Intel Announces Energy-Saving Features:

Intel Corp. said it will enhance energy-saving features in processors for laptops and begin shipping new mobile Pentium chips next year. Intel demonstrated two chips: a 1-gigahertz Pentium III that consumes 2 watts of power and a 500-megahertz version that reaches half a watt. The company, which introduced the new features at the Microprocessor Forum conference in San Jose, said both chips will be available in 2001. Competition for low-power chips is heating up as more computer makers decide to use processors from rival Transmeta Corp. in some systems, claiming Transmeta’s new design helps batteries last longer.