The Smart Connect Technology -Dell XPS 13

The Dell XPS 13 ultrabook is the first system we've seen to showcase Intel's Smart Connect technology. But what exactly is Smart Connect? We break down the seven most important things you need to know about this new Intel technology.

What is it? Intel Smart Connect Technology is a feature of select (Intel estimates 25 to 30 percent of) ultrabooks, such as the Dell XPS 13. The chipmaker anticipates it showing up in other laptops and desktops as well—any Intel system that can be set to sleep or standby mode instead of being switched off when idle.

What does it do? Smart Connect periodically wakes the system from sleep or standby (not from hibernation) and updates applications that get their data from the Internet, fetching, for example, Microsoft Outlook or Windows Live Mail messages or Facebook status updates. When you return to and reawaken the PC, the fresh data is waiting for you—so you can not only pick up where you left off, but pick up up to the minute.

Has anything like this been available before? Not really. HP business laptops have offered QuickLook, a fast-loading alternative to booting Windows that offers a snapshot of Outlook information as of the last time the program was used, but that's for checking existing e-mails and appointments instead of receiving new ones.

How does it connect to the cloud? Smart Connect Technology checks to see if a trusted (i.e., previously accessed) Wi-Fi or wired network is available. If not—say, if you and your ultrabook are in transit between office and home—the system skips the scheduled update. When you walk through the door at home, Smart Connect recognizes your home WLAN and resumes operation.

How often does Smart Connect poll for data? The software interface lets you specify an interval from 5 to 60 minutes between updates, plus overnight hours (such as from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) during which the system checks less frequently (every two hours).

Doesn't it kill the laptop battery? While it draws more power than uninterrupted sleep, Intel says the impact is minimal, thanks in part to automatic overrides of the abovementioned intervals: As the battery runs down, updates occur less frequently, stopping when the battery level reaches 15 percent. Ditto if the system temperature is rising (if the laptop is in an unventilated bag or briefcase, for example,replacement Dell 05Y4YV battery).

Can Smart Connect be added to an existing laptop? Sure, especially one with an AMD processor and Atheros Wi-Fi card … no, no, it's strictly an Intel OEM offering, requiring not only a software layer but specific BIOS support and an Intel Core processor and wireless hardware.