Intel is opening three laboratories in Taipei, Taiwan, Shanghai, China and Folsom, California to test vendors' laptop components and ensure they adhere to Project Athena's specifications. The tech giant first announced Project Athena at CES earlier this year with the intention of developing a new class of thin laptops with at least nine hours of real-world use, 5G connectivity and the capability to run AI technologies for productivity. "Project Athena Open Labs," it says, "will be the first step in readying the next wave of Project Athena designs for 2020 and beyond."