CES: Intel CEO Aims Beyond The PC

Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini sees personal computing being integrated in nearly every aspect of people's lives, and he wants Intel processors to be the center of all that technology.

During his Thursday keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev., Otellini demonstrated advances in mobile device applications, 3D content, smartphones and areas not usually thought of in personal computing, namely home energy management and digital signage.

"Computing is no longer confined to your computer -- it's everywhere," Otellini said.

The CEO also launched the beta version of an online applications store for netbooks, inexpensive mini-laptops that mostly run Intel's Atom processor. Called the Intel AppUp Center, the store is similar to app stores currently available for smartphones, such as Apple's iPhone and devices running Google's Android operating system.

To access the app center, netbook owners must first download the client software, which runs on Windows. The first applications available for download span education, entertainment, games, health, and other categories.

Acer, Asus, Dell and Samsung have partnered with Intel and intend to launch their own stores based on the AppUp Center software. Otellini expects other consumer electronics companies to partner with Intel in expanding the categories of applications over time to include software for PCs, handheld gadgets, smartphones, appliances, TVs and other devices based on Intel processors.

Otellini also introduced a product called Intel Wireless Display, which is available with the chip maker's latest Core processors for desktops and laptops. The technology enables users to stream videos, photos and other content from the PC to a high-definition TV over a Wi-Fi connection.

Laptops from Dell, Sony and Toshiba and a TV adapter by Netgear will be available Jan. 17 with Wireless Display.

Earlier on Thursday, Intel introduced more than two dozen processors, wireless adapters, and chipsets built with its latest 32-nanometer manufacturing process, which produces faster and more energy-efficient chips than Intel's previous generation of products. The latest chips include Core i7, i5, and i3 processors for desktops, laptops, and embedded systems.

Otellini demonstrated a Core i7-powered interactive sign for a retail store that could be used by retail customers for in-store navigation. He also showed a prototype of a home power management system, running on an Atom processor, that could monitor energy use in every device in the home and suggest ways to reduce consumption.

"Computing in the home is going to be a lot more than the PC," Otellini said.

The chief executive also demonstrated an LG-built smartphone with a five-inch screen running Intel's Moorestown platform, scheduled for release this year. Otellini also showed a Moorestown-powered phone in which a person could remove the device's display and use it as a tablet PC.

Moorestown comprises a system-on-chip, code-named Lincroft, that integrates a 45-nanometer Atom, a graphics processor, video, and memory controller; and an I/O hub, code-named Langwell. The platform will be accompanied by Intel's Moblin operating system, which handles voice calls, and will compete with ARM-based products from Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments.

Otellini also demonstrated the use of Intel's system-on-a-chip product used in digital TVs. The platform enables the creation of user interfaces for searching and managing programming and stored video and for accessing Web services, such as YouTube. The SoC also can be used to run a variety of downloaded applications.

The chip chief also made a pitch for 3D TV, which has been a hot topic at CES this year, with many TV makers showing new products. Besides the TV, the equipment needed to create 3D content is sure to require "a ton of computing power," Otellini said.

"I think 3D is the next thing to explode in the home," he said.

For Further Reading:

Intel Debuts 32-NM Westmere Desktop Processors

Top 10 Intel & AMD Stories Of 2009

Intel Shows Off Moblin 2.1