When laptop’s first became available there where few choices of brands and even fewer choices of options. Now there are new laptop computers coming on the market continuously, all with specialized options. Before choosing a laptop decide what your focus is. There is probably a laptop computer that comes with exactly the standard features you are looking for. Below is a sample of just a few laptop computers and the features that make them unique.

Dell

With an exceptionally fast processor and graphics engine, Dell has developed a laptop especially geared for gaming. The lightweight laptop, weighing only 8.6 pounds is very portable. In addition the Dell XPS M170 has a 2.26 GHz Intel processors, one of the fastest available.

Toshiba

Toshiba has focussed its laptop computers on multimedia features. Their line of laptops have TV, DVR, stereo, DVD players as well as all other traditional multimedia components. For music, video and visual effects this is the best laptop computer.

Hewlett Packard

Hewlett Packard has focussed on developing a laptop that includes all the features of a desktop without the space requirements. It has both entertainment and computing features and great performance ratings. It comes with a CR-RW/DVD-ROM combo that can read and write all types of multimedia.

Apple

Apple Powerbook laptop computers have a unique designed that make them stand out in a crowd. Apple laptop computers use the Apple MacOS X 10.4 and come with speakers, Bluetooth antenna and wireless LAN antenna as standard features.

Acer

Acer laptop computers come with a 40 GB hard dive, 256 MB ram, DVD-RW drive and a 15-inch screen. There is a good selection of bundled software included that has games, Norton AntiVirus and a CD maker program. It is silver in color and stylish in design.

Sony VAIO

Sony has focussed on their original XBRITE LCD technology and Smart Display Sensor to enhance visual presentation on the viewing screen. The screen automatically adjusts to various lighting to maximize the viewer’s ability to see the display. Using Windows XP Pro and a 3-hour standard battery this laptop notebook is designed for presentations and getting information across.

Visit http://www.1-stop-laptops.com for related articles such as best rated laptops and laptop computer accessory.

• Intel Labs Invests $30M in the Future of Cloud and Embedded Computing

In a press release on the 3rd August 2011, Intel announced that Intel Labs is Investing $30M in the Future of Cloud and Embedded Computing with the Opening of Latest Intel Science and Technology Centers. Read the press release below for more information.


Intel Labs Invests $30M in the Future of Cloud and Embedded Computing with the Opening of Latest Intel Science and Technology Centers


NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• Intel Labs announces two new Intel Science and Technology Centers (ISTC) hosted at Carnegie Mellon University focused on cloud and embedded computing research.
• Intel to invest $30M in the new centers over five years, part of its larger $100M program designed to increase university research and accelerate innovation.
• Intel invites academic researchers to submit their ideas to become a funded ISTC in 2012.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., August 3, 2011 – Aimed at shaping the future of cloud computing and how increasing numbers of everyday devices will add computing capabilities, Intel Labs announced the latest Intel Science and Technology Centers (ISTC) both headquartered at Carnegie Mellon University.

These centers represent the next $30 million installment of Intel’s recently announced 5-year, $100 million ISTC program to increase university research and accelerate innovation in a handful of key areas. As with previously announced ISTCs for visual computing and secure computing, the new centers encourage tighter collaboration between university thought leaders and Intel. To encourage further collaboration, the ISTCs use open IP models with results publically available through technical publications and open-source software releases.

“These new ISTCs are expected to open amazing possibilities,” said Justin Rattner, Intel Chief Technology Officer. “Imagine, for example, future cars equipped with embedded sensors and microprocessors to constantly collect and analyze traffic and weather data. That information could be shared and analyzed in the cloud so that drivers could be provided with suggestions for quicker and safer routes.”

Cloud Computing Research
The ISTC forms a new cloud computing research community that broadens Intel’s “Cloud 2015” vision with new ideas from top academic researchers, and includes research that extends and improves on Intel’s existing cloud computing initiatives. The center combines top researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California Berkeley, Princeton University, and Intel. The researchers will explore technology that will have has important future implications for the cloud, including built-in application optimization, more efficient and effective support of big data analytics on massive amounts of online data, and making the cloud more distributed and localized by extending cloud capabilities to the network edge and even to client devices.

In the future, these capabilities could enable a digital personal handler via a device wired into your glasses that sees what you see, to constantly pull data from the cloud and whisper information to you during the day -- telling you who people are, where to buy an item you just saw, or how to adjust your plans when something new comes up.

ISTC for Embedded Computing
Tapping into the expertise of leading researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of California at Berkeley and Intel, the ISTC for embedded computing forms a new collaborative community to drive research to transform experiences in the home, car and retail environment of the future. With the growing popularity of mobile real-time and personalized technology, there is a corresponding rise in demand for specialized embedded computing systems to support a broad range of new applications — including many not yet envisioned.

A key area of research is to make it easier for these everyday devices to continuously collect, analyze and act on useful data from both sensors and online databases in a way that is timely, scalable and reliable. For example, in cars, this data could be used to customize in-vehicle entertainment options when specific passengers are recognized, and provide them better routing, retail, dining, and entertainment recommendations while on-the-road.

Intel Opens Submission Process for Future ISTCs
Starting today, Intel expands the ISTC program into a new phase by openly inviting researchers from across the U.S. academic community to submit information to be considered in the process to define additional ISTCs. Principal investigators may submit a two page abstract outlining a potential topic and research scope for consideration by Intel Labs. Through this process, Intel expects to award at least one center before the end of 2011 and subsequently launch in 2012. For complete submission information and instructions, please see intel.com/go/istc.

For more resources, view the Multimedia press kit at http://goo.gl/CJKhb

• Microsoft vs Google - the patent war

With the recent patent issues regarding Google and Microsoft, it seems that the discussion has yet to stop as both are replying rather than letting it go. Here`s some details of this war, as posted at CNet on the 4th August 2011 regarding the issue.

Rather than ignore an attack by Googles legal boss saying that it has conspired against the company in patent wars, Microsoft is ratcheting up the nastiness.

And Google is firing back, turning the discussion of patent strategy into a he said-she said battle of blog posts and tweets.

The software giants top public relations executive took to Twitter last night to refute claims laid out by Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond that Microsoft is conspiring with Apple and others to keep patents away from the Web giant. Frank X. Shaw released an October e-mail from Google General Counsel Kent Walker to his counterpart at Microsoft, Brad Smith, cordially declining Microsofts offer to jointly bid on patents from Novell.

In the e-mail, Walker writes, "After talking with people here, it sounds as though for various reasons a joint bid wouldnt be advisable for us on this one. But I appreciate your flagging it, and were open to discussing other similar opportunities in the future."

That would seem to refute Drummonds claims of "a hostile, organized campaign against Android," Googles mobile operating system, by Microsoft and others. And Shaw was happy to point that out in his tweet.

"Free advice for David Drummond--next time check with Kent Walker before you blog," Shaw wrote, before adding a smiley face to the message.

Earlier yesterday, Smith took to Twitter as well, to point out Googles inconsistencies. In his tweet, Smith noted that Google rejected Microsofts offer to bid together on the Novell patents.

"Google says we bought Novell patents to keep them from Google. Really? We asked them to bid jointly with us. They said no," Smith tweeted.

In an update today to the original Google post, Drummond claimed Microsofts response was a means to "divert attention by pushing a false gotcha! while failing to address the substance of the issues we raised."

Drummond then argued that if Google had been a part of the winning Novell deal along with Microsoft, it would have put Android at risk from legal attacks due to the group licensing rules.

"A joint acquisition of the Novell patents that gave all parties a license would have eliminated any protection these patents could offer to Android against attacks from Microsoft and its bidding partners," Drummond wrote. "Making sure that we would be unable to assert these patents to defend Android--and having us pay for the privilege--must have seemed like an ingenious strategy to them. We didnt fall for it."


An e-mail from Googles general counsel to his counterpart at Microsoft, tweeted by Microsoft PR boss Frank Shaw


Drummond later added that the move by the U.S. Department of Justice to make Microsoft-led CPTN Holdings sell the patent collection and make the patents part of the GNU General Public License "reaffirmed" the companys original message that Android had become a target.

That led Microsofts Shaw to respond again. In a series of rapid fire tweets, Shaw suggested more than a bit of cynicism in Drummonds blog update. And he did it with more than a bit of snark.

"Hello again David Drummond," Shaw started his first tweet. "This is going to take a few tweets, so here we go."

Shaw points out that Google did not dispute that it rejected Microsofts offer to jointly bid on the Novell patents. Shaw claims that is because Google only wanted patents that it "could use to assert against someone else." Presumably, bidding with Microsoft would have included a cross-licensing deal for the acquired patents.

The decision to proceed on its own, Shaw wrote, suggests that Google has no interest in "partnering with others & reducing patent liability across industry."

In this bickering battle, Google is now on the clock.