Toshiba is making the processors for Project Ara

[TopWargamer]

Source: http://m.pocketnow.com/2014/05/20/project-ara-processors?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Toshiba will be supplying chips for the smartphone, an oddity considering that the current chip market has been saturated by giants NVIDIA, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Intel. The company will provide three different types of processors for the device, for both modules and the phone itself. The units are expected to go into mass production in the beginning of 2015.

Google reportedly started working with Toshiba on Ara back in October of last year, and the partnership has resulted in the creation of chips which “can accurately control the flow of data and electrical signals between the modules and the phone itself.”

I mean, I'm extremely happy that we know one of the companies that will be making Project Ara processors, but still though, Toshiba? I have nothing against Toshiba, in fact I really like them, but they don't really have any experience with making processors... But hey, if what they have works and is good enough, then it works and it's good enough. Qualcomm, Intel, MediaTek, and Nvidia should be jumping all over this though...

[dizmo]

Eh. I couldn't care less about Project Ara. Yay for huge phones?

[Askew]

I wonder what happens if you drop it? Normally people are scrambling around on the floor for just a battery and the cover for it if there is one, but this...

[PillowSmoke]

Can't wait!

[TopWargamer]

I wonder what happens if you drop it? Normally people are scrambling around on the floor for just a battery and the cover for it if there is one, but this...

I believe Google covered this already. Too lazy to find a source, but I remember them saying that to replace the modules, you would have to go into an app to do so. The app would unlock the slot you're replacing temporarily so that you can put the new block in.

(So they're hot swappable.)

So the blocks are locked in. How well? I dunno. The phone is rumored to cost around $50 at the most BASIC model. We shall see how this turns out.

[Askew]

We shall see how this turns out.

 

Indeed.

[DLM_012]

I believe Google covered this already. Too lazy to find a source, but I remember them saying that to replace the modules, you would have to go into an app to do so. The app would unlock the slot you're replacing temporarily so that you can put the new block in.

(So they're hot swappable.)

So the blocks are locked in. How well? I dunno. The phone is rumored to cost around $50 at the most BASIC model. We shall see how this turns out.

 

It's locked in with some kind of magnet technology. Idk the details but it's cool stuff

[wilbso]

The phone is rumored to cost around $50 at the most BASIC model. We shall see how this turns out.

$50? (like £30 or something) that is really cheap...

[mvitkun]

I believe Google covered this already. Too lazy to find a source, but I remember them saying that to replace the modules, you would have to go into an app to do so. The app would unlock the slot you're replacing temporarily so that you can put the new block in.

(So they're hot swappable.)

So the blocks are locked in. How well? I dunno. The phone is rumored to cost around $50 at the most BASIC model. We shall see how this turns out.

That was my interpretation of what they said as they didn't offer anything specific.All they said was the method they would use not the interface.I introduced the idea of the in OS interface in my explanation in order to make it more easily understood.

To the best of my knowledge google never confirmed the app type interface 

Flattered you'd quote me but I was being quite vague. At least I think you had my post in mind lol.

 

From what I recall they said the the type of locking mechanism you would want would be much larger and that they plan to keep the magnets,although i recall they had said something about the magnets being an order of magnitude stronger in the actual phone to the point where the force required to remove it can't be exerted by your fingers.The magnets have an on and off state,both being passive and change between the states requires a charge.The on state being 10x stronger,the off state being similar to a regular magnet where you can easily just slide out the module and a slide a new one in.

 

I imagine it'll be something like a software version of a circuit breaker where you can toggle between on/off in a control panel.

So if you need to remove and insert a module you'd toggle it to off,it'd send a charge which would change the magnet to the off state,would weaken the magnet to 10x weaker where it is easy to move the modules,and you'd remove the old module and insert the new module,then toggle the magnet back to the on state where it has enough force where your fingers can no longer move the modules,and you're set to go.

watch the video from 17:30 to hear it from his mouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=18LU5UtG5-M#t=1050