Toshiba won't bring any new netbooks to the US market, a company executive told Liliputing. This means that the NB510 netbook powered by Intel's Atom N2600 processor introduced at CES won't be sold in the US. Instead, Toshiba America will sell ultrabook computers, which are lighter and thinner, but also more expensive.
Intel is looking to expand beyond its traditional semiconductor business and develop computers that can learn about their user, Reuters reports. To that end, the company is said to be making a significant investment in research that could yield devices that mimic the human brain by 2014 or 2015.
Tizen, the operating system developed as a partnership between Intel and Samsung, may finally debut on smartphones in the second half of this year. The scalable OS, sources tell Digitimes, will be appearing on smartphones, tablets, and notebooks from a number of different manufacturers.
ARM's CEO expects computers powered by the company's processors to hold 10 to 20 percent of the notebook PC market by 2015. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Warren East said (sub. required) he expects that ARM will have a bigger impact on the PC market than competitor Intel will have as it attempts to enter the smartphone market.
A company called Open Mobile has been demoing a method that allows devices running Tizen, Samsung and Intel's in-house mobile OS, to run apps intended for use on Android devices. As a video from The Handheld Blog shows, the technology could allow for future Tizen devices to circumvent the dearth of apps that typically plagues devices based on alternate operating systems.
Lenovo has introduced a range of revised ThinkPad notebooks, each equipped with Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors. Aside from the 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon—dubbed the "lightest 14-inch ultrabook in the industry"—the company also added new models to its L, T, W, and X series.
Sony has rolled out revamped VAIO S and Z models with revised internals and external tweaks. The VAIO S is available in two models, a 13- and 15-inch variants. The 15-inch VAIO S is the powerhouse of the two and incorporates an 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3612QM quad-core processor clocked at 2.1GHz matched with 8GB of RAM. The notebook also includes Nvidia’s latest discrete GeForce GT 640M LE GPU that will work in conjunction with the integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU to either boost performance or save power depending on use.
AMD has formally launched its next-generation Trinity Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). The company says that the improvements in architecture and Piledriver core has resulted in a chip that is twice as efficient per watt as its predecessor the Llano, despite sticking with a 32nm fabrication process. AMD says that based on price, its chips offer superior performance for each dollar spent against Intel’s latest 22nm Ivy Bridge (3rd generation Core series) processors.
Recent rumors of a refresh in Apple's MacBook Pro line received a bit of support today, with Bloomberg now reporting that the new line is indeed on its way. Bloomberg has the new line of MacBooks arriving in June, sporting many of the features earlier rumors have suggested.
Purported MacBook Pro and iMac benchmarks have surfaced on Geekbench showing the Macs running Intel’s next-gen Ivy Bridge processors. Giving a further hint that the specs are indeed for two of Apple’s latest Macs, the MacBook Pro carries the model designation 9,1, while the 27-inch iMac carries the designation 13,2. Interestingly, Best Buy has also marked down its whole Mac range in a further sign that Apple’s Mac line refresh is impending.
Intel CEO Paul Otellini has made it clear to investors and reporters that the company will continue to angle for more business from Apple in mobile devices, saying his mission was to "ensure our silicon is so compelling [that] they can't ignore us." Intel is already responsible for the chips in all of Apple's desktop and notebook products, but has longed to replace ARM-based processors as the heart of its mobile lineup, Forbes reports.
Since Tizen, an in-house alternative to Android was unveiled by Intel and Samsung last year, speculation has abounded as to the ultimate fate of the fledgling operating system. First, Samsung announced a merger between Tizen and Bada; then Samsung backpedalled on that statement, giving itself room to maneuver. Now a video has emerged from The Handheld Blog, showing version 1.0 of the Tizen OS in action, and running on a Samsung prototype phone.
Asus is improving the Zenbook lineup with another pair of aluminium-clad notebooks. A Taipei press event was used to show off the Ivy Bridge-powered UX32A and UX32Vd, with the former relying on Intel integrated graphics and the latter a switchable 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT620M graphics card, according to Netbooknews.
NEC has introduced a new ultrabook PC, the LaVie Z. It gets a lithium-magnesium body that helps the 13.3-inch notebooks tip the scales at just 2.2lbs. Otherwise, specs aren't made available, but NEC is likely to infuse Intel's Ivy Bridge processors for ultrabooks once they become available.
Along with a number of other notebook debuts at an event in Shanghai, HP has unveiled the Spectre XT ultrabook. The high-style device spots a 13.3-inch, 720p, LED backlit screen and comes with Intel's Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. The ultrabook weighs 3.07lbs and is just 14.5mm thick, while wrapped in an all-alloy body.
With Dell recently revealing that its three Alienware gaming notebooks were upgraded to Intel Ivy Bridge processors, those who ordered the PCs before the announcement may have felt slightly cheated. Dell has some good news, however, as it will upgrade the ordered notebooks to similarly-priced Ivy Bridge processors for free. This includes the M14x, M17x, and M18x.
In addition to making official the Special Edition 15R leaked earlier, along with the smaller 14R, Dell on Tuesday also announced XPS 8500 and Vostro 470 desktop PC families. Both feature Intel's third-generation Core-series processors, dubbed Ivy Bridge. Meant for gamers, graphics professionals, or movie editors, the XPS 8500 desktops are offered with either a 3.1GHz Quad Core i5 3450 or 3.4GHz Quad Core i7 3770.
Samsung's Ivy Bridge-powered Series 7 Gamer notebook, introduced yesterday as part of a larger unveiling, is now available for sale in the US. The 17.3-inch notebook sports 1080p resolution and has Intel's quad-core, 2.3GHz Core i7 3610QM chip onboard, along with NVIDIA's 2GB GeForce GTX 675M GPU. Prices start at $1,900.
Intel and Huawei have established a partnership that will focus on testing TD-LTE network technology. The companies will establish a testing lab in China, where engineers will continue to work on interoperability and implementation trials.
The previously leaked Ivy Bridge-based notebook offerings from Lenovo have now appeared in images on the Internet, as Swiss retailer ThinkpadCenter.ch has published a photo and information on specs for Lenovo's forthcoming ultrabook and tablet. The new Lenovo offerings are expected to be available within the next eight weeks.
At its Platinum Summit 2012 event in London last week, Intel showed off a super-small desktop PC board dubbed the Next Unit of Computing, or NUC. It measures just under four inches square and has room for a Core i3 processor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, as well as Thunderbolt, USB, and HDMI ports. A miniITX board, in comparison, measures in at 6.7 by 6.7 inches (17 by 17cm).
Alienware has officially revealed that it has updated its gaming notebook range with Intel's Ivy Bridge processors. This includes the M14x, M17x, and M18x, with the last one rumored to have received the update earlier. The leaked roadmap from earlier this year didn't mention the Ivy Bridge updates, however, though the new chips are finding their way into PCs from most other makers as well.
HP has quietly continued its 2012 PC updates by swinging its attention to notebooks. The Pavilion dv6t and dv7t have made the leap to Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, with each starting off using a quad-core 2.3GHz Core i7. The two likewise share NVIDIA's GeForce GT 630M to give them mid-level video.
Origin PC took its turn at the high-performance ultraportable category Sunday with the EON11-S. Using the same Clevo-made frame as the Maingear Pulse 11, it's small with an 11.6-inch screen but still fits as much as a quad 2.1GHz Core i7 courtesy of Intel's low-power Ivy Bridge architecture. Likewise, it carries a new GeForce GT 650M that gives it mid-level gaming.
Chinese government officials are in the process of attempting to define a national processor architecture standard. If successful, the standard, which EE Times contends might emerge in the next few months, could dramatically alter computing in the world's largest country, and the ripple effects could change the way international companies do business in China.
The first production Windows 8 tablet may have been uncovered early in a presentation believed leaked on Friday. Badged as the Slate 8, the third-generation Windows tablet seen by Neowin in preliminary rendered form would be much sleeker than previous generations. The 10-inch tablet would now be much more competitive in design, at 0.36 inches thick and eight to ten hours of battery, while carrying an aluminum design with a chin for the hardware Start button.
Maingear just took the wraps off an upcoming 11.6-inch notebook, the Pulse 11. According to Engadget, the small computer will be powered by the latest Ivy Bridge CPUs, with the standard model getting a Core i5 of unspecified clock speed. There is also support for up to 16GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GT650M GPU with 2GB of dedicated RAM is an option.
Biometrics company Aware, Inc. announced today the completion of an agreement for the sale of $75 million worth of patents to Intel. The patents involved in the sale relate largely to networking and wireless technologies.
On April 29, Acer will release a new iteration of its Aspire notebook line with Intel's third-generation Core processor inside. In addition to a 2.1GHz Core i7 processor, the new Aspire will support up to 8GB of RAM, and comes with a 750GB hard drive.
Japan's Mouse Computer has just unveiled its carbon fiber-bodied ultrabook, the LuvBook X, which looks very much like a MacBook Air competitor. It weighs just under 2.2lbs (less than a kilogram) and has an 11.6-inch, 1366x768 display. Processing power comes from one of two 1.6GHz Core i5 Ivy Bridge processors.
Solid state drives, a critical component in many thin, high storage-density mobile devices, could see dramatic price drops in the coming months due to a burgeoning price war among the major SSD suppliers. According to DigiTimes, industry sourcesin Taiwan are indicating that large suppliers are preparing to drop prices on SSDs precipitously.
Epson has become the latest manufacturer to make computers based on Intel's Ivy Bridge chipset available to customers. On Tuesday, the manufacturer debuted a line of customizable, business-to-business oriented entry level desktops for the Japanese market.
The upcoming ASUS Zenbook UX21A and UX31A ultrabooks may join a new Zenbook Prime family and sport all-aluminum bodies, Engadget learned. The bodies would have the familiar design of the current UX21 and UX31. Technical upgrades, however, would include 1080p matte IPS panels and upgraded processors.
ASUS is touting an overclocking record for its P8Z77-V Deluxe mainboard. Using a new Ivy Bridge-based 3.5GHz Core i7-3770K, the company successfully boosted the processor up to just short of 7GHz while keeping all four cores active. The feat also included 16GB of RAM running at over 3GHz with all four memory channels active, something not always possible at this level.
Intel has entered into an agreement with Cray to acquire IP and staff related to its high-performance computing (HPC) interconnect program. According to Intel, the Cray interconnect team is responsible for the Gemini interconnect and the upcoming Aries interconnect. The Aries interconnect will form part of Cray’s next-gen supercomputer, codenamed Cascade, that will be powered by Intel’s Xeon processors.
HPon Tuesday announced an expansion of its consumer desktop line with the addition of five models based on Intel's latest "Ivy Bridge" processors. The new lineup is among the first from HP to take advantage of the added performance boost and security features of Intel's third-generation Core lineup.
Apple CEO Tim Cook during his company's fiscal Q2 results call slammed the idea of merging touchscreens and ultrabooks. When asked by Sanford Bernstein's Toni Sacconaghi why Apple wouldn't merge the iPad and MacBook Air like Intel and Microsoft wanted Windows 8 and ultrabooks to unite, he described it as a matter of inherent tradeoffs. Trying to appeal to everyone ended up pleasing no one, Cook said, saying that just having the option of converging doesn't mean it should be forced.
As part of the Intel Learning Series initiative, CTL introduced the 2go Studybook L7 tablet on April 23rd. The Windows 7 version is available for preorder now, with the Android version orders starting in June. Low end configurations will ultimately start at less than $300, but initial preorder configurations begin at $469.
MSI has begun US-based shipping for the gaming-oriented GT60 and GT70 notebooks that were introduced at CeBIT at the start of March. Other than size, both have nearly identical hardware components, running Intel's new Ivy Bridge-based 2.3GHz Core i7-3610QM and paired with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 670M for graphics. The backlit keyboards come from gaming peripheral maker SteelSeries.
HP's Omni 27, Lenovo's A720 and ASUS' ET27 all-in-one PCs have all been upgraded to Ivy Bridge processors, or Intel's latest Core processors. The HP listing should be updated in a week or two and the 27-inch, 1080p screen doesn't have a touchscreen option, however. Users can make it an HDTV as there is an HDMI input.
PC maker Acer and sub-brand Gateway have revealed a couple of new PCs, the Predator AG3620 and the DX4860-UR14P, respectively. Both lines will offer Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors. Acer will get the new chips first, however, starting with the 3.4GHz Core i7-3770.
Intel continued its Ivy Bridge deployment on Monday by providing extensive detail of the 13 processors that would make up the initial group. The line includes six quad Core i7 processors, including Intel's first truly moderate-power example. The 2.1GHz Core i7-3612QM uses 35W like Intel's usual dual-core notebook processors but still has up to eight program threads (using Hyperthreading), 6MB of cache, and up to a 3.1GHz Turbo Boost when streamlining itself to a single core.
Dell has just announced four newly updated Precision tower workstations for business professionals with Intel's 32nm, eight-core Xeon E5-2600 processors. Other than the new chip, the towers get an externally-removable power supply that doesn't require any tools. It is lockable and has a built-in handle that lights up green when it's functioning properly.
Intel on Sunday formally launched its Ivy Bridge processor range. The 22-nanometer chips will, as hinted, start off with 13 quad-core processors in the Core i5 and i7 families, primarily focuses on desktops as well as mid-size and large notebooks. Lower-end Core i3 and i5 chips, as well as ultrabook-friendly low-voltage processors, are coming later in the Spring, Intel said.
AMD today announced revenues for the first quarter of 2012, and the semiconductor maker posted a sizable net loss. Despite a net loss of $590 million dollars, AMD representatives expressed optimism about the company's future performance.
Fujitsu has refreshed two of its Lifebook notebooks with the last wave of Intel Sandy Bridge processors. The 15-inch AH532 and 14-inch LH532 are now powered by a 2.3GHz, dual-core Intel Core i3. It's paired with the onboard Intel 3000 HD for graphics.
Judge Lucy Koh late Wednesday denied once more a motion to dismiss a lawsuit over anti-poaching deals. The group, which includes Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, and Pixar, was told it still had to face allegations of violating federal and state antitrust laws. They may ultimately pay millions of dollars in claimed damages.
Intel crossed a milestone Thursday and confirmed that its first shipping Intel-based phone would be the Lava Xolo X900. The phone is due both online and in Croma stores in Lava's native India on April 23, when it will cost 22,000 rupees ($422) off-contract. Despite early hopes, it will ship with Android 2.3 at first and get 4.0 relatively soon afterwards.
Intel has set ambitious targets for the number of ultrabooks it hopes will sell this year, part suppliers understood late Wednesday. Supposed internal roadmap details passed on to Digitimes had between 20 million to 30 million ultrabooks shipping in 2012. That number would double or triple in 2013, according to the claims, as the supply chain would be truly ready for mainstream adoption, such as reinforced plastic to emulate the rigidity of metal without some of the cost.
Rumors abound regarding Spotify's future plans and workings as the music streaming service continues to grow in popularity. Now, with a major press conference scheduled for later in the day, news emerges that Spotify has inked advertising deals with AT&T, McDonalds, Intel, and Reebok, as well as a worldwide ad deal with Coca-Cola.
