back to article Intel to keep laptops from losing cool in bed

Intel has developed a notebook cooling system it claims will make laptops safe to take to bed. The chip giant's engineers proved unwilling to lift the covers on their "pillow proof" technology. However, they did say it doesn't involve stuffing up the vents typically found on the base and sides of modern notebooks. This, they …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anomalous Cowturd
    Boffin

    Common sense dictates...

    That they either use lower temperature chips, or, plan B, *My far better, and probably patentable USTB wise" (see my earlier post) intake and vent from the top / keyboard.

    Licensing by prior arrangement only. This post should count as "Prior art" hopefully...

    I thank you!

  2. Lee T
    Jobs Halo

    vents blocked up?

    s'funny, apple seems to have solved this problem years ago - the macbook's vents are on the back, between the body and the screen.

  3. Trygve Henriksen

    Through the keyboard?

    Maybe they're dumping the heat through the keyboard...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Really?

    There are very few reasons to have battery powered tech in the bedroom, let's just say that if you think laptops are at the top of the list, you have some unresolved issues to deal with. Battery powered tech in the bedroom should be limited to gadgets purchased from certain types of shops, nothing else!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      Just certain types of gadgets

      We stick to smartphones but sometimes we get really wild and whip out the netbook.

    2. BristolBachelor Gold badge
      FAIL

      So you are one of the rich?

      You must be one of the rich people then. I have 3 choices of where to use my laptop:

      1. In my "bed" room.

      2. In the bathroom.

      3. In the street.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Fan on top?

    Surely just put an additional cooling fan and vent on top of the case.

    Should airflow then reduce by more than x% from the lower vent then turn on the top fan!

    Seriously, how much did they waste to answer this????

  6. BristolBachelor Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    Get rid of the fans

    Best solution: Get rid of the annoying fans.

    1. Solves the pillow problem.

    2. Stops it sounding like a moped every time there is a Flash advert on a webpage.

    3. Stops me having to clean the fluff out of people's laptops because they keep switching themselves off.

  7. Tigra 07

    A title is NOT required

    I've always found it to be a problem for older laptops, the newer models seem to cope better with beds

  8. Adam Salisbury

    What're the odds

    Who thinks this will be something dead simple like wiring a thermal sensor to the speedstep function to dial all the components down to accomodate the reduced airflow?

  9. Matt Bucknall

    Maybe their secret is...

    to stop using their own processors and start using vastly cooler ARM chips.

  10. Torben Mogensen

    Put the vents on top

    The solution seems fairly obvious: Put the vents on top around the keyboard. You are not likely to cover the keyboard with pillows when you use the laptop.

    Alternatively, use the keyboard AS the vent. There are typically gaps enough between the keys to allow airflow. It could also help to keep your hands warm when you are typing. :-)

    But an even better solution would be to keep the laptop from producing so much heat that it needs a fan and vent. So reduce the power use of the components. Intel has not (until they introduced Atom) made any effort of reducing power use, and they have still a way to go before getting to ARM levels. A screen that isn't backlit will also help. I'm looking forward to see Qualcom's Mirasol display which is full-colour and (supposedly) very low power.

    1. Matt 13
      Thumb Up

      Intel does make cool chips....

      I have used my intel based laptop in bed plenty... it has no vents and no fans... indeed, the case is totally sealed and water proof...

      The battery wont catch fire as the charging circuit reduces the charge when the battery or case gets warm... hell, this laptop actually has a heater inside it to keep the hard drive warm on cold days!!

      The beauty of the ULV 1.66 Centrino, heatpipes and a very large fully magnesium case to act as a heatsink...

      Panasonic solved this problem years ago!!!

  11. Elmer Phud
    IT Angle

    cheap hardware solution

    Buy a tray or nick one from the pub

    Sorted

  12. Timo

    fill it with liquid

    Do they fill the whole thing with liquid - turning the entire laptop into a big convection-cooled heat sink?

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    it's been solved before

    I got a "cooling pad" free with a laptop 5+ years ago, you just just plonk the laptop on the pad, and as the laptop warms up, the pad "melts" internally. It has the added benefit that it lifts the laptop slightly, keeping the vents clear of pillows, duvets, etc.

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