Authentication occurs at the device level; then the device validates that the user is who he represents himself to be. No passwords are used in the process. This makes authentication faster, easier, more reliable, far more secure-and wireless.

Intel is also in the midst of an aggressive effort to . While this wireless charging effort isn't as far along-it's due in 2014-combined with Intel's other work it promises a future where you don't have to carry cables, remember passwords, worry about someone stealing your digital stuff or think about battery life. In such a world, your devices know who you are; access is automatic, instant, and secure, and the only thing you worry about is getting the job done. Simply put, the technology just works.

This will force us to rethink the fundamental designs of these devices. If you don't have to physically connect a device to anything, then it could anything built into a case, an article of clothing or any other object you might carry but never actually put on a desk. This path suggests that the PCs of the future may not be seen or heard but will still be wherever you are. In fact, they may look more like the bunny ears that Rattner wore on stage than any of us are willing to admit now.