Intel’s Compute Stick has been in the market for quite some time now but it has yet to leave a lasting impression to consumers. Intel plans to change that with the next-generation Compute Stick which it showcased in CES this week.

The new Compute Stick sports an Atom X8400 chipset with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. According to Intel, this model is around two times faster than its predecessor.

Intel has also added an extra USB 3.0 port on the device so users can now plug in more accessories. The Compute Stick also now supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi which is made possible by its 2x2 antenna array.

Apart from the Atom version, Intel is also offering a more powerful Core M3/M5 version. These models pack 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There’s only one USB port on the device, but there are two USB ports on the power charger that consumers can use.

The Core M3 model will support 4K video playback at 30hz, while the Core M5 model will support Intel’s VPro technology hardware-level security. Just like its predecessor, the new Compute Stick has fans that help it manage heat more efficiently.

The Intel Compute Stick will be sold for $159 and should be available soon.

Connect with The Techie Lifestyle on your favorite social networking sites
    

Asus’ mobile department isn’t the only one announcing new products at COMPUTEX this year. The company’s PC wing is also debuting a number of devices at the event including a new AIO computer, a mobile projector and two transformers.

First up, the 23.8-inch Zen AIO is packing a 3D camera technology that provides gesture control and 3D face recognition for people who are too tired to use a keyboard or mouse to control the PC or type a password. The computer is built using aluminum with the Zen line’s iconic rippled brush pattern.

The internals is composed of a Core i7 processor, up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M with 4GB of dedicated video memory and up to 4 PCIe Gen 3 SSDs. Asus also claims that the device is the first AIO to bear USB 3.1 Generation 2 connectivity that can transfer data up to 10Gbit per second.

Asus has also made a very portable projector that can be used for its line of smartphones and tablets. The Asus E1Z can fit in one’s packet and comes with its own rechargeable battery that’s rated at 6000mAh. The specs of the device hasn’t been fully disclosed yet but Asus says the device can go up to $200 when it becomes available.

The company also showed a demo gaming PC unit called the H-tower that transforms at a flip of a switch. The device is the product of the collaboration between the company’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) wing and In Win case manufacturer. 

The computer features a set of pistons and hinges that separates and provides easy access to the machines internals allowing for easy swapping of internal components. There’s no concrete information yet if Asus will mass produce the device and its specs are still not been fully disclosed yet.

Lastly, there’s the company’s latest 2-in-1 device, the Transformer Book T100HA. Specs-wise, this device packs an Intel Atom X5 chip with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC storage.

The device’s 10.1-inch has a resolution of 1200 x 800 and Asus claims the battery can last up to 14 hours on a single charge. It’s also quite interesting that Asus is jumping into the USB Type C bandwagon with this model just like the new MacBook.

 Pricing and shipping dates for the devices mentioned above are not finalized yet, so we just have to wait a little longer for an official word from Asus.

Connect with The Techie Lifestyle on your favorite social networking sites       

Intel recently held a press event to wrap up and do a recap of its milestones for the year. It was also the venue where the company revealed its plans and predictions for 2015.

Intel Philippines’ Country Manager Calum Chisolm lead the event by first giving a recap of the company’s achievements in 2014. These include its target of shipping 40 million Intel Atom-powered tablets by the end of the year, introduction of its Core M and Xeon processors as well as its SoFIA chips, and a number of the company’s initiatives in the field of wearable technology, digital literacy and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The event was also the place where Intel showed off its Compute Stick – a small device that resembles a USB dongle and holds a fully functioning PC. The device was one of the first Compute Sticks in the country and connects to an external display via HDMI. It has a slot for an microSD card and a USB port to connect a keyboard.

You can read the full press release using this link.

Connect with The Techie Lifestyle on your favorite social networking sites
     

Samsung today finally made the leap to Intel chips for its line of Galaxy tablets (at least for one model at this point in time) with the announcement of the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch. The new tablet will sport Intel’s Atom Z2560 processor (previously known as Clover Trail+) complemented either by a XMM 6262 3G modem or a XMM 7160 4G LTE modem.

According to Intel, the Clover Trail+ platform was designed and optimized to provide users with lightning-fast applications experience, responsive web browsing, stunning 3D graphics, advanced camera capabilities and vivid HD video without sacrificing battery efficiency.

With the new chip, Samsung’s Android tablets are expected to provide double the computing power and 3x graphics capabilities with competitive battery life compared to the previous-generation of Intel Atom processors. The chip also comes with the company’s Graphics Media Accelerator that provides compelling and realistic 3D gaming experiences, 1080p HD video and crystal clear graphics.

In the camera department, Clover Trail+ chips sport advanced camera features such as face recognition, mobile HDR and panorama that help users capture images like never before. Additionally, Clover Trail+ offers dual-core performance along with Intel’s hyper-threading technology that support four simultaneous application threads for smoother and seamless multitasking.

Moreover, Intel has added improved connectivity solutions to the Clover Trail+ platform. For starters the XMM 7160 solution on the new Galaxy Tab 3 LTE variant is one of the world’s smallest and lowest-power multimode-multiband LTE solutions that supports up to 15 LTE bands simultaneously. It also includes a highly configurable RF architecture, that runs real-time algorithms for envelope tracking and antenna tuning that enables cost-efficient multiband configurations, extended battery life and global LTE roaming.

Intel will begin shipment of multimode data 4G LTE in the coming weeks following final interoperability testing (IOT) with Tier 1 service providers in North America, Europe and Asia).

Connect with The Techie Lifestyle on your favorite social networking sites
     

Intel’s Bay Trail atom processors maybe the saving grace that Windows 8 is waiting for to increase its penetration and adoption in today’s nearly tablet-centric consumer market.

According to Intel’s CEO Paul Otellini, the arrival of their Bay trail chip will push prices down to $200 over the next couple of quarters. Intel’s Bay trail chip was first introduced in this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2013) and promises to provide performance through quad-core processors without sacrificing power efficiency.

Based on recent reports, Windows 8 as well as the PC market in general has seen a decline in sales which some attribute to Windows 8’s poor performance and the market’s reluctance to upgrade their machines due to the ”tough” learning curve for new users to efficiently use the new system.

If Otellini’s statements were to become true, a lower price point Windows 8 touchscreen laptop may well be the solution for people to upgrade to Microsoft’s new operating system. At present, most touchscreen laptops cost at the very least $400-$500, while the more affordable and at times equally productive Android and Apple tablets run for around $200-$500.

Connect with The Techie Lifestyle on your favorite social networking sites