Preaching mobility to an audience teeming with cell-phone and laptop users,
Intel CEO Paul Otellini looked into the crystal ball and predicted that Internet
search will approach users instead of users approaching search.

The Internet is not intelligent -- it has a drab interface and is in need of
a serious face-lift, Otellini said during a Monday keynote at the International
Consumer Electronics Show being held in Las Vegas.

The Internet needs to be more interactive and needs to deliver a more visual
and personal Internet experience, Otellini said.

People feel disengaged with the Internet because it offers poor interactivity,
Otellini said. Searching for data by starting a computer, visiting a search
engine and then sifting through lots of information is a long process, Otellini
said.

With the help of better user interfaces, mobile Internet devices and social
networking, the Internet could get to know its users better to deliver a more
personal experience, and that process is already under way, Otellini said. The
Internet will soon be able to recognize a user, anticipate a data search and
deliver related data before a user asks for it.

Like the Nintendo Wii
gaming console from Nintendo,
once the Internet develops a sturdy interface users will engage with it, Otellini
said. "The popularity of the Wii lies with the interface, not the graphics,"
Otellini said. The experience brings people together in many ways through active
engagement.

Social networking is another way for people to connect, Otellini said. Many
companies are working on cutting-edge technologies to boost social networking
technologies to connect people and expose personalities to the Internet.

Otellini demonstrated the use of eJamming
Audiio, a social networking software and Web site through which musicians
can connect and jam with other music enthusiasts. The band Smash
Mouth jammed over the Internet with lead singer Steve Hartwell on stage,
and other band members at other locations.

As more people connect, the demand on the Internet will increase, and be facilitated
by the adoption of WiMax, wireless technology that is being tested in 70 countries,
Otellini said. That, in turn, could drive the demand for Internet-connected
devices, Otellini said.

Internet-connected consumer electronics will be able to anticipate the information
users are looking for, sift the Internet and deliver data users are seeking,
Otellini said. Using mobile Internet devices, Otellini said, will be "like
carrying the Internet with you. For example, such devices could anticipate and
deliver requirements such as translation services or information on favorite
meals for travelers.

Intel is developing processors that allows consumer electronics to cope with
the computing and graphics power demanded by high-resolution images or 3D interfaces
of social networking sites like Second
Life, Otellini said.

Otellini demonstrated the Canmore system-on-a-chip platform, which enables
high-resolution imaging and broadcast TV for consumer electronics devices. The
chip includes the Intel Architecture processor, and an audio-visual unit that
supports 1080p high-resolution imaging and surround sound.

Canmore's computing power, graphics and audio-visual capabilities help devices
do more while taking up less space, Otellini said. The platform, targeted at
set-top boxes, TVs and media players, will be released in the second half of
this year.

Intel is already set to
release the Menlow platform, a set of components including the low-power Silverthorne
processor and Poulsbo chipset, that run ultramobile devices.

IDG News Service

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