Intel unveils software-tuning tools

Intel on Tuesday released its Integrated Performance Primitives 4.0 and Threading Tools 2.0 software kits to developers. The Performance Primitives package features a common library of application programming interfaces (APIs) designed to make it easier for developers to write an application for one class of Intel chips, such as the Pentium desktop chips, and then port it to another family, such as the Xscale handheld chips. The threading tools, meanwhile, allow developers to better exploit hyperthreading, a technology in Intel server and desktop chips that lets them do more than one task at a time.