Compute on your fridge?

Intel is rolling out its portable “Compute Card” – a credit card-sized device that plugs into PCs, laptops, smart screens and other devices – thus putting a PC in your wallet or purse. And Lenovo is among the partners.

Dell and LG also are partners for the Intel project, which was disclosed for an August launch at a tech show early Tuesday in Taiwan. No pricing was announced.

Intel had promised the Compute Card at CES earlier this year.

Compute Card is “basically a small, credit-card sized device that packs in everything you’d need to make a device “smart” — an Intel system-on-a-chip, memory, storage and networking capabilities,” reports tech news site Engadget.

“The idea is that you can just slip it into a host device, like a refrigerator or TV, to give them computing capabilities.”

PC World notes the card could be a significant advance for personal computing.

“The Compute Card architecture allows for easy upgrading, with more powerful cards replacing older models, allowing users to keep their systems fast and up-to-date,” it says. “This isn’t the first time the PC industry has tried to popularize a portable computing unit that can plug into dumb terminals, but it’s the smallest and most compact attempt yet.”

Devices that will support the Compute Card will come from Lenovo as well as a variety of other manufacturers.

“The Intel Compute Card is a modular computing platform with all the elements of a full computer, including Intel SoC, memory, storage and wireless connectivity with flexible I/O options. It is slightly longer than a credit card at 95mm x 55mm x 5mm and can plug into a dock,” Intel says.

  • VIDEO: Watch a video overview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k93hY49855M

PC World reports that the specs are impressive.

“Despite its small size, there’s enough space to fit one of four Intel processors, from a Celeron up to a Core i5. The card also contains 4GB of DDR3 memory, flash storage (from 64GB of eMMC to a 128GB SSD); and WiFi and Bluetooth,” PC World reports.

Intel also is seeking additional partners to support the project.It published a Compute Card Device Design Kit which includes “a set of guides and reference designs that contain the information a device developer will need to create a product that supports an Intel Compute Card.”

Read more at:

Intel Showcases Compute Card Solutions with Partners at Computex 2017