Intel shows off speedier Thunderbolt tech
Intel today announced the next generation of its Thunderbolt technology, which doubles the speed and works with previous inputs. The technology, which Intel announced at the National Association of Broadcasters conference today, supports up to 20Gbps bidirectionally (up from 10). That extra speed means the cables can now support both transferring a 4K video and putting it on screen at the same time, reports Engadget.Related storiesThunderbolt is go from AppleIntroducing Intel's Thunderbolt (video)Can Intel's Thunderbolt go mainstream with help from Apple and Acer?Thunderbolt is the input/output technology that brings transfer speeds that exceed what is currently available with USB 3.0 (though not for long), as well as extending that speed across several devices at once. The port was introduced following a collaboration between Apple and Intel in early 2011, and is now found on all Apple computers save the Mac Pro tower. It's since made its way into a number of PCs, initially on machines from Lenovo and Acer. Intel plans to build the newer version of Thunderbolt hardware, codenamed Falcon Ridge, into its next major generation of chipsets, and it will make its way into products at the "end of this year," with a "ramp in 2014." You can read more about Thunderbolt in CNET's FAQ.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Intel Ivy Bridge chip imminent, quad-core first
Intel Ivy Bridge chip imminent, quad-core first
Expect the first of Intel's Ivy Bridge chip announcements on April 23, when the chipmaker will unveil its high-performance models, sources tell CNET. The first Ivy Bridge processors will be quad-core mobile and desktop, an industry source, who is familiar with the rollout, told CNET. More power-efficient ultrabook-specific dual-core chips will come later in the quarter.Related storiesIs this the future of Windows 8 ultrabooks?First Intel Ivy Bridge launch expected on April 23Ivy Bridge is the first in a series of upcoming Intel mainstream chips that emphasize graphics and multimedia processing over more traditional compute tasks. And most importantly for consumers, Ivy Bridge chips will power the wave of Windows 8 ultrabooks that will break later in the year.Those systems are expected to have touch screens and include hybrid designs that straddle the laptop and tablet markets. And Apple is expected to tap Ivy Bridge for a thinner 15-inch MacBook Pro-class system as well as future MacBook Airs.And Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, Acer, and Asus will update and/or bring out new systems. These will run the gamut of laptop designs, but more systems are expected to be thin. Even many higher performance systems are expected to have a slimmer chassis. Those laptops typically use a separate graphics chip from suppliers such as Nvidia.
Expect the first of Intel's Ivy Bridge chip announcements on April 23, when the chipmaker will unveil its high-performance models, sources tell CNET. The first Ivy Bridge processors will be quad-core mobile and desktop, an industry source, who is familiar with the rollout, told CNET. More power-efficient ultrabook-specific dual-core chips will come later in the quarter.Related storiesIs this the future of Windows 8 ultrabooks?First Intel Ivy Bridge launch expected on April 23Ivy Bridge is the first in a series of upcoming Intel mainstream chips that emphasize graphics and multimedia processing over more traditional compute tasks. And most importantly for consumers, Ivy Bridge chips will power the wave of Windows 8 ultrabooks that will break later in the year.Those systems are expected to have touch screens and include hybrid designs that straddle the laptop and tablet markets. And Apple is expected to tap Ivy Bridge for a thinner 15-inch MacBook Pro-class system as well as future MacBook Airs.And Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, Acer, and Asus will update and/or bring out new systems. These will run the gamut of laptop designs, but more systems are expected to be thin. Even many higher performance systems are expected to have a slimmer chassis. Those laptops typically use a separate graphics chip from suppliers such as Nvidia.
Intel credits Apple with big gains in battery life
Intel credits Apple with big gains in battery life
At Intel's investor day meeting Thursday, an executive cited Apple as the primary force behind the chipmaker's push for big improvements in battery life. "We're extremely excited about the MacBook Air," said Kirk Skaugen, senior vice presidentof Intel's PC Client Group."Essentially, cooperating with Apple doubled the battery life from generation to generation -- from 6 to 12.5 hours on the MacBook Air," he said.Related storiesCNET's 2013 MacBook Air reviewCNET Reviews said that the battery life on the 2013 MacBook Air with Intel's Haswell processor is "astonishing." "The previous-generation 13-inch Air ran for 7 hours and 27 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. The 2013 version blows that out of the water, with an astonishing 14 hours and 25 minutes on the same test," CNET Reviews said. And Skaugen also saw Apple's move to Intel's graphics silicon in its latest MacBooks and iMacs as a huge win. "We were extremely pleased that Apple has moved a significant portion of their iMac andMacBook Pro line to Intel Iris Pro graphics," he said.
At Intel's investor day meeting Thursday, an executive cited Apple as the primary force behind the chipmaker's push for big improvements in battery life. "We're extremely excited about the MacBook Air," said Kirk Skaugen, senior vice presidentof Intel's PC Client Group."Essentially, cooperating with Apple doubled the battery life from generation to generation -- from 6 to 12.5 hours on the MacBook Air," he said.Related storiesCNET's 2013 MacBook Air reviewCNET Reviews said that the battery life on the 2013 MacBook Air with Intel's Haswell processor is "astonishing." "The previous-generation 13-inch Air ran for 7 hours and 27 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. The 2013 version blows that out of the water, with an astonishing 14 hours and 25 minutes on the same test," CNET Reviews said. And Skaugen also saw Apple's move to Intel's graphics silicon in its latest MacBooks and iMacs as a huge win. "We were extremely pleased that Apple has moved a significant portion of their iMac andMacBook Pro line to Intel Iris Pro graphics," he said.
Instagram for Android grabs 1 million downloads on first day
Instagram for Android grabs 1 million downloads on first day
Eager Android users awaiting the release of Instagram scooped up a million copies in less than 24 hours.The free photo-sharing app made its official appearance on Google Play yesterday following a pre-registration period on March 24 that captured 430,000 interested users. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom told The New York Times yesterday that the app was grabbing 2,000 people each minute following its debut.Instagram has already proven a hit among iOS users, named by Apple as the iPhone App of the Year in 2011.The app initially launched in October 2010 as a way to tweak and share photos with other people. Users can edit photos via a series of filters and then share them on Instagram as well as on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and other social media sites.Related storiesiPhone users: Android is ruining our Instagram clubInstagram for Android: The good, the bad, the uglyCNET gives 4 1/2 stars to InstagramGetting started with Instagram for AndroidThe 30 million registered users upload more than 5 million photos each day. More than a billion photos have been shared so far just among iOS users -- a number that's sure to climb dramatically now that Android has joined the party.Those of you unfamiliar with the app can see what all the fuss is about courtesy of CNET's review.
Eager Android users awaiting the release of Instagram scooped up a million copies in less than 24 hours.The free photo-sharing app made its official appearance on Google Play yesterday following a pre-registration period on March 24 that captured 430,000 interested users. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom told The New York Times yesterday that the app was grabbing 2,000 people each minute following its debut.Instagram has already proven a hit among iOS users, named by Apple as the iPhone App of the Year in 2011.The app initially launched in October 2010 as a way to tweak and share photos with other people. Users can edit photos via a series of filters and then share them on Instagram as well as on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and other social media sites.Related storiesiPhone users: Android is ruining our Instagram clubInstagram for Android: The good, the bad, the uglyCNET gives 4 1/2 stars to InstagramGetting started with Instagram for AndroidThe 30 million registered users upload more than 5 million photos each day. More than a billion photos have been shared so far just among iOS users -- a number that's sure to climb dramatically now that Android has joined the party.Those of you unfamiliar with the app can see what all the fuss is about courtesy of CNET's review.
Inside the Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro
Inside the Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro
As has been discussed far and wide already, the new MacBook Pros use switchable graphics. Need high performance? The Pro taps the power of the Nvidia GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor. Need to be frugal with power consumption (i.e., when on battery power only)? The technology automatically switches to the more power efficient Intel integrated graphics.Other highlights, according to iFixit:The battery is now rated at 77.5 Wh. That's just a tad bit bigger (6 percent) than the 73 Wh battery we found in last year's 15-inch model. The battery is just three screws and a connector away from being able to be replaced.Apple moved the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth board. This redesign no longer requires the wireless connections be integrated into the camera cable, greatly decreasing the size of the connector.Since the WiFi/Bluetooth board is now mounted inside the all-metal case, Apple added an antenna that is mounted on the frame for the optical drive opening.Apple changed the design of this speaker assembly slightly, moving from a single plastic enclosure to separate plastic enclosures for the speaker and subwoofer that are connected by the speaker leads.Apple has stopped using five-point Torx screws found on earlier MacBook 15-inch Unibodies in favor of Tri-Wing screws.
As has been discussed far and wide already, the new MacBook Pros use switchable graphics. Need high performance? The Pro taps the power of the Nvidia GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor. Need to be frugal with power consumption (i.e., when on battery power only)? The technology automatically switches to the more power efficient Intel integrated graphics.Other highlights, according to iFixit:The battery is now rated at 77.5 Wh. That's just a tad bit bigger (6 percent) than the 73 Wh battery we found in last year's 15-inch model. The battery is just three screws and a connector away from being able to be replaced.Apple moved the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth board. This redesign no longer requires the wireless connections be integrated into the camera cable, greatly decreasing the size of the connector.Since the WiFi/Bluetooth board is now mounted inside the all-metal case, Apple added an antenna that is mounted on the frame for the optical drive opening.Apple changed the design of this speaker assembly slightly, moving from a single plastic enclosure to separate plastic enclosures for the speaker and subwoofer that are connected by the speaker leads.Apple has stopped using five-point Torx screws found on earlier MacBook 15-inch Unibodies in favor of Tri-Wing screws.
Inside CNET Labs Podcast 95- 'Over 5000--'
Inside CNET Labs Podcast 95: 'Over 5000--'
We start low this week with a sad story about Foxconn and more specifically, Foxconn's employees. We achieve a disposition that's definitely humorous, but respectful. I hope.Dong laments Apple's ascension over Microsoft to the top of the tech-company hill and Google ditches Windows. Bad week for the Redmond, Wash.-based company and lovers of it. Dong, in particular. Keeping with the "big three" theme, Google shows some speed tests of Chrome; and Opera did a little testing of their own.Finally, Blizzard finally introduced a mobile auction house for World of Warcraft. And we finally talk about it. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com.Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Subscribe now:iTunes (audio) |RSS (audio)
We start low this week with a sad story about Foxconn and more specifically, Foxconn's employees. We achieve a disposition that's definitely humorous, but respectful. I hope.Dong laments Apple's ascension over Microsoft to the top of the tech-company hill and Google ditches Windows. Bad week for the Redmond, Wash.-based company and lovers of it. Dong, in particular. Keeping with the "big three" theme, Google shows some speed tests of Chrome; and Opera did a little testing of their own.Finally, Blizzard finally introduced a mobile auction house for World of Warcraft. And we finally talk about it. To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com.Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Subscribe now:iTunes (audio) |RSS (audio)
Score free MP3s from Amazon, Rhapsody, MP3.com
Score free MP3s from Amazon, Rhapsody, MP3.com
As you probably know, iTunes gives away one song every week (gee, wow, thanks). Head to Rhapsody, however, and you can score a free song every day. And not just obscure tunes from little-known artists: Green Day's new "Know Your Enemy" was a recent download of the day (ahead of the new album's release, even), and yesterday's selection was Poison's classic power ballad, "Every Rose Has Its Thorns." (Couldn't...help...myself.)Next, pay a visit to Amazon's MP3 store, which is home to a whopping 827 free downloads (and counting--the site adds new tunes every week). You may not recognize all the artists, but you'll find gems from the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Flight of the Conchords, Iron & Wine, and Better Than Ezra.Finally, CNET's own MP3.com offers a huge library of free tunes, though it's not a particularly easy library to browse.Know any other good sources for free, legal, and worthwhile MP3s? Head to the comments and name 'em!Update: Coldplay's new live album, LeftRightLeftRight, is available free for the download starting today. The only tricky part is connecting to the band's already overloaded Web site.
As you probably know, iTunes gives away one song every week (gee, wow, thanks). Head to Rhapsody, however, and you can score a free song every day. And not just obscure tunes from little-known artists: Green Day's new "Know Your Enemy" was a recent download of the day (ahead of the new album's release, even), and yesterday's selection was Poison's classic power ballad, "Every Rose Has Its Thorns." (Couldn't...help...myself.)Next, pay a visit to Amazon's MP3 store, which is home to a whopping 827 free downloads (and counting--the site adds new tunes every week). You may not recognize all the artists, but you'll find gems from the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Flight of the Conchords, Iron & Wine, and Better Than Ezra.Finally, CNET's own MP3.com offers a huge library of free tunes, though it's not a particularly easy library to browse.Know any other good sources for free, legal, and worthwhile MP3s? Head to the comments and name 'em!Update: Coldplay's new live album, LeftRightLeftRight, is available free for the download starting today. The only tricky part is connecting to the band's already overloaded Web site.
Questions about Nokia's new music phone
Questions about Nokia's new music phone
Announced last December, Nokia's Comes With Music initiative has a lot of promise: instead of buying individual songs (like iTunes) or paying a subscription (like Rhapsody, the Zune Pass, and others), the cost of downloading music will be built into the price of the phone. Now, the service supposedly "launched" on Sept. 2 in the U.K., but the Nokia U.K. home page still has a form for users to indicate their interest in the service. No pricing, no details. Meanwhile, press speculation is all over the map. Most folks are assumingit'll come with unlimited downloads. But The Guardian Music Blog has done the math about royalties and concluded that there will be some sort of limit on the number of downloads. (I speculated the same thing back in April.)So here's what Nokia needs to announce tomorrow as they roll out the 5800:How much will the new phone cost? (If it's more than the iPhone, good luck.)How many downloads will a user get, over what period?What will users be able to do with those downloads? Will they be tethered to the phone? (No thanks.) Protected with DRM? (This may be acceptable if the restrictions are reasonable, although this means that downloads will probably not be playable on other devices if you ever give your Nokia phone up in the future.) Will the downloads ever expire and become unplayable? If so, after what period or under what conditions? (This would be a deal-breaker for me--I don't want to redownload every time I buy a new phone--but might be acceptable for users who don't have huge libraries of downloads.)I await the announcement when all will hopefully be revealed....
Announced last December, Nokia's Comes With Music initiative has a lot of promise: instead of buying individual songs (like iTunes) or paying a subscription (like Rhapsody, the Zune Pass, and others), the cost of downloading music will be built into the price of the phone. Now, the service supposedly "launched" on Sept. 2 in the U.K., but the Nokia U.K. home page still has a form for users to indicate their interest in the service. No pricing, no details. Meanwhile, press speculation is all over the map. Most folks are assumingit'll come with unlimited downloads. But The Guardian Music Blog has done the math about royalties and concluded that there will be some sort of limit on the number of downloads. (I speculated the same thing back in April.)So here's what Nokia needs to announce tomorrow as they roll out the 5800:How much will the new phone cost? (If it's more than the iPhone, good luck.)How many downloads will a user get, over what period?What will users be able to do with those downloads? Will they be tethered to the phone? (No thanks.) Protected with DRM? (This may be acceptable if the restrictions are reasonable, although this means that downloads will probably not be playable on other devices if you ever give your Nokia phone up in the future.) Will the downloads ever expire and become unplayable? If so, after what period or under what conditions? (This would be a deal-breaker for me--I don't want to redownload every time I buy a new phone--but might be acceptable for users who don't have huge libraries of downloads.)I await the announcement when all will hopefully be revealed....
iTunes Radio to go live in September, says report
iTunes Radio to go live in September, says report
Apple's new iTunes Radio will launch next month with several advertisers paying for commercial spots, according to the folks at AdAge.Citing information from "people familiar with the negotiations," AdAge said that Apple has already lined up advertising deals with McDonald's, Nissan, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, and possibly one or two other companies. Advertisers will pay anywhere from millions to tens of millions of dollars to run ads within the music service over a 12-month period, according to AdAge.Related storiesDialed in 110: Lessons for Android (podcast)The 404 Podcast 498: Where Jeff battles the TriadBuzz Out Loud Podcast 1145: China to Google: Suck itNutsie brings iTunes to Android via the cloudThe Real Deal 193: Road Test - CES edition (podcast)The ads themselves will be interactive and take over the user's screen on both computers and mobile devices as well as on Apple TV. iTunes Radio listeners will have to grapple with an audio ad every 15 minutes and a video spot every hour, the sources added.People can avoid the ads on iTunes Radio by subscribing to iTunes Match. The $24.99-a-year cloud-based service lets users access any music from their library not purchased through iTunes on any connected Apple device.Apple already announced iTunes Radio in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple iTunes chief Eddy Cue said that the service would launch in the U.S. this fall and expand to other countries soon after that. Rather than offer searchable music on demand, iTunes Music will stream tunes from 200 different stations. Sound familiar? Yep, that means its major rival and challenge will be Pandora.
Apple's new iTunes Radio will launch next month with several advertisers paying for commercial spots, according to the folks at AdAge.Citing information from "people familiar with the negotiations," AdAge said that Apple has already lined up advertising deals with McDonald's, Nissan, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, and possibly one or two other companies. Advertisers will pay anywhere from millions to tens of millions of dollars to run ads within the music service over a 12-month period, according to AdAge.Related storiesDialed in 110: Lessons for Android (podcast)The 404 Podcast 498: Where Jeff battles the TriadBuzz Out Loud Podcast 1145: China to Google: Suck itNutsie brings iTunes to Android via the cloudThe Real Deal 193: Road Test - CES edition (podcast)The ads themselves will be interactive and take over the user's screen on both computers and mobile devices as well as on Apple TV. iTunes Radio listeners will have to grapple with an audio ad every 15 minutes and a video spot every hour, the sources added.People can avoid the ads on iTunes Radio by subscribing to iTunes Match. The $24.99-a-year cloud-based service lets users access any music from their library not purchased through iTunes on any connected Apple device.Apple already announced iTunes Radio in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple iTunes chief Eddy Cue said that the service would launch in the U.S. this fall and expand to other countries soon after that. Rather than offer searchable music on demand, iTunes Music will stream tunes from 200 different stations. Sound familiar? Yep, that means its major rival and challenge will be Pandora.
Introducing the CNET Reviews iPhone app
Introducing the CNET Reviews iPhone app
We've all been there: standing, befuddled, in front of 30 blaring TV sets in a big-box store, struggling to decide which flat-screen TV would work in the living room. Or maybe you urgently need a new digital camera, but once you see dozens on display you forget the features you came for in the first place. These are the moments when you most need CNET's reviews and shopping advice.The new CNET Reviews iPhone app gives you all our expert shopping advice anywhere you go. The app's bar code scanner instantly returns rated tech reviews and prices based on a quick scan of the product's box.You can also type in a simple search for the products that interest you, or read our helpful buying guides first to figure out what you should look for and ask sales reps about once you're standing in a store. For more examples of what the app can do, view our slideshow below.The CNET Reviews app is free, and downloadable now from the iTunes App store. (You'll need iOS 4 or higher to run the app.) Grab the app before your next shopping trip, and please let us know what you think of it in the comments. CNET Reviews iPhone app in screenshotsSee full gallery1 - 4 / 9NextPrev
We've all been there: standing, befuddled, in front of 30 blaring TV sets in a big-box store, struggling to decide which flat-screen TV would work in the living room. Or maybe you urgently need a new digital camera, but once you see dozens on display you forget the features you came for in the first place. These are the moments when you most need CNET's reviews and shopping advice.The new CNET Reviews iPhone app gives you all our expert shopping advice anywhere you go. The app's bar code scanner instantly returns rated tech reviews and prices based on a quick scan of the product's box.You can also type in a simple search for the products that interest you, or read our helpful buying guides first to figure out what you should look for and ask sales reps about once you're standing in a store. For more examples of what the app can do, view our slideshow below.The CNET Reviews app is free, and downloadable now from the iTunes App store. (You'll need iOS 4 or higher to run the app.) Grab the app before your next shopping trip, and please let us know what you think of it in the comments. CNET Reviews iPhone app in screenshotsSee full gallery1 - 4 / 9NextPrev
How to make iTunes sound better
How to make iTunes sound better
Add some EQOutside of CNET's software-savvy readers, I'm willing to bet that most people are unaware of the 10-band equalizer built into iTunes. Apple doesn't flaunt it the same way your boom box did back in the '80s. Instead, it's tucked under the Window menu. With it, you can dial in a personalized EQ setting, or select from one of the many presets.Sound enhancement settings available in iTunes.Donald Bell/CNETKick in the enhancerHave you ever seen those car stereo buttons marked "Loud"? They punch up the sound with a little boost to the bass and treble and even make the stereo effect a little more dramatic. Well, Apple has one of those, too. It's buried in the Preferences menu under Playback settings.You don't have to spend a lot on headphones to get a big improvement in sound quality.Sarah Tew/CNETUpgrade your headphonesThe weakest link I see in most computer listening setups is the headphones, and it is the last link in the chain before the sound hits your ears. You could be doing everything else above and beyond, playing lossless audio files output through an audiophile-quality USB audio card that was hand-wired by Gregorian monks -- but if your headphones are crud, then none of it matters. Flip the situation around, and even a modest headphone upgrade will make the worst system sound significantly better. For some buying advice, check out CNET's best headphones under $50, as well as our overall list of best 5 headphones.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Add some EQOutside of CNET's software-savvy readers, I'm willing to bet that most people are unaware of the 10-band equalizer built into iTunes. Apple doesn't flaunt it the same way your boom box did back in the '80s. Instead, it's tucked under the Window menu. With it, you can dial in a personalized EQ setting, or select from one of the many presets.Sound enhancement settings available in iTunes.Donald Bell/CNETKick in the enhancerHave you ever seen those car stereo buttons marked "Loud"? They punch up the sound with a little boost to the bass and treble and even make the stereo effect a little more dramatic. Well, Apple has one of those, too. It's buried in the Preferences menu under Playback settings.You don't have to spend a lot on headphones to get a big improvement in sound quality.Sarah Tew/CNETUpgrade your headphonesThe weakest link I see in most computer listening setups is the headphones, and it is the last link in the chain before the sound hits your ears. You could be doing everything else above and beyond, playing lossless audio files output through an audiophile-quality USB audio card that was hand-wired by Gregorian monks -- but if your headphones are crud, then none of it matters. Flip the situation around, and even a modest headphone upgrade will make the worst system sound significantly better. For some buying advice, check out CNET's best headphones under $50, as well as our overall list of best 5 headphones.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
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