Intel 4th Generation Haswell processors, the same 22 nm microarchitecture as
Ivy Bridge, little bit of a processing boost, more energy efficient, to a degree
of almost 50% increased battery life for laptops. All this, and a little bit of nitty gritty which rarely matters to the average, or even above average
consumer. Well that is that, and that was what we already knew quite long ago,
so no comments on that. But what’s new is that Intel has gone out of the way (or
maybe in the way) to launch a new addition to the 2 variants of the Haswell
family, in terms of number of cores that is. Yes, the much awaited, especially
after we saw it in the Galaxy S4… the 8 CORES are going to be here soon!!!
I
have been grumbling every now and then to the screen of my PC when I visit
Intel’s website of the fact that Intel has no consumer desktop level Octa cored
processors, which actually is available from AMD. My energies must have been
felt by the Intel devs, (let me take some undue credit please) and at last ,
according to this leak , we will get the Octa core version in the Haswell
family, which surely is going to give more than a simple boost to the 4th gen
processor’s raw power.
Talking about the thing itself, it has been made using the 2nd gen Hi-k
process, has 8 cores, and 16 threads , featuring Intel’s Turbo Boost 2
technology as well as DDR4 support. So we are seeing some quite advanced stuff
here. Also is the fact that the Octa core processors are going to have a 20 MB
L3 cache memory, as opposed to the 8 MB cache in the 6 cored processors, which
in simple terms will result in much more enhanced CPU performance, due to the
bigger size of the cache, allowing the CPU to gain access to more data in the
cache quickly.
This is one more addition to my “want to test” list , and no info is there as
to how much better it will be from the 6 cored ones, but for sure it is going to
be better , and will really be a handy thing for hardcore gamers, content
creators as well as overclockers.
Stay tuned and keep sharing and supporting our blog for the latest update on this, and lots more in the world of tech.
This is what Intel itself claims, according to whom, the 4th generation Haswell processors are going to be a great upgrade over the Ivy Bridge microarchitecture in terms of being as much as 20 times more energy efficient, without compromising on the performance side. That would be a much sought relief to consumers as well as laptop and macbook manufacturers, who have been facing the battery life issue for quite some time, temporarily though.
The Haswell processors , with the nanoseconds ticking, are going to be launched next month at the Computex show in Taipei.
With this launch will start a race among the laptop manufacturers to offer the latest of intel 'inside' , and from current speculations, Apple could be winning this race this time, with its Macbook range looking towards being among the first to get the 4th gen Haswell upgrade. according to reports, which are going to see the light of the day at WWDC (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference) on June 10
Well Intel has announced the time left for the launch of the 4th generation member of the uber successful Core series of processors, named Haswell , and as you can see in the pic, that is the value in terms of nanoseconds. For your convenience, I calculated it down, and it ends up being 38 days from now. Frankly, its really hard to keep excitement down for me, because you can safely expect your personal computer and lappy to break some power limiters with the 4th gen monster inside.
If you remember from earlier, Intel 4th gen processors are to get a voice and gesture control option in them . The Haswell has the same 22 nm microarchitecture as the 3rd gen Ivy Bridge, but it has better energy efficiency, more power (double the CPU and GPU as Ivy Bridge), and many expected security advancements. It will be upto a quad core version only, inspite of many wanting octa core PC’s after Exynos 5 Octa core in Samsung Galaxy S4, but that will be the case for the Intel 5th generation Broadwell , which will be made in 14nm microarchitecture. Though I am wishing for things to reach to 16 cores by then. Intel 4th gen Haswell has , by the way, new cache design, and more excitingly, possible support for the 20GB/s Thunderbolt !!!
Overall, the reason I postponed buying a laptop has at last arrived, and maybe we will see some great devices with ‘Intel inside’. Stay tuned for the latest updates on this new family of processors, as well as devices powered by them.
At CES 2012
show, the show was dominated by Windows 8 Ultrabooks, 3D OLED TVs,
Android tablets, 4G LTE and quad-core processors. A year on, things have
changed. Here's our pick of the best gadgets and tech of CES 2013.
1. Nvidia's Project Shield
Like a gamepad glued to a tablet, but in a good wayCES occasionally surprises you and Nvidia's planned entry into mobile gaming with Project Shield
has certainly raised a few (thousand) eyebrows. At first glance, it
looks suspiciously like a PC gamepad glued to a 5-inch smartphone. But
that's exactly what makes it so exciting.
This device runs the
Android OS and so it can access any game on the Google Play store.
Better still, it can stream games from any PC equipped with Nvidia's
GeForce GTX 650 or from a laptop packing a GTX 660M GPU. The multi-touch
display boasts an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, while inside
beats the 72-core heart of a new Tegra 4 SoC, which is six times
speedier than the excellent Tegra 3.
2. Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
Qualcomm's new processor has biteAnd
while we're talking mobile processors, Nvidia's Tegra 4 isn't the only
new chip on the block. Samsung pointed us at its forthcoming 8-core Exynos 5 Octa, featuring the ARM A-15; while Intel introduced Bay Trail, its next-generation, 22nm quad-core Atom tablet platform. Not to be outdone, Qualcomm unveiled its 4K-capable Snapdragon 800
chips, which feature a quartet of Krait 400 cores and an improved
Adreno 330 GPU. Thinking about buying a new phone or a tablet? We'd wait
a while if we were you.
3. Sony Xperia Z
With the Xperia Z, Sony have a serious smartphone challengerWhile
most mobile manufacturers save their big smartphone launches for Mobile
World Congress in February, Alcatel outed the 6.45mm-thick One Touch Idol Ultra, ZTE unveiled the Grand S and Huawei debuted its first Windows handset, the Ascend W1. All good phones. But not a patch on the waterproof Sony Xperia Z, which features a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 processor, a 5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel Reality Display and a 13MP camera.
4. Samsung Youm
It's your new flexible friend (credit: Engadget)When
Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, its icon-based OS and 3.5-inch
touchscreen revolutionised the smartphone. Five years on, we're still
waiting for the next big leap forward in mobile design. Perhaps the Samsung Youm
will enable the phones of 2014-2015 to make another leap. This OLED
display uses thin plastic instead of glass, making the screen pliable,
bendable and almost unbreakable.
5. Panasonic 56-inch 4K OLED TV
It's big and it's beautiful, a bit like whaleIf
last year's CES was all about 3D OLED, then CES 2013 is a showcase for a
new televisual fad - 4K, aka Ultra HD. Both Sony and Panasonic plugged
in beautiful 56-inch prototypes, each laying claim to the title of "world's largest 4K OLED TV".
If we had to choose a winner, we'd opt for Panasonic's stunning 3840 x
2160 pixel set. It's barely a half-inch thick, created with a special 3D
printing technology that might finally enable the mass production of
OLED TVs for sale, not just demo purposes.
6. Valve Steam Box
Steam box has the potential to upend console gamingJust
as Nvidia hopes to disrupt portable gaming with Project Shield, Valve
has ambitious plans to grab a fat slice of the console pie with a Steam
Box. The Piston
concept from Xi3 shows just what Valve has in mind - a small, quiet,
Linux-based system that plugs into your high-def telly and plays PC
titles via the Steam network. It's important to point out that this
dinky Piston box isn't Valve's official hardware. That's still in the
works.
7. FitBit Flex
The FitBit Flex will watch you even when you're asleepWearable
fitness technology isn't a new concept - you can already buy activity
trackers such as the Jawbone Up and the Nike FuelBand. The FitBit Flex
is the latest addition, a colourful wristband that monitors how many
steps you've taken, the distance you've travelled, calories burned and
your quality of sleep. Expect to see a surge in health and fitness gadgets this year, including smart watches and sensor/phone app systems.
8. Pebble Smartwatch
A kickstarter come goodVapourware? Far from it. Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky used CES to announce that the Pebble Smartwatch will be shipping to Kickstarter backers on January 23.
9. Oculus Rift
Bring the game right to your face...Remember virtual reality? Strap the chunky Oculus Rift
to your face and you can get up close and personal with two 640 x 800
LCDs, which combine into a high-def 1280 x 800 pixel display. It looks a
lot like Nintendo's ill-fated Virtual Boy and brings back hazy memories
of the 1990s, when VR gaming was an oddity, ultimately abandoned
because of poor graphics, expensive hardware and joy-destroying lag. The
Oculus Rift spearheads the rebirth of an old and enticing technology.
And it seems to work...
10. Panasonic 4K tablet
Not for the likes of us, but pretty as anythingBucking the trend for compact 7-inch tablets like the Nexus 7 and iPad mini, Panasonic's prototype Windows 8 tablet
boasts a 20-inch, 4K Ultra HD display with 10-point multi-touch. The
good news? Thanks to a specification that includes a 1.8GHz Intel i5
3427U vPro processor, 4GB of RAM and Nvidia GeForce graphics,
performance is zippier than many Windows tablets. The bad news? It
weighs 2.5Kg, has a two-hour battery life and probably won't be aimed at
consumers like us. Still, we can dream.
So what can we take away from this year's show?
4K is the new 3D
Better phones will be launched at Mobile World Congress
New mobile processors will lead to super-smartphones
You'll soon be wearing (or using) a digital health gadget
Virtual reality is back, baby
Portable gaming is poised for a revolution
Valve's Steam Box will challenge next-gen consoles
Nvidia has been a player in GPU's and now mobile CPU's for long now, with Tegra 2 launched for dual core , Tegra 3 for quad core smartphone and tablets! And now, they are back with their latest addition to this series, the Nvida Tegra 4
Codenamed "Wayne" , it contains 72 custom Geforce GPU cores. For those who don't know about Tegra 3, this is 6 times the amount in Tegra 3. So you can be ready to see some super stunning visuals and exceptional gaming experience in future devices. The CPU is first Quad Core application of ARM's most advanced Cortex A15 architecture, and can be clocked as high as 1.9 GHz. It also has an upgraded version of Tegra 3's 5th companion core, which as earlier, is invisible to OS, and works to save power
Apart from NVidia's own Project Shield, more devices are expected to be seen in the Mobile World Congress later this year, with this processor.
Having dealt with all the things you are not getting for Christmas this year, it's time to turn our attention to what Santa's elves have really been hammering away at. So from consumer favorites to clever innovations to quirky surprises, here's our selection of the top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas 2012.
A new perspective
Digital Cameras is an area where the term "game-changer" is easily overused. Several cameras we've seen this year sit comfortably with this description though, and we found ourselves unable to single out just one Christmas gift recommendation for those photography buffs out there. Blackmagic Design's Digital Cine Camera definitely rates a mention with its giant-killing take on video capture (US$2,995).
The Lytro light field camera (US$399) brought something genuinely new to the consumer marketplace this year by giving users the ability to adjust a photo's focus after it's been taken. Actioncams also reached new heights with GoPro announcing the 4K/15 fps Hero3 Black Edition. And not forgetting the much maligned (but most often used) member of the camera fraternity – the standout smartphone camera of 2012 goes to Nokia's 41-megapixel 808 PureView.
Game on
Video games consoles always feature highly on Christmas wish lists and 2012 provided some tasty new pieces of hardware that will ensure this year is no different. While it was first launched in December of last year, it wasn’t until 2012 that the PlayStation Vita hit shelves outside Japan and impressed with its gorgeous 5-inch OLED touchscreen. Nintendo hit back by attempting to breathe new life into its struggling 3DS with the release of the 3DS XL (US$199.99) boasting a 4.88-inch 3D display and improved battery life.
This year also (finally) saw Nintendo join the HD gaming club with the release of the Wii U (US$299.99). Having ushered in the motion gaming revolution with the original Wii, Nintendo again went for something different with its successor. While the jury is still out on the Wii U’s 6.2-inch touchscreen-toting GamePad, hopes are high that some ambitious developers (or Ninty itself) will come up with a compelling use of the technology.
While talking gaming, it's worth noting that 2012 also saw both Sony’s and Nintendo’s dedicated handhelds continue to face increasing competition from smartphones and tablets, which have cemented themselves as a viable (and popular) gaming platform. And on the console front, with Sony and Microsoft expected to unveil the next generation PlayStation and Xboxnext year, there will be many gamers biding their time – possibly until Christmas 2013.
Downsized tablets
Ho hum you say, tablets are so 2010, but the landscape has changed considerably during 2012 and the sheer number of these things that will be unwrapped later this month makes this a space we can't ignore. The key trend this year has been the proliferation of tablets in the 7-inch vicinity, most notably the Google/Asus Nexus 7, the 7" Kindle Fire, the Nook HD (all priced at US$199) and of course, market leader Apple's slightly larger foray into this space – the 7.9 inch iPad Mini ($329).
Full-size tablets are of course far from dead in the water – alongside a refreshed iPad ($499), Google/Samsung have taken Apple head on with the Nexus 10 ($399) and Microsoft has thrown in its hat with the Surface RT ($99).
For a full run down of specs and pricing on the leading tablet contenders see our 2012 tablet guide.
A $25 computer
Another significant arrival in 2012 was the Raspberry Pi – a bare bones, low-priced, credit card-sized Linux computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. Designed for gaming, regular computing tasks like word processing and high-definition video playback, the top of the line (and we're still only talking US$35) Model B comes with 512 MB RAM, two USB ports and an Ethernet port. This is a fantastic project that will bring cheap, accessible, programmable computers to a much wider audience … and at that price point there's bound to be a Rasberry Pi or three gracing Christmas stockings this year.
A digital green thumb
An indoor plant makes a great Christmas gift. But if the giftee isn't up to the task of keeping it alive, you could be consigning said plant to a perilous battle for survival. The the ideal accompaniment to such a gift – for those happy to part with an extra €129 (US$168) – could be the Koubachi Wi-Fi Sensor.
The Koubachi acts as a digital sentry for the plant. It uses sensors to determine the level of moisture in the soil, the amount of light reaching the leaves and the temperature in the immediate surroundings. The data is analyzed in the cloud and feedback on your plant's health and guidance on how to care for it are sent to your device of choice.
Super-you
Self-portraits gained an extra dimension in 2012 with the arrival of the 3D printing photo booth, but if you are going to have yourself scanned, printed in plastic and gift-boxed, why not go the whole 9-yards and make yourself into a superhero action figure. Firebox offers such a service – upload some mug-shots to the company's website, hand over £79.99 (US$127) and your shrunken, 3D printed head will arrive back in the post with a superhero body to sit it atop.
More intrepid and technically minded narcissists could alternatively attempt to create their own using a 3D printer, which you can picked up these days for as little as $500.
A party machine
We've reached the festive season and, as we said when we first spied it back in August, nothing says "let's party" quite like Philips latest take on the boom box – the £300 (US$485) FWP3200D iPod dock. Featuring support for two iDevices at once, an integrated lighting system, basic deejaying tools and 300 W RMS output boostable to 540 W, the message here is clearly "get up and groove ... or else."
A waterless wipeout
Those shopping for fitness fanatics who've already got every flavor of exercise machine that late night television has to offer might just be able to spring a surprise this year with the RipSurfer X. Looking to mimic the upper body and core-strength workout that surfers get chasing tubes, the RipSurfer X consists of a board mounted on a tilting base and an optional set of elasticized resistance cords designed to simulate paddling.
While RipSurfer X is primarily aimed at the fitness studio market where certified instructors can train users in the art of psuedo-surfing, they can also be purchased for private homes for around US$450.
A Self Balancing Unicycle
Bruised knees, grazed palms and teary eyes ... learning to ride a bike is bad enough, but giving the gift of a unicycle seems like a recipe for disaster. Unless, that is, you can raise the US$1,795 for a one-wheeled conveyance of the self-balancing variety. Focus Designs' Self Balancing Unicycle (SBU) uses an array of sensors, gyros and accelerometers to keep you upright at speeds of up to 10 mph (16 km/h) over a range of 12 miles (20 km). It's compact enough to tote on public transport or throw into the trunk of your car ... and no one else on the neighborhood will have one.
A moment's peace
If the season is getting a little too silly and you just can't face the crowds clamoring for a last minute bargain at the mall, it could be time to find a quiet moment alone with the Ostrich Pillow. The concept is simple – insert head and hands, find a surface on which to rest and do your best to shut the world out.
Having been successfully funded via a Kickstarter campaign, the Ostrich Pillow can now be had for £65/€80/US$99. Those looking for a full body escape might find the HUSH armchair pod more to their liking (though you'll have to wait until next year to get your hands on one – first deliveries are expected in May).
And finally ...
The task of distilling all of the great gadgetry we've seen throughout the year into a top 10 list is of course an impossible one and there are no doubt items on your radar that we've neglected to mention – so please let us know your pick of 2012's most gift-worthy tech gear using the comments section below.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers for supporting us, contributing to the debate and keeping us on our toes throughout the year. Have a fantastic holiday season! We look forward to bringing you more of the latest innovations throughout 2013.
Has 2012 been a vintage year for the PC? Things have certainly started to hot up with the release of Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface.
But epic in the sense of a computing platform going through a major transition. Exactly how successful that transition turns out to be we'll have to wait and see.
What is absolutely guaranteed, however, is that by the end of 2013 there will be PCs unlike anything seen before. New form factors. New capabilities. New value propositions.
What is a PC? It's changing...
So is an ARM-based PC really a PC? Similarly, is an ultra-mobile device powered by an Intel x86 chip but running Google's Android OS a PC? Or does a PC only mean the classic Wintel alliance of Microsoft Windows and Intel x86 processing?The answer to that question will become increasingly tricky during 2013. Microsoft has released a version of the Windows operating system that's compatible with ARM processors, for instance.
It's x86. But it runs Android. Is it a PC?
As the lines become increasingly blurred, perhaps it's device types that will matter, not the notion of a PC.
Tablet conversion
While that's playing out, devices that can definitely be called PCs in terms of ye olde Wintel thing will increasingly be available in tablet format.
The poster child for full-on PC tablets is obviously Microsoft's Surface Pro, due out early in 2013. On paper, it looks like one device to rule them all.
It's a proper x86 PC with an Intel Core i5 processor. It runs the full version of Windows 8 complete with the powerful desktop interface and compatibility with bazillions of legacy applications.
Is this the touch-feely future of the PC?
But it's also a tablet device with the Windows Modern touch interface. So, unlike Apple's iPad or any number of Android tablets, it's not an as-well-as device. It's instead-of. Instead of a laptop, that is.
So you'll have full touchscreen tablet functionality combined with traditional laptop content creation capability in a single, ultraportable device. Brilliant.
The only problem with Surface Pro is pricing. It'll probably cost £800 or more. Mercifully, the world and his dog will be producing tablet convertibles and touch-enabled laptops in 2013. So prices will tumble over the year.
Intel's Next Unit of Computing
It arrived at the end of 2012. But 2013 will be the first full year for Intel's Next Unit of Computing or NUC.
Superficially, NUC is just an ultra-compact PC little different from, say, a Mac Mini or any of a number of super slim boxes.
But NUC is important in terms of the predictions it makes about the shape of PCs to come. The basics of NUC involve high levels of feature integration, solid state storage and a compact, flexible form factor.
Intel's NUC: it's nothing like a Mac MINI, umkay?
Most importantly, NUC predicts future PCs powered by SoCs or system-on-a-chip devices. Gone will the the concept of a motherboard into which you plug a CPU and a graphics card. It's all be on ona single chip.
Currently, the only problem with NUC is pricing. Even a basic model costs over £400 once configured with an SSD, WiFi and memory. And that makes it look very poor value compared to ultrabooks that offer all that, but also a battery, a screen and, soon, touch capability.
Chips with everything
The big news from Intel in 2013 will be Haswell. It's Intel's next big CPU redesign and it pretty much lines up with all the other PC related trends for 2013.
So it won't be a major step forward in terms raw CPU performance. Instead, it's another step towards that system-on-a-chip end game Intel is aiming for.
The Intel machine is gearing up for Haswell
With that in mind, Haswell's graphics take a big step forward. Hard numbers haven't been released, but performance getting on for double Intel's current processor graphics is probably a realistic expectation, in some applications at least. If so, that will kill the bottom end of the graphics card market stone dead.
A year of reckoning for AMD
As for AMD, we were hoping its desperately needed new Steamroller CPU design would rock up in 2013. But that's looking increasingly unlikely.
Instead, what 2013 will likely bring will be closure on the basic question of AMD's survival. By the end of next year, we'll very likely know whether AMD can survive in the long haul.
If AMD does die, 2013 could see the launch of the very last family of Radeon graphics chips. The fact that NVIDIA probably won't bother to launch a new high end graphics chip in 2013 makes that all the more significant. 2013 could be the year the graphics war is finally won by NVIDIA.
Of screens and SSDs
Elsewhere in PC hardware, the familiar tale of incremental but relentless technological advance will continue.
Peak performance for solid state storage probably won't improve dramatically. But random access will, as will price-per-GB for SSDs, Given that the only really problem with the latest SSDs is pricing, that's good news.
It's a similar story for screen technology. 2013 probably won't be a year for revolutionary changes. OLED screens, in other words, are unlikely to go mainstream.
But IPS panels should become ever more commonplace now that consumers have been given the hard sell in tablets and phones.
Popular IPS panel tech: First tablets, now PC monitors
Indeed, on the subject of tablet and phone tech finding its way into PC screens, there's also a chance that high DPI panels could begin to pop up in PC monitors.
Apple has already stuck a few into its Macbook portables. If it commissions high-DPI panels for a new cinema display, expect that to kick off a broader high-DPI trend for PC monitors.
Here's hoping for 4k 30-inch panels and perhaps 2,560 x 1,440 pixel panels in the 22 to 24-inch segments.
The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is one of the largest showcases of new technology in the world.
Hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association in Las Vegas, CES 2013 will open to press and exhibitors from every facet of the electronics industry, and TechRadar will be there.
We'll descend upon the gambling capital of the world for four days of basking in the glow of the latest computers, televisions, cameras, phones and more.
First, the show floor opened on Jan. 9, a week later than usual. LG andSony unveiled 55-inch Ultra High-Definition TVs, then the largest in the world. Intel gave us a glimpse of the touch enabled Ultrabooks we've been seeing everywhere lately.
Last and most notably, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave the company'slast CES keynote, introducing the world to Windows 8's Metro interface, and announcing Xbox 360 apps for Fox, IGN and more.
To follow that, CES 2013 will be a mix of keynote razzle dazzle, sneak peeks at the latest tech, and introductions to products that will go from patently unaffordable to a given in every living room, a lot faster than you'd believe.
Before TechRadar hits the CES 2013 show floor from Jan. 8-11, we thought we'd put together a preview of the gadget glory you can expect from our on the ground coverage.
LG gives CPU making a try
The rumor mill is turning even faster as the days wind down to CES 2013. One thread we keep seeing pop up is processors, and LG is the latest to jump in the mix.
A report out of Korea has the tech firm producing in-house made CPUs next year, starting with chips for its web-capable Smart TVs.
One chip could be the H13, with the H standing for home entertainment and the 13 for the year, and we could see it and others come early January.
A tablet to take notice of
There's a good chance we'll see a good number of tablets at the show, but there's two we've heard about recently that could really turn some heads.
Asus is reportedly working on a tablet with the model name ME172V, a slate that could reach no more than 7 inches, come with a microSD slot for expandable memory and flash a price that puts the Google Nexus 7 on notice.
And while Samsung's Galaxy S4 is stealing most of the South Korean company's 2013 thunder, we've heard the firm might be planning a 13.3-inch tablet to take on Asus' Transformer series.
The 13-incher would even feature a QWERTY keyboard dock.
Intel to outline new tablet chips
In the mood for some T-time?
Intel is supposedly prepping the introduction of a next gen processor at CES 2013: the Bay Trail-T.
The Bay Trail-T is rumored as a quad-core scheduled for a 2014 launch, though CES will see the series' debut plus info on what manufactures are building slates based off the Trail-T.
A SoC sibling is also expected at the Vegas show. Dubbed the Valleyview-T, the chip could take on Nvidia's Tegra 3 and Qualcomm's S4.
Look for long battery lives plus 22nm prowess, superior audio, boosted memory capacity and amped up graphics when used in conjunction with the Gen7 Intel GPU. There's even talk 3D video recording could be in the cards.
Galaxy S4 with Full HD Super AMOLED display
As the major hardware manufacturer taking up CES real estate, it's no surprise Samsung should (so far) dominate the rumor mill.
This one has a Full HD Super AMOLED display arriving at the show, but that's not all: chances are we'll see such a screen housed inside the Galaxy S4.
A Samsung source reported that the display's resolution will reach 1920 x 1080 and a staggering 441 ppi, but the real point of interest is in the ultra-thin and energy efficient AMOLED technology.
Fingers crossed Samsung decides to bring a SIV with such a screen as its CES carry on.
Huawei Ascends take flight
With Windows Phone 8 reveals by Nokia, HTC and Samsung already in the books, it was easy to forget that a fourth manufacturer received a Microsoft nod to use the new OS.
China's Huawei may take the CES stage to bring its WP8 dish to the party in the form of the Ascend W1.
Though the Ascend W1 will be the last guest to arrive, it may turn out to be the phone everyone flocks to if a cheap asking price is tacked on.
The firm may also introduce the higher-end Ascend W3, a phone with a 4.5-inch display that recently leaked online.
Huawei has kept its lips sealed on whether it's even working on one or more Windows Phone 8 handsets, so CES could be the time it decides to open up.
World's largest Ultra HD TV from Samsung
Can you say "whoa?" Samsung is about to set mouths agape with an 85-inch Ultra HD LED TV, "the world's largest commercialized UHD LED TV."
The company made the over eight million pixel tube official Nov. 12, and we're looking forward to standing wide-eyed before the mondo television that probably makes the lights on the Strip look like dying flashlights.
While we don't necessarily anticipate a radical image reimagining, we do expect Samsung will take advantage of the stage (and a keynote speech) to introduce a new facet to its business identity – a refresh, as it were.
One of CES's exhibit categories is "Digital Health and Fitness," so Samsung will likely tack onto that theme with the introduction of products (or the retooling of current devices) that fit into the health and wellness category.
Samsung has reportedly hired a design team that's worked with Nike on some of that company's branding initiatives, so we'll likely see some dynamic stuff from South Korea in Vegas.
As Samsung continues to grow from an Asian powerhouse to a global one, how it sells itself to a broad international audience will be key to its future.
We expect Stephen Woo, president of Samsung Electronics' device solutions division, to set the tone of the company's refreshed self during his keynote address Jan. 9.
The debut of Ultra High-Definition television
It took a while but CRT televisions have finally become the stuff of garage sales and trips to grandma's house, and 3D screens have just started to crack the home market. Now everyone's lovely flatscreen is about to become a little bit obsolete, thanks Ultra High-Definition.
After a brief flirtation with 4K high-definition, the CEA settled on the name Ultra HD. However, Sony, always one to buck a naming trend (remember Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD?) has said it will stick with numbered moniker, calling its pixel-dense displays 4K Ultra High-Definition (4K UHD).
LG's 55-incher, we've its since topped
Still, everyone seems to be in agreement over the spec requirements set by the CEA, defining what it takes to be called Ultra HD. According to the group, Ultra means at least 8 million pixels, with a minimum resolution of 3840 x 2160, and an aspect ratio of at least 16 x 9.
Now the question is how big will the screens at CES 2013 be? There's debate between engineers as to whether anyone can even tell the difference between UHD and regular HD on a display that's less than 100-inches. And when will these TVs become affordable? Right now they're around $20,000 (UK£12,515, AUD $19,210), keeping them firmly in Donald Trump and Richard Branson territory.
Intel introduces a new mobile processor, stakes its claim
Intel is probably one of the most recognizable names coming to CES 2013, though it's not the only chipmaker making a stand on the Vegas exhibit floor.
We expect Intel to show up big at the event, schooling the competition on how it's done, and very likely announcing a new mobile processor or two as well as some destined for PCs.
Intel is in an interesting position in terms of its mobile future: although it claims to have 20 Windows 8 tablets sporting its new Z2760 processor coming to market soon, the firm's chips are currently only found in six smartphones.
ARM and its licensees (Nvidia and Qualcomm) are making a killing in the mobile space and all are heading down to Nevada for the show, creating a perfect storm for one-up-man ship on the Strip.
ARM-based chips, while found in major money makers like the iPad and various Android tablets, aren't terribly up to snuff when it comes to processing prowess.
Yet Intel hasn't even breached the realm of relevancy smartphone space, making CES the time where it needs to stake that claim.
There's been talk that Apple may chuck Intel as its CPU provider in the coming years. Cupertino recently developed a poppy processor for its iPad 4 – the A6X – a chip that's reportedly twice as fast as those found in older iPads.
For that reason alone, Intel has got to show why it's relevant in mobile and why it deserves to be considered the top chipmaker in the world now and for years to come.
We'd love to see Intel not only announce a new mobile processor, but unveil a new partnership. It's got to prove it can work well with others (and capture consumer imagination) if it hopes to move deeper into smartphones and tablets.
Nvidia trumps out Tegra 4
Nvidia's Tegra 3 has done quite for itself this year, jumping into phones like HTC's One X+ and tablets such as Google's Nexus 7 and Microsoft'sSurface.
That doesn't mean Nvidia doesn't have its eyes to the horizon, and we believe the company will introduce its Tegra 4 processor come CES.
We might see the Tegra 3's successor at CES 2013
Word of the T40 (the new Tegra's model number) got going in April, with a report pointing to early 2013 as the time the Tegra 3's successor would ascend the throne.
At the time, it sounded like the Tegra 4 would fit four new Cortex A15 ARM chips, taking it way past the A9 Cortex chip summit.
Speeds of 1.8GHz are probably going to be average for the new processor, while by the middle/end of the year, 2.0 should be its cruising GHz.
If we're lucky, we might even see an Android or Windows 8 tablet poke about with the Tegra 4 inside.
Microsoft's show no more
The Consumer Electronics Show has long been Microsoft's chance to shine. The software giant has always given flashy presentations, usually involving celebrities. Shaq, Conan O'Brien, Ryan Seacrest, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and more have all appeared to help co-founder Bill Gates and current CEO Steve Ballmer show of the company's latest tech.
Sadly, CES 2013 will be the first year where Microsoft won't be giving one of its signature keynote presentations. It gave the world plenty of notice, saying in December 2011 that CES 2012 would be its last. Steve Ballmer's last presentation at the Las Vegas trade show focused on Metro, the new Live Tile-based interface for Windows 8.
Ballmer and Seacrest present at CES 2012
Companies have moved quickly to fill the space left by Microsoft's exodus. Qualcomm has nabbed the open keynote slot. The telecommunications mogul will be giving its Born Mobile keynote on Monday, January 7th. Meanwhile, satellite provider Dish and appliance manufacturer Hisense snapped up Microsoft's booth space in under an hour.
However, Venturebeat has quoted CEA president Gary Shapiro as saying, "Microsoft will have something" at CES 2013. While it's unknown what that something will be, there are plenty of possibilities. More Windows Phone 8devices? A Microsoft Surface Pro running Windows 8? Its all in the realm of possibility.
LG unveils Smart TV platform underpinned by HP's webOS
While we expect LG to march out a bevvy of phones and TVs, including some we haven't seen before, what's really piquing our interest heading into the new year is word that it may launch a Smart TV service based onwebOS.
webOS, the open source system developed by HP, could take the reigns from LG's antiquated NetCast Smart TV interface during the show, a move that wouldn't leave our jaws dropped.
HP delivered on its promise to walk out webOS to the public by September, a vow it made in January, and now it needs a big product and solid partner to get its face out there.
The marriage between the two should be equal – reports have HP providing the OS while LG will plug in its dual-core L9-powered motherboards.
If our expectations pan out, we'll likely see the death of LG's small screen partnership with the struggling Google TV service, a relationship LG championed at CES 2012 yet has since cooled.
Automotive electronics
The CEA estimates that factory-installed automotive technology will generate $8.7 billion dollars in 2013, so it's no wonder seven major car companies will be on the show floor.
Audi, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia and Subaru will be joined more than 100 auto tech companies displaying the latest in-car tech. This is a record setting presence for the automotive industry at CES.
Displays and presentations will include electric drive technology. GoElectricDrive TechZone will demonstrate electric vehicles paired with their respective charging stations, ones that can be used at homes and in public facilities. The Safe Driver presentation will show more than the typical hands-free devices, highlighting technologies that can help drivers park, watch their speed and avoid collisions.
However, not everything between automakers and car tech designers is completely sunny. With so much hardware being put into cars before they even leave the factory, will the aftermarket industry be facing an all-time low? A presentation titled "Are Automakers Running the Aftermarket Off the Road?" will address the issue.
