Intel Launches Core i7 Processor, Mass Animation and Digital…

The Intel Core i7 launched this week and is getting some great reviews. This processor uses the Intel Nehalem microarchitecture and apparently has many advantages over its predecessors.

I am not a tech blogger, so I will direct you to these reviews (ExtremeTech and HotHardware) so as to not mess with the cosmic forces involved in the geekery of it all.

In speaking with Michael Brito via email earlier, he alerted me to two new social media projects that Intel also set in motion this week:

Mass Animation – a Facebook application that brings together animators from around the world to work collaboratively in the creation of a professional 3-D quality animated film, titled “Live Music”. There is also a Mass Animation Fan Page on Facebook which provides even more current information.

According to Michael, “Basically, the way it works is that animators can choose to download different scenes “or shots” that are categorized as being easy, medium or hard. Then, they have to download Maya software, animate their shots, upload back to the application where the community can vote.

Each week during the animation, which officially launches tomorrow November 17th, Dell will be giving away a new DELL Studio XPS™ desktop computer powered by the Intel® Core™ i7 processor to the animator with the most votes. For the Grand Prize winners, each animator whose shot gets selected by the director to be in the final short will receive an on-screen credit and $500.”

Read the full Press Release.

Digital Drag Race (DDR) – Now this is cool! Pre-selected leading designers are given the same computers, loaded with the same software and race against the clock for the assigned design challenge. The winner is selected by a panel of three judges.

There's a video up that shows a Digital Drag Race taking place and I already have my favorite 🙂

Busy week for Intel. Not sure how they can get all of this accomplished at one time. I'm still trying to work on my simultaneous Tweeting and Walking skills. (Yes, I still haven't learned my lesson.)