MWC 2013: ARM shows off features of OpenGL ES 3.0 and GPU computing
Sounds sexy, huh
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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