Intel CES 2017 press conference | CNET
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Intel CES 2017 press conference

On Wednesday, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich will host a press conference all about virtual and so-called "merged" reality.

  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:37:04 AM
    "We want to take this technology you experienced and apply it to different sports around the world," --Krzanich
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:37:38 AM
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:38:15 AM
    We're now discussing gaming. (Getting through a lot of topics here in 40 minutes.)
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:38:35 AM
    OK, gaming. This is the first answer for "what's the biggest thing in VR?" But Intel wants to go a step further, making it possible for you to interact with the virtual and real worlds.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:38:37 AM
    Krzanich is discussing "merged reality." "We believe this is a game-
    changer."
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:39:08 AM
    Merged reality uses Intel's RealSense cameras and Project Alloy headset to provide a cordless, immersive VR experience.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:39:27 AM
    Project Alloy was first shown off at Intel's developer conference last year.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:39:59 AM
    Showing off Project Alloy: "You need no other setup. You simply put this on, turn it on, and you're ready to go." --Krzanich
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:40:42 AM
    The stage opened up to a living room setup.
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:40:59 AM
    I got to try a Project Alloy prototype (admittedly a fairly early one) late last year. It was pretty good at letting me see a bit of the real world around me, but pretty terrible as a VR headset. Not so immersive.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:41:21 AM
    There's small print at the bottom of the screen as we're watching. "This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained."
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:41:21 AM
    There are two guys inside the living room getting ready for...something.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:41:31 AM
    Radar, armor bunkers, plasma power supplies.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:42:20 AM
    The screen shows a gaming environment with the two players able to hide behind the couch, which is now a bunker. The room is part of the gaming experience. Players can see each other.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:43:26 AM
    Intel has said it plans to start offering Project Alloy technology to its manufacturing partner in the second half of this year, so this tech shouldn't hit the market anytime soon.
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:43:34 AM
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:43:39 AM
    With today's VR headsets, you need to move your furniture out of the way or else you'll trip over things you can't see. With sensors like the ones Intel's pushing in Project Alloy, maybe your furniture could automatically be scanned and appear as objects in the game world.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:43:55 AM
    And Krzanich just said intel will "productize" Project Alloy with its manufacturing partners by the fourth quarter of this year.
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:44:07 AM
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:44:17 AM
    What the heck does "productize" mean?
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:44:32 AM
    That means maybe companies (other than Intel) will make these products and eventually sell them to you.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:44:40 AM
    Yeah, that's a new one!
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:44:41 AM
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:44:50 AM
    Don't expect it to be on store shelves. But it's leaving the R&D lab.
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:44:56 AM
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:45:12 AM
    But, I'm not sure it means Project Alloy-powered headsets will be for sale by the end of this year.
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:45:27 AM
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:45:27 AM
    Yep, what Ian just said.
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:46:16 AM
    Want to see what's inside Project Alloy? We've got a cool slideshow complete with animated exploding GIF. 

    Inside Project Alloy, Intel's wireless VR headset - Page 3

    CNETWhat's inside? A sixth-gen Intel Core processor, screens, lenses and a whole lot of sensors. - Page 3
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:46:19 AM
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:47:01 AM
    OK, we're gonna see a gory zombie game. "People have gotten a little queasy at it." Hence the barf bags.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:47:05 AM
    Off we go!
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:47:45 AM
    Can't deal. Freaking out already!
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:47:56 AM
    It's called Arizona Sunshine. I've played it, and it's pretty immersive... definitely need a Vive or an Oculus with three sensors (so you can stand up, walk around, turn 360 degrees) to really enjoy it, though.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:48:20 AM
    Basically, a bunch of zombies coming at me...not good not good not good.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:48:48 AM
    As expected, a zombie gets you at the end.
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:48:59 AM
    Except, uh, in the actual game you have guns and you shoot at the zombies. Intel's just letting the zombies eat people?
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:49:22 AM
    Good news: Pretty sure no one has needed a barf bag here yet!
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:49:28 AM
    Sean, it's a trailer. We just see zombies walking around with eerie music.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:49:29 AM
    2017 is off to an amazing start.
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:49:51 AM
    laaaame
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:50:16 AM
    We're going back to the basketball game. Geez, I hope I get some frequent flier miles for this...here all day, folks.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:50:40 AM
    What's interesting is that after years of becoming photorealistic, the zombies look kinda pixelated. The games suddenly look like they did more than a decade ago. I get it, computing is hard. But think like a normal consumer: They walk around Best Buy, see Uncharted 4 and how beautiful it is, and then they try on a VR headset with a comparably blocky character. What do they say?
  • Sean Hollister 1/5/2017 12:50:59 AM
    It's a great point, Ian. And I can tell you that, lucky guy that I am with a house full of VR headsets... I'd usually rather sit down with a regular game with a big budget, a story, and crisp graphics. There's no money for those polished games in VR yet.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:51:21 AM
    We are courtside, watching the live feed of the game. "This gives you a first touch of where this is headed with sports."
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:51:32 AM
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:51:41 AM
    KRZANICH JUST SAID THEY ARE WORKING ON A T-SHIRT CANNON TECH.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:52:01 AM
    AN UBER DRIVER WILL DELIVER A T-SHIRT TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU "CATCH" THE T-SHIRT AT THE GAME.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:52:13 AM
    He was NOT JOKING!
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:52:20 AM
    Dude, can this get any more Silicon Valley?
  • James Martin 1/5/2017 12:52:24 AM
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:52:37 AM
    It's so crazy I kinda love it.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:53:07 AM
    Folks can play the zombie game after the show. Looks like we're wrapping up here.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:53:52 AM
    That was a wrap, everyone. 53 minutes, a bunch of demos in different places. Definitely a different kind of press conference.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 12:54:09 AM
    Get ready for that T-shirt cannon, people.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:54:11 AM
    That's it for the presser. They close with Cake by the Ocean by DNCE
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:55:04 AM
    Ben just said this was a piece of CAKE. Get it? Hahahaha. Cake. Oh, Ben. You crack me up.
  • Ian Sherr 1/5/2017 12:57:20 AM
    Ok y'all, thanks for reading along. I wish you many happy days with a Cake by the Ocean in your new VR real-sense mixed reality 4K multitouch haptic feedback devices.
  • Ben Fox Rubin 1/5/2017 1:00:05 AM
    Thanks for joining us, everyone. We're outta here.
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