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Power-frugal Intel chips to spawn new laptops

The most power efficient of Intel's new series of mobile processors will start appearing in new laptops in February, according to the chipmaker.

Sony Vaio Y series uses Intel ultra-low-voltage processors

(Credit: Sony)

The Core i3, i5, and i7 processors are slated to replace most of Intel's older generation of Core 2 processors across its mobile, desktop, and server lines. At the Consumer Electronics Show last month, Intel introduced mainstream mobile processors based on the Core i design--the Core i3 and i5.

Though laptops using Intel's standard-power Core i mobile processors have already hit store shelves en masse, systems using the chipmaker's ultra-low-voltage, or ULV, Core i processors will begin to appear "in early February," according to an Intel representative. These new processors include the i5-520UM and i7-640UM. Because ULV chips consume relatively little power, they are used in laptop designs in order to offer longer battery life.

High-profile laptop lines that currently use Intel's older Core 2 ULV chips include the Dell Adamo, Toshiba Portege R600, Sony Vaio Y, and Hewlett-Packard Envy 13. The most widely used processors have been the SU9400 and SU9600. Dell, last week, began offering steep discounts on its Adamo laptops that use the SU9400, cutting prices by about $500.

With the new i3 and i5, Intel is changing the way it rates power efficiency to account for the new "Arrandale" chip design that packages the graphics silicon together with the main Intel processor.

A Core i chip rated at 18 watts will now be considered a ULV processor, compared with the 10-watt rating of the older Core 2 technology. This is done to account for the additional power load of the graphics circuits that, before, were in a separate chip package called the chipset.

To date, Apple's MacBook Air has used Core 2 low-power processors but the Air's processors run at relatively high speeds of 1.86GHz or 2.13GHz, higher than ULV-designated chips in other ultrathin laptops, and therefore are not as power efficient.

Though Apple is expected to use Core i5 processors in its upcoming MacBook Pro lineup, it is not yet clear which processor Apple would opt for in a new MacBook Air model--if indeed Apple is planning an imminent update for this model.

Sportpong puts pong on the floor

Two weeks ago, we reported on how electronic projections and digital technology was taking traditional board games to a whole new level. Now, old-school video games are being taken to a whole new level with Sportpong.

Yes, you can’t get any more old school with video games than the classic Pong game with the paddles and squared ball. This Sportpong is definitely a more active game than Dance Dance Revolution and WiiSports put together.

You can check out the video after the jump to see how it works, but it has people strapping “paddles” onto their feet that are equipped with special reflectors. From above, projectors beam the image of the bouncing ball, and users must block the ball from hitting the opposite wall, with their feet.

Sounds like a good way to get an old school gamer into shape, doesn’t it? Sportpong feels like a game that people would play at night clubs, and then return home drunk and completely out of breath.

Unfortunately, this Sportpong is not for sale, at least not yet. At this point, it can only be played by contacting the Swiss creators, and scheduling it for special events. I have no idea how much the cost of this is.

MagicJack Enters the Cell Phone Game

Ever see that infomercial for that little gadget that hooks up to your PC that makes unlimited phone calling something like $30/ year? Great idea but who can deny the fact that targeting landlines exclusively is missing out on a major chunk of the telephone industry?

MagicJack, the company responsible for the device, has apparently taken note as indicated by the release of their new femtojack; the cellular equivalent of the technology.

The femtocell will work with mobile phones from potentially any carrier (even old GSM phones) without any paid service plans with a carrier. All the user would have to do is come within eight feet of the magicJack one time to register the connection then enjoy unlimited airtime within a range of 3000 square feet.

Pricing has yet to be determined.