Love your dual core powered machine? Well, then what do you think of a 48-core processor? Intel recently showcased its 48-core processor dubbed as the "Single-chip Cloud Computer." The 48-core experimental Intel processor boasts about 10 to 20 times the processing engines inside today's most popular Intel Core-branded processors. Designed as a research chip, it is the world's first such chip to have some many cores on a single silicon chip.

It also includes a high-speed on-chip network for sharing information along with newly invented power management techniques that allow all 48 cores to operate extremely energy efficiently at as little as 25 watts, or at 125 watts when running at maximum performance (about as much as today's Intel processors and just two standard household light bulbs).

Wondering where would it be used? According to Intel such a chip would be inside a mainstream computer in a near future to provide consumers a "vision."

For example, future laptops with processing capability of this magnitude could have "vision" in the same way a human can see objects and motion as it happens and with high accuracy.

Imagine, for example, someday interacting with a computer for a virtual dance lesson or on-line shopping that uses a future laptop's 3-D camera and display to show you a "mirror" of yourself wearing the clothes you are interested in. Twirl and turn and watch how the fabric drapes and how the color complements your skin tone.

This kind of interaction could eliminate the need of keyboards, remote controls or joysticks for gaming. Some researchers believe computers may even be able to read brain waves, so simply thinking about a command, such as dictating words, would happen without speaking.

Can't wait for such a future!

[Press Release]