INTEL HOUSE

Summer is the season for sequels, and Intel's hoping to match the blockbuster success of Centrino Duo with the latest iteration of its mobile platform, Centrino 2. Essentially a marketing term, Centrino 2 (code-named Montevina) is used to describe a raft of new technologies from Intel, including a handful of new Core 2 Duo processors; a new chipset with a faster front-side bus; a new graphics solution with support for high-definition content and switchable graphics; and updated wireless and wired connectivity.
But do you need to run out and buy a Centrino 2 laptop? What are the expected benefits? After the page break we run down the new features and what they'll mean to you.
New processors: The processors launching with the new platform are built on the same 45nm Penryn architecture that debuted earlier this year, though the new chips now all support the faster, 1,066MHz front-side bus.
Three of the processors are part of a new class of energy-efficient CPUs designed to enhance battery life; these are designated with a part number 'Pxxxx' (think P for "power optimized"). The energy-efficient CPUs have the added advantage of staying cooler than their more power-hungry counterparts, a development that should bring about even smaller, thinner laptops.
The remaining processors--part number 'Txxxx' and 'Xxxxx'--prioritize performance. All six new processors and pricing (per 1,000 units) are as follows:
Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 (2.26GHz): $209
Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz): $241
Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 (2.53GHz): $348
Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 (2.53GHz): $316
Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.8GHz): $530
Intel Core 2 Extreme X9100 (3.06GHz): $851
Faster overall performance: The new Mobile Intel 45 Express chipset increases the frequency of the front-side bus to 1,066MHz, which helps all the components of the system communicate more quickly. The point is moot if you're using DDR2 memory, which currently tops out at 800MHz. But the new chipset also supports DDR3 memory, which has a higher peak throughput than previous memory technologies. Intel is always reluctant to quantify performance improvements, but company representatives have promised "dramatic" performance gains.
More flexible graphics. One of the big developments with Centrino 2 is support for switchable graphics. The new chipset enables systems that switch--either automatically or user-controlled--between integrated Intel graphics (to conserve battery life) and discrete graphics (for more powerful performance). Lenovo and Sony have already promised this feature in some of their latest models.
Also notable with Centrino 2 is built-in support for high-definition video playback, HDMI, and DisplayPort.
Enhanced network connections: The two wireless options available with the new platform support the 802.11n standard, and Intel promises you'll be able to roam up to twice as far as you could with the company's previous Wi-Fi chip. It's also poised to start offering WiMax support in the fall.
On the wired side, support for high-speed Gigabit Ethernet--a feature that's likely to appeal to business users--is standard with Centrino 2.
Other goodies: Centrino 2 can support 2GB of Turbo Memory, flash memory designed to speed up commonly used applications. Also, Intel continues to woo businesses by offering Centrino 2 with vPro, which incorporates a handful of additional technologies for remote management and configuration.
Overall, Centrino 2 has all the hallmarks of a box-office hit. Every component of the platform--processor, chipset, graphics, wireless--has seen at least modest enhancements designed to increase performance, decrease power consumption, and add functionality.
And while it's too early to speak in general terms, our preliminary test results seem to back up at least some of Intel's claims. The first Centrino 2 systems to hit CNET Labs have all included P-series Core 2 Duo processors, and while the performance gains are modest, all have demonstrated impressive battery life.
We expect Centrino 2 to come into clearer focus throughout the summer as we test more of the latest laptops to include the new components. Stay tuned to Crave and our laptop reviews page as we highlight and review even more systems built on the new platform.

The day may not be far off when a farmer does his spring planting, not from the driver's seat of a tractor, but from his office desk. And instead of driving a single tractor, he will be able to monitor several automated units at once, as they till fields, plant seeds, dispense fertilizer and harvest crops.
The vision is known as precision farming, and it is based on a future generation of Intelligent Autonomy Vehicles (IAVs). While they will resemble conventional tractors and harvesters, the automated vehicles, which are now in the concept stage, will perform tasks from spring plowing through fall harvesting without the need for onboard human operators.
Why it's a game changer
Soil conditions such as acidity (pH), moisture, particle size, compaction, mineral content and organic composition can vary significantly from one area to the next within a field. Equipped with GPS navigation equipment and onboard sensors to analyze soil conditions, an IAV can measure soil characteristics on the fly at the front end, and then use the results of the soil analysis to dispense the precise application of fertilizer – all in a single pass as it traverses the field.
Processing intelligence is the key to precision farming, as the onboard embedded computer uses complex algorithms to perform fast analysis and calculate optimum chemical application rates in real time. The technique promises to save money by maximizing the productivity of farm equipment, minimizing the use of farm chemicals, conserving fuel and potentially increasing crop production by providing ideal applications of fertilizers and water.
Coordinating field preparation, planting and other tasks allows essential operations to be performed in the shortest possible time. The tractor can also build a database of statistical information that can be mapped to micro-sites within a field and correlated with crop monitoring data and satellite imagery throughout the growing season.
What's so intelligent about it?
Each tractor or other vehicle will be guided by an onboard control system consisting of two subsystems:
A control subsystem based on an embedded Intel® Atom™ processor to run analytic software programs and power the vehicle's sophisticated Human-Machine Interface (HMI), which shows a real-time map of the field, and provides data on soil conditions, water, crop characteristics, and other variables.
A communications subsystem for GPS positioning, navigation, steering, onboard connectivity, and WLAN-based communication to the farm's monitoring center.
The energy efficient performance and low thermal characteristics of Intel Atom processors make them ideal for fanless, convection cooled, small-footprint onboard embedded automation and control computers designed to withstand dust, heat, humidity and vibration. Intel® architecture also provides the processing performance and headroom to run sophisticated applications for analysis, data mapping and the HMI.
Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance member MEN Mikro Elektronik is already fielding interest in its products for IAVs in farming. Barbara Schmitz, chief marketing officer, notes "Coupled with application-specific carrier boards, our COM solutions XM1 (ESMexpress*) or MM1 (ESMini*) using Intel Atom processors Z530 and Z510 and industrial temperature versions Z510P, Z530P, Z510PT, Z520PT are ideal for developing solutions for harsh, mobile environments like farm and other commercial vehicles."
In addition to sampling local soil conditions and monitoring crops, onboard sensors will also be used for machine vision systems for collision avoidance and crop monitoring. Other sensors can monitor the fuel state and operating condition of the tractor and its attached implements and send read-outs to the farm's central monitoring station. Automatic alerts can enable farm operators to perform preventive maintenance to avoid costly equipment breakdowns.
The HMI systems, whether in the tractor's cab or displayed on a monitor back at the farm office, can be identical for every vehicle on the farm. This makes it easy for a single operator to supervise, and if necessary control several autonomous vehicles simultaneously from an office or a mobile computer in a pickup truck.
Automated vehicles powered by intelligent, connected embedded devices are about to make precision farming a reality around the globe, promising greater productivity, at less cost, to help feed the world.

You may have seen news today that AMD announced its new Spider platform this morning, consisting of two quad core Phenom CPUs, a new 700-series of motherboard chipsets, and its already announced Radeon HD 3000-series of graphics cards. At 2.2GHz and 2.3GHz for the Phenom 9500 and 9600, respectively, AMD's new chips will need to rely on price, rather than performance, to entice buyers to choose those chips, or systems based on them, over Intel's 2.4GHz Core 2 Quad Q6600. Pricing will shake out as the various retailers get their inventories and can gauge demand, but at least at the start, the $283 Phenom 9600 is more expensive than Intel's Q6600, which we've seen for as low as $260.

AMD's new quad core Phenom chip will need to rely on price to win customers.(Credit: AMD)
And while AMD has said it will announce faster Phenom chips in January 2008, Intel stemmed that news by seeding preview versions of a forthcoming Core 2 Extreme QX9770 chip, a high-end quad core CPU set to release in January. Several hardware sites took the bait and tested the preview hardware, with the overall message being that Intel isn't worried about it losing its performance-leader position.
So where does this leave you, the potential new desktop buyer, this holiday season? First, with only four desktop launch partners--Cyberpower, Falcon Northwest, iBuypower, and Velocity Micro--you should only expect to find these systems in expensive gaming systems. We went over to Velocity Micro's Web site and priced out a Phenom-based Raptor 64 DualX with a Phenom 9600 and two Radeon 3870's for $3,135. That doesn't sound like a bad deal on paper, and we hope to start playing with a review sample soon for a true performance look. Interestingly, no one offers a AMD-based system with three or four Radeons as enabled by CrossFireX, AMD's new multi-GPU standard, announced as a feature of the new 700-series chipset.
But if a $3,000 system of any hardware combination will give you strong price-performance, you don't have a lot of great options if you want to spend $5,000 or $6,000 on a gaming PC right now. The fastest consumer CPU right now is Intel's Core 2 Extreme QX9650. The fastest GPU is Nvidia's GeForce 8800 Ultra, preferably in dual-card SLI mode. The problem is you can't build that system today. Intel's X38 chipset, required for the QX9650, won't support two Nvidia graphics cards in SLI mode. And Nvidia's SLI-capable 680i chipset can't handle the Intel QX9650 chip. With no motherboard chipset currently able to support both Intel's new chip and Nvidia SLI cards, you're forced to compromise on either CPU or GPU power.

AMD's CrossFireX. If only we could find a vendor that sells it.(Credit: AMD)
Numerous reports of a next-generation Nvidia Nforce 700-series chipset (about which Wikipedia has an excellent summary) suggest that this may be the platform circuitry high-end system builders need to get those $5,000 and $6,000 rigs to the appropriate performance levels. And its absence perhaps explains why HP's Blackbird and other high-end PCs don't yet offer Intel's new core 2 QX9650's. If NForce 700 doesn't come out before or shortly after the higher-end Phenom CPUs, and in the meantime AMD's CrossFireX becomes fully-realized (and remains exclusive to AMD chipsets), a possible, if remote, scenario could find Intel and Nvidia leading the individual CPU and GPU markets, but with AMD boasting the fastest overall desktop platform.

During Intel's earnings conference call Tuesday, CEO Paul Otellini said inexpensive "ultra-thins" will give users what they're missing in Netbooks, a theme that the chipmaker has been reiterating in various forums lately.

Acer Aspire Timeline ultra-thin laptop(Credit: Acer)
Intel continues to try to maneuver this new and more profitable category of laptops into territory where Netbooks continue to hold mindshare. Ultra-thins are low-cost laptops, typically with 13-inch screens, based on Intel's ultra-low-power (ULV) chips. Netbooks have screens usually no larger than 11 inches and use Intel's lower-cost, lower-performance Atom processor.
Echoing prior comments by other executives, Otellini said that ultra-thins address the Netbook's shortcomings. "When people try to do 3D games on these things (Netbooks) or try to run their office applications on them, they tend to think it's a bit slow and that isn't just the processor, it's the entire architecture," he said in response to analyst's question during the conference call, which was streamed on Intel's Web site.
"Now, if you want a thin and light notebook, you don't have to just pick a Netbook. You can pick an affordable notebook that has more functionality," Otellini said.
Well-established consumer perceptions of Netbooks and the higher prices of ultra-thins, such as the $699 Acer Aspire Timeline, makes the latter a challenge to position in the marketplace.
"When we first released our ultraportable (ultra-thin) a lot of people looked at it and said, 'oh it's Netbook,'" said Kelt Reeves, president of enthusiast PC maker Falcon Northwest. "No, it's close to a Netbook in size but it's much, much more capable," Reeves said, addressing user misconceptions.
Windows 7 may not go very far in correcting all the confusion. "Windows 7 runs well even on a $199 Netbook," said Ashok Kumar, an analyst at investment bank Collins Stewart. Kumar said Intel may continue to have trouble managing consumer perceptions of Netbooks and ultra-thins.
Otellini also revisited the subject of cannibalization--that is, the tendency for Netbooks to take market share from more mainstream laptops. "We're talking about a total cannibalization that's probably no more than 20 percent," Otellini said, in response to another analyst question.
The Intel CEO also said that Netbooks may become increasingly popular as a wireless 3G device sold by telecommunications companies. "I think in 2010 that's likely to be a large part of the business...There was a Best Buy, Sprint Netbook ad last week at $0.99 if you signed up for two years...And you'll start seeing more of that," he said.

Intel Successfully Completes Wind River Acquisition ›
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 17, 2009 – Intel Corporation today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Wind River Systems Inc.
Mass Animation's 'Live Music' Short to Play with TriStar Pictures' 'Planet 51' ›
LOS ANGELES and SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 16, 2009 – Mass Animation, Sony Pictures and Intel Corporation today announced that the ground-breaking animated short film "Live Music," a worldwide collaboration by animators using a unique application built on the Facebook Platform, will be attached to TriStar Pictures' animated feature "Planet 51," scheduled for a Nov. 20 wide theatrical release in North America.
Intel Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend ›
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 16, 2009 – Intel Corporation's board of directors has declared a 14 cents per share quarterly dividend on the company's common stock.
Intel® Health Guide Adds New Connectivity Options, Customers ›
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 16, 2009 – Intel Corporation today announced additional connectivity options along with new customers for the Intel® Health Guide, reflecting increased momentum for Intel's next-generation remote patient monitoring solution.
Intel Reports Second-Quarter Results ›
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 14, 2009 – Intel Corporation today reported second-quarter revenue of $8.0 billion.
Read all news releases ›

The concept of a home theater personal computer, also known as an HTPC, is growing in popularity thanks to TiVo and Microsoft Media Center editions of the Windows operating system. Building your own HTPC system gives you freedom and flexibility, allowing you to select your own software and hardware.
Not everyone is willing to spend the time to research, purchase components, build, and configure their own HTPC, which is why the pre-built solutions such as TiVo are so popular. If you're willing to spend some time with this process, you'll soon have an amazing HTPC, without the costs, subscription fees, and restrictions of pre-built solutions. Why pay a premium for inferior hardware and software? Build your own with custom components and free software.This guide will walk through a hardware setup, and Ubuntu and MythTV installation. It will also focus on the configuration of LIRC, modprobe, and other components important for running an HTPC.

[edit] Steps
Know your own requirements. Do you want to use this HTPC as a stereo as well? Will it store your MP3 collection and act as a server? What other users can you dedicate to it?
Research and purchase hardware. While almost any modern PC will work, specific component technologies will help your HTPC handle smooth recording and playback of video.
TV Tuner cards. Hauppauge and ATI have made their names a standard for TV tuners and other multimedia cards. The Hauppauge PVR-150 (a single TV tuner card) is more widely supported in third-party software than any other card. Multiple PVR-150 cards may be installed in one PC and recognized with any TV recording application without any customization. The same is true for the dual TV tuner card from Hauppauge, know as the PVR-500.
Memory. Almost any DDR memory is suitable for up to two TV tuners. For three or more TV tuners, DDR-400 or higher bandwidth memory with a CAS latency of 2 is recommended, and for DDR2, a CAS of 4 is recommended. Avoid DDR3 modules until the latency numbers are improved. Recording multiple streams of video while playing another requires decently low latency memory.
Case. You may buy a case specifically designed for HTPC systems, or use a standard ATX case. There is a lot of flexibility here depending upon where you plan to keep the system, and how much cooling you'll need. If you're opting to keep this in a central location such as a living room or den, you might want to focus on keeping the system quiet and dust-free. This is always a balancing act when higher performance components are utilized. Pick a case with more airflow and ventilation than you need for your components so that you'll be able to lower the fan speeds once its built.
Assemble the system.
Configure the BIOS. Since this system will be powered on all of the time, one of our priorities is to minimize the time it's sitting idle while fully powered on. Not only does this conserve energy, but it also prolongs the life of your hardware. Inside of your system's BIOS configuration utility, you will want to set a timeout for a system standby mode. Some PCs will have additional controls for powering down components after so much idle time, while others will need to rely upon the operating system's settings to do this. Also, avoid using a suspend mode, as many operating systems have difficulty recovering from it.
Download and install a free distribution of Linux. Ubuntu is one of the easiest and most popular distributions for MythTV since it already includes many of the individual components you'd need with other distributions. Feel free to choose a distribution that suits your need and expertise, but this guide will focus on Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn):
Download a LiveCD ISO image from a mirror site listed on ubuntu.org. An ISO image is an image of a optical disc that is ready to be burned onto a CD or DVD.
Burn the ISO to a spare CD using CD burning software such as Nero.
Boot your new HTPC to the installer CD.
Select the "Start or install Ubuntu" option or let this screen time out to select it automatically.
Double click on the "Install" icon once Ubuntu Live CD has loaded the desktop.