Hasta La Gadget!

Intel is readying a set-top box mixing on-demand streaming media, free cable content, and a virtual DVR, sources in the video industry claim, with the first-gen hardware tipped for preview as soon as CES 2013 next week. The new push for a slice of the living room follows Intel’s apparent frustration with the failure of first-gen Google TV boxes powered by its chips; according to TechCrunch’s tipster, the company has grown tired of “everyone doing a half-assed Google TV so it’s going to do it themselves and do it right.”

According to another source inside of Intel itself, an early version of the STB will be brought to CES next week, with a preview of the system tipped for its January 7 press event. However, it may be some time before the hardware actually arrives under your TV, with Intel supposedly eyeing a progressive roll-out rather than attempting to sweep across the US in a simultaneous launch.

That’s an apparent workaround to traditional content owner reluctance to “unbundle” the packages of cable channels usually offered, something which has scuppered Apple plans, among others, to help cord cutters get solely the channels they’re most interested in. Packaging channels together is a good way for content owners to keep licensing fees buoyant, especially given many of those tempted to abandon paid cable service are reluctant to miss out on certain sports, media, or other shows.

Intel’s approach will supposedly be on a city-by-city basis, initially focusing on areas where content providers have less lucrative deals with cable companies, and hoping to demonstrate that a more flexible licensing approach might also make sense financially. Such a rollout will begin “soon” according to the tipster, though there’s nothing more specific.

As for functionality, in addition to free cable content and select pay-TV content depending on what Intel can pry out of licensees, there’ll be internet-streamed shows such as from Redbox and other services. Intel also aims to offer a DVR system which would allow recall of any show aired within the past month, across any channel the individual user has subscribed to: rather than having to pre-emptively record a show, it would simply be served up on-demand.

Chatter of an Intel set-top box and accompanying service began back in March, with reports that the chip company aimed to have the system up and running before 2012 was through. Subsequent leaks tipped a complex viewer-monitoring cable box that could give more precise demographic data as to who was watching which services, to show more accurate and relevant adverts, and generally make up for any losses incurred through channel unbundling by increasing overall advertising revenue. “They’ve told us the technology is going to be so much more interactive with ads that you can make more money” one anonymous TV industry executive said at the time.

Google TV had promised to do something along those lines, but Intel’s partnership with Google faltered after early hardware from Logitech and Sony met with mediocre response in the market. Earlier this year, Google announced it would support low-cost, low-power ARM processors with Google TV, though despite more affordable hardware as a result, the platform is yet to take significant market share from more traditional TV entertainment sources.

Intel cable and web TV system tipped for CES reveal is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This year, Intel launched its Medfield Atom processor in a big push to enter the smartphone market. The processor was lacking when compared to the competition, however, and a leaked roadmap image appeared soon after showing the processor’s successor: the dual-core Merrifield. Now a benchmark has surfaced of Intel’s “Redhookbay,” which shows it equipped with the new processor.

Redhookbay is shown as running Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, with a 1280 x 720 resolution display and the multi-core Merrifield, which scored 31,612 on AnTuTu benchmark. The processor is between 1.6GHz and 2GHz. The reported GPU is a PowerVR SGX 544MP. Unlike the Medfield, Merrifield offers 4G LTE support.

This coincides with a piece over at Digitimes claiming that Intel will announce a smartphone platform and Atom processors at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, which is taking place in Spain in February. The sources in the article state what we already know: that Intel’s Medfield tanked because it was under-powered compared to its competition.

According to the unnamed source, Intel probably won’t release its own branded smartphones “because it does not have close relationships with mobile telecom carriers.” It is possible we’ll see Intel pair up with telecoms in India and China and other similar markets, however, to release enter-level handsets. Still, the company faces pretty stiff competition.

[via Blue Ringer Men]

Intel Redhookbay benchmarks surface, show dual-core Merrifield processor is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While smartwatches may seem like a short-lived fad, it’s rumored that Apple and Intel think the contrary. It’s said that the two companies are teaming up to release an “iWatch” sometime in 2013. The device would connect to your Apple devices via Bluetooth, especially the iPhone and iPod line, in order to relay information from these devices to the watch.

It’s said that Intel will be working with Apple to create the watch device, and it’ll come with a 1.5-inch PMOLED display made by RiTDisplays, and will feature ITO-coated glass. Low-power Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity will also be a big feature in the rumored Apple smartwatch. Sadly, though, that’s all the details that were provided.

Smartwatches have certainly gained some traction lately. We can’t forget the Pebble smartwatch, which raised over $10 million in funding on Kickstarter. Sony also released their own smartwatch. However, the market for smartwatches isn’t anything to write home about, and it may just be a passing fad that will die out in a year or two.

Of course, this is only a rumor, and we’ll remain skeptical of such a product from Apple, but we can’t say that we’d be too incredibly surprised if the company did end up releasing a smartwatch of their own. The 6th-generation iPod Nano was extremely popular as a watch of sorts, and Apple built on that popularity by releasing several watch faces for the mini music player.

[via Mobilegeeks.de]

Apple and Intel rumored to be working on iWatch for 2013 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang posing in front of a GPU-powered supercomputer

As Intel is looking for a new CEO, something surprising did happen recently: the company has hinted that it may bring in someone from the outside, which would be a first for Intel. So far I’ve heard names like Sanjay Jah, the former Motorola CEO (and ex-Qualcomm COO)  as potential replacement for Intel’s Paul Otellini who is retiring in May 2013. Tech site BSN has started a new Internet buzz by coming up with a totally different rumor: according to them, Intel is looking at buying NVIDIA, and would name Jen-Hsun Huang (NVIDIA’s CEO) as Intel’s new CEO. Now, *that* would be something that we would like to observe. This rumors is backed by pretty much nothing, but it is fun to discuss: so, how likely is it to happen? Let’s look at the pro and cons for Intel. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: In Apple’s Mind, It Is Not Building a Netbook, Samsung Galaxy S4 Won’t Make It to CES 2013, Says Report,

Intel historically swings its attention to its latest generation of processors along with a new year, very nearly leaving the old platform by the wayside. There’s hints, however, that the current Ivy Bridge architecture may have one last gasp. VR-Zone has published claimed specs for the Y level, a new tier of Ivy Bridge chips that would draw less energy than even the ultra-low voltage U roster. A range of processors from a 1.1GHz Pentium through to a 1.5GHz Core i7 would normally demand 13W or less of power, already lower than the 17W we know today, but step down further depending on the situation — to a downright miserly 7W, in some scenarios. While the semiconductor giant hasn’t confirmed the reasons for the new tier, it’s suspected that the line is destined for Windows 8 tablets that need more grunt than an Atom without steep drops in battery life. If talk of early 2013 availability proves true, there may be a few computing surprises to be had in Las Vegas.

Filed under: Tablets, Intel

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Via: Mobile Geeks

Source: VR-Zone (translated)