Intel Targets Low-price Laptops With Celeron Chip Refresh

Intel has started shipping four new Celeron chips intended for low-priced laptops as it gears up for the back-to-school shopping season.

The new dual-core Celeron 877 and 847 chips, based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, are part of the same family of processors that appeared in low-priced laptops in the US$200 to $500 range during last year's holiday shopping season. The 877, in particular, will allow vendors to cut prices while boosting performance.

The new Celeron chips have integrated graphics and virtualization support. The processors do not have some features available on Intel's faster Core series processors such as Quick Sync video acceleration or Turbo Boost, in which cores can be disabled or sped up depending on processing requirements.

The Celeron 877 is priced at $86 in quantities of 1,000 units and has a clock speed of 1.4GHz. That is a speed increase from the previous fastest Celeron in that line up, the 867, which ran at 1.3GHz and cost $134.

The new Celeron 847 has a clock speed of 1.1GHz and is priced at $70 in quantities of 1,000.

Intel also started shipping the dual-core Celeron M B820 chip, which has a clock speed of 1.7GHz, and is priced at $86 in quantities of 1,000. A faster version, the Celeron M B830 running at 1.8GHz, is expected later this quarter and will likely be priced higher than the B820.

The other new chip is the single-core B730 runs at 1.8GHz and is priced at $70 in quantities of 1,000.

Intel in its CPU reference chart also detailed new Pentium chips at clock speeds from 2.2GHz to 2.6GHz that will ship later this quarter. The Pentium G645 chips runs at 2.5GHz, the G620 chip at 2.6GHz and the G620T chip from 2.2GHz. Prices were not available for the chips.

Source : pcworld.com

iPhone Dock Connector: What Going to a 19-Pin Connector Means

The next version of the iPhone is expected to have a 19-pin dock connector, a drastic change that could disrupt the accessories market that caters to the 30-pin connector that is currently found on the iPhone.

The 30-pin connector has been around for a decade, so it makes sense for Apple to move to a new connector. To make the new iPhone thinner and fit a 4G radio as well, Apple would have to use a smaller dock connector. Currently, the bottom of the iPhone is fully occupied by the 30-pin plug and the speaker grills. But this design has some issues.

Why It Needs to Change

The audio electronics inside the iPhone are actually at the bottom left of the circuit board, explains an unnamed engineer on Quora. Since there is no space for the headphone plug at the bottom of the device, this means that a long flex cable is needed to route the signal to the top of the device, where the headphone jack is.

This design apparently not only adds to the cost of manufacturing because of the complex cable needed to run through the entire phone, but also adds a few minutes when the phone is being put together on the assembly line. Moving to a smaller connector would allow space for the headphone jack at the bottom of the new iPhone (just as reports indicate), as well as lower production costs.

What the Change Will Bring

So will all the dock accessories, like speakers, alarm clocks or car radios, work with a smaller iPhone dock connector? Not out of the box. Accessory manufacturers will slowly start adopting the new plug as new iPhone sales grow, but until then, chances are there will be an easier solution: an adaptor.

To comply with European laws, Apple has already introduced a 30-pin to Micro USB adaptor so that you can charge and sync iPhones with any Micro USB cable (instead of the pricey Apple-labeled ones). So it’s no surprise that Apple is reportedly planning to release a 30-pin to 19-pin adaptor that consumers can use with all compatible accessories until the new wave of accessories settles in. Plus, a $10 adaptor (Apple’s not known for including such accessories for free) could save you a lot of money instead of buying a new expensive sound dock for your phone. This could also be a bit messy, as my colleague Jared Newman explained.

The smaller iPhone dock connector would also probably push more toward wireless ways of syncing your phone (not charging, unfortunately). You can already sync your phone wirelessly with iTunes (over Wi-Fi), to transfer music, photos and files, and you can play music and videos wirelessly through AirPlay on the Apple TV and other compatible accessories -- so what the dock connector would remain primarily useful for will be charging.

Source : pcworld.com

Refreshed iPhone May Feature Micro Dock

Speculation about Apple's next iPhone is piling up ahead of an expected fall launch.

The latest unconfirmed story, from Reuters, claims that the next iPhone will use a 19-pin dock connector, which would be smaller than the 30-pin connector in all current iOS devices. The smaller dock connector will make room for a headphone jack on the bottom of the iPhone, Reuters' two "sources familiar with the matter" said.

This isn't the first talk of a smaller dock connector in the next iPhone. Earlier this year, iMore reported that Apple was working on a "micro dock" for future devices, with a possible debut in the iPhone 5. The latest report follows a familiar pattern for iPhone rumors, in which larger publications confirm stories that have been circulating among smaller blogs for months.

If Apple plans to ditch the 30-pin dock connector, it'll be both a blessing and a burden for accessory makers. Companies that make speakers, chargers, and other accessories will have a chance to sell newly-designed products; but because older iPhone models will presumably remain on sale, those companies will have to keep supporting 30-pin dock accessories for years to come.

For existing accessories, new iPhone users may have to get an adapter -- assuming Apple releases one -- but this introduces more headaches. Even if adapters are available, users will either have to buy one for every accessory they own, or carry one around. The transition to a 19-pin connector will be a bit messy, which is why cordless accessories are looking like better options all the time.

Still, docking issues aren't likely to be a big concern as iPhone fans begin the waiting game for the next model. Analysts expect iPhone sales and profit growth to sink to their lowest rates in two years, now that consumers have begun to hold out for the latest and greatest, Bloomberg reports. Granted, analysts have underestimated Apple in 25 of the last 26 quarters, but the one exception was a year ago, when people started waiting for the iPhone 4S.

Many of the expected tentpole features for the next iPhone have already been discussed to death in the rumor mill, including a larger display and support for 4G LTE networks. At this point, iPhone fans have a pretty good idea of what they're waiting for.

Source  : pcworld.com