It was high time AMD updated its tiny entry-thru-mid GPU silicons to the new 28 nm fab process, Graphics CoreNext micro-architecture, and make them truly Windows 8-ready with DirectX 11.1 support. What better way to do those by giving them as big a launchpad as Radeon HD 8000M series branding, and a gala launch at the 2013 International CES? AMD's next-generation mobile GPUs are codenamed "Solar System," breaking away from the desktop GPU family codename of "Sea Islands." Among its members are those named after our planetary neighbours, "Mars" and "Venus," to name a few. The recent leak of a ASUS Vivobook featuring HD 8550M may not be a re-brand, after all.

Panasonic today unveiled the world's lightest business rugged, convertible Ultrabook with a unique Flip-Over design making it ideal for mobile sales workforces and executives to use in notebook or tablet mode. Combining high usability, style, durability and long battery life with hot swappable, replaceable battery, the Toughbook CF-AX2 is one of the first ready-made Microsoft Windows 8 Pro certified devices. This means business users can have the best of both worlds, using the Toughbook CF-AX2 as both a desirable touch-screen tablet and state-of-the-art, stylish Ultrabook.

Drawing on its long pedigree of combining ergonomic and durable design, Panasonic has created the Toughbook CF-AX2 with a unique and robust 360° Flip-Over hinge design, allowing the device to be used in very different business situations and offering business users a new level of working freedom.

Dell today detailed its strategy for developing and deploying PCs that enable new user experiences while also meeting enterprise IT demands around security, manageability and reliability. The company recently introduced a completely redesigned portfolio of personal computing devices, services and solutions that let people move easily between work and personal applications. The devices also help enterprise IT departments deliver solutions that enable personal productivity while also protecting sensitive corporate data.

New Client Devices
Dell has recently introduced a completely redesigned platform of new commercial and consumer tablets and PCs that combine a consumer-friendly aesthetic with advanced business client functionality. These new form factors were created to capitalize on the advances in new operating systems such as Windows 8 and make touch computing available to more end-users than ever before.

Coinciding with the momentum of the Windows 8 launch from Microsoft, Amped Wireless, the leading manufacturer of high power, long range wireless communication products for the home and office, today unveiled the TAN1, the first High Power Wi-Fi Adapter designed specifically for use with Windows 8 tablets, Ultrabooks and laptops.

"With more than 40 million licenses sold, Windows 8 is quickly becoming a success with consumers. And while there are some great new features for managing Wi-Fi in Windows 8, OEMs are still compromising Wi-Fi performance for aesthetics and slimmer form factors," stated Jason Owen, CEO, Amped Wireless. "With the TAN1, Windows 8 users can now have uncompromised long range Wi-Fi performance to connect to Wi-Fi networks from much greater distances. Home users can roam freely throughout their home without worrying about disconnects or buffering, while business users can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots with ease while at airports or hotels."

Solid state drive (SSD) is gradually making its way to become the mainstream in 3C product market. Team Group Inc., one of the leading memory manufacturers in the world, is making improvement in SSD product development by launching the ultra-thin Team Ultra L1 SSD. As thin as 7mm, the Team Ultra L1 SSD is the most lightweight and compact model which can be installed directly onto new generation of Ultrabooks for faster booting and read/write speed. Combined with the inherent advantage of shock resistance and stability of SSD, it signifies significant improvement of computer performance and durability.

Team Ultra L1 SSD is provided with SATA III 6Gb/s high-speed interface. The compact profile and special titanium color finishing highlight the product's high quality and the sense of modern technology. The continuous read and write speeds go as high as 550MB/s and 520MB/s, respectively. The random write-in speed for small files of 4K reaches up to 80,000 IOPS, not only fast but stable. In addition, the integration of Dura Write and RAISE (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements) provides support for S.M.A.R.T. and full compatibility with Win7 Trim commands. It gives the hard drive a boost of burst random writing and effective improvement of computer's ability to respond and multiplexing performance, making the hard drive a storage solution of extreme speed for consumers.

Aussie PC maker Pioneer Computers has introduced a new, DreamBook-branded mobile solution, the T14 ultrabook featuring a 14-inch (1366 x 768) touch-enabled display. This ultrabook weights 1.5 kg and has an Intel Core processor (up to a 1.9 GHz i7-3517U), up to 8 GB of RAM and up to a 256 GB mSATA solid state drive, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, optional Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, an SD card slot, one USB 3.0 ports (and two USB 2.0 connectors), and an HDMI output.

The DreamBook T14 starts at 799 AUD (837 USD / 646 Euro).

Lenovo today announced the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, optimized for Windows 8 and now adds touch experience to the industry's leading business class Ultrabook. The X1 Carbon and X1 Carbon Touch are developed from superior grade carbon fibre and deliver legendary durability and the highest levels of performance. The new X1 Carbon Touch paves the way for mobile professionals who demand the best in mobility and entertainment and want to experience the simplicity of touch gesture control.

"Bringing touch gesture control to our best ThinkPad ever is a natural evolution of the portfolio and a big step towards fulfilling our promise to bring computers into a new PC+ era," said Peter Hortensius, president, Lenovo Product Group. "We are excited to be able to offer customers the best experience in a thin and light business class Ultrabook. The X1 Carbon Touch is the Ultrabook to beat."

With the dawn of 2013, and no catastrophes in sight, Intel is going ahead with its usual business of phasing out old processor models, and making way for new ones. By the end of 2012, Intel will stop taking orders for several processor models mostly based on the older 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" silicon. These include chips such as the Core i7-2700K, Core i5-2310, Core i3-2105, Pentium G440, and surprisingly, an early demise of the 22 nm Core i5-3450, which is cannibalized by the Core i5-3470 at the same price point. Pentium G870, G645 and G645T as well as Celeron G555, G550 and G550T are the other chips on the chopping block.

Come 2013, Intel will release Pentium and Celeron series processors based on its 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" micro-architecture. These include the Pentium G2130, G2020 and G2020T and Celeron G1620, G1610 and G1610T. In the mobile (notebook) CPU sphere, Intel will launch dual-core "Ivy Bridge" chips to layer out its Ultrabook product segment. These include the Core i7-3687, Core i5-3437U, Celeron 1037U, 1007U, 1020M and 1000M. In March, the company is expected to launch its 4th generation Core "Haswell" line of processors.

All the spotlights are now focusing on the surge of Ultrabook, Team Group, the leading brand names in the world in memory storage, is rolling out the new Team Ultra L2 SSD. Only 7mm in thickness, it is the most compact model in the market. It can be installed on the new generation of Ultrabook with ease, improving significantly the booting speed and read-write performance. The model provides substantial battery life and shock resistance. It is like a size of featherweight boxer packed with heavyweight champion performance. It is the ultimate upgrade choice for your Ultrabook.

It looks like recent Ultrabook platform growth forecasts by DRAMeXchange are on the money, as sources associated with PC ODMs in Taiwan are coming forward with expectations of 100% growth in Ultrabook and Ultrabook-like notebook shipments in 2013. It's important to note that the figure is augmented with shipments of various "Ultrabook-like" notebooks, which are tough to classify. By the end of 2013, Ultrabooks will make up 10% of the global notebook shipments, according to the sources.

The ASUSPRO Series expands with one of the first business-specific Ultrabooks on the market. The ASUSPRO Series BU400 Ultrabook delivers a slim, light, and elegant product that weighs just 1.64 kg, packed with durability-enhancing capabilities, including carbon reinforced construction. It adds productivity-boosting highlights such as optional NVIDIA NVS 5200M business graphics, and passes demanding ASUS quality assurance testing, with anti-shock hard drives to protect data from harm.

User comfort is addressed by the responsive keyboard and smart touchpad, plus an optional touchscreen is available (BU400A SKU, available January 2013). The BU400 incorporates extensive security and management features such as self-encrypting storage, TPM, and Intel Anti-Theft technology, giving customers the best of pro-grade notebook power and usability alongside the advantages of the new Ultrabook device class.

Presenting NextPowerUp, our sister tech-publication in the works, designed with a bigger canvas. TechPowerUp established itself as one of the top PC hardware publications thanks to our pursuit for quality reviews and relentless news delivery. We decided it was time to put these core ideals to use, in addressing the much larger consumer electronics and gadgets markets, without disturbing TechPowerUp's focus on PC enthusiast content, one of its hallmarks.

NextPowerUp is designed to keep you up to speed on the latest in over 20 markets (and growing), each with its own content channel, and editors hand-picked for them. These include Audio (personal, home, professional, concert), Business, Cinema (filming, production, exhibition), Desktops (pre-built desktop PCs), Displays (signage, projectors), Gadgets, Gaming (games, game development, gaming industry, consoles), Internet (the business of WWW), Networking (social networking), Notebooks (notebooks, Ultrabooks, netbooks), Phones (of all shapes and sizes), Photo & Video (cameras of all shapes and sizes), Politics (industry soap-opera), Robots (outside assembly lines), Science (popular science, space exploration), Software, Storage, Tablets, Televisions (TVs and technologies built around them), Transportation (wheels that don't run on fossil fuels), and Wireless (Cellular carriers, commercial WiFi).

Ahead of its December launch, Lenovo gave us a sneak peak of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch Ultrabook on its website. The 14-incher retains the essential design of its August 2012 launched predecessor, with the addition of Windows 8 Pro, a multi-touch screen, and a screen-resolution marked "HD+," which most probably is 1600 x 900 pixels. No other details were revealed. We don't expect the new X1 Carbon to deviate from its formidable system specs, which includes Core i5 "Ivy Bridge" with vPro processor, GeForce graphics, and SSD/HDD storage options.

Intel's SSD 525 line of performance mSATA SSDs may be slated for 2013, but made an early debut with the company's NUC (next unit of computing) desktop. A 180 GB variant of the drive was put to test by VR-Zone, which is driven by LSI-SandForce SF-2281 processor, and features three Intel-made 20 nm MLC NAND flash chips (6-channels). The drive cracked Anvil Storage Utilities benchmark with 504 MB/s (compressible) and 463 MB/s (incompressible) sequential read speeds, 468 MB/s (compressible) and 240 MB/s (incompressible) sequential writes, and about 55,841 IOPS 4K random write (QD16) performance. The performance numbers make the drive appear nearly as fast as larger 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, and could be a boon for Ultrabook makers.

Not yet announced by AMD, the Radeon HD 8000 family of graphics cards has already started to creep up courtesy of several e-tail stores who jumped the gun and put up for pre-order an ultrabook (the ASUS VivoBook U38DT-R3001H) equipped with a Radeon HD 8550M. Unfortunately the listings are short on details and only mention that the Radeon HD 8550M (which hopefully isn't a rebranded 7 series card) has 1 GB of memory.

In addition to the HD 8550M, ASUS' 1.6 kg ultrabook packs a 13.3-inch (1366 x 768) LED-backlit display, a 1.6 GHz A8-4555M processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 500 GB hard drive, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, B&O ICEPower audio, an SD card reader, three USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI output, and a 6-cell battery providing up to 5 hours of operation. The VivoBook U38DT-R3001H runs Windows 8 and is priced at €799.

Sony announced VAIO-branded keyboards and mice in Japan, under its fall/winter collection. Designed for its fleet of notebooks and Ultrabooks, the peripherals feature minimalist design, but with colorful, designer fascias. The replacement keyboards can by installed into the notebooks/Ultrabooks at a Sony service center, and enhance the look and tactile-feedback of your notebook's keyboard. The mouse, on the other hand, uses Bluetooth to talk to its host, features three buttons including the scroll-wheel, and features colorful replaceable front-panels. The keyboards are sold standalone for 2,980¥ (US $37), mouse for 5,780¥ ($72), and a Special Accessories Box package that includes choices of both for 7,760¥ ($96).

Wortmann AG has this week a new version of the Terra Mobile Ultrabook 1450 II, one that comes with Windows 8 Pro (64-bit) pre-installed. Pictured below, this Win8 ultrabook weights 1.6 kg, is 19 mm thick an features a 14-inch (1366 x 768) screen, a 1.8 GHz Core i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and a 120 GB solid state drive.

Wortmann's creation also has a 1.3-megapixel webcam, Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3-in-1 card reader, one USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI output, and a 7,800 mAh battery providing up to 7 hours of operation. The Terra Mobile Ultrabook 1450 II is backed by a two-year warranty and costs €729.

If you're feeling the pinch of lack of HDMI inputs on their monitors, you'll find this little dongle from the bi-lanes of Tokyo's Akihabara shopping district handy. The TEC HDCOM-001, as it's called, has a male D-Sub connector on one end, which plugs into the D-Sub connector of your monitor, and an HDMI input. The HDMI connection can carry both video to the monitor and up to 6 channels of audio, which are given out by the dongle as analog audio outputs. The gadget could come handy when pairing Ultrabooks (which lack D-Sub, and provide HDMI) with analog monitors, or those which lack HDMI inputs. It can also be used the other way, to convert D-Sub to HDMI, using an included male to female cable. Its DAC supports display resolutions as high as 1920 x 1080, with 60 Hz refresh rate. Measuring 41 x 72 x 18 mm, it weighs about 120 g. It is priced at 5,480 JPY (US $68).

Showcased back in January and expected in August, the ThinkPad T430u ultrabook has now found its way to Lenovo's online store and is set to begin shipping next week (on November 11th to be exact). Running Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 8, the T430u features an aluminum construction, a 14-inch (1366 x 768) LED-backlit display, a Core i3/i5 mobile processor, Intel HD or NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M graphics, 4 GB of RAM, up to a 500 GB hard drive or a 128 GB SSD, a 720p webcam, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and mini DisplayPort outputs, and a battery allowing up to 7 hours of operation.

The ThinkPad T430u starts at $740 and can be found here.

Heralding a new era in high-speed wireless connectivity, Wilocity, the leading developer of 60 GHz multi-gigabit wireless chipsets, today announced that it is jointly providing tri-band wireless chipsets with Qualcomm Atheros, Inc., for Dell's first WiGig enabled Ultrabook for business, the Latitude 6430u. Dell announced the Latitude 6430u last week and demonstrated its multi-gigabit wireless docking and networking capabilities at a Windows 8 launch attended by Dell and Microsoft executives in New York City.

Dell's new Latitude 6430u Ultrabook, integrating the Tri-band chipset from Wilocity and Qualcomm-Atheros, will be among the very first devices to reach the market featuring WiGig technology (IEEE 802.11ad). WiGig technology represents a new and major step forward in the wireless mobile experience by allowing data transfer rates that are over 10 times faster than current Wi-Fi technologies. Wilocity and Qualcomm Atheros' Tri-band system allows Ultrabook users to connect to peripherals such as docks, displays and storage at multi-gigabit speeds, while maintaining standard Wi-Fi coverage throughout the enterprise.

According to DRAMeXchange, a research division of TrendForce, as the cost decline of ultrabook components like SSDs, displays, and cases becomes more apparent next year and Intel places more focus on developing processors for ultrabook use, ultrabook market size may exceed 30 million units in 2013, growing by more than 30% compared to this year and accounting for 17% of the notebook market.

Researchers at Intel have begun ground work on many-core processors that could drive ultra-mobile devices (such as tablets, smartphones, Ultrabooks, etc.,) in the near future. It design calls for no less than 48 processing cores on a piece of silicon, built on the "single-chip cloud computer" (SCC) design. The new technology could reach the markets anywhere between five to ten years from now, probably since current silicon fabrication technologies aren't advanced enough to put that much processing power into a chip that runs off a smartphone battery.

"If we're going to have this technology in five to 10 years, we could finally do things that take way too much processing power today," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights and Strategy. "This could really open up our concept of what is a computer... The phone would be smart enough to not just be a computer but it could be my computer." With devices like Microsoft Surface, which transform from a tablet to a fully-functional desktop with a dock, or a notebook with the flip of a smart cover, the definition of what constitutes a personal computer is changing. In a few years, your mobile could transform into a computing device of any shape and size for consumers.

Cambrios Technologies Corporation, the leader in nanotechnology-based solutions for the transparent and flexible conductor markets, and the CEM (Chemical & Electronic Material) division of LG Electronics (LG), today announced the world's first ClearOhm material-based 23" touch panel. The touch panel made by LG is used in the LG V325, a new Windows 8-certified All-in-One PC and LG-branded monitors that will go on sale starting this month.

LG uses ClearOhm Ink provided by Cambrios to create a coating film that is converted into touch sensor modules. ClearOhm material is ideal for large size projected capacitive touch panels for All-in-One computers such as the LG V325, as well as tablets, laptops and Ultrabooks. With ClearOhm material, LG's touch panels are lighter, thinner, stronger and more cost effective than traditional glass-based sensors. Through the partnership, LG will solidify its role in the emerging supply chain for large area touch panels using ClearOhm material.

Thanks to successful product lines, ASUS posts record Q3 2012 profits of $230 million, a 43 percent jump from last year's $160 million. The Q3 results posted by the company are its best in the last four years. The company owes its quarterly success to association with Google in making the Nexus 7 tablet, its own Transformer Prime TF01 convertible tablet-netbook, and a vast portfolio of notebooks covering all market segments, including Ultrabook. The company looks forward to and equally good Q4.

MarketResearch.com has announced the addition of "Ultrabooks Market to 2016 -- Financial and Technological Support from Intel Corporation Coupled with Demand from Business Users Segment Will Drive Growth," to their collection of market reports.

GBI Research's new report, "Ultrabooks Market to 2016 -- Financial and Technological Support from Intel Corporation Coupled with Demand from Business Users Segment Will Drive Growth," provides key information and analysis on the Ultrabooks market. The Ultrabook is defined by Intel as being any notebook using Intel processors and meeting certain chip manufacturer specifications. However, in general the term is being used for notebooks that are lightweight (less than four pounds), ultra-thin (less than 2.1cm thick) and have screen sizes varying from 13 to 15 inches. GBI Research expects the global Ultrabooks market to reach $75.8 billion in revenue in 2016, from just $1.3 billion in 2011, growing at a CAGR of 69.2% during 2012-2016.