IDF focuses on future of interconnected devices (photos)

Speaking Monday at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Intel CEO Paul Otellini focused on the growth in mobile computing devices and showed off a few of the rich media applications that will be powered by Intel's chips.

How the TV will be transformed into a media hub for the home is also a focus at IDF this year.

Read more here.

Lectures, interactive panels, and hands-on labs are part of IDF, being held this week at Moscone West in San Francisco. Intel is outlining its vision for a new generation of interconnected devices and powerful software.

The show floor is full of interactive displays, consumer devices like smartphones, and software powered with Intel chips.

Intel Executive Vice President David "Dadi" Perlmutter's keynote speech Tuesday touched on the release of Sandy Bridge, the processor microarchitecture that uses Intel's 32-nanometer manufacturing method.

This next-generation chipmaking technology will allow for much faster computing while reducing power consumption.

Read CNET's Q&A with Perlmutter here.

Doug Davis, vice president of the Intel Architecture Group, opened his speech Tuesday holding a copy of the Dr. Seuss book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" He said that with Intel's newest processors, the future is here and will be built on Intel.

Davis shares the stage with Barb Edson, senior director of marketing for Windows Embedded at Microsoft, showing off the Windows 7 Media Center as a hub for the home.

The yet-to-be-released Dell Inspiron laptop, which converts to a tablet-like device, was shown for the first time at IDF.

The Windows device was demonstrated as a photo browser and media player in tablet mode, and a more businesslike work device as a laptop. Shown with Davis is Dave Zavelson, marketing manager for Ultramobile devices at Dell.

The Inspiron Duo, code-named Sparta, flips to convert to a tablet-like device.

The CE 4200 chip, also known as Oak Trail, will power a new generation of handheld media devices and tablets, Davis told the crowd.

A third chip announced Tuesday at IDF and soon to be in production is the Atom Processor E600 series. Code-named Tunnel Creek, it increases 2D and 3D graphics performance by 50 percent, Davis said.

Davis shows off a CE 4200 series silicon wafer.

Waving his hands in front of a display, a Gesturetek representative scrolls through a home management software home screen. Gesturetek gives gesture-based interaction to TV, photos, video, and Internet content.

Playing a game using Gesturetek technology, a Gesturetek representative steers a car through a game with just his hands, as Intel's Perlmutter watches.

Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge will be geared toward both businesses and consumers, Perlmutter said.

The flagship chip is being touted for strong media capabilities.

Sandy Bridge is due in early 2011. Perlmutter told the IDF crowd: "We're putting together everything needed to build a PC on one piece of silicon with a billion transistors."

Davis shows off an Atom Processor E600 series silicon wafer, which was announced Tuesday at IDF.

Smart TV devices are playing a central role in the use of Intel's processors at IDF.

Intel is pitching these devices as a new experience in home media. It's TV plus Internet plus search, said Davis.

There is no official release date, but Google TV devices are expected to be available starting next month. Google TV is the company's platform for searching and recording content from across the Web and channel service providers on your home television.

The Boxee Box set-top box will feature Intel's Atom processor.

The show floor at IDF, where developers are getting a look at the next generation of software and tools powered by Intel processors.

Inside Moscone West in San Francisco, where Intel is talking about what's possible with the next generation of its processors--from smart TVs to Web-connected cars to powerful tablets and PCs.

Intel Labs is demonstrating some of its forward-thinking projects at IDF. This setup shows how Intel is working on hybrid systems to power devices by battery and alternative energy, such as solar power.