14 DAY TRIAL // We suspect that notebook makers will start introducing Richland-based laptops sooner rather than later, now that the chips are finally out, and we figured people would appreciate a rundown of the special perks the APUs bring.
There are six main advantages that notebooks and ultrabook-like laptops (Intel has the term “ultrabook” trademarked) have over existing competition.
Three of them directly impact the system's ability to play video: AMD Quick Stream, AMD Steady Video, and AMD Perfect Picture HD.
Perfect Picture HD dynamically performs advanced de-interlacing, color saturation/vibrancy adjustments, and contrast adjustment.
AMD Steady Video uses post processing algorithms to stabilize video images.
That leaves AMD Quick Stream to prioritize bandwidth streaming over other PC functions that use the HDMI output, or whichever port is used to play a film, or whatever else, on an HDTV.
The fourth technology, and the first that isn't about video, is AMD Gesture Control: it tracks a user's hand gestures and converts them into commands, allowing basic applications like browsers, media players, e-readers and the like to be operated from up to three feet away (just under 1 meter).
It relies on AMD shaders instead of the x86 cores (lower power use) and doesn't actually have a counterpart in Intel's camp at the moment.
The second to last technology is AMD Screen Mirror, which transmits, over the network and at a low latency, the stream from the PC screen to any TV/Monitor with a DLNA receiver.
Finally, the AMD Face Login technology uses facial recognition algorithms to “look” at you through the webcam and allow or deny access (the relative position, size, and/or shape of the eyes, nose, cheekbones, and jaw are compared to a stored image).
AMD does concede that face unlocking is old news, but says that existing technologies don't measure up to AMD Face Login.
