Intel gets into cars. Again.
MAKER OF CHIPS, Intel, is touting its mighty Atom CPUs as the future of in-car computing.
Using a new version of Wind River's embedded Linux, Chipzilla says it plans to get more technology into people's cars, but faces the reluctance of manufacturers to use open sauce software in applications whose failure could result in death, destruction and, worst of all, class-action lawsuits.
There is also a well-established base of companies specialising in automotive systems, such as ST Micro and Freescale, that will take some shifting.
Wind River's Linux Platform for Infotainment does stuff like speech recognition, speech to text, Bluetooth and music library management. It also links to MP3 players and interfaces with Car Area Networks.
The company says it is talking to a number of automotive companies including BMW, Bosch and Magneti Marelli.
Research outfit Isuppli reckons that OEM and aftermarket revenues for automotive infotainment systems will reach $39.8 billion this year, up almost eight per cent from 2007.
Intel has predicted that its technology was about to make major inroads into the automotive market every year for the last decade. It is a rare Intel Developer Forum which does not contain at least one super, super exciting presentation about in-car computing and how it's about to take off.
Could it be a case of eleventh time lucky, perhaps? µ
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Intel has demonstrated time and again how clueless they are about the automotive market. It isn't really all that complex - low profit margins on a per item basis, the money is made in high volumes. Quite different from the PC world and the high margin processors / chipsets / etc. 

Nobody in the automotive industry (who is going to build hardware) really takes them seriously, not when you have Renesas SH4 and Freescale MPC5200 (among others) that have been there and done that.

Good luck, Intel. Call me when you actually execute and deliver something competitive.

Jim
Wind River is Good Name for Vechile Product, My DOG Loved Wind flow OutSide Auto Window.

Head Winds is Name from Univac Ashtray maker, when just opening door brought oder of sweating bodies labouring in 107F heat training ENIAC, 
Hoping next change won't Break Whole Gizzmo, Right Then. It was Desert before Proper Air, Yeah They Kept Steam On Too.Makes Me Feel Faint.Also Power was sort of Wind flowing thru Mechanism.

Here question is: What Happened to Test 1 thru 10. Maybe State Police should request Explosive Device put within Atom, Just To Save Time Putting Victim OUT of its Misery.

In Small Race Cars, Experimental Computers Have Shown that Little Buggies can really WhipperSnap?about Safely, yet does this project even Know of Other? Maybe atom is add on accessorie for Kids, As Auto Computers as very Thick in Rubberized Bakelite & Shock Control. Still its too bad its NOT ALL Direct Mechanical Connection In Auto .?SoS
Think:

Back ground auto noise, "Watch Out, They Gonna get you, KaBam, Just Missed Em". My God, Am I In Automobile?(&How To Escape:ALIVE).
drashek
¨...but faces the reluctance of manufacturers to use open sauce software in applications whose failure could result in death, destruction and, worst of all, class-action lawsuits.¨

[sarcasm]
Yes, because everyone knows how successful Apple and Microsoft have been with the security by obfuscation method.
[/sarcasm]