August 6 - 11:55am EDT   AMD on Wednesday sought to please two extremes of computer users at once through the unveiling of its 790GX mainboard chipset. The platform is focused on gamers and includes a new southbridge chip that allows overclocking Phenom Black Edition processors without entering the BIOS; it also supports CrossFire for up to two add-in Radeon HD video cards. However, even entry users are accomodated, AMD says: the chipset integrates the new Radeon HD 3300, which is billed as the fastest onboard graphics system available. Tests have it competing with some recent stand-alone cards, while AMD says it can support both modern 3D effects as well as hardware decoding of 1080p video. [full story]

July 8 - 4:35pm EDT   MSI this afternoon confirmed that it has finally begun shipping the Wind, its first mini notebook. Stores such as Amazon, Buy.com, Fry's, and Newegg are all receiving the 10-inch portables first and will initially receive basic versions with a three-cell battery and Windows XP Home. Versions with the longer-lived six-cell battery as well as those preloaded with Linux are due in September, the company says. The larger battery itself will be available separately at the same time. [full story]

June 13 - 10:00am EDT   Gigabyte today gave release info one of the first known ultra-mobile PCs using Intel's Atom processor. The M528 will first appear in the Taiwan area in late July and should be priced in the middle of the UMPC range at an equivalent of $750; the device centers around the extremely energy-efficient 800MHz version of the Atom that should extend battery life even with additional performance and features versus the earlier A110 chip. [full story]

June 2 - 2:10pm EDT   Gigabyte has already revealed information about its upcoming entry into micro notebooks ahead of tomorrow's Computex show. The M912 separates itself from a slew of competitors from ASUS and others by switching to convertible tablet form. The 8.9-inch LCD can be left in a traditional notebook mode or spun around to be used as a touchscreen. The system itself will share the same 1.6GHz Atom CPU and 1GB of memory as many upcoming mini-PCs but will carry an unusually large hard drive, ranging between 120GB and 250GB depending on the exact model. [full story]

May 30 - 9:05am EDT   ASUS and Gigabyte have put an end to a legal battle almost as quickly as it began, says a report detailing the feud. The former company had filed a legal complaint with Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission arguing that Gigabyte slandered ASUS with photos implying poor quality mainboards and power-saving measures, but now says it will drop the matter following Gigabyte's willingness to publicly apologize for the accusations with a message in Sunday newspapers. [full story]

May 23 - 9:40am EDT   Early talks are underway to bring the Sugar interface from the One Laptop Per Child project's XO notebook to different PC builders, according to news from former OLPC executive and now Sugar Labs Foundation head Walter Bender. The spin-off company is now said to be discussing the use of Sugar with four "ultra low-cost" notebook makers who would use the front-end on top of the underlying operating system for computers targeted at children. [full story]

May 13 - 12:20pm EDT   The first Mobile Internet Device based on Intel's new Atom architecture has been put up for pre-order today and reveals the feature set of the device itself and others to come. A listing by electronics shop Tegatech Australia reveals that the GigaByte M528 will be based on Intel's base 800MHz Atom chip and is being targeted at mobile data users: the QWERTY keyboard slider design will have both Wi-Fi and a 3G cellular module, and will have similarly have both back and front video cameras for snapping photos and making video calls. [full story]

April 30 - 1:35pm EDT   Smartphone maker GSmart has revealed the creation of a new touchscreen interface, designed to compete with that of the Apple iPhone. GSmart's Smart Touch technology likewise relies on figure gestures, and similar tropes, such as placing shortcuts for up to 16 applications on the Standby screen; to add, delete or reposition shortcuts, users can simply drag icons around. Launching requires only a quick tap. Widgets are meanwhile present in the form of analog and digital clocks, which can toggled on or off with a flick. [full story]

March 25 - 12:35pm EDT   ASUS' Eee PC sequel will have a touchscreen implemented after all, according to new claims by screen producers in the company's home area of Taiwan. Regardless of assertions by ASUS head Jerry Shen that the new Eee PC would go without a touch-sensitive display, the PC builder is said to have ordered low-cost, resistive touchscreens that will be used with the micro-notebook when it launches in April. The technology is considered less elegant than capacitive touchscreens (such as that for the iPhone) but will add just $10 US to the cost of building one of the ASUS systems. [full story]

February 28 - 4:40pm EST   Umbrella technology company Gigabyte has offered a brief peak at a new cellular modem, the MD800. Buyers will have the option of three different interfaces -- ExpressCard, mini-USB or PCMCIA -- and gain access to 3.5G-level broadband, likely some form of HSPA. The card should also be the first to combine this with both GPS and assisted GPS abilities, expanding the functions of phones and/or computers. [full story]

February 13 - 1:25pm EST   Acer is expanding its line to include budget ultraportable computers, Acer president J.T. Wang said today. The company chief refrained from providing details but stated that multiple devices would be released to tackle both price and size throughout the spring and summer of this year. However, previous leaks have pointed to likely direct challengers to ASUS' popular Eee PC line. Both 8- and 9-inch systems are expected with the same 800x480 resolution as the ASUS system, though whether these are the only products or are still in place for the mid-year launch is unclear. [full story]

January 17 - 9:45am EST   Gigabyte will be the latest to introduce a micro-notebook in the vein of ASUS' Eee PC, company VP Richard Ma has said. Without providing full details, the executive notes that the new mini PC will use Intel's Shelton platform with a 1.6GHz, single-core CPU whose entire platform draws just eight watts. Screen size will range anywhere from 7 to 9 inches depending on the final design. As with ASUS, the unnamed system will be made in-house rather than contracted to someone else, Gigabyte says. [full story]

January 14 - 4:05pm EST   Intel has begun distributing the details of Shelton, a set of low-cost notebook specifications, market sources claim. At Shelton's heart is a Diamondville CPU, built with a single 1.6GHz core, and a 533MHz front-side bus. The chip consumes a mere 3.5W of power, contributing to a total power consumption of just 8W. This should give Shelton systems between three and four hours of battery life. The processor is meanwhile attached to a 945GSE motherboard, which supports DirectX 9-level integrated graphics and single-channel DDR2 memory. [full story]