processor

Windows 8 will include Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization tool in an effort to attract developers, IT pros, and other users who need to run, test, or support virtual environments.

Describing the move in the latest edition of the "Building Windows 8" blog, Mathew John, a program manager on Microsoft's Hyper-V team, noted that Hyper-V has previously been available only in recent server-based editions of Windows, making Windows 8 the first client OS to include the feature.

Virtualization tools such as Hyper-V allow users to run multiple operating systems and environments on the same machine. That's helpful … Read more

Recent rumors about the iPhone 5 have claimed that Apple would bump up the screen size to at least 4 inches, but a story from DigiTimes offers a contrary take.

Citing sources from "upstream panel suppliers," DigiTimes rebuts the claims that the iPhone would sport a 4.2-inch screen size, which it says sprang from a leak from Apple's Web site in Switzerland early this month. Alleged design specs for iPhone 5 cases even prompted MacRumors to create some mockups of the new phone showing off a 4-inch screen.

But DigiTimes' sources say the iPhone 5 won'… Read more

Apple's latest chip technology won't appear in the next-generation iPad until June 2012 at the earliest, according to a firm that tracks the mobile processor industry.

Getting new processor technology out the door (remember, Apple is also in the chip design business) is a Herculean task for even seasoned chip manufacturers like Intel. It will certainly be no different for Apple, whose next chip, dubbed the "A6," may not make an appearance in the iPad 3 until later in 2012, said The Linley Group, a chip consulting firm.

If Apple keeps to its schedule and launches … Read more

AMD has appointed a new president and CEO, the company announced today.

Rory Read, the former president and chief operating officer of the Lenovo Group, will head up the processor company, as well as join AMD's board of directors.

Read comes to AMD with an impressive resume. At Lenovo, according to AMD, he was responsible for "double-digit revenue growth and market share gains." He also spent 23 years at IBM, holding a host of management positions.

Former AMD CEO Dirk Meyer stepped down from his post in January. An employee of AMD since 1995, Meyer succeeded CEO … Read more

When discovering the benefits of having a food processor, one of the first realizations is the simple fact that it should have been purchased a long time ago. That is because food processors are incredible time-savers. As the RPMs ratchet up, the blades spin and whatever needs slicing or chopping is reduced to the desired consistency in seconds. It all happens so fast there almost isn't enough time to consider how much time cumulatively would have been saved if the purchase had been made a long time ago. Almost.

One of the first things that new food processor owners … Read more

Intel is once again offering an upgrade on underpowered processors.

Dubbed the Intel Upgrade Service, the chipmaker's program allows customers who are running the low-end Core i3-2312M, Core i3-2102, and Pentium G622 to pay a fee to upgrade the performance of their processors.

According to the company, the upgrade will deliver better application, video, and photo performance, along with improved "responsiveness for everyday PC activities." In benchmark testing, the Core i3-2513 delivered performance that was 11 percent faster on applications and 15 percent faster on digital-media creation, Intel said.

Heartland Payment Systems, which processes payments across the country, is the latest company to jump on the mobile-payment bandwagon.

The Princeton, N.J.-based company said today that it was launching a system to allow merchants to accept payments through smartphones and tablets, similar to Square or Verifone. The system, called Mobuyle, includes an Android application and an encrypting reader that plugs into the device's audio hack, allowing stores to expand the number of point-of-sale terminals on the fly.

Heartland is one of many to be lured in by the opportunities that are emerging from the mobile-payments area. While … Read more

Staples has begun selling the 11.6-inch Samsung Series 3 laptop for $619 after "instant savings," one of the least expensive ultraportables based on Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processor.

The Series 3 presages sub-$800 Ultrabooks likely to appear in 2012 from PC makers. Though--with a maximum thickness of about 1 inch--it's not as thin as Ultrabooks are expected to be, the weight is about right at 2.8 pounds.

The silicon is similar to Ultrabooks too. In this case, an ultra power efficient Intel Core i3-2357M Sandy Bridge processor.

Unlike the Samsung Series 9 (which … Read more

Welcome to Smartphones Unlocked, my new monthly column designed to explain the ins and outs of smartphones to help you better understand how they work. The world of smartphones is fast-paced and can sometimes be confusing and difficult to keep track of all the new technology in these devices, particularly if you're new to them, so if there are any topics you'd like to see covered here, please feel free to e-mail me at bonnie.cha@cnet.com.

There are a lot of things to consider when buying a smartphone--operating system, screen size, keyboard or no keyboard, camera--but … Read more