Intel Working on Display Linking Technology

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As a part of Intel's "Carry Small, Live Large" initiative, Intel researchers are working on a technology that will enable multiple mobile devices to work together to create a larger display. In other words, the displayed output will span all of the devices.

While there doesn’t seem to be much information to go on at the moment (just that little snippet on Intel’s press site), we love the idea of everyone putting their iPhones or Storms together to check out a video or photos. Like Intel says, “Imagine you and 3 friends placing your mobile devices together while on the road to review the video of the day's events.” Socializing and holiday snaps aside, this could prove a really useful took for buisness folk on the go for the likes of PowerPoint and slide shows. 

Intel’s “Carry Small, Live Large” initiative is the company’s efforts to envision the mobile future. Basically, Intel sees mobile computing the same way the rest of us do. Small but powerful. We sent Intel’s PR a wee mail to ask more about the multi-display link post it had on the "Innovation@Intel" pages but we’re still waiting for a response. We’ll update this post as soon as we know more. For now, what do you guys think of the idea?

Jane McEntegart
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18 Comments Comment from the forums
  • sojrner
    good for some used, awful for others. Even w/ next to no bezel framing each device you still end up w/ the center of the screen (in intel's example of you and 3 friends) being a bezel-cross. This is usally where the focus is on a movie, raw film footage etc... business presentations (power point etc) have lots of odd details that can be lost behind that same bezel... think about putting your ipods together w/ those thick (proportionally) frames and try to watch anything. lol.

    ...I'm not sold on it yet.
    Reply
  • hobbitcy
    your comment is correct if they are smart though they will program in that the image shows up on each display not behind it
    so the bezel what block any info, no blind spots, would be a bit odd as you would have gaps but at least nothing hidden
    Reply
  • sojrner
    ya, but whether gaps or hidden... I'm not sold yet that it would be any where near as useful as just showing it on a netbook or full notebook. I would still rather carry one of those to show any kind of multimedia.
    Reply
  • The Schnoz
    I'd rather have a wireless standard built in all playback and display devices so that any image on any device (phone, netbook, portable media player, computer, etc) can be paired with and playback on any monitor or projector I come across.
    Reply
  • sojrner
    agreed, that could be useful.
    Reply
  • Marcus Yam
    While the four screens together are kind of neat, what would really make me take notice is if all four devices would be able to combine and distribute computing power -- even across different devices!
    Reply
  • sojrner
    ...and then in that distributed processing power, combine all other functions into a single collective that spans globally. Thus allowing total organic entity enslavement and self-aware superiority over all things, including the very creator of that superiority. Whereby as soon as we are able to say "wow, that's cool" and gain the realization that a reversal of this event is impossible, we would be cursing ourselves for not listening to the inner tin-foil-hat-wearing voice that said "don't..."
    Reply
  • hellwig
    I'm confused as to what technology Intel might be considering for this solution. Is hardware mega-Giant Intel getting into software? Is a company with zero presence (not counting storage) in the mobile market (PDAs, phones, MP3 players) simply prepping for an all-out offensive?

    I know Intel is going to try to push Atom, which will probably mean an all-Intel design (CPU, display adapter, input adapter, storage, sound, etc...). Maybe once the world runs Intel hardware on their phones, this will come to fruition. In the mean time, I wouldn't put much faith in your iPhone working with your friends Blackberry to provide a bigger display area.
    Reply
  • jeanluclariviere
    There is already software out there used link several monitors together (see youtube videos of players spanning WOW over 3 monitors seemlessly), so, as far as the bevel is concerned, I think they will be wise enough to address the issue.
    Reply
  • sojrner
    my point is not whether they address it, but rather that regardless of HOW you address it, it is still there. Whatever the method, to me it is vastly inferior to showing a clip or presentation on a single screen. Also, to address it "properly" you would have to know the bezel size on all the device possibilities (which afaik is not stored on any hardware internally) otherwise nothing matches up or even looks right. Resolutions and screen sizes are a wholly different, but related issue in that rez diffs alone would create scaling issues but could be dealt with, screen size though would be another animal...

    ...basically all I'm saying is that as of this point I'm not sold that it is a viable idea beyond a novelty "hey, look what my cell-phone can do with your zune!" kind of thing.
    Reply