IDF: Otellini talks up vision of 'computing continuum'

Intel chief executive Paul Otellini has pitched a vision of a 'computing continuum' which calls for better integration between multiple devices and platforms.

Otellini told attendees at the IDF conference in San Francisco that the company's plans centre on portable, highly-connected devices such as light-weight 'ultrabook' systems and mobile handsets.

"As computing evolves, it must adapt. The best experiences we have are those that are highly integrated," he said.

Intel will enlist OEMs and software developers to help integrate devices through wireless networking and cloud platforms. Early demonstrations included systems to allow media sharing and networking between mobile handsets and PCs.

A key component of the vision is the continued development of the ultrabook market, and Otellini unveiled plans to equip systems with the company's 22nm Haswell processor line.

Haswell chips are designed to dramatically reduce power consumption and provide all-day battery life and up to 10 days of standby on a single charge.

"What we are targeting is the result of our long-standing obsession with power reduction. The implications for the ultrabook are huge," Otellini said.

Otellini also announced a new partnership with Google to integrate Intel chips with Android, and said that the first Intel-powered smartphones are on target for release next year.

Security was cited as a top priority for Intel. Otellini and Candice Worley, senior vice president and general manager of endpoint security at McAfee, unveiled a new beta security tool for PCs.

Based on McAfee's DeepSAFE platform, the software is designed to identify and block rootkit infections and zero-day malware attacks in real time.