Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Kanex outs non-Apple Thunderbolt cable (updated)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/25/kanex-thunderbolt-cable/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/25/kanex-thunderbolt-cable/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/25/kanex-thunderbolt-cable/#comments Image

Kanex is releasing its very own Thunderbolt cable. However, if you were looking for something shorter and cheaper than Cupertino's six foot, $50 beast, prepared to be disappointed. Costing $60, the only difference between the two is that this is black instead of white, but if your inner-Goth couldn't bear to see another pearly cable, then perhaps those extra ten bucks won't matter.

Update: Our friends over at 9to5mac pointed out that WD and Elgato are also pumping out speedy cables to the masses.

Kanex outs non-Apple Thunderbolt cable (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10GbsAppleBlackCableIntelInterconnectKanexLight PeakLightPeakminipostThunderboltFri, 25 May 2012 08:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo is available now starting at $600]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/15/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/15/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/15/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo/#comments Back at Macworld, we laid our peepers on Western Digital's MyBook Thunderbolt Duo and were able to take a demo setup for a quick spin. Now, the dual-wielding external HDDs are officially on the market. You can snag 4TB (2x 2TB) and 6TB (2x 3TB) versions of this "über-fast" MyBook for $599 and $699, respectively. Don't forget: you can daisy chain up to six of these bad boys via the dual Thunderbolt ports on the kit's backside (if you have quite the piggy bank, of course) -- just like the four-unit set we encountered sporting 700MB/sec read and 500MB/sec write speeds in RAID 0. WD also says the storage devices are Time Machine compatible as soon as you can unpack 'em. If you're anxious to grab one of your own, hit the source link below to part with your funds. And for a quick refresher, take a gander at the gallery below.

Gallery: Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video)

Continue reading Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo is available now starting at $600

Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo is available now starting at $600 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.5-inch3.5-inch HDD3.5-inchHddexternal hard driveexternal HDDExternalHardDriveExternalHddhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDrivesHDDlightpeakMyBookMyBook ThunderboltMyBook Thunderbolt DuoMybookThunderboltMybookThunderboltDuonow shippingNowShippingRAIDstoragethunderboltvideoWD MyBook Thunderbolt DuoWdMybookThunderboltDuoWestern DigitalWestern Digital MyBook Thunderbolt DuoWesternDigitalWesternDigitalMybookThunderboltDuoThu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel: Optical Thunderbolt cables arriving this year]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/optical-thunderbolt-this-year/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/optical-thunderbolt-this-year/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/optical-thunderbolt-this-year/#comments
Intel's Dave Salvator has been talking about Thunderbolt's future, promising that optical versions of the high-speed interconnect will arrive this year. The copper version currently available is cheaper and can carry 10 watts of power, but it can only be run a maximum distance of six meters. While the fiber version loses the ability to power devices, it's reportedly far faster and capable of running to the "tens of meters." Dave Mr. Salvator wouldn't commit to a release date, or how much more we'll be expected to pay for the cables, but given that we're also expecting to see PCI-Express 3.0 bolted on to the standard soon, we'll start saving today.

Intel: Optical Thunderbolt cables arriving this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleDave SalvatorDaveSalvatorExperimental InterconnectExperimentalInterconnectFirewireIntelInterconnectLight PeakLightPeakOptical ThunderboltOpticalThunderboltSonyThunderboltUSB 3.0Usb3.0Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo-hands-on-macworld-2012/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo-hands-on-macworld-2012/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo-hands-on-macworld-2012/#comments Here at Macworld 2012, Western Digital demoed a preview of their essentially finished, yet not final, MyBook Thunderbolt Duo. Scheduled to ship in Q1 for an "aggressive price," the unit plays host to two 3.5-inch drives, which'll come stuffed from the factory in either 4TB (2x 2TB) or 6TB (2x 3TB) configurations. On the outside, you're looking at the MyBook aesthetic you either love or loathe, but around back you'll find all connectivity has been gutted, save for power and two Thunderbolt ports. The latter means that up to six can be daisy-chained off one interconnect, which when setup in RAID 0 equates to rather speedy transfers, like 700MB/sec reads and 500MB/sec writes in the four-unit demonstration configuration we toyed with. And it's future proof too, as there's a door up-top which enables plebes to swap drives should the need arise. We'll keep an ear out for pricing, but until that day arrives, peep them in the gallery below, or in video form after the break.

Gallery: Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video)

Continue reading Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video)

Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.5-inch3.5-inch HDD3.5-inchHddhands-onhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDrivesHDDlightpeakmacworldmacworld 2012macworld iworldMacworld2012MacworldIworldMyBook Thunderbolt duoMybookThunderboltDuoRAIDthunderboltvideoWD MyBook Thunderbolt DuoWdMybookThunderboltDuowestern digitalWestern Digital MyBook Thunderbolt duoWesternDigitalWesternDigitalMybookThunderboltDuoThu, 26 Jan 2012 16:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel not planning to run around and desert USB as Ivy Bridge gets 3.0 certification]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/15/intel-not-planning-to-run-around-and-desert-usb-as-ivy-bridge-ge/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/15/intel-not-planning-to-run-around-and-desert-usb-as-ivy-bridge-ge/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/15/intel-not-planning-to-run-around-and-desert-usb-as-ivy-bridge-ge/#commentsA few months back, there was some concern that Intel's Ivy Bridge chipset wouldn't come with USB 3.0 certification -- planning to push its proprietary Thunderbolt standard instead. The company acted quickly to soothe the panic of gadget fans concerned they'd have to replace their new external HDDs, but the USB Implementers Forum didn't say much beyond the odd nasty snipe at the new technology. Fortunately, the crew at the USB-IF have now given their blessing toward the union 'twixt 22nm processor and super-speed universal serial bus. Since AMD jumped on this bandwagon back in April, we can pretty much guarantee that we'll be plugging flash drives in the wrong way for years to come.

Continue reading Intel not planning to run around and desert USB as Ivy Bridge gets 3.0 certification

Intel not planning to run around and desert USB as Ivy Bridge gets 3.0 certification originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>IntelIvy BridgeIvyBridgeLight PeakLightPeakSuperspeed USBSuperspeed USB 3.0SuperspeedUsbSuperspeedUsb3.0ThunderboltUSB 3USB 3.0USB Implementers ForumUSB-IFUsb3Usb3.0UsbImplementersForumThu, 15 Dec 2011 20:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011 (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/17/eyes-on-with-thunderbolt-on-windows-at-idf-2011-video/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/17/eyes-on-with-thunderbolt-on-windows-at-idf-2011-video/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/17/eyes-on-with-thunderbolt-on-windows-at-idf-2011-video/#comments Sure, you've seen the announcement of Thunderbolt on the PC, the chips that'll power it and a bevy of compatible accessories, but how about actual proof of Thunderbolt working on Windows? Hidden deep in the recesses of IDF's technical showcase, we found just that and immortalized it on video for all to see. Essentially the same Chipzilla demo as when we first witnessed the interconnect on Macs, we watched the playback of four 1080p streams devour over 700MB of throughput off a PCIe attached SSD. You know the drill, serious bit slinging awaits in the gallery below and video after the break.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Gallery: Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011

Continue reading Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011 (video)

Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demodemonstrationhands onhands-onHandsOnidfidf 2011Idf2011intelintel idfIntelIdflightpeakmicrosoft windowsMicrosoftWindowspcPCIethunderboltthunderbolt windowsThunderboltWindowsvideowindowsSat, 17 Sep 2011 11:04:00 EST<![CDATA[New Thunderbolt chips, dubbed Cactus Ridge, coming in 2012]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/14/new-thunderbolt-chips-dubbed-cactus-ridge-coming-in-2012/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/14/new-thunderbolt-chips-dubbed-cactus-ridge-coming-in-2012/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/14/new-thunderbolt-chips-dubbed-cactus-ridge-coming-in-2012/#comments Cactus Ridge Thunderbolt is certainly taking its sweet time catching on, but Intel isn't about to give up yet. In 2012 the company will be rolling out Cactus Ridge, a replacement for it's current Light Ridge and Eagle Ridge solutions. There will be two versions: a quad Thunderbolt channel, dual DisplayPort model (replacing the similarly speced Light Ridge); and a dual T-bolt, single DisplayPort edition (taking over for Eagle Ridge). Exactly when they'll land next year or how much it'll cost OEMs to shoehorn the controllers into their machines is still a mystery, but we're holding out hope that this time next year the 10Gbps jacks will be in every Dell, Acer and Apple.

[Image credit: iFixit]

New Thunderbolt chips, dubbed Cactus Ridge, coming in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cactus ridgeCactusRidgeeagle ridgeEagleRidgeintellight peaklight ridgeLightPeakLightRidgethunderboltWed, 14 Sep 2011 19:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel: Thunderbolt coming to PCs, prototype shown at IDF 2011 (update: video!)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/14/intel-announces-thunderbolt-coming-to-pcs-at-idf-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/14/intel-announces-thunderbolt-coming-to-pcs-at-idf-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/14/intel-announces-thunderbolt-coming-to-pcs-at-idf-2011/#comments Guess what, Wintel loyalists? "Apple's" Thunderbolt I/O port is coming your way. If you'll recall, Thunderbolt was actually built with Intel's collaboration (Light Peak, anyone?), and sensibly, the chip giant is now making it possible for the port to appear on non-Mac machines. The news was just broken here at IDF, where a Haswell-based machine was briefly teased with a heretofore unpossible T-bolt port. Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group, was on-stage to showcase six pre-production Ultrabook designs (all based on 3rd generation Intel Core processors), but stopped short of telling us exactly when the Thunderbolt I/O port would make its debut on commercially available rigs (Acer and ASUS are onboard for a 2012 launch!). Naturally, we're hoping it's sooner (tomorrow) rather than later (the 2013 launch of Haswell).

Update: Video of the unveiling is now embedded after the break!

Gallery: Intel: Thunderbolt coming to PCs, prototype shown at IDF 2011

Continue reading Intel: Thunderbolt coming to PCs, prototype shown at IDF 2011 (update: video!)

Intel: Thunderbolt coming to PCs, prototype shown at IDF 2011 (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessoryacerappleasusbreaking newshaswellidfidf 2011Idf2011intelinterconnectioio portIoPortlightpeakmacMooly EdenMoolyEdenpcperipheralthunderboltWed, 14 Sep 2011 13:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony Vaio Z gets the in-house teardown treatment (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/25/sony-vaio-z-gets-the-in-house-teardown-treatment-video/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/25/sony-vaio-z-gets-the-in-house-teardown-treatment-video/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/25/sony-vaio-z-gets-the-in-house-teardown-treatment-video/#comments Another official teardown, another predictable revelation: the new Sony Vaio Z's viscera are thinner, flatter and, er, more compressed than those of its predecessor. But at least this dissection is performed by an actual Vaio engineer who ought to know his stuff. In the video after the break, Shinji Oguchi explains how cooling was improved using a range of tricks, like aerating the laptop's guts via holes in the keyboard. He also splits open the innovative external media dock, which connects via Intel's Light Peak technology and uses a discrete GPU to give the Vaio Z some gaming oomph. Finally, there's a separate, speeded-up video of Shinji putting the whole thing back together again from memory. The poor guy must be sick of it by now.

Continue reading Sony Vaio Z gets the in-house teardown treatment (video)

Sony Vaio Z gets the in-house teardown treatment (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dockexternal gpuExternalGpuintel light peakIntelLightPeaklight peakLightPeakPower Media DockPowerMediaDockShinji OguchiShinjiOguchiSonySony VaioSony Vaio ZSonyVaioSonyVaioZtear downTearDownVaioVaio ZVaioZvideoThu, 25 Aug 2011 07:24:00 EST<![CDATA[External Thunderbolt graphics card for Macs to be developed soon, thanks to Facebook poll]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/external-thunderbolt-graphics-card-for-macs-to-be-developed-soon/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/external-thunderbolt-graphics-card-for-macs-to-be-developed-soon/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/04/external-thunderbolt-graphics-card-for-macs-to-be-developed-soon/#comments Have you ever let your Facebook friends determine a new product development decision for your company? Well, Village Instruments has, via an online poll in order to gauge interest in an external Thunderbolt PCI Express graphics card enclosure. Dubbed the ViDock Thunderbolt, this device will soon begin to dramatically improve the performance of today's Apple machines. Running at speeds of up to 10Gb/second, the new T-Bolt model can move data much faster than the company's current Express Card-connected external GPU. So if you're rocking the new MBP model, but you've got a hankering for more power out of your graphics card, you better start saving your Benjamins.

External Thunderbolt graphics card for Macs to be developed soon, thanks to Facebook poll originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleGPUgraphics cardgraphics processorGraphicsCardGraphicsProcessorintelintel light peakIntelLightPeaklight peakLightPeakmacpci expresspci express enclosurePciExpressPciExpressEnclosurethunderboltvillage instrumentsVillageInstrumentsThu, 04 Aug 2011 11:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple Thunderbolt cable, Promise RAIDs now available to get your 10Gbps interconnect on]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/apple-thunderbolt-cable-promise-raids-now-available-to-get-your/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/apple-thunderbolt-cable-promise-raids-now-available-to-get-your/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/apple-thunderbolt-cable-promise-raids-now-available-to-get-your/#comments Apple Thunderbolt Cable
Was it really four months ago that Intel and Apple took the curtains off of Thunderbolt I/O? The MacBook Pro and iMac lines have since been refreshed with the interconnect, but early adopters haven't had much more than a fancy port to stare at. Thankfully, Apple's $49 T-bolt cable is finally available as your ticket to the 10Gbps superhighway. Apparently, it quietly hit Apple's web store this morning along with some fresh Promise Pegasus RAID enclosures ($1k for 4TB up to $2K for 12TB) to support it. All of the peripherals appear to be in stock and ready to ship; so if you've been eagerly waiting to make use of that extra port, now's your chance.

Apple Thunderbolt cable, Promise RAIDs now available to get your 10Gbps interconnect on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple storeapple thunderboltAppleStoreAppleThunderboltcablecomputerhddimacintelintel light peakintel thunderboltIntelLightPeakIntelThunderboltlaptoplight peakLightPeakMacmacbookmacbook proMacbookPropegasuspromis pegasuspromisePromise Pegasuspromise raidPromisePegasusPromiseRaidraidraid hddRaidHddthunderboltthunderbolt ioThunderboltIoTue, 28 Jun 2011 18:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony's new VAIO Z ultraportable laptop with Power Media Dock hands-on (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/sonys-new-vaio-z-ultraportable-laptop-with-power-media-dock-han/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/sonys-new-vaio-z-ultraportable-laptop-with-power-media-dock-han/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/sonys-new-vaio-z-ultraportable-laptop-with-power-media-dock-han/#comments
Now that we've seen Sony's new VAIO Z in its luscious press shots, it's time to face reality and lay our itchy hands on this 13-inch ultraportable laptop, along with its eccentric expansion dock that packs both a Blu-ray drive and an AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics chip (with 1GB of video RAM). Just as we were told by our little birdie, said dock is connected to the notebook via Light Peak -- a first for Sony -- but there's a catch: Sony's only implementing the architecture and not the connector, so for the time being, this sweet high speed connection is only compatible with the docking unit and nothing else.

Anyhow, here's a quick recap: what we have here is a 1.18kg feather-light machine packing an Intel Sandy Bridge i5 (also available with an i7), 256GB SSD and 1.3 megapixel webcam, plus a matte LCD display with resolution at 1600 x 900 or an optional 1920 x 1080. Oh yes, for an extra cost, you get some sweet full HD action at just 13 inches. This upgraded display performed well in the relatively dark confines of the press event, but how it fares under direct sunlight remains to be seen. Read on for more hands-on impression.

Gallery: Sony Vaio Z detailed hands-on


Gallery: Sony VAIO Z hands-on


Gallery: Sony VAIO Z components

Continue reading Sony's new VAIO Z ultraportable laptop with Power Media Dock hands-on (video)

Sony's new VAIO Z ultraportable laptop with Power Media Dock hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1080pAMD Radeon HD 6650MAmdRadeonHd6650mdocking stationDockingStationexternal graphics cardExternalGraphicsCardfeaturedfeaturesfull hdFullHdhands-onHD 6650MHd6650mIntel HD Graphics 3000IntelHdGraphics3000laptoplight peakLightPeakpower media dockPowerMediaDockRadeonsolid state disksolid state driveSolidStateDiskSolidStateDrivesonyssdusb 3.0Usb3.0vaiovaio zVaioZvideoTue, 28 Jun 2011 07:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony's ultraslim 13-inch VAIO Z laptop revealed in Europe, packs external GPU for power on demand]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/sony-ultra-slim-13-inch-vaio-z-laptop-revealed-in-europe-packs/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/sony-ultra-slim-13-inch-vaio-z-laptop-revealed-in-europe-packs/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/sony-ultra-slim-13-inch-vaio-z-laptop-revealed-in-europe-packs/#comments Turns out those leaked shots we saw of Sony's new VAIO Z laptop were right on the money as the company showed it off officially today for the European press. The specs reveal a 13.1-inch "ultramobile" notebook that comes in at under 1.2kg with a 2.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, 1600x900 screen and sheet battery borrowed from the earlier VAIO S for up to 7 hours of computing. Onboard it features only Intel's HD Graphics 3000 solution but the VAIO Z beats other ultralights with its Power Media Dock, which contributes the power of an AMD Radeon 6650M GPU with 1GB of dedicated memory connected via "the architecture codenamed Light Peak" -- Sony can't call it Thunderbolt -- when more polygons have to be pushed. The dock sports one USB 3.0 hookup plus additional USB, VGA and HDMI ports, and a slot for either a DVD or Blu-ray drive. There's no word on a price yet, but it is promised to ship by the end of July in Europe so if the full specs (included after the break) are appealing then you don't have much time to save up.

Update: Head over to the Sony UK site to configure one yourself -- pricing starts at £1,434 ($2,294) with a Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM and no PMD. The dock is a £400 ($640) option with no optical drive included, while upgrading to a 1080p 13.1-inch LCD is a mere £40 extra.

Gallery: Sony VAIO Z

Continue reading Sony's ultraslim 13-inch VAIO Z laptop revealed in Europe, packs external GPU for power on demand

Sony's ultraslim 13-inch VAIO Z laptop revealed in Europe, packs external GPU for power on demand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>6650Maamdbreaking newscore i7CoreI7ddockeuropeextrenal gpuExtrenalGpugpui7intellaptoplight peakLightPeakpciepower media dockPowerMediaDockradeonsonysony europeSonyEuropethinthunderboltultraportableulvvaiovaio zvaio z seriesVaioZVaioZSeriesviaoMon, 27 Jun 2011 23:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Why Apple is trademarking Thunderbolt and why Sony might be left out]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/21/why-apple-is-trademarking-thunderbolt-and-why-sony-might-be-left/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/21/why-apple-is-trademarking-thunderbolt-and-why-sony-might-be-left/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/21/why-apple-is-trademarking-thunderbolt-and-why-sony-might-be-left/#comments Apple Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt (formerly known as Light Peak) may have been developed by Intel, but it's Apple that's been snatching up all the trademark glory. The company first filed in November of 2010 in Jamaica, then followed up in February of this year by securing the rights to the name in Canada, before registering similar claims in Europe, China, and now the US. This raised some interesting questions about Intel's claim to be the exclusive trademark holder (see the more coverage link) and whether or not other companies would be able to use the Thunderbolt brand. Intrigued, we did a little digging and you'll find what we uncovered after the break.

Continue reading Why Apple is trademarking Thunderbolt and why Sony might be left out

Why Apple is trademarking Thunderbolt and why Sony might be left out originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applecanadachinaeuropeintelintellectual propertyIntellectualPropertyIPjamaicalightpeakmini DisplayPortMiniDisplayportmysteryPeripheralperipheralssonyThunderbolttrademarkunited statesUnitedStatesUSUSBSat, 21 May 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony's Thunderbolt implementation hiding in plain (web)site, uses USB connector not Mini DisplayPort?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/17/sonys-thunderbolt-implementation-hiding-in-plain-site-uses-usb/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/17/sonys-thunderbolt-implementation-hiding-in-plain-site-uses-usb/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/17/sonys-thunderbolt-implementation-hiding-in-plain-site-uses-usb/#comments Look closely at that picture. See that Type-A USB jack? The one with the blue stripe sandwiched between the round AC jack (with its green light) and VGA USB 2.0 and HDMI ports? Yeah, that's Sony's Thunderbolt implementation according to a trusted source. A bit of digging reveals that the "Ultimate Mobile PC" teased by Sony above is actually the same VAIO Hybrid PC leaked by Sony Insider back in March said to feature an external dock with one USB 3.0 jack, HDMI, Ethernet, AMD Whistler discrete graphics, and a Blu-ray Disc writer. Naturally, the dock attaches to the VAIO's Thunderbolt jack.

What we're trying to get our heads around, however, is Sony's choice for a USB connector instead of the Mini DisplayPort used by Apple's dual-channel 10Gbps Thunderbolt implementation. The decision to go USB was first brought to our attention by site Gula Digital. We've long known that Sony would be a Light Peak partner in some capacity. And the decision to go USB certainly echoes those first prototype interconnects demonstrated by Intel that combined a hybrid USB 3.0 connector with an optical interface and electrical connection to carry power. We also like the idea of being able to connect a USB 3.0 hard disk without first attaching an adapter. What troubles us, though, is a statement made by the USB Implementers Forum last summer expressing reservations with Intel's proposed interconnect:

"USB connectors are not general purpose connectors and are not designed to be used in support of other technology applications or standards or as combo connectors."

Perhaps Sony has worked out a licensing arrangement with the USB-IF? We don't know. But we're told that Sony's Thunderbolt implementation is definitely using a USB connector and definitely not using Mini DisplayPort. But we'll wait until this thing ships before complaining about Thunderbolt fragmentation too loudly.

Sony's Thunderbolt implementation hiding in plain (web)site, uses USB connector not Mini DisplayPort? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>light peakLightPeakmini displayportMiniDisplayportrumorSonythunderboltultimate mobile pcUltimateMobilePcusbusb 3.0USB Implementers Forumusb-ifUsb3.0UsbImplementersForumvaiovaio zVaioZTue, 17 May 2011 12:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/intel-thunderbolt-dev-kits-coming-this-quarter-hopefully-usheri/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/intel-thunderbolt-dev-kits-coming-this-quarter-hopefully-usheri/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/intel-thunderbolt-dev-kits-coming-this-quarter-hopefully-usheri/#comments Intel has just announced it will soon be making development kits available for its new Thunderbolt interconnect. The cable that can carry 10Gbps (in both directions!) has so far only seen itself installed in Apple's MacBook Pro computers, but storage and other peripheral manufacturers are starting to unveil their lightning-scorched offerings this week at NAB and this announcement is sure to give Thunderbolt an extra spur of momentum. What's going to be intriguing going forward is to see whether manufacturers take it up instead of USB 3.0 or install the DisplayPort lookalike alongside the latest and greatest from the USB camp. If you ask us, we can never have enough high-speed interconnects... how does SuperSpeed Thunderbolt sound?

Continue reading Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices

Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>connectivityconnectordev kitdeveloper kitDeveloperKitDevKitintelintel light peakintel thunderboltIntelLightPeakIntelThunderboltinterfacelight peakLightPeakplansroadmapschedulethunderboltvideoWed, 13 Apr 2011 04:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Canon 'excited' about Intel Thunderbolt I/O, makes no promise to support it]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/10/canon-excited-about-intel-thunderbolt-i-o-makes-no-promise-to/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/10/canon-excited-about-intel-thunderbolt-i-o-makes-no-promise-to/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/10/canon-excited-about-intel-thunderbolt-i-o-makes-no-promise-to/#comments Would you like a Canon professional video camera that blasts footage to an editing rig at up to ten gigabits per second? How about a consumer-grade camcorder that transfers files to your home computer at the same blazing speed? Such things might be in the pipeline at Canon, but we can't really say for sure. Today, the Japanese camera company came out in support of Intel's Thunderbolt I/O, saying how "it will bring new levels of performance and simplicity to the video creation market," but without so much as a formal press release -- nor, in fact, a pledge to work towards any of the ultra-speedy optical gear of which we've been dreaming. Oh well, there's always next week.

Canon 'excited' about Intel Thunderbolt I/O, makes no promise to support it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CanonIntelinterconnectIOLight PeakLightPeakThunderboltThunderbolt IOThunderboltIoThu, 10 Mar 2011 20:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Back from the Mac]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/27/switched-on-back-from-the-mac/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/27/switched-on-back-from-the-mac/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/27/switched-on-back-from-the-mac/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
Last week's Switched On discussed Nokia's quest to help Microsoft create a third mobile ecosystem alongside those of Apple and Google. That word - ecosystem - has clearly passed into the pantheon of buzzwords, leveraging many synergies from purpose-built paradigms. And yet, building and maintaining ecosystems is something few companies really understand. True technology ecosystems are more than just successful platforms or throwing many products together simply because they are owned by the same company. They are characterized by strategically implemented nurturing.

One concept that Apple seems to have adapted from natural ecosystems is the concept of the water cycle you probably learned about in grade school. Apple turns up the heat on the life-sustaining water of innovation that passes between the well-grounded Mac market and the soaring growth of the iOS market. Apple alluded to this cycle in its Back to the Mac event. After inheriting many technologies from Mac OS X, iOS began offering Mac OS X launch screens, full-screen apps, app resuming, and document autosaving. This week's announcements, though, show that the cycle may soon be heading again in the other direction as Apple showed off two Mac technologies that may well wind up strengthening the iOS ecosystem.

Continue reading Switched On: Back from the Mac

Switched On: Back from the Mac originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AirDropApplecolumndataecosystemecosystemsinterconnectiOSLight PeakLightPeakOS XOsXross rubinRossRubinswitched onSwitchedOnThunderboltThunderbolt IOThunderboltIoSun, 27 Feb 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel Thunderbolt: a closer look (updated with video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/intel-thunderbolt-a-closer-look/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/intel-thunderbolt-a-closer-look/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/intel-thunderbolt-a-closer-look/#comments So what's this Thunderbolt stuff, and why is it in your new MacBook Pro? Intel just broke it down for us, and now we'll do the same for you. Simply put, Thunderbolt's a familiar-looking port, a brand-new chip, and a cord, which allows devices to pipe two data streams simultaneously -- in both directions -- over a single cable at up to 10 gigabits per second to start, primarily using PCI Express x4 for data and DisplayPort for video. The Thunderbolt controller chip -- required for the system, but Intel says it's hardware-agnostic and doesn't require an Intel processor or chipset to use -- acts as a miniature router of sorts that rapidly switches between the two bidirectional channels of data.

Sounds great, but why would you want to buy into yet another copper cord? Intel defends that Thunderbolt will be backwards and forwards-compatible depending on the cable used. Representatives explained that the basic system can work with any other PCI Express 2.0-compatible I/O system with, say, a FireWire or eSATA adapter doing the dirty work --Intel wouldn't specifically comment on USB 3.0 -- and that the port you'll find in new MacBook Pros and storage devices can actually take an optical cable when those are cost-effective enough to roll out, because Intel will eventually bake the optical transceivers into the cables themselves. In the meanwhile, you can get up to three meters of range out of a basic cable, plus a fairly generous 10 watts of power over the bus, and since Thunderbolt devices are designed to be daisy-chained, you may be able to get another three meters for each device you add on that sports a pair of the ports.

Though Intel wasn't talking about likely prices for the chips or cables in even the most general terms, Promise and LaCie had prototype devices on hand headed to the market soon -- get a peek at them and a closer look at the cable in our gallery below, and we'll have video up in a little while too.

Update: Looks like LaCie's product now has a name and vague release date: it's the LaCie Little Big Disk, coming this summer, with a pair of solid state drives inside.

Update 2: Video after the break -- get a load of Thunderbolt streaming four 1080p clips from a MacBook Pro and attached Promise NAS simultaneously!

Gallery: Intel Thunderbolt, Promise Pegasus and LaCie Little Big Disk close-up shots

Continue reading Intel Thunderbolt: a closer look (updated with video)

Intel Thunderbolt: a closer look (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>copperDisplayPorthands-onIntelIntel ThunderboltIntelThunderboltIOLight PeakLightPeaknetworkingopticalPCI ExpressPciExpressThunderboltvideoThu, 24 Feb 2011 16:19:00 EST<![CDATA[MacBook Pro (early 2011) with Thunderbolt hands-on]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/macbook-pro-early-2011-with-thunderbolt-hands-on/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/macbook-pro-early-2011-with-thunderbolt-hands-on/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/macbook-pro-early-2011-with-thunderbolt-hands-on/#comments We just got our new 15-inch MacBook Pro review unit, and although it looks almost exactly the same as the previous MBP, it has that fancy new Thunderbolt icon on the side, which ought to make I/O nerd hearts flutter the world over. Unfortunately, there aren't any Thunderbolt peripherals on the market yet, so we can't really test the new connection yet, but we can report that backwards compatibility with Mini DisplayPort performs as advertised and that all of our display adapters worked without issue -- the first time we can ever remember Apple switching a standard and not requiring all new dongles.

As for performance, we were given the $2,199 configuration with a 2.2GHz quad-core Sandy Bridge Core i7, discrete AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 750GB HD, which clocked a preliminary GeekBench score of 9647. We'll have tons more testing in our full review, including detailed comparisons of the discrete chip with Intel's new integrated HD Graphics 3000.

Apple did give us a quick demo on the new system with a prototype Promise RAID unit and a stock Cinema Display connected over Thunderbolt -- remember, Thunderbolt just uses a Mini DisplayPort connector, so displays can be daisy-chained right in. Apple's demo was a variation of the same thing Intel's been doing for a while -- they played four uncompressed HD video streams off the RAID simultaneously, which pegged the Thunderbolt throughput meter at 600-700MBps. We also watched a 5GB file transfer in just a few seconds -- all very impressive, but we're definitely anxious to try some of this stuff ourselves once Thunderbolt devices start shipping sometime in the spring.

Apple also told us that Thunderbolt is running on copper and not optical cables (like the Light Peak protoypes) so that it can support bus-powered devices -- there's 10 watts of power available on the bus, up slightly from FireWire's 8 watts. Up to six devices can be daisy-chained from one port, and since Thunderbolt is based on PCI Express, it can even support FireWire and USB adapters. That's great news for the future of the interface, but the MacBook Pro still has two USB 2.0 and one FireWire 800 port, so it's not of critical importance right this second.

We'll have much, much more in our full review -- check back in a few days!

Update: We got a closer look at Thunderbolt working with some peripherals this afternoon -- believe us, you don't want to miss the video demo.

Gallery: MacBook Pro (early 2011) unboxing and hands-on

MacBook Pro (early 2011) with Thunderbolt hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>15-inch macbook pro15-inchMacbookProapplehands-onlight peakLightPeakmacbookmacbook promacbook pro early 2011MacbookProMacbookProEarly2011mbpthunderboltvideoThu, 24 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-refreshes-macbook-pro-family-with-sandy-bridge-processors/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-refreshes-macbook-pro-family-with-sandy-bridge-processors/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-refreshes-macbook-pro-family-with-sandy-bridge-processors/#comments Come on, you knew this was coming! Oh yes, Apple's pulling the curtain off its new MacBook Pro family, and compared to the last refresh cycle, there are a serious amount of updates. Just as we had heard, all three will be getting new Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6000M graphics (bye bye, NVIDIA!), FaceTime HD cameras, and some super fast Thunderbolt I/O transfer speeds. There are two new 13-inchers, two 15.4-inch versions, and one lone 17-inch model. How much will they cost you and what are the exact specs? You'll want to hit the jump for all of that and the official press release.

Gallery: Apple MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt

Continue reading Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras

Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdAMD RadeonAMD Radeon 6000MAMD Radeon HD 6000MAmdRadeonAmdRadeon6000mAmdRadeonHd6000mAppleapple macbook proAppleMacbookProbreaking newsIntel Sandy BridgeIntelSandyBridgelaptoplight peakLightPeakmacbookmacbook promacbook pro 13MacBook Pro 15MacBook Pro 17MacbookProMacbookPro13MacbookPro15MacbookPro17Sandy BridgeSandyBridgethunderboltThu, 24 Feb 2011 09:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple and Intel unveil Thunderbolt I/O technology]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-unveils-thunderbolt/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-unveils-thunderbolt/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-unveils-thunderbolt/#comments thunderboltSo it's perhaps not the most original moniker that Apple and Intel could have chosen, but it's here just the same. After years of waiting Apple has launched its implementation of Intel's Light Peak standard and it's called Thunderbolt. It's making its appearance on new MacBook Pro models and it's promising 10Gb/second transfer rates. That's dual-channel, too so you'll get 10Gb/sec both to and from your devices. Apple suggests this will be useful for external RAID arrays, Gigabit Ethernet adapters, and also mentions support for "FireWire and USB consumer devices" along with HDMI, DVI, and VGA over DisplayPort. Apple expects that Thunderbolt will be "widely adopted as a new standard for high performance I/O," but we think the USB 3.0 crew might have a thing or two to say about that. Full PR is embedded below.

Update: Intel has thrown up its page on the technology, and it looks like the Light Peak name is officially no more. Intel indicates this speed will be enough to transfer a full-length HD movie (roughly 10 - 20GB in size) in less than 30 seconds. Intel also reinforces that this is compatible with existing DisplayPort devices and it also uses the PCI Express protocol for enhanced compatibility. Daisy-chaining will be possible, along with bus-powered devices, and cables can be made using either optical or electrical construction.

Continue reading Apple and Intel unveil Thunderbolt I/O technology

Apple and Intel unveil Thunderbolt I/O technology originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Applebreaking newsfeaturefeaturedfeaturesintelintel light peakIntelLightPeaklight peakLightPeakmacbook proMacbookProthunderboltThu, 24 Feb 2011 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple's Light Peak implementation called Thunderbolt, coming in new MacBook Pros?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/apples-light-peak-implementation-called-thunderbolt-coming-in/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/apples-light-peak-implementation-called-thunderbolt-coming-in/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/apples-light-peak-implementation-called-thunderbolt-coming-in/#comments The rumor gears are really starting to churn with regard Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro refresh and now we have a purported leak of the upcoming spec sheet for the new 13-inch model. The highlight is a note (and image, above) seemingly confirming that Apple will implement Intel's Light Peak high-speed interconnect, renaming it the Thunderbolt. Yes, we know there's an HTC handset headed to Verizon with that very same name -- and we've checked the USPTO archives, Verizon's the only tech company with any trademark claim filed for "Thunderbolt" -- but Apple has done weirder things before. Also notable are the apparent inclusion of an SDXC card reader and the absence of a discrete GPU chip, indicating that perhaps the new Core i5 integrated graphics from Intel are finally good enough to convince Cupertino to rely on them full time. Jump past the break to see the full data sheet.

Update: We now have an image claiming to show the new Thunderbolt port, which happens to look exactly like the Mini DisplayPort but has a tidy little lightning logo next to it. That's extremely easy to Photoshop, as is the accompanying photo displaying a broader trackpad on the MBP, but we'll let you judge the validity of those images for yourself. Check them out after the break.

Update 2: One more image of the spec sheet, this time in English, provided by MacRumors along with the note that it's for the "low-end" 13-inch MacBook Pro. The doc states that the Thunderbolt port supports "high-speed I/O and Mini DisplayPort devices," which would explain why it looks the way it does.

[Thanks, Leon and Rodney]

Continue reading Apple's Light Peak implementation called Thunderbolt, coming in new MacBook Pros?

Apple's Light Peak implementation called Thunderbolt, coming in new MacBook Pros? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applelaptoplaptopsleaklight peakLightPeakmacbookmacbook proMacbookProrefreshrumorsdxcspecsspeculationthunderboltupdateupgradeWed, 23 Feb 2011 06:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel to show new technology on Thursday, Light Peak rumors swirl]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/22/intel-to-show-new-technology-on-thursday-light-peak-rumors-swir/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/22/intel-to-show-new-technology-on-thursday-light-peak-rumors-swir/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/22/intel-to-show-new-technology-on-thursday-light-peak-rumors-swir/#comments We know Light Peak is ready, at least in its 10Gbps copper form. We think that Apple will be the first to use it, possibly in a set of new MacBooks. Now, this Thursday, Intel has invited journalists to a San Francisco event, where it will "discuss a new technology that is about to appear on the market" and provide tech demos. There's no hard news here, but things appear to add up, and so the web's ablaze with rumors that Thursday's the day Intel will unveil the finished first generation of its interconnect technology to the world. Here's what happens now: We'll be in San Francisco this Thursday, reporting live from the event, to let you know for sure.

Intel to show new technology on Thursday, Light Peak rumors swirl originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>IntelLight PeakLightPeakrumorrumor millRumorMillrumorsTue, 22 Feb 2011 19:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/apple-announcing-new-high-speed-interconnect-light-peak-here-we/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/apple-announcing-new-high-speed-interconnect-light-peak-here-we/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/apple-announcing-new-high-speed-interconnect-light-peak-here-we/#commentsThere's not a scrap of evidence to back this rumor, but everything seems to line up: CNET reports that Apple will announce "a new high-speed connection technology" soon -- and Intel's Light Peak seems to be a shoo-in for the job. We've long known that Apple's been secretly backing the 10Gbps interconnect, but with a likely MacBook Pro refresh right around the corner and Light Peak allegedly due for a 1H 2011 launch, it seems the time for action could be right around now. It also doesn't hurt that this latest rumor comes from CNET, actually, as we're pretty sure the publication has an inside source. The very same reporter wrote that Light Peak would be downgraded to copper, a full month before Intel would admit anything of the sort.

Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10gbpsAppleIntelinterconnectLight PeakLightPeakrumorrumor millRumorMillrumorsSun, 20 Feb 2011 08:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel: Light Peak is ready for implementation, but it's built on copper]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/09/intel-light-peak-is-ready-for-implementation-but-its-built-on/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/09/intel-light-peak-is-ready-for-implementation-but-its-built-on/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/09/intel-light-peak-is-ready-for-implementation-but-its-built-on/#commentsIt's the classic good news / bad news dichotomy: Intel's highly anticipated Light Peak interconnect is totally ready for implementation into consumer devices, but its present iteration is based on communications over boring old copper wire instead of fiber optics. The company's David Perlmutter says transmissions over copper turned out "surprisingly better" than expected and that it'll prove plentiful for the majority of user needs today. Yeah, maybe, but we don't suffer bouts of gadget lust based on our needs, it's our wants that keep us up late at night dreaming of dual-core smartphones and tablet-optimized Androids. Then again, it's not like the 10Gbps optical option has been dismissed out of hand, it's just that we'll probably have to keep on waiting for it for a little (or a big) while longer.

Intel: Light Peak is ready for implementation, but it's built on copper originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>copperdavid perlmutterDavidPerlmutterintelintel light peakIntelLightPeakinterconnectlight peakLightPeakSun, 09 Jan 2011 14:14:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel Light Peak on track for release in first half of 2011?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/intel-light-peak-on-track-for-release-in-first-half-of-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/intel-light-peak-on-track-for-release-in-first-half-of-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/intel-light-peak-on-track-for-release-in-first-half-of-2011/#comments 10Gbps. In both directions. At the same time. That's been the tantalizing promise of Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect, and now we're hearing its penchant for speed is overflowing into the company's roadmap. CNET cites a source familiar with developments behind the scenes in reporting that Light Peak is expected to arrive in the early part of next year, slightly accelerating the already known plans for delivering the technology at some point in 2011. We've already been graced with a set of Light Peak-enabled prototypes, so you could've guessed things were gathering pace, but it's always good to get the odd bit of anonymous confirmation that things are moving along swiftly. And hey, when Light Peak hardware finally drops, we can just switch gears and start salivating over improvements that'll lift that 10Gbps ceiling even further.

Intel Light Peak on track for release in first half of 2011? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10gbpsbandwidthfutureintelintel light peakIntelLightPeakintercoonectlight peakLightPeakopticaloptical interconnectOpticalInterconnectplansroadmaprumorscheduleThu, 04 Nov 2010 05:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect shrinks slightly, LaCie, WD, Compal and Avid begin prototyping]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/intels-light-peak-optical-interconnect-shrinks-slightly-while/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/intels-light-peak-optical-interconnect-shrinks-slightly-while/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/intels-light-peak-optical-interconnect-shrinks-slightly-while/#comments Intel's Light Peak isn't setting any new speed records at IDF 2010 -- it's still rated at 10Gbps for now -- but the optical data transfer system is finally looking like it might appear in some actual products. As you can see immediately above, a Light Peak to HDMI converter has shrunk considerably since May, and a number of optically-infused sample products were on display at Intel's Light Peak booth. Compal's got a laptop with the optical interconnect built in, while Western Digital showed an external hard drive, from which the Compal could pull and edit multimedia in real-time using a Light Peak-enabled Avid rackmount. Meanwhile, LaCie showed off what appeared to be a 4big Quadra RAID array with two Light Peak ports catapulting high-definition video content at 770MB/s to a nearby Samsung TV, though we should warn you that the TV itself was a bit of a hack job, and not a collaboration with Samsung -- note the big, honking EVGA video card sticking out of the back. Though obviously a good bit of work went into these prototypes, Intel reps told us none would necessarily become a reality. Either way, don't expect to see Light Peak products until sometime next year.

Gallery: Intel's Light Peak prototype hardware

Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect shrinks slightly, LaCie, WD, Compal and Avid begin prototyping originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AVIDCompalexternal hard driveExternalHardDrivefiberfiber opticfiber optic cablefiber opticsFiberOpticFiberOpticCableFiberOpticsIDFIDF 2010Idf2010IntelinterconnectLaCielaptopLight PeakLightPeakopticaloptical interconnectOpticalInterconnectprototypeprototypesraidWDWestern DigitalWesternDigitalTue, 14 Sep 2010 07:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Freescale partners with Savannah school for some leg-stretching tablet concepts, makes a nice use case for Light Peak]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/freescale-partners-with-savannah-school-for-some-leg-stretching/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/freescale-partners-with-savannah-school-for-some-leg-stretching/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/freescale-partners-with-savannah-school-for-some-leg-stretching/#comments Normally when you've got industrial design students going wild on computer concepts, you get a lot of wild, unrealistic computer concepts. There's plenty of that here, but this 10 week collaboration between Freescale, some of its top partners, and Savannah College of Art and Design students is yielding a bit of fruit. We particularly like this docking tablet that can slot into different docks depending on use case -- the two primary ones shown being a home entertainment setup and a pro audio breakout. Sure, it's still not the most realistic way to use a tablet -- we'd much rather have solid support for 3rd party USB devices in the near term -- but with a bit of Light Peak and some as-ye-unseen pricing, this could make for some pretty slick use cases.

Freescale partners with Savannah school for some leg-stretching tablet concepts, makes a nice use case for Light Peak originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 01:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakoutconceptdockdocking stationDockingStationfreescalelight peakLightPeakpro audioProAudiosavannah college of art and designSavannahCollegeOfArtAndDesignsmartbooktablettabletsThu, 27 May 2010 01:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel demonstrates Light Peak on a laptop, says 10Gbps speeds are only the beginning]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/04/intel-demonstrates-light-peak-on-a-laptop-says-10gbps-speeds-ar/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/04/intel-demonstrates-light-peak-on-a-laptop-says-10gbps-speeds-ar/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/04/intel-demonstrates-light-peak-on-a-laptop-says-10gbps-speeds-ar/#comments
Folks in Brussels for Intel's European research showcase got to get their hands on the company's Light Peak this week, with the first demonstration of the optical cable technology running on a laptop. Outfitted with a 12mm square chip that converts the optical signal into data the machine can read, two separate HD video streams were piped to a nearby TV, which displayed them with the help of a converter box -- a necessary evil until the Light Peak chips are developed for the display side of things. According to Justin Rattner, Intel's CTO, the current 10Gb / second speeds are just the beginning. "We expect to increase that speed dramatically. You'll see multiple displays being served by a single Light Peak connection. There's almost no limit to the bandwidth -- fibers can carry trillions of bits per second."

Intel demonstrates Light Peak on a laptop, says 10Gbps speeds are only the beginning originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 May 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10gbpscablefiber opticfiber optic cableFiberOpticFiberOpticCableIntelintel light peakIntelLightPeakinterconnectjustin RattnerJustinRattnerLight PeakLightPeakopticaloptical cableoptical interconnectOpticalCableOpticalInterconnectTue, 04 May 2010 14:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel says Light Peak coming next year, can and will coexist with USB 3.0]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/15/intel-says-light-peak-coming-next-year-can-and-will-coexist-wit/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/15/intel-says-light-peak-coming-next-year-can-and-will-coexist-wit/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/15/intel-says-light-peak-coming-next-year-can-and-will-coexist-wit/#comments How do you sell a generation of hardware manufacturers on yet another standard? If you're Intel, you tell them that it'll transfer files at 10Gbps and is compatible with every major protocol that came before... and if that doesn't work, you simply fail to give your competitor hardware support. But PC World reports that while Intel is still dragging its feet regarding USB 3.0, it's planning to have Light Peak fiber optic devices in the market next year. Intel insists Light Peak isn't meant to replace USB, in so much as it can use the same ports and protocols (photographic evidence above), but at the same time it's not shying away from the possibility of obliterating its copper competition with beams of light. "In some sense we'd... like to build the last cable you'll ever need," said Intel's Kevin Kahn. Now, we're not going to rag on Light Peak, because we honestly love the idea of consolidated fiber optic connectivity. We just want to know now whether we should bother locking ourselves into a USB 3.0 ecosystem if better things are just around the corner.

Intel says Light Peak coming next year, can and will coexist with USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10gbpscablefiber opticfiber optic cableFiberOpticFiberOpticCableIntelintel light peakIntelLightPeakinterconnectLight PeakLightPeakopticaloptical cableoptical interconnectOpticalCableOpticalInterconnectUSBUSB 3.0Usb3.0Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:52:00 EST<![CDATA[Light Peak supplier says mass production to start early 2010]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/08/light-peak-supplier-says-mass-production-to-start-early-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/08/light-peak-supplier-says-mass-production-to-start-early-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/08/light-peak-supplier-says-mass-production-to-start-early-2010/#comments
The more we hear about Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect, the more it seems like Intel was playing it way too cool at IDF -- Foci Fiber Optic Communication, which supplied the gear used during that Hackintosh demo, told CNET today that pilot manufacturing runs of Light Peak equipment are scheduled for November, with mass production to start in early 2010. That's right on track with what we've seen and been told about Apple and Intel's plans for the tech, which forecast a line of back-to-school Macs featuring Light Peak in the fall of 2010. And, well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, but Intel was pretty high on Light Peak for devices that needed maximum connectivity in the smallest amount of space, like an iPhone -- or, say, a tablet. Quite a nice little package of rumors, don't you think? Okay, we'll calm down now.

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Light Peak supplier says mass production to start early 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleFoci Fiber Optic CommunicationFociFiberOpticCommunicationintellight peakLightPeakopticalrumorrumorsThu, 08 Oct 2009 13:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Engadget Podcast 164 - 09.27.2009]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/27/engadget-podcast-164-09-27-2009/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/27/engadget-podcast-164-09-27-2009/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/27/engadget-podcast-164-09-27-2009/#comments
It's been a crazy week in news, and after a couple cross-country flights the podcast crew is together and ready to break it all down. Join Josh, Paul and Nilay as they take on Microsoft's Courier tablet concept and rumored Pink smartphones, dish on the HTC Leo and Windows Mobile, debate the finer points of net neutrality, and talk over the highlights from the Intel Developer Forum and the Tokyo Game Show. Yeah, there's a ton here -- grab a snack and tune in!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Today

Hear the podcast

00:02:34 - Microsoft's dual-screen Courier booklet emerges, isn't near production
00:06:18 - Codex and InkSeine -- the roots of Microsoft's Courier?
00:33:30 - Microsoft's Pink phones revealed?
00:43:00 - HTC Leo looking confirmed for O2 UK debut, will be free on the right plan
00:46:20 - Steve Ballmer talks 'three screens and a cloud' and more with TechCrunch
00:50:00 - Ballmer: Windows Mobile 7 should have been out, like, yesterday
00:55:58 - FCC chairman formally proposes net neutrality rules
00:58:45 - AT&T, Verizon poised to fight FCC's net neutrality stance on the wireless front
01:10:00 - AT&T's 3G MicroCell tested and reviewed by Charlottean: yes, it works
01:13:56 - Intel announces Moblin 2.1 for phones
01:18:07 - Dell announces Moblin Mini 10v at IDF (updated with pricing)
01:17:25 - Video: Moblin 2.1 for MIDs and phones, sort of in action
01:21:15 - USB 3.0 has a SuperSpeed coming-out party at IDF
01:22:44 - Video: Intel's Light Peak running an HD display while transferring files... on a hackintosh
01:28:40 - 13 PS3 motion control games confirmed for next year, motion-enhanced Biohazard 5 coming Spring 2010
01:30:03 - Nintendo finally confirms new $199 Wii price


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Contact the podcast

1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.

Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

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Engadget Podcast 164 - 09.27.2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attcodexcourierengadget podcastEngadgetPodcastfcfeaturedfeatureshtchtc leoHtcLeoidfidf 2009Idf2009inkseineleolight peakLightPeakmicrosoftmoblinnet neutralityNetNeutralitypodcastpodcaststgstgs 2009Tgs2009verizonSun, 27 Sep 2009 18:04:00 ESTEngadget Podcast 164Josh Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller01:34:27podcasts<![CDATA[Exclusive: Apple dictated Light Peak creation to Intel, could begin migration from other standards as early as 2010]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/exclusive-apple-dictated-light-peak-creation-to-intel-could-be/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/exclusive-apple-dictated-light-peak-creation-to-intel-could-be/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/exclusive-apple-dictated-light-peak-creation-to-intel-could-be/#comments Remember how Intel showed off its new, advanced optical standard -- Light Peak -- this past week on a Hackintosh? Well it turns out there's more to that story than you probably know, and it all leads back to some revealing facts about the connection... literally and figuratively. Engadget has learned -- thanks to an extremely reliable source -- that not only is Apple complicit in the development of Light Peak, but the company actually brought the concept to Intel and asked them to create it. More to the point, the new standard will play a hugely important role in upcoming products from Cupertino.

Continue reading Exclusive: Apple dictated Light Peak creation to Intel, could begin migration from other standards as early as 2010

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Exclusive: Apple dictated Light Peak creation to Intel, could begin migration from other standards as early as 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleconnectionsconnectivityconnectorsdisplayportexclusivefeaturefeaturesfirewireintellight peakLightPeakusbusb 2.0usb 3.0Usb2.0Usb3.0Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Intel's Light Peak running an HD display while transferring files... on a hackintosh]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/video-intels-light-peak-running-an-hd-display-while-transferri/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/video-intels-light-peak-running-an-hd-display-while-transferri/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/video-intels-light-peak-running-an-hd-display-while-transferri/#comments Intel just did a pretty impressive demo of its new Light Peak optical device interconnect, driving a greater-than-HD display while saturating an SSD RAID all over one cable, but we couldn't help but notice the monster Frankenstein test rig on stage was running OS X -- looks like someone's violating their EULA! Video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Intel's Light Peak running an HD display while transferring files... on a hackintosh

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Video: Intel's Light Peak running an HD display while transferring files... on a hackintosh originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsdemoengadget videoEngadgetVideofeaturedfeaturedvideofeatureshackintoshidfidf 2009Idf2009intellight peakLightPeakos xOsXosx86videoThu, 24 Sep 2009 14:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel unveils Light Peak 10Gbps optical interconnect for mobile devices]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/23/intel-unveils-light-peak-10gbps-optical-interconnect-for-mobile/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/23/intel-unveils-light-peak-10gbps-optical-interconnect-for-mobile/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/23/intel-unveils-light-peak-10gbps-optical-interconnect-for-mobile/#comments
USB 3.0 might be one of the big stories here at IDF, but Intel just showed off a glimpse of the future: Light Peak, an optical interconnect for mobile devices that can run as fast as 10Gbps. That's fast enough to do everything from storage to displays to networking, and it can maintain those speeds over 100-meter runs, which is pretty astounding. Intel says the idea is to drastically reduce the number of connectors on mobile devices, which should allow them to get even smaller -- but the demo was on a huge Frankenrig, so don't expect to see Light Peak devices shipping any time soon.

Update: We just snapped a quick pic of the connector -- it's a connector, that's for sure. Check it after the break.

Continue reading Intel unveils Light Peak 10Gbps optical interconnect for mobile devices

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Intel unveils Light Peak 10Gbps optical interconnect for mobile devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsidfidf 2009Idf2009intelinterconnectlight peakLightPeakopticalWed, 23 Sep 2009 13:01:00 EST