Breaking new ground, Intel has a system-on-a-chip (SoC) project on its 2008 roadmap dubbed Tolapai that by collapsing key system components into a single processor should reduce chip sizes by 45% and power consumption by 20% compared to a standard four-chip design while improving throughput and efficiency.

The shrinkage should let the Intel network processor wiggle into industrial controls and handhelds.

It's supposed to benefit from what Intel is calling its QuickAssist Integrated Accelerator technology, which owes a thing or two to AMD's Torrenza project of reaching outside to third parties to create Opteron-optimizing circuitry.

There's another like-minded Xscale-based CE 2110 media processor designed for set-top boxes, media players and consumer goods that's apparently here already.