Intel this morning announced it had made about 100 "futuristic" microprocessors containing 48 processor cores.

Each chip has about 1.3 billion transistors and offers "a single-chip cloud computer."

The chips will be distributed to universities and research labs to help test a variety of technologies that can then be used in future IT systems and personal computers such as notebooks.

Intel and Advanced Micro Devices are building microprocessors with multiple cores but their performance is limited because of software applications that are designed for single-core microprocessors.

The chip technologies are running several years ahead of software technologies. In order to take advantage of the performance benefits from multi-core microprocessors, software applications have to be re-written, or re-compiled with parallel computing features.

This requires a large array of software technologies in order to take advantage of multi-core chips. But writing software applications for multi-core chips requires a new generation of developers. Intel hopes that by distributing its experimental microprocessor today, it will help push researchers into developing and testing software technologies for future systems.

Intel says that future systems with 48 core processors could be capable of: vision in the same way humans see motion.

Imagine, for example, someday interacting with a computer for a virtual dance lesson or on-line shopping that uses a future laptop's 3-D camera and display to show you a "mirror" of yourself wearing the clothes you are interested in. Twirl and turn and watch how the fabric drapes and how the color complements your skin tone.

This kind of interaction could eliminate the need of keyboards, remote controls or joysticks for gaming. Some researchers believe computers may even be able to read brain waves, so simply thinking about a command, such as dictating words, would happen without speaking.

The chip was developed by Intel teams working in India, Oregon, and Germany.

Here is a video of Intel chip products made by Connected Social Media: