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Archive for the 'Chips' Category

MicroSD WiFi Card

Posted by Sam Churchill on April 21st, 2008

PhoneNews has the latest status on Spectec’s SDW-823, the world’s first microSD Wi-Fi card.
Spectec originally announced the device for sale last August and initially intended to ship it before 2008. However, Spectec encountered both “marketing strategy and some technical issues” which prevented its launch. Spectec now expects to complete the SDW-823 in May, submit it [...]

Tim Higgins: New Thinking on Draft “N”

Posted by Sam Churchill on April 18th, 2008

Thinking of Upgrading to Draft 11n? Here’s What I’d Do…, suggests Tim Higgins, who is the widely acknowledged authority behind Small Net Builder

The bottom line is that I’m no longer recommending that you go for dual-band dual-radio products if you want to move now to draft 11n. The main reason is that the potential upside [...]

Centrino 2 Preview

Posted by Sam Churchill on April 10th, 2008

The Centrino 2 platform, codenamed Montevina, an upgrade to Intel’s current Centrino platform, is due this June.
But Australian PC maker, Pioneer Computers, has an early preview with its DreamBook Style 9008 Centrino 2 laptop. The laptop features a 45-nanometer Penryn processor and combined Wi-Fi and WiMax capabilities.
Pioneer is offering both capabilities as options with [...]

Go2 Netbook: $400 at Amazon

Posted by Sam Churchill on April 3rd, 2008

Intel says their new Netbook, the 2go PC, will soon be available for sale to the general public through Amazon for $400 and at other outlets like CompUSA and Fred Meyers. The 2go PC will be shipping beginning mid May.

“Only 5 percent of the world’s children today have access to a PC or to the [...]

Intel Introduces 5 Atom Processors

Posted by Sam Churchill on April 2nd, 2008

Intel today introduced five new Atom processors and the Centrino Atom processor for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and embedded computing solutions.
At Intel’s developer event in China (videos), Intel proclaimed the next big thing in consumer gadgets will be the “Internet in your pocket,” reports the NY Times. The company is hoping to capitalize [...]

Intel’s WiFi/WiMax Card: $50

Posted by Sam Churchill on March 19th, 2008

Intel has unveiled the prices for its upcoming Echo Peak WiMAX/Wi-Fi card and Shirley Peak Wi-Fi “n” modules with volume shipments for Montevina-based notebooks, says Digitimes. They are expected to begin shipping from the second and third quarters of this year.

According to Intel data, the Echo Peak wireless module will support both WiMAX and 802.11n [...]

Cheap Computers On The Way

Posted by Sam Churchill on March 12th, 2008

More than 25 low-cost notebooks based on Intel’s upcoming Atom processor are in the works, sporting prices from $250 to $300, said Navin Shenoy, general manager of Intel’s Asia-Pacific operations. Some “netboxes” may cost as little as $US100.
These Atom-based notebooks will be available in the middle of this year. “We’ll see some slightly richer configurations [...]

Altair: Low Power WiMAX

Posted by Sam Churchill on March 12th, 2008

Altair Semiconductor, a fabless chip company, says it has developed the world’s smallest and most power-efficient mobile WiMAX processor.
The Altair ALT2150 implements full Wave-2 physical and Media Access Control (MAC) functionality, and offers substantial performance enhancements beyond this profile says the company.
“The ALT2150 is not just another WiMAX baseband processor — it represents a [...]

CeBIT Announcements

Posted by Sam Churchill on March 5th, 2008

At the giant CeBIT technology show in Hanover, Germany, spans some 26 halls at the Hannover Exhibition Centre this week.

Here are some highlights:

AMD’s new “Puma” mobile platform, destined to compete with Intel’s Centrino, was officially unveiled at CeBIT 2008. It’s based around a revamped processor design, codenamed Griffin and making its debut in the [...]

GainSpan: Low Power WiFi Sensor

Posted by Sam Churchill on March 5th, 2008

GainSpan says it has a found a way of implementing WiFi with much lower power, allowing transmitters to operate for several years on a single battery. The Californian company claims to have overcome the power consumption problems that have so far prevented WiFi from being used to gather data from battery-powered sensors.

The advantages include [...]