Intel announces the new Intel Reader mobile handheld device designed to help individuals with reading-based disabilities such as dyslexia, low-vision, or those who are blind.

Approximately the size of a paperback book. the Atom-powered Intel Reader converts printed text into digital text and then reads the digital text aloud to the user. The unit essentially combines a 5 megapixel digital camera, OCR engine, and a text-to-speech engine into a single device that weighs approximately a little over a pounds (1.39 lbs).  Simply point, shoot, and listen to printed text with the Intel Reader.

The Intel Reader can also be used in conjunction with the Intel Portable Capture Station to capture large volumes of text such as a chapter or an entire book.

According to Louis Burns, VP and GM of Intel Digital Health Group:

“We are proud to offer the Intel Reader as a tool for people who have trouble reading standard print so they can more easily access the information many of us take for granted every day, such as reading a job offer letter or even the menu at a restaurant.”

The Intel Reader was originally conceived by Ben Foss, a researcher at Intel who was diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school. According to Foss:

“As someone who is part of this dyslexic community, I am thrilled to be able to help level the playing field for people who, like me, do not have easy access to the printed word.. Feelings of loneliness are often the experience of not being able to read easily. We hope to open the doors for people in these communities. The Intel Reader is a tool that can help give people with dyslexia, low-vision, blindness or other reading-based disabilities access to the resources they need to participate and be successful in school, work and life.”

We’ve seen “cool” devices through the years but the Intel Reader is actually a device that could radically impact the lives of millions of individuals around the world in a good way.

Of course there are many challenges in a device such as the Reader. It’s one thing to offer an accurate text-to-speech engine. It’s a completely different story when you combine that with an OCR engine which needs to accurately determine the piece of text being captured by the 5 megapixel camera. Other challenges include – the system needs to account for the orientation or rotation of the text; it needs to take into account any angle or tilt that the image might be captured in; then it needs to recognize the captured characters accurately for the text-to-speech engine; AND it needs to do this quickly.

For the spec folks – here is the specs to the Intel Reader:

• Intel Atom processor
• 4.3 inch 16:9 aspect ratio display
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with a focus range of 4 inches to 1.1 yards
• 4GB Intel Solid State Drive with 2GB for user data.
• USB 2.0 connectivity
• Stereo Audio Jack
• Integrated speakers and 1/8 inch audio jack
• Supports DAISY 2.02* (DAISY), NISO 2002* (z2002 or DAISY 3*), NISO 2005* (z2005 or DAISY 3), NIMAS 1.0/1.1*, MP3, WAV, ASCII text file formats
• Rechargeable 6 cell lithium ion battery
• 150 minute charging time
• Plays over 4 hours of text-to-speech or MP3 audio files
• 5 days standby
• Measures 6.5in. x 5.35in. x 1.3in. and weighs 1.3 pounds

The Intel Reader will be available in the U.S. through several resellers including CTL, Don Johnston Incorporated, GTSI, Howard Technology Solutions and HumanWare.

[Check it out]

[Check out the press release]

Technorati Tags: Intel Reader

On the processor front, Intel announced the new Core i5 processor family, two new Core i7 processors, and a new Xeon Processor 3400 series.  The new processors also are the first Intel processors to integrate both a 16-lane PCI Express 2 graphics port and a two-channel memory controller – which also means the P55 Express Chipset is a single chip chipset.

Here’s a rundown of the new models:

• Core i7-870 processor; Base clock speed of 2.93 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 3.6GHz, 4 Cores/8 threads, 8MB cache, $562 at a 1K unit price, HT enabled, 95 watts TDP
• Core i7-860 processor; Base clock speed of 2.80 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 3.46GHz, 4 Cores/8 threads, 8MB cache, $284 at a 1K unit price, HT enabled, 95 watts TDP
• Core i7-750 processor; Base clock speed of 2.66 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 3.2GHz, 4 Cores/4 threads, 8MB cache, $196 at a 1K unit price, No HT, 95 watts TDP
• Xeon X3470 processor; Base clock speed of 2.93 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 3.6GHz, 4 Cores/8 threads, 8MB cache, $589 at a 1K unit price, HT enabled, 95 watts TDP
• Xeon X3460 processor; Base clock speed of 2.80 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 3.46GHz, 4 Cores/8 threads, 8MB cache, $316 at a 1K unit price, HT enabled, 95 watts TDP
• Xeon 3450 processor; Base clock speed of 2.66 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 3.2GHz, 4 Cores/8 threads, 8MB cache, $241 at a 1K unit price, HT enabled, 95 watts TDP
• Xeon 3440 processor; Base clock speed of 2.53 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 2.93GHz, 4 Cores/8 threads, 8MB cache, $215 at a 1K unit price, HT enabled, 95 watts TDP
• Xeon 3430 processor; Base clock speed of 2.40 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 2.8 GHz, 4 Cores/4 threads, 8MB cache, $189 at a 1K unit price, No HT, 95 watts TDP
• Xeon L3426 processor; Base clock speed of 1.86 GHz, Turbo Frequency of up to 3.2GHz, 4 Cores/8 threads, 8MB cache, $284 at a 1K unit price, HT enabled, 45 watts TDP

The new P55 Express Chipset supports 8 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Ports (2.5 GT/s), 6 SATA 3 Gb/s ports, RAID levels 0/1/5/10 via Intel Matrix Storage Technology, up to 14 USB 2.0 ports (using Intel USB 2.0 Rate Matching Hub), Intel HD Audio, and support for dual graphics cards in a “2×8” configuration.

So.. with new processor announcements comes.. reviews of course. Here’s a list of reviews from a variety of websites (along with blurbs).

Anandtech – “Core i7 870, i5 750”:

“Lynnfield shows us the beginning of how all microprocessors are going to be made in the future. Even AMD is embracing turbo, we’ll see it with Fusion in 2011. Extend turbo to its logical conclusion and you end up with something very exciting. Imagine a processor made up of many different cores, large and small, CPU and GPU. Each one turning on/off depending on the type of workload, and each running as fast as possible without dissipating more heat than your system can handle.”

TechReport – “Core i5-750 and Core i7-870 processors”

“The Lynnfield chips’ combination of price, performance, and power efficiency effectively clears the field in the desktop CPU market, leaving little room for competition from the Phenom II or older, cheaper Core 2 Quad processors—or even faster, pricier Core i7s.”

Tom’sHardware – “Core i5 and Core i7: Intel’s mainstream magnus opus”

“Alright, so the Core i5-750, specifically, is priced well. What is there to like about it? Reasonable power consumption, a base clock rate comparable to Intel’s Core i7-920, a more-aggressive Turbo Boost able to take the chip to 3.2 GHz in single-threaded workloads, CrossFire and SLI compatibility—it’s a pretty compelling list, actually.”

BenchmarkReviews.com – “Core i5-750 processor”

“Minor issues aside, the Core i5-750’s true strength lies in its Turbo Boost Technology. With it, the processor can automatically overclock all four of its cores independently to match the workload at hand. Down-clocking worked equally as well. Thanks to new power saving features, the Core i5-750 actually consumed the least amount of power out of all of the processors tested.”

Hardware Secrets – “Core i5-750 and Core i7-870 Processors Review”

“For the average user, Core i5 provides a better cost/benefit ratio than Core i7. It is true that Core i7 is faster than Core i5 even when we compare a Core i7 and a Core i5 running at the same clock rate as we did in our review, thanks to the Hyper-Threading technology that makes programs to “see” eight CPU cores instead of “only” four, but this difference in performance will be only worthwhile to professionals because a faster processing means more work done in less time, and thus more jobs for their clients and hence more money. We don’t see why a regular user would pay at least 45% more on a CPU that won’t give that much performance increase in return.”

Overclockers Club – “Intel Core i5 750 Core i7 870 Review”

PC Perspective – “Intel Lynnfield Core i7-870 and Core i5-750 Processor Review”

TweakTown – “Intel Lynnfield Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 Performance Testing”

Bjorn3D – “Intel i7 870 and i5 750 CPUs”

Enjoy!

I think it’s time for me to do a processor/system upgrade now…

Technorati Tags: Intel, Lynnsfield, Intel Core i5, Core i7

Scientists and Engineers are rock stars don’t you know?

At least they are to Intel. (Heck I’ve been telling that to my friends for years but no one seems to listen) That’s part of the message to a brand new advertising campaign for Intel corporation set to enhance and promote the Intel brand as opposed to any specific Intel product. Dubbed “Sponsors of Tomorrow”, the new campaign will officially launch on May 11th in the U.S., U.K., and Germany, with limited teaser ads appearing online as of today.

According to Deborah Conrad, Intel vice president and general manager, Corporate Marketing Group, “We’re hoping to convey that we’re not just a microprocessor company, but a move-society-forward-by-quantum-leaps company.”

This new campaign (which is expected to last between 3 to 5 years) also happens to be the first one from Venables Bell & Partners which was awarded the Intel master brand account back in January.

Check out www.sponsorsoftomorrow.com for a peek at the new campaign and make sure to check out the “videos” – they’re quite funny. My only complaint about the new site – it’s a bit flash heavy.. but then again so are many sites these days.

[Check it out]

[Check out the press release]

Technorati Tags: Intel, Sponsors of Tomorrow

Sigh.. every time I hear or read the words “Intel Science Talent Search”, I can’t help but think back to my old high school days in New York City and how nearly every one of us felt compelled to enter the competition (which was known back then as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search). Of course most of us decided to go this route simply to prop up our extracurricular activities in the hopes of getting into a good college of some sort. I lasted all of 3 months in my HS research program before deciding that I’d rather play HS baseball than do some research project for a competition I didn’t think I had a chance of winning or even placing… Ahhh the memories.

Oh yes.. why am I even writing about the Talent Search you might ask? Intel officially announced the Science Talent Search 2009 winners today with the top prize (a $100,000 scholarship) going to Eric Larson of Eugene, Oregon, who won with a research project on “classifying mathematical objects called fusion categories” (um.. yeah ok).

The other top honors are as follows (via Intel press release):

“Second Place: William Sun, 17, of Chesterfield, Mo., received a $75,000 scholarship for his biochemistry project that studied the effects of a recently discovered molecule that could potentially help efforts to treat bacterial infections or prevent neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Third Place: Philip Streich, 18, of Platteville, Wis., received a $50,000 scholarship for his chemistry project on carbon nanotubes that may lead to the development of ultra-strong materials and ultra-fast nano-electronics. Philip’s work has resulted in five provisional patent filings.

Fourth Place: Narendra Tallapragada, 17, of Burke, Va., received a $25,000 scholarship for his project to find ways to simplify complex models of atomic and molecular interactions. His goal is to one day create “mini-computers” that can be used, for instance, to create automatic insulin pumps inside diabetic patients or intelligent clothing that responds to temperature.

Fifth Place: Chelsea Jurman, 17, of Roslyn, N.Y., received a $25,000 scholarship for studying underage drinking behavior and how it is tied to teen perceptions of parental drinking and parenting behaviors.

Sixth Place: Noah Arbesfeld, 17, of Lexington, Mass., received a $25,000 scholarship for his work seeking to understand a fundamental structure underlying all of algebra, with potential impact for string theory.

Seventh Place: Alexander Kim, 17, of Fairfax, Va., received a $20,000 scholarship for researching the variation and diversification in populations of the Giant American River Prawn, the largest freshwater invertebrate in North America. His research furthers understanding of how species evolve and has implications for the future of ecosystems.

Eighth Place: Preya Shah, 17, of Setauket, N.Y., received a $20,000 scholarship for designing and synthesizing a tumor-targeting drug for cancer treatment that represents a new approach to delivery of chemotherapy agents and possibly treatment of multi-drug resistant cancer without causing significant side effects.

Ninth Place: Nilesh Tripuraneni, 18, of Fresno, Calif., received a $20,000 scholarship for formulating a set of hydrodynamic equations that may provide a potential method to better understand the first movements of the universe and could aid in the development of a quantum theory of gravity.

Tenth Place: Gabriela Farfan, 18, of Madison, Wis., received a $20,000 scholarship for her project investigating Oregon Sunstones, which contain one of the most common rock forming minerals in the world. She determined that these sunstones have unique micro-inclusions that allow them to look one color from one angle and another from a different angle. “

30 other finalists each received $5000 scholarships as well as new laptop with an Intel Core 2 Duo on the inside. Not bad! Congrats to these kids – they’ve achieved a great thing and they’ve also sealed their tickets to some top 20 university as a result.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Intel Science Talent Search 2009

Just when we were all getting used to 45nm processors, Intel reveals that their next-generation 32nm processors are not far away. In fact, we might very well see the first 32nm processors for desktop and mobile systems as early as the fourth quarter of this year!

According to PC Magazine, the latest Intel roadmap reveals two new 32nm dual-core processors – Clarkdale for the desktop and Arrandale for the mobile platforms. These will be the first CPUs in the new “Westmere” family of processors – thereby replacing the 45nm “Nehalem” family which debuted as part of the Core i7 processor introduction. 45nm process technology was first introduced in “Penryn” family of processors which includes the current Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors.

Both Clarkdale and Arrandale are dual core processors – each with hyper-threading enabled. This means you’ll have two physical cores on the processor die and a total of four logical cores. These will also be the first processors with integrated graphics and memory controller on the chip. The graphics component on the processor die will be switchable allowing you to use discrete graphics instead within your system.

You can read more about the 32 nm process transition over at PC Magazine. Exciting times for the processor world – lower costs and smaller, faster, cooler processors. Great stuff.

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Technorati Tags: Intel, 32nm processor, Clarkdale, Arrandale

Sony will reportedly close two television factories and eliminate 2000 jobs in Japan – although when this will happen is unclear. This could be part of their previously announced job cuts or this could be something new. Nevertheless jobs are being eliminated.

After having a horrid fourth quarter, Intel announced details on how it was going to reduce fab output and streamline production to match market demand. The company plans on closing two assembly test facilities in Penang, Malaysia and one in Cavite, Philippines. Production will also halt at Fab 20 in Hillsboro, OR, and wafer production will end at the D2 fab in Santa Clara, CA. A total of 5,000 to 6,000 employees will be affected by these moves but not all of them will leave the company. Intel plans on offering other positions at the locations.

Sony Ericsson also had a pretty miserable fourth quarter as it saw a 31 percent drop in net profits year over year. The company announced that it would cut 5,000 jobs or about 6 percent of the work force. Ouch.

Not exactly the best way to start the new year…

Technorati Tags: Intel, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Job Cuts

Widgets are migrating from the web/PC desktop, to the mobile phone, and now to the TV set. Dubbed the “Connected TV” experience, Intel showcased several upcoming devices utilizing the new Intel Media Processor CE 3100 and enabling the new “Widget Channel” application framework.

Announced back in 2008 and developed by Intel and Yahoo, the “Widget Channel” delivers Internet content directly to your television set via devices such as Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and of course the TV set. TV Widgets from all sorts of content service providers have been developed since the launch of the Widget Channel including widgets from AP, CBS, CinemaNow, eBay, MySpace, and Yahoo! Here are several pictures of widget enabled devices from the Intel CES 2009 booth. We’ll show some of the vendor specific devices later on (including HDTV sets from Samsung, Toshiba and others).

The bottom is a Widget enabled Blu-ray player.

Here’s a set-top box with Widget Channel support

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Intel, Connected TV, CES 2009, Widget Channel

Ever wish you could have your own personal wireless network wherever you go? If the answer is yes then you’ll be interested in Intel’s newly announced wireless driver and software update for Centrino 2 processor technology-based laptops. Dubbed “My WiFi Technology”, the software enables the creation of WiFi Personal Area Networks (PAN) – allowing you to connect Wi-Fi certified consumer electronic devices such as photo frames, cameras, TV sets, or in this case, robots. The technology allows you to connect up to eight Wi-Fi certified devices without the need for cables or a wireless router.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Intel, My WiFi PAN, Personal Area Networks, CES 2009

The era of the Intel Core i7 architecture is finally here. Really.

Informally announced earlier this month, Intel officially rolled out the processor this afternoon in an event at San Francisco. The processor pricing for the Core i7 architecture is as follows:

• Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition processor running at 3.2 GHz is priced at $999
• Intel Core i7-940 processor running at 2.93 GHz is priced at $562
• Intel Core i7-920 processor running at 2.66 GHz is priced at $284

The Core i7 processor is the first member of the new Intel Nehalem processor family with server and mobile versions  coming out later. Check out our earlier posting with links to tons of reviews of the i7 architecture.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Intel Core i7

If you’re into computer animation, then you might want to check out Mass Animation – the “first collaborative, worldwide effort to produce a computer-generated animated short film for theatrical release.” Kicked off by Intel, Mass Animation allows you to animate shots of “Live Music” – a 5 minute CGI-animated short film produced and directed by Yair Landau, the former president of Sony Pictures Digital. The collaboration is made possible via an application built on the Facebook Platform and will run through January 30th. Anyone can work on the project now and community voting will take place starting on November 24th. To jazz things up a bit, Dell will be awarding a Dell Studio XPS desktop PC powered by the new Intel Core i7 processor to animators whose creation was rated the best by the community on a weekly basis. Check out the following press release for additional information.

Intel Kicks Off Mass Animation Project

Animators and Animation Fans to Create First Community-Driven Short Film on the Facebook Platform

SANTA CLARA, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Nov 17, 2008 “And the award for Best Animated Short Film goes to … an Internet community?”

Intel Corporation today announced the start of Mass Animation, the first collaborative, worldwide effort to produce a computer-generated animated short film for theatrical release.

Starting today, artists around the world are invited to animate the shots of a 5-minute, CGI-animated short film titled “Live Music,” which is produced and directed by Yair Landau, former president of Sony Pictures Digital. The collaboration, through a unique application built on the Facebook Platform, will run through Jan. 30. Animators, regardless of experience, may begin work immediately, and community voting will open Nov. 24 at www.facebook.com/massanimation.

“Live Music” is inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and early CGI films. Set in a musical instrument store, the story follows Riff, a rock ‘n’ roll guitar, who, as Landau describes it, “falls in love to the wrong song but ends up with Vanessa, the classical violin of his dreams.” The story is conveyed through the universal language of music, allowing the expressions and actions of the characters to be instantly relatable globally. The instruments are brought to life through original compositions and familiar rock tunes played principally by legendary guitarist Steve Vai as Riff and acclaimed violinist Ann Marie Calhoun as Vanessa.

“Mass Animation’s first project, ‘Live Music’ is a great story that we are excited to tell through a breakthrough Facebook application,” Landau said. “This new method of creating films draws upon a global community and social technology to allow people to come together in a whole new type of creative collaboration. Animators around the world will get a chance to showcase their talent and imagination in the film; animation fans will have a say in which shots best convey the story and characters, and therefore deserve to make the final cut.”

“This project is about the magic that can happen when thousands of artistic people all over the world put powerful computing tools to use in the spirit of collaboration,” said John Cooney, online programs manager with Intel’s Partner Marketing Group. “The power of the Intel® Core™ i7 processor technology, introduced today and part of the project’s prize package, makes it possible for content creators to design, animate and innovate.”

The tools and 3-D models that animators will need to collaborate on this project including a limited duration version of Autodesk Maya* 3D Animation software** are provided, and can be accessed through the Mass Animation application on Facebook built by Aniboom.

Dell will be awarding a Dell Studio XPS* desktop PC powered by an Intel Core i7 processor to animators whose creation is rated the best by the community on a weekly basis. An international jury of animation experts will select the shots to be considered for the film. As director, Landau will have the final say as to which submissions make the final cut. Animators whose work makes it into the finished product will receive on-screen credit and US$500 in compensation.

In addition to Intel and thousands of participants in the project, Mass Animation’s partners in making “Live Music” include Dell, Autodesk, Reel FX Entertainment and Aniboom.

Visit www.facebook.com/massanimation to start collaborating today.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.

Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. *

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Technorati Tags: Intel, Computer Animation, Mass Animation, Facebook Platform

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Technorati Tags: Intel, Menlow,

It’s not everyday that we get to witness the launch of a new microprocessor architecture. However, today is the start of the “tock” portion of Intel’s tick-tock CPU initiative which means, that Intel’s latest microprocessor architecture code-named Nehalem is finally upon us. OK.. well sort of you won’t actually be able to purchase these processors until the end of the month or so but all the official news reviews are now out and folks – this CPU is a screamer. Officially known as the Intel Core i7, some of the basics on the new architecture are as follows:

• Built on a 45nm process
• Scales up to 8 processors
• Native quad core processor – four cores on a single die
• Integrated memory controller for the first time
• Hyper-threading enabled
• Three-tier cache system with a large 8MB L3 cache shared by all cores
• Triple channel memory
• New point to point system bus (bye bye front side bus)
• New SSE 4.2 instructions
• New power management features

It’s clear from the get go that the Core i7 architecture is built with servers in mind – which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad for desktops or mobile systems. It just means the processors are more efficient than ever before and this is all good news to us.

So let’s start the review parade shall we?

Anandtech starts things off by saying:

Intel has two thirds of the perfect trifecta here. Nehalem brings the ability to work on more threads at a time, redefining video encoding and 3D rendering performance, its SSDs shook the storage world, that just leaves Larrabee…

Next up, we have the TechReport:

The Core i7-965 Extreme is, by far, the fastest processor we’ve ever tested, and it seems clear the Core i7 architecture brings with it a general performance increase over the 45nm Core 2 processors it succeeds.

Tom’s Hardware says the following:

On the whole, the new processors are more efficient, although the system does draw more power at the platform level than the previous generation.

Bjorn3D mentions:

Enthusiasts will be putting out some serious coinage for the Core I7 965 Extreme ($999 To Vendor Price), but unless they want to be left with second best and chasing the heels of speed demons running the Core I7 965, they have no choice. It is the fastest Quad CPU on the Planet!

Over at hardCOREware.net:

So while we’re not quite witnessing the best Nehalem has to offer on the desktop, it’s more than enough to not only win the performance crown, but tip it forward in a cocky manner. At the very least, Core i7 is faster than similarly priced (some prices are estimates) Penryn systems. At best, it just smokes everything in its path.

The oh so hot HotHardware folks say:

Ultimately, we can’t help but be impressed by the new Core i7 processors. The performance, power profile, and overclockability are all very good even at this early stage.  Intel clearly has another strong product in their line-up that will undoubtedly appeal to PC enthusiasts and multimedia professionals alike.

And Hexus.net says:

The biggest improvements, we suppose, are how Intel has changed the way the processor interfaces with the system. There are gobs of bandwidth on tap and the QPI remedies many other bandwidth concerns.

here’s a legitimate review from LegitReviews (OK.. I was running out of puns here):

Intel has once again launched a great part that once again increases the performance gap between them and AMD.  With the Intel Core i7 pulling so far ahead of the AMD Phenom series of processors it almost makes you wonder if AMD will be able to ever catch up.

LostCircuits had the following:

In a nutshell, the Nehalem is a masterpiece and it will be extremely difficult for any other CPU regardless of which brand to measure up to it.

OverclockersClub:

Offering massive performance increases for people who need their computers to “work” and not play, the Nehalem is just what the doctor ordered. Gaining time and productivity are the aim of a processor of this caliber. Making it a little greener always helps as well. Getting the work done faster for less energy consumed is where the future is headed. Welcome to the future.

PC Perspective gives us their perspective:

Overall, the Intel Core i7 processor launch is a huge success.  I can remember vividly questioning Intel’s ability to nail its first attempt at a CPU with an integrated memory controller, a QPI interface and dramatic power efficiency improvements.  Intel executed on its roadmap to near perfection and the Core i7 is everything they promised it would be.

Here’s a trusted review from TrustedReviews (argh.. I know.. I hate myself for typing that):

It may not be as revolutionary a release for Intel as Core 2 Duo was, but Core i7 is still a big deal. Nehalem is faster clock for clock than Penryn, uses less power and makes much more efficient use of the power it does draw.

No tea breaks at Tbreak.com:

When we look at everyday usage applications, the new Core i7 965 EE from Intel is reasonably fast. Sure, there are a couple of benchmarks where the identically clocked 3.2Ghz Core 2 Extreme 9850 is a bit faster such as Firefox 2 or iTunes Audio encoding but then we have Photoshop and WinRAR where the Core i7 965 EE gives you bragging rights. With regards to gaming, three out of the five games we tested ran pretty much the same on the Core 2 9850 and the Core i7 965 EE while the other two showed considerable improvements.

Tweaking folks will want to hear the thoughts from TweakTown:

Overall, the Core i7 is definitely a CPU you will want to own, but it comes at a cost. A new board, new CPU and if you’re a DDR2 fanboy, those sticks now have to be binned in favor of DDR3 modules as well. Pricing will no doubt be quite steep for a while, so if you’re wanting some i7 action right now, be prepared to reach deep into those pockets.

Finally we cap things off with ExtremeTech:

The bottom line is that Intel has shipped a winning combination in a new chipset and CPU platform. It’s early in the lifecycle for Core i7, so we’ll be looking forward to what comes next. Meanwhile, you won’t go wrong with a Core i7 system, if you’ve got the budget and application mix to take advantage of it.

Technorati Tags: Intel Core i7, Nehalem

Intel announced that they are now shipping the X-25E Extreme SATA Solid State Drive – their “highest performing solid state drive”. Designed for server, workstation, and storage system platforms, the X-25E will be available in 32GB and 64GB capacities, use Intel’s Single Level Cell (SLC) NAND flash memory, and feature:

• Sustained sequential read speeds up to 250 MB/s
• Sustained sequential write speeds up to 170 MB/s
• 75 ms read latency
• 2.5 inch form factor
• 2 million hour mean time before failure
• SATA 1.5 Gb/s and 3.0 Gb/s interfaces

The 32GB X-25E will be priced at $695 for quantities up to 1000. No word on pricing for the 64GB version but it’s expected to sample in the fourth quarter with production in the first quarter of 2009.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Intel X-25E Extreme SATA Solid State Drive, SSD

You can read more here at Mobile Tech Today via Daily Tech.

Technorati Tags: Intel, Kingston Technology, Solid State Drive

• 1.6GHz processing core
• 1MB L2 cache
• 8W TDP
• Support for DDR2 667MHz memory

According to the Intel PR Chip Shots blog, the new processor is available as part of new Intel Desktop Board called the D945GCLF2. The specs for the D945GCLF2 include:

• Mini-ITX form factor
• Integrated 45nm Intel Atom Processor 330
• Intel 945GC Express Chipset
• Realtek ALC662 audio codec
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Eight USB 2.0 ports
• Two SATA ports
• One parallel ATA IDE interface
• One serial and parallel port
• Once PCI bus connector

Even though these new dual core Atom processors are designed for nettop systems, it’s not far fetched to imagine someone deciding to use these processors for netbook systems. Let’s hope so!

[Check it out via NetbookTech, DailyTech]

Technorati Tags: Intel Dual Core Atom Processor 330, Intel Desktop Board D945GCLF2

Spec wise, the 80GB drive can hit read speeds of up to 250MB/sec with an 85 microsecond read latency and write speeds up to 70MB/sec. With the drives now shipping, Intel also announced the pricing to these new 80GB SSDs. The 80GB drive will be selling for %595 in quantities of up to 1000.

Intel also plans on introducing a new line of single-level cell (SLC) SSDs for the server, storage, and enterprise markets within the next 90 days. The new SSD will be called the Intel X25-E Extreme SATA SSD and according to Intel are designed to maximize the Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS).

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Intel, X25-M, X18-M, Mainstream SATA Solid State Drives, SSD

• Quad core Intel Xeon processor L5430 – 2.66GHz 1333MHz 50 Watts – $562
• Quad-core Intel Xeon processor X5470 – 3.33GHz 1333MHz 120 watts – $1386
• Quad-core Intel Xeon processor X5492 – 3.4GHz 1600MHz 150 watts – $1493
• Dual-core Intel Xeon processor X5270 – 3.5GHz 1333MHz 80 watts – $1172

Intel also announced that all previously launched versions of the Xeon 5200 and 5400 series will now be halogen-free. To make life easier for hardware manufacturers, these new processors are drop-in compatible with existing Intel dual processor platforms that been in the market since 2006.

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Technorati Tags: Intel, Xeon, Hafnium-based high-k metal gate formula, Xeon X5492, X5470, L5430, X5270

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Technorati Tags: Intel Atom

As mentioned earlier, Intel announced the Intel Media Processor – CE 3100 – the first in a new family of System on Chip (SoC) processors designed for Consumer Electronics (CE) devices. Intel is hoping that the CE 3100 will allow the company to successfully penetrate the CE market and become a dominant supplier of system components – something Intel has failed to do thus far. The CE 3100 Media Processor, formally known as “Canmore” combines an IA processor core, multi-stream video decoding and processing hardware, 3 channel 800MHz DDR2 memory controller, dedicated multi-channel dual audio DSPs, a 3D graphics engine and support for multiple peripherals including USB 2.0 and PCI Express into a single package.

The CE 3100 features Intel’s Media Play Technology which leverages hardware based decoding for broadcast TV and optical media playback while using software decoders for Internet-based content.

In conjunction with the introduction of the Media Processor CE 3100, Intel announced the formation of the Intel Consumer Electronics Network – a collection of hardware, software, and service providers, who together aim to facilitate the development of Internet-connected CE devices based on Intel SoC platforms.

Intel’s ability to succeed in the CE market ultimately hinges on whether hardware manufacturers will adopt their platform. Plus – don’t expect competing chip manufacturers to sit idly by.

I do have one product suggestion which could be ideal for the CE 3100. I would love to see a set-top box that acts as both a Windows Media Center Extender and as a way to deliver the newly announced Widget Channel.

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Technorati Tags: Intel Media Processor CE 3100, System on Chip

Intel and Yahoo! are looking at new ways to bring Internet content and services to the television environment with the announcement of the new “Widget Channel”. The Widget Channel is a television application framework powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, and optimized for TV and related CE (Consumer Electronics) devices utilizing the Intel Architecture platform. Developers using the Widget Channel framework can utilize standard web programming languages and technologies to create widgets that bring together television content with interactive Internet-based services from a variety of sources. Yahoo! also plans on releasing their own branded TV Widgets that utilize their own services.

It sounds nice but how does this really pan out? The basic idea is as follows – developers create TV-based Internet applications in the form of widgets (powered by Yahoo! Widgets). These widgets then run on Intel architecture devices.. ah but what kind of devices are these? Since we’re talking about the television market, they have to be either HDTV sets, or set-top boxes (or perhaps standalone CE portable devices some day). This is why Intel is in the picture – they’ve been trying to break into the consumer electronics market and the Widget Channel is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Now why would Yahoo! want to be in this picture? Once software developers are on-board with their TV Widgets and set-top boxes get distributed to the masses, Yahoo! can 1) spread their influence via Internet services and 2) generate additional revenues through advertising – this time via televised content. Consider the possibilities of Internet based advertising delivered alongside television content!

The key to making this all pan out will be the hardware manufacturers of CE devices – the folks who manufacture HDTV sets, set-top boxes, and portable consumer electronics. If there’s wide-spread adoption, then Yahoo! and Intel could be on to something. If no one bites, then well.. this one will just drift off into space.

The two companies plan on releasing a software development kit to developers, advertisers/publishers, as well as hardware manufacturers of TVs and consumer electronics. The Widget Channel will also include a Widget Gallery where developers can publish their TV widgets across multiple devices.

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Technorati Tags: Intel, Yahoo!, TV Widgets, Widget Channel