Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Intel debuts 2GHz Atom Z550 processor, demos Moorestown platform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/08/intel-debuts-2ghz-atom-z550-processor-demos-moorestown/

In celebration of the Atom's one-year anniversary, Intel's unveiled Z550, the latest processor in the family and as the rumors suggested, it clocks in at a pretty impressive 2GHz along with support for Hyperthreading, all in under three watts of power usage. Additionally, it took the veil off of the Z515 with Intel Burst Performance Technology, which can bump the speed up to 1.2GHz. In more forward-thinking news, senior VP and general manager Anand Chandrasekher demoed its Moorestown MID platform on stage at a presentation, which we last heard was supposed to show itself in a more tangible form sometime this month via an Archos netbook. We've contacted Intel for video of that demonstration, so you're just gonna have to wait a bit for that.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel debuts 2GHz Atom Z550 processor, demos Moorestown platform originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Bumptop gives Windows 7 touchscreen PCs purpose

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/08/video-bumptop-gives-windows-7-touchscreen-pcs-purpose/

Bumptop has been around as a video concept for a few years. Now this amazing desktop organizer with a physics engine underpinning the UI is available for download (PC only). The software allows you to bump and toss weighted objects across the desktop and organize them into folders or piles the way you would on your real-world desk. It also includes the ability to pan and zoom on images with all the gesture support you'd expect. While a touchscreen (multi-touch supported when Windows 7 ships) display provides a more natural interface, Bumptop also works with a mouse. Check the video after the break -- then hit up the download link below which we suspect you'll be frantically searching for after the video ends. Granted, we we don't want to spend our days with arms outstretched at "work" in front of a touchsceen PC anymore than you, but software like this could be useful on our lesser used, kitchen PCs.

Update: Katherine Boehret and Walt Mossberg have posted their review after playing with the wares for a few days. It's definitely "worth a try" but requires a shift from an application- to a desktop-driven approach to daily computing. Something they don't sound eager to do regardless of how "fun" Bumptop is.

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Continue reading Video: Bumptop gives Windows 7 touchscreen PCs purpose

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Video: Bumptop gives Windows 7 touchscreen PCs purpose originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM (employee): Storm 2 with "new approach to text entry" for end 2009, early 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/08/rim-employee-storm-2-with-new-approach-to-text-entry-for-en/

Reputable Dutch site Tweakers has Alain Segond von Banchet, RIM channel sales manager according to LinkedIn, stating that the BlackBerry Storm followup is scheduled to launch at the end of the year or at the beginning of next. In addition, he has the phone coming to KPN, not Vodafone who had the first generation Storm locked-up under an exclusive deal. Interestingly enough, Mr. Segond von Banchet says that the Storm 2 (not the final name) will "offer among other things a new manner to input text" -- among other things meaning WiFi, presumably, as we heard before. Keep in mind that channel sales managers do not typically represent a company to the press. Nevertheless, what he's saying does jibe with previous rumors and we have no doubt that RIM is working hard to avoid the universal disdain that greeted the Storm's mushy, push-button touchscreen input.

Update: Tweakers responded telling us that Mr. Segond von Banchet was speaking on the record for RIM because there was no one from marketing at the TeleVisie 2009 Expo yesterday.

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM (employee): Storm 2 with "new approach to text entry" for end 2009, early 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds! .

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