HP announces Compaq AirLife 100 Android-based touch smartbook

HP has announced the launch of the Compaq AirLife 100, a new Android-based smartbook, for want of a better word, that's due to launch via Telefonica (so O2 in the UK) this spring.

Looking very much like a proof of concept we saw at CES, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon QSD8250 chipset, the AirLife 100 boasts a 92% full size keyboard, 16GB SSD, SD card slot, and a customised touch interface from HP including a new "tabbed" touch browser experience, what's said to be a "simple mechanism" for zooming web pages, and a touch optimised media suite and shortcut menu.

There's also GPS with NDrive navigation, 3G connectivity (which is where the Telefonica team-up comes in), Wi-Fi, a VGA webcam, instant on start-up and the boast of up to 12 hours battery life. 

"The browser has become the desktop for many people, and the new Compaq AirLife is the next evolution of a mobile computer that is streamlined specifically for the web", says Charl Snyman, an HP VP. 

"This new type of user lives life online and no longer measures computing speeds and feeds, but rather friends, people and online social ranks".

In terms of competitor devices, this section of the netbook/smartbook market is growing, but slowly, the Lenovo Skylight could be seen as in the same category, while as far as other PC maker go, Acer offers an Android-based netbook with the D250 - but this also offers Windows 7.

HP Compaq AirLife 100

HP's just announced Compaq AirLife 100, a new Android-based smartbook, is being shown off at the Mobile World Congress event and we were on hand to grab some live pics of the new portable device.

From the photos you'll see the 92% full size keyboard, SD card slot and webcam. What you won't see is the Snapdragon processor, 16GB SSD, GPS, 3G and 12 hours battery life. 

Have a browse through the pics below and we'll keep you posted with news of the AirLife 100 that's due to launch via Telefonica (so O2 in the UK) this spring.

LENOVO REFRESHES THINKPAD WITH CORE I7

Lenovo has taken the wraps off a quartet of new ThinkPad notebooks designed for a variety of business uses. Starting off the new line is the ThinkPad X201, a thin-and-light notebook that Lenovo claims is the industry's fastest ultra-portable. The system is available with a choice of full-fat 35W Intel "Arrandale" Core i5 and Core i7 processors, providing speeds of over 3GHz via Intel Turbo Boost. Weighing under 1.4kg, the system remains reasonably light and Lenovo reckons an optional nine-cell battery will provide up to 11 hours of battery life.

If portability edges ahead of performance in terms of value, you might prefer the new ThinkPad X201s - the new X201 derivative promises a slightly thinner shell, a weight of just over 1.1kg and it'll manager 12 hours of usage from the same nine-cell battery. Keeping with the X200-series line, Lenovo has also refreshed its tablet offering with the introduction of the X201t. The system is once again available with a choice of Intel's latest Core processors, but adds tablet functionality with a convertible 12.1in capacitive multi-touch display.

The tablet makes use of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system to provide a finger-friendly interface, and comes bundled with Lenovo's trusty SimpleTap application. In addition to offering multi-touch finger input, the X201t also carries a built-in Wacom pen, ideal for note taking and handwriting input. The standard matte display boasts a 185° viewing angle, and road warriors can even order the system with an optional superbright outdoor-readable screen.

Last but not least, Lenovo's ThinkPad workstations also get a refresh - with the W701 and dual-screen W701ds (pictured) now available with Intel Core i7 processors and NVIDIA Quadro FX GPUs. Mobile professionals can also configure both systems with an optional built-in Wacom digitiser, and the W701 and W701ds are certified to run popular applications from independent software vendors including Dassault Systemes CATIA, SolidWorks, and PTC Pro/E. The ThinkPad X201, X201s and X201t will be available next month with prices starting at £849, £1,099 and £1,149 respectively. Lenovo's workstation-class W701 and W701ds, meanwhile, will arrive in April priced from £2,040 and £2,770 respectively.

HP TouchSmart tm2 - a tablet, a notebook and multitouch too

After the apparent success of the first touch-enabled notebook aimed at consumers, HP has honed the design with the arrival of the HP TouchSmart tm2. It's a convertible notebook comfortable both in laptop or tablet form thanks to the swivel screen and it's multitouch enabled for all zoom, scroll and rotating manoeuvres.

The idea behind the machine is that it's adaptable for all environments and includes a digital pen for writing on the screen when in tablet form for note taking purposes.

It runs a low voltage Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a discrete ATI GPU and the rest of the specs are the consumer's choice when you get to the online store. The six-cell battery offers a reported 9 hours life, there's a finger print reader and it's all wrapped up in an aluminium chassis thermodynamically designed to keep the computer cool.

NEW TOSHIBA PORTÉGÉ TABLET ANNOUNCED

Toshiba come up with the new Portégé M780 Tablet PC that boasts multi-touch display capability. Capable enough to deliver an enhanced computing experience to students, educators and business professionals via the now well-known benefits of touch, it also offers an alternative platform to everyday computing which is sure to get your friends all curious about your latest purchase. Granted, this will be much more hefty compared to a skinny and lightweight netbook, but the features and specifications which we’ll look at later after the jump might just persuade you to pick one up.

The Toshiba Portégé M780 Tablet PC will run on the Windows 7 Professional. Toshiba has also thrown in their very own touch-enabled ReelTime and Bulletin Board applications that aim to help users find and organize information in a more conducive manner. It also boasts an Intel Core i3/i5 processor, DDR3 memory and Toshiba’s eSATA/USB combo port with Sleep and Charge. 12.1" LED backlit display tablet is also rugged enough to shrug off the occasional bump and spills courtesy of Toshiba’s EasyGuard technology that comprises of a hard drive impact sensor, LCD display protection, spill resistant keyboard and PC Health Monitor. Portégé M780 Tablet PC will start from $1,279 upwards.

Skype offers Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity

Skype has announced a new version of its VoIP client for Windows - version 4.2. The upgrade brings a host of improvements, but the most notable is a feature called Skype Access - which lets you connect to Skype on more than 100,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the world.

Instead of paying through your credit card, users are instead able to use their Skype Credit to pay for web access by the minute, saving you the expense of signing up for 60 minutes when you just need to make a quick phone call. Elsewhere, there's also call quality improvements, and the ability to make HD calls.

The call transfer feature has also been brought back, and there's the usual round of bug fixes and performance enhancements. It's available now, though hasn't been rolled out as an automatic update yet, so if you want to be the first on your block to be running it, then head over to the download site.

Mozilla begins browser education campaign

The Mozilla Foundation, who created and administers the open-source Firefox browser, has begun a campaign to educate web users about alternative options to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The move comes in advance of Microsoft launching a ballot screen that allows users of IE to pick which browser they want to use.

In an open letter on the front page of the OpenToChoice.org website, Mozilla's CEO John Lilly says: "It’s an important choice because the Web browser has become one of the most critical and trusted relationships of our modern lives – with nearly perfect knowledge of everything we do. It is the lens through which we look at the virtual world, and the medium by which we connect, learn, share, and collaborate".

There's a box to put in your email address, and when the ballot screen is rolled out you'll get a note in your inbox explaining the strengths of different browsers. To some of you, that'll seem a little ridiculous - surely no-one's still using Internet Explorer 6 out of ignorance, right? Well, there's still plenty of people out there who think Yahoo is a browser.....

Microsoft starts countdown to phasing out Windows XP, Vista, 2000

Don't panic, the date's not just yet, however as promised by Microsoft last year, the company is starting to inform Windows users that it will be phasing out support for its earlier operating systems.

"Back in October 2009 we talked about upcoming dates for end of support for certain Windows XP and Windows Vista versions. Those dates are getting closer and this is the time to remind customers running these versions that there is a need to take an action".

Basically if you are running anything other than Windows 7 you need to sit up and pay attention.

On April 13th, 2010, Windows Vista RTM will reach the end of support.

And on July 13th, 2010, all versions of Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 will also reach the end of support.

Users are recommended to download the latest service pack in all cases, or better still just buy a copy of Windows 7.

Apple patents rocking and rolling mouse

A just-revealed patent from Apple shows that the Magic Mouse might be getting even more super powers in the future.

As well as touch abilities, Apple is considering even more motion sensors than your average computer rodent boasts with a triple-axes gyroscope that detects the roll, pitch, and yaw of the mouse.

This would mean users could tilt the mouse to scroll horizontally and vertically or tilt the input device to move something - such as an image - on the screen.

The rockable mouse would also get a convex bottom in order to make it easier to carry out the tilts by rocking or rolling the mouse.

There's tons more info and diagrams over on Patently Apple if you fancy learning more, and we'll be sure to keep you posted with Apple news.

Samsung N150 notebook review

The Samsung N150 is the latest miniature notebook that promises an improved battery life and basic computing on the cheap. But can it deliver? We grabbed one and hit the road to find out.

Sporting the latest Intel Atom 1.66GHz N450 "Pine Trail" processor, the key here to the power and performance of the new Atom is an architecture that features the processor and graphics card on the one chip. That move means that the general power drain of the system is kept to a minimum so you can get plenty of power out of the included battery without having to resort to something large and clunky that sticks out the back.

The battery at 100% charge will promise you over 8 hours in total, enough to get you through the day without having to find a power socket: handy indeed if you are on the road. 

In our tests battery life varied depending on what we were doing, whether or not we used Wi-Fi, for example, but it's fair to say if you are just planning on surfing the web and general word processing, then it will be more than enough to get you through most of the day. 

Design wise the Samsung N150 is a lightweight device (1.24kg) that comes in a dulled white or black plastic shell. That plastic isn't that luxurious in its design compared to netbooks from the likes of HP or Toshiba, making this appear rather cheap.

That said, the outside sports a fairly inoffensive design that is simple and to the point. Connections are to be found down either side, with the underneath offering access to the removable battery, as well as the computer's RAM. 

Connections include three well-spaced USB sockets (one on the left, two on the right), Ethernet, VGA socket for use with a bigger monitor, and headphones and mic jacks. There is also a 3-in-1 memory card reader.

Open up the netbook and you're presented with a 10-inch matte screen that has a 1024 x 600 (WSVGA) resolution. That matte screen is perfect for working in bright light conditions, however the short height and tall Windows 7 taskbar will mean you either have to opt for a right- or left-side taskbar or auto-hide to get the most out of the screen when working on longer documents or surfing web pages. 

Beneath that you get a rather uninspiring keyboard that is tight in its design. While that isn't too much of a problem for the mainstay of the QWERTY keyboard, it does mean areas like the arrow keys and Fn keys are incredibly small requiring nimble hands to operate at any sort of speed. 

Below that is a rather large (considering the size of the netbook) trackpad with a button bar directly below it. The trackpad itself is easy to use, sensitive enough to allow fluid motion across the screen and even multi-touch support for scrolling, zooming and rotating your way through commands. 

The same however can't be said for the buttons bar, which we had trouble pressing easily. It's a simple problem that could have been fixed by making the bar slightly wider. Meanwhile above the screen is a 0.3 megapixel webcam, while sound is provided by SRS TruSound XT to please the multimedia fan in you.

Get past the pros and cons of the design, which is fairly typical, and you get to start using the computer for what it was intended. 

Samsung has packed the N150 with that processor we talked about above, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive. You'll also get Wi-Fi connectivity (b/g/n), however not Bluetooth. With no Nvidia ION graphics processor this is a netbook designed for light tasks, so it won't handle gaming nor acceptably play back your HD video. It is fine for SD video however. The N150 runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. 

Software wise and the N150 is loaded to the hilt with trial software that will have you searching for the delete key within seconds. After what seems to be a first install that lasts forever you'll get: Samsung Recovery Solution IV, Samsung Magic Doctor, Easy SpeedUp Manager, Easy Resolution Manager, Magic Keyboard, Adobe Reader, Easy Display Manger, Easy Network Manager, Samsung Battery Manager, Cyberlink YouCam, Samsung Update Plus, Battery Life Extender, Google Toolbar, Failsafe, AnyPC, Hyperspace, Game console, Suite Windows Live, and Microsoft Office Home & Student Trial + Microsoft Works all pre-installed. Cripes.

Microsoft brings BlueTrack mice to the masses

Microsoft has announced three new BlueTrack mice, which promise to bring its "work anywhere" technology to even more computer users.

The new mice, called the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500, Wireless Mouse 2000 and Comfort Mouse 4500 will all cost under $30 in the US and £30 in the UK.

The Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 includes a Nano transceiver that sticks out less than a centimetre from the USB port and the Wireless Mouse 2000 comes with a mini-transceiver that easily snaps into the bottom of the mouse when "on the go". The two mice also offer an ambidextrous shape with rubber side grips.

The Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 will be available in Loch Ness grey and Dragon Fruit pink, with the Wireless Mouse 2000 only being available in grey.

The Comfort Mouse 4500 is the first wired mouse featuring BlueTrack Technology and will be available in black as well as three fresh special-edition colours: sea blue", poppy red and strawberry pink.

Yours to own from April.

Philips laptop peripherals range

Philips may not make any computers itself, but that hasn't stopped the Dutch giant from coming up with a range of notebook and netbook specific peripherals launched at the Barcelona Winter Event 2010.

The company has promised more to come in the way of headsets, webcams, etc when the range arrives in May but for now, we got to play with a very compact power adaptor, a lapdesk with built-in speakers, a wireless mouse and very neat stereo speaker bar; designed to clip onto the top or side edge of any laptop screen.

There's also a notebook case which is reinforced with aluminium on one side; allowing you to use it as a makeshift desk on your knees while out and about. The idea is that the metal strips also raise your computer up - allowing for air flow underneath - as well as dissipating the heat along the surface of the case.

MSI updates All-In-One computer range

At CeBIT in Germany, MSI has announced that it'll be exhibiting an updated range of all-in-one PCs that comes with multitouch 3D touchscreens. MSI claims that these are the first products of their kind in the world.

They use a 120Hz panel and active shutter glasses to display 3D content, and the 22- and 24-inch models contain Intel's most recent chips - the Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors, along with Intel's Turbo Boost tech that gives power when you need it and offers battery savings when you don't. They also include premium speakers built-in to the frame - 5W for the Wind Top AE2280, AE2260 and AE2220, and 10W for the AE2400 and AE2420.

MSI's various all-in-ones come in 18.5-inch, 19.5-inch, 21.5-inch, and 23.5-inch designs in a range of different colours. We don't have any information yet on pricing or availability, but as soon as these computers start to roll out onto shop shelves, we'll make sure we tell you about it.

Belkin intros SuperSpeed USB 3.0 products

Belkin is giving computer users the chance to embrace USB 3.0 with the launch of a range of USB 3.0 products; enabling you to start using the plethora of hard drives and gadgets that will no doubt hit the market soon.

The new line of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 products, which includes a PCIe Add-In Card, ExpressCard, and Premium A-B and Micro-B Cables, allows you to move content-rich media back and forth between different devices.

For those excited about file sharing speeds Belkin is promising transfer speeds up to three times faster than USB 2.0.

Available from April in the US, those not wanting to dismantle their PC can opt for the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCIe Add-In Card at $79.99, while those happy to take their computer apart can opt for the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCIe Add-In Card, also $79.99.

Although the bolt-on will work with USB 2.0 devices, currently there is only a handful of USB 3 hard drives available on the market.

Lenovo expands ThinkPad lineup

Lenovo, who nabbed the ThinkPad brand from IBM a few years back, has rolled out a whole pile of new ThinkPad machines, from the small, to the large, to the non-keyboarded. There's the X201, the X201 tablet, the W701 and the W701ds. Let's take a look at them in a little more detail.

Starting with the ThinkPad X210, Lenovo reckons that this is the fastest ultraportable laptop around. It has a 12-inch display, weighing in at just 1.13kg and offering what Lenovo claims is 11 hours of battery life. It uses a regular voltage processor, rather than the ultra-low alternatives offered by most manufacturers, and goes beyond 3Ghz clock speeds.

Then there's the W701 and W701ds. These are heftier beasts, with 17-inch displays and built-in colour calibrators for people who work in design or content creation. They both have Core i7 processors and Nvidia's Quadro FX 2800 and 3800 Series GPUs. They also have built-in WACOM tablets. Memory goes up to 8GB. If you're wondering, the s variant offers slightly higher-spec processors.

Lastly, the X210t joins the tablet party with specs that include a 12.1-inch capacitive multitouch display with wide viewing angle, a touch-based hardware interface, an optional outdoor superbright screen, Intel Core processors, Windows 7, a range of security features, a 2-megapixel camera, WiMax, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and up to 8GB of memory.

The ThinkPad X201, X201 tablet, W701, and W701ds will be available from the start of March. Price will depend largely on configuration, but will start at $1,199, $1,549, $2,199 and $3,799 respectively.

Update: We have UK pricing and availability - The ThinkPad X201 and X201 tablet are confirmed as available from March, whilst the W701 and W701ds are available from April. Pricing for models of the X201 and X201 tablet start at approximately £849 and £1,149 respectively. The W701 and W701ds start at approximately £2,040 and £2,770 respectively.

BCC announces a computer called Alex

The Broadband Computer Company has announced an easy-to-use 15-inch laptop aimed at people who aren't very good with technology, and with it a manifesto of five "clear computing" points that it reckons makes life a whole lot easier. The computer's name is Alex

.

Alex comes with a "latchkey" - a USB stick without which the laptop won't operate. When you plug it in, it logs you on to a custom operating system that includes web access, email, an address book, a media player, a photo editor and a photo viewer. There's also word processing and spreadsheet applications that are compatible with Microsoft Office documents.

BCC's manifesto lists the following "clear computing" points. Your computer will be up and running within an hour of setting it up, you'll never have to update software or antivirus yourself, you'll never get an incomprehensible error message, you can store your files in a secure space on the Web without extra fees, and two forms of authentication are required to log you on - i.e. it's pretty secure.

The company offers two packages - one with broadband and one without. No specs for the laptops are provided, but from the descriptions given it sounds like the software is a custom Linux build of some sort. Pricing runs to £400 for the laptop plus £25 monthly for broadband included, or £10 per month without broadband. That gets you over-the-air software updates and online file storage.

As you're reading Pocket-lint, we presume this isn't a product that's targeted at you. Would you buy it for a relative, though? Or would you teach them how to use a regular computer and save some cash? Let us know what you reckon to Alex in the comments.

Microsoft Promotes MS Office through MacBook

Microsoft has hit on a novel idea for promoting Microsoft Office - by giving away MacBook Pros. Okay, so it's promoting Office for Mac, but even so, it's an odd move for the software giant to be sending out one of the best-selling products of arch-rival Apple.

Perhaps it's because the MacBook Pros in question have been rendered ugly as sin, by re-colouring them into blue, purple, orange and green - ensuring that you'll never want to take them out in public. Needless to say, it also comes bundled with a copy of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac.

If you want one, you can win by living in the US or Canada, following @officeformac on Twitter, or retweeting @officeformac no more than once with the #officeformac hashtag. The competition ends on 25 February 2010, so you haven't got long - get your skates on.

SANDISK G3 SSD NOW AVAILABLE

SanDisk G3 Solid State Drive is now being shipped to retailers in both North America and Europe. The flash memory-based SanDisk G3 SSD will be able to offer a compelling alternative to a 7,200 RPM hard drives for many customers Take the flagship 120GB SanDisk G3 SSD boasts an unprecedented long term reliability which allows it to endure up to 80 terabytes (TB) of data written to it over its lifetime. Since the SanDisk G3 SSD does not rely on moving parts, durability is improved which helps resist drive damage. SanDisk has also ensured that its G3 SSD is backed by rigorous shock and vibration testing procedures, and hence are confident enough of offering a 10-year limited warranty.

Performance-wise, the SanDisk G3 SSD accesses files up to twice as fast as a 7,200 RPM HDD. Capable of hitting a sequential performance of up to 220 megabytes per second (MB/sec) read speed and up to 120MB/sec write speed, it helps reduce maintenance requests associated with disk drive failure. The 120GB version is going for $399.99, and the 60GB model goes for $229.99.

INTEL CORE I5 750

All Intel Core i7 CPUs (LGA 1156 and LGA1366) support Hyper Threading technology. Problem is that just few applications really know how to use this technology efficiently. In addition, Core i7 CPUs for 1366 socket have triple channel memory controller and huge bandwidth, while double channel memory controller and slightly less memory bandwidth have CPUs for 1156 socket. Since there was demand for CPUs that are faster than “good old” Core2Quad models, and, on the other hand not too much slower than Core i7 models, but at the same time much cheaper, Intel decided to satisfy these demands with Core i5 CPU.

 

Code name for Core i5 is Lynnfield and it is made in 45nm manufacturing process. Core i5 does not support Hyper Threading, which means that Task Manager in Windows will show real number of cores present in CPU. Most users won’t notice any significant difference in performance levels compared to similar CPUs with Hyper Threading. Good news is that this CPU has integrated memory and PCIe controller, which will provide great performance levels.

Core i5 750 operates at 2.66GHz and has 8MB L3 cache memory while its thermal dissipation should be around 95W (when not overclocked). It has two-channel memory controller with support for DDR3 RAM standard (800/1066/1333). Most of technologies are supported by this CPU (Intel Virtualization Technology, Enhanced Halt State C1E, Intel Demand Based Switching, Intel Turbo Boost Technology etc) while some are missing (Intel Hyper Threading, Intel Thermal Monitor 2 and Intel Trusted Execution Technology).

Business PCs Arrive with New Intel® Core™ vPro™ Processor Family

Intel Also Unveils Other Products and Services for Businesses of All Sizes

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• Business PCs based on 2010 Intel® Core™ vPro™ processors with Intel® Turbo Boost meet growing office performance demands, include enhanced security, management features.
• 2010 Intel® Core™ i5 vPro™ processor can run business productivity applications up to 80 percent faster, multiple applications twice as fast, and encrypted material three times quicker.
• New Intel® Core™ vPro™ technology features integrated "keyboard-video-mouse," Remote Encryption Management, new data and asset theft deterrents.
• New notebook technology for system builders, entry-level workstation for the channel, wireless adapters perform up to speed

Intel Corporation today unveiled its 2010 Intel® Core™ vPro™ processor family to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes for PCs with greater, more flexible performance, theft prevention and cost savings in a rapidly changing business computing environment. These and several other capabilities are at the heart of many new Intel-based business laptop and desktop computers beginning to roll out from computer manufacturers worldwide.

The Intel Core vPro processors arrive as business computing evolves with the emergence of video, Internet telephony, social networking and other heavyweight applications – in many cases running at the same time – making a computer's performance an even bigger priority.

"Businesses, particularly those that haven't purchased PCs for several years, face a computing environment that no longer handles the applications many workers and IT are adopting," said Rick Echevarria, vice president, Intel Architecture Group, and general manager, Business Client Platform Division. "The integration of intelligent performance along with smart security and cost-saving manageability features in the Intel Core vPro processor family provide IT and SMBs a no-compromise platform. We also are excited about how Intel vPro Technology gives IT the flexibility to look at client virtualization, consumerization and rich cloud applications."

The platform based on the 2010 Intel Core vPro processor family includes the newIntel® Q57 Express chipset, and new Intel® 82577LM Gigabit Network Connectionfor notebooks and Intel® 82578DM Network Connection for desktop PCs.

Computer manufacturers worldwide, including Acer*, ASUS*, Dell*, HP*, Lenovo* and Toshiba*, are rolling out business PCs based on the 2010 Intel Core vPro processor family. In addition, developers of software solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises such as Aternity*, Bomgar*, Kaseya*, LANDesk*, Level Platforms*, LogMeIn*, Microsoft*, N-Able*, RealVNC*, Spiceworks*, Symantec* and WinZip* will support the new features in their upcoming products. IT service providers, including AT&T Tech Support 360* and PlumChoice*, plan to adopt Intel Core vPro Technology capabilities into their SMB offerings.

Thinking Fast

The processors are based on Intel's award-winning "Nehalem" microarchitecture and manufactured on Intel's groundbreaking new 32-nanometer process. Intel has integrated high-definition graphics in its processors for the first time, and incorporated Intel's second-generation high-k metal gate transistors that help increase computing speed and battery life.

The 2010 Intel® Core™ i7 processors and Core™ i5 processors feature Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology for adaptive, "smarter" computing. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology automatically adjusts the speed of the processor when it senses a workload change – faster when the user, for example, is multitasking or watching a video, and slower, more energy-efficiently when the worker goes for coffee and only background applications are running.

Contributing to the industry-leading speed and energy efficiency of the processors, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology interconnects multiple processor cores with multiple "threads" that enable faster processing of instructions in parallel.

Using standard benchmarks, a notebook with the 2010 Intel Core i5 vPro processor can run business productivity applications up to 80 percent faster¹, multiple applications up to twice as fast¹, and protect confidential data up to 3.5 times quicker¹ compared to a 3-year-old mainstream notebook.

Outsmarting Evil Doers

Intel® Anti-Theft Technology, available with Intel vPro Technology frustrates thieves by locking access to a PC if a central server or built-in intelligence concludes it is lost or stolen. New Intel Anti-Theft Technology version 2.0 (Intel® AT 2.0) enables encryption solutions to disable access to cryptographic keys through hardware to completely block access to data, and also makes it simpler to reactivate a PC once in rightful hands. Also, a custom message can be displayed in a pre-OS screen of the disabled PC for anyone who tries to access the computer. Many computer makers plan to support Intel AT 2.0, such as Fujitsu*, HP, Lenovo and Panasonic*, and such security companies as Absolute Software,* PGP*, Phoenix* and WinMagic*.

Thinking Straight on Management

The new Intel Keyboard-Video-Mouse Remote Control (KVM Remote Control), features available with dual-core Intel Core i5 and i7 vPro processors work in conjunction with Intel® integrated graphics, bringing a stop to IT administrators' frustration with having to ask users, "What do you see?" Instead, they will see users' displays just as the users do and have full control of the PC, even if the operating system is inoperative. Previously, KVM functionality required appliances that cost as much as $200 and more per PC.

As encryption becomes more prevalent in business PCs, Intel has added features that avoid productivity slowdowns. First, Intel incorporated new instructions for the Advanced Encryption Standard into the hardware, speeding up encryption and decryption. Second, new Intel® Remote Encryption Management enables distant IT personnel to manage PCs with encrypted hard drives by more securely unlocking those drives, making all of the Intel vPro Technology capabilities available.

Another new feature, PC Alarm Clock, can wake a PC from off at a predetermined time to perform maintenance, security and other tasks on its own.

Boost for Small-, Medium-sized Businesses … 

Today, Channel OEMs and system builders, including ASI*, Equus* and Seneca Databegan* introducing notebooks for SMBs based on the 2010 Intel Core processor family and other Intel building blocks. The full-featured line of notebooks, supported by an Intel enablement program called "Spring Peak," are being developed by original design manufacturers such as Gigabyte* and Pegatron*, and sold through Intel channel distribution. The Spring Peak platform offers distinctive design, docking station, 15.6-inch LED LCD performance notebook and supports Intel Anti-Theft Technology.

... and Enterprises

Intel launched a workstation platform based on the new Intel Core i5 processor and the Intel® 3450 chipset. The platform creates an innovative category of entry-level workstations that delivers workstation efficiency, power and reliability at near-traditional business PC prices. The platform is aimed at SMB and enterprise users who run such applications as digital-media creation or entry-level computer-aided design. The platform takes advantage of new Intel HD graphics and has been certified on applications from ADOBE, Autodesk and others. Workstations based on the platform are being introduced by Intel channel providers, including Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo and NEC.

For wireless performance that complements the speed of the new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, Intel unveiled the Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 and Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200 802.11n WLAN adapters. The adapters offer advanced 802.11n multi-stream capabilities, dual-band support, consistent coverage and higher speeds (up to 450 Mbps for the 6300 and 300 Mbps for the 6200). Intel also introduced the Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 adapter, which offers up to 20-Mbps WiMAX and advanced 802.11abgn (up to 300 Mbps) WiFi for maximum versatile coverage. All three adapters support Intel vPro Technology.