May 16 - 9:00am EDT   ASUS's version of the Eee PC built on the Atom processor will have a few functional changes beyond just the faster chip, according to new reports. Known as the Eee PC 901, the update will add Bluetooth to pair up with cellphones and wireless controllers while also improving the perceived quality: metal is being added to the hinge, keyboard area, and the borders of the trackpad. The notebook will also be the first to drop the ASUS logo and market the Eee PC under its own brand. [full story]

May 15 - 11:45am EDT   Fujitsu today supplied an early look at the LifeBook U2010, its sequel to the U810. The design shares the unique twist of a rotating 5.6-inch display, which offers a convertible tablet at the size of an ultra-mobile PC, but promises improvements both inside and out. The U2010 is the company's first to use the Intel Atom processor and should run faster while lasting longer than the original's A110 chip; it also builds in an HSPA modem and a GPS for wide-area 3G wireless and navigation respectively. [full story]

May 15 - 10:50am EDT   Intel's upcoming quad-core chip for notebooks has been optimized to where it can run in thin-and-light notebooks, according to a new report. The 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300 was originally flagged as a 45-watt chip limited to desktop replacement notebooks and slim desktops but is now said to use just 35 watts, putting it on par with the heat and power of current dual-core chips. The advance would permit the quad-core chip to work as a drop-in replacement for high-end notebooks without changing their dimensions. [full story]

May 15 - 10:20am EDT   Intel is now denying any suggestion that an Atom-based tablet is in development by Apple, according to reports. Intel spokesman Mike Cato is quoted as saying that comments by German chief Hannes Schwaderer were misinterpreted; instead, says Cato, Intel merely believes that the iPhone is representative of a new kind of platform it is marketing, called the Mobile Internet Device (MID). The Atom is expected to form the heart of many MIDs, among other products, but there are no current plans to put an Atom CPU in a tablet, phone or any other piece of electronics made by Apple. [full story]

May 14 - 5:00pm EDT   Intel Germany chief Hannes Schwaderer today claimed at a Munich company event that Apple is developing a touchscreen device based on his firm's new Atom processor for ultra-mobile devices. As interpreted by AppleInsider, the executive provides few details but indicates that it will be slightly larger than the iPhone due to a larger display. [full story]

May 13 - 2:45pm EDT   MSI today has firmed up specs for its Wind mini-notebook, including its launch timeframe. The 10-inch system will closely follow ASUS' practices with the Eee PC and ship in both a low-cost Linux version (based on Novell's distribution) as well as a more expensive Windows XP edition. The basic Wind will ship with just 512MB of RAM and a three-cell battery good for 2.5 hours of battery life; in exchange for the higher price and demands of the Windows portable, the premium model will come with 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth, and a six-cell battery that runs for 5.5 hours. [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]

May 12 - 2:10pm EDT   Catering to a niche of mobile pros, Eurocom today updated the PHANTOM-X to give the 17-inch desktop replacement its first quad-core workstation chip. The notebook is rebranded as a mobile server a 2.8GHz Xeon in place of its normal Core 2 Quad and Extreme processors to help handle professional-grade loads. The Canadian company also spins its multi-drive hard disk setup as a business option and lets users team up as many as three drives for up to 1.5TB of space in a RAID stripe or mirror. The larger bulk of the notebook also allows up to 8GB of memory. [full story]

May 12 - 12:15pm EDT   As promised, ASUS' Eee PC 900 micro notebook today went on sale in the US. The 8.9-inch computer's specifications remain the same and take the Eee slightly further upscale with a sharper 1024x600 resolution, a basic multi-touch trackpad, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Versions hold either 12GB of flash storage on Windows XP models or else 20GB on versions with the less expensive Linux operating system, though either can accept SD and SDHC cards. Launch models continue to use a 900MHz Celeron M processor rather than the Intel Atom planned for later editions. [full story]

May 9 - 3:55pm EDT   Rounding out its week, Dell today has slipped in additional processor picks for its mid-sized XPS 420 tower. The system for the first time has Intel's recent 45 nanometer, Penryn-based Core 2 Quad chips and use either a 2.5GHz or 2.66GHz model as an upgrade to the 2.4GHz, 65 nanometer chip that starts out the line. The choices are the first four-core chips based on the cooler, faster architecture since the 3GHz Core 2 Extreme was introduced to the desktop. [full story]

May 9 - 3:05pm EDT   Online store eXpansys today put up pre-orders for the Wind, MSI's rival to the ASUS Eee PC. Elaborating on early specs published last month for the system, the store confirms that the launch edition of the 10-inch notebook will run on a comparatively quick 1.6GHz Atom and features that aren't often present in smaller notebooks, such as a physically larger 80GB hard drive, a 1.3-megapixel webcam built into the lid, and Bluetooth. [full story]

May 8 - 2:05pm EDT   Microsoft today discussed some of the details of a project it estimates could help address a lack of computing in developing countries. A plan so far known as Fone+ would give users a basic or mid-range smartphone with a dock or similar connection to a TV, giving them a potentially higher-resolution screen and a more comfortable distance to use the device as a budget computer. Doing so not only provides a relatively low cost PC but also a cellphone at the same time; this gives even farmers a way to compute without taking away phones they often use, Microsoft says. [full story]

May 7 - 8:00am EDT   Sprint and Clearwire today announced the unification of their two WiMAX Internet services into a single company that they hope will drive the 4G wireless standard. Simply titled Clearwire, the business will share the services of both the old Clearwire and Sprint's Xohm network in a single national WiMAX provider and is said to help promote the concept of an open wireless standard that allows any device and software to run; the combined build-out of the two should cover between 120 and 140 million Americans by the end of 2010, the involved companies say. [full story]

May 6 - 2:50pm EDT   Dell this afternoon introduced a rare variant on its home notebooks. The Inspiron 1525 Mike Ming Editions each get graffiti-influenced artwork by their Brooklyn-based namesake on the outer lid, personalizing the systems beyond the solid colors and stock prints that are normally available for the 15.4-inch notebooks. Regardless of the trim level, users can either pick from the monochrome-effect "Bunch O Surfers" or the multicolored "Sea Sky." [full story]

May 5 - 4:30pm EDT   Sprint is strongly considering selling off its Nextel division after just three years folded into the company, the Wall Street Journal says while crediting anonymous sources. One of Nextel's founders, Morgan O'Brien, is purportedly creating a group of investors that would buy out the push-to-talk group and restore its place as a separate company. Other private companies are also an option, as is a spin-off similar to the landline Internet provider Embarq. [full story]