Energy efficiency and power were key NEW ORLEANS — Microsoft has selected Transmeta as a reference design partner for the next generation of its Smart Displays, Transmeta said Tuesday.Transmeta was selected because its processors are energy efficient but powerful enough to run the relevant applications and Windows CE .NET on the portable displays, Transmeta of Santa Clara, California, said in a statement. Processors from Transmeta rival Intel have already appeared in Smart Displays from ViewSonic and others.The first Smart Displays, known previously by the code name Mira, started shipping earlier this year. The displays allow users to access their PC through a touch-screen display that can be carried about the home. The displays communicate with the PC using the 802.11b wireless networking standard. Microsoft included Transmeta as a partner after display makers showed interest in the company. This led to collaboration between Transmeta and Microsoft and the testing of Transmeta’s processors for use in Smart Displays, the chip maker said.ViewSonic and Koninklijke Philips Electronics are among the makers of Smart Displays that are currently on the market. More displays are expected to be released in the course of this year, according to Transmeta. Technology Industry