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Intel demos Bluetooth-based anti-theft alarm for Ultrabooks, we go hands-on (video)
We interrupt our wall-to-wall laptop and Windows 8 coverage to bring you some news about... chips. Specifically, Intel's latest ultra low voltage chips, and new features they'll bring to Ultrabooks, in particular. Here at Chipzilla's Computex keynote, we just got a demo of a new security feature that causes an alarm to go off on your PC if a stranger attempts to move it. Using Bluetooth 4.0 and a custom Android app, you designate your PC as the one that needs protection, and then you set a threshold for when the alarm should go off (the range is customizable, but doesn't go beyond five feet). If someone tries to burgle your laptop, he or she will have to enter a password to silence the wailing. It's all worth a look in our demo video below, but we can think of a couple caveats. For one, in order to receive an alert on your phone, letting you know someone picked up your PC, you'd have to be within Bluetooth range, which means if you're covering a tradeshow in Taipei and someone robs your apartment in New York, you'll be none the wiser. Second, the technology isn't yet integrated with Intel's other security features, such as identity protection or its "poison pill" that prevents the PC from even booting. On that front, then, best to keep it up with those unguessable passwords.
Intel to show third-gen Ultrabooks at Computex, makes USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt a necessity
When Intel first unveiled its grand plans for Ultrabooks at last year's Computex, many of the fireworks were consciously reserved for Ivy Bridge-based variants in 2012 -- well, they're here. This year's show in Taipei will show off the third generation of the skinny, MacBook Air-inspired platform, and Intel is toughening up the design requirements in the process. The thickness requirements are the same as last year, at 18mm for systems with screens under 14 inches and 21mm for bigger machines, but high-speed ports are now mandatory to get that coveted "Ultrabook" label and the full marketing weight of Intel's $300 million Ultrabook Fund: if a PC doesn't have either USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt, it's out of the running. Intel also wants security built-in, rather than optional, as well as guarantees that a system is quick and responsive when it's fully awake. Not that this would be terribly hard with the low-voltage Ivy Bridge processors launching at the same time, mind you. Just to reinforce the importance of it all, Intel is noting that the flood of Ultrabooks is about to pick up in a big way as the category hits the mainstream. We were promised 75 Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks this year in a presentation back at CES; that number's now up to 110, 30 of which will be Windows 8-friendly touchscreen models and another 10 opting for the convertible tablet route. At least some of those lightweight portables should pop up at Computex next week, and you can be sure we'll be investigating as many of them as we can to see just how well Intel's partners have advanced the game.
Intel Ivy Bridge touchscreen Ultrabook reference design hands-on (video)
Interested in replacing both your tablet and that clunky notebook with a svelte all-in-one portable? Intel might have just the gadget for you -- an Ivy Bridge Ultrabook with a built-in 13.3-inch 1600 x 900-pixel capacitive-touch LCD. We happened upon such a device in the bowels of Intel's gaming-centric CeBIT booth, and had a chance to go hands-on with the company's one and only (at this show, at least) reference design touchscreen Ultrabook. The device we saw appeared to be no larger or thicker than similar portables, but integrated a gorgeous 13.3-inch touchscreen, along with that elusive 1.5GHz Ivy Bridge processor. Unfortunately Intel was mum on detailed specs, though the prototype we saw did include a pair of USB 3.0 ports, SIM and SD card slots, and an HDMI port. And according to the system info page, the touch feature supports up to 10 individual input points. We're also told that there might be NFC functionality on-board, though the only visible confirmation of this hardware feature was a piece of medical tape with the letters "NFC" inscribed.The touch functionality worked just as expected -- if you've used touch on a high-end tablet before, you're already familiar with the experience here. We were able to navigate the installed Zinio app with ease, flicking through magazine pages and pinch-and-zooming our way around a cover. You can of course use the touchscreen to adjust system settings, drag-and-drop files or input text with the on-screen keyboard, though we found the trackpad and hardware keyboard to be more practical here. Overall, this appears to be a no-compromise solution -- it will surely add to the manufacturing cost for next-gen Ultrabooks, but if you opt for a touch-equipped model only to find that you prefer traditional input controls, there's not much lost on the feature front. And, if you do happen to enjoy flicking your way around a notebook, you're definitely in for a treat. You'll find our hands-on video just past the break.
Samsung outs two new Series 5 laptops in Korea, claims they're Ultrabooks
Is there room on the Ultrabook wagon for two new models from Samsung? There's a 13-incher and a 14-incher, which both reportedly come under its Series 5 branding (previously used for Chromebooks), but at first glance only the smaller model might deserve its seat: it has the requisite Sandy Bridge processor and a perfectly compliant 0.59-inch thickness, but it adds 500GB of HDD storage on top of a 16GB SSD, which brings its weight right up to the 1.4kg (3.1 pound) limit. Meanwhile, the 14-inch variant scrapes through the 0.83-inch thickness criterion, but its 1TB HDD and discrete AMD graphics lead to a 1.8kg weight that seems well overboard. The pricing looks acceptable, with both models starting at the equivalent of around $1150, but we can't wait to see what happens when Intel inspects their tickets.
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.
HP to ship first Ultrabooks ahead of ASUS?
Remember those Ultrabooks unveiled at Computex? ASUS had touted its UX21 to be one of the first available in September, but there's reason to believe that HP may beat it to the punch -- if you like salty punch, that is. According to DigiTimes, HP has at least two machines on the table offering Intel's latest Core i7 processors in 1.8GHz i7-2677M and 1.7 GHz i7-263M flavors. The report also suggests that Foxconn's the manufacturer and may already be shipping some rigs to la casa de HP. Lastly, although we haven't yet gotten definitive sizing on the UX21, DigiTimes mentions that ASUS is making 11.6-inch and 13-inch versions. Considering we're nearing mid-July, it can't be too long for some official word if any of this is true, just don't go sipping too much of that Kool-Aid -- okay?
