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AMD roadmap shocker reveals new Turion, Athlon, Sempron mobile CPUs
It looks like those worried that AMD didn't have any new processors in the pipeline can rest easy, as an apparently official roadmap turned up by ComputerBase recently revealed that the company is, in fact, doing its job and churning out CPUs at a steady pace. This latest batch consists of four Griffin-based chips, which are spread across the company's Turion 64 Ultra, Turion 64, Athlon 64, and Sempron mobile processor lines. On the Turion front, the processors are each said to boast DDR2 800MHz memory, along with clock speeds ranging from 2.0GHz to 2.4GHz, and power consumption between 32 and 35 Watts. The lone Athlon 64 chip, on the other hand, clocks in at 1.9GHz, with 1MB of L2 cache, DDR2 667MHz support, and a power consumption of 31W, while the Sempron rounds things out with a power consumption of 25W, 512KB of L2 cache, and a clock speed "starting from" 2.0GHz. No word on prices for the processors themselves just yet, but as Laptoping points out, AMD has announced that Puma / Griffin-powered laptops would begin shipping sometime in the second quarter of this year.[Via Laptoping]
AMD gets official with Puma mobile platform
If you were already curious as to where AMD would be using its newly announced 780 Series motherboard GPU, lookie here. During a CeBIT press event held today in Germany, AMD solidified details of its looming Puma mobile platform, which will be based on the outfit's Griffin CPU and RS780M chipset. In order for laptops to sport the Puma branding, it must house a Griffin CPU (officially named Turion Ultra), RS780M chipset and a WiFi adapter. According to AMD, Puma-fied lappies will begin shipping at the close of Q2 2008 and will range from $699 to $2,500 (at least initially), but we've no idea which manufacturers will be on board.
Griffin uncorks PowerDock and 2008 iPod accessory lineup
Has it really come to this? Are consumers' homes so overrun with iPods that Griffin's $70 PowerDock is now a necessity? Seems so. Four iPods can charge simultaneously in a dosado of swirling volts and amperes... eureka! Griffin's newly announced 2008 lineup also includes updated iTrips, RoadTrip, PowerJolt and PowerBlock (or PowerDuo for combining that AC/Car charging), and more. But Griffin, a $30 iPhone case made of cork... seriously?[Via Mobile Tech Review]
Griffin's Evolve wireless system mutates add-ons
Griffin's oh so sexy wireless Evolve iPod speaker dock now has a little buddy. Two actually: the $100 Cube Speaker and $30 Charging Base add-ons. The speakers operate at 433MHz and feature an internal lithium-ion battery for 10-hours (at "normal" listening value) between charges. And you can add as many speakers as you can afford. Our own hands-on from CES allowed us to walk about 100-feet from the base station before interference set in. Not bad considering the density of RF noise the speakers had to compete with on the busy show floor. Combined with the charger, the complete system could make for a quick, dirty, and expensive (the Evolve costs $299) wireless setup in your tiny dorm or garden apartment.[Via iLounge]
Microsoft talks third-party Zune accessories
You can't run around launching fancy new music players these days without a secondary offensive of cases and car chargers following close behind, and Microsoft's new Zunes have a veritable cavalry behind them. In addition to the official accessories we've already heard about from J Allard and crew, the company's lined up a number of third-party manufacturers to crank out 60 different Zune-friendly products, including Polk, Belkin, DLO, Monster, Altec Lansing, Targus, iHome, Memorex and Griffin. Microsoft's new pals will be releasing everything from speaker docks to RCA cables, so it looks like you'll be able to build a happy little home for that new Zune of yours when it launches next month.
Griffin's Evolve wireless iPod speakers start shipping
We first saw Griffin's Evolve wireless iPod speakers way back in January at CES, and it looks like they're finally shipping. The detachable speakers each contain a battery with enough juice to last 10 hours, and the Evolve base can charge both the speaker cubes and a docked iPod. Apparently Best Buy is getting the exclusive here -- the system costs $299 at ol' Blue, but those of you morally opposed to bricks and mortar can cough up an extra $50 and buy direct from Griffin for $350.[Via Macworld]
Griffin wastes no time with new line of iPod accessories
We can't say we're surprised, but Griffin sure isn't messing around with this iPod accessory business. The company just announced a whole slew of cases for protecting your new iPod touch, classic or nano from the elements and your greasy fingerprints. Of course, no real surprises in the lineup, but we have to admit that "Reflect" case pictured above is a bit of a looker. Griffin should be shipping its new line, which ranges in price from $20 to $35, this October.[Via IGN]
Peripheral vision
While we are still waiting for the iPhone's killer accessories to show up, this week sees a few items worth mentioning drop on our desks. We look at a stylish Bluetooth headset, a couple cases, and a couple cabling / connectivity adapters to round it all out. Belkin, Griffin or some clone outfit really has to kick an FM transmitter out into retail land -- unless you've see one working, and if so, please let us know! -- for our favorite iPhone, but until then, enjoy this week's goodies right after the break.
Deal of the Day: 50% off Griffin accessories
Griffin is no stranger to the PSP peripheral market. Their iTrip, RoadDock, iFM and SmartShare are specifically designed with the PSP in mind. For a limited time only, this manufacturer is offering 50% off all their PSP accessories. Our pick? The iFM for $15 (pictured, above): it combines the radio and remote functionality into one, sleek looking device.[Thanks, Alex S!]
AMD's "Griffin" and "Puma" mobile platform unveiled
AMD just let loose a few details on their upcoming "Griffin" and "Puma" mobile platform technologies due out in 2008. The Griffin codename denotes 65nm processors bent on increasing performance and battery life of our beloved laptops and mobile devices. These third generation Turion 64 X2 dual-core 64-bit processors also bring support for DDR2-800 memory. Puma then, is the name given to the overall platform built initially around an RS780 chipset featuring a DX-10 class graphics core, Blu-ray and HD DVD acceleration support, and output options for DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. According to AMD, the combination of Griffin with the RS780 chipset will provide "significantly better" performance-per-watt-per-dollar than their existing platform. Be sure to click through to Hot Hardware for the detailed techno-gore. [Thanks, Dave A.]
Griffin releases the AirDock
While Griffin's new $70 AirDock might sound like it's a contender to the wirelessly syncing WiDock's throne, don't let its name fool you. It doesn't sport 802.11x for syncing with a Mac or PC, but it does include an RF remote for controlling the AirDock, even through walls (Infrared, like in the Apple Remote, needs a direct line of sight). It also has an A/V out port for running your iPod media out to an entertainment center, but it doesn't have any kind of on-screen menu navigation like the more powerful $129 TuneCenter accessory. The other decent advantage for its price, however, is the inclusion of Griffin's PowerBlock, their compact $30 AC-to-USB charger that should be able to sync nearly any iPod with a Dock connector, as well as the 1G iPod shuffle due to its USB interface. The AirDock is shipping now, and more details are available at Griffin's site.
Griffin Technology's Dock Adapter for your 2G iPod Shuffle
Whether or not those first-generation Shuffle docks were fruitless or not isn't exactly up for debate, but at least Griffin Technology's 2G Dock Adapter serves some purpose beyond that of a grossly overpriced extension apparatus. The long-winded Dock Adapter for iPod Shuffle is compatible with all 2G Shuffles, and as predicted, connects your diminutive DAP to any other dock-connecting device. The thin unit allows 2G Shuffles to take part in the iPod speaker system mayhem, and additionally, it touts a flip switch to take it from charging mode to playback mode. Unfortunately, there's no word just yet on a price or future release date, but rest assured it'll be entirely more expensive than it should be whenever it lands.[Via OhGizmo]
Griffin's new iPod speakers Evolve -- beyond wireless
You didn't think the Mac-daddy of iPod accessories was going to go through CES, letting other companies show off wireless speakers for the famed MP3 player without throwing down its own now did you? The Evolve is a $350 system that comprises of a dock, RF remote, and two rechargeable, wireless speakers. The system streams "CD quality sound" over an unspecified wireless protocol as far as 150-feet. Finally, the dock doubles as a charger for the iPod as well as the speakers. There is however, no date specified yet for release.[Via iLounge]
Griffin intros Amplifi and Journi speaker docks
Griffin just announced a couple of new iPod speaker systems ahead of next week's Macworld. The Amplifi (pictured above) is a 2.1 channel speaker dock with an "all wood, acoustically tuned enclosure", the other is the Journi (pictured below), a portable speaker system with up to ten hours of playtime.
Flickr Find: Griffin Elevator
It's a desktop stand for laptop computers. Retailing at $40, it's just now hitting the shelves.
AMD's revamped roadmap unveils APUs, Hawks, and Griffins
While we've had plenty of time to digest Intel's path forward, we've been critiquing AMD's latest efforts rather than gazing down their intriguing roadmap. Nevertheless, a (presumably yawn-inducing) four-hour presentation yielded a few noteworthy tidbits about where AMD's headed, and how it plans to arrive. The firm insinuated that Intel's gazillion-core approach was simply rehashing the megahertz race, and said it would be focusing it efforts instead on Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). Although the composition is still a bit vague, the devices will supposedly be "multi-core chips that include any mix of processor cores and other dedicated processors," such as discrete units for graphics, physics, audio, video, encoding, etc. While a dash of this has already been divulged when we heard about Fusion, it looks likes AMD's getting pretty serious about it now. Additionally, the desktop roadmap didn't deviate from what we'd previously seen, but the firm plans to unveil a new power-conscience "Hawk" processor to replace the current Turion 64 X2 and Mobile Sempron chips. Moreover, it's working on offering up a hybrid graphics solution, which would see discrete GPUs disabled when unplugged from a power source, letting the integrated graphics set take over and conserve juice. Finally, the company plans to introduce yet another mobile chip (dubbed Griffin) in late 2007 that will reportedly support split power planes and HyperTransport 3.0, hopefully meaning that it'll be based on a quad-core architecture. While we don't exactly recommend sitting through the entire webcast, those who eat, sleep, and drink circuitry can hit the read link for the full (and we do mean full) skinny.[Via TechReport, thanks Keaton]
Griffin iTalk Pro
The iTalk Pro, the latest iPod accessory from Griffin Technology, is now shipping. $49.99 gets you this Dock connector device that captures 16-bit stereo at 44.1 kH or 8-bit mono at 22kHz audio using two built in mics. You can also connect your own external mic using the 3.5mm jack on the bottom of the unit.The iTalk Pro is shipping now, and works with 5g video iPods and 2g Nanos.
Griffin Elevator
We blogged about a possible update to Griffin's iCurve in October, but now it looks official. The Elevator seems to be the iCurve's less curvy replacement. It does the same thing, that is lift up your laptop and make it even with an external display, but it does it with a new style.The Elevator costs $39.99 and it appears to be available now.Thanks, David.
iLounge takes a look at Griffin's iKaraoke
iLounge has gotten their hands on one of the more interesting forthcoming products from our friends at Griffin, the iKaraoke. Check out the iLounge article for a look at the UI on the iPod, and pictures of the product itself which looks very much like the rendered graphics accompanying this post.The only problem I see with the iKaraoke is that I can never remember the lyrics to songs, and my music's metadata doesn't include lyrics. What's a singin' fool like me to do?
Griffin iCurve 2 on its way?
I know the iCurve isn't exactly at the top of the rumor mongering lists, but reader GillyGill noticed that Amazon has - again - leaked details on yet another unreleased product: Griffin Technology's iCurve 2 (either someone is really screwing up over there, or Amazon has launched a new We Leak™ marketing service). Since customer affinity for these stands can sometimes match (at least by ratio) Mac users' love for their machines, I figured this slip was worth a post, especially since Griffin's site mentions nothing other than the original version is out of stock.Amazon says the iCurve 2 should be available October 1st, but *something* is telling me that didn't quite happen; maybe it's just the lack of any kind of 'buy now' button and that it's already the 6th. I guess iCurve lovers will have to wait for everyone to get on the same page.
