英特尔牵手说唱巨星共谋霸业

    Will.i.am还对英特尔公司表示，他在舞台上不想再用麦克风了。他想要的是“麦可风”（macrophone）。这是一种智能手机式的扩音设备，可以在联网状态下进行扩音和录音，可以让他录下每场音乐会，保留他最喜欢的片段，还可以让他遍布全球的乐迷大声播放、重新合成并更广泛地传播这些片段。英特尔认为这个主意听起来极其之酷，为此已专门组织了一些技术专家进行概念验证。

    归根结底，英特尔之所以签下will.i.am，是因为在目前增长迅猛的移动通信市场上，它希望Will的未来主义的名人范儿能助其一臂之力，在竞争中增加胜算。当前，英特尔在这个市场上正与各路劲敌狭路相逢，比如高通公司（Qualcomm）、ARM公司等各家移动设备芯片制造商。为了能在这场较量中胜出，英特尔需要构建一个囊括了硬件和软件的生态系统，这个系统能覆盖从个人电脑（PC）、平板电脑到智能手机的所有设备。哈桑•麦耶曾任英特尔投资公司（Intel Capital）的高管，现在，他经营一家流媒体音乐初创公司UrFilez。他的观点是：“现在的格局是，像苹果这样的平行型公司正开始赢得市场，而英特尔还是一家垂直型的公司。不过，如果消费者相信英特尔能提供最完整的用户体验，它就能重操胜券。”

    译者：清远

    Will.i.am also told Intel that he'd like to stop using a microphone on stage. Instead he wants a "macrophone", a smartphone that would act as a networked amplification and recording device, allowing him to record each concert, isolate his favorite moments and blast them out for consumption, remixing and further distribution by his global fanbase. Intel thought that sounded pretty cool and has assigned a couple of technologists to work on a proof-of-concept.

    At the end of the day, Intel clearly hopes that will.i.am's futuristic celebrity vibe will aid their efforts to compete in the burgeoning mobile communications market, where the company faces stiff competition from Qualcomm (QCOM), ARM and other mobile chipmakers. To do that, the company needs to create a hardware/software ecosystem that spans all devices, from PCs to tablets to phones. "Intel is still a vertical company in a world where horizontal companies like Apple are starting to win," says Hassan Miah, a former Intel Capital executive who now heads the mobile streaming music startup UrFilez. "If consumers believe that Intel offers the most complete user experience, Intel wins."