Lilbits (6-26-2013): Chromebooks with Haswell chips on the way?

When the first Chromebooks hit the market, they were powered by Intel Atom chips designed to keep prices relatively low, battery life relatively long, and performance relatively poor. OK, that last bit might have been the unintended consequence of going with Atom rather than a goal.

But Google recently showed that Chromebooks don't have to be slow. The $1299 Google Chromebook Pixel has an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor and it's speedy as all get out. And even the $249 Samsung Series 3 Chromebook with an ARM Cortex-A15 chip is pretty zippy.

But soon we may see some even faster models featuring Intel Haswell chips.

Here's a roundup of tech news from around the web.

• Upcoming "Bolt" Chromebook could have Haswell CPU, touchscreen
  The Chromebook Pixel might not be the fastest Chrome OS laptop for long. New models with Intel Haswell processors are in the works, and at least one appears to have a touchscreen. Or maybe the units that are undergoing testing are just prototypes that'll never see the light of day. [Chrome Story]
• Sony PRS-T3 eReader hits the FCC
  Sony's next-generation eReader showed up at the FCC. There aren't a lot of details, but it looks like Sony's refined the design a bit, and both devices are WiFi-capable. [The Digital Reader]
• MiiPC Android mini PC for kids ship date pushed back to September
  The MiiPC is a crowd-funded mini computer that runs Android and is designed for kids. It was initially scheduled to launch in July, but the date's been pushed back a few months. [Kickstarter]
• NVIDIA Shield makes a pretty nifty remote control for the Parrot AR Drone (Video)
  The NVIDIA Shield may be a handheld gaming console first and foremost, but it's also an excellent remote control for a drone. [Droid Life]
• Coby MID9052 9 inch Android tablet hits the FCC
  Budget tablet maker Coby's latest Android tablet appears to have a 9.7 inch screen, Android 4.0 software, and 8GB of storage. It's not the most exciting device around, but it'll probably sell for under $150. [FCC]
• LGX BB100 is a $15 BeagleBone Black case for the BeagleBone Black, completes the tiny PC aesthetic
  The BeagleBone Black is a $45 hackable computer board. But you can turn it into a more respectable PC by adding a cheap case. [LinuxGizmos]
• Intel HD 5000 (Haswell) and HD 4000 (Ivy Bridge) graphics compared
  Intel promised big gains in graphics performance with the move from Ivy Bridge to Haswell. That's kind of true, but it depends on which Haswell chip you use, and what you use it for. [AnandTech]

You can keep up on the latest news by following Liliputing on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Lilbits (6-26-2013): Chromebooks with Haswell chips on the way? is a post from: Liliputing