By Darius Chang
22/08/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/pcperipherals/0,39051168,62045048,00.htm

Day Three Briefings

Developers get boost for multicore apps

As Intel prepares for multiple cores in every machine, it is bringing new tools to the table for software developers. Pat Gelsinger, Intel's senior vice president and general manager of the Digital Enterprise Group, said as multiprocessing had historically been synonymous with supercomputing, parallel software has mostly been limited to a narrow set of applications. On the other hand, the vast majority of consumer software has been designed for single-processor environments, he told ZDNet Asia in an interview Wednesday during the Intel Developer Forum (IDF).

Intel: Programmable matter takes shape

Mobile phones in future could be thumb-sized in pockets, and in practically an instant, be effortlessly transformed into PDA-sized devices to send e-mail. In the final keynote of the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, shed some light on work around programmable matter, as he teased the audience with what Intel believes would apply as technology in the next four decades.

Woz urges engineers to follow their hearts

In an on-stage interview with Tech Nation's Moira Gunn here at the Intel Developer Forum, Wozniak talked about a life driven by his passion for the electronics and computing. And passion can be a more important incentive than money, he said. "The rewards are in your head. The reward is invisible. It's what you like to do," said Wozniak, who designed the Apple I computer and its commercially successful successor, the Apple II, largely during his spare time.

Goodbye Lithium-ion, hello silver zinc

Even during the rise of Lithium ion, another battery technology which is safer and longer lasting was already in use by aerospace and military industries. During an interview with Ross Duebar, CEO of ZPower, at IDF 2008 in San Francisco, he made claims that silver zinc cells are the wave of the future. It can last 40 percent longer and, since it's a water-based technology, is a lot safer than Lithium ion with little chance of an explosive encounter. Moreover, the components in a silver zinc battery are recyclable and reusable.

Day Two Briefings

Bran Ferren at IDF: Storytelling beyond cartoons

Bran Ferren, co-founder of Applied Minds and former president of Disney Imagineering believes that storytelling is how ideas become permanent. He says that the Internet is taking off because the technology is getting good enough now for storytelling. Since we process so much information visually, Ferren believes that new technologies for visualization are what makes the stories stick.

Talking cool: Intel doubles notebook fan speed

Intel has invented a way to double the air flow generated by fans used to cool ultra-thin notebook computers. Demonstrating a prototype of the technology in public for the first time at the Intel Developer Forum, the chipmaker says the upshot will be cooler computers--and it's not referring to style.

Mobile processors at IDF 2008

With laptops crossing the 50 percent mark in many developed nations, it would be remiss if Intel didn't address this market during IDF 2008 in San Francisco. Thankfully, the Santa Clara company announced a couple of new chips for the mobile warrior.

Intel Classmate PC morphs into tablet mode

Along with the same rugged features, integrated soft handle and enhanced education and collaboration software, the latest Classmate PC showcased at IDF 2008 is now a convertible tablet PC with a rotating display and touchscreen. According to the Lila Ibrahim, general manager of Intel's Emerging Markets Platform Group, "Our ethnographic research has shown us that students responded well to tablet and touchscreen technology."

Day One Briefings

Intel's Barrett laments R&D investment, likes no-frills computing

In his keynote speech which kick starts IDF 2008 in San Francisco, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett bemoans the lack of research and development incentives in the US. However, cutting-edge technology is not the only way to spur innovation as he demonstrates how cheap off-the-shelf components and low-cost PCs can make a difference in the education sector.

Intel showcases latest chips at IDF 2008

From the smallest Nettop to the largest gaming rig, Intel is leaving no market untapped with its upcoming range of Nehalem processors. For those who have always wanted their PCs to do no more than surf the Internet and maybe work on a PowerPoint or two, the Santa Clara company is pushing out its first dual-core Atom chips for the desktop market. But for power users, the new Nehalem chips provide blazing fast performance while still maintaining a low power profile.

Intel touts importance of devices that "scream out"

Intel is working on future technology that is capable of understanding human behavior and pointing users to the appropriate course of action. Mobile devices of tomorrow will be smaller, yet equipped with more powerful computing capabilities and enjoy platform-wide power efficiency, Mary Smiley, Intel's director of emerging platforms, told the media at the Intel Developer Forum.

Intel finally delivers a SATA solid-state drive

Intel finally announced its own SATA solid-state drive (SSD) for notebook and desktop clients at its Developer Forum in San Francisco.The mainstream SSDs will come in 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch models and both will use standard multi-level cell NAND flash memory that will hopefully translate to a lower cost-per-bit for the consumer.

Panasonic targets healthcare with new tablet PC

The medical profession may exist in a sterile environment, but it's possibly one of the most hazardous places for a laptop to exist. But tough is the Panasonic ToughBook's middle name. At the IDF 2008 San Francisco, the Japanese maker showcased a tablet PC built specifically for the healthcare market.

Clarion shows in-car GPS and Internet device

Clarion launched the production version of ClarionMiND at the Intel Developer Forum. This is a portable GPS device with full Internet connectivity that runs on Linux. Clarion showed off a concept of the device at CES 2008. The full product launch reveals a device that looks similar to current GPS devices, featuring a 4.8-inch 800x480-pixel touchscreen. And like some current GPS devices, the ClarionMiND offers media playback and Bluetooth for hands-free calling.

Being a chipmaker today is more than just pumping out the fastest chip or most energy-efficient platform. The best hardware in the world is useless if you cannot find the right software to use it on. The Intel Developer Forum not only provides a peek into the future of computing devices, but new programming tools are showcased for vendors to take advantage of multi-core processing and progress into visual computing. In the Santa Clara company's vision for the future, content will go beyond multimedia to 3D environments and augmented reality usages.

As customary for IDF, the day before the show (also known as Day Zero) is reserved for sneak-peeks into what to expect from the chipmaker once the action heats up between August 19 to August 21.

Day Zero Briefings

Connected visual computing

Jim Held, Intel fellow and director of tera-scale research computing program, spoke of how the future of information dissemination is heading beyond mere multimedia. He identified two main categories of connected visual computing usage models: Simulated environments and augmented reality. Anyone who has experienced online gaming and 3D visuals should be familiar with the former as it represents the virtual world. The latter uses digital information to supplement what exists in reality. Held revealed that Intel is working towards making 3D representations easier for programmers while enabling the increased use of sensors for augmented reality projects.

Connecting the physical and digital worlds: Sensing

While a human relies on the five senses to interact with the world, a computer has no such capabilities. Instead, sensors take the place of senses and this forms a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. Andrew Chien, vice president of Intel Corporate Technology Group and director of Research, spoke of how the efficient use of sensors complements the skills and abilities of its human users. For example, DermFind takes a snapshot of a patient's skin lesions and determines if it's cancerous based on a database query. In "smart" cars, a camera connected to the vehicle system aids drivers in detecting possible road dangers.

Carry small, live large: Mobile aware devices

Possibly the snappiest one-liner title in IDF Fall 2008, Mary Smiley, director of Intel Emerging Platforms Lab, gives a vision of handy devices which no longer needs to compromise between portability and performance. Though a Netbook or Mobile Internet Device may have a small display and limited power, but by forming a complete computing ecosystem these miniature devices can link up with larger displays, more powerful servers, etc. to perform tasks way beyond its inherent capability. With the addition of sensors, it can even monitor the user's vital signs--becoming a companion who knows you better than you know yourself.

IDF sneak peek--Mobile Internet Devices

Uday Keshavdas, Intel consumer marketing manager, talks about some of the Mobile Internet Devices which will be showcased at the IDF 2008. Devices include Lenovo's Olympics-theme U8, Aigo P8860 and the star of the show, the Clarion Mobile Internet Navigation device.

Click here to watch the video

Intel's Renee James speaks about future of computing

Renee James, Intel VP and General Manager of the Software and Solutions Group, gives a sneak peek at Intel's vision of the future and her upcoming keynote speech at IDF 2008. With the increase in processing power, coding for parallel system is gaining more importance. This is vital for the future of visual computing, which brings a photo-realistic experience to the virtual world.


Click here to watch the video