Intel

Karan Balkar,

Correspondent (Tech)

A couple of weeks back, I was wondering how Intel would bounce back in to the race to become the leading manufacturer of processors. Today, I am certain about Intel’s plan. The company showcased a miniature computer-based device named Edison at the on-going Consumer Electronics Show, 2014. So what is so special about this device? How effective would it be? Here is an insight about what is in store with Edison:

CESEdison is based on Intel’s 22 nanometre transistor technology. It is as small as a regular SD card and is designed specifically for wearable computing. Remember their Quark SoC? Back in September 2013, Intel introduced a low power core that could power wearable devices. Jarvis, an earpiece, was one such device allowing you to issue Siri-like commands at any time. The same technology was present in Intel’s smart watch prototype with built-in cellular connectivity. Today, Intel’s Edison, running Linux, follows suit and comes equipped with built in WiFi and Bluetooth modules.

The new unveiling has proven Gordon Moore’s law to be accurate, that day-by-day the number of sensors and transistors used in integrated circuits are increasing. Edison is no exception and comes packed with a dual core Intel SoC and a Pentium instruction set. So how does the average consumer benefit from this wearable device? In fact, Intel did demonstrate a case called the ‘smart nursery ecosystem’, also known as the Mimo. It is an onesie with a removable, turtle-shaped sensor clipped on. It uses Edison to monitor a baby’s vitals (including temperature and heart rate) before sending reports back to the parent. Another of its offerings involved an ear bud aimed at sports enthusiasts. It consists of a built-in monitor that is used to send data to a smartphone through the headphone jack, which in turn also serves to power the device.

In my opinion, the unique selling point of the device is the fact that Edison will be able to connect to its own app store, allowing developers to leverage its features and build more such connected devices. Sounds cool, right?

Are you ready for a challenge? Intel is also planning to launch a competition and will be offering cash prizes for developers who come up with the best wearable ideas.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons (Bjoertvedt, http://www.flickr.com/photos/intelfreepress/8337608135/sizes/o/in/photostream/)

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Karan Balkar

Karan has been working as an independent Android application developer since the past four years. Born and brought up in Mumbai, he holds a bachelor degree in Computer Engineering. He has written over 50 programming tutorials on his personal blog (http://karanbalkar.com) covering popular technologies and frameworks. At present, he is working as a software engineer. Apart from being passionate about technology, he loves to write poems and travel to different places. He likes listening to music and enjoys playing the guitar.

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