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Intel: Haswell will boost laptop battery life by 50 percent
When Intel launched Haswell, it promised a generational leap in battery life, and now the chip giant's talking numbers to back that up. Architecture Group VP Rani Borkar said that laptops packing the chipset should get 50 percent more battery life than current Ivy Bridge models and go up to 20 times longer in standby or idle mode -- without any cost to performance. She said that lower power requirements will be one factor in the drop in consumption, but an all-new architecture including a power management chip will also help reduce the energy draw. We'll have to see whether that encouraging piece of news will help the moribund PC notebook market pick up lost ground to tablets, or whether companies will just keep blurring the line.
The Daily Roundup for 05.23.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Amazon's MacBook Air stock dwindles
Last week TUAW reported on the diminishing numbers of MacBook Airs available from third-party retailers like Best Buy. Now the source of that information, AppleInsider, is reporting that Amazon is completely sold out of the 11.6-inch low-end MacBook Air (1.7 GHz Intel Core i5, 64 GB storage) with other models showing that they're "n/a". AppleInsider points out that Amazon's listing for the entry-level 11.6-inch model is "consistent with a discontinued item on Amazon, with no indication that stock will be replenished. In contrast, the online retailer typically portrays a simple stockout with availability advertised for 'one to two months.'" Stock of many MacBook Air configurations is limited at other retailers, including Best Buy, MacMall, J&R and MacConnection. Apple Stores and the online store still show availability of both the 11.6-inch and 13-inch models. Speculation is rife that new MacBook Air models might be announced during the WWDC 2013 keynote on June 10, possibly using Intel's new Haswell processors for increased performance and battery life.
First Haswell gaming laptop revealed: MSI GT70 Dragon Edition 2 with GTX780M graphics
With Computex just around the corner, MSI has taken the wraps off what can truly be described as a next-gen gaming laptop. According to CNET, the 17.3-inch GT70 Dragon Edition 2 will pack a yet-to-be-announced Haswell chip alongside an equally mysterious NVIDIA GTX780M that is claimed to deliver a 3DMark Vantage score of 36,000 -- in other words, roughly equivalent to the benchmark stat you'd get from a desktop rig containing an Ivy Bridge Core-i5 and a full-size GTX670, if the boast happens to be true. A SteelSeries-branded keyboard is in attendance, alongside multiple SSDs in Raid 0 config and three video outputs, all contained within a package as thin as 21.8mm-thick and as light as 2.9kg (6.4 pounds) (Correction: this size and weight applies to the Stealth variant, which has a GTX765M GPU instead of the GTX780M.) Lesser variations will bring the weight down to 2kg (4.4 pounds) by reducing screen size to 14 inches and switching to a less frenetic GTX760M. Expect pricing and availability details once the big Taiwanese expo gets underway.
NEC announces LaVie L laptop, touts Haswell internals
The only phrase that's guaranteed to put a smile on a laptop lover's face is "fourth-generation Intel core," which is why we're beaming at NEC's LaVie L. The company has announced details of its first Haswell-powered laptop well ahead of Intel's June press event -- a tease for those with early-adopter bloodlust. The unit will come with a 15.6-inch touchscreen, 8GB of RAM, 802.11.ac WiFi, a BDXL drive and a hybrid SSD. While there aren't any firm details on pricing or availability, we'd expect to see firmer details at this year's Computex.
The Daily Roundup for 05.08.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
ASRock's new Haswell motherboards will be waterproof, of course (update: video)
If your current motherboard has more Mountain Dew than CPU, you might be interested in ASRock's forthcoming Haswell offerings. Among the usual features like dual-band 802.11ac-flavored WiFi, HDMI input and a Home Cloud service, Tom's Hardware spotted a mention of "Waterproof by Conformal Coating." The company's sub-site doesn't give too much else away, like how extensive the protection will be, instead simply telling us to "A-Style our lifestyle." The only feature with any amount of detail is a Pure Sound audio system (7.1 channel audio, Realtek ALC1150 audio codec and a TI 5532 pre-amp if you're interested) that we've already seen. Still, if fluid has been getting between you and your high scores, keep an eye on the source for more info. Update: And just like that, ASRock has added more info about the HDMI input, including a demo video which you can find after the break.
ASRock Purity Sound motherboards come with better audio shielding, headphone amps
Not that we were necessarily asking for it, but we now have another spec to weigh up when choosing a new Haswell motherboard. ASRock's A-Style Z87 mobos will come with a bunch of audio-related features collectively called "A-Style: Purity Sound", which the company claims will result in a better signal-to-noise ratio (115dB) compared to regular onboard 7.1-channel circuitry. The boards will also come with a dedicated headphone amp that should be able to high-impedance drive cans up to 600 Ohms, plus DTS Connect for converting PC audio to the DTS codec for optical out. There's some extra shielding around the components, which lends plausibility to the better SNR and the promise of better sound quality -- so Purity Sound probably can't be dismissed as Purity Marketing. In any case, just make sure you also pay this much attention to your next power supply.
Intel details 4th-gen Core's HD 5000, Iris and Iris Pro graphics: up to 3X faster, 3-display collage mode
Many already believe that the real highlight of Intel's 4th-generation Core processor lineup would be a giant graphics update. Today, Intel is revealing that they're right -- and, importantly, that there's an equally large shift in naming strategy. Where 3rd-generation Core graphics were divided into two tiers, the new generation is focused on three, two of which are built for performance over efficiency. Ultrabooks with 15W U-series processors will use comparatively ordinary (if still faster) HD 5000 graphics. Thin-and-light laptops with 28W U-series chips get a new tier, Iris, that Intel claims is up to twice as fast in 3D as last year's HD Graphics. Power-hungry parts see even more of a boost: they can carry Iris Pro graphics with embedded DRAM, which should double the 3D speed on H-series mobile chips (47-55W of typical power) and triple it for the R-series (around 65-84W) on the desktop. We also know that M-series laptop and K-series desktop CPUs will have Iris Pro options. The feature set for the graphics trio is slightly more familiar to us, although there are a few tricks up Intel's sleeve. All three can draw DirectX 11.1 and OpenGL 4 visuals, as well as take on OpenCL 1.2 computing and faster media processing. We're almost more interested in the display modes, though. Along with receiving "enhanced" 4K output, the new Core graphics can handle a 3-screen collage mode -- we won't need dedicated video for a large, multi-monitor canvas. Sadly, Intel isn't providing more than incidental details about the processors themselves, although it has already teased that we'll get the full story around the Computex show in early June. %Gallery-187340%
Intel Haswell's idle states reportedly won't play well with some power supplies
One of the staples of Intel's upcoming Haswell processor architecture is its support for lower-power idle states that can rival tablet chips in power consumption, even on the desktop. However, that may come with a big caveat for budget and custom-built PCs: certain power supplies might not cut it. VR-Zone claims that those idle states require as little as 0.05 amps of current, which could be too nuanced for older or cut-rate supplies that deliver power in bigger clumps. That might not be a problem for companies building complete PCs, but Corsair's Robert Pearce tells The Tech Report that it may lead to a lot of motherboard builders playing it safe by disabling those specific modes by default. Many of us, in turn, would either have to buy a fresh supply or toggle the power-saving options ourselves. We've reached out to Intel to verify the truth, but it may be wisest to make a cleaner break from the past with any near-term upgrades.
Intel's Haswell-powered 'North Cape' reappears, promises 10 hours of battery life in tablet-mode (hands-on)
We've just spotted a familiar friend at Intel's Innovation Future Showcase in London -- its Haswell-powered North Cape laptop / tablet hybrid. As a quick reminder, alongside that fourth-generation Intel Core processor there's a 13-inch 1080p display that detaches from the keyboard, and now we've been given a few important updates on the reference device, battery performance on Haswell and how Intel's reference design will transfer between tablet and Ultrabook mode. All that and more after the break.%Gallery-186789%
Intel execs predict Bay Trail touch-enabled laptops for $200 - $300 by the holidays
On the earnings call after Intel released its Q1 numbers, its executives faced many questions from analysts, including some asking what to expect from the company in Q4. According to CEO Paul Otellini and CFO / EVP Stacy Smith, among the reasons for investors to be optimistic are the prospects of cheaper touch screen computers powered by its upcoming Bay Trail (quad-core Atom) and Haswell processors. Just how cheap you ask? According to Otellini, as transcribed by SeekingAlpha: We have a certain spec for ultrabooks, and that is the product that Stacy said is going to be centered at as low as $599 with some [diverse] SKUs to $499. If you look at touch-enabled Intel based notebooks that are ultrathin and light using non-core processors, those prices are going to be down to as low as $200 probably. We'd put more weight in those figures if they were price tags attached to products or at least from the OEMs that will build them, but at least there's a target. Whatever happens, there's sure to be a flood of new ultrabooks, tablets, convertibles and detachables hitting the streets later this year, and if the price is right (along with some Windows 8 tweaks) maybe they'll be worth the wait.
Intel introduces next-gen Xeon E7, E5 and E3 families for enterprise space
Truth be told, not much has been announced on the consumer end at IDF Beijing earlier today, but Intel did tease us with upcoming refreshes of its Xeon E7, E5 and E3 families for the enterprise space. In chronological order we have the Haswell-based E3 with TDP as low as 13W, and it's coming in mid-2013. This is followed by the "Ivy Bridge-EP" E5 in Q3 and then the "Ivy Bridge-EX" E7 series in Q4, the latter of which boasting three times the memory capacity of its predecessor, along with Intel's Run Sure reliability feature. More details in the press release after the break if you're into these flavors of chips. Also mentioned at the keynote were the now-available Atom S12x9 family for storage systems, as well as a couple of upcoming 22nm 64-bit Atom SoCs codenamed "Avoton" and "Rangeley," both of which are sampling now and are expected to launch in the second half of this year. We've actually already heard of the microserver-friendly Avoton from Facebook's Open Compute Project, whereas Rangeley for network infrastructures was also detailed around the same time; so again, hit up the press release for more details. %Gallery-185168%
Primate Labs benchmarks new Retina MacBook Pro models
Apple bumped the processors in the Retina MacBook Pro line last week, pushing the 15-inch model to the 2.4, 2.7 or 2.8 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 and the 13-inch to 2.5, 2.6, 2.9 or 3.0 GHz dual-core processors. As usual, Primate Labs grabbed a handy copy of their "flagship product" -- Geekbench -- and tested each model's performance. The 100 MHz increase in processor speed across the board on the 15-inch MacBook Pros was responsible for a 3 to 5 percent increase in performance as measured by the Geekbench 2 scores. Likewise, the 13-inch models received a bump in both speed and performance. Primate Labs noted, though, that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro models ship with both old and new processors. The new processors are only available in 13-inch models that start with 256 GB of storage, while the machines that start with 128 GB of storage retain the older, slower processors. John Poole at Primate Labs notes that the new Intel processor architecture, Haswell, is forthcoming later this year, so it's not surprising that Apple decided to outfit the Retina MacBook Pro line with the latest in Ivy Bridge processors. However, he's curious about why the non-Retina MacBook Pro line didn't receive the same speed bump, and speculates that the current line of Retina-free MBPs might be the last.
Intel will discontinue desktop motherboards following Haswell release
The decline in desktop PC sales is beginning to ripple throughout the industry, as Intel has revealed plans to wind down its desktop motherboard division over the next three years. According to AnandTech, the company will release boards that are based on the Haswell architecture before completely suspending development. Moving forward, Intel will instead focus its efforts on creating form factor reference designs for the Ultrabook, tablet and desktop markets. Curiously, one product that's currently immune from the announcement is the Next Unit of Computing (NUC), a miniature barebones system that will see continual development from Intel. While custom PC builders will likely take a moment to reflect upon the news, it's said that the transition is unlikely to affect the company's workforce. Instead, current employees will be absorbed into other divisions within Intel. After all, there's no point in showing talented engineers to the door, even in an age of market shifts. [Image credit: huangjiahui, Flickr]
Kirk Skaugen reveals why Intel made touch mandatory for Haswell Ultrabooks
We were able to sit down with Intel's PC chief, Kirk Skaugen, and chew through the revelations and news that were announced at the press conference the day before. We wanted to know if Ultrabooks will eventually replace Laptops, what was the motivation behind the decision to make Haswell Ultrabooks touch only and if there's one form factor from the several available that's winning the popularity war. Share our curiosity? After the break is where you need to be.
NEC shows off a super-thin, 12.8mm thick Ultrabook, we go hands-on
Just after wrapping up its CES 2013 press conference, Intel showed off two Ultrabooks: one that's just a concept, and one that you can actually buy. What you see in that photo up there is the NEC LaVie X, the follow-up to last year's NEC LaVie Z. It's a 15-inch Ultrabook that measures just 12.8mm thick. We realize you might be desensitized to such specs at this point, so here's a little context: that's almost two millimeters thinner than the 15-inch Samsung Series 9, which already seemed impossibly skinny at 14.7mm. Other specs include a 1080p display and Haswell processor, though the machine we saw wasn't powered on, so we could only play with the keyboard and see what it felt like to hold the laptop in one hand. Unless you're reading this in Japan, you probably won't ever have the chance to purchase it, but hopefully this isn't the last time we see a 14-millimeter-thick laptop on this side of the Pacific. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Meet 'North Cape,' Intel's reference laptop with a detachable 1080p screen, Haswell CPU
If you weren't following along with Intel's CES 2013 keynote, here's a partial summary: among other things, the company debuted its fourth-generation Core processors, which until now have gone by the codename "Haswell." In addition to talking speeds and feeds, though, Intel also showed off a reference laptop with a Haswell chip inside, a notebook called "North Cape." It was a hybrid, essentially -- a 13-inch, 1080p tablet with a keyboard dock. (Intel made it sound more exciting than it was, saying the CPU is behind the display and that there are batteries behind the display and under the keyboard.) In any case, we got to see it up close after the press conference wrapped, though Intel isn't actually letting members of the media touch it yet. So far, we don't know much about the device (Intel won't even disclose battery life estimates) but we can say it looks thin for a 13-inch touchscreen device (the official spec is 10mm thick for just the tablet and 17mm for the tablet and dock). The viewing angles look promising, too, as you can hopefully tell from those odd camera angles. No word yet on which PC maker is going to pick up this design, but an Intel rep staffing the press conference told us it should arrive in time for the back to school shopping season, which usually kicks off in late spring. So when you see something similar to this surface in the May timeframe, just remember: you saw it here first. Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Intel makes Touch, Wireless Display mandatory components for Haswell Ultrabooks
We're here live at Intel's CES press conference, where Kirk Skaugen has announced that companies who want to use the Ultrabook name and Haswell internals, it'll have to include touch as standard. The other new condition that Santa Clara is imposing is that the device must carry Wireless Display as standard. On the upside, at least you'll be able to see the images on your TV when your Ultrabook screen gets too greasy from your fingers. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Intel confirms new lower power 4th generation Core Haswell processors at CES
Intel just confirmed its 4th generation Intel Core Processors at its press conference at CES. They'll run on as little as 10W and are designed to enable thinner devices thanks to smaller cooling systems. These are the very same 22nm Haswell chips we've been hearing about since late last year, and Intel promises they'll represent one of the largest generational leaps in battery life in the firm's history. In fact, it's already shown off a reference design for a 17mm-thick Haswell hybrid laptop, aka North Cape, nestled amidst other goodies that you can catch up with in our liveblog. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
