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AMD's Project Discovery tablet is for work and play... but mostly play
Part of the goal with the energy-sipping Mullins APU and the DockPort connector is to create small devices that have the power and versatility to perform a myriad of tasks. The Project Discovery tablet is an experimental reference device designed to work all day and play all night (it's the Vegas way, after all). The whole concept of DockPort, is that it's can expand to a host of connections. So slot it into a productivity dock, and you can power Excel across two screens while using a traditional keyboard and mouse. But, when you head home to unwind, you can slap it into a gaming cradle like the one you see above and play some FIFA 14 or Dirt 3. It's not all that dissimilar to the Razer Edge... in concept at least. As with most of the really interesting things at CES this is not a shipping product, nor do we expect it to be. Instead it's a concept that AMD is using to promote its vision of the future. Now it just needs an OEM or two (or twelve) to take up the torch and start getting these things out the door. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
AMD's impossibly thin nano PC prototype sits on your TV, but don't call it a set-top box
Let's take a moment to forget the technical nonsense. Seriously. Besides, we only really know the broad strokes about Mullins, AMD's next-gen ultra-low voltage APU. Instead, let's just gaze upon the tiny wonder that is the Nano PC for a bit and soak it all in. This reference design from the Sunnyvale company packs enough power to run Windows 8.1 pretty seamlessly and even get in a quick game of FIFA 14 at 1080p. Inside, in addition to a Mullins chip, is a 256GB SSD, a camera, Bluetooth, WiFI and a DockPort connector. And, it's really not much larger or thicker than a Note 3 -- it's pretty much a marvel of engineering. It's the last of those specs that's pretty important, since it allows you to connect to a tiny breakout box with HDMI and USB ports. Obviously you'll need one of those to connect it to a TV, which the Nano PC is designed to sit atop. Here's hoping that a company or two picks up on the design and starts making absurdly thin machines of their own. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
TI intros single-chip DockPort technology destined for laptops and tablets
The DockPort standard is only just getting off the ground with support in AMD's Elite Performance processors. TI could soon make the technology fly, however: its new (if awkwardly named) HD3SS2521 controller handles all the tasks of DockPort on a single chip. The hardware is both simpler and cheaper than past multi-chip designs, and makes it easier for laptops and tablets to deliver DisplayPort video, USB 3.0 and power through a single cable. Whether or not we see more DockPort-equipped mobile gadgets is another matter. While the TI chip is available today, device builders still have to choose DockPort over a more established standard like Intel's Thunderbolt.
AMD outlines Elite Performance laptop APUs with game-ready Wireless Display
AMD isn't focusing all its attention on its entry-level mobile APUs today: it's also providing details for the faster Richland-based models. The new A6, A8, and A10 mobile variants fall under the Elite Performance badge, and theoretically beat Intel to the punch with up to 71 percent faster 3D graphics than the current Core i5 family. They also muster about 7.5 hours of battery life with web use, or about an hour longer than we saw in the previous generation. The roster includes both regular power (35W) and low-voltage (17W to 25W) APUs, in dual- and quad-core editions. We're more interested in how well the chips play with other devices and software, however. Besides the face and motion gesture recognition that we've seen before, AMD touts a new take on Wireless Display with low enough latency for game sessions, support for 1080p60 video and native Miracast sharing. The Richland upgrade also introduces a new DockPort standard that can feed both USB 3.0 and up to three external DisplayPort screens through one cable. If you like what AMD is pitching, you won't have to wait to try it -- Elite Performance APUs have already been shipping with MSI's GX60 and GX70, and other vendors shouldn't be far behind. %Gallery-189172%
