Microprocessors

Apple in the process of reinventing the iPod

Paul Mah — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:35:43 -0500

Remember the story we ran about Apple hiring away chip-guru Mark Papermaster from IBM? Well, it appears that he will be taking over as the head of Apple's iPod group, replacing longtime Apple executive Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iPod. Now, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has made it clear that he believes the future of the mobile computer is based on the quality of its software. For that to happen, top-notch hardware will be the order of the day for the next generation of iPods. It is clear that Apple intends to leverage Papermaster's experience in designing cutting-edge, energy-efficient chips. Looking forward, and noting its P.A. Semi acquisition, Apple could manufacture its own custom chips for a lineup that others will be hard-pressed to copy.

To read more on the article:
- check out this article from CNET News.com

Will better graphics hardware result in a revitalized games market for the MacBook?

Paul Mah — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:31:58 -0500

If you have been following the news recently, you would have known that Apple recently dropped its long-standing integrated Intel graphics chip set in favor of a discreet Nvidia GeForce graphics processor. The GeForce 9400M, which is currently proprietary only to Apple, promises to be twice as fast as the old Intels.

Will this move herald the dawn of gaming on Apple's MacBooks? The answer: Probably not. A number of factors cause me to cast doubt, among them is the fact that the PC games market has actually shrunk by over a third, and let's not forget the effects of piracy. Piracy drives PC and Mac publishers toward platforms that are more difficult to steal from, such as gaming consoles. Well, I suppose MacBook-toting graphics professionals can now benefit from the hardware-acceleration for Adobe's Photoshop rendering, at least.

For more information about the story:
- check out the article at TechNewsWorld

QUICKLINKS: Chip ban slows new phone intros; The 700 MHz war

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:01:35 -0400

> Chip ban slows new phone intros. Article

> The 700 MHz war. Article

> Unlimited cell calls. Article

> Technology secures drugs. Article

QUICKLINKS: Attila, the multiple network chip; Many more mobiles

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:01:35 -0400

Five years for iPhone and AT&T article

Attila, the multiple network chip article

Many more mobiles article

AT&T targets iPhone to enterprise article

Wireless gets fast(er)

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:01:37 -0400

Tired of waiting for that large PowerPoint presentation to download? Ready to move communications between buildings on your campus to a wireless network backbone? Researchers at the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO) may have the answer that you've been waiting for. A team from CSIRO has developed a wireless network chip that operates in the 180-220 GHz band to achieve speeds of up to 80 Gbps. The chip, which gets its speed by focusing on the fourth harmonic of the carrier wave, rather than the first, also brings lower manufacturing and operating costs. You can't buy them yet--the team is negotiating with possible manufacturers--but the promise is there for very high speed wireless coming your way.

For the latest on the high-speed wireless technology:
- Read the whole story at Network World

Editor's Corner

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Friends in new places
Control. According to studies (and plenty of anecdotal evidence), it's the thing we want most in our business and private lives. Some of the latest developments we see this week promise more control, but from different directions. From one direction, we have a demonstration of an amazingly small RFID chip that promises the sort of location and control that James Bond could only dream of. From the other direction comes an industrial coating that stops RF energy in its tracks, creating the sort of radio-free zone that previously required a Faraday cage. Taken with the rest of the news, these developments show that we're soon going to be able to tailor wireless applications to meet physical plant requirements in the same way we've tailored structured cable in the past. It makes wireless more secure, more usable, and far more valuable to the enterprise. -Curtis

How small can you go?

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:01:37 -0400

When it comes to RFID tags, smaller may not always be better but it is generally more adaptable when it comes to implementation options. Hitachi may have hit the ultimate in RFID packaging flexibility when they displayed a chip measuring 0.05mm x 0.05mm (think of a dust speck). The new chips, if in production, would allow for RFID tags to be embedded in items as thin as a piece of paper. There's a downside, in the 4mm antenna that's currently required, but Hitachi engineers say they're working on that, too.

For more on the teeny-tiny RFID chip:
- read the article at Mobile Tech Today

QUICKLINKS: Cisco and Apple talking again; IBM comes on-board for WiMAX; Broadcom releases chip with FM, WiFi and Bluetooth

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:01:35 -0500

Cisco and Apple talking again. Article

IBM comes on-board for WiMAX. Article

Broadcom releases chip with FM, WiFi and Bluetooth. Article

QUICKLINKS: The unique approach Boston is taking with muni-WiFi; Intel's CEO: Wireless innovation will foster chip advancement;

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:01:35 -0400

The unique approach Boston is taking with muni-WiFi. Article

Intel's CEO: Wireless innovation will foster chip advancement. Article

Mobile phone sales may hit 1 billion for this year alone. Article

AT&T says market change spurred it into municipal network building. Article

European mobile users get a cartoon service. Article

New VoIP phone aimed at the mobile worker environment. Article

Why it's slow going in pushing applications, services to mobile users. Article

And Finally...Check out Google's new election mashup! Article

Palm's latest Treo hits two milestones

Sun, 14 May 2006 20:01:37 -0400

In releasing its Treo 700p, Palm hits two milestones: The device is the vendor's first Palm OS on a cellular network and the first major upgrade to its Treo product line this year. The device, which connects to evolution data-optimized (EVP-DO) networks, providing download speeds between 400 Kbps and 700 Kbps, features 128MBs of memory and a Bluetooth chip. The chip saves the users and IT departments the burden of having to plop in software that was required in the last rendition of the device. Article