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Intel Arrandale shortages leading to premium prices, potential product delays
Now this might explain Apple's curious choice to not upgrade the 13-inch MacBook Pro to a Core 2010 CPU. Yahoo! News is reporting shortages of the more budget-minded Core i3 and i5 laptop processors launched by Intel this January, which has led to chip buyers outbidding each other to the point of paying 20 percent premiums on contract prices. That's according to US chip distributor Converge, while research firm CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets estimates that product rollouts could be delayed by up to three months as a result. What has Intel got to say for itself? "We don't comment on speculation, what I can say is that we are pleased with the strong product demand for our laptop platforms." Well sure, you get paid more on a per-CPU basis, why wouldn't you be pleased? On a more serious note, during Intel's latest earnings call both Paul Otellini and CFO Stacy Smith expressed their surprise at the vast demand for their 32nm products, with Smith noting that their production of 32nm chips is the fastest ramping process in the company's history. So there's not really any villainy afoot here, just good old demand catching supply napping.
Sergey Brin: Android and Chrome OS 'will likely converge over time'
When it comes to nerd obsessions, the only thing that can trump a fictional tablet developed by battling left-coast legends is the promise of a revolutionary OS from Google that relies upon nothing but a browser and the dreams of a young Larry Ellison. Don't even start with your Korean product waifs as we're trying to keep the discussion in the realm of possibilities. Now, with the weekend over, you've probably experienced the same sense of ennui we've all felt at having downloaded and tested a copy of Chrome OS. To be fair, that meh-ness is kind of what you'd expect from a browser-based OS that's meant to get out of your way. Still, it's hard not to wonder where Android and its growing application base fits into Google's long-term OS strategy especially after seeing several ARM-based smartbook prototypes running Google's smartphone OS. Fortunately, Google co-founder Sergey Brin shed some light on this topic in a candid statement following the Chrome OS event. According to CNET, Brin said that Android and the Chrome OS "will likely converge over time," noting the common Webkit and Linux foundation of both operating systems. It's unclear when this might occur however. In fact, listening to Google CEO Eric Schmidt attempt to explain the difference between Google's operating systems in a recent CNET interview leaves us wondering if Google has a clear idea of its target markets as smartphone and laptop functionality continues to converge across devices. Schmidt concedes that it's too early to tell how the OSes will be used and prefers not to "prejudge the success" of each. "The future will unfold as it does," he says, and the open-source community will determine the natural fit. Check the interview after the break -- the Android vs. Chrome OS waffling begins at the 16:30 remaining mark of the 19 minute and 11 second interview. [Original image courtesy of Rich Dellinger]
Eos Wireless' Converge system streams audio all over your home
Considering that Eos Wireless is introducing its Converge wireless audio system at Macworld, it follows logic that the press release is geared towards Apple kit. So yeah, there's no question this stuff will stream jams from your iPod, iPhone, Apple TV or Mac to any room in the house, but you should also know that the system plays nice with the anti-Apple (but pro-USB / auxiliary port) crowd as well. It promises a wireless range of 150 feet, and it seems to be available in a variety of "Groups" depending on how complex or simplistic your home setup is. Look for the components to ship in March for as low as $89.95 per piece.
IEEE pushing 802.16m WiMAX to 1Gbps, hopes to converge with 4G
If there's one thing that we'll never be satisfied with, it's finding out just how many nanoseconds we can shave off our download times from year to year, and thankfully, the IEEE seems to get that. While it has certainly taken its sweet time with 802.11n, the task force has already voted to make 100G the next Ethernet speed, and now it's pushing to make WiMAX implementations even quicker. Reportedly announced at 3GSM, the IEEE has began working on a new version of the 802.16 standard, dubbed 802.16m, which "could push data transfer speeds up to 1Gbps while maintaining backwards compatibility with existing WiMAX radios." Potentially more interesting than cheering for speed boosts is the group's outright assurance that this protocol will meet the ITU's requirements for 4G, insinuating that it should be the token choice for further 4G developments. Nevertheless, the increased bandwidth is supposedly needed due to convergence between VoIP and various forms of multimedia (IPTV, streaming video, digital downloads, etc.), and however true that may be, some skeptics are still understandably doubting the whole "backwards compatibility" aspect. Still, the IEEE hopes to have this together by "the end of 2009," but considering the team's less-than-stellar track record in the deadline department, we're not holding our collective breath.[Via DailyWireless]
