Just a few weeks after Microsoft unveiled the Origami project, chip design company Transmeta accidentally revealed information about another top-secret project from the software giant.
Specifically, Transmeta signed a series of agreements with Microsoft back in May of last year, under which 30 of its engineers would collaborate with the software giant on a “proprietary project” that the public was completely unaware of.
This information was mentioned in the annual report that Transmeta submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice last week, and for some unknown reason, it fell into the hands of the press.
According to Transmeta, the work was “almost complete,” and at the time of the report submission, Transmeta was in the process of negotiating an extension of its collaboration contract from 2006.
Not Origami?
According to a hot news report this morning from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, this “project” is entirely unrelated to the ultra-mobile computer named Origami, which Microsoft just announced at the recent CeBIT exhibition.
In fact, Transmeta had hinted at its cooperation with Microsoft since last year. However, the initial information about Origami was so strong that it led people to believe that Transmeta’s project was indeed Origami.
But with Asus and Samsung introducing devices powered by the Intel Celeron M 900 MHz chip, and PaceBlade from Japan announcing Origami using the ULV C7-M processor from Via Technologies, it became clear that this was already sufficient for a hardware project. What Transmeta is developing must be a different device. The biggest question: What is it?
Sparse Information
According to the Post-Intelligencer, last month, Transmeta’s CEO mentioned to analysts that they were providing Efficeon—a power-saving chip line for Microsoft. However, Microsoft does not seem ready to announce the project yet.
Transmeta’s main business is licensing chip technology to hardware manufacturers, including LongRun technology, which helps reduce the power consumption of chips. This technology is particularly suitable for mobile devices, where battery life is a top concern.
Typically, Microsoft does not manufacture hardware itself—even its famous Xbox 360 gaming device is assembled by partners. However, the company often develops hardware design prototypes for partners to build.
Immediately following Seattle, the San Jose Mercury News reported that the device Microsoft is “incubating” is a handheld gaming console that can play MP3 music and watch movies. This is seen as a secret weapon for Microsoft to challenge competitors like Sony and Apple Computers.
The report cites an anonymous source stating that Microsoft’s new device will not hit the market for at least another 1 or 2 years. It will directly compete with Sony’s PlayStation Portable (a device that plays games, watches movies, and listens to music) and Apple’s iPod. Leading this project is Vice President J. Allard, alongside many senior officials who were previously involved in the Xbox project.
The truth remains unknown, but it’s certain that the global press will have an exciting week investigating this juicy secret.
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