Here is Intel’s new Bong-filled hip-hop hold music

I know, I know, my headline is a lot — but it’s true!

Intel, the chipmaker, has turned its iconic five-note Intel Bong sound mark into a piece of music that now greets investors, analysts, and journalists who tune in to the company’s earnings calls. It’s got a drum kit, record scratch, and everything:

“Wait, is that Intel?” asked my wife the moment the conference call hold music began playing over my speakers. Mission accomplished, I presume! Also... it’s kind of catchy?

Intel corp comms director William Moss confirms this is the first time the company’s used the tune.

In case you’re more interested in Intel’s future than its muzak, its Q3 2023 earnings call suggested it’s doing well! While sales aren’t exactly growing and the PC sales slump isn’t over just yet, the company made a second consecutive quarterly profit, in this case $310 million, and reported better results from nearly every business compared to last quarter.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger says his customers already completed their inventory burn in the first half of the year (so perhaps the killer deals we’ve been seeing on PCs and components will subside?), and he spent a lot of time heralding an “AI PC” revolution. The word “AI” was uttered over 60 times on today’s call.

That’s far more often than Intel’s previous favorite phrase, “five nodes in four years,” though the latter got plenty of airtime as well. (Intel says the plan is still on track, with three customers lined up for Intel 18A as of now.)