Intel Corp. To Unveil Dual Qore Phones At MWC

“Specifically, Intel will showcase its latest smartphone technologies and devices running the Android platform, including a new dual core, dual graphics platform, as well as OEM- and service provider-supported devices based on the company’s new Intel AtomTM Z2420 platform targeted at emerging markets,” the company said in a release.

Intel is undoubtedly the leader of Personal Computer processors, but the company has been ignored during the mobile revolution. Although it tasted some success last September, when it partnered with Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI) to release the RAZR I smartphone fixed on Intel Midfield chip, but it has yet to witness worldwide adoption from OEMs

Intel Corporation has decided toshowcase its dual-core, dual graphics Androidsmartphone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which goes from February 25 to 28. The chip maker will showcase its smartphones, tablets and ultra-books.

Intel Corporation revealed its details on its new processor series at CES in January. The company showed off Lexington Atom Z2420 “Value Smartphone” processor along with the Clover Trail+ Z2580 dual-core “performance smartphone” chip. The Z2580 is a 32 nm SoC incorporating the Power VR SGX 544 MP2 GPU. This chip is expected to be used by Lenovo Group Limited (ADR) (PINK:LNVGY) K900, and probably Intel will reveal some more handsets at WMC.

The new Atom Z2420 w/XMM 6265 chip, code-named Lexington has the following competitive specifications, performance and features:

-Runs Google’s Android,

-The 1.2 GHz Atom processor Z2420 with hyper threading has up to 1.2GHz,

-Dual sim cards,

-Intel XMM 6265 HSPA+ modem,

-HD video encoding and decoding (1080p 30fps),

-1.3MP front-facing cameras, 5MP rear-facing cameras,

-Camera support with seven-frame burst mode, and SGX540 graphics,

-FM radio to get media contents without using your data plan,

-Equipped with micro SD card slot to easily expands your storage(now a 32GB SD card only cost around $30),

-Intel Wireless Display for playback on TVs or devices.

The chip maker has increased its focus on the emerging market for its smartphone initiative. Intel recently brought in the market its first smartphone in Africa with the help of Safaricom. The phone is named as “Yolo” and is based on Intel’s own smartphone reference design for the Z2420. The Company also entered into a partnership with Acer Incorporated to launch Smartphone for the Asian markets.

Intel Corporation reported revenue of $13.5 billion and earnings per share of $0.48 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2012.

Intel To Shutdown Its Desktop Motherboard Business!

The world’s biggest manufacturer of CPUs has announced that it will be ramping down its secondary business, desktop motherboards, to a complete halt in the next three years. So, essentially, in three years time, there will be fewer Intel-branded motherboards being floated into the market, until the maker eventually pulls the plugs on the machines spitting out these boards.

The last board to slide off the Intel assembly line will the one for their upcoming Haswell chipset, post which Intel will stop shipping boards. The decision comes in light of the fact that Intel’s motherboard business wasn’t one to rake in much profit, so the company has decided to focus on just their CPU business.

The good news here is that Intel will not be reducing its work-force, a normal outcome of any division shut-down. Instead, the plan is to have all the employees be absorbed into various other departments.

If you’re wondering what’s going to happen to motherboards after three years, fret not. Intel will continue developing reference designs for boards for their internal testing and research, and these designs and of course Intel chipsets will make their way to third party manufacturers for making new boards. Overall, this is good news for Intel chipset-based motherboard manufacturers, given that Intel was a strong, if not a fierce competitor in the motherboard segment.

Intel Ivy Bridge now available in budget-friendly silicon

After almost a year of Ivy Bridge implementation in everything from Windows tablets to miniature computers, Intel has finally rolled out its latest architecture to its budget line of silicon. According to CPU World, the chip giant released pricing and concrete specs for three Celeron CPUs, four Pentiums and a new Core i3-3210,all of which are available today. The Celerons all have 2MB of L3 cache, HD graphics and range from 2.3GHz to 2.7GHz. Meanwhile, the Pentiums rank a touch higher with 3MB of L3 cache, HD graphics and processors that clock at 2.5GHz on the low end to 3.2GHz on the high end. Last but certainly not least, the 3.2GHz Core i3 tops the lot with 3MB of L3 cache and HD 2500 graphics.

All the Celeron and Pentium models have two cores and two threads each, but the Core kicks it up to four threads with the help of Hyperthreading. They're allcompatible with existing Socket 1155 motherboards and cost anywhere from $42 for the cheapest Celeron to $117 for the Core i3. Of course with Haswell on the horizon, Ivy Bridge won't be the latest and greatest for much longer, but that shouldn't derail budget-conscious silicon lovers from a good deal. If all of this CPU speak gets your heart thumping, be sure to peek at the source to get a more detailed pricing breakdown of each individual chip.

Intel’s Cable TV Service And Set Top Box Will Soon Roll Out City By City

Intel is preparing to launch its rumored virtual cable TV service and set top box and has a plan to overcome licensing hurdles. Rather than roll out nationwide, the launch will happen on a city-by-city basis so Intel has more flexibility in negotiating licensing with reluctant content providers, according to a video industry source. The Intel box may also eliminate a core frustration with DVRs.

A source in the video distribution industry directly familiar with Intel’s plans and content dealings tells TechCrunch the semiconductor company is dead serious about getting its chips into the living room. After its effort to convince smart TV manufacturers to use its chips in the initial launch of Google TV failed a few years ago, it’s decided to go it alone. The source said that Intel was frustrated with “everyone doing a half-assed Google TV so it’s going to do it themselves and do it right.”

The plan is to create a set-top box and subscription TV service that would appeal to people who want streaming TV access but don’t want to entirely cut the cable cord and lose key content like sports.

The service would pipe in both traditional channels and streaming content such as Redbox’s streaming service.

The Wall Street Journal reported Intel’s intent to create a pay-TV service in March, and Reuters followed up in June that Intel’s box may use facial recognition to power dynamic insertion of ads, improved targeting, and performance measurement. Both noted that the stumbling block to a planned launch by the end of 2012 was an unwillingness on the part of media content providers to unbundle channels or programs and license them to Intel.

The city-by-city rollout addresses this issue, as content providers may be more willing to experiment with licensing in select markets first where they have looser deals with traditional cable providers. The plan also lets Intel work around holdouts in key markets rather than having to delay a launch entirely. Intel licensed Comcast’s Reference Design Kit in October to aid development of its TV services, so it might look to lean on that relationship and operate in Comcast markets.

With the strategy in place, our source says the rollout will begin “soon” but couldn’t be more specific. Perhaps Intel will reveal more details at CES next week.

One feature we heard about could be a real game changer for the digital video recorder experience. Supposedly Intel’s technology could allow people to recall and watch any programming aired in the last month on the channels they subscribe to. That means no worrying about scheduling what to record. You could pull up a new show from last night that friends raved about, a sports game you forgot about, or all the recent reruns of a favorite cartoon.

We aren’t positive this is feasible, but if it is, it could convince people to ditch their current set top box for one with Intel inside and out.