Given that the pictures don't blur the ID numbers, Intel should have no problem tracking the chip—bad news for whoever let it slip onto eBay. [Tom's Hardware]

Is the S for Savings? Who knows, but we do know that this Core i5 offering will lower the chip from 95W to 82W. The Core i3 mentioned above removes Turbo Boost from the line in an attempt to go budget-friendly. Other news? The Core i9 Gulftown chip won't arrive until Q2 2010.

And about that Gulftown chip... The folks at AppleInsider opined this morning that the chip could very well be headed to the next version of the Mac Pro, as was previously rumored to be the case. [Impress PC Watch via Electronista via Engadget, AppleInsider]

Update: For now, IBM's just saying that the successor to the current PowerXCell 8i is canned, not all Cell development. [Fudzilla via MaxConsole, Driver Heaven]

We don't know the expected price range yet. Could a company like Creative really undersell the likes of Intel or Nvidia?

That question aside and despite Creative specifically ruling out putting it into smart phones, chips like the ZMS-08 will definitely bring higher performance to lower power devices and seem worth at least a bit of excitement. [Engadget]

And the best part is that the wines featured all cost under $15. It's a great way to save a little money on appetizers if you have guests—but the best part is that you will look sophisticated and creative instead of plain old cheap. [Dallas News Image via The Sarah Show]

Taste Test is our weeklong tribute to the leaps that occur when technology meets cuisine, spanning everything from the historic breakthroughs that made food tastier and safer to the Earl-Grey-friendly replicators we impatiently await in the future.

The new quad-core "Clarksfield" chips are the most expensive and powerful, and will be able to scale up clock speed with a feature called "Turbo Boost" that shuts down cores that aren't being used. They'll come in 1.6, 1.73 and 2.0GHz models, scalable to 2.8, 3.06, and 3.2GHZ, respectively. They'll be pretty pricey at $340, $750 and $1,000. The dual-core chips are significantly cheaper but at the expense of cache size. The quad-cores should be arriving this fall, with the first of the dual-cores hitting in early 2010. Check out the image for more details. [PC Watch (translated) via Electronista]

Just hold up the symbol on the back of the bag to your webcam—webcam not included in Doritos bag—and visit doritoslatenight.com. You'll get the option of Choosing Blink182 or Big Boi, and they'll magically POP out of your bag, onscreen, and do a little dance for you.

Unless you're four years old or really, really love Doritos, this'll be interesting for about 10 minutes. But when it's done, you have a bag of Doritos that taste like Taco Bell tacos. Score.

If you're trying to decide between the bag of Doritos that doesn't let you do something with your webcam and the one that does, the choice is obvious. [Doritos Late Night]

The chip (see it in action here), of unspecified capacity, actually uses transparencies like your grampa used to use with his overhead projectors. This clear plastic is flexible, unlike silicon chips. We've been seeing flexible components lately, most notably displays, but memory is tiny and has to be inside the gadget anyway. I've been thinking for at least a minute and a half and I can't figure out a circumstance in which flexible memory would be preferable, besides maybe a gadget that isn't so much folded as rolled like a poster. So give me a hand: What's the point of all this? [Wired]d

In addition, Intel announced the P9700 and P8800 Core 2 Duo desktop processors, which have speeds of 2.8 GHz and 2.66 GHz respectively, as well as the 1.3 GHz SU2700 ULV Pentium processor and accompanying GS40 express chipset.

UberGizmo says the SU2700 is the chip that will power the influx of ultra-thin laptops they've been touting as of late. But for the time being, that's it for details. Pricing and availability will come later. [Intel via UberGizmo]

Versus the previous generation Athlon X2, it starts at 3GHz, supports DDR3 memory and is part of the new AM3 packaging (which is backward compatible with AM2+). Also in the bag is the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition, which is their first dual-core Phenom chip—so it can hit $100—but it's overclocked.

Sadly, that's it from AMD for Computex—no Atom killer or new hotness from ATI either.

AMD Introduces Next Generation AMD Athlon™ II Processor, Adds Dual Core to Record-Setting AMD Phenom™ II Processor Lineup

− AMD Athlon™ II processor delivers new native dual-core architecture, efficient 45nm technology and 3 GHz performance at an affordable price −

− AMD Phenom™ II X2 Black Edition processor combines value and unlocked potential for gamers and tuners on a budget −

COMPUTEX 2009 (TAIPEI, Taiwan) - June 2, 2009 - Bringing its acclaimed 45nm technology to new high-volume processor designs, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced two new dual-core desktop processors. Building on 10 years of AMD Athlon™ processor innovation, the new 45nm AMD Athlon™ II X2 250 processor gives mainstream consumers exceptional performance, efficiency and value. For enthusiasts and overclockers, AMD also announces the AMD Phenom™ II X2 550 Black Edition processor, the first ever dual-core AMD Phenom II CPU.* With this latest addition to the AMD Phenom II processor family, users can now experience the power of AMD platform technology, codenamed "Dragon," with dual-, triple- and quad-core configurations.

AMD Athlon II X2 Processor Details
The AMD Athlon II X2 250 performs exceptionally well when combined with AMD chipsets and integrated graphics solutions to create an all-AMD platform. Platforms featuring all-AMD technology can deliver up to twice the graphics performance of those with Intel integrated graphics.¹

Windows® 7 is optimized for multi-core processors like AMD Athlon™ II processors to give consumers an amazingly fast, simple and engaging PC experience.** For example, Windows 7 is tuned to make the most of the these new processors' power management features, such as AMD PowerNow!™ 3.0 technology. AMD power management technologies, in combination with Windows 7, can help OEMs and partners to build exceptionally green, cool and quiet PCs.
Based on AMD's acclaimed 45nm process technology, the AMD Athlon II dual-core processor has a TDP of 65W and can slash power consumption by up to 50 percent when doing basic tasks, up to 40 percent when running heavy workloads and up to 50 percent when at idle.²

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Details
AMD Black Edition processors, like the AMD Phenom™ II X2 550, help users to take control and unleash the maximum potential of Dragon platform technology's unprecedented performance tuning capabilities.* The same massive headroom that set world records in recent months is at users' finger tips, offering impressive performance at a price the competition can't beat.³

Users can also maximize their overclocking experience by utilizing the new features and capabilities of AMD OverDrive™ 3.0, designed to enable quick and effective tuning of their PC experience for optimal performance.*
With dual-, triple- or quad-core processors, AMD provides platform level solutions at multiple price points, each of which exceeds expectations for virtually any user.

[AMD]

• AMD tried to kill the megahertz myth before Intel. During the Pentium 4 days Intel kept pushing clock speeds higher and higher, before it hit a wall and abandoned the Prescott architecture. The message was clearly, "more megahertz is more better." AMD's competing Athlon XP chips, while clocked slower, often beat their Pentium 4 rivals. Ironically, AMD was the first to 1GHz, as some commenters have pointed out (don't know how I forgot that). Obviously though, AMD's performance lead didn't last forever.

• AMD beat Intel to 64-bit in mainstream computers. And we're not just talking about its Opteron and Athlon 64 processors. AMD actually designed the X86-64 specification, which Intel wound up adopting and licensing—so AMD's spec is used Intel's 64-bit processors to this day.

• AMD was first to consider energy efficiency in processor designs. Okay, this is kind of an extension of point number one, but during Intel's Pentium 4 'roid rage period AMD's processors consistently used less power than Intel's. Intel's performance per watt revelation didn't really start until the Pentium M (which was actually a throwback to the P6 architecture), which set the tone for Intel's new direction in its successor, the Core line of chips.

• AMD beat Intel to having an integrated memory controller. A tech feature AMD lorded over Intel for years: AMD's processors started integrating the memory controller with its processors years ago, reducing memory latency. Intel's first chip to use an integrated memory controller is the Core i7—before, the memory controller was separate from the processor. (Here's why Intel says they held off.)

Athlon XP and Athlon 64—those were the good old days, AMD's cutthroat competitive days. The days they were ahead of Intel. I miss them—at one point, every hand-built computer in my house ran AMD processors. I felt like a rebel—a rebel with faster, cheaper computers.

Unfortunately, I don't run AMD chips anymore. Intel came back, and came back hard. But here's hoping for another resurgence, and another 40 years, guys. Share your favorite AMD memories in the comments.

Apple is prone to occasional fits of vertical integration, and has never been terribly reluctant to run counter to the prevailing hardware winds, but this doesn't sound like some Jobsian act of contrarianism. The report indicates that it's the iPhone's unique power and performance demands that are driving this move, at least ostensibly:

Apple could use the internally developed chips to sharply reduce the power consumption of its hit iPhone and iPod touch devices, and possibly add graphics circuitry to help its hardware play realistic game software and high-definition videos, people familiar with its plans say.

Apple already works with Samsung, the manufacturer of the ARM-based processors used in the iPhone and iPod Touch, to design chips suited to their specific needs, and Apple is a large enough company that it doesn't have trouble coaxing tailor-made hardware out of its suppliers. But totally in-house chip design boasts the huge advantage of secrecy; removing Samsung from the equation ensures that any power-saving, graphics-boosting chip features Apple manages to conjure for their next iWhatever don't eventually find their way into units available to other industry giants like HTC or RIM.

So don't confuse Apple's latest move with an effort to spur innovation—from here, this looks like technology-hoarding, pure and simple; a bid to further insulate their mobile devices from competition by locking down their hardware as hard as they do their software. [WSJ]

It's easy, really: Black is for high-end (except, uh, the weak Atom also uses a black background, oops); blue is for mainstream, white is for cheaper chips like Celeron and Pentium (expect when it's Centrino and Centrino 2). Okay, not so great on the colors. Let's move on!

Just like your favorite restaurant, now they have star ratings. Five stars is for high end like Core i7, one star is for not-so-great like Celeron. The issue for regular people is that the star rating appears on a computer's sales card (not the chip logo itself) and only describes the chip, not the whole computer. "Hey this computer's got four stars? That's pretty good!" Anyone else feel a Microsoft ad coming on? [PC Mag]

Occupying a space only millimeters wide, and supporting the Open GL ES 2.0 standard, Product Manager Remi Pedersen says that the Mali 200, and eventually, Mali 400, are designed to work in a phone that goes 2-3 days between charges. Pedersen says the first phones will appear at the end of 2009, followed by an influx of devices in 2010.

Graphically, games shown were on the level of PS2 and Xbox, able to push a decent number of pixels with a smooth framerate. A port of the original Project Gotham Racing runs on the Mali 200 GPU with virtually no lag and a decent number of polygons.

But they can also provide hardware acceleration for device UIs, process HD video and make Flash usable on mobile devices. ARM says that features such as HD video encode/decode and Flash decoding will be centered more around the multicore Mali 400, which will appear en masse sometime in 2010. And by all accounts, we can probably look forward to seeing this line of Mali GPUs in future netbooks and MIDs.

Here's quick vid of the Mali 200 in action. It's pretty smooth for a mobile GPU.

Granted, the Z series is the slightly lower-powered single-core chips intended for MIDs, but it's not ridiculous to assume these could find their way into a low-cost netbook or two. The new chips use the same 2.4W as the previous 1.86GHz version, allowing them to be used in the exact same thermal conditions.

Also leaked was an ultra-low-power 1.2GHz Atom, the Z515, that uses only 1.4W of power at full-speed, and just 0.65W when scaled back to 800MHz. This means it could almost be used in a cellphone. [HKEPC (translated) via Electronista]

The first Westmere chips will be the dual-core Clarkdale and Annendale processors, for desktop and mobile uses, respectively. In addition to the 32nm CPU, these chips will feature a 45nm integrated graphics and memory controller. Integration in particular was a big point of emphasis for Intel, and said they plan to continue down this path, because it cuts costs in development and production, and also gets products to market faster. A six-core, 32nm processor (codename: Gulftown), is also planned for a future release.

Also announced early this morning, and reiterated at today's event, is that Intel scrapped plans for refreshed dual-core 45nm processors, Havendale (desktop) and Auburndale (mobile), in favor of the Clarkdale and Annendale processors, for desktop and mobile uses, respectively. Intel said than an "accelerated product ramp" is allowing them to overlap the newer, smaller dual-core chips with the upcoming pair of 45nm quad-core processors, Lynnfield (desktop) and Clarksfield (mobile, and not to be confused with Clarkdale), which will give end-users options when it comes to CPU performance.

These four upcoming chips will run on a new Intel Series 5 chipset, codenamed Kings Creek (shown above) for desktop and Calpella for mobile. Intel showed off these new 32nm processors and chipsets at the event in a very informal demo, just to show that these products work and exist (the mobile platform even ran Spore).

It's also interesting to note that normally, most Intel processors are released to the server market first, then go to the consumer PC market for consumption. With the upcoming Westmere processors, Intel will produce the chips for consumer PCs first, marking a departure in strategy for them.

While Intel is probably jumping forward to stay ahead of the pack in a slumping economy, what this means for you, the consumer, is that you'll get better performing processors even sooner than expected, which should be early 2010.

Intel Demonstrates First Working 32nm-based Microprocessor in Both Mobile and Desktop Systems

Feb. 10, 2009 - At a media briefing in San Francisco today, Intel Corporation discussed new milestones for 32nm manufacturing and progress toward future products. Earlier that day, in Washington, DC, Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini disclosed that Intel is making the largest-ever investment in a single process technology in the United States to support upgrades to advanced manufacturing facilities in the country and the move to its next-generation, 32nm chip manufacturing technology. Intel is investing approximately $7 billion in 2009-10 on 32nm manufacturing technology, raising the total by the end of that timeframe to approximately $8 billion (for 32nm investment in the United States).

Below is a summary of the product roadmap news at the briefing in San Francisco:
First-ever demonstration of a working 32nm-based microprocessor:
- Intel is demonstrating the first 32nm working microprocessor in both mobile and desktop systems.
- Great 32nm process and product health are enabling Intel to accelerate 32nm product ramp
– Westmere mobile and desktop processor production in the fourth quarter of 2009
– 32nm enables increased performance and power flexibility
- Intel processors based on Westmere will ramp into mobile, desktop, and server segments over time, as the 32nm process ramps

For client, Westmere brings Nehalem through Intel's mainstream processor product line
- Increased performance, smaller processor core size
- New multi-chip package with graphics integrated in the processor
- Repartitioned system architecture, simplified motherboards
- Volume ramp; expect 32nm in server market in 2010

Westmere key features
- Intel® Turbo Boost technology
- Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (2 Cores, 4 threads)
- Integrated graphics, discrete/switchable graphics support
- 4MB cache, Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) – 2ch DDR3
- AES Instructions

The 32nm process with second-generation high-k + metal gate transistor era begins
Intel's strength as an integrated device manufacturer allows the company to continue to deliver new generations of advanced process technology on a 2-year cadence. Intel has developed a 32nm logic technology with industry-leading features:
- Second-generation high-k + metal gate transistors
- 32nm marks the first time Intel uses immersion lithography on critical layers
- 9 copper + low-k interconnect layers
- About 70 percent dimension scaling from 45nm generation
- Pb- and halogen-free packages