Intel is getting serious about connected devices. Following in the footsteps of Cisco, the chip maker announced this week that it’s launching a new Internet of Things Solutions group that will develop solutions for embedded sensors, phones and everything in between. The division will be led by general manager Doug Davis, who previously served as the head of Intel’s Netbook and Tablet Group and led the Embedded and Communications unit before that. He will report directly to CEO Brian Krzanich.

“Krzanich is saying, ‘I want a higher level of focus on this to help us grow it and put the level of attention on it that it deserves,'” Davis said in an interview. “We’re pulling together a couple of pieces that are already doing well and we want to accelerate those efforts. This creates a primary focus around ‘Internet of Things.’”

Valve is also jumping into the Internet of Things with a Linux-based gaming platform that  will challenge Windows for PC gaming dominance (if everything goes according to plan). Laying the groundwork for the Steam Box’s 2014 debut, the company recently announced that it will ship 300 prototypes to beta testers this year.

To give future customers a little taste of what they can look forward to, Valve also distributed a few of the machines to members of the press. As a result, we already know that the Steam Box measures just over 12 inches wide and is 2.9 inches tall, making it only slightly bulkier than an Xbox 360.

Not wanting to get caught up in the platform wars, Parallels recently introduced a toolset that aims to simplify the management of Mac devices in Windows-dominated environments. The suite includes Parallels Management Suite, Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition, and the newly released Parallels Access app for the iPad.