Intel's Eureka Moment
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, who opened the 2014 Intel Developer Forum, holds up the company's new Edison platform with a tiny Quark chip for developing wearable tech and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Intel hopes to foster a developer ecosystem for x86-based devices in the burgeoning IoT market.
One for the Makers
Edison is priced at $50, down from its predecessor Galileo's $70. It features a dual-core processor, Wi-Fi and other comms capabilities, memory, support for expansion boards to bring in USB and more, in a package "only slightly larger than a postage stamp," Intel said at IDF.
Step Up to the MICA
At IDF, Dell unveiled its new Atom Z3500-based tablet line, the Dell Venue 8 7000 Series. These new 22nm "Moorfield" slates feature Intel's RealSense 3D photography technology and will be the "world's thinnest tablets" when they're released later this year, according to the two companies.
Look Ma, No Battery!
Another Intel foray into wearables, SMS Audio's BioSport earbuds track a user's heart rate during exercise and sync to smartphones—all without ever needing a power charge.
A Smarter Wheelchair
Intel's push into the wearables arena was highlighted by the unveiling of its MICA smart bracelet at Fashion Week in New York. Short for "My Intelligent Communication Accessory," MICA is both bejeweled and digitally enhanced, the product of a "landmark" collaboration between Intel and fashion house Opening Ceremony, the company said.
Enter Broadwell
Intel managed to get the power draw for its new Core M "Broadwell" chips down low enough to enable fanless tablet and 2-in-1 designs, thanks to its move to second-generation Tri-Gate transistors and several other architectural design innovations cooked up for its 14nm process technology.
Tri-Gate Triumph
Intel actually unveiled its new Core M processors at IFA in Berlin last week, but there was still plenty of buzz surrounding these 4.5-watt, 14-nanometer chips at IDF.
Dell Slims Down
This connected wheelchair, which Intel showcased at IDF with video testimony from Stephen Hawking, was "created using the Intel Galileo Development kit and Intel Gateway Solutions for IoT," the company said.