Intel Open Port: Open Port General Blog : 2008 : March

Greetings! Allow me to take a brief moment to introduce myself. I am new to the OpenPort community and will manage the overall OpenPort's site going forward. I am thrilled to be a part of this growing community and look forward to engaging in a plethora of ongoing discussions with you all.

Let me start with a truth: I am not a technologist. I don't even play one on TV. So I promise never to wax poetic on deeply technical things that you know more about anyway. However, I am an enthusiastic tech user in both my professional and personal life. So hopefully my insights won't be completely from left field. Oh, truth number two: I have worked in software for the last four years so sometimes my focus is a bit myopic.

With that little revelation it will probably not surprise you that I wanted to start by mentioning some recent headlines regarding Intel's announcement last week. Perhaps you heard, but if you didn't last week Intel and Microsoft announced they had awarded UC Berkeley $20million to fund research on new ways to program software so it would take advantage of the benefits brought forth in multi-core processors. The research is focused on addressing challenges to parallel computing and encompasses programing for applications & operating systems to ensure they take better advantage of multi-core processors.

This is an interesting development and once again illustrates how Intel works with the broader ecosystem to help propel technology of all kinds forward. I am often suprised to learn of the many behind-the-scenes efforts Intel helps drive to bring about technology innovation; things like pushing WiMAX standards for ubiquitous wireless access worldwide and the formation of moblin.org to host open source projects for the development of software targeted at mobile internet devices (MIDS).

I'm not saying Intel's efforts aren't in the company's own best interests. But these endeavors are meant to affect sweeping industry changes that help advance technology that makes all our lives better. It kind of gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

1 Comments Permalink Tags: software, kelly_feller, multicore, research, microsoft, innovation

Intel just announced the brand name for it's newest mobile processor called the Intel® Atom™ processor. And as a new brand name, I have to admit I really like this one.

Brian Fravel, Intel Director of Marketing, Brand Strategy recently posted a good article introducing the brand.

"Soon, you will see the Intel Centrino Atom brand on handheld devices that can bring an amazing internet experience in a device that fits in your pocket. You’ll see the Intel Atom processor powering a growing category of devices aimed at delivering affordable, Internet-centric uses."

Not only is this this Intel's smallest processor it is also contains the worlds smallest transistors. Listen to Anand Chandrasekher, Senior VP of Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, explain what's so cool about the Intel Atom processor.

Pretty neat stuff.. but wait there's more! Let's bring this home by showing off some end products. Watch Mark Parker show off early prototypes based on this new architecture.