Intel's new tech targets shoppers, bikers and babies
Intel's developer conference kicked off this week in San Francisco, with the chipmaker showcasing technology built for everyone from shoppers to bikers. From robot butlers to sensors that keep your kids safe in the car, Intel is trying to put the "personal" back in personal computing.
One of the highlights, the Nabi seat clip, reminds parents not to leave their child unattended in the car. It connects via Bluetooth and if you walk out of range, it sends an alarm notification to your smartphone.
"We kept it pretty simplistic," Marcie Miller, Innovation Product Lead at Intel, told CNET's Lexy Savvides. "There are a handful of sensors in there for ambient temperature, battery life as well, connectivity of the clip. But we wanted it to be really seamless so that it communicates with the smartphone app."
For more free-wheeling techies, Intel's Curie module is a mini computer small enough for BMX bikers to mount on handlebars. It tracks metrics like the height of the jumps, G-forces and landing impact to help riders improve their tricks. RealSense cameras from the chipmaker detect depth and 3D information from a scene.
Intel is also showing off technology that helps turn a mirror into a virtual stylist, letting you change the color of the clothing you're wearing to see what looks best. The Memomi Mirror is rolling out to 16 Nieman Marcus stores around the United States.
Even the humble vending machine is getting a digital makeover. Intel technology gives candy dispensers gesture recognition capabilities, so users can choose a snack with a wave of the hand.
Five thousand of these hands-off machines will be released across the country in 2016.