Intel showcases thinner, smaller computing devices

If the products on display at Intel's Retail Innovation and Technology Tour on Tuesday were any indication, ultrabooks are going to get thinner, computers smaller and tablets more powerful in the coming months.

In fact, Thaine Creitz, director of Intel Corp's Consumer Channels Group, said the ultrabook effect is already visible in devices such as the new Acer Aspire V5 which has an optical drive despite being thinner than regular laptops.

With the fourth generation Intel Core processors coming to tablets, they are now getting much more powerful. These processors, with their new Haswell micro-architecture, have a lower thermal footprint and hence consume much less power. So, the newer ultrabooks can give up to 12 hours of battery life after a single charge, Creitz explained.


In some segments, the fourth generation Intel Core processors will also be available with the new Iris Pro 5200 and Iris 5100 integrated graphics which promise animation of much greater clarity than before. The new generation of processors are also capable of processing 4K content and can give never-seen-before clarity on large screens. In the US, the Intel Media service is expected to become the first to beam 4K content to homes. 4K, or Ultra High Definition, has a resolution of 3840x2140p, which is four times that of Full HD.


As touch becomes more prevalent in the new devices, users will also be able to exercise voice control in smart devices. "Voice control will be effective in instances where talking will be faster than typing," Creitz explained.

Intel sees more devices using gesture control, facial recognition and even augmented reality by tapping into the power of the new processors. Another interesting innovation that is making its way into devices is the Smart Connect feature which keeps waking up devices at regular intervals to update so that users always see the latest, be it in their mail or their Twitter accounts.