New Intel Education Tablet features snap on magnification lens and thermal probe

Intel has pulled the wraps off a couple new computing devices aimed at the education environment. The new devices include the 10-inch Intel Education Tablet and the 10-inch Intel classmate PC. Both of the devices are designed to be rugged enough to survive the rough and tumble school days with kids. They can both survive drops of 70cm.

The products are also both water and dust resistant. The Education Tablet runs Android 4.2 and has rubber bumpers on the sides to make it easier to hold. It also features a stylus and a power button that is hard to press accidentally. The tablet runs on an Intel Atom Z2520 processor and has front and rear cameras.



The tablet can also be fitted with optional 3G connectivity and promises 12 hours of use per charge. Graphics for the tablet are handled via Intel GMA and it supports full HD video. Two of the coolest features are snap on magnifying lens and a thermal probe to help kids learn. The classmate PC is a 10-inch machine that runs Windows 8.1 with an Intel Celeron N2806 processor.

A version of the classmate PC with Windows 7 and one with Linux using an Intel Celeron N2805 CPU will be available later this year. The machine can be optioned with a touchscreen and it has a rotatable camera allows kids to create video content with the device. The classmate PC is the first device based on the classmate PC reference design and will be available this month in the US and other countries.

SOURCE: Intel

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Google Nexus 8 tablet to land mid-2014 with Intel 64-bit innards?

Google may be making plans to ditch Qualcomm as its chip provider in favour of Intel for the Nexus 8 tablet.

According to hit-and-miss DigiTimes "upstream supply chain" sources have made it clear the new Nexus 8 will be packing the Intel Bay Trail-T processor and should arrive by mid-2014.

Despite Google reportedly ditching Qualcomm as its chip manufacturer it'll be sticking with Asus to make the tablet. The source also claims the new Intel Bay Trail-T processor will be a 64-bit quad-core CPU.

Little else is known about the tablet but more details should emerge after MWC in February, claims the source.

If Google were to shift from using Asus also we wouldn't be surprised to see Google use LG after the impressive LG G Pad 8.3. But we'll just have to wait and see as more details emerge.

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Intel to cut more than 5,000 jobs in 2014

The market for PCs may be stabilizing, but that hasn't stopped Intel from cutting a few thousand jobs. Earlier this week the chipmaker revealed its earnings for 2013, which included "signs of stabilization" for the traditional PC market. However, despite this the company is being forced to reduce its workforce by five percent this year, which amounts to more than 5,000 jobs. The cuts are expected to include retirements and other voluntary options. "This is part of aligning our human resources to meet business needs," spokesman Chris Kraeuter told Reuters.

The announcement comes after an earnings report that seemed like good news for the company, including a two percent quarterly increase in PC revenue and what was described as "strong" growth in the tablet sector. Of course, Intel isn't the only company hit by the declining market for traditional PCs. Last month HP announced that it would be eliminating 5,000 jobs in 2014, bringing its multi-year restructuring plan up to a total of 34,000 layoffs.

Source:theverge.com

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