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MWC 2013: ARM shows off features of OpenGL ES 3.0 and GPU computing

Sounds sexy, huh

MWC 2013: ARM shows off features of OpenGL ES 3.0 and GPU computing
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At Mobile World Congress, ARM has been detailing the latest developments regarding its Mali GPUs, which are used in chipsets produced by the likes of Samsung and ST Ericsson.

The Mali-T604 GPU used in Google's Samsung-made Nexus 10 is one of a series of ARM GPUs that can support the OpenGL ES 3.0 specification.

The OpenGL ES 3.0 specification was publicly released in August 2012, and offers a number of graphical improvements over OpenGL ES 2.0.

Customers won't need to buy a new device to benefit from new graphics features - like depth of field, improved 3D textures, and high dynamic range - and functionality in OpenGL ES 3.0.


How many times faster complex image calculations are made using the GPU instead of the CPU

You can see a demonstration of OpenGL ES 3.0's performance and potential in our short (and somewhat shaky) hands-on video below.

You'll also be able to see how GPU computing can now take a significant load off the main CPU by reducing power consumption and offering a significant speed boost on a large number of image-specific calculations.

During its showcase, ARM also demonstrated how GPU computing can aid face detection. This could be used to assist the camera detect components in smartphone hardware, and could potentially lead to Kinect-style gaming controls on portable devices in the future.


Not the most visually appealing demo, sure, but face detection could lead to the development of new methods of interaction with smartphones and tablets

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Jonathan Morris
Jonathan Morris
From starting out as a games tester for Mastertronic, Virgin and Sega in the late 1980s, it may seem odd to then ditch everything to write about mobile phones that, at the time, lasted 20 minutes between charges. He always had a hunch mobiles would become quite popular, but possibly didn't realise how powerful (and, ironically, returning to 20 minutes between charges). Jonathan's job is to continue advising on the best hardware to buy, in order to enjoy games that have advanced considerably since those long days and nights testing Double Dragon on the C64.