Smartphonesthatreacttoyourmoodsandtelevisionsthatcantellit’syouwho’swatchingareinyourfutureasIntelCorporation’stoptechnologyexpertsetshissightsoncontext-awarecomputing.ChieftechnologyofficerJustinRattner
Smartphonesthatreacttoyourmoodsandtelevisionsthatcantellit’syouwho’swatchingareinyourfutureasIntelCorporation’stoptechnologyexpertsetshissightsoncontext-awarecomputing.
ChieftechnologyofficerJustinRattnershowedhowpersonaldeviceswillonedayofferadvice.“Howcanwechangetherelationshipsowethinkofthesedevicesnotasdevicesbutasassistantsorevencompanions?”heasked.
Handhelddevicescouldcombinealreadycommongeographiclocationtechnologywithdatafrommicrophones,cameras,heartandbodymonitorsandevenbrainscanstooffertheirownersadvicethattodayonlyafriendorrelativecouldgive.
“Imagineadevicethatusesavarietyofsensorstodeterminewhatyouaredoingataninstant,frombeingasleepinyourbedtobeingoutforarunwithafriend,”Rattnersaid,“Futuredeviceswillconstantlylearnaboutwhoyouare,howyoulive,workandplay.’’
Rattneralsodemonstratedatelevisionremotecontrolthatfiguresoutwhoisholdingitbasedonhowitisheld,andthenlearnstheviewer’sentertainmentpreferences.
Astheworldleaderfordecadesinmicrochipsforserversanddesktopcomputers,IntelishurryingtocatchupintheprofitablemarketforsmartphoneslikeApple’siPhoneandResearchinMotion’sBlackberry.
Telephoneswithe-mail,globalpositioningandmediaplayersarepointingthewaytoafuturewhereevermorefunctionsarepackedintoeversmallermobiledevices.
Thesmartphoneindustry,includingtechnologygiantslikeLGandSamsung,islikelytosell270millionphonesthisyearandgrow25percentin2011,accordingtomarketresearchcompanyIDC.
“Ithinkyoucanexpecttoseefeaturesthatsupportcontext-awarecomputingstartingtoappearinIntelproductsinthenearfuture,”Rattnersaid.
ButanalystssayIntelfacesanuphillbattlegettingitsmicrochipsintonewphonesasNvidia,MarvellandQualcommhavealreadymadeheadwaywithcheap,lower-powerprocessorsbasedondesignsbyARMHoldings.
Rattnerrecognizedthatquestionsaboutprivacyandpeople’swillingnesstobeintimatewiththeircomputerswillhavetobesettledbeforethefuturegenerationofsmartphoneshedescribedtakesoff.
“Ifyouthinkidentitythreatisaproblemtoday,imaginewhenyourwho