03/12, 7:40am
Lenovo to shift to smartphones, 3G portables
The vast majority of Lenovo's sales will come from Internet-capable portable devices in five years, company chief Yang Yuanqing stated on Friday. He observed that ThinkPads and IdeaPads already outweigh desktops but that fully 70 to 80 percent of Lenovo's devices will be mobile Internet devices of some kind within as little as three and no more than five years. Many of these will be smartphones, but they should also include crossover devices such as the IdeaPad U1 notebook/tablet hybrid and the Skylight smartbook.
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03/11, 4:55pm
AMD to bring out Atom-fighting CPU for netbooks
Chipmaker AMD will soon release a Fusion-branded CPU for netbooks meant to compete with Intel's Atom range of CPUs. The Fusion name stems from the integrated graphics processors from ATI, which AMD acquired in 2006. While specs for the chip haven't yet been finalized, it will consume between 10 and 15 watts of power, while its graphics performance will be good enough not to require a separate NVIDIA Ion GPU, according to AMD chief marketing officer Nigel Dessau.
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03/11, 4:25pm
Streams could be merged with personalized info
Apple has been exploring the concept of inserting personalized content into media streams, a newly-published patent application reveals. Titled Radio With Personal DJ, the claim notes that it should be possible to add personalized or otherwise customized content to streams intended for media players, here meaning mostly computers and iPods. The content could be injected into the middle of a stream, or in random or regular intervals between media.
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03/11, 3:20pm
Core i7-980X bench favors art over games
New tests of Intel's just-launched Core i7-980X is potentially much faster than existing chips but also faces noticeable limits. The first mainstream six-core processor is fastest in creative tasks such as 3D modeling, Photoshop filters and video encoding, many of which are aware of multithreaded code and can use six cores. The performance gap over a quad-core i7 at the same 3.33GHz speed is usually at least 20 percent higher and as much as 70 percent higher.
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03/11, 1:05pm
HP to start $40m ad blitz to recast image
(Update: official video below) HP is about to start an estimated eight week long, $40 million corporate advertising campaign, its first in over five years, a source said on Thursday. According to the WSJ, HP aims to show off its broader range of technology through a set of ads to help spread the message. The campaign would include rapper Dr. Dre, whose Beats headphones and software are already on some HP notebooks, as well as stand-up comic and Flight of the Conchords actor Rhys Darby.
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03/11, 11:20am
Khronos says OpenGL deteails set
The Khronos Group today outlined the official feature set for OpenGL 4.0. The new graphics standard is the first major update since the launch of OpenCL and better exploits general computing features. It can draw the output of an OpenCL calculation without having to invoke the main processor and potentially frees up the processor even more when video or a similar task is already being offloaded to the graphics core.
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03/10, 9:35pm
Processor previewed at Game Developers Conference
Intel is currently previewing its upcoming Core i7 980X Extreme Edition CPU this week at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. The company is demonstrating several applications optimized for the new platform, including Sega's Napoleon Total War, Ubisoft's RUSE, Geomerics' Enlighten, and Cakewalk's Sonar.
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03/10, 5:30pm
Apple beats Dell, Lenovo by 36 percent or more
Consumer Reports today gave Apple a major lead in its rankings for both desktop and notebook technical support [subscription required]. Among more than 7,000 readers, Apple's help scored 87 and 86 points in each category and was much higher-rated than any other computer manufacturer. Lenovo came closest in notebooks with just 63 points, while Dell fell far behind in desktops with a 55-point score.
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03/10, 3:40pm
Six-core i7 would have new place in Mac Pro
A very tentative rumor today claims that Apple will launch a new Mac Pro next week using Intel's new Core i7-980X. The chip would be the first six-core model in a Mac and would give the same 3.33GHz clock speed as the custom-order Xeon but at a lower price. The system would be available Tuesday the 16th, but pricing and other details weren't mentioned in the ZDNet slip.
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03/10, 2:50pm
OnLive to stream modern games to PCs, Macs
OnLive at GDC today narrowed down the launch date and pricing for its streaming gaming service. The technology is now due to go live June 17th and will cost $15 per month for playing OnLive's entire catalog through a broadband Internet connection. An exact game library isn't fixed but should vary between 12 to 25 games, including modern games like Borderlands and Mass Effect 2 in addition to some older titles.
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03/09, 5:45pm
MSI Wind U230 gets Athlon Neo X2 below 500
MSI on Tuesday continued a string of netbook launches by formally launching the Wind U230 in the US. The 12-inch system overrides the U210 and, in one model, includes MSI's first use of AMD's dual-core, 1.6GHz Athlon Neo X2 to give it better-than-usual performance for the size and price. Windows 7 is also new and comes in full Home Premium guise rather than the Starter edition often associated with netbooks.
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03/09, 3:45pm
Intel to bring out dual-core Atom for netbooks?
Intel may soon release a dual-core Atom processor for netbooks, which would be a first for the company. Believed to be called the N500, the first dual-core Atom for portable computers would draw much less power than the desktop-oriented dual-core Atom 330 that netbooks like the Eee PC 1201N were forced to use until now. Traditionally, the chipmaker has offered dual-core Atoms for desktops alone.
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03/09, 1:50pm
Dell claims never meant Adamo XPS to last
Dell today provided an official explanation for the disappearance of the Adamo XPS from most of its online stores. The Texas PC builder in a statement now argues that the ultraportable is actually "similar to a limited edition" and was never designed to be a long-term product. It was an "engineering marvel" meant to show what Dell could do and is simply nearing the end of its run, the company claimed.
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03/09, 11:15am
Freescale shows reference tablet with Chromium OS
Freescale is again showing off its reference 7-inch tablet that is expected to come in at under $200, this time running on the Google's Chromium OS. The proof-of-concepts were demonstrated by Freescale's product manager of Software Development, and run on the company's i.MX51 chips. The video demonstration shows that the Chromium OS-powered tablets support hardware acceleration of HTML5-based videos.
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03/09, 11:00am
MSI X360 first PC to use ULV Core i5
MSI claimed a first on Tuesday through the launch of the X-Slim X360. Teased briefly at CES, the 13-inch system is the first to use a low-voltage Core i5 and uses the 1.06GHz i5-520UM to provide 'real' notebook performance while remaining 0.9 inches thick. The dual-core chip can ramp up to 1.86GHz when only one core is needed and supports Hyperthreading, which can have the i5 behaving like a quad-core processor with optimized apps.
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03/09, 9:10am
Dell M4500 packs M6500 speed in smaller body
Dell continued its pro notebook updates this morning by launching a new mid-range Precision model. The M4500 replaces the M4400 and, despite a much more common 15.6-inch display, has many of the performance features of the 17-inch M6500. It can run up to a quad-core 2GHz Core i7 for a processor and supports the larger system's 64GB SSD mini-card, a $220 option that gives the M4500 a fast OS drive without sacrificing room for a regular hard disk.
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03/09, 7:35am
Dell upgrades Vostros for early 2010
Dell this morning revamped its Vostro notebooks for a significant design and speed upgrade. The new 3000 series is housed in aluminum shells and have sturdier hinges; color is more common and now sees bronze, red and silver as options. All of the systems get processor upgrades and now give Core i3 or i5 processors to the 13-inch Vostro 3300 and 14-inch 3400 while the 17-inch 3700 gets Core i7 choices that include quad-core chips.
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03/08, 6:00pm
HP promo shows AIR, Flash, small keyboard
HP has put up a new video (seen below) of its Windows 7 slate in a direct jab at the iPad. The clip shows the tablet running Adobe's Flash for sites like Hulu as well as AIR for out-of-browser apps like Pandora radio. The presenters add that Flash on the tablet is boosted by hardware and should support HD video for "hours and hours" on a battery charge.
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03/08, 5:05pm
ASUS shows PL30JT notebook meant for business
Among nearly countless other products it debuted at CeBIT in Germany last week, ASUS also showed off this PL30JT business notebook. Most notable specs include the 1.06GHz Intel Core i5 CPU and both NVIDIA's 1GB GeForce 310M graphics chipset as well as Intel's integrated GMA HD graphics processor. The operation of these latter two is overseen by NVIDIA's Optimus technology.
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03/08, 4:40pm
Enterprise-grade Chrome OS due in 2011
At the RSA Conference on Thursday, a Google software security engineer said that Google will out a business version of its Chrome OS Netbook operating system in 2011, after the consumer version is released later this year. Will Drewry also revealed the software will have a number of integrated security technologies that will protect users from malware and other threats. All versions will include Trusted Platform Module (TPM) hardware, which will ensure key storage security and multi-factor authentication.
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03/08, 4:20pm
MSI Wind U160 takes netbook upscale
MSI today officially brought its chief designer netbook, the Wind U160, to US shores through Buy.com and Newegg. The system is the same as its international counterpart and revolves around a gold-and-bronze look with chiclet keys. It runs on Intel's newer Pine Trail platform and, with a 1.66GHz Atom, potentially breaks records with a maximum 14-hour battery life.
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03/08, 1:45pm
Ezy Tablet a 10.2-inch iPad clone, costs $679
Apple is facing indirect competition in the form of the newly spotted Ezy Tablet PC. The device takes at least some design cues from the iPad and, like some recent clones, uses netbook foundations to make its attempt. The handheld device has a larger, 10.2-inch screen and runs on Windows 7 with multi-touch, but in a much heavier (2.2 pounds) casing and with a 1.6GHz Atom.
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03/08, 10:50am
Samsung Go netbook gets Pine Trail Atom CPU
Samsung has quietly upgraded its Go range of netbooks, the N315. Most significantly, it has the newer 1.66GHz Atom CPU from Intel's newer Pine Trail platform versus the older 1.6GHz version, along with a matte screen. The chassis and keyboard are carried over, and a Wi-Fi radio is integrated as well. The New York Times' Reader software is preloaded onto the larger 250GB hard drive, along with Windows 7 Starter.
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03/08, 10:45am
Analysts see no effect on Windows from iPad
Apple's impending launch of the iPad won't have a "rising tide" effect on sales of Windows-based tablet PCs, IDC said in a new estimate today. While the Apple tablet could well be successful, the analysts don't expect that success to spill over to devices like the HP slate or the Lenovo IdeaPad U1. Windows tablets like these will get publicity but no large sales, IDC said.
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03/08, 9:30am
LG X300 dated for South America,
The ultra-thin LG X300 netbook from LG will be released in markets other than North America later in March, the electronics giant announced this weekend. First will be Asia, followed by the Middle East and South America. The flagship notebook has an 11.6-inch LCD screen, is 0.7 inches thick and weighs about 2.1lbs. It has a borderless touchpad and a reflective keyboard, and is rare among netbooks in foregoing a bezel around the screen.
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03/08, 9:20am
Adamo XPS cannot be bought anywhere
Dell in an odd move has withdrawn the Adamo XPS from sale on its site. While the ultraportable still has a product page, it's no longer linked from the PC builder's regular pages and doesn't work properly. Those who try to click "continue" to buy the notebook get an order error, suggesting that the Adamo XPS isn't in the company's system.
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03/08, 7:45am
Acer would one-up Apple with glass, touch
Acer is designing an exotic notebook that would let it claim the ultra-thin crown through new technology, a rumor from within the notebook industry claims. The system's display would use a new toughened Corning glass that would serve as the entire lid; Acer would just print a color on the back. The display would not only be thinner as a result but would be entirely frameless and potentially less expensive.
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03/07, 3:00pm
Apple and others say exhibitor violated patents
Apple, Siemens and technology licensor Sisvel together were reported as having forced an exhibitor to shut down an exhibitor's booth at CeBIT. The three had the unnamed e-reader and netbook maker's floor space cleared out on Friday after they alleged that the company violated patents. Lawyers for Apple, Siemens and Sisvel are said to have visited the company's booth on Thursday and levied a 10,000 euro ($13,626) fine in advance of a raid the following day by German police.
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03/05, 5:45pm
Intel Nehalem-EX due for servers
Intel in an update late Thursday said its next-generation Xeon processors should still launch later this month. The eight-core Nehalem-EX processors don't have official clock speeds but will include 24MB of cache shared between each of the individual cores and will support Hyperthreading. A server with four Xeons could as a result support as many as 64 separate program threads at once, Xeon platform lead Shannon Poulin said.
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03/05, 3:55pm
Notebooks push 8 hour battery life
Acer at CeBIT unveiled a wide range of new computers including desktop systems, notebooks, and a netbook. The Aspire One 752 netbook integrates an Intel CULV processor and GS45 chipset, rather than the Atom component utilized in the current 751 model. HD video playback and 3D content are handled by Intel's 4500MHD integrated graphics.
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03/05, 1:20pm
Devices based on Intel's Core i3, i5 CPUs
Samsung on Friday announced that its R80-series notebooks are set to launch next week through Best Buy. The devices are based on Intel's Core i3 and i5 CPUs, with multimedia features such as Blu-ray drives, 16:9 aspect ratios and NVIDIA GeForce graphics components on several models.
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03/04, 11:00pm
27-inch iMac core i7 bypasses some Mac Pros
Primate Labs has updated its Mac Benchmark chart, adding recent Macs to the list. The chart is a compilation of Mac-based performance scores generated from user-submitted Geekbench results. The comparison uses results from standard Macs instead of modified or overclocked systems. Numerically it uses a 1000-point baseline set to a Power Mac G5/1.6GHz machine.
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03/04, 6:25pm
Features include i3/i5 CPU, HD display, DVD-RW
Lenovo has started shipping two versions of the new IdeaPad Y460, part of its mid-range notebooks targeted at the home. Both models include Windows 7 Home Premium, 4GB of RAM (up to 6GB), 14-inch displays, and dual-layer DVD writers. They also have 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 1.3-megapixel webcam.
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03/04, 5:00pm
Intel intros Atom platform for home servers
At CeBIT on Thursday, chipmaker Intel announced it has released the first Atom-class processor platform optimized for home and small office storage markets. Both single- (D410) and dual-core (D510) Atoms will be offered for this purpose, which will run on Microsoft Windows Home Server and Linux operating systems. Intel promises power reduction up to 50 percent compared to previous generation of Atom processors.
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03/04, 11:50am
HP Vivienne Tam gets Pine Trail, Beats audio
HP today rounded out its netbook lineup with a long-anticipated Mini 210 version of its Vivienne Tam model. The new system gets the benefits of the new design, including the 1.66GHz Atom and low energy draw of Intel's Pine Trail platform; this time, software also gets a lift as the system includes the same Beats Audio software found in the Envy series and should theoretically help improve sound quality.
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03/04, 10:35am
Corsair 2.5-inch Force Series SSDs use SATA II
Corsair on Thursday introduced a new range of solid state drives with the Force Series. Both the 100GB and 200GB models have a SATA II interface and offer purportedly class-topping 280MBps peak read speeds and 260MBps write speeds. Corsair credits the speed to the use of a newer SandForce SF-1200 SSD processor to help govern traffic.
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03/04, 9:50am
Gartner also sees PC shipments up 20pc this year
Portable computers like notebooks and tablets should make up 70 percent of computers in just two years, Gartner predicted today. The category was already more than 55 percent of the market last year but should keep growing through 2012 based on ultraportables and tablets like the iPad. Apple's device, along with other tablets and conventional tablet PCs, should help push the number of tablets on the market to to 10.5 million just this year.
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03/04, 8:55am
Sony VAIO M would replace W
A discovery at retailers yesterday has confirmed that Sony is developing a direct replacement to its VAIO W netbook. Just called the VAIO M, the 10-inch system appears to be more a change of design than performance and would run on the same 1.66GHz Pine Trail-era Atom, 1GB of RAM and 250GB hard drive as the recently freshened W series. The primary changes would be to use a lower-resolution 1024x600 screen and to move the headphone and microphone jacks to the front.
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03/03, 8:50pm
Device offers improved PC with GTX 285 graphics
Ideum has introduced the MT-50 multi-touch table, an updated version of the earlier MT2 model. The table offers an improved PC system, with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 285 graphics card. To enhance the experience for multiple users, especially locations such as musems, the company has expanded the input support to 60 simultaneous control points.
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03/03, 6:55pm
Need for copper wires replaced by light pulses
IBM has announced that its scientists have created a system that allows computer chips to communicate using light instead of electrical signals. The device, known as a nanophotonic avalanche photodetector, is claimed to be be ultra-fast while minimizing power consumption.
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03/03, 4:55pm
Acer Aspire One 532g priced for Europe
The recently revealed Aspire One 532g from Acer, which carries the distinction of being the first netbook with NVIDIA's Ion 2 platform, has been priced for the European market. An Acer slide reveals that price to be 379 euros, or the equivalent of nearly $520. Once the netbook comes stateside, however, it is expected to cost much less, or about $379.
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03/03, 4:25pm
First Android convertible tablet shows at CeBIT
At CeBIT in Germany this week, Mag Digital is showing off the first convertible tablet device with the Android operating system. The build is Android 1.6, while processing power comes from an ARM11 CPU. The tablet itself is a 7-inch, 800x480 display that, like with most tablet PCs, can swivel over the keyboard.
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03/03, 4:10pm
Acer 1820PT convertible tablet priced in Europe
Acer's first convertible tablet PC, the Aspire 1820PT, has finally been launched at the CeBIT show. The 11.6-inch notebook has an accelerometer for switching over to portrait viewing mode when the device is in tablet mode, and its capacitive multi-touch screen can also support inputs from a stylus, which is housed in the body. Processing power comes thanks to a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs and up to 8GB of RAM.
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03/03, 12:50pm
Maingear mX-L 15 produces cheap speed
Maingear today catered to its bread-and-butter gaming audience with a mid-range performance notebook, the mX-L 15. At 15.6 inches, the system avoids the cost of a desktop replacement's display but is still relatively fast. Every model has a Mobility Radeon HD 4570 for mid-range graphics, and processors range from a dual-core 2.4GHz Core i5 to a quad-core 1.73GHz Core i7.
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03/02, 5:30pm
ASUS officially releases new-generation Eee PCs
As expected, ASUS officially introduced its new Eee PC models at CeBIT in Germany. The Eee PC 1201PN uses Intel's 1.66GHz Atom CPU along with NVIDIA's second-generation Ion chipset and 1GB of RAM. It also gets a 12.1-inch LED-backlit display with a 1366x768 resolution. The 160GB hard drive is preloaded with Windows XP and supplemented by 500GB of cloud storage from ASUS.
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03/02, 4:35pm
Intel intros new Classmate PC with larger screen
Intel on Tuesday announced it will soon launch a second-generation Learning Series Classmate PC meant for young children. As expected, the new computer will have a larger 10.1-inch LCD screen with 1024x600 resolution instead of the 8.9-inch screen of the original. Processing power again comes from a low-power Intet Atom CPU, though which one is not detailed, and there is also built-in Wi-Fi, but newly optional is a GPS sensor, 3G communications and WiMAX connectivity. Also new is a swiveling camera, while run time is extended thanks to an optional six-cell battery that endows the netbook with up to 8.5 hours of life.
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03/02, 2:55pm
MSI FX400 and FX600 pack dual graphics
Although it hasn't made had a formal unveiling, MSI at CeBIT today unveiled a new series of notebooks with two models. The 14-inch FX400 and 15.6-inch FX600 will carry NVIDIA's Optimus to give them dedicated GeForce 300M-series video without spoiling their battery life. Both will aim for a designer look with a textured bronze finish and silver trim.
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03/02, 12:50pm
Dell's CULV Latitude starts at low price
As it promised last month, Dell today started taking orders for the Latitude 13. The 0.65-inch thick CULV system is now known to be an inexpensive buy and at $559 starts out with a 1.3GHz Celeron M, Ubuntu Linux, 1GB of RAM and 802.11g Wi-Fi. Every version comes with a six-cell battery, although Dell hasn't said how long the battery should last.
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03/02, 12:40pm
Concepts spearheaded by MacBook Air
Apple has this week won the rights to three patents, all covering the construction of unibody MacBooks. Two of these document the MacBook Air, which was the first Apple notebook to use a combination frame and casing made out of a single block of aluminum. Aside from external design, the other patent covers the Air's multi-touch glass trackpad, which has also since spread to other Apple portables. Its origins can be traced back to the iPhone.
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03/02, 11:40am
ASUS Eee Keyboard delayed again, due in April
The ASUS Eee Keyboard will finally launch in April, according to ASUS president Jonney Shih. Mentioned in a Twitter update, the news comes from the ongoing CeBIT show in Germany and roughly at the one-year anniversary of the introduction at last year's CeBIT show. The so-called hybrid PC has been delayed from a promised June 2009 launch and then an October release for unknown reasons.
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