AMD scores over a hundred design wins with upcoming mobile platforms

It seems AMD will be making some important inroads into the notebook market with their latest mobile chips. Following the recent launch of over a dozen AMD-based HP laptops, Reuters is reporting the company has nabbed no less than 109 design wins for a "new generation of power-efficient chips" due next week. This is a two-fold improvement from the "over 50" design wins it expected with the Tigris platform announced back in September 2009.

The report stops short of mentioning the actual platforms being launched, but looking at AMD's roadmap for 2010 these should be Danube and Nile. The first is aimed at the mainstream notebook segment and will feature quad, triple and dual-core 45nm CPUs codenamed Champlain; while Nile will make up for AMD's ultraportable platform with 45nm Geneva dual-core processors , DDR3 RAM, and DirectX 10.1 integrated graphics.

Notebooks with AMD's latest CPUs will start showing up "as early as June" in systems from the likes of HP, Acer, Dell, and Lenovo. Given the timeframe we suspect most will be announced in or around Computex. That said, we already know Acer is getting ready to launch a 10.1" Aspire One featuring a single-core V105 processor clocked at 1.2GHz. This chip is supposedly the slowest member of the Geneva lineup, uses a 512KB L2 cache, and has a TDP of only 9W.

Corsair outs 2533MHz Dominator GTX4 RAM

It took a few months, but Corsair has outdone itself again with the launch of its new 2GB Dominator GTX4 DDR3 memory. In January, the company introduced DDR3 RAM rated for up to 2400MHz, and that topped its 2000MHz sticks, but its latest offering promises to operate at 2,533MHz with timings of 9-11-10-30 and 1.65V -- perfect for P55-based machines.

Just like the 2,400MHz GTX1, GTX4 modules are individually tested by hand at Corsair's Freemont, California lab. The RAM ships with a lifetime warranty for the very special introductory price of only $325. While you're at it, you might as well go the full mile and get the company's Airflow 2 GTL fan, which is recommended for optimal performance.

Archos 7 Home Tablet release bumped to June

Archos' 7-inch Android-based tablet went up for presale last month with an expected ship date of late April, but as you well know, April is behind us, and the Archos 7 Home Tablet has yet to officially launch. According to the company, some people who preordered the bargain-priced slate may receive it by the end of May, but the new US release window is June.

If you're interested, the device is still available for preorder on Amazon at a reasonable $199. The Android 1.6 tablet packs a 7-inch 800x480 resistive touchscreen, a 600MHz ARM 9 processor, and 8GB of storage into a very trim package, measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing well under a pound. It's rated for 7 hours of video or 44 hours of audio and it can handle up to 720p playback.

The Archos 7 Home Tablet is preloaded with a handful of core apps for instant messaging, reading e-books and so on, but it's backed by Archos' AppLib store rather than the Android Marketplace -- though you can install the full store with a little knowhow.

AMD readying new low-power desktop chips

AMD is reportedly preparing to ship a round of new desktop processors. The Sunnyvale-based CPU-maker will have the parts packed and ready to roll as early as next week. The freshly baked chips will consist of two, three and four core products, most of which have a TDP of 45W.

The dual-core Athlon II X2 245e will operate at 2.9GHz and should cost €79. That's topped by the €100, 2.5GHz Athlon II X3 415e, and the Athlon II X4 610e, which will run its four cores at 2.5GHz and cost €140. Fudzilla notes that the pricing isn't spot on and the chips will likely be a bit cheaper after launch.

You can also expect at least one new 65W CPU next week: the 3.2GHz Athlon II X2 260. It's also mentioned that AMD will introduce slightly faster iterations of its current 45nm processors later this year -- or to "put it simply" the company will "increase clock speeds across its desktop range by 100MHz per quarter."

OCZ launches Enyo, a sleek USB 3.0-packing external SSD

OCZ expanded its flash drive lineup today by adding a new super fast, highly portable solid-state drive with looks to match. The company first revealed the (then unnamed) Enyo portable SSD in its CES announcements, but few details were provided.

OCZ officially introduced the USB 3.0-equipped drive today, which promises to put your external mechanical hard drive to shame with its maximum read and write speeds of 260MB/s and 200MB/s. It also touts superior power management and lower CPU utilization.

The Enyo's anodized aluminum housing is admittedly gorgeous compared to most other external storage products on the market. The drive measures 56 x 120 x 10 millimeters (2.2 x 4.7 x 0.39 inches) and weighs only 87.7 grams (3 ounces).

OCZ is currently shipping the Enyo in capacities of 64GB ($229.99), 128GB ($409.99), and 256GB ($819.99). It's worth mentioning that the 64GB model is a bit slower with read and write rates of 225MB/s and 135MB/s.

Sprint's HTC EVO 4G pre-orders opening this month

Sprint's first 3G/WiMAX-compatible smartphone is not expected to ship until sometime this summer, but it looks like pre-orders are just around the corner. A screenshot leaked from The Shack's (formerly Radio Shack) internal website suggests pre-orders for the much-anticipated HTC EVO will start "later this month," and lists some of the specs we already know: 4.3-inch 480 x 800 TFT display, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, rear-facing 8 megapixel camera with auto-focus and 720p HD video recording, and MicroSD support (up to 32GB).

Apple is widely expected to announce its 4th generation iPhone at its Worldwide Developer Conference next month, so any head start that Sprint and HTC can get should be beneficial. The device will run Android 2.1 and has built-in mobile hotspot functionality for up to 8 devices to share its speedy signal -- though it's unclear if Sprint will charge extra for the tethering service or include it like Verizon does with its Palm line.

Pricing is still unknown, but one of the many rumors pegs the device at around $200 with a two-year contract. There's no word on how much the plans for this HTC smartphone will cost.

Samsung releases Bada SDK for developers who want to ride the Wave

Samsung still hasn't managed to get the Wave or any other Bada handset to market yet, but it's doing the right thing by offering developers the software development kit first. Granted, with a planned June release Samsung isn't managing the same sort of massive lead-time that Microsoft has with its Windows Phone 7 SDK, but a few weeks of pressure-free coding are better than none. The first public SDK for Bada was just made available yesterday, and inside developers will find an Eclipse-based IDE, a phone emulator, and tutorials. You can get it all for yourself at the source link below, but make sure you get your reading glasses out before clicking through. You'll need to agree to not one, not two, but four separate sets of terms and conditions before you can get this 606MB download flowing, and a fifth before it'll install. Oh, and it's all C/C++ based, so if you've been living in the merry land of Java and C# lately you'd better brush up on pointer dereferencing and interface definitions.

Intel pushes Atom into mobile arena with "Moorestown"

Intel made official today the release of the new Atom-based platform code-named “Moorestown”, crafted specifically for power conscious smartphone and tablet devices. Moorestown aims to offer substantially superior performance over current generation mobile devices without compromising power consumption.

The mobile platform Intel announced is known as a “system on a chip”, or SoC. This means Moorestown is actually not just a processor, but rather a bundle of technologies which include an Atom Z6xx CPU (Lincroft, the 45nm successor to Menlow), a MP20 controller hub (Langwell) and Briertown (Mixed signal IC). The new platform is expected to scale to 1.9GHz and decode 1080p video on-the-fly with built-in hardware graphics acceleration while still achieving roughly five hours of video playback or 10 days of standby time powered by a typical 1500mAh smartphone battery.

In contrast to Intel’s claims, one analyst questioned the viability of Intel’s new platform in the smartphone arena. An analyst at Rodman & Renshaw reminded us that Intel publicly announced only the next iteration of the Atom would offer power consumption low enough for smartphones; Unfortunately, Moorestown is not it. For this, we'll have to wait for the 32nm Cedarview which probably won't debut until 2011.

Despite Intel’s encouraging announcement, devices slated to show off Moorestown are not expected to hit production until the second-half of 2010. One such device will be the recently delayed LG GW990, a smartphone that features the “MeeGo” operating system. Also the foundation for Moblin, MeeGo is a heavily optimized Linux variant built specifically to take advantage of the Atom platform.

The mobile chipset market is a crowded one with huge industry players the likes of which include Texas Instruments, ARM, Qualcomm and Nvidia. Intel's revamped Atom is set to be a high performance offering, but can top-end performance and a customized Linux distro be enough for Intel carve out a sizeable share of the mobile market?

Razer intros Abyssus Mirror Special Edition

Razer, maker of fiercely named peripherals, has announced a revamped model of its minimalistic Abyssus gaming mouse, the Abyssus Mirror Special Edition. While most of the device's core features haven't been touched, its body is now coated in a black chrome mirror finish, which just so happens to match the Lycosa Mirror Special Edition keyboard, in case you're in the market.

As noted, the general feature-set is as it was last November when the Abyssus launched. The SE has the same ambidextrous design, 3500dpi, 1ms response time, mechanical dpi and polling rate switches, on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment, a 16-bit data path, 15g of acceleration, three independently programmable buttons, and a scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions.

The newly polished Abyssus is available for preorder now through Razer for the same price as the original model: €39.99 or $49.99.

HP intros more than a dozen AMD-based notebooks

As part of its spring refresh, HP has announced nine new enterprise notebooks, many of which employ AMD processors and graphics technology. The launch includes the HP 425 and 625 as well as the ProBook 4325s, 4425s, 4525s, 6450b, 6550b, 6455b, 6555b, which make use of Phenom II, Turion II, Athlon II, and V-series processors to accommodate a variety of budgets -- though there are some Intel chips in the mix.

Measuring 14 and 15.6-inches HP 425 and 625 are the lowest-priced business systems starting at only $549. The ProBook 4325s, 4425s, and 4525s range offers all of the above-mentioned AMD CPUs and HD 4250 or HD 530v graphics. They should begin shipping this month for as low as $619.


The 6450b and 6550b are 14 and 15.6-inch machines also with discrete Mobility Radeon HD 540v graphics, but rely on Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Pricing has yet to be determined, but they're scheduled for a June release. Finally, the 6455b and 6555b are AMD-based and seems to be the most diverse for small and mid-sized business users. HP claims they're 69% faster with 24% more battery life than their predecessors.

Additionally, the company's Pavilion dm1, dv5, dv6, and dv7, along with the Compaq CQ42/G42 and CQ62/G62 consumer-grade systems are available with dual or quad-core versions of AMD processors. We have to wonder if the emphasis on AMD chips in HP's latest update lends any credence to rumors that Apple is also mulling the underdog's offerings.

Sony Ericsson X10 family to get Android 2.1 in 'Q4 2010'

The Xperia X10, one of the big mindshare-grabbing devices of the smartphone world, made us wait a cool six months between its November announcement and wide retail availability in April. One of the secret hopes while all that waiting was going on was that perhaps SE would surprise us and upgrade the dusty old Android 1.6 base installation to a fresh and creamy Eclair (2.1) or even a frosty Froyo (2.2) treat shortly after launch. Time to lay those dreams to rest, dear friends, as Sony Ericsson has come with an official schedule for upgrading the firmware on the Xperia X10 and its X10 mini and X10 mini pro siblings, which places the Android 2.1 delivery in the fourth quarter of 2010 -- and knowing the company that probably means closer to Christmas than Halloween. All we can say is you'd better really like that UX platform a great deal, because it'll be the only thing you'll be seeing for quite a while on Sony Ericsson's Googlephones.

Seagate releases upgradeable external hard drives

Seagate has unveiled a new line of external storage units that promises consumers more flexibility should their requirements change. Dubbed Freeagent GoFlex, they are all plug-and-play devices with interchangeable cables and desktop adapters that allow each drive to adapt to the interface being used (USB, FireWire, eSATA). The idea is that this system not only future-proofs the hard drive, but also allows it to be used on nearly any computer platform.

You can update these portable drives just by swapping out the cable adapter, so a USB 2.0 drive can be upgraded to USB 3.0, eSATA, and FireWire 400/800 connections, or with a cable that can turn the drive into an automatic backup system. Moreover, Seagate is adding a NTFS driver for Mac OS X that will let users store and access files from both Windows and Mac OS X systems.


Prices for desktop GoFlex drives with a USB 2.0 cable and encrypted backup are about $120 for 1TB and $200 for 2TB. A standard ultraportable model ranges from $100 for a 320GB version up to $200 for a terabyte, while the GoFlex Pro ultraportable spins at a faster 7,200 RPM, includes backup with encryption capabilities, and is priced at $130 for 500GB, and $180 for 750GB. The flexibility will come at an extra cost, though, and it's also the drive's biggest flaw.

The GoFlex system relies on proprietary cables, and you'll have to pay anywhere from $20 to $50 for each interface connector. This means that not only you'll have to shell out extra cash if one of these cables is lost or damaged, but you're also relying on Seagate supporting the system for years to come.

Intel shows Light Peak streaming two HD videos at once

Intel let folks get hands-on with its speedy Light Peak technology this week at its European research show in Brussels. The interface has been showcased at several public events since being teased last September, but this marks the first time the company has let people actually experience it up close and personal, according to PC Pro.

Light Peak was reportedly placed inside a standard USB cable, with optical fibers running parallel to the electrical wiring. Intel demonstrated how data traveled through the cable by shining light into one end, which resulted in two little dots of light visible to the naked eye appearing at the other end.


Light Peak was shown in action with a laptop feeding two separate, lag-free HD video streams to a TV. The laptop housed a 12mm square chip tasked with converting optical signals into data the machine can understand. That wasn't implemented in the TV, though, which required an external box for conversion.

Intel said its optical technology provides seemingly limitless bandwidth. "Light Peak begins at 10Gbits/sec, simultaneously in both directions," said CTO Justin Rattner. "You'll see multiple displays being served by a single Light Peak connection. There's almost no limit to the bandwidth -- fibers can carry trillions of bits per second."

HP unveils the Envy 14, 17

Months after launching its revamped Envy 13 and 15, HP has officially unveiled 14 and 17-inch iterations of the MacBook Pro challenger. Both models have long been "confirmed" through various leaks and support documents, but HP has mostly kept its lips sealed until today. If you're at all familiar with the existing Envy lineup, the new models shouldn't come as a great surprise.

They boast the same all-aluminum chassis, Intel's latest Core CPUs, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD graphics. The Envy 14 pledges up to 13.75 hours of battery life and optional 3G connectivity, while the Envy 17 brings up to 2TB of storage, multi-display support via ATI Eyefinity, an HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer, and up to eight hours of juice with the discrete GPU is disabled.


They don't ship without any new tricks though, as both address a few of the Envy 15's design flaws. For instance, both have backlit keyboards and slot-loading optical drives. Unfortunately, they still have the same "ClickPad" touchpad that many users complained about, but HP has reportedly reworked a few things software-wise.

The Envy 17 will be available as of May 19 with a starting price of $1,400, and the 14-inch version will kick off on June 27 for $1,000.

Hardware, Industry News MSI readies budget-focused multimedia laptop, CX705MX

MSI's new 17.3-inch laptop is powered by a Core 2 Duo chip -- and it's damn proud of it. Although it's a generation behind in processing technology, the CX705MX features an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450 512MB, which should provide plenty of horsepower for a budget-minded multimedia notebook.


The machine also carries a 1600x900 LED-backlit display, 250GB, 320GB or 500GB of storage, a 4-in-1 card reader, HDMI and VGA-out, three USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, a 1.3MP webcam, a six-cell battery, and the increasingly popular chiclet-style keyboard. It ships with Windows 7 Home Premium along with MSI's "Engine Power Saving Technology," which lets you choose between five preset power profiles.

id Software's Rage pushed to 2011

Id Software's Rage was among the many titles we hoped to lay hands on before the year's end, but apparently, it just wasn't meant to be. Creative director Tim Willits disclosed in an interview that the forthcoming post-apocalyptic FPS hasn't even hit alpha yet, saying "it would be horrible" if the game were released right now. Willits added that although id is still sorting out some graphical issues, the new id Tech 5 engine is "pretty solid."


Further cementing that release window, Bethesda (Rage's publisher) recently passed around a fact sheet which plainly states the game will launch in 2011 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Still pending is a possible Mac version, but id hasn't settled on plans for that platform yet. The fact sheet also revealed a tiny nugget about the game's multiplayer component with talk of co-op modes and the ability to "go online for all-out multiplayer mayhem."

Nvidia's mainstream Fermi cards coming in July and August

If ongoing rumors are to be believed, more affordable variants of Nvidia's Fermi-based GeForce GTX 480 and 470 should arrive next month at Computex. Dubbed GeForce GTX 460, this card is expected to go against AMD's Radeon HD 5850 in terms of price and performance. It'll still be about $300, though, so if you are holding out for something a little friendlier on your wallet then cards based on the GF106 and GF108 cores might be right up your alley.

According to DigiTimes, mainstream GF106 and entry-level GF108-based graphics cards will hit around July and August, respectively, for $180 and $100. That's quite a bit higher than early predictions suggested. Unfortunately, no other details are available regarding specific models or what to expect compared to their more expensive counterparts.

Meanwhile, the GeForce GTX 460 purportedly debuting in June will use the new GF104 Fermi architecture and should feature 256 shader cores, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and a 256-bit memory bus. Other cards expected to use the GF104 core include the GeForce GTS 450, 440 and 430 which should cover the $180 to $300 price range. Of course, none of this has been confirmed by Nvidia for now, so plenty could change by the time these cards are actually out.

Asus ships HD-ready Eee PC Seashell 1005PR

Asus has cleared the HD-decoding Eee PC Seashell 1005PR for takeoff, and it should be available through various stateside retail channels as we speak. The device went up for preorder late last month and features a Broadcom Crystal HD decoder chip along with a 10.1" 1366x768 display, allowing users to access high-def content while on the run.


Also under the hood is a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a gig of RAM, 250GB of storage, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 0.3-megapixel webcam, and Windows 7 Starter. The 1005PR pledges up to 11 hours of life on a six-cell battery, which isn't too outlandish since it relies on Broadcom's chip for HD playback rather than a proper GPU, such as Nvidia's Ion.

It's supposedly shipping via authorized resellers with an MSRP of $399.99, but Amazon still has it flagged as a preorder item.