Hasta La Gadget!

This week at Computex, Acer has revealed a set of notebooks and desktop machines that bring on 4th generation Intel Core (Haswell) processor technology along with upgraded features to their units. Here with the Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook line, a bit of an aesthetic change has been made to the industrial design of the machine. Deriving from the successful bits and pieces seen in the Acer Aspire S7, the Acer Aspire S3 now takes on a look that’s a bit more “today”.

Here at SlashGear we’ve done an Acer Aspire S3 review as it existed back in February of 2012, packed with its own Intel Core i7 processor. Back then it was nothing to joke about when it came to entertainment abilities and general comfort in use, but here in 2013, things have changed a bit.

The Aspire S3 now uses Windows 8 and employs touchscreen abilities, working with a dual-torque hinge like the S7 for flat-lying multi-user functionality. This device now employs a light-sensing keyboard with auto-adjusting backlit keys, an aluminum cover sprayed “Sparkling White” with a “mirror-polish” finish to evoke “the family design and visual purity of the S7′s gorilla glass cover”, and the operation area throughout the machine is made from anodized aluminum – smooth and tough, that is.

Inside the Acer Aspire S3 alongside a 4th generation Intel Core processor will be NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M graphics – architecture introduced in April of this year for what was up until this past week NVIDIA’s top-notch graphics processing offering for the laptop form factor.

The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook will be available with a 7.2mm 1 TB hard disk for storage and will come standard with features like WiDi (Wireless Display) courtesy of Intel’s newest generation of processors. This machine’s 1080p Full HD display works with 170 degrees of viewability with IPS LCD technology and the whole system is able to wake from Sleep mode “in just 1 second” according to Acer with Acer Fast Resume, this and basic booting from complete shut down turning the display on when the display is opened. No more need for a power button!

This 17.8mm thin machine will be available in the third quarter of 2013, while final pricing and exact dates will be available sooner than later.

Acer Aspire S3 2013 reboot nabs design tips from S7 flagship is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

After the announcement that they’d created a set of motherboards based on the Intel Z87 chipset specifically for the next generation of Intel Core processors, today the team is aiming at making their offering unique with NFC, Thunderbolt, and 4-way optimization. With the ASUS Z87 motherboard lineup, the team at ASUS is pushing DELUXE/DUAL as the first Intel 8 series-based montherboard that’ll be certified for Intel Thunderbolt technology. This first board will ship with two Thunderbolt ports right out of the box.

The Z87-EXPERT was shown for the first time today, this joining the DELUXE/DUAL with Thunderbolt technology as well. Inside these bits of architecture, users will find Dual Intelligent Processors 4 with 4-Way Optimization, here detecting and adjusting configurations dynamically to bring on the best setup based on actual PC usage.

This range works with an updated UEFI BIOS bringing user-friendly functions aside Wi-Fi GO!, what ASUS describes as “new generation” 802.11ac wireless connectivity. NFC EXPRESS is added to the Z87 lineup with wire-free pairing of desktop PCs with a variety of smartphones – Android first, remote PC control and content sharing included.

The NFC EXPRESS accessory has added a sensor box to the mix, this being the spot where you’ll be tapping your smartphones to pair with your NFC EXPRESS-laden ASUS Z87 motherboard. This device connects to your PC with its two USB 3.0 ports and allows password-free Windows 8 login, automatic data syncing, and again, Remote Desktop connectivity – which we’re especially interested in seeing due to the relative lack of dedicated services as such in the Android world aside services like SplashTop.

The NFC EXPRESS accessory ships with the Z87-DELUXE/DUAL motherboard but can also be purchased separately. ASUS Z87 motherboards are shipping right this minute – availability and pricing varies by territory, but you can expect prices to appear anywhere between $180 and up above $450, with manufacturers on the open range.

SOURCE: ASUS

ASUS Intel Z87 motherboards gain “EXPERT” model, NFC, and Wi-fi for Haswell is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Today the Intel 4th Generation processor wave begins to creep up once again with ASUS letting it be known that they’ve got three machines that’ll run this “Haswell” generation initially. The first of these is a single black and standard-looking M51 desktop PC – standard looking on the outside, that is – inside it’s got a bit more of a punch. Then there’s the ET2301 and ET2702, slim form-factor all-in-one PCs as well.

The stark black floor-standing desktop PC you see before you is the ASUS M51, working with a matte finish combined with a textured fascia that makes for a fingerprint-less appearance. Up top is an ASUS Wireless Charger tray so your Qi-standard wireless charging smartphones (like the Nexus 4 or any of various Nokia Lumia devices) can charge with ease.

Inside is an ASUS Universal Storage Module using an industry-standard interface up in a front drive bay – USM compatible portable hard drives can be swapped in and out with native SATA connections. Inside is also ASUS Smart Cooling system working with automatic fan speed control – not unlike that which we’ve seen recently in NVIDIA’s 700-series graphics card releases. This machine is ready to roll with either NVIDIA or AMD discrete 3D graphics as well as ASUS SonicMaster audio technology.

The ET2301 and ET2702 work with 23-inch and 27-inch widescreen displays, the larger working with 10-point multi-touch touchscreen technology while the smaller works with 5-point multi-touch. The ASUS ET2702′s 27-inch display works with ultra-high 2560 x 1440 resolution, while the ET2301′s 23-inch display works with Full HD 1920 x 1080. Touchscreen abilities are optional on both of these models.

The ET2702 features the option of Intel Thunderbolt ports and can act as a second screen for your notebook computer. Connecting a notebook with HDMI and USB cables to the ET2702 allows access to display, speakers, and USB peripherals. The ET2301 and the ET2702 work with 178-degree viewing angles as well.

Both all-in-one models work with ASUS SonicMaster technology as the M51 does, while they’re both also available with an optional desktop subwoofer for bass performance as well. And of course, most important of all, each of these models will be available with 4th generation Intel Core processors. Pricing and release dates have not yet been made public.

ASUS Haswell launch begins with all-in-ones and an M51 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Intel‘s new Atom chips, codenamed “Bay Trail”, are set to launch for tablets at some point later this year, but it seems Intel wants to take the architecture from the new Bay Trail chips and implement it in their Celeron and Pentium processors for desktops and laptops, proving that Intel is putting more emphasis on their low-cost Atom chip.

Intel has always used the Celeron and Pentium as their entry-level chip for laptops and desktop computers, but the company will be turning up the heat just a little bit while still keeping the lineup at a budget price. It seems Intel is confident enough that its new tablet chip will be quick enough for desktop and laptop use.

Intel claims that Bay Trail will be up to three times faster and five times more efficient than older Atom chips, so users should definitely see a significant increase in performance. Bay Trail is actually based on Intel’s Silvermont architecture, which is being implemented into the company’s Merrifield smartphone chips, and since Intel says that Silvermont has a ton of flexibility, they’ll be able to customize Bay Trail to power a slew of new laptops and desktops at different price points.

Previously, Pentium and Celeron chips have been based on the same architecture used in Intel’s faster Core chips (with the most recent being based on Ivy Bridge), but with fewer features in order to keep the price down. It’s expected that Intel will unveil its new Core architecture called Haswell that we’ve heard a lot about so far.

Intel released its first Pentium chip in 1993, which was clocked at 66MHz, and the first Celeron chip was launched in 1998 running at 300MHz. Since then, these two chips haven’t made much of an impact lately, but Intel is still keeping them around to use in budget computers, including their new Pavilion 14 Chromebook.

SOURCE: PC World

Intel Atom architecture coming to Celeron, Pentium chips is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung‘s upcoming Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 will use an Atom processor rather than an ARM-based chip, multiple sources claim, marking a high-profile win for Intel and a perhaps surprising move for Samsung, which makes its own Exynos ARM silicon. The new 10.1-inch Android tablet will use a Clover Trail+ processor in at least one of its variants, both Reuters and Korea Times report, with insiders at Samsung and Intel supposedly confirming rumors about the architecture switch that had been circulating for the past weeks.

Although Samsung has already scheduled a standalone event in the UK on June 20, at which the company has promised the reveal of new Galaxy and ATIV hardware, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 apparently won’t wait that long to break cover. In fact, Samsung is tipped to be unveiling it at Computex, which kicks off on June 4.

Other specifications for the tablet are unclear, though it’s likely to use an LCD display rather than Samsung’s AMOLED panels, based on previous models of the same size.

Initially, speculation that Samsung would look to Intel’s chips was met with some degree of skepticism, not least because Samsung has its own chip production facility. The company’s Exynos processors have already been used in numerous Samsung products, leading to questions as to why the brand might dilute its “home supplier” advantage.

According to the Korea Times, however, the deal with Intel is part of Samsung’s strategy to hedge its bets on chip supply. “Samsung wants to secure as many processors as possible at better pricing” an unnamed member of Samsung’s research team told the Korean source. “That’s why Samsung Electronics has recently been diversifying its procurement channel in processor chips as a strategy to stabilize production yields of its in-house Exynos-branded processors.”

Intel, for its part, has apparently been more than willing to accommodate Samsung casting a broader net for its processor supplies. The x86 company has supposedly offered highly competitive prices for the Atom CPUs, and has reportedly increased its Atom chip specialists based at Intel Korea eightfold, to more than 50, in the space of a year.

“Most of them are working for Samsung-related projects with a mission to customize circuits for adaptation on Samsung products” an unnamed Intel source suggested.

Intel has had some quiet successes with its Android-on-x86 push, including the Motorola RAZR i launched last year, which impressed with its performance even if sales didn’t quite compete with other high-profile handsets. The company has previously confirmed its goal to take a bigger bite of the mobility pie, aiming to undermine ARM’s success in the smartphone and tablet industry, though difficulties achieving the same degree of power efficiency and performance have undermined Atom chips.

VIA: Engadget; Android Beat

Galaxy Tab 3 packs Atom not ARM tip sources as Intel ramps mobile push is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.