Intel inserts hack into Celebrity

Cast aside like Monday's mat

By Ashlee Vance in Beijing • Get more from this author

Posted in PCs & Chips, 18th April 2007 09:42 GMT

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IDF The word on the Beijing streets is that Bill Gates will appear Thursday at a downtown hotel to tout something. As of this writing, Microsoft has decided it would be best for us not to attend that event. The same cannot be said for Sun Microsystems, which has spared some time with Chairman Scott McNealy. And we're not sure what’s going on with AMD's CEO Hector Ruiz, who may or may not be in Beijing, depending on whom you speak to.

One CEO not pumping his company's presence in China this week is Intel's Paul Otellini. He skipped the two-day Intel Developer Forum, allowing EVPs and his CTO to do the dirty work. Who needs to show face at some developer conference when you just promised a multi-billion dollar new Fab investment a couple weeks earlier?

Intel put all of the IDF hacks up at the Celebrity Hotel.

The Celebrity

It's a fine home away from home, and we'd recommend to hotel to anyone. The staff are exceptional, and the rooms are well above average. The only problem with The Celebrity comes from the shared internet connection, which appears to be 56 Kbps spread across a couple hundred rooms. I had to bash my computer against the desk 15 times just to get this story on the site.

Thankfully, the hotel makes up for the slow internet with these helpful mats placed in every elevator. Brain still as muddled as the Old Fashioneds from last night? No problem. It's Wednesday. The elevator said so.

Mat on the elevator floor telling you what day it is

Hello, Wednesday

While The Celebrity made us feel like a celebrity, Intel sure didn't. We failed to make the cut for a tour of Intel's Chinese partners that's taking place tomorrow. StorageWorld Luxembourg will be there though, so be sure to give them a read. [God, you complain a lot – Ed.]

So, charming as they are, Intel gets the SARS Girl on a Bike award.

Shot of a girl with a mask biking through Beijing

Intel Wins Again!

And just to rub it in, here's a to scale shot of the next Itanium chip. Someone suggested that we call the photo "Segtanic," but we're not sure which product gets mocked then.