AMD announced its new mobile platform called “Puma”. Puma is a first since its acquisition of graphics maker ATI.
Here’s what the platform consists of:

* CPU: AMD Turion X2 Ultra
* GPU: ATI Radeon HD 3000 series

HD 3800 series (3850, 3870, and 3870 X2) is designed for gaming.

The first laptop GPU to support Microsoft DirectX 10.1.

Claims to be energy efficienct.

Support for full HD resolution.

* ATI Avivo HD Technology: claims to use less battery power than other HD processing technologies.
* ATI Hybrid CrossFireX: allows discrete and integrated graphics to run together for performance and power-saving benefits.
* ATI PowerXxpress: allows users to switch between power-saving iGPU mode and high performance dGPU mode on the fly (no reboot required).
* ATI SurroundView technology: native support for up to four monitors
* 802.11n draft N wireless by Atheros
* Security features: TPM 1.2, support for smart cards and fingerprint sensors, AMD Virtualization technology.

AMD also announced ATI XGP Technology, an external box that lends a system discrete graphics capability. It has a proprietary connector that’s too large for an HDMI port. No word yet on the price.

Intel has changed the launch date of their Shelton CPU platform to May.

The technology is intended for low-cost laptops, and is based around the 45nm, 1.6Ghz single-core Diamondville processor, as well as variants of the 945G chipset. The Diamondville that the Shelton processor is based on has 512kB of L2 cache, and runs on a 533MHz frontside bus.

Diamondville will enter the market as the 230 processor, the laptop version being named the N270.

Toshiba has announced its Satellite U305-S2816 13.3-inch laptop with new Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 “Penryn” CPU. As you know, HP already has unveiled its Pavilion laptops featuring the Penryn.

Along with the T8100 CPU at 2.1GHz, the Toshiba Satellite U305-S2816 includes 2GB of DDR2 memory, expandable to 4GB, a 250GB 5,400rpm HDD, a DVD burner, and the Intel GMA X3100 graphics which manages the notebook’s 1280-by-800 pixel 13.3″ display.

The Satellite U305-S2816 also features built-in web camera and fingerprint reader, the Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n), a Bluetooth connection, Ethernet LAN, and a 56k modem.

This laptop featured with three USB ports, an ExpressCard slot, a 5-in-1 media card reader, VGA output, and a Firewire port.

Toshiba Satellite U305-S2816 runs Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.

Priced at $1,299.95, it is available via Amazon.

The miniaturized Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile processor, developed specially for Apple’s MacBook Air laptop, will be used in laptops by other vendors.

The Core 2 Duo used in the MacBook Air is 60 percent smaller than the normal sized chip. The small form factor Intel Core 2 Duo processors in the Apple’s ultraportable run at either 1.6Ghz or 1.8GHz. These chips are based on the Intel “Merom” 65-nanometer core. The CPUs have a power consumption of 20 watts, which is lower than 35 watts in similar standard-sized Merom chips.