The nature of that Atom CPU isn’t clear – it could be from the current Moorestown line-up, or more likely it would be a lower-power Medfield chip from the range expected to debut later this year. However, it would certainly bring the Intel/Nokia partnership closer together, and be a unique differentiator for the MeeGo handset.

There’s also talk of an LTE prototype and the same 12-megapixel camera from the Nokia N8, but most interesting is the suggestion that Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will officially unveil the new N9 at Mobile World Congress 2011 next month. SlashGear has been speaking to a number of industry insiders over the past few weeks about what to expect from the Barcelona show, and they’ve told us that there’s talk of something big from Nokia this year; no details at this stage, unfortunately, but we’ll be at MWC bringing you all the news as it’s announced.

[via Engadget]

There’s also a 5-megapixel rear camera, a front-facing webcam for video calls, WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and optional 3G. Ports include HDMI for 1080p HD, microSD, micro USB 2.0 and a headphones socket, and there are speakers and a digital microphone.

Android on the OpenTablet 10 is integrated with OpenPeak’s OpenServices backbone system, which allows for enterprise-friendly functionality such as remote-wipes, pushed applications and remote firmware updates. Alternatively, consumers can make use of multi-user logins, password protection and more. No word on pricing or availability.

Press Release:

OpenPeak Premiers Innovative OpenTablet 10 at CES

New Intel® Atom™ Processor-Based Tablet Incorporates Transflective Display, Pinpoint Active Stylus Input, High-Definition Video Conferencing and Multi-user Experience

BOCA RATON, FL and CES, LAS VEGAS — OpenPeak Inc., a leading provider of multimedia touch-screen devices and device management platforms, today unveiled the OpenTablet 10, a device delivering more powerful performance, better usability and features not available on any other tablet on the market. Driven by the Intel® Atom™ processor, formerly codenamed “Moorestown,” the family-friendly device combines a dual camera, HDMI output, wideband speakers and a unique transflective LCD panel for a superior multimedia experience, even in bright light conditions.

“We’ve taken the tablet to the next level by incorporating the most-requested user features into a powerful device that’s ideal for retail and enterprise customers,” said Dan Gittleman, CEO of OpenPeak. “In addition to unprecedented out-of-the-box functionality, the OpenTablet 10 also taps our OpenShop app store for easy access to a large and growing universe of Android™ Apps.”

Weighing just over one pound, the sleek half-inch-thin device features a transflective display that combines both transmissive and reflective modes for ideal readability in all light conditions. The display self-adjusts to become an ultra-high contrast e-book reader in bright sunlight, and a bright full-color backlit display in normal light. This innovative display technology not only enhances viewing, but also dramatically reduces power consumption.

“Intel believes the best experiences are created on Intel® architecture,” said Doug Davis, vice president and general manager of the Netbook and Tablet Group at Intel. “Based on low-power Intel Atom processors, the OpenTablet 10 offers a stunning visual experience optimized for the Internet and high-definition multimedia consumption with excellent battery life. Support for Android also helps illustrate Intel’s ‘port of choice’ strategy for computing on the go.”

Unique Touch and Stylus Input
Unlike most touch-screen tablets and mobile phones, which rely exclusively on multi-touch input, the OpenTablet 10 adds a unique active precision stylus that is ideal for note taking, drawing and signatures. The dual input is made possible in part by the highly durable yet responsive Corning® Gorilla® glass screen.

“Traditionally tablet and phone devices have needed to make a design compromise: choosing between multi-touch, capacitive glass that is responsive to fingertip gestures, or using a resistive display more suitable for stylus input that requires sacrifices in contrast, wear and tear, and need for calibration,” Gittleman said. “The OpenTablet 10 delivers the best of both worlds with an electrostatic pen that makes writing as easy as with a traditional pen and paper.”

The Ultimate Videoconferencing Experience
Designed for a top-quality high-definition videoconferencing experience, the OpenTablet 10 features a front-facing 720p camera, wide band stereo speakers with a connector for external speakers or headset hookup, a digital MEMS microphone, and HDMI port for 1080p output to an external HD display. Connectivity is easy with built-in 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and optional 3G integration, plus Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR.

Powerful Device Management Control
The OpenTablet 10 integrates easily with OpenServices, OpenPeak’s cloud services platform and device management system, to allow comprehensive device management to service providers, including the ability to push applications, perform firmware updates and lock devices.

Many of these same robust device management tools can also be made available to end consumers, offering centralized controls to enable parents or a designated device admin to apply content filters, set budgets, manage apps on multiple devices or even locate and wipe a lost device. The OpenTablet 10 also features built-in multi-user sharing, with account management options and logins for different family members. Custom settings for each account allow individual users to configure their own applications, wallpaper and other options; password protection offers peace of mind, security and control.

OpenPeak representatives will demonstrate the new OpenTablet 10 and other debut products at a private suite by appointment only during the International CES in Las Vegas from January 6-9.

For more information about the OpenTablet 10 or OpenPeak’s fully-managed service deployment and device management solutions, visit www.openpeak.com.
About OpenPeak
OpenPeak designs and develops end-to-end managed platforms and devices that enable service providers, utilities, applications developers and content owners to interact with customers in homes, offices, and while mobile. OpenPeak’s Device Management Services allow providers to provision and manage customer devices remotely. OpenShop, a fully partitioned white label app marketplace, offers revenue sharing opportunities and individual content management controls. For more information, visit www.openpeak.com.

Many of them – the AAVA phone included – run the Atom Z6xx series processor, formerly known as Moorestown.  As ever, Intel were keen to point out the CPU’s much-reduced thermal output and idle power consumption compared to previous-gen Atoms: more than 50x less idle power, 20x less audio power, and 2-3x reductions in browsing and video playback power consumption.

Others use Oak Trail based CPUs, basically Moorestown with Windows support, such as the gaming handheld; that actually runs Windows 7, despite the small size.  As for when we might see commercial products using the various chips, Intel says it’s on-track with its smartphone plans.

“I expect us to just pull away after that because we have a fundamental technology advantage, which they don’t have” he continued, though unfortunately stopped short of actually defining what that technology advantage might be.  It might, of course, be lashings of money in the bank; Intel did, after all, announce a record financial quarter back in July.  What remains to be seen, though, is not how Moorestown and Medfield will compete against current-generation ARM chipsets, but how it will cope against the future CPUs from the company; after all, it’s not like ARM are sitting back and ignoring the power/efficiency balance either.

[via The Tech Report]

As the image above shows, the WiFi and browser at least are working, but there’ll likely be plenty of places where the lines aren’t quite joined up.  Steve “Chippy” Paine from Carrypad has the prototype for 48hrs, and is promising as much detail as he can pull out from it in that time.

The hardware itself, meanwhile, wraps a considerable touchscreen, WiFi and 3G, along with the usual sensors – GPS, accelerometer, digital compass – and both front and rear facing cameras around the Moorestown core.  Intel reckon the CPU has dual personalities, capable of playing at being a low-power, frugal smartphone chip at one moment and then a powerful cruncher the next when you don’t mind sacrificing battery life in the name of getting heavy-duty work done.

As for pricing, Intel aren’t mentioning any figures – and obviously it will depend on their OEM partners and the rest of the handheld or tablet package they wrap around Moorestown – but they do say they’re aiming to be “competitive” and that we should expect them “to be hungry but not stupid.”  Whether that hunger will still allow them to compete with the legions of ARM chipsets remains to be seen.

Demo video after the cut

“Acer will be ready with MeeGo-based mobile devices. MeeGo’s open software platform will present our customers with another choice of a friendly, easy-to-use operating system. We are pleased to collaborate with Intel in our continuous drive to provide effortless technologies that empower people at work, home – anytime, anywhere” Gianfranco Lanci, CEO, Acer

Exact hardware details are in short supply right now.  Still, the Wistron W1 is confirmed to be running Moorestown – as announced last month, rather than the newer Atom platforms launched this week – and we’re guessing they’ll all have lashings of wireless.

Meanwhile Linpus Technologies are working on Linpus Lite Slate Edition, a MeeGo based OS which would make the platform even more finger-friendly for touchscreen-only devices, adding in various touch-optimized apps (including mail, calendar, contacts and multimedia), together with Google and LBS apps.  No word on when it will see a public release, however.

Huang reckons that rather than split into dramatically different netbook, ultraportable, tablet and MID segments, the market will coalesce into “leisure computing” – including netbooks with discrete graphics (perhaps even NVIDIA Optimus) and tablets with detachable hardware keyboards.  He also takes a swipe at Apple’s Flash stance, saying that it merely takes dedicated engineering work to achieve and that consumers have a right to expect it on their devices:

“I think Flash is such an important part of the Internet experience. I also believe that the next computers can bridge the past and the future. You want to bring your customers to the future, but you don’t want to make them leap across a chasm. So if the future is a hybrid of a whole lot of different things, that’s fine. But the present is Flash” Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO, NVIDIA

There’s also talk of the upcoming focus for Tegra 2 in smartphones, and in fact he claims that “that’s where all of our energy is right now.”  The SoC will, he reckons, offer better battery life than Snapdragon since the Qualcomm chip uses one single, high-frequency processor whereas Tegra 2 uses eight processors, offsets as much as possible to the GPU and shuts off spare cores.

“[Intel's Moorestown chips are] still ten times away. So that’s a big challenge for them. And meanwhile Tegra 2 is already much superior to Atom from a performance perspective. And so now we’re already dual-core, and then next year I assume Tegra 3 comes out, and then, you know, here we are increasing performance at a lightning rate and power is incredibly low, so I think it’s going to be tough for them.” Jen-Hsun Huang

As for the webOS tablet, Huang “can’t comment on that.”  However, he does echo our sentiments that webOS is “a great operating system”, only criticising Palm’s phones as “just too slow.”  The underlying message is obvious: Tegra 2 wouldn’t be anywhere near as slow.  Now we just have to wait for HP to wake up and confirm it themselves.

Video comparison after the cut

“I took the Intel Atom-based Viliv X70, a 7” tablet with a 1024×600 7” touchscreen running Windows XP Home, installed the latest Google Chrome, locked the CPU to 800Mhz and did some random web browsing tests. Remember that the Menlow platform used in the X70 is very close to the architecture used on Moorestown. The CPU are GPU are architecturally almost exactly the same. I side-by-sided it with an iPad which is, according to my tests with the Archos 5, X10 and HTC Desire (all running high-end ARM V7 architecture cores) the fastest ARM-based browser solution out there” Steve Paine, UMPC Portal

Steve’s thinking is that, since the Menlow platform of the X70 is actually pretty similar to the Moorestown platform just around the corner, the X70′s performance actually makes for a reasonable predictor.  He found that, at 800MHz, the X70 is pretty much on a par with the iPad browser.

Ramped up to 1.3GHz, meanwhile – as high as the X70′s CPU will go, but short of the 1.5GHz the new Atom Z6xx processors will manage – and the Intel-based MID could render pages significantly faster than the iPad could, including Flash support.  With Flash disabled it was even faster.  It’s enough for Steve to state that Moorestown will likely “deliver web pages, process script, decrypt HTTPS, GZIP and images much faster than the best ARM-based solution out there,” and that’s before you get to multitasking support.

Updated after the cut

According to Gottheil, “HP has no problem putting out multiple products, some people have even criticized them for putting out too many products. I can’t see them killing one just because another is coming up.”  It’s unclear whether the analyst’s opinion is founded on speculation or some insider information he’s unable to detail at this point.

HP, meanwhile, have only confirmed that a webOS based tablet could feature in their future, but they’re tight-lipped on the Windows 7 slate project.  Early rumors pointed to disappointing battery life from the Intel Atom processors driving the tablet; Intel today announced its latest Moorestown-based Atom Z6xx series processors, which as well as being more powerful than the existing chips are also more power-frugal.

[via TabletPCReview]

Update: We’ve just heard from Sascha from NetbookNews, whose contact at HP has told him that “today there was an official internal message to hold development
activities [on the tablet] … [the] reason is to provide a better user experience.”

Compared to the previous Atom Z5xx generation of processors, the new chips use more than 50x less idle power, 20x less audio power, and 2-3x reductions in browsing and video playback power consumption.  Intel reckon that’s good enough for over 10 days or standby or 4-5hrs of browsing and video from a 1,500mAh, which to our cynical eyes doesn’t actually sound that impressive (compared to some of the ARM-based chipsets we’re seeing).  The company are also short on demo devices, bringing out the same Aava Mobile smartphone and OpenPeak tablet as examples of products that could be based on Z6xx processors.

Meanwhile there’s also an accompanying chipset, the Intel Platform Controller Hub MP20 (formerly known as Langwell) which adds smart power-management, hardware-based data encryption, advanced audio processing and a USB/USB-on-the-go controller.  Wireless options include WiFi, 3G and WiMAX, and there’s GPS support too.

The Z6xx series will be compatible with Android, MeeGo and more, including Adobe Flash and AIR support, Microsoft Silverlight and even high-speed gaming such as Quake 3 and World of Warcraft.  More information in the Intel Z6xx fact sheet [pdf link].

Press Release:

New Atom™ Processor Platform Using Significantly Lower Power Readies Intel for Smartphone, Tablet Push

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Based on Intel’s leading silicon technology and manufacturing capabilities, chips deliver >50x platform idle power reduction while increasing performance and reducing size1.
Platform brings unlimited “PC-like” experience with fast Internet, multi-tasking, full 1080p video, 3-D graphics, multi-point videoconferencing and voice in pocketable designs.
New Intel Atom Processor Z6xx based on Intel’s new 45nm2 low-power process, packs 140 million transistors into the SoC. The platform also includes a Controller Hub (MP20) and a dedicated Mixed Signal IC.
Highly integrated platform capable of scaling a range of operating systems and market segments including high-end smartphones, tablets and handheld devices.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 4, 2010 – Benefitting from the company’s power-saving architecture, transistor and circuit design expertise, plus unique manufacturing process techniques, Intel Corporation today unveiled its newest Intel® Atom™ processor-based platform (formerly “Moorestown”, PDF 202KB).

The technology package provides significantly lower power consumption1 and prepares the company to target a range of computing devices, including high-end smartphones, tablets and other mobile handheld products. The chips bring Intel’s classic product strengths – outstanding performance to run a comprehensive and growing number of rich media and Internet applications, a choice of software, and the ability to easily multitask – across a number of applications, including HD video and multi-point videoconferencing.

“Intel has delivered its first product that is opening the door for Intel Architecture [IA] in the smartphone market segment,” said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group. “Through “Moorestown,” Intel is scaling the benefits of IA while significantly reducing the power, cost and footprint to better address handheld market segments. As a result of our efforts, the Intel Atom processor is pushing the boundaries of higher performance at significantly lower power to show what’s possible as handheld devices become small, powerful mobile computers.”

Architected for Low Power and Industry Leading Performance
The platform includes the Intel® Atom™ Processor Z6xx Series Family (formerly “Lincroft” system-on-chip [SoC]), the Intel Platform Controller Hub MP20 (formerly “Langwell”) and a dedicated Mixed Signal IC (MSIC), formerly “Briertown.”

The platform has been repartitioned to include the Intel Atom Processor Z6xx, which combines the 45nm Intel Atom processor core with 3-D graphics, video encode and decode, as well as memory and display controllers into a single SoC design. It also includes the MP20 Platform Controller Hub which supports a range of system-level functions and I/O blocks. Additionally, a dedicated MSIC integrates power delivery and battery charging, and consolidates a range of analog and digital components.

Collectively these new chips deliver significantly lower power including >50x reduction in idle power, >20x reduction in audio power, and 2-3x reductions across browsing and video scenarios – all at the platform level when compared to Intel’s previous-generation product1. These power savings translate into >10 days of standby, up to 2 days of audio playback and 4-5 hours of browsing and video battery life3. When combined with 1.5-3x higher compute performance, 2-4x richer graphics, >4x higher JavaScript performance, and support for full HD 1080p high-profile video decoding and 720p HD video recording, these low-power innovations bring a rich, PC-like visual experience to powerful handheld computers4.

Building on the C6 state in the original Intel Atom processor design, the SoC incorporates new ultra-low-power states (S0i1 and S0i3), which take the SoC to 100 micro-watts5. At the platform level, Intel implemented a new, fine grain OS power management approach that manages the idle and active power states across all aspects of the system based on usage scenarios. This software-managed technique applies aggressive power and clock gating across the SoC’s power islands and system voltage rails. Additionally, Intel used a new high-K 45nm2 LP SoC process to support a multiple transistor design with a range of high-voltage I/Os.

These power management capabilities, when combined with Intel® Burst Performance Technology for high-performance on demand, and Intel’s Bus Turbo Mode for high-bandwidth on demand, help to deliver industry leading performance and power efficiency across a range of handheld devices.

“After we delivered the first-generation Intel Atom processor with 10x thermal power reduction, we challenged ourselves to achieve 50x power reduction at the platform level,” said Belli Kuttanna, chief Intel Atom processor architect. “We are delighted to have exceeded this goal while increasing performance and are proud of the architects and designers who consistently reinvent the possibilities of Intel Architecture.”

Availability
The Intel® Atom™ Processor Z6xx Series Family, Intel Platform Controller Hub MP20 and the dedicated Mixed Signal IC are available today.

The new platform supports a range of scalable frequencies, up to 1.5 GHz for high-end smartphones and up to 1.9 GHz for tablets and other handheld designs. The chips also bring support for Wi-Fi, 3G/HSPA, and WiMAX, as well as a range of operation systems, including Android*, Meego* and Moblin*. Intel is bringing together a breadth of applications and ecosystem support across these platforms to enable a software- and Internet-compatible user experience for developers and consumers

The GW990 was rolled out in January this year, and was used by Intel to demonstrate both their hardware and software plans.  Moorestown will be the next generation of Atom processors, now frugal enough, the chip company reckons, to power a smartphone and still manage to get through the day.

As for Moblin, that’s since been subsumed into the MeeGo collaboration with Nokia, and it’s unclear what exactly the first device running the open-source OS will be.  The GW990 had a tempting 4.8-inch 1024 x 480 touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, WiFI and A-GPS, along with a digital compass and 3D gaming capabilities.

The Nokia N900 isn’t the only device that’s getting the MeeGo love today, though. Those of you out there who have an Atom-powered notebook, or an Atom Moorestown MID, are also included in the developer download goodness. But, alas, this doesn’t include all the MeeGo goodness that we detailed earlier. In fact, word has it that if you flash it onto your N900, you’ll be met with a terminal console. Nevertheless, if this is something you want to do, you’ll be able to boot MeeGo from a USB drive, or right from your device. Options, right?

Sure, we imagine that some (if not most of you) out there purchased your N900 because you’re a developer of some kind, so this is probably right up your alley. But, if you are a little bit more wary of flashing your devices, then you can wait it out. The team has said that they plan on releasing more information about the upcoming release in May, which is tagged as 1.0.

[via Maemo Arena]

Performance seemed reasonable on both devices, though there were some missed-taps on the touchscreen and both builds were very much works-in-progress.  We also took the opportunity to quiz Intel about what exactly will differentiate Moorestown from other next-gen chipsets, like NVIDIA’s Tegra or Texas Instruments’ OMAP4, since performance didn’t seem anything excessive over what other platforms we’ve tested.

Their stance is that Moorestown brings with it flexibility – greater flexibility to run various platforms, including those intended for ARM and x86 systems – and of course as well as Android and Moblin there’ll be MeeGo support when that OS arrives later in 2010.  Moorestown will be capable of running in a low-power mode for regular smartphone duties, or in a high-power (comparable to a netbook-style devices) mode when you need some processing or multimedia grunt.

The expectation is that Aava Mobile will offer the handset as a reference design, rather than selling it directly.

The Moorestown chip will mean the GW990 is capable of playing HD video and of 3D gaming, and of course there’s the usual high-end smartphone functionality too.  That means WiFI and A-GPS, along with a digital compass and 5-megapixel camera.

As for the customized UI, that consists of a three-pane view when in landscape orientation that allows you to control disparate elements of the smartphone simultaneously; for instance, you could keep an eye on your email inbox while simultaneously navigating through music playlists.  We’re waiting for full specifications and more details from LG, and will update when we know more.

[Image via Engadget]

Press Release:

Intel CEO: ‘Computing No Longer Confined to the PC – It’s Everywhere’

News Highlights
Otellini described how “personal” computing is transforming Intel and the industry.
Showcased innovative technologies and design wins across Intel’s PC and other growth businesses.
Introduced several PC platform products, including over 25 Intel® Core™ processors and Intel® Wireless Display technology.
Unveiled upcoming LG Electronics* smartphone, Orange* media set-top box, and embedded technology concepts for home energy management and interactive, in-store shopping.
Revealed beta version of a software application storefront aimed at netbooks called the Intel AppUp Center. OEMs Acer*, ASUS*, Dell* and Samsung* collaborating with Intel to bring innovative apps to consumers.

INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, Las Vegas, Jan. 7, 2010 – Intel Corporation President and CEO Paul Otellini today talked about how “personal computing” is expanding beyond the PC to nearly every kind of electronic device, transforming Intel and the industry in the process. He also unveiled several innovative technologies and design wins that spanned Intel’s PC and other growth businesses, including netbooks, smartphones, CE devices and “connected” embedded technology.

“Computing is no longer confined to your computer – it’s everywhere,” Otellini said during his CES keynote speech. “Advances in connectivity, intuitive user interfaces, immersive content and computer chip performance have allowed computing to move into new areas. Computing moving into all manner of devices and experiences all around us improves our personal productivity and enjoyment.”

Otellini described how Intel and the industry are delivering the vision he painted in his keynote 2 years ago at CES. Computing is being integrated into every relevant aspect of people’s lives, he said, whether they are on their computer or smartphone, watching TV, in the car or out shopping. A seamless personalized experience tailored to individuals’ interests, needs and social networks will deliver the information, entertainment and experiences people want, whenever, however and wherever they want. To illustrate his point, he demonstrated exciting advances in mobile device applications, 3-D content, smarter phones and TVs, and areas traditionally not associated with computing such as home energy management and digital signage.

Otellini described how bringing the world of simple and useful “viral” applets to Intel® Atom™ processor-based devices will further bring this vision of “personal” computing to life, creating new usage models and a unique and powerful distribution channel for software developers. Intel created the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program in September to address this opportunity. He revealed a beta version of a software app store for netbooks that Intel launched today called the Intel® AppUpSM Center. The first apps, which span education, entertainment, games, health and other categories, are now available for free download or purchase by visiting www.intelappup.com. Acer*, ASUS*, Dell* and Samsung* are the first OEMs to announce support for apps stores based on the Intel AppUp Center. Otellini said Intel and its partners expect to expand the stores over time to include applications for other large categories such as PCs, handheld CE devices, smartphones, CE appliances, TVs and other devices based on future Intel processor families.

As an example of new ways to connect computing devices in the home, Otellini also unveiled a product today called the Intel® Wireless Display. Using a laptop powered by select all new 2010 Intel® Core™ processors and enabled with this display technology, an individual can quickly stream videos, photos and other content from the PC to the HDTV over a WiFi connection. On Jan. 17 laptops by Dell*, Sony* and Toshiba* and a TV adapter by NETGEAR* – featuring Intel® Wireless Display – will be available at Best Buy* in the United States and Canada as part of its Blue Label 2.0 program.

“Computing in the home is rapidly expanding beyond the PC,” Otellini said. “The TV will continue to be a focal point of the home while becoming smarter, much in the way phones are evolving into smartphones. New user interfaces and forms of connectivity will change the way we interact with entertainment in the home.”

Intel’s CEO also touched on one of the most buzzed about topics at CES – 3-D stereoscopic content – and said that creating 3-D content requires a “ton of computing power.” Powerful microprocessors will play a central role in the transition to 3-D content creation. Otellini also said there are select powerful PCs available today that are expanding 3-D content creation from Hollywood studios to living rooms. To prove his point, he demonstrated how an individual could do real-time creation and editing of a 3-D video with the horsepower of an Intel® Core™ i7 processor-based PC.

This morning Intel launched several PC platform products including more than 25 all new 2010 Intel® Core™ processors, wireless adapters and related chipsets for laptops, desktop PCs and embedded devices. These new processors deliver Intel’s best media and graphics technologies, including the ability to intelligently adapt, automatically providing an added boost of performance for such demanding applications as HD and 3-D video creation.

Otellini also described how advancements in microprocessor technology will continue to transform how people enjoy 3-D movies and TV in their homes. To prove his point, he showed new ways to visually search for TV shows, Internet access to videos and other applications on a yet-to-be introduced Orange* media set-top box powered by one of Intel’s computer-on-a-chip products. The Intel® Atom™ processor CE4100, which is currently available, is optimized for the next generation of set-top boxes, media players and connected TVs.

“Smartphones truly embody personal computing,” Otellini said. “Wireless connectivity is critical and 3G is great, but it’s not fast enough. 4G technologies like WiMAX are needed to deliver on the promise and potential of these new devices.”

All the Internet connectivity for demonstrations in Otellini’s keynote used the CLEAR* 4G mobile Internet service that has been available in Las Vegas since July. The WiMAX Forum forecasts more than 700 million people covered by WiMAX at the end of 2010.

“Two years ago I showed a suite of futuristic, compute-intensive applications for handheld devices,” Otellini said. “The computing was really done on a desktop PC behind the curtain because handhelds didn’t have the processing capability yet. Two years later, the future is here.”

To prove his point, Otellini showed how multi-tasking capabilities combined with new user interfaces are creating exciting new applications for smartphones today. This included the world’s first demonstration of the LG Electronics* GW990 smartphone to help demonstrate the performance and software compatibility of “Moorestown,” Intel’s next-generation platform for handhelds and smartphones. He also showcased a smartphone reference design from Aava Mobile* and a tablet reference design from OpenPeak*. “Moorestown” is scheduled to launch during the first half of the year with devices coming to market in the second half.

Otellini also described how many machines and applications traditionally not associated with computing are now connecting to the Internet, creating more personal computing experiences at home and out in the world. Examples include infotainment systems for cars, digital interactive signs, shopping kiosks and medical devices. Intel’s Atom processor is making inroads in these and other intelligent devices. Otellini said customers are in process of developing 2,500 different devices and machines powered by the Intel Atom processor including a concept device for managing energy consumption in the home. He also unveiled a digital sign based on an embedded Intel® Core™ i5 processor that brings the data-richness of online shopping to the in-store shopping experience.

More information about the applications demonstrated in the speech and Intel’s news at CES is available at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/events/ces2010.

BenQ, Gigabyte, Quanta and Compal have all managed to partner with carriers – the former two in Taiwan, the latter in Europe – but the unnamed sources say the actual number of MIDs supplied has been far less than Intel’s hype might have predicted.  BenQ and Gigabyte – together with Inventec and ASUS – are believed to have “significantly reduced” their R&D on MIDs.

Instead, development attentions have turned to Smartbooks, netbooks and ebook readers, which the sources suggest have replicated much of the functionality a MID might offer.  Despite Moorestown being expected in the first-half of 2010, the expectation is that fewer than half of the MIDIA members will actually produce MIDs using the new chips.

The rejection will come as a blow for Intel, whose Atom range has been a mainstay of PC netbooks over the past eighteen months.  A win with Apple for mobile or lower-power devices would have opened up a whole new market; Intel have previously suggested that Moorestown would be ideal for high-end smartphones.

Moorestown is also expected to find a place in MIDs, and it’s feasible that Intel might have been hoping to see the platform inside Apple’s much-rumored tablet.  Instead, it’s likely that any mobile device from Apple in the near future will use a PA Semiconductor chip, the handiwork of a company Apple themselves own.

[via Electronista]

Video demo after the cut

The prototype device uses an custom interface developed by UI specialists Wind River, whom Intel acquired earlier this year.  As for the device itself, that’s Inventec’s X3 “MediaPhone”, first shown at Computex 2009, and tipped for a release in mid-2010.

The whole thing looks surprisingly responsive, and if Intel’s claims about Moorestown pan out then it’ll not only be speedy but boast long battery life, too.  More on Moblin 2.1 here.

Video demo after the cut

They’re also being sure to highlight Moblin’s support for multitasking, with a switching bar that allows you to quickly flip between applications.  Since it’s all on a smartphone, there’s obviously always-on 3G and voice call functionality, too.

Moblin runs on Intel’s Atom chips, most likely their upcoming Moorestown platform which is expected to arrive in 2010.  The company showed off some reference designs of possible platforms by their hardware partners back in June.

NEC will be demonstrating their new WiMAX Moblin software at “Wireless Japan 2009″, a three day exhibition kicking off tomorrow.  Back in June, when Intel revealed five Moorestown based MIDs, two of that number prioritized GPS navigation; with integrated WiMAX, such devices could include far greater internet-based information about destinations, PNDs, and other news, together with VoIP communication.

Notebook computers and other mobile devices will also see support from NEC’s involvement, with Intel expecting integrated WiMAX modules to spread.  Intel recently announced a deal with Nokia which will see Moblin supported by the Finnish company’s HSPA/3G wireless products.

We’re also led to believe that there’s a little altruism in there too, with Intel supposedly hoping to “facilitate the development of an ecosystem which can benefit the industry as a whole and ultimately end-users.”  Whether that’s exactly true or not, the company would certainly benefit from weening Android off of ARM chipsets and onto their own range of Atom CPUs.

Don’t expect to see any of the current range of MIDs sporting official Intel/Google Android builds, however.  According to the leaks, the first fruit of the collaboration won’t be ready until Intel’s Moorestown platform makes its debut, which the company has previously said will take place in 2010. 

[MID in image is actually NVIDIA Tegra based, not Intel]

What’s unclear at present is the nature of the chips Intel will be supplying Nokia.  The company’s CEO has previously said that they’ve considered a move into the notebook or netbook segment, though failed to specify whether such a device would take the form of a traditional, 3G-connected laptop, or something more unusual such as a MID or UMPC.

It seems likely, then, that Nokia are looking to use Intel’s Moorestown platform, expected to arrive in 2010, or – further in the future – their Medfield platform for smartphones that’s penciled in for 2011.  Analysts are tentatively positive about the potential for a deal, though still vaguely dubious as to whether a Nokia product using the Intel chips will actually arrive:

“It’s a big announcement, they’re a key guy. The only question now is whether they will actually come out with a product” Jim McGregor, analyst, In-Stat

[via IntoMobile]

The sources have suggested that global purse-tightening in the face of a middling economy and “slow-building popularity” of 3G applications are to blame for the significant shortfall.  Intel was pressured to sell Menlow platform chips, initially expected for MIDs, to netbook manufacturings to recoup its investment.

Intel have declined to comment on the sales speculation, as its official Q2 results are imminent, but has re-stated its belief that the MID segment – and other internet-focused devices – has great potential and will remain a target.  The company revealed more details of its next-gen Moorestown platform this week, which will likely ship in 2010, and be aimed at MIDs.  It also revealed five hardware designs, with screens ranging in size from three to five inches, that would be among the first to deliver Moorestown.

“The acquisition will deliver to Intel robust software capabilities in embedded systems and mobile devices, both important growth areas for the company. Embedded systems and mobile devices include smart phones, mobile Internet devices, other consumer electronics (CE) devices, in-car “info-tainment” systems and other automotive areas, networking equipment, aerospace and defense, energy and thousands of other devices. This multi-billion dollar market opportunity is increasingly becoming connected and more intelligent, requiring supporting applications and services as well as full Internet functionality.” Intel press release

Wind River’s expertise will allow Intel to better compete in the growing embedded and SoC (system-on-chip) markets, which prioritize economical hardware and software together with task-customization.  The chip maker has already been discussing the future of its mobile devices at the Computex expo taking place this week; today it confirmed five upcoming devices which blur the lines between MIDs and smartphones.

The deal is expected to close this summer, although Wind River will continue to work with third-parties and develop its own range.  It’s likely that we’ll see its multi-core CPU expertise gradually tailored to best suit Intel’s range of processors, however.

Live Quanta M1 MID image and video demo after the cut

The smallest of the five devices is the CCI Compact Handheld, with a 3-inch touchscreen, full internet access and phone.  After that, the mid-range seems to hover around the 4-inch mark, with the EB MID Reference and the Aava Mobile Smartphone both hitting that exactly, while Quanta’s M1, shown above, is slightly bigger at 4.3-inches.  MID Moves‘ Steve shot the M1 video below.

Unlike the others, the M1 manages to squeeze in a hardware keyboard, seemingly using a sliding screen portion similar to the T-Mobile Sidekick.  According to Intel, all of the devices are highly connected and have custom UI’s on top of Moblin v.2.  They’ll also support “Mobile Augmented Reality”, which we’re hoping to see a demo of later.  Moorestown isn’t expected until 2010.

In the meantime, Intel’s Moorestown platform will deliver hardware video encoding and decoding, together with HD playback, and be targeted at MIDs and UMPCs as well as netbooks.  Although not as frugal in standby as Medfield, the 45nm Moorestown will show up to a 50x reduction in idle power from Menlow.

We won’t see smartphones attempted until 2011 at the earliest though.  The full presentation can be downloaded from UMPC Portal, and seems to be from this month. 

Despite the fastest clock speed we’ve seen in an Atom so far, the Z550 still brings it in at under 3W of power.  As for the Intel Atom Z515, that uses Intel Burst Performance Technology to reach those peak 1.2GHz speeds; usually it totters along a little slower, though Intel haven’t specified exactly at what speed. 

The launch also saw the first live demo of Intel’s Moorestown, the next-gen Atom-based MID platform.  Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, brought on stage a Moorestown-based MID that showed more than 10x less power use when idle, compared to existing Atom-based devices. 

Moorestown incorporates the Lincroft SoC, which packages a 45nm Atom core, graphics, video and memory controller, together with the Langwell input/output hub.  It will take advantage of a new version of Moblin, the open-source Linux-based platform Intel recently entrusted to the Linux Foundation, with new optimization for internet access and cellular voice functionality.  The platform is due to launch commercially by 2010.

Press Release:

Intel Developer Forum: 1-Year Intel® Atom™ Processor Anniversary Brings New Chips, Demonstration of Next-Generation Device

Intel Executives Share Vision, Updates at Beijing Tech Event

BEIJING, April 8, 2009 – Celebrating the 1-year anniversary of Intel Corporation’s introduction of its wildly popular Intel® Atom™ processor family, Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, introduced two new processors for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and several other milestones during his keynote today at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing.

Chandrasekher was joined by two other Intel executives, Craig Barrett and Pat Gelsinger, whose keynotes focused on the company’s directions for the next year and beyond. The event, held at the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, was geared toward the Chinese market in support of local innovation and Intel’s industry leadership in the region.

Mobility Keynote
During his keynote, titled “Mobility’s Next Wave of Growth,” Chandrasekher demonstrated the first live demo of Intel’s next-generation Atom-based MID platform, codenamed “Moorestown.” Chandrasekher provided a sneak peek into the low-power innovation of the platform by showcasing a greater than 10x idle power reduction compared to today’s Atom-based platform in a side-by-side demo. This dramatic reduction is made possible through a combination of new power management techniques, a new partition optimized for the MID segments and Intel’s Hi-k 45nm manufacturing process.

Due by 2010, the Moorestown platform is comprised of a System on Chip (codenamed “Lincroft”) that integrates a 45nm Intel® Atom™ processor core, graphics, video and memory controller, and a companion input/output (I/O) hub (codenamed “Langwell”). The platform will be accompanied by a new Moblin software version that is optimized to enable the rich, interactive, PC-like Internet experience along with cellular voice capabilities.

Intel also announced two new Atom processors for MIDs: the Z550 and Z515. The Z550 extends the performance of the MID product line to 2GHz with Intel Hyperthreading technology support, setting a new standard for the highest performance processor in the under-3-watt power envelope. The Z515 incorporates the new Intel® Burst Performance Technology (Intel BPT), which enables the processor to run at 1.2GHz when performance is needed in existing small and sleek MID form factors.

These new Atom processors further extend customer choices to enable the best Internet experience in pocketable MIDs. Chandrasekher also announced several new MID designs for the China market.

Discussing Intel Centrino 2-based laptops, Chandrasekher pointed out additional OEMs choosing to include Intel ultra low-voltage processors to create ultra-thin laptop designs that are less than 1 inch thick. While lighter in size and weight, these notebooks still offer great performance and battery life consumers have come to expect. Chandrasekher then described the next-generation processors for laptops based on the Nehalem architecture that will be available in the second half of this year on the “Calpella” platform. These processors will be more powerful then their predecessors by including such technologies as Intel Hyper-Threading Technology and Intel Turbo Boost Technology.

Enterprise Keynote
During his keynote, titled “IA: The Intelligent Architecture Investment,” Pat Gelsinger, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Digital Enterprise Group, discussed Intel’s latest client, server and embedded product lines, and gave developers an update on the latest programming tools available for the Larrabee architecture.

Intel’s complete Intel Architecture future product roadmap was also revealed. Gelsinger said the “Nehalem” microarchitecture has received worldwide acclaim with the Core® i7 processor launch in 2008 and the recent Nehalem-based Xeon 5500 series introduction. The Xeon 5500 series combines the world’s leading processor microarchitecture with a new memory and I/O subsystem, QuickPath Interconnects and Intelligent Power Technology to control power consumption.

Gelsinger said Intel and the industry now look to adopting more mainstream PC and laptop versions of the Nehalem microarchitecture, including 32nm manufactured versions with on-processor graphics, as well the multi-socket Nehalem EX server processor, all in production in the second half of 2009. The future Nehalem-EX processor will provide eight cores for the multiprocessor “intelligent server” market.

For embedded computers, Gelsinger discussed a range of recently announced Atom processor solutions with industrial temp for applications such as in-vehicle infotainment and industrial automation. He also disclosed, for the first time ever, the Nehalem-EP based processor (codenamed “Jasper Forest”) that is specifically designed to deliver increased compute density and integration required for embedded and storage applications.

Gelsinger also addressed Larrabee, which is Intel’s first many-core architecture designed for high throughput applications and features a programmable graphics pipeline that enables developer freedom. The Intel executive discussed availability of a C++ Larrabee Prototype Library and a future parallel programming solution based on “Ct” technology. The first Larrabee discrete graphics products are due in the late 2009/2010 timeframe.

Vision & Leadership Keynote
During the conference’s opening keynote, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett described how technology is a tool for improving education, health care, economic development and the environment. He challenged the developer community to use its collective technology expertise to develop solutions that tackle these challenges.

“Nothing beats investing in good people and good ideas,” said Barrett, whose conclusions are drawn from observations from trips to more than 30 countries a year. “Public-private collaboration is fundamental in driving solutions that confront global challenges.”

Barrett announced that Intel had selected the four winners of the INSPIRE•EMPOWER Challenge he launched last August. The winners will each receive $100,000 to further fund their innovative solutions that apply technology to address unmet needs related to education, health care, economic development and the environment.

The INSPIRE•EMPOWER Challenge winners are: Bibek Chapagain of Winrock International in Kathmandu, Nepal; Daniel Fletcher of the University of California, Berkeley; Eric Morrow of the Maendeleo Foundation in Kampala, Uganda; and Michael Potts of Catholic Relief Services in Nairobi, Kenya. Details on the winning solutions are available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

Intel Developer Forum
IDF spans the worlds of mobility, digital enterprise, digital home and technology and research. The Beijing IDF, as announced in December, was scaled back from a two-day event due to current economic circumstances and business pressures the industry is facing globally. Next up on the IDF schedule is a three-day event in San Francisco, which will be held Sept. 22-24 at Moscone Center West. Further information is available by visiting http://developer.intel.com/idf.

The new Moorestown’s System on Chip built around the 45nm Intel Atom processor core with integrated graphics, video and memory controller, and can operate in reduce power consumption rate of 10 times smaller than current Atom based MIDs. The platform works in conjunction with “Langwell” I/O hub, designed to support connectivity with cutting-edge wireless, storage and display components. Intel and LG will work together to build these devices, along with a version of the Linux open-source system, Mobiln V2.0, mobile app to be integrated with the new chipset.

Delivery date and product Information were not disclosed by LG at this point. LG is expected to be one of the first Moorestown design to hit market, predicted by 2010, said the chipmaker.

Although the prototype was disappointingly non-dramatic – in fact it wasn’t even a full device at all, just a validation board with the working Moorestown chip added – it’s being hailed by Intel as a significant step to the predicted 2009 launch.  The company also discussed a new range of ultracompact, efficient 25 x 30 x 2 mm 3G HSPA modems that could be used alongside it, together with WiMAX, GPS, Bluetooth and digital mobile TV.

Moorestown will be used with an I/O board codenamed “Langwell” which offers connectivity to wireless, storage and display components in addition to incorporating several board level functions.  Intel have already promised further ultramobile chipset announcements at the IDF in 2009.

[via UMPC Portal; image via Hexus]