INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, Las Vegas, Jan. 7, 2010 – Intel Corporation President and CEO Paul Otellini today talked about how “personal computing” is expanding beyond the PC to nearly every kind of electronic device, transforming Intel and the industry in the process. He also unveiled several innovative technologies and design wins that spanned Intel’s PC and other growth businesses, including netbooks, smartphones, CE devices and “connected” embedded technology.
Otellini described how Intel and the industry are delivering the vision he painted in his keynote 2 years ago at CES. Computing is being integrated into every relevant aspect of people’s lives, he said, whether they are on their computer or smart phone, watching TV, in the car or out shopping. A seamless personalised experience tailored to individuals’ interests, needs and social networks will deliver the information, entertainment and experiences people want, whenever, however and wherever they want. To illustrate his point, he demonstrated exciting advances in mobile device applications, 3-D content, smarter phones and TVs, and areas traditionally not associated with computing such as home energy management and digital signage.
“In Your Home” Technology Demonstrations
Stereoscopic 3-D Content
Intel’s CEO also touched on one of the most buzzed about topics at CES – 3-D stereoscopic content – and said that creating 3-D content requires a “ton of computing power.” Powerful microprocessors will play a central role in the transition to 3-D content creation. Otellini showed a video to highlight how the latest advances in 3-D content is not only transforming how people watch movies, but creating a fully immersive experience for their favorite concerts, sports events and video games.
Otellini also demonstrated that there are select powerful PCs available today that are expanding 3-D content creation from Hollywood studios to living rooms. He showed how the combination of optimised 3-D video coding and editing software and a high-performance PC could let an individual take two separate left eye and right eye videos – captured on two HD camcorders placed close together on a tripod – to quickly create a 3-D video and play it back on a 3-D TV. The demonstration also showed the PC was powerful enough to not only play back the HD 3-D video, but it could also quickly change the visual look of the video and add 3-D text overlay while it was playing – all without having to wait for any rendering of the images. The demonstration used a Silicon Imaging * SI-3D Stereo camera system, video coding and editing software by a video compression technology company called Cineform*, and an Intel® Core™ i7 processor-based Alienware* PC. Cineform’s First Light 3-D application was written to take advantage of the Intel Core i7 processor’s horsepower, with new instructions sets for media and multiple processor cores.
RealD*, the leader in 3-D technology for cinema, home and professional applications, outfitted the keynote theatre with its stereoscopic cinema system – complete with eyewear and 3-D projection technology – so the audience could experience the depth, clarity and immersive effect of what Otellini showed.
Connecting Devices in the Home
As an example of new ways to connect computing devices in the home, Otellini unveiled a product today called the Intel® Wireless Display, a hassle-free wireless way to enjoy laptop content on a big screen TV. Powered by the new 2010 Intel® Core™ Processor family, Intel® Wireless Display utilises standard WiFi that’s become ubiquitous in laptops to connect the PC to an HDTV via a small, lightweight adapter. The technology allows people to easily send videos, photos, and music from their laptops to TVs, so they can share content on the big screen from the comfort of a couch without crowding around a small laptop screen. Laptops and adapters featuring Intel® Wireless Display will be available on Jan. 17 from Best Buy * in the United States and Canada as part of its Blue Label 2.0 program. Dell, Sony and Toshiba are each supplying a laptop for the program. All laptops in the Blue Label 2.0 program will come with Intel® Wireless Display pre-installed and have a hotkey that makes connecting to a TV as easy as pushing a button. NETGEAR* is delivering the TV adapter for Intel® Wireless Display, and Best Buy will be selling the laptops and adapters together as a bundle. Intel plans to expand availability of the technology to additional markets and distribution channels this year.
Otellini also highlighted “Light Peak ” technology – a high-speed optical cable technology developed by Intel – as another upcoming method for transferring large files or audio/video signals between electronic devices. The technology will deliver 10Gb/s of bandwidth with the potential to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade. “Light Peak” technology will connect next-generation electronic devices – such as laptops, HD displays, cameras, video players, docking stations and solid-state drives – to each other using optical fibre rather than copper wires. At 10Gb/s it would take less than 30 seconds to transfer a full-length Blu-ray* movie between devices. Initial systems are expected to become available next year. There is also growing industry support for making this a broadly available standard in the future.
“Smarter” Devices in the Home
Otellini highlighted how the TV will continue to be a focal point in the home while getting increasingly “smarter.” He described how advancements in microprocessor technology will continue to transform how people enjoy 3-D movies and TV in their homes. To prove his point, he showed new ways to visually search for TV shows, Internet access to videos, games, Facebook* and other applications on a yet-to-be introduced Orange * media set-top box enabled with the newest features and 3-D interface for an amazing entertainment experience. The Orange Box concept combines the best of linear and on-demand TV – such as live TV, PVR and video-on-demand – with the best Internet services and personal content such as videos and photos. The Orange Box is powered by Intel’s latest system-on-a-chip processor that supports Internet and broadcast applications on one chip. The Intel® Atom™ CE4100 has the processing power and audio/video components necessary to run rich media applications such as the 3-D graphics and interface shown on the Orange Box.
Intel® Intelligent Home Energy Management Concept
As an example of how computing in the home is not just about entertainment, Otellini showed a concept device for managing energy consumption powered by an Intel® Atom processor. The demonstration showed how a homeowner could use the intelligent electronic dashboard to monitor how much energy the home’s connected appliances are using. It also showed how the device could encourage new habits for reducing energy use by providing ongoing information and suggestions on energy use. For example, a homeowner could activate custom settings on the touchscreen display to modify the thermostat temperature, turn off some appliances, or switch on the security system.
“Always with You” Technology Demonstrations
Otellini also discussed how smartphones truly embody the era of personal computing. He described how these types of mobile devices are getting increasingly “smarter,” highlighting how 4G technologies, multi-tasking capabilities and better user interfaces are creating exciting new ways for people to use their smartphones.
To prove his point, he showed off the world’s first demonstration of the LG Electronics * GW900 smartphone. The performance and compatibility of Intel’s forthcoming “Moorestown” platform and Linux-based Moblin platform were in full display as the demo spotlighted a range of visually compelling experiences, including a 3-D user interface, HD video and range of multi-tasking scenarios. The LG Electronics GW900 incorporates HSPA today and is extensible to 4G over time to deliver the highest performance and best broadband Internet experience. Additionally, Otellini used a super-sleek “Moorestown” reference platform from Aava Mobile* to showcase other performance intensive usages. He also highlighted a reference design of a tablet from OpenPeak*.
“Moorestown” is Intel’s next-generation platform for handhelds and smartphones. It is scheduled to launch during the first half of the year with devices coming to market in the second half.
“Out in Your World” Technology Demonstrations
Augmented Reality Digital Sign
Otellini also unveiled a digital sign based on an embedded Intel® Core™ i5 processor that brings the data-richness of online shopping to the in-store shopping experience. The 7-foot-6-inch tall and 10-foot wide prototype uses an LCD display and holographic glass that are both fully touch enabled to enhance the shopping experience with augmented reality-enabled maps that let more than one shopper interact with it simultaneously. The demonstration showed how shoppers could digitally explore merchandise on each floor of the store. It also showed how retailers could superimpose images and sales promotions next to the product visualisations shown on the holographic glass and how shoppers could instantly send the digital coupons to their smartphones. Intel envisions that future digital signs also will enable users to submit feedback on products, read customer reviews, view their past purchase histories and share what they have discovered with their friends via social media and mobile phone integration. Intel anticipates that digital signs based on the Intel® Core™ microarchitecture could transform the way people interact with digital signs in retail stores, airports, banks, hotels and other environments.
More information about Otellini’s keynote and Intel’s other news at CES is also available at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/events/ces2010.