buzz muddleheaded: Intel's Core i3 NUC mini-system bares it all for IDF (hands-on video)

What's red or black, 4 x 4 inches and exposes itself shamelessly on the show floor at IDF 2012? If you answered Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC), you'd be right. The diminutive PC was on display at Intel's Developer Forum along with its motherboard and cooling assembly. It comes in two flavors, a consumer-geared model with a single HDMI connector and Thunderbolt (in red) and a more business-centric version with two HDMI outputs and Ethernet (in black). Both mini-systems feature a third generation (Ivy Bridge) Core i3 CPU, QS77 chipset, two dual-channel DDR3 SoDIMM slots, mSATA and mini-PCIe interfaces (for SSD and WiFi cards), five USB 2.0 ports (two back, one front, two internal) and a socket for an external 19V DC power supply. The company hopes to get the attention of OEMs and DYI-ers alike when it makes this small, light and simple computer design available in October for about $400. Check out the gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Intel Core i3 NUC hands-on