The Intel Compute Stick was just released, but you can already start waiting for the new one

By Brad Bourque Published June 23, 2015

It’s no secret that computers are getting smaller, and everyone is trying to get in on the fun. Intel has strayed from its normal role as a processor provider, and has been releasing shrunken platforms like the NUC and the even smaller Compute Stick. Now, a leaked roadmap purports to show the planned features and specifications for the next few generations of Intel Computer Stick.

The first Compute Stick intrigued us with smooth 1080p playback, and while it was priced competitively for a computer, it wasn’t cheap enough to beat out dedicated media streamers. The upgrade to the line will bring increased graphical and processing performance, as well as streamlined functionality.

Recommended Videos

First on the slide is the already released “Falls City” in both Windows and Linux variants based on the Atom Bay Trail architecture. The Windows variant includes Windows 8.1 with Bing, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The Linux Compute Stick comes with Ubuntu preinstalled, but only has 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM. Both the Windows and Linux version of the “Falls City” Compute Stick include Wi-Fi-BGN and Bluetooth 4.0.

In the fourth quarter of 2015, the “Cedar City” Compute Stick will find its way to release, sporting a 64GB SATA drive and 4GB of RAM alongside a Core M processor. It also includes HDMI+MHL support, so you won’t have to connect it to USB for power, it will simply draw all it needs through the HDMI port on your monitor or TV. The “Cedar City” also includes USB 3.0 support and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, but it only comes in a Windows 10 with Bing variant.

Finally, sometime in the first half of 2016 we should see the “Falls City 2” Compute Sticks, again in both Windows 10 and Linux variants powered by the newly announced Atom Broxton chips. This second wave will bring in the MHL support that was built into the first “Falls City” run, as well as increase the storage in the Windows 10 version to a 64GB eMMC drive.

While the first “Falls City” release won’t support 4K resolutions, both the “Cedar City” and “Falls City 2” releases will, with the second “Falls City” set boasting upgraded graphical performance.

Of course, this is all speculation, but the roadmap seems legitimate based on what we already know about the current Compute Stick and Intel’s plan for processor releases over the next year or two.

Staff Writer

Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…

Topics

Computing

AMD’s RDNA 4 may surprise us in more ways than one

AMD RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT graphics cards.

Thanks to all the leaks, I thought I knew what to expect with AMD's upcoming RDNA 4. It turns out I may have been wrong on more than one account.

The latest leaks reveal that AMD's upcoming best graphics card may not be called the RX 8800 XT, as most leakers predicted, but will instead be referred to as the RX 9070 XT. In addition, the first leaked benchmark of the GPU gives us a glimpse into the kind of performance we can expect, which could turn out to be a bit of a letdown.

Computing

This futuristic mechanical keyboard will set you back an eye-watering $1,600

Hands typing on The Icebreaker keyboard.

I've complained plenty about how some of the best gaming keyboards are too expensive, from the Razer Black Widow V4 75% to the Wooting 80HE, but nothing comes remotely close to The Icebreaker. Announced nearly a year ago by Serene Industries, The Icebreaker is unlike any keyboard I've ever seen -- and it's priced accordingly at $1,600. Plus shipping, of course.

What could justify such an extravagant price? Aluminum, it turns out. The keyboard is constructed of one single block of 6061 aluminum in what Serene Industries calls an "unorthodox wedge form." As if that wasn't enough metal, the keycaps are also made of aluminum, and Serene says they include "about 800" micro-perforations that allow the LED backlight of the keyboard to shine through.

Computing

Google one-ups Microsoft by making chats easier to transfer

Google Spaces in Google Chat on a MacBook.

In a recent blog post, Google announced that it is making it easier for admins to migrate from Microsoft Teams to Google Chat to reduce downtime. Admins can easily do this within the Google Chat migration menu and connect to opposing Microsoft accounts to transfer Teams data.

Google gave step-by-step instructions for admins on how to transfer the messages. Admins need to connect to their Microsoft account and upload a CSV of the Teams from where they transfer the messages. From there, it requires just entering a starting date for messages to be migrated from Teams and clicking Star migration. Once it's complete, it'll make the migrated space, messages, and conversation data available to Google Workspace users.