processor

What is smaller than a mainstream laptop, uses an Intel Atom processor, and runs Windows? Both a Netbook and the upcoming HP Slate fit that definition, which will pose problems for the Slate when reviewers inevitably try to compare it with the iPad.

The notion of the Slate as a Netbook sans keyboard gained some ground Monday amid reports that the Slate does not compare favorably to an Apple iPad.

Though the final verdict on the HP Slate will have to wait until it is released to major review sites, its specifications already hint at Netbook-like performance, as this report last week shows. … Read more

AVLAN Design describes its AVD Graphic Studio as a "mini Photoshop," acknowledging that Adobe's software is the big dog in the CG yard and that the main goal of competitors is to offer Photoshop-like capabilities in less expensive packages that are easier for ordinary folks to use. At this, AVD Graphic Studio succeeds quite well. It's easy to use, it has most of the basic functionality of the pro-level applications, and it's much less expensive than the big packages like Photoshop.

This program will be familiar if you've used Photoshop or similar applications. Its … Read more

If you've got more than one PC, you probably also use more than one operating system. For instance, the PC I use at work runs XP, the machine in my home office uses Vista, and my laptop dual-boots Vista and Windows 7. Of the three, I'll take Win7 any day of the week and twice on Mondays, but if you prefer XP's look and features, a free program lets you make all three operating systems appear and act like XP.

Two other freebies improve two other Windows 7 weak spots: its built-in firewall and word processor.

Maximize … Read more

Pages for iPad may not be as sophisticated as other desktop word processing apps, but it packs plenty of punch when you just want a way to produce nice looking documents on the go. After only a few minutes playing around with the controls, we were able to create documents with stylized text, imported images, tables, and graphs, and make formatting changes on the fly, all using the touch-screen keyboard. The program comes with several common templates to start from including standard letters, letters with photos, resume layouts, project reports, and many more. With Apple's keyboard dock connected, Pages … Read more

Kitchen appliances with accessories have the rare distinction of being both a help and a hindrance. They come in handy through the use of attachments, often becoming capable of doing the work of several different appliances. And they are a pain in the neck, because that means you have to scour the kitchen to find those attachments. The most user-friendly kitchen appliances help their own cause by allowing for onboard accessory storage.

When it comes to food processors, accessories are key to usefulness. The Wolfgang Puck 4-Cup Continuous-Flow Food Processor with Overload Protection incorporates this design feature into one convenient … Read more

It's been a long time coming, but earlier this week, Intel finally launched "Tukwila," the latest iteration in its Itanium family of high-end microprocessors.

Coming on the same day as IBM introduced both its Power7 chip and the first of an associated line of servers, Tukwila didn't garner as much attention as it might have otherwise. It's also true that today's Itanium is something of a specialty product. But that doesn't make it irrelevant.

Tukwila will be the first Itanium to incorporate Intel's serial processor communications link (QuickPath Interconnect, or QPI) and … Read more

IBM on Monday is launching its long-anticipated Power7 processor and systems based on the chip.

The processor is a big step for IBM, integrating eight processing cores--four times the number of cores in the prior-generation Power6--in one chip package, with each core capable of executing four tasks--called "threads"--turning an individual chip into a virtual 32-core processor. As a yardstick, Intel's high-end Xeon processors--systems that Power7 will compete with--typically have two threads per processing core and contain four cores.

Blg Blue has already tipped its hand on the Power7 chip in discussions about its upcoming Blue Water supercomputer. … Read more

Available space on the kitchen counter is a rarity. Aside from making room for all the gadgets and appliances, we are somehow supposed to find the space to, you know, occasionally actually prepare a meal. The invention of the kitchen cupboard is the best thing that ever happened to the kitchen counter, but if maneuvering in or about cabinetry is a hassle, chances are it won't happen--and delivery or a frozen pizza will.

Easy access to a food processor is often the first step to creating a great home a meal. As prep tools go, they can't be … Read more

CheckUp is an easy-to-use multipurpose maintenance utility that can help you monitor and improve your Mac's performance. Its very visual interface uses colorful and dynamic icons, graphs, and dials to display performance and data over eight different categories: Profile (including uptime and a bandwidth tally), System (especially great for seeing which OS your Mac can handle), Processors (twin dials for dual processors, plus a temperature monitor), Memory (configuration, usage, and testing), Disks (all partitions, with an option for repairing permissions), Network (showing input and output in a customizable graph), Processes (a prettier, more flexible version of OS X's … Read more