Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/windows-8-metro-animations/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/windows-8-metro-animations/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/windows-8-metro-animations/#comments Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps

As Microsoft brings its Metro style from the mobile world back to the desktop in Windows 8, it's also focusing on keeping the smooth animated transitions users have gotten used to on certain mobile platforms intact. A new post on the Windows 8 app developer blog breaks down exactly what devs can do to achieve a consistent and fluid style in their apps even when they're using the new look. Unless you're planning on getting your hands dirty with code there's not much to see other than the (incredibly brief) animation sample embedded after the break. Still, Microsoft says following its animation guidelines should be enough to keep GPU-powered animations flowing smoothly whether they're custom built or based on its own presets. Reactions to the new face of Windows have been decidedly mixed since the Consumer Preview launched, we'll see if this work pays off in third party apps that make the transition worthwhile.

Continue reading Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps

Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animationsapphardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationmetrometro uiMetroUimicrosoftminipostsdkvideowindowswindows 8Windows8Wed, 02 May 2012 16:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe's launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/21/adobes-launching-flash-player-11-air-3-bringing-hd-video-and-3/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/21/adobes-launching-flash-player-11-air-3-bringing-hd-video-and-3/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/21/adobes-launching-flash-player-11-air-3-bringing-hd-video-and-3/#comments While we've had access to Adobe's Flash Player 11 in beta form for months, the company announced it will finally get official, along with Air 3, next month. Among the many new features included are support for accelerated 2D and 3D graphics with a claimed 1,000 times faster performance than Flash Player 10 and Air 2. That's enough to enable "console-quality" gaming on both computers and connected TVs and on mobile devices (Android, iOS, Playbook) with a pre-release version of Flash 11 (a production release you can take on the go is expected in "the near future"). Other new options include allowing developers to package Air 3 along with their apps in a single install, HD video quality on multiple platforms including iOS, DRM for video rentals, 64-bit support and more. Check out Adobe's pitch to developers with a press release and demo videos after the break, including a look at the hit iPad game Machinarium which was built with its tools.

Continue reading Adobe's launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all

Adobe's launching Flash Player 11, Air 3 bringing HD video and 3D gaming to all originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d64-bitadobeadobe airadobe air 3adobe flashadobe flash 11adobe flash playeradobe flash player 11AdobeAirAdobeAir3AdobeFlashAdobeFlash11AdobeFlashPlayerAdobeFlashPlayer11airair 3Air3androidappleblackberry tablet osBlackberryTabletOsbrowserconnected tvConnectedTvcrossplatformdrmgoogle tvGoogleTvhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationhdpostcrossiosipadlinuxmachinariummobilemobilepostcrossnativeos xOsXplaybookpluginsamsung smart tvSamsungSmartTvsmart tvSmartTvvideowindowsWed, 21 Sep 2011 07:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Android 3.1 gets namechecked by Adobe Flash Player 10.2, will be required to enjoy accelerated 720p video]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/android-3-1-gets-namechecked-by-adobe-flash-player-10-2-will-be/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/android-3-1-gets-namechecked-by-adobe-flash-player-10-2-will-be/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/android-3-1-gets-namechecked-by-adobe-flash-player-10-2-will-be/#comments Remember how Adobe said Flash 10.2 wasn't living up to its full hardware-accelerated potential on Honeycomb thus far? Well, it seems the company's found a solution by the name of Android 3.1. We've been inundated with tips (and have confirmed with Adobe) that there's a sticky-sweet new build of Android on the way for the recent crop of slates that OEMs and carriers are rolling out, and that -- just like last time -- you'll need that software to take advantage of all the hardware rendering and compositing that your Tegra 2 silicon can afford. With any luck, 720p playback won't burn our eyeballs this time around. By the way, the Android Market item above was updated this morning to read "requires an upcoming release of Android 3" rather than "Android 3.1," but it's unclear whether the original number was inaccurate or whether Adobe got in trouble.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Android 3.1 gets namechecked by Adobe Flash Player 10.2, will be required to enjoy accelerated 720p video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>720padobeadobe flashAdobe Flash PlayerAdobeFlashAdobeFlashPlayerAndroidAndroid 3.0Android 3.1Android3.0Android3.1FlashFlash 10.2Flash Player 10.2flash videoFlash10.2FlashPlayer10.2FlashVideohardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationHoneycombstreaming videoStreamingVideovideoThu, 28 Apr 2011 19:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox 4 to be released on March 22nd, download statisticians ready their calculators]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/17/firefox-4-to-be-released-on-march-22nd-download-statisticians-r/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/17/firefox-4-to-be-released-on-march-22nd-download-statisticians-r/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/17/firefox-4-to-be-released-on-march-22nd-download-statisticians-r/#comments Having kicked out a release candidate on March 9th, Mozilla now feels confident enough in version 4 of its well loved Firefox browser and has set a date for its final release: March 22nd. That's next Tuesday, if you're calendar-shy, and a download is penciled in for availability at around 7AM Pacific Time. Mind you, Mozilla believes its RC1 build, already available on Windows, Mac and Linux, will likely be the final version put up in a few days' time -- the team is just monitoring the code and performing last-minute checks to ensure there are no massive, world-ending bugs that haven't been spotted yet. So that basically means you can risk it now and get your GPU-accelerated web future started early, or you can wait until it's official on Tuesday and be part of Mozilla's next attempt at breaking the downloads record.

[Thanks, Ro]

Firefox 4 to be released on March 22nd, download statisticians ready their calculators originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserbrowsersdatedatedfirefoxfirefox 4Firefox4GPU accelerationGpuAccelerationhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationinternetlaunchmozillamozilla firefoxMozillaFirefoxofficialreleasewebThu, 17 Mar 2011 08:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Flash Player 10.2 sheds beta label, improves efficiency with Stage Video playback]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/flash-player-10-2-sheds-beta-label-improves-efficiency-with-sta/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/flash-player-10-2-sheds-beta-label-improves-efficiency-with-sta/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/09/flash-player-10-2-sheds-beta-label-improves-efficiency-with-sta/#comments Should you be one of those (sensible) people who don't use software until all the Greek letters are removed from its name, we've got some happy news for you. Adobe's Flash Player 10.2 has just exited beta testing and is now available for download to Windows, Mac and Linux computers. Its biggest new feature is the Stage Video API, which promises to drastically reduce the processor load of playing back high-res video. It'll need to be enabled by content-providing sites like YouTube, Vimeo and Brightcove -- all of whom are already on the job -- but once that's done, Adobe says 1080p playback will cost you no more than 15 percent of your CPU cycles. Other new additions include a single-monitor full screen option for multi-display rigs, allowing you to max out a Flash video on one panel while keeping the others free, IE9 hardware acceleration support, and some nifty sub-pixel text rendering enhancements to make our web lives marginally nicer to look at. Hit the source to get your download on.

Update: Flash Player 10.2 also marks Adobe's discontinuation of support for PowerPC-based Macs and Microsoft's Windows 2000 OS. So if you're still rocking some finely aged gear, you'll have to just content yourself with the awesomeness of 10.1.

Continue reading Flash Player 10.2 sheds beta label, improves efficiency with Stage Video playback

Flash Player 10.2 sheds beta label, improves efficiency with Stage Video playback originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobeflashflash 10.2flash playerflash player 10.2Flash10.2FlashPlayerFlashPlayer10.2hardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationie9internet explorer 9InternetExplorer9linuxmacsoftwarestagestage videoStageVideowindowsWed, 09 Feb 2011 06:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Android Honeycomb port for Nook Color gets graphics acceleration, first demo video]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/30/android-honeycomb-port-for-nook-color-gets-graphics-acceleration/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/30/android-honeycomb-port-for-nook-color-gets-graphics-acceleration/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/30/android-honeycomb-port-for-nook-color-gets-graphics-acceleration/#comments Can't wait until February 2nd to see more of Android 3.0 in action? That's not a problem, as today we've got a whole 129 seconds of video showing Google's latest mobile software doing its thing on the Nook Color. The OS was ported to B&N's tablet on Friday, when we were promised further work would be taking place over the weekend to enable hardware acceleration of the GUI, and what do you know, that goal has been achieved with plenty of Sunday to spare! Most core functionality is still not available, but the delicious Honeycomb interface is very much in effect. Jump past the break for the eye candy feast.

[Thanks, Jules]

Continue reading Android Honeycomb port for Nook Color gets graphics acceleration, first demo video

Android Honeycomb port for Nook Color gets graphics acceleration, first demo video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidandroid 3.0Android3.0barnes and nobleBarnesAndNoblecolore booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readersgpugraphicshackhackinghardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationhoneycombnooknook colorNookColorportportingslatetabletvideoxdaxda-developersSun, 30 Jan 2011 07:53:00 EST<![CDATA[WebM VP8 specs ready for chip companies to start building hardware acceleration]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/webm-vp8-specs-ready-for-chip-companies-to-start-building-hardwa/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/webm-vp8-specs-ready-for-chip-companies-to-start-building-hardwa/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/webm-vp8-specs-ready-for-chip-companies-to-start-building-hardwa/#comments You know how long we've been waiting for Flash video to get decent hardware acceleration? Well, it looks like the Google-backed WebM VP8 codec won't take nearly so long. The WebM hardware development team just pushed out hardware decoder IP for VP8, which will let chip folks build WebM playback into their chipsets -- most of which are currently oriented around accelerating H.Google's-gunning-for it-264 and / or Flash. A VP8 hardware encoder IP will follow later in Q1. There's nothing much more to it: it's the same ol' 720p and 1080p decoding we know and love, which will be possible on mobile devices (and already is with other codecs), but this time it's open, remember?

WebM VP8 specs ready for chip companies to start building hardware acceleration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chipsetsdecodergooglehardware accelerationhardware decodingHardwareAccelerationHardwareDecodingvp8webmWed, 12 Jan 2011 17:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe Flash Player 10.2 beta arrives, expands hardware acceleration]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/adobe-flash-player-10-2-beta-arrives-expands-hardware-accelerat/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/adobe-flash-player-10-2-beta-arrives-expands-hardware-accelerat/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/adobe-flash-player-10-2-beta-arrives-expands-hardware-accelerat/#commentsAdobe's ubiquitous Flash Player has a new beta version out today that promises to complete the move to hardware acceleration of video played back using the web software. You'll no doubt be aware that the current, non-beta Flash already does some offloading of video tasks to the GPU, but the new Stage Video API permits the entire workload to be shifted over, resulting in "just over 0 percent" CPU utilization when playing back 1080p clips. Should you doubt the veracity of Adobe's bold new claims, the company's set up some demo vids for you to test this out for yourself after downloading the beta -- hit the source link to find out more. Windows, Mac and Linux machines are supported right out of the gate, while Microsoft gets an extra bone thrown its way with Internet Explorer 9 hardware acceleration also being implemented in this latest iteration of Flash. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Adobe Flash Player 10.2 beta arrives, expands hardware acceleration

Adobe Flash Player 10.2 beta arrives, expands hardware acceleration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10.2adobebetaflashflash playerflash player 10.2FlashPlayerFlashPlayer10.2gpuhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationie9internet explorer 9InternetExplorer9linuxmacrich mediaRichMediastage videoStageVideowebwindowsWed, 01 Dec 2010 02:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Opera Mobile coming to Android within a month, bearing hardware acceleration and pinch-to-zoom]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/14/opera-mobile-coming-to-android-within-a-month-bearing-hardware/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/14/opera-mobile-coming-to-android-within-a-month-bearing-hardware/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/14/opera-mobile-coming-to-android-within-a-month-bearing-hardware/#comments Forget all that Mini stuff, Opera is bringing its full-flavored mobile browser to Android some time very soon indeed. To tempt people on board, the new software will support hardware acceleration for buttering up frame rates while you zoom around at potato-scalding speeds, while pinch-to-zoom will also be implemented in a big O Android browser for the first time. Opera Mini will be partaking in the latter upgrade as well, while Opera Mobile proper is expected to make its debut on the Android Market at some point over the next month. All versions of the "well diversified" OS are supported too!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Opera has clarified that the first Android beta of Opera Mobile will have pinch-to-zoom and will arrive some time over the next month, but won't be bringing hardware acceleration with it. That'll be a feature for a later date.

Opera Mobile coming to Android within a month, bearing hardware acceleration and pinch-to-zoom originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbrowsercoming soonComingSoonhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationmobile browsermobile webMobileBrowserMobileWebopera miniopera mobileOperaMiniOperaMobilepinch-to-zoomwebThu, 14 Oct 2010 04:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox 4 Beta 5 brings GPU acceleration for Windows]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/09/firefox-4-beta-5-brings-gpu-acceleration-for-windows/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/09/firefox-4-beta-5-brings-gpu-acceleration-for-windows/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/09/firefox-4-beta-5-brings-gpu-acceleration-for-windows/#comments Browser betas, like puberty, can be a confusing time. Sure, we're eager to be getting new functionality, but all the crashes and compatibility breaks and unrequited crushes can be a bit tough to handle. Now Mozilla is giving us something big for all our blood, sweat and acne: Firefox 4 Beta 5 has Direct2D hardware acceleration on by default. We tested it out real quick, and it seemed to speed up most HTML5 tasks considerably while inexplicably slowing a couple down, but we're sure all will be ironed out in time for the final version of Firefox 4 to go head to head with Microsoft's own upcoming hardware accelerated contender, IE9. Unfortunately, the speedups only apply to Windows for now, Mac and Linux are being left out in the GPU-less cold, but we suppose they should be used to that by now. Other perks in the update include HSTS, a successor to HTTPS in secure surfing, and HTML5 Audio, which allows for all sorts of audio processing and analysis at the browser level. You can check out a quick demo of hardware acceleration after the break.

Continue reading Firefox 4 Beta 5 brings GPU acceleration for Windows

Firefox 4 Beta 5 brings GPU acceleration for Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beta 5Beta5browserfirefoxfirefox 4firefox 4 beta 5Firefox4Firefox4Beta5gpugpu accelrationGpuAccelrationhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationmozillavideoThu, 09 Sep 2010 05:17:00 EST<![CDATA[PowerDVD 10 Ultra 3D Mark II update finally adds 3D Blu-ray support]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/powerdvd-10-ultra-3d-mark-ii-update-finally-adds-3d-blu-ray-supp/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/powerdvd-10-ultra-3d-mark-ii-update-finally-adds-3d-blu-ray-supp/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/powerdvd-10-ultra-3d-mark-ii-update-finally-adds-3d-blu-ray-supp/#comments If you're one of the 2 people who have lost sleep anticipating the Mark II update to Power DVD 10 after our previous post, it's time to relax. Support for 3D Blu-ray playback has officially been added and it's even certified by the Blu-ray Disc Association - a first for software players. To sweeten the pot, a new "Enhanced" version of TrueTheater 3D can now upconvert DVDs or just regular video files with basic 3D effects thanks to optimized GPU hardware acceleration or a high end CPU -- that is if you're willing to submit your eyes to watching it.

Coinciding with this release, the company's free BD & 3D Advisor software has also been updated to help users assess what aspects of the Mark II's smorgasbord of video playback / upscaling updates their computer can handle. So if your machine has the hardware and you've been dying for more 3D content -- Blu-ray or otherwise -- consider your wish granted.

Continue reading PowerDVD 10 Ultra 3D Mark II update finally adds 3D Blu-ray support

PowerDVD 10 Ultra 3D Mark II update finally adds 3D Blu-ray support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1080p3D3D Blu ray3D Blu-ray3D Movies3D upconversions3dUpconversionsBD 3D AdvisorBd3dAdvisorblu rayBlu-rayBlu-ray 3DBlu-ray3dcyber linkcyberlinkDTS-HD audioDVDdvdsGPU accelerationGpuAccelerationhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationHDMark IIMoviesPowerDVDPowerDVD 10 ULTRA 3D Mark IIPowerDVD Mark IIPowerdvd10Ultra3dMarkIiPowerdvdMarkIiupconversionupscalingupscaling dvdupscaling videoUpscalingDvdThu, 15 Jul 2010 19:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Elgato debuts Turbo.264 HD Software Edition, cuts price of hardware edition]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/elgato-debuts-turbo-264-hd-software-edition-cuts-price-of-hardw/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/elgato-debuts-turbo-264-hd-software-edition-cuts-price-of-hardw/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/elgato-debuts-turbo-264-hd-software-edition-cuts-price-of-hardw/#comments Here at Engadget HQ, there's hardly a more overused piece of equipment than Elgato's (Mac only) Turbo.264 HD -- in our experience, it chews through bloated video files at a breakneck pace, leaving us with shrunken versions of CES hands-on and the like without any noticeable degradation in quality. Now, that same functionality is being introduced sans an easy-to-forget USB dongle as the Turbo.264 HD Software Edition. For all intents and purposes, the SE version does the exact same thing as the original, albeit at a presumably slower pace. 'Course, it'll still convert videos for use on portable devices (or just shrink the files sizes for easier archiving) far quicker than whatever method you're using now, and the $49.95 price tag is certainly a bit easier to swallow. Oh, and speaking of MSRPs -- Elgato just hacked $50 from the price of the hardware-accelerated version, leaving it at a delectable $99.95. Mmm, files. Delicious.

Continue reading Elgato debuts Turbo.264 HD Software Edition, cuts price of hardware edition

Elgato debuts Turbo.264 HD Software Edition, cuts price of hardware edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleconversionelgatoeyetvfilefile conversionFileConversionH.264hardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationmacos xOsXsoftwaretranscodeTurbo.264 HDTurbo.264 HD seTurbo.264HdTurbo.264HdSevideovideo editingVideoEditingThu, 15 Jul 2010 13:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel mulling WebM hardware acceleration in Atom CE4100 chip]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/intel-mulling-webm-hardware-acceleration-in-atom-ce4100-chip/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/intel-mulling-webm-hardware-acceleration-in-atom-ce4100-chip/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/intel-mulling-webm-hardware-acceleration-in-atom-ce4100-chip/#commentsHey Google, shall we try the other box? Maybe it has hardware acceleration built in for your new WebM video format? Intel's Wilfred Martis has told IDG News that his company is keeping a close eye on Google's new VP8-based format, and should it prove popular enough, hardware acceleration for it will be built into the CE4100 and other Atom chips headed to TVs and overpowered cable boxes in the future:
Just like we did with other codecs like MPEG2, H.264 & VC1, if VP8 establishes itself in the Smart TV space, we will add it to our [hardware] decoders.
Not exactly astonishing news, as Google TV is still likely to proceed on those chips with WebM getting decoded by software in the mean time, but at least Intel's absenteeism from the WebM hardware partner list can now be explained as simple precaution, rather than some deeper division between the companies.

Intel mulling WebM hardware acceleration in Atom CE4100 chip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atomAtom CE4100AtomCe4100codecdecodingformatgoogle tvgoogle webmGoogleTvGoogleWebmhardware accelerationhardware decodinghardware supportHardwareAccelerationHardwareDecodingHardwareSupportintelintel atomIntelAtomprocessingprocessorssupportvp8webmwilfred martisWilfredMartisFri, 28 May 2010 06:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe's Flash Player 'Gala' OS X preview tested: results may vary]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/28/adobes-flash-player-gala-os-x-preview-tested-results-may-var/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/28/adobes-flash-player-gala-os-x-preview-tested-results-may-var/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/28/adobes-flash-player-gala-os-x-preview-tested-results-may-var/#comments
Gala1 Flash 101
2.40GHz Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 256MB2
Safari 4.0.5 95.4 - 152.8 74.2 - 123.5
Firefox 3.6.4 83.5 - 148.4 89.4 - 130.5
2.66GHz Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M 512MB2
Safari 4.0.5 59 - 64 96 - 132
Firefox 3.6.4 69 - 79 111 - 140

So we just put a few minutes aside to put Adobe's new "Gala" build of Flash 10.1 through its paces on our latest-generation Core i5 and i7 15-inch MacBook Pros here, and the results are a little confusing to say the least. On our i7 equipped with the high-res display and 512MB GeForce GT 330M, processor utilization playing a 1080p sample video on YouTube dropped by a third to a half on average -- not bad -- with Safari 4.0.5 besting Firefox 3.6.4 by a smidge. Our i5 saw strangely different numbers, though, with Gala actually increasing the load on the CPU by as much as about 20 percent. Adobe is quick to note that this is nothing more than a rough preview release; Apple just unlocked access to the necessary hardware a few days ago, after all, and we're sure the company still has plenty of optimization to do. Ultimately, if our i7 figures are realistic, it should make high-def Hulu a decidedly less drama-packed experience down the road.

Notes:
1 Performance measured by processor utilization (note that numbers greater than 100 are possible on multi-core machines).
2 15.4-inch high resolution display, 256GB SSD, 4GB RAM

Adobe's Flash Player 'Gala' OS X preview tested: results may vary originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobeadobe flashadobe flash playerAdobeFlashAdobeFlashPlayerapplecore i5core i7CoreI5CoreI7flashflash 10.1flash playerFlash10.1FlashPlayergalageforce gt 330mGeforceGt330mgpu accelerationGpuAccelerationh.264hardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationmacbook proMacbookPronvidiaWed, 28 Apr 2010 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[HTML5 vs. Flash comparison finds a few surprises, settles few debates]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/10/html5-vs-flash-comparison-finds-a-few-surprises-settles-few-de/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/10/html5-vs-flash-comparison-finds-a-few-surprises-settles-few-de/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/10/html5-vs-flash-comparison-finds-a-few-surprises-settles-few-de/#commentsThink we'd all be better off if HTML5 could somehow instantly replace Flash overnight? Not necessarily, according to a set of comparisons from Jan Ozer of the Streaming Learning Center website, which found that while HTML5 did come out ahead in many respects, it wasn't exactly a clear winner. The tests weren't completely scientific, but they did find that HTML5 clearly performed better than Flash 10 or 10.1 in Safari on a Mac, although the differences were less clear cut in Google Chrome or Firefox. On the other hand, Flash more than held its own on Windows, and Flash Player 10.1 was actually 58% more efficient than HTML5 in Google Chrome on the Windows system tested. As you may have deduced, one of the big factors accounting for that discrepancy is that Flash is able to take advantage of GPU hardware acceleration in Windows, while Adobe is effectively cut out of the loop on Mac -- something it has complained about quite publicly. According to Ozer, the differences between HTML5 and Flash playback on a Mac could be virtually eliminated if Flash could make use of GPU acceleration. Hit up the link below for all the numbers.

Update: Mike Chambers has performed some additional tests that he says shows that "does not perform consistently worse on Mac than on Windows." Check out the complete results here.

HTML5 vs. Flash comparison finds a few surprises, settles few debates originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobeapplechromecomparisonfirefoxflashflash 10flash 10.1Flash10Flash10.1googlegoogle chromeGoogleChromegpuGPU accelerationGpuAccelerationhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationhtml5macsafariwindowsWed, 10 Mar 2010 23:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Flash 10.1 beta 3 released, adds support for Intel GMA 500 and Broadcom Crystal HD chips (Update: 1080p Flash on a netbook!)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/24/flash-10-1-beta-3-released-adds-support-for-intel-gma-500-and-a/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/24/flash-10-1-beta-3-released-adds-support-for-intel-gma-500-and-a/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/24/flash-10-1-beta-3-released-adds-support-for-intel-gma-500-and-a/#comments
Rejoice, owners of netbooks with Intel GMA 500 graphics: Flash Player 10.1 Beta 3 is here, complete with hardware video acceleration for your machines. That should make Hulu and YouTube HD usable on machines like the Sony VAIO P and VAIO X, the Nokia Booklet 3G, and the previous-generation Dell Mini 10. The new build also bring support for the Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator found in Pine Trail Atom machines like the newest Dell Mini 10 and HP Mini 210 -- support we found sorely lacking when we reviewed the Dell. We just tried it out on our review HP Mini 210 and it managed 720p YouTube just fine, although 1080p was a no-go -- we're waiting on some updated Broadcom drivers though, so don't take that as gospel quite yet. We'll have much more on that in our full Mini 210 review; for now you should all get downloading and let us know how it's going in comments.

Update: Success! We updated the Broadcom drivers on our Dell Mini 10 and downloaded the fresh Flash 10.1 Beta 3, and as you can see in the video below 1080p YouTube HD content plays smoothly. It's almost everything we've ever dreamed of for our netbooks. We are still having issues with the HP Mini 210 which uses the older BCM70012 Crystal HD card, but will have an update on that in our full review soon.

Continue reading Flash 10.1 beta 3 released, adds support for Intel GMA 500 and Broadcom Crystal HD chips (Update: 1080p Flash on a netbook!)

Flash 10.1 beta 3 released, adds support for Intel GMA 500 and Broadcom Crystal HD chips (Update: 1080p Flash on a netbook!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobebetabeta 3Beta3broadcombroadcom crystal hdBroadcomCrystalHdcrystal hdCrystalHdDell Mini 10 Broadcom Crystal HDDell Mini 10 HDDellMini10BroadcomCrystalHdDellMini10Hdflashflash 10.1flash 10.1 betaflash 10.1 beta 3Flash10.1Flash10.1BetaFlash10.1Beta3gma 500Gma500hands-onhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationintel gma 500IntelGma500netbookWed, 24 Feb 2010 16:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Quake ported to the Pre, webOS 3D gaming truly within reach]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/03/quake-ported-to-the-pre-webos-3d-gaming-truly-within-reach/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/03/quake-ported-to-the-pre-webos-3d-gaming-truly-within-reach/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/03/quake-ported-to-the-pre-webos-3d-gaming-truly-within-reach/#comments Yeah, hardware accelerating Doom is an important milestone in any fledgling system's career, but when you talk 3D acceleration, Quake is certainly a giant leap ahead of Doom in polygonal terms. The game has now been ported to webOS using the same new SDL library from version 1.3.5, and while it looks a little sluggish and crashy in the video after the break, it's clearly a landmark event just the same. Now if only we could get stuff like this in the App Catalog we'd be perfectly happy forever and ever. Or for at least a week.

Continue reading Quake ported to the Pre, webOS 3D gaming truly within reach

Quake ported to the Pre, webOS 3D gaming truly within reach originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d3d acceleration3dAccelerationhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationpalmpalm prePalmPreprequakesdlweboswebos 1.3.5webos internalsWebos1.3.5WebosInternalsSun, 03 Jan 2010 02:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Programmer adds IE 9 graphics acceleration to Firefox]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/25/programmer-adds-ie-9-graphics-acceleration-to-firefox/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/25/programmer-adds-ie-9-graphics-acceleration-to-firefox/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/25/programmer-adds-ie-9-graphics-acceleration-to-firefox/#comments
Not so fast, Internet Explorer! We know that you have great things in the works for IE 9 -- including Direct2D GPU acceleration, the 2D / vector graphics API that we first laid eyes on in Windows 7. And believe us, that got our attention -- as well as the attention of Mozilla programmer Bas Schouten. It seems that over the weekend, the young man successfully loaded Direct2D support into an alpha build of Firefox 3.7 -- just days after you announced its inclusion in the next version of your web browser. "Things are looking very promising for Direct2D" and Firefox, said Schouten, although "older PCs with pre-D3D10 graphics cards and WDDM 1.0 drivers will not show significant improvements." And we thought that accelerometer support was wild!

Programmer adds IE 9 graphics acceleration to Firefox originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bas SchoutenBasSchoutendirect2dfirefoxgraphicshardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationieie 9Ie9internet explorerinternet explorer 9InternetExplorerInternetExplorer9mozillaWed, 25 Nov 2009 17:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Internet Explorer 9 to sport GPU acceleration and HTML5 support]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/20/internet-explorer-9-to-sport-gpu-acceleration-and-html5-support/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/20/internet-explorer-9-to-sport-gpu-acceleration-and-html5-support/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/20/internet-explorer-9-to-sport-gpu-acceleration-and-html5-support/#comments Even if you don't have a favored fighter in the browser wars, you have to admit Microsoft's Internet Explorer has been looking mighty unfit over the last few years. Younger and fitter contenders like Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome have arguably overtaken the old stalwart, and now Microsoft is making some much-needed noise about fighting back. The software giant has been giving developers and curious journalists a very early peek into its IE 9 progress at PDC, with its stated ambitions including faster Javascript (see table above), HTML5 support, and hardware acceleration for web content. By harnessing DirectX and your graphics processor, the new browser will offer improvements in text readability and video performance, as well as taking some of the load off the CPU. Development has only just got under way, mind you, so there's still plenty of time to screw it all up. Or make it awesome.

Internet Explorer 9 to sport GPU acceleration and HTML5 support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accelerationbrowserbrowsersdirect2drivegpu accelerationGpuAccelerationhardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationhtml5ie 9Ie9internetinternet explorerinternet explorer 9InternetExplorerInternetExplorer9javascriptmicrosoftpdcpdc 2009Pdc2009Professional Developer ConferenceProfessional Developers ConferenceProfessionalDeveloperConferenceProfessionalDevelopersConferencewebweb browserWebBrowserFri, 20 Nov 2009 05:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 betas are out, multi-touch and video acceleration are in (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/adobe-flash-player-10-1-beta-is-out-multi-touch-and-video-accel/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/adobe-flash-player-10-1-beta-is-out-multi-touch-and-video-accel/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/adobe-flash-player-10-1-beta-is-out-multi-touch-and-video-accel/#commentsHere we go: Adobe just made its Flash 10.1 prerelease packages available for download in fulfillment of its Open Screen promise. The download is available for Windows, Intel-based Mac, and Linux systems with a smartphone version coming later; notably, while no other mobile OS is specifically mentioned, Adobe says that a beta for Palm webOS is slated for "later this year" on its Flash Player 10.1 page. At the moment, however, only the Windows release includes hardware-based video acceleration for H.264 video. And this is beta-ware kids, so there's more than the usual level of hazard with installing. Then again, for those of you with Atom-based netbooks brought to their knees by full-screen HD video, well, the benefits likely outweigh the risk for you. Adobe also announced an AIR 2 beta which allows developers to build more feature-rich applications including multi-touch capabilities -- see the unholy union demonstrated on an HP TouchSmart in the video after the break.

Update: As noted by reader ZeroK2 in the comments, the release notes [warning: PDF] specify which GPUs will benefit from the hardware acceleration. These include ATI Radeon HD 3xxx and 4xxx series, Mobile Radeon HD 4xxx series, select FirePro products, Intel 4 series chipsets, the Broadcom Crystal HD decoder, and most NVIDIA ION and GeForce 8/9/1xx/2xx powered PCs. In other words, the vast majority of netbook owners with integrated GMA950 graphics need not apply.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 betas are out, multi-touch and video acceleration are in (video)

Filed under:

Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 betas are out, multi-touch and video acceleration are in (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10.110.1 beta10.1Beta2.0 beta2.0Betaaccelerationadobeairair 2air 2.0air 2.0 betaAir2Air2.0Air2.0Betabetaflashflash 10.1Flash10.1h.264hardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationmultitouchprereleaseTue, 17 Nov 2009 03:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Silverlight 3 out of beta, joins forces with your GPU for HD streaming]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/09/silverlight-3-out-of-beta-joins-forces-with-your-gpu-for-hd-str/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/09/silverlight-3-out-of-beta-joins-forces-with-your-gpu-for-hd-str/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/09/silverlight-3-out-of-beta-joins-forces-with-your-gpu-for-hd-str/#comments A day earlier than expected, Microsoft has launched its third edition of Silverlight and its SDK. As Ars Technica notes, some of the bigger improvements on the user side are GPU hardware acceleration and new codec support including H.264, AAC, and MPEG-4. If you're looking to give it a spin, there's a Smooth Streaming demo available that, as the name suggests, does a pretty good job of streaming HD video with little stutter, even when skipping around. If you've got Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 6, Safari 3 or anything fresher, hit up the read link to get the update.

[Via Ars Technica]

Read - Download Page
Read - Smooth Streaming demo

Filed under: , ,

Silverlight 3 out of beta, joins forces with your GPU for HD streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserbrowser plug inBrowserPlugIngpugpu acclerationgpu hardwareGpuAcclerationGpuHardwarehardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationhdinternetmicrosoft silver lightmicrosoft silverlight 3MicrosoftSilverLightMicrosoftSilverlight3plug inplug-inPlugInsdksilver lightSilverLightsilverlight 3Silverlight3streamingweb browserweb streamingWebBrowserWebStreamingThu, 09 Jul 2009 21:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Silverlight 3 out of beta, joins forces with your GPU for HD streaming]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/09/silverlight-3-out-of-beta-joins-forces-with-your-gpu-for-hd-str/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/09/silverlight-3-out-of-beta-joins-forces-with-your-gpu-for-hd-str/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/09/silverlight-3-out-of-beta-joins-forces-with-your-gpu-for-hd-str/#comments A day earlier than expected, Microsoft has launched its third edition of Silverlight and its SDK. As Ars Technica notes, some of the bigger improvements on the user side are GPU hardware acceleration and new codec support including H.264, AAC, and MPEG-4. If you're looking to give it a spin, there's a Smooth Streaming demo available that, as the name suggests, does a pretty good job of streaming HD video with little stutter, even when skipping around. If you've got Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 6, Safari 3 or anything fresher, hit up the read link to get the update.

[Via Ars Technica]

Read - Download Page
Read - Smooth Streaming demo

Filed under: ,

Silverlight 3 out of beta, joins forces with your GPU for HD streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserbrowser plug inBrowserPlugIngpugpu acclerationgpu hardwareGpuAcclerationGpuHardwarehardware accelerationHardwareAccelerationmicrosoft silver lightmicrosoft silverlight 3MicrosoftSilverLightMicrosoftSilverlight3plug inplug-inPlugInsdksilver lightSilverLightsilverlight 3Silverlight3streamingweb browserweb streamingWebBrowserWebStreamingThu, 09 Jul 2009 21:42:00 EST