Intel 2013 Ultrabook specifications: Touchscreens, WiDi, Haswell and more

Perceptual computing

In plain English this means facial recognition, speech and gesture control will be included in Ultrabooks - although not all this year.

Like Microsoft, Intel is keen to get rid of the traditional password and replace this with something the user doesn't have to remember - their face. Of course the firm is working on ways to make this secure and the end product is expected to analyse tens of dozens of unique points on any individual's face.

Nuance is the go-to company for speech recognition and we can expect a Siri-like assistant to be pre-loaded onto Ultrabooks to help users navigate the OS and execute commands.

Finally, gesture recognition is also going to be pushed and Ultrabooks will soon allow users to manipulate objects without having to touch the screen or use any peripherals.

Intel launched its Perceptual Computing SDK in December, so getting apps to use this system is likely to take time.

Essentially, gesture recognition will work with cameras that use an RBG lens (720p) and IR technology to translate gestures onto the display.

Although these cameras will first be made available as an optional extra, they are expected to be integrated into Ultrabooks in the future perhaps a couple of generations ahead.