mouse and keyboard on your computer.
Apple supports various Bluetooth devices, like keyboards and headsets, but if you want full Bluetooth support, you're going to need to jailbreak. There are several BTStack packages in Cydia you can download to add more functionality. For example, you'll be able to pair a mouse with your iOS device, transfer files over Bluetooth, and even add a third-party GPS device.
Accessing your device's filesystem is possible after jailbreaking your iOS device thanks to SSH. With some jailbreaking solutions, you'll find SSH already installed and enabled, with 'alpine' as your default password (which you'll want to change). If not, the front page of Cydia provides you with instructions to install and enable it. Once you have SSH up and running, you can log into your device's filesystem through your favorite GUI (if you have a favorite FTP client that supports SFTP, that'll work) or command line software and traverse your device's file system as you please.
SBSettings adds a small dropdown panel you can bring up at any time by swiping the top of your screen; it lets you quickly edit iOS settings without switching to the Settings app and digging through the menu. Even better, it's extensible so you can add all sorts of functionality to have even more options quickly at your fingertips. You can install it via Cydia, where you'll also find many plug-ins.
iOS' default lock screen is just a picture and the time, but it's really a useful place to keep various types of updates. If you want to get info quickly without having to unlock your device, there are many enhancements that'll give you a variety of lock screen options if your phone is jailbroken.
If you've got an iPhone or 3G-enabled iPad, you can get around AT&T's restrictions and use the data connection you're already paying for with other devices at no additional cost. MyWi is a Cydia app that'll let you create a Wi-Fi hotspot out of your device's 3G connection so you can share it with your other devices in need of internet access. The setup process is somewhat more complicated than calling AT&T and flipping a switch, but it's definitely a lot better than paying an extra $20 a month for the exact same connection that's costing you at least as much already.
Tethering isn't the only way to free your data connection from the bonds of AT&T's restrictions. If there's anything in iOS that's only designed to work with Wi-Fi, you can readily expect someone to create a fix for the jailbreak community. My3G circumvents these restrictions, letting you, for example, make FaceTime calls with whatever connection you've got, or download larger files if you choose. It seems kind of silly for AT&T to enforce usage restrictions on users with capped connections, but the reality is that they do. If you want the freedom to use the connection you pay for however you like, 
It's becoming increasingly more ridiculous that you need to sync your iOS device with a sync cable when Wi-Fi can get the job done just fine. Fortunately for jailbreakers, there's a great Cydia app called 
