Intel shows off new cooling technology for ultra-thin laptops

Paul Mah — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:59:18 -0400

In anticipation of a rush of ultra-thin laptops from PC makers, Intel unveiled new cooling technology that will help ensure that these thinner models stay cool. According to the general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group, Mooly Eden, current thermal design technology only focuses on keeping internal component temperature down, and pays little attention to the outside of the computer. This results in laptop hot spots that can be uncomfortably hot. By using a system of laminar air-flow technology however, it is possible to move heat off a laptop's skin. This is akin to that of a jet engine where its wall is kept cool despite heat of 1,000 degrees centigrade on the inside. As it doesn't make actual laptops, Intel will license this technology to customers so that they can make thinner laptops like the Apple MacBook Air and the Lenovo ThinkPad X300.

To read more about Intel's new cooling technology:
- check out this article from CNET News.com

Designing a dedicated web tablet

Paul Mah — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:48:35 -0400

Michael Arrington over at TechCrunch has issued a call to create a "dirt cheap touch screen web tablet" that will be used primarily to surf the Internet. The basic idea is to give it relatively low-end specifications and squeeze it all into the form factor of Apple's Macbook Air. The device will run nothing more than a customized fork of Firefox on top of a lean Linux kernel.

Apparently, a supply chain management company has said that such a machine can be created for just "a few hundred dollars." The goal though, is to get it down to below $300. So what's next now? Well, the marketing documents are being outlined, after which the specifications for the hardware will be drawn up. The response from the community to get this moving seems to be overwhelming so far. Check out the project page here.

For more on this Web Tablet:
- check out this article from TechCrunch