Hello There,
Our partner for VEE and DPO technology, as you already know is:
There were few comments on the last blog, let’s clarify them first:
- the weight and size of VEE
- VEE (and DPO) will be contained in the Adam2 as a discrete semiconductor device, weighing only a few grams. It will not add any appreciable size or weight to the tablet.
- Rohan, I am really concerned about when the Adam2 prototype will be a realityI have read the information available on the Orthogonal Retina-Morphic Image Transform (ORMIT) algorithm and it still sounds very theoretical. They mainly deal with HD video cameras for security systems and probably developed by the Russians for intelligence gathering. This doesn’t sound like something to be used for a dependable, soon to be released product with the processing speed, power and memory that this algorithm appears to need.
- Prototypes: are up and running, so no concerns on the first part
- To be clear, the technology is a lot more along than just theoretical: iridix (by Apical Ltd, based out of the United Kingdom), the algorithm that is based on ORMIT, has shipped in more than 75 million (75,000,000) HDTVs and DSLR cameras. VEE and DPO have shipped in Pantech and BenQ products, along with other OEMs. Addressing the processing speed, VEE and DPO technologies are completely self-contained on the QuickLogic device, requiring no processing resources from the CPU, meaning the Adam2 will run at the full speed of the processor regardless of VEE. Actual power consumption is minimal, and when DPO’s power savings are factored in, the Adam2 will actually last significantly longer on a single battery charge than without VEE and DPO.
- this “new” technology is like VividView processor used in Nook Tablet and Nook Color? Can you compare these two technologies? :
- VEE technology is specifically developed to address the issue of visibility improvement. VEE technologies differs from others primarily because it is a local-based, human-eye modeling processing technology. What this means is that viewability is improved in regions of the display requiring it, while regions with good viewability are not affected. Other visual improvement technologies rely on the theory of global processing, which while improving some regions of the image, can actually detract from others. The graphic below demonstrates this. With VEE, the native image is improved or maintained in all areas of the pictures, while competing, global-based technologies do improve some areas of the image while reducing viewability in others. More on VEE vs other technologies can be found on QuickLogic’s website at LINK (PDF).
- By the way, above answers come directly from my friend Mr. Paul Karazuba who is S. Product Marketing Manager for QuickLogic Corp (you can ask more questions related to this technology and he would be more than willing to share 😉 )
So what is DPO?
DPO stands for Display Power Optimizer. It offers system battery life extension capabilities through its Intelligent Brightness Control feature, which increases power saving a LOT. It works in sync with the Ambient Light Sensor.
Tradition implementation (one not using DPOs), would match the Ambient Light Sensor values and match with a simple table and reduce the brightness accordingly. There is system which actually keeps a tab on what content you are viewing. This is one of the biggest reason you have been switching off “Auto-Brightness” control most of the times and manually adjusting brightness.
ArcticLink III VX, is the heart of your next generation’s display system, and features 3rd Generation of VEE and DPO technologies on single package. Other SoC players are catching up and including these technologies in their chips, but missing the VEE part which results in better back-light controller, but doesn’t ensure visual fidelity and color saturations.
Display systems (including LCDs) on tablets consume up-to 70% of power, so even if you do, say 50% power optimization on processors, consumer won’t feel much difference at the end. I believe every OEM should be looking beyond SoCs to save power.
Warm Regards
Rohan Shravan
Designing Adam 2 
Some teaser pics of Prototype please….
sounds very promising…..hope the real world results are as good….can’t wait to get more details 🙂 ….can we also talk about the design aspect of the new adam….is there a drastic change in the design??….what type of a form factor are we looking at??….any innovative ideas applied this time around….this blog is after all named “designingadam2″….pls cover this along side the technical details….would make the blog more interesting
Hi Rohan 🙂
So VEE does what we know from audio as multichannel dynamic range compression?
🙂 stefan
—
Written outdoors on a PixelQ Adam under direct sunlight 🙂
replying to my own post that doesn’t seem to show up
Saw new post about retina PQi. Will Adam 2 have this display as an option? I really like to use no backlight mode even indoors for reduced eyestrain.
No backlight is our implementation, and we would continue to support it.
Regards
Great to hear! Thanks Rohan.
Rohan, it is an interesting statement you make here, “Actual power consumption is minimal, and when DPO’s power savings are factored in, the Adam2 will actually last significantly longer on a single battery charge than without VEE and DPO.”
Do not trust any semiconductor datasheet !!!!! Have you tested and verified the actual power numbers ? The datasheet values always look rosy. The active power(current) and the quiescent current of VEE, both are important.
And the answer is from a product marketing guy ? That gets interesting. In my personal experience I have learnt not to trust any technical details given away by marketing people.
But even then, yes VEE seems to be promising. Yet again, your consumers don’t care about what’s inside(unlike people like me). They just want something that works ! I hope this time you guys will get this right.
I totally agree with the last paragraph, “Display systems (including LCDs) on tablets consume up-to 70% of power, so even if you do, say 50% power optimization on processors, consumer won’t feel much difference at the end. I believe every OEM should be looking beyond SoCs to save power.”
However, most companies today are making tablets just because there is a market and they are doing it not to innovate and bring something new.
🙂
Rohan, will the A2 give us the possibility of exchanging outdated or nonworking components?
We are trying to work out an extremely modular design. Unlike last time, this time devices can be easily opened, components replaced and can be upgraded (say wifi only to 3g, etc).
Regards
Replying again to Mark’s post.
Mark, I think Adam 2 will have 1280×800 Pixel Qi, but not the retina one. If you check the Pixel Qi website, you can see that they are currently sampling 1280×800 displays. But unfortunately, no idea yet on the viewing angles.
@Veeraraagavan: regarding PQi, 1280×800 is fine but viewing angle must be much improved over current screen. I liked that PQi claimed the retina screen viewing has angles like iPad.
Thanks Rohan! Great to hear a definite answer about Pixel Qi! (at least it sounded definite 😉
Rohan, I hope you are also looking into developing some out of the box accessories. Since you are not likely to be an iPad/Transformer competitor maybe you can consider including a case/stand maybe with an optional bluetooth keyboard.
Good Idea Luis!
Even though it would raise the price, if it didn’t raise it too much I would go for a bundle.
Of course there would need to be a stand alone price as well.
I really like the Logitech keyboard I have. It comes with a stand as its case, and has the battery bulge, same as the Adam. The Adam stands up real nice in the case as a stand too. (don’t remember what I paid)
Rohan,as has been noted,and this post addresses, there is no substitute in the market that duplicates what the A1 can do. There really isn’t any tablet out there that can be comfortably used as a reader, ln or out, bright or dark. With all the talk from Kindle about the Fire2 and the new alliance between MSF and B&N, there is still nothing announced that will offer that feature. If andehen the A2 comes out, with that capability, and the ability to load W8 and therefore useful to Enterprises worldwide, it would be a dominant player. This fact is we’ll known, what is not is a timeline for the A2. We allready have a lot of interesting details so that an estimated timeline might not be out of the question. Best regards, as always.
Rohan, I am holding myself from buying any tablets just because I know that Adam 2 will be the best tablet in the market. I am continously following your blog since 2 years. If you are launching within 2 months then I will wait…
When can we expect Adam 2 Rohan ???? You are also restructuring the NI website … Can we consider this as an indication of arrival of Adam 2
Anyone tracking this blog, go check out notionink.com now.
Looks like they have changed their strategy about sharing information as they go. prob they’ll reveal once the final product is ready.
@Phillip… Do you have any update??…. They are renovating their website…
@bursevicky10
Well, when I saw the changed website I entered my email for updates and the reply said “Stay tuned for a constant stream of exciting updates over the next few weeks”, so I think something good is coming.
Hi, just curious as to being directed to a non,working website. I would like to keep NI Adam as a potential competitor for the evolution in personal computing but the lack of news from NI and new developments by MSF, Win8, and Intel, Haswell processing chip, really calls into question between the possible and the impossible. If you want peoples attention you have to give them respect.
yohooooo……finally there seems to be some activity….been checking the blogs and website every couple of days for months now. ..i can sense something awesome coming up 🙂
Celebrating the first email out of the new email notification system. If you haven’t done it yet, go to notionink.com and add your email to the list for updates.
Next email announcement has come out, make sure you go to notionink.com and add your email to get the updates for adam2. So far we know the SOC is the TI OMAP4470 (which is the highest powered TI chip currently commercially available) and that the screen is 1280×800 with a viewing angle of an incredible 178° !