Confirmed: Zii StemCell Computing Is Media-Savvy System on a Chip

The smoke surrounding Creative's rumored offshoot, ZiiLabs, cleared today at CES, where it was revealed to be a media-application processor developer with a very slick system-on-a-chip, less consumer product than building block for many.

Yeah, I know, you see "StemCell Computing" and you kinda want something goopy and weird that could perhaps, when given enough density, clone a Shakey's pizza shop. But the folks at Creative—including the chairman, my old buddy Sim Wong Hoo—are pretty stoked about this little system on a chip, the ZiiLABS ZMS-05 SoC, which comes out of the acquisition of the company formerly known as 3DLabs.

I suspect this is the last time the mainstream gadget media will hear about Zii directly until there are Zii-powered electronics bopping around, but that might not take long, as the following press release promises a "complete, powerful and energy efficient platform with a very rapid time-to-market."

Dreaming big, they even say that the technology allows "virtually unlimited chaining" to form "a state-of-the- art ‘hypercomputer’ with many petaflops of processing power...100 times smaller, 100 times greener and 100 times lower cost than conventional super computers." Sounds pretty good, in a crazy future's-so-bright sort of way. Good on you, Creative and ZiiLabs—now let's see some dang ZiiToys!!!

Creative Launches the Zii Platform and Ushers in the Era of StemCell Computing
Creative Forms ZiiLABS and Ushers in the Era of StemCell Computing Where Nano-Sized Super Computing Will Be Available in Our Daily Lives through Flexible, Tiny, Powerful and Scalable SoC

CES, Las Vegas, NV - Jan. 8, 2009 — Creative Technology Ltd. today announced the formation of ZiiLABS™ (a wholly owned subsidiary of Creative), with the combination of 3DLABS — which has a 25-year history as a leading innovator in programmable graphics, media and applications processing — and resources drawn from the largest product group in Creative, the Personal Digital Entertainment group.

The formation of ZiiLABS, the launch of the new ZiiLABS ZMS-05 SoC (System-On-Chip) and the new Zii™ Platform today usher in the new era of StemCell Computing™. The new ZiiLABS ZMS-05 SoC (System-On-Chip) will be unveiled and demonstrated from January 8-11 at the Consumer Electronics Show, South Hall booth #30651.

“We have invested a billion dollars and 10,000 man years of R&D effort over the last 25 years in platform solutions,” said Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative Technology Ltd. “The combination of the technology from 3DLABS and the product development prowess of our Personal Digital Entertainment group delivers a complete, powerful and energy efficient platform with a very rapid time-to-market for our partners – the Zii Platform.”

“We now look to shaping the future of computing with the introduction of the integrated ZMS-05 media-rich processor, and ushering in the new era of StemCell Computing where we will bring the incredible benefits of nano-sized super computing right into our daily lives,” said Hock Leow, president of ZiiLABS.”

This StemCell approach has benefits in terms of:
· Flexibility — Utilizing a breakthrough technology comprising of programmable Processing Elements (PEs) which are basically Software Defined Silicon
· Scalability — 10Gigaflops to Petaflops (1015 floating point operation per second)
· Energy Efficiency — Huge processing power of the ZMS-05 SoC enables it to perform more in less time, equating to low power consumption
· Complete Solution — Ready-for-Market Zii Platform Solutions (full Story)