Intel on Tuesday announced a new brand name for its next-generation mobile processor technology: Centrino.
The new chip family, which includes the processor formerly known by the code name Banias, was designed to help manufacturers build notebooks that use less power and offer extended battery life, along with better wireless networking capabilities.
Instead of just giving Banias a variation on the company"s well-known Pentium moniker, Intel decided to set the family of chips apart with a completely new name. A few insiders at Intel had been jokingly referring to the Banias chip as Mobilium, but Intel will call the new chip itself Pentium-M.
Intel says the Centrino name, and a new logo that goes with it, suggest flight and mobility. The name is a blend of the words "center" and "neutrino," the company said.
The Centrino family will also include chipsets, which handle data inside a PC, and wireless radio modules designed to allow new notebooks to use 802.11 wireless networking.
Exact pricing and clock speeds have yet to be announced.