Intel is rolling out a pair of ultra-low power chips for compact notebooks and small PCs.

The two new Core 2 Duo chips only consume a maximum of 10 watts of power when running full speed, which makes them ideal for ultraportable notebooks or other devices where size or battery life is at a premium. As a comparison, Intel's Core 2 Duo processors for regular notebooks consume about 34 watts of power at maximum performance.

Intel will offer the chips in two speeds, the U7600 runs at 1.2GHz and the U7500 runs at 1.06GHz.

Most of you know that AMD is trying to save power and space by releasing the Micro-ITX platform. VIA has decided that they want in on this market, and so they went and made their own little thing. And when I say little, I mean little. Measuring in at barely 100mm x 72mm (full ATX is 1200mm x 960mm), VIA's new motherboard comes with onboard network, processor, graphics, and is completely fanless. Just like AMD, VIA is trying to make a platform that not only is extremely tiny, but power-efficient. Have a look.

Shuttle last week at CeBIT demonstrated its CarPC system for automotive integration. The upcoming Shuttle CarPC measures in at 11" (D) x 9.1" (W) x 2.8" (H) and is capable of operating under temperatures of 95 degrees Fahrenheit stably. The power supply integrated in the Shuttle CarPC has automotive specific features. It automatically starts the system when the car starts, automatically shuts down the system when the car is turned off, and also eliminates the voltage fluctuations. Specifications of the Shuttle CarPC include Intel Core Duo T2400 paired with the mobile 945GM chipset (featuring integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics). There's also an integrated high-definition audio with one line-output and one S/PDIF. Shuttle does not integrate an optical drive, GPS or wireless Internet in the CarPC; however, customers may add the devices via the four USB ports. The system uses a conventional keyboard and mouse as well as a touch-screen display for input.

Further demonstrating its commitment to lead the world to energy-efficient computing, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced strong ecosystem support for DTX, the open standard specification driven by AMD to enable the broad development of small form factor (SFF) PCs. DTX has been developed to empower industry stakeholders to deliver innovative, energy-efficient small form factor solutions that are smaller, quieter, and desktop-friendly, all while delivering rich visual experiences. Companies including Akasa, Albatron, ASUS, Asetek, Compucase, ECS, Founder, FSP, Gigabyte, Hedy, NVIDIA, Shuttle, SilverStone Technology, Thermaltake, and Tongfang have expressed support for DTX, as well as their intent to develop and bring innovative solutions to market designed that benefit both businesses and consumers.

With a breathtaking pixel density of 263 dpi text and graphics look like printed on the 4.5 inch display (1024x600 pixel) of Sony's Vista Ultra-Mobile PC 'UX1XN'. The mini notebook can be operated with a pen on the screen or with the keyboard which will be revealed if you move the display up. The unit is powered by a 1.33GHz Core Solo (533MHz FSB, 2MB L2-Cache), comes with 1GB RAM, a 32GB Flash hard disk (SSD).

Albatron Technology has recently unveiled the first Mini-ITX Mainboard based on AMD's powerful AM2 socket technology. This small wonder-board goes all out with all of the latest technologies matching AM2 power with versatility and flexibility, making it a top choice as the most powerful Mini-ITX board on the market.

AMD has officially announced its DTX specification. DTX is an open industry standard specification initiated by AMD to help enable the broad adoption of small form factor quiet and desktop-friendly PCs. All DTX motherboards will have two expansion slots. Motherboard manufacturers are free to decide the configuration of these expansion slots, which can be PCI, PCIe or both. DTX motherboards will receive power via 24-pin power connector and auxiliary +12v 4-pin connector as standard ATX motherboards too. Other final mechanical specifications of the DTX form factor are available on AMD's DTXPC website.

Shuttle has announced the availability of its first quad-core powered small form factor (SFF) workstations. Shuttle's XPC P2 3700w full systems offer big performance in a compact package while retaining Energy Star compliance for low power consumption. In addition to quad-core, the XPC P2 3700w workstations can be configured with up to 8GB of DDR2 ECC memory and 64-bit operating system such as Microsoft Windows Vista Business 64-bit and Windows XP Professional 64-bit in order to utilize the whole memory capacity. Furthermore, Shuttle offers the XPC P2 3700w with a selection of ATI FireGL and Nvidia Quadro graphics cards. Quad-core powered Shuttle P2 3700w workstations are available immediately starting at $1649 with 24 months Pick-Up-And-Return Service warranty.

There are a lot of different HTPC cases out there, but this one takes the top spot. The Origen AE may be larger than the usual HTPC case, but it has space for 10 hard drives, is made out of aluminum and has a 12.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1200. Yes 1080p on a 12.1 inch screen. It comes with a removable mainboard tray and 3 fans.

Computers are getting gradually smaller and smaller, but this is a nice piece of engineering. Featuring a CPU with the equivalent of up to 1.2GHz worth of power, 64MB of flash memory and 128MB of RAM, this isn't a computing powerhouse but it is quite impressive. Made by Chip PC, and named the Jack PC, this little computer will fit comfortably into your standard network socket. It won't be any good for graphics either, with only 8MB of video memory, but it does have four USB ports, stereo sound, a 24-bit colour output and runs on Windows CE (similar to the Windows that runs on PDAs and smartphones). It only consumes 5W of power at full load and can run via power over Ethernet or an external supply. Priced at £349 for the top model or £209 for the lowest spec, this could be useful in tight space areas where only office applications and the internet are needed.

OQO, the maker of the world's smallest x86 based computer, has announced an upgraded version of its miniature PC. The old specs featured a 1GHz CPU, 256MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive, which have now been upgraded to include up to a 1.5GHz Via C7 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 60GB hard drive. This machine should now be fairly capable of running Windows Vista (possibly without Aero) and it already copes nicely with the full version of XP. It also features a new docking station and supports EVDO, so you can browse the web from almost any developed area. Prices start at $1499 for the 1.2GHz model with 512MB of RAM and a 30GB hard drive, going up to $1849 for the top model. All models feature WiFi and Bluetooth.

AMD today announced development of DTX, an open standard specification designed by AMD to enable the broad adoption of small form factor PCs. The DTX standard will be designed to empower OEMs, ODMs, and component vendors to deliver innovative solutions to market that are smaller, quieter, and desktop-friendly, while leveraging commonalities within the ecosystem that benefit both customers and end users. The DTX standard will take advantage of the existing ATX infrastructure and benefits, including cost efficiency, system options and backward-compatibility, to allow for ground-breaking PC design. A review copy of the DTX specifications is planned to be made available by AMD in Q1 2007.

Shuttle Inc., introduced today the Shuttle XPC mini X 200 series. Similar to models of the X 100 series, these SFF PCs measure only 55mm in height with a surface barely the size of an A4 sheet of paper. The Shuttle XPC mini X 200 launches with two base configurations: the Shuttle XPC mini X 200MA(€948) targeting Media Centre users and the Shuttle XPC mini X 200BA(€743) for use in offices. Although its dimensions, the XPC X200 Series adopts Intel's Core2 Duo processors, fast DDR2 memory and a 3.5 inch standard hard drive. The integrated Intel graphics engine with DVI/VGA-out can easily work with up to two monitors. The Shuttle XPC mini X 200 is also equipped with a hybrid TV tuner, DVD Writer, infrared remote control with built-in receiver in the front panel, 8-channel HD-audio with digital SPDIF-out, integrated networking and optional Wireless LAN technology. Available now, the Shuttle XPC mini X 200 comes with an external fanless power supply for nearly noiseless operation.

Shuttle announced the launch of its newest lineup of gaming PCs-1337 and 1337 SDXi system. Just imagine: Intel Core 2 Extreme Edition X6800 or QX6700 processor, 2x AMD ATI Radeon X1950 XTX CrossFire video cards, 2GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800, Western Digital Raptor 150GB and fully internal liquid-cooling system all squeezed in a small form factor barebone case. The Shuttle 1337 SDXi is the result. You'll also recieve unique paint job for the case, the Razer Copperhead mouse and the Saitek Eclipse keyboard. The liquid-cooling system employed in 1337 systems is completely self-contained, maintenance free and guaranteed not to leak. Shuttle 1337 SDXi systems will be available late December starting at $4999. For more information, please click here.