MANILA, Philippines – Intel announced on Wednesday, January 7 (January 6 US time), that it has a prototype for a new hardware product meant for wearable technology.

Intel’s Curie module, shown off at the company’s keynote address at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, is its first system-on-chip (SoC) for wearable devices. It includes the Intel Quark SE system-on-chip, Bluetooth low-energy radio, sensors, and battery charging.

As part of the effort, the company is also getting into wearable technology, as Intel CEO Brian Krzanich revealed that it has teamed up with a number of  brands including Basis Peak, Fossil, Luxottica, MICA and Opening Ceremony, Oakley, and SMS Audio.

Part of the initiative is Intel’s own “Make it Wearable Challenge,” where the winning invention, Nixie, was also presented at the keynote. Nixie is an autonomous, wearable flying drone camera that attaches to the wrist with its 4 claws and takes pictures of you from the air if you have it fly in a given direction.

Intel and diversity in tech

Krzanich also noted the current state of affairs in technology, particularly in the lack of women and underrepresented minorities in the tech sector.

To combat this, Intel announced the Diversity in Technology initiative, where the company would set hiring and retention goals pertaining to full representation of women and underrepresented minorities by 2020. (READ: Devcon Summit 2014: Where are the women?)

Intel plans to invest $300 million to achieve this goal, as well as to fund programs that support more positive representation in the tech and gaming industries.

Noted Krzanich, “We’re calling on our industry to again make the seemingly impossible possible by making a commitment to real change and clarity in our goals.”

He added, “Without a workforce that more closely mirrors the population, we are missing opportunities, including not understanding and designing for our own customers.” – Rappler.com