News Bits: Intel Metro Laptop, OLPC Game Jam, Apple OS X Security Updates

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Intel Prototype 0.7-inch thin Metro Laptop

Intel has teamed up with the Ziba Design firm in Oregon to create a prototype notebook named &quot;Metro notebook&quot;. The Metro is 2.25 pounds in weight and 0.7-inches thick. Intel says that a manufacturer will actually start producing this at the end of the year, which would be surprising since we've seen Intel make a habit of releasing concept devices that never actually make it to market. Maybe this one will be more real. The Metro comes with a magnesium finish with gold accents and has some type of magnetic case cover that allows it to charge wirelessly -- even if Intel says this thing will come to market I'm betting against seeing it anytime soon. Fingers crossed though.

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Read More (Business Week)

Sneak Preview: ThinkPad Reserve Edition

Here's an interesting preview of sorts of a new ThinkPad design. Be sure to post your thoughts in the forums.

Link (Lenovoblogs.com)

Thin Notebooks, Fat Margins

The laptop—the only notebook design expected to come out of Intel (INTC) this year—was first showcased at an Intel Developer Forum in Beijing in April, but designers gave BusinessWeek.com an exclusive, up-close look at the technology and ideas behind the project. If manufactured and sold on a wide scale, the creation could have a lasting impact on computer design, use, and marketing.

That, in turn, would be good news for chipmaking colossus Intel, which has seen sales slump amid a price war with archrival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Plus, it's keen to rev up demand for the computers running on its processors. The device might rely on Intel chips not just for computing but also for memory and connecting to wireless networks. The prototype also incorporates technologies developed by companies financed by Intel Capital, the chipmaker's venture capital arm.

Intel would especially like to see higher sales of portable computers, particularly fatter-margin devices at the high end of the market. Sales of laptops priced at $2,000 and above are rising 1.4% a year, compared with 73.5% for notebooks priced $500 to $999, according to researcher IDC (IDC). That's in part because sales of PCs to corporations, often the biggest buyers of high-end laptops, are slowing.

&quot;Like Jewelry&quot;

Consumers, as a result, are a big driver for sales. And more than ever, consumer-buying choices are influenced not just by function, but form. At the same time, many PC makers have given short shrift to design in hopes of keeping costs at a minimum.

That's where Intel, with Ziba, hope to make their mark. &quot;Intel wants to stimulate the conversation,&quot; says Roger Kay, president of consultancy Endpoint Technologies Associates. Besides making the machine thin, they're also using materials aimed to communicate high quality and coolness. Made of champagne-colored magnesium, the laptop is decorated with subtle gold accents.

&quot;It's like jewelry,&quot; says Omer Kotzer, a creative director at Ziba, a firm renowned for consumer-electronics design (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/11/05, &quot;Sirius Radio's Radical Handheld&quot;).

And like cell phones, which come with different ringtones and in different colors, this laptop also strives to be a personal fashion accessory. The computer comes with a diary-like folder that attaches to the laptop via magnets. The folder, available in different colors, also functions as a wireless charger for the device. One side features a screen made of material devised by E Ink, one of the recipients of investment by Intel Capital. It can display a picture, the calendar, or your schedule for the day.

OLPC organizes Game Jam to create free video games

The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) non-profit organization today announced the first Game Jam event, with the goal of creating open source games for education for the world's poorest children. The event will take place on June 8 - 10 where one hundred game developers, educators, authors, musicians, artists, and writers from across the US will work to create the games. More information can be found at this link: http://hackronym.com/olpc/gamejam

Read More (BusinessWire.com)

Wistron receives notebook orders from Sony

DigiTimes is reporting that Wistron has received notebook orders from Sony; volume shipments will begin in Q4 this year. The first order is expected to total 500,000 units. This is Wistron's first notebook order from Sony. Sony currently has Quanta Computer and Foxconn do its notebook orders.

Read More (DigiTimes.com)

Acer reluctant to introduce Gemstone laptops in Taiwan

Acer has yet to release its Aspire Gemstone consumer laptops in Taiwan partly due to concerns that pushing the new models right now may result in an inventory pile-up of older notebook models. Acer stated that worldwide availability of its Gemstone notebooks would come in the middle of May. Company sources say Acer is still working on a time to deliver the notebooks; early June is when they are expected to appear.

Read More (DigiTimes.com)

Apple Issues Security Update 2007-005 for Mac OS X, 17 Vulnerabilities Fixed

Apple yesterday issued it's fifth security update for 2007 to the Mac OS X. The latest updated, Security Update 2007-005, contains patches for 17 vulnerabilities but none of them are critical -- but can be considered dangerous. One bug that is fixed is related to how OS X 10.4 (Tiger) handles PDF files, the fix prevents an overflow occurring from a maliciously created PDF file.

The security update is available via Apple's download site or simply by using Mac OS X's built-in update service.

HP LightScribe struggling to gain traction in 2007

According to a report in DigiTimes.com the number of LightScribe enabled disc drives sold is on the decline relative to regular old DVD burners. The report from DigiTimes.com sites the fact that the premium customers have to pay for LightScribe supporting CD-R and DVD+R/-R and extra for the drive itself is preventing the marketplace from adopting it in a more substantial manner.

Read More (DigiTimes.com)

 

The metro laptop really looks interesting.Though I think it'll come with something like LV/ULV Core 2 Duo (possibly Penryn to reduce the power consumption even further) along with an Integrated GPU.

 

metro laptop!!! wowow...can't wait for it...
hopefully it will come with SS HD....sweet...can't wait to replace my Latitude X1

 

Don't mind if the name's a bit.. y'know but I like the style

 

If the metro costs less than $2500 and is decently spec'd I'll be the first one to buy it!!!!!

 

Is it just me or does the Metro laptop look like a black Macbook Pro? I like.

 

It's just you

 

"... say a PC maker will announce plans to start manufacturing the machine later this year "

Now it all depends where one puts the punctuation , it could be they will only announce the plans .

I'd like to see more leaps in tech like that and apart from the "gold" it sure looks like a million $ and will probably cost close to that

 

Any recent news about the Intel Metro notebook? Any confirmation about future production or not?

 

I haven't heard anything, sorry. Rest assured that if there are any updates on it, they'll be in the news bits.

 

Thanks Chaz. I'm afraid this might just be yet another concept, but I really hope I am wrong.