The SNES Classic Edition may look different than the NES Classic Edition, and obviously the two miniaturized consoles run a different set of games. But on the inside, the two systems are exactly the same, at least in regards to the core hardware. The only…
The SNES Classic Edition may look different than the NES Classic Edition, and obviously the two miniaturized consoles run a different set of games. But on the inside, the two systems are exactly the same, at least in regards to the core hardware. The only difference is the fit—Nintendo carved the corners of the mainboard for a precise fit in the NES Classic, whereas there is a bit more room to spare in the SNES Classic, a teardown reveals. Both retro-themed systems use the same off-the-shelf components consisting of an Allwinnwer R16 system-on-chip (SoC) with four ARM Cortex-A7 cores and an ARM Mali 400 MP2 GPU, flanked by a 256GB DDR3 memory module produced by Hynix and 512MB of NAND flash memory for storage chores. Even the internal cabling is the unchanged, snaking out in the same spots. Though the casings are different, each one built to resemble a mini version of the original console being emulated, there are some similarities there as well—the SNES Classic and NES Classic both have the same HDMI and USB placements, and the controller interface is unchanged between the two. Both output to the same 720p resolution (max) as well. What separates these consoles is the software emulation layer. There is quite a bit that goes into each console’s emulation. For example, the software on the SNES Classic not only emulates the pre-loaded games, but also a series of add-on processors that are specific to certain games, such as the Super FX and Super FX2 chips used for Star Fox and Yoshi’s Island, and the NEC DSP-1 that was found in Super Mario Kart cartridges. Using the same hardware should, in theory, make it easy for Nintendo to switch production back to the NES Classic when the time comes—the company said it will make more NES Classic consoles in 2018. It also opens the door to some interesting modding opportunities. It is conceivable that someone will find a way to run emulation software for both the NES Classic and SNES Classic on a single console. At the very least, we suspect it will not take long for modders to hack the SNES Classic and add more games to the mix. The SNES Classic, which comes with 21 pre-loaded games including Star Fox 2, hits retail tomorrow (September 29), with an MSRP set at $80. Stores are likely to sell out of whatever inventory they have in short order.

Similarity rank: 2.1

Sentiment rank: 1.5

© Source: https://hothardware.com/news/nintendo-snes-classic-edition-teardown-same-hardware-nes-classic
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Toshiba finally flogs chip biz to Bain-Apple consortium
TOSHIBA HAS FINALLY signed a $18bn deal to flog its semiconductor business to a consortium of companies less by private equity firm Bain Capital.
Bain’s consortium includes Apple, SK Hynix, Dell, Seagate Technology and Kingston Technology, as well as Japan’s Hoya Corp, a medical technology firm that also makes parts for chip devices, which will take a 9.9 per cent stake. With Toshiba retaining a 40.2 per cent holding, the company will nominally remain in Japanese hands, placating the Japanese government.
Apple is also expected to provide financial backing with the iPhone maker interested in securing a guaranteed supply of NAND flash storage chips for its products.
The signing of the deal was reported by Reuters on Thursday.
However, Toshiba may now face an intensification of legal action from Western Digital, the 50/50 partner of Toshiba Memory Corporation in the factories that produce both companies’ NAND flash chips. Western Digital became a partner with Toshiba Memory only last year when it acquired SanDisk for $16bn.
It had wanted to take more control over the company, but struggled to raise the funds to compete with Bain Company, and fell out with Toshiba earlier in the year when it claimed that it had a right of veto over any potential suitor for Toshiba Memory.
Two days ago, after Toshiba had announced its plan to sign the deal with Bain Capital, Western Digital legal counsel, John Hueston, a partner at Hueston Hennigan LLP, indicated that the company planned to step up its legal action .
« Toshiba has resorted to retaliatory actions against its joint venture partner to try to coerce [Western Digital owned] SanDisk to surrender its consent rights, including its lockout of Western Digital employees in June and its attempt to exclude SanDisk from certain capacity investments – neither of which has any legal basis.
« Absent any willingness on Toshiba’s part to resolve this matter with its JV partner in a constructive manner, we intend to continue our successful legal efforts into the binding arbitration process, » he said.
WD has opened up three claims in the ICC International Court of Arbitration:
A move to conclude a deal in August stalled after Bain reportedly got cold feet over the prospect of prolonged litigation involving WD, while Toshiba itself also needs to ensure that the deal is concluded and the funds are in its bank accounts before the end of March next year to ensure it is not delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Similarity rank: 4.2

Sentiment rank: 1.6

© Source: https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3018244/toshiba-finally-flogs-chip-biz-to-bain-apple-consortium
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Nokia has confusingly updated its handset with the things it really needed at launch.
There’s another new Nokia phone! Except it’s the same phone that we saw earlier this year – but with the one key feature that it was missing.
No, it’s not the new colors that it’s appearing in – azure and charcoal (AKA blue and gray) are now added to the mix – but it can now connect to 3G networks.
This feature was something that was sorely lacking from the new Nokia 3310 (2017) that HMD Global (the brand behind Nokia phones) launched at MWC this year, because it meant that it wouldn’t be able to work on some networks in the future.
But now – at a press launch in Australia – HMD has quietly rebooted the phone to come with 3G capabilities, just half a year after being shown off.
Let’s not beat about the bush here: the new Nokia 3310 was something of a marketing gimmick, designed to evoke nostalgia for a phone brand and show that ‘Nokia was back!’
So it didn’t really matter that the handset was technically inferior in some ways to cheaper feature phones bearing the Nokia name… people were buying into a memory, not a piece of hardware.
The answer could lie in the price – or lack thereof. The new Nokia 3310 3G release date has been set for October this year, but it doesn’t have a cost attached.
So let’s wait and see the actual price – it’s been confirmed to land on O2 in the UK already – before deciding whether HMD is playing a smart game or just likely to upset users who purchased the original, lifetime-limited version.

Similarity rank: 5.3

Sentiment rank: 0

© Source: http://www.techradar.com/news/nokia-3310-3g-appears-to-add-a-key-missing-feature-to-the-phone?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+techradar%2Fallnews+%28TechRadar%3A+Tech+News+and+Reviews%29
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