broadcom

Faster Wi-Fi tech rumored to be arriving on Macs in 2013

Apple's next round of upgrades to its Mac computers are rumored to include a new, faster version of the ubiquitous 802.11 Wi-Fi spec.

Citing sources, The Next Web says Apple is working with Broadcom to include 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology in its Mac lineup, a move that would increase wireless networking speed when used with 802.11ac routers.

The 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, which Broadcom has called "5G Wi-Fi," supports up to three streams and speeds of up to 1.3Gbps on the 5GHz band. That speed is dropped down to 450Mbps over a three-stream version … Read more

Nvidia still has a lot to prove in the mobile market

Nvidia may be flying high on its tablet wins, but it still has a long way to go before it can call itself a real mobile player.

The Santa Clara, Calif., company, traditionally known for making graphics processing units found in computers and game consoles, has been counting on its Tegra mobile chip to help offset weakness in its core PC market. So far, it hasn't been enough. Nvidia is showing up in many tablets, but its presence in smartphones is minimal. In addition, the bulk of Tegra sales are for a couple of tablets, the Google Nexus 7 … Read more

Broadcom 802.11ac Wi-Fi chips hit CES 2012

Following a CES preview event last month, Broadcom today announced its first family of 802.11ac (also known as 5G Wi-Fi) chips, designed for a broad range of product segments.

The chipmaker says the new IEEE 802.11ac chips are three times faster and up to six times more efficient than equivalent existing 802.11n (known as Wi-Fi) solutions. This makes 5G Wi-Fi a major step up from the existing and popular 802.11a/b/g/n wireless solutions.

According to Broadcom, its 5G Wi-Fi chips will dramatically improve wireless range and data rates, allowing consumers to watch HD video, and transfer large amounts of data to and from more devices, in more places at once.

The fact that the chips make it possible to transmit a much larger amount of data than 802.11n devices in the same amount of time means that 5G Wi-Fi devices can enter low-power mode faster and more frequently, resulting in significant reductions in power consumption.… Read more

Heading to CES, Broadcom talks 802.11ac, brings Ethernet to cars

Your wireless network at home, and possibly in your car, is about to get a huge dose of networking supercharge.

In a pre-CES meeting with the press today, Broadcom, maker of chipsets that power popular networking devices, unveiled its plan for the new Wi-Fi specification, called 802.11ac, and demoed its new development in in-car Ethernet cabling technology.

The 802.11ac specification--an industry wireless networking standard confirmed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) back in January--is the upgrade to the existing 802.11n specification and is considered by Broadcom to be the standard for the "post-PC era" of data connectivity. Broadcom cited a report saying that currently 55 percent of wireless clients are non-PC, which includes game consoles, set-top boxes, and mobile devices.

Unlike 802.11n, which is available in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the new 802.11ac uses only the 5GHz band and incorporates many standardized techniques that help greatly increase both the data rates and wireless range. It's also backward-compatible with 802.11n clients. According to Rahul Patel, vice president of Broadcom's Mobile and Wireless Group, Broadcom's new 802.11ac chips will offer the following benefits.… Read more

Broadcom to acquire NetLogic for $3.7 billion

Another blockbuster acquisition has hit the tech industry.

Semiconductor company Broadcom announced today that it has agreed to acquire NetLogic Microsystems for $50 per share, or about $3.7 billion. The $50 per share represents a nearly 57 percent premium on NetLogic's closing stock price on Friday of $31.91.

NetLogic seems to be a reasonable acquisition for Broadcom, which focuses on chips for networking gear. Both companies compete in the semiconductor market, but NetLogic offers components in areas that Broadcom needs to bolster its own lineup, including knowledge-based processors and multicore embedded processors, the companies said in a … Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 35: Opposable thumbs don't really work for us (podcast)

Android guys Antuan Goodwin and Justin Eckhouse get grossed out by the Playstation phone, are confused at the Facebook phone, and take a look at a two-screened Transformer of a phone. Our latest How To video shows you how to free space for apps on Froyo and we answer your questions about the Motorola Atrix and Xoom on this week's edition of Android Atlas Weekly.

Android might not be the best-selling OS in smartphones http://www.androidapps.com/tech/articles/6674-android-might-not-be-the-best-selling-os-in-smartphones … Read more

iFixit: Apple locks down new MacBook Air

Similar to the past MacBook Air design, Apple's new Air is under lock and key--or five-point Security Torx screws, to be exact. So, users will have to defer to Apple for upgrades, according to iFixit's teardown of the Air.

"The new MacBook Air is an exercise of proprietary engineering. While you can easily access everything once you remove the proprietary screws, you can't really replace any component with an off-the-shelf part," according to iFixit, which dissassembled the 11.6-inch model.

And iFixit offers some advice for prospective buyers: "Unfortunately, like all previous MacBook Airs, … Read more

Broadcom buys 4G chip maker for $316 million

Broadcom announced today that it plans to acquire 4G chip maker Beceem Communications for $316 million in cash as it tries to get a leg up on supplying the next generation of wireless technology to companies making wireless infrastructure products as well as those making cell phones, computers, and other consumer electronics.

Broadcom said that the acquisition would accelerate its "time-to-market in 4G by adding a talented team" of engineers. Broadcom already offers chips that enable several types of network connectivity technology, including 2G/3G cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Ethernet switching. Adding Beceem's 4G technology will … Read more

Teardown reveals Apple TV, iPad likeness

The iPad may not look like an Apple TV unit, but inside there are some striking similarities.

Commentary attached to a teardown of the second-generation Apple TV by iFixit reads a little like a dismantling of an iPad. Similarities are most conspicuously seen in the Apple A4 chip coupled with 256MB of processor RAM--just like in the iPad. And the same Broadcom Wi-Fi chip.

And the flash memory? "Why...it's the same part we found during the iPad teardown!" according to iFixit. Namely, a Samsung 8GB flash chip.

And the 0.6-pound streaming-centric set-top box also uses … Read more

CNET tests Flash 10.1 beta 3 on Netbook with Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator (video)

We've been highly skeptical of the benefits of buying a Netbook with a built-in Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator.

First, we're fans of Nvidia's Ion GPU, which not only provides similar HD video playback assistance but also basic 3D graphics support. Second, the Broadcom part wasn't supported by Adobe's Flash player, making it useless for streaming Web video, which is what we'd imagine a lot of Netbook owners would want to play.

But, as the Nvidia Ion in its current form is not available on Netbooks built around Intel's newer Atom N450 CPU, the Broadcom chip is the only game in town at the moment.

Fortunately, Adobe has finally made Flash 10.1 beta 3 available for download, which, according to the PC makers who offer Netbooks with the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, provides better HD Web video streaming performance.

We took a Netbook with the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, HP's new Mini 210, and ran it through several Web video tests to see if the new Flash player actually provided any benefit. A video overview of our results is embedded (excuse the occasional cameo appearance by my face in the overly reflective glossy screen). … Read more