Idf2011
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Intel demos Haswell-enabled, solar-powered computing at IDF 2011
During the IDF keynote today in San Francisco, Intel demoed a solar-powered PC running Windows based on its long-teased Haswell microarchitecture -- complete with labcoats and LOLcats. As a refresher, Haswell is based on the same 22nm technology as Ivy Bridge, reduces power by 20x compared to current designs, and will help Ultrabooks achieve ten days of connected standby by 2013. Intel's CEO Paul Otellini mentioned that Haswell will further accelerate Ultrabook innovation with the help of the company's revolutionary 3D tri-gate transistors. Check out the solar-powered future in our gallery below. %Gallery-133491% Dante Cesa contributed to this report.
Intel hypes Ivy Bridge, leaves poor old Sandy in its wake
Intel reps just can't resist whispering about their 2012 Core i-series. AnandTech is reporting a claimed 60 percent boost in 3DMark Vantage scores from the next-gen integrated graphics compared to Sandy Bridge, which could well put an end to Intel's frame-rate humiliation at the hands of AMD's A-series APUs. The bragging also extended to Quick Sync, which is "privately" said to deliver video encoding at twice the current speed. However, these claims only relate to the top tier of the Ivy Bridge range and they skirt around the key battlegrounds of raw CPU power and pricing -- which is precisely where we suspect AMD's FX series will bring the ruckus.
Medfield-based Android phone shown at IDF 2011, future Android builds to be 'optimized' for Atom
Google's Andy Rubin just came up on stage here at the IDF keynote, joining Intel CEO Paul Otellini who was holding a bona fide Medfield-powered smartphone running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)! Hard to be sure, but the device looks eerily like the Aava Mobile handset we've seen before. The cameo was part of a much larger initiative, which will see Intel working concurrently with Google in order to optimize future processors for use with Android. We were actually tipped off on this a few days back, but at the time, it was difficult to tell how much of a consumer impact it'd have. Given Andy's showing, though, it's looking better and better in that regard. The most impressive tidbit, however, is the promise that all future Android builds will be "optimized" for Intel's low-power Atom clan. We've compiled a gallery for you below, and hopefully we'll have a hands-on later today. %Gallery-133483% Dante Cesa contributed to this report.
We're live at Intel Developer Forum 2011!
Not ready for a bevy of chip related news from Chipzilla? Tough noogies, because we're here, live at IDF 2011 in sunny / cloudy San Francisco! Go on and prepare yourself for a healthy helping of Ultrabooks, chipsets, fireballs and of course, music by Katy Perry. Or Smash Mouth. The jury's still out on all but the last two, but you know where to stay locked to find out.
Intel shows disaster management tech at IDF, casts fireballs
Intel put some disaster management tech on display during a pre-IDF event yesterday and lucky for you, we got some hands-on time. The showcase focused on three main areas of disaster management: mitigation, preparedness and response. It included technologies such as connectivity provisions for disabled networks, energy management for distressed power grids, and -- by far to most impressive item on display -- fireballs! These spherical, rugged, low-cost, autonomous sensors are designed to be thrown into a fire and report data such as temperature, free-volatiles and air quality to first responder trucks via WiFi. Vital information such as the hottest spot and the chemical composition of a fire can be sent to both the firefighters' smartphones and the backend offices. Initial readings make it easier to assess the situation before sending in human life. Check out the fireballs and more of this disaster management tech in our gallery below. %Gallery-133298% Dante Cesa contributed to this report.
Single-chip DIMM stacks integrated circuits like shingles for greater DRAM efficiency
Cellphone screens may be getting bigger, but the push to shrink all other computing components continues unabated. Invensas is well aware of this, and has come up with new, multi-die memory that promises to be both smaller in size and more capacious than existing DRAM. Called xFD, it mounts integrated circuits in a "shingle-like configuration" on top of one another to accomplish the trick. Such stacking increases speed while reducing power consumption due to much shorter connections between RAM dies than what's found in multi-chip DIMM. Of course, the memory won't be popping up in PCs anytime soon, but the company will be showing off its new tech at IDF next week. While you wait, there's more RAM reading in the PR after the break.
