Intel prepares ultra-small chips

Thursday, 12 September 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

REUTERS: Intel is working on a new line of ultra-small and ultra-low-power microchips for wearable devices like smartwatches and bracelets, a bid by the company to make sure it will be at the crest of the next big technology wave after arriving late to the smartphone and tablet revolution. The new line of chips, called Intel Quark, will ship next year and include an ingestible version aimed at biomedical uses, Intel’s President Renee

James, told reporters late on Monday. The Quark chips will be five times smaller and 10 times more power efficient than Intel’s Atom chips for tablets and smartphones, she said. “We’re very committed to not missing the next big thing,” James said. Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich and James spoke on Tuesday at the company’s annual developer conference in San Francisco, their first major public appearance since their promotion in May, when Paul Otellini stepped aside as Chief Executive. In his speech, Krzanich said that chips made on Intel’s newest cutting-edge 14 nanometre process would start shipping by the end of 2013, helping the Santa Clara, California company maintain its manufacturing lead over rivals. Krzanich said tablets made with Intel chips and priced at less than $ 100 would be on store shelves in time for this year’s holiday season. He was flanked by rows of Android and Windows 8 tablets, many of them with attachable keyboards; an effort by Intel to show conference attendees it has made progress in mobile. Intel, the world’s biggest chipmaker, dominates the PC industry, but it was slow to adapt its chips to be suitable for smartphones and tablets. Intel’s focus on wearable computing; a trend that for many Americans evokes images of Dick Tracy, the comic strip detective who sported a two-way wrist radio, comes as Silicon Valley eyes sophisticated computerised watches with touch-screens and other high-tech features. Technology companies see wearables as a growth opportunity amid signs that explosive expansion in smartphones shipments since Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007 is receding. Last week, Samsung Electronics launched the Galaxy Gear watch, and Qualcomm, an Intel rival, launched the Toq smartwatch in a bid to showcase its technology to potential manufacturers. Processors based on technology from ARM and made by Qualcomm and Samsung account for most of the mobile market.