USB 3.0 and WiDi Make Waves at IDF

The Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco this year was a wild success. The three-day conference combined the brightest minds from companies across the globe, showcasing the latest trends and technologies in the field. Here are a few of the highlights from this year’s conference:

• Growth of Smart-Device Market: Intel CEO Paul Otellini focused his keynote presentation on the growing smart device market. He also highlighted Intel’s upcoming Sandy Bridge processors, Intel’s first mainstream chip integrating graphics function and main processor on the same piece of silicon.
• Wireless Displays (WiDi): Continuing the trend of consumer product interoperability, wireless display technology allows users to mirror their PC’s display to an HDTV, no wires required. Intel Atom processors will soon feature integrated WiDi technologies for netbooks and tablets.
• WeTab: The WeTab, developed by Neofonie and 4tiitoo, is the first tablet running the MeeGo operating system. The tablet offers a flexible user interface and Intel’s high-powered Atom processor. No global release date has been announced.
• SuperSpeed USB Momentum: The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announced that almost 120 products have passedSuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) certification testing, demonstrating strong industry momentum since the first SuperSpeed USB-certified device was announced at IDF 2009.
• Context-Aware Devices: Justin Rattner, Intel’s chief technology officer and director of Intel Labs, presented a keynote on Wednesday on how personal technology will transform the way consumers interact with technology. Whether it’s cameras detecting movement or analyzing inputted data, such as calendar information, this next wave of devices will anticipate users’ wants and needs.