If 
Apple hadn’t paid $3 billion for Beats headphones last May, 50 Cent might never have partnered with Intel.
The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, unveiled a partnership between the chip giant and his SMS Audio at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, introducing the SMS Audio BioSport In-Ear Headphones.
Smart 
devices can only get smarter if the chips powering them get more powerful. And that’s leading to a renewed arms race among microchip manufacturers.
Both Intel and ARM have introduced new processors for integrated devices — from refrigerators to cars — designed to help connected devices generate and transmit data. And both are hoping the technology serves as a building block for a wide variety of applications.
Microsoft 
may have led the charge in gesture and voice recognition in the home with Kinect, but the competition is coming fast.
And given the growth in this market—user interface is expected to top $25 billion by 2016, according to Visiongain—there’s no shortage of interest in what the company may announce at its Microsoft Build event in April, where the company is expected to focus in part on Kinect 2.0 for Windows.
After 
launching a new category of computers called Ultrabooks at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Intel is now focusing on hyping what’s inside.
Company touted a new deal with Comcast that will provide the cabler’s Xfinity TV-based programming to Ultrabooks, all-in-one PCs, smartphones and tablets that use Intel’s chips through live streams and on demand options.
Intel’s Sandy Bridge 
technology is less than a year old, but the next big thing already appears to be on the horizon.
The company showed off prototypes for its “Ivy Bridge” processors this week at its Intel Developer Forum and the early word is encouraging – with faster speeds, lower power consumption and amazing battery life.
Intel’s introduction of its Sandy Bridge 
chip technology in January was a breakthrough for the computer industry. Suddenly, transferring HD video between devices wasn’t an arduous affair and the chip came with security protocols that were enough to impress even jaded studios – who agreed to begin offering HD versions of film online the same day they hit DVD and Blu-ray – a first for the entertainment industry.
To quote Bachman Turner Overdrive, though, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
The Creator’s Project, a creative 
showcase initiative created by processor giant Intel and media company Vice (which is behind Vice Magazine and VBS.tv), is undergoing a dramatic expansion.
The initiative will today announce the launch of a multi-million dollar major studio that will produce multimedia works for leading and emerging talents from the art, film, design and music worlds.
Intel’s Sandy Bridge chip was perhaps 
the most impressive thing at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, but the rollout of the next generations processors has hit a stumbling block.
Intel today announced it had discovered a flaw in a support chip that works with next generation – or so-called Sandy Bridge – processors, and has suspended shipments and will be replacing those that have already shipped with the affected support chip.
Intel is taking a page from Polaroid’s 
playbook: Grab a hot musician, give them an official sounding title and hope the PR blitz surrounding that will result in something good.
With the camera company having already snapped up Lady Gaga, the chip maker went with Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am. His title: Director of Creative Innovation. His duties: No one seems to have any freaking idea.
With more than 2,700 companies displaying 
new products at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, there’s a lot of competition for attention. While many are fighting for a coveted “Best of Show” nod, that label is too often given to products that simply have a “cool” factor but won’t necessarily have a lasting impact.
So as we’ve wandered the floor this year, we’ve kept our eyes open for items that can have a momentous impact on their market segments. Here are a few gadgets we think will move beyond novelty status.
Chris Morris: Journalist 