Intel's CEO Brian Krzanich took to social news site Reddit to participate in a popular Ask Me Anything (AMA) session.
We learnt some interesting things about the man in charge of the world's biggest chipmaker, including his love for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, affinity for using ellipses when typing and his preference for brown socks.
Here are some more highlights from the AMA session:
Q: What is your response to recent suspicions and accusations circulating in the security community that your company's processors can no longer be trusted, asserting that your chip-based crypto/random number generators is/are insecure, and even suggesting that "backdoors" have been integrated into your chips?
BK: (No response)
The lack of response to this question didn't go unnoticed by the Reddit community, with many claiming this was the most important question Krzanich should have addressed.
Q: Best part of being Intel's CEO
BK: "Totally has to be all of the great technology and gear I get to try out... I am a firm believer in "eating your own dog food"... That you have to try the technology and use it and experience to know what works.."
Q: What computer do you use?
BK: "I am currently using a Lenovo Helix.. I have been using it for a while.. I am about to switch though."
Q: Do you own a badass gaming PC with a crazy processor that isn't on the open market?
BK: "No.. I used to have time to do that.. I used to build my own PCs.. and actually had one of the first water cooled overclocked PCs around. I ran it at over 4GHz and this was back in 2001... But alas I do not have the time for that fun anymore."
Q: Why did Intel miss out on the mobile market?
BK: "We wanted the world of computing to stop at PCs...and the world.. as it never does... didn't stop innovating.. The new CEO of Microsoft Satya said it well the other day... Our industry does not respect tradition, it respects innovation.... I think he was 100 per cent right.. and it's why we missed the mobile move.."
Q: Is Moore's Law dead?
BK: "In my 30 years I think I have seen the forecasted end of Moore's law at least five or six times... So I tend to be a sceptic when people say it will end.. At any one point we can typically see about 10 years out.. With pretty good clarity in the three to five years and much less clarity [in] five to 10 years.. but so far in that 10 year horizon.. We don't see anything that says it will end in that time frame.."
Q: How does the development of Graphene change the game for Intel?
BK: "Graphene, carbon nano tubes.. and other 3-5 materials will become very important to semiconductors over the next few years... they will allow us to lower leakage and power while reducing geometries.."
Q: What's Intel's relationship like with Apple?
BK: "We've always had a very close relationship with Apple and it continues to grow closer.. Sure it's grown close over the years especially since they started to use our technology in their systems.. We're always trying to build the relationship with all of our customers to be closer.. The former CEO Paul Otellini used to say.. "We win when our customers win".. It's always stuck with me."
Q: Thoughts on 3D printing?
BK: "I think 3D printing will change much of the business and innovation world over the next few years.. I don't even think we've scratched the surface on how 3D printing will change the way things get made. New materials and capabilities will continue to be developed and be able to be 3D printed. And as that occurs more and more uses will be identified and whole industries will be changed.."
Q: What wearable technology do you wear?
BK: "Changes.. Currently I am using a couple.. One that is an internal Intel one I can't tell you about yet :-) The other is a wrist watch that tracks your biometrics like heart rate , pace steps... It's interesting.. I change regularly so I can understand the experience and what would make me want the device to be a part of my life.."
The answer briefly excited users as some thought the CEO actually meant the technology was inside his body - but he quickly clarified that "internal" simply mean the product was made by Intel.
