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Broadcom promises triple-speed 5G WiFi for mobiles in early 2013
5G WiFi, aka 802.11ac, aka muy rapido. We don't just want it in routers and laptops, we want it everywhere -- which is why Broadcom's firm date of Q1 2013 for its BCM4335 mobile chip is good news. The add-on belongs to a mainstream line of 40nm combo radios that handle WiFi (including regular 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands), Bluetooth 4.0 and FM, which means there's every likelihood it'll appear in numerous smartphones and tablets soon after production starts. Broadcom promises tripled transfer speeds, "dramatically" improved range and "six times greater" power efficiency compared to Wireless N, but then again, so does the competition -- and a company like Qualcomm may be able to deliver it in even fewer nanometers.
Raspberry Pi production ramped up to 4,000 per day, 5MP camera module on its way (video)
If you'd been frustrated thanks to all the Raspberries having been picked, and had even considered the bitter taste of other fruit, there's hope for you yet. The tiny computer's maker has just announced that production is now at 4,000 units per day, and the previous restriction of one purchase per person has been lifted. Good news. In addition to this is the announcement of a new camera board in the works. The 5-megapixel module (as expected, dropping a few notches from the 14MP prototype) is expected to cost around $20-$25, and be available in around three months. So now you can have your fill of the sweet little berries and look forward to your next upgrade too. Now you just need to think of a suitably sweet application for it.
Parrot Zik launching in August for $399, free app included for iOS and Android
Remember those cool-looking Parrot Zik wireless headphones we saw back at CES? Well, now we have a date and a price for you Philippe Starck fans out there. Announced at the Hong Kong launch event earlier today, these NFC-enabled, active noise cancelling Bluetooth cans will be available globally in August, with the US getting a price tag of $399 before tax (and for those who care, you'll be able to nab one in Hong Kong for HK$3,399 or US$440). During our brief ears-on, we certainly enjoyed the Zik's great audio quality, noise isolation and the intuitiveness of its swipe gesture input. While the battery is swappable, note that this expensive package only comes with one cell (accessible under the magnetic cover on the left can) that typically lasts for around five hours, so road warriors will need to chip in about $30 for a spare one. Alternatively, product manager Theodore Sean (whom we had the pleasure to interview at CES) pointed out a unique and handy feature that sort of bypasses this problem: you can still use the Zik as a pair of passive headphones using the included 3.5mm audio cable, but without any battery juice left, you obviously won't be able to enjoy the noise cancellation function (on a plane, for instance) or even make phone calls. %Gallery-159769%
Belkin's new 802.11ac wireless routers feed next-gen networking needs
Broadcom rolled out its new wireless Gigabit 802.11ac chips in January of this year, and since then Buffalo, Netgear and ASUS have all delivered routers packing the speedy new new tech. Well, Belkin's finally joining the party with its new AC1000 and AC1200 dual-band routers sporting 802.11ac/b/g/n wireless and four Gigabit Ethernet ports. Courtesy of the ac chip inside, the $140 AC1000 delivers a max throughput of 665Mbps on the 5GHz band, while the AC1200 ups that speed to 867Mbps and will set you back $160. Once they go on sale at the end of June, you just gotta grab an appropriate ASUS laptop or find a phone packing Marvell's latest WiFi silicon and you'll actually be able to take advantage of that massive throughput -- assuming your broadband connection cooperates, of course.%Gallery-158841%
ASUS G75VW is world's first notebook to sport Broadcom 802.11ac WiFi, we go hands-on (video)
In the back corner of ASUS' brightly lit Computex booth there's a simulated gamer's lair, complete with dim LED lighting, the sound of frequent gun fire and a small handful of nondescript gaming notebooks. The G75VW is one such device, but in addition to the Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GTX 670M and massive 17.3-inch LCD, this otherwise standard portable rig includes one very important distinction: it's the very first of its kind to pack 802.11ac WiFi. Approaching gigabit Ethernet speeds, this 5th-generation WiFi-equipped notebook supports up to 900Mbps of wireless throughput -- though we certainly wouldn't expect to see such speeds smack in the middle of a tech trade show exhibition hall. Instead, the device performed within the 200-400Mbps range, only jumping beyond that upper limit for a second or two during our demo. You can't get 802.11ac without a properly equipped router, so we weren't surprised to see an ASUS RT-AC66U positioned an inch away from the lappy's rear. Computex may be an appropriate venue to launch the first 802.11ac-capable computer, but it's certainly not the best place to demo any flavor of wireless technology, so we look forward to putting the new spec through its paces in a slightly less saturated setting. For now, you can get a closer look at the router and G75VW gaming system in our gallery below, followed by our hands-on video just after the break.%Gallery-157453%
ASUS first out the gate with 802.11ac laptop according to Broadcom
Oddly, ASUS has been mum on this particular Computex announcement, but we're going to take Broadcom at its word for now. According to the wireless chip manufacturer, ASUS's G75VW gaming laptop will have the honor of being the first machine on the market with an 802.11ac radio inside. During a press event, Broadcom's Michael Hurlston dubbed the PC the "World's first 5G Wi-Fi laptop," saying that it would be available "very shortly." Our cohorts over at Engadget Spanish got hands-on with the lappy last month, but found it's spec sheet decidedly lacking in next-gen WiFi brags. The G75VW had Ivy Bridge under the hood, a 1080p display and a GeForce GTX 670M -- but no 802.11ac. Presumably the discrepancy is due to a planned product refresh, and not to an error on Broadcom's part. ASUS also has an 802.11ac router on deck, and Hurlston claims a desktop motherboard is in the works too. For more, check out the watch on your wrist... it's waiting time.
Raspberry Pi impressions: the $35 Linux computer and tinker toy
The ledgers of history are littered with the rotting corpses of well intentioned, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to put computers in the hands of the young, underprivileged or severely impoverished. Some, like Intel's Classmate wanted to put cheap, durable Wintel machines in every American classroom, while others, like the OLPC program, focused their efforts on developing nations. Okay, perhaps it's a bit hyperbolic to compare those initiatives to decomposing bodies, but there's no denying they haven't exactly flooded the world with low-cost PCs the way they were envisioned. So, here comes the Raspberry Pi, another effort with lofty goals, both in terms of purpose and price. Of course, the approach is different here -- more barebones, with a healthy dose of inspiration from Arduino and the DIY movement. The question is, what has it learned from those that have come before it? And, most importantly, where does the Raspberry Pi go right and where does it go wrong? To find out, keep reading after the break.
Raspberry Pi hands-on and Eben Upton interview at Maker Faire (video)
Unless you've been hiding under a rock lately, we're pretty sure you've heard about the Raspberry Pi by now -- a $25 credit-card sized PC that brings ARM/Linux to the Arduino form factor. As a refresher, the system features a 700MHz Broadcom BCM2835 SoC with an ARM11 CPU, a Videocore 4 GPU (which handles HD H.264 video and OpenGL ES 2.0) and 256MB RAM. The board includes an SD card slot, HDMI output, composite video jack, 3.5mm audio socket, micro-USB power connector and GPIO header. Model A ($25) comes with one USB port, while Model B ($35) provides two USB ports and a 100BaseT Ethernet socket. Debian is recommended, but Raspberry Pi can run most ARM-compatible 32-bit OSes. This past weekend at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012 we ran into Eben Upton, Executive Director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and took the opportunity to spend some quality time with a production board and to discuss this incredible PC. We touched upon the origins of the system (inspired by the BBC Micro, one of the ARM founders' projects), Moore's law, the wonders of simple computers and upcoming products / ideas -- including Adafruit's Pi Plate and Raspberry Pi's prototype camera add-on. On the subject of availability, the company expects that "there will be approximately 200,000 units in the field by the end of June". Take a look at our hands-on gallery below and our video interview after the break.%Gallery-155800%
Netgear's R6300 router is first to use Broadcom 802.11ac chipset, will ship next month for $200
That 802.11n router not keeping up with the gigabit pipe to your homestead? Netgear's latest may just give you a much-anticipated boost. The R6300 Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Router is the first to utilize Broadcom's 5G WiFi IEEE 802.11ac chips, making it roughly three times faster than aging 802.11n. This means the R6300 could be an excellent fit for folks lucky enough to take part in Google's Kansas City fiber experiment, assuming of course that they that also adopt yet-to-be-announced 802.11ac-compatible gadgets. For its part, the Netgear base ships with the usual suite of features, including Netgear Genie for configuring the network from a computer or smartphone, MyMedia with DLNA support, AirPrint (there's two USB ports built-in) and pre-configured wireless security, keeping your hotspot off the neighbors' radar right out of the box. The Netgear R6300 will ship next month, letting you future-proof your home for a mere $199.99.
Broadcom extends fiber reach with BroadLight acquisition, intros new location architecture
Here's a question: did Broadcom get a 50 percent discount for acquiring a company that already had "Broad" in the name? Hard to say at this point, but regardless of semantics, the aforesaid company has snapped up BroadLight in a bid to extend its fiber access portfolio. In lay terms, it's hoping to use BroadLight's inroads to roll out next-gen fiber networks across the globe -- perhaps even through the arctic. In semi-related news, Broadcom has also chosen today to reveal a new location architecture, which will reportedly provide "more responsive outdoor and indoor positioning capabilities for smartphone devices." The new system opens the door for even more indoor GPS locks, and it relies on a minty fresh Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chip that "significantly reduces time-to-first-fix (TTFF) for outdoor positioning applications." The full deets on both can be found in the source link, but sadly there's no word on when the fancy new positioning tech will meander into your next handset.
Broadcom: 802.11ac chipsets already in preproduction, preparing router invasion in summer
Broadcom might have unveiled a bevy of 802.11ac chipsets back at CES, however when it came to availability the chipmaker played more than coy as to when they'd sashay their way out of developmental labs and into the hands of actual consumers. Fast-forward to MWC and the chipmaker's isn't nearly as shy, proclaiming its future WiFi solutions were "beyond the sampling phase" and now in preproduction. Also of note, was the estimate that finished products (read: the ones you can buy) containing this tech would go on sale by mid-2012. With competitor, Qualcomm, also previewing its 802.11ac concoction, could this year possibly shape up to golden era of speedy wireless transfers? Bring it on, we say.
Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump
The good news is that Raspberry Pi's highly anticipated teeny-tiny Linux computers are on sale now, just barely making the promised February launch window (good thing it's a leap year). The better news, is that the $25 Model A version has gotten an upgrade from the planned 128Mb of RAM to 256Mb matching the Model B, which still throws in an extra USB port and an Ethernet hookup for $10 more. Unfortunately there is some bad news as well, while the Model A is going into production "immediately", cheapskates will have to hold off a little, as the Model B is the only one on sale right now. Built on a Broadcom BCM2835 700MHz ARM11 processor, they're intended as a cheap computing option that require only a keyboard and RCA or HDMI-connected display to give a full desktop experience including gaming and HD video playback . The team also announced it has secured manufacturing and distribution agreements that should guarantee a steady supply, without the previous limitation of 10,000 at a time batches. Need more technical details? Hit the FAQ page below, or put down a few Hamiltons -- they can be ordered directly from distributors Premier Farnell / Element 14 and RS Components -- and find out how it runs (Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux are currently supported) for yourself.Update: It appears the servers of both retailers are completely crushed by traffic at the moment, and we're told RS will ship in the UK only. Good luck in your struggle with that most difficult of questions: Keep mashing F5, or get some sleep and try again in the morning? Raspberry Pi's Twitter account reports Farrell appears to have already sold out, so keep that in mind. A press release and video demo from the BBC follow after the break.
Broadcom releases new Ice Cream Sandwich-optimized chipsets at MWC
Broadcom's taken the chance to bust out some killer new internals for Android phones here at MWC. The new range of SoCs are optimized for Ice Cream Sandwich, based on single or dual-core 40-nanometer ARM Cortex A9s. The BCM21654G has a 1GHz CPU, integrated HSPA modem and VGA video support, it's likely we'll see this popping up in budget phones. The romantically named BCM28145 and BCM28155 are dual-core chips with HSPA+ modems and can handle 720p and 1080p video respectively. All dual-core chips will come with a "videocore," a third low-power chip to handle video playback without occupying the main CPU and draining power as well as an Image Signal Processor chip that can support cameras up to 42-megapixels (glances across to the Nokia 808). Other options you'll find appearing in the cellphones of tomorrow include hybrid GPS / Glonass units, low-power NFC and active dual-SIM capability. If you're a garage-based cellphone manufacturer and want to grab some of these for your own business, head on past the break for some PR.
Raspberry Pi's Linux computer nears completion, should ship by end of February
Raspberry Pi's commercial future became a little clearer yesterday, with an announcement that the first batch of its Model B Linux computers will be finished by February 20th. The $35 board went into production last month, but has been beset with delays in bringing it to market. In a post on its site, the UK-based manufacturer expressed some regret over the setback, attributing it to a hiccup it encountered while trying to procure specific quartz crystals. Fortunately, though, everything is finally in order, and the computers should begin shipping by the end of the month. In the meantime, particularly hardware savvy users can find out more about the BCM2835 SoC behind the Model B, courtesy of a datasheet that Broadcom released alongside Raspberry Pi's announcement. You can dig through it yourself, at the coverage link below.
Broadcom befriends Sling and Myriad, outs new set-top and streaming chips
Busy days at Broadcom, which has already forgotten about its earlier 5G WiFi announcement and launched a barrage of new chips for set-top boxes and home networking. The line-up supports the latest MoCA 2.0 standard for greater network bandwidth over coax wiring, but even more interesting is what some of the SoCs can do for smart TV and streaming. The BCM7425 dual-tuner HD gateway SoC will support Sling Media's "place-shifting" platform, potentially making it easier for set-top manufacturers to enable TV streaming to mobile devices. A similar deal has been inked with Myriad over its clever Alien Vue software (shown above), allowing Broadcom-equipped boxes to run apps designed for Google TV and HTML 5 without the need for extra dedicated hardware. In short, if your service provider fails to make TV content smarter or easier to access in 2012, they won't be able to blame it on Broadcom. Further details in the PR combo after the break and at the source link.
eFun Nextbook Elite 10 offers Android 4.0, dual-core 1.1GHz CPU
It wasn't too long ago that we saw eFun's Nextbook Premium 9 Gingerbread tablet make its debut, but that isn't keeping the company from cranking out the hits. For CES 2012, eFun is showing off the Ice Cream Sandwich-running Nextbook Elite 10. It offers a 9.7-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution and is powered by a Broadcom dual-core 1.1GHz CPU. We're still sketchy on a lot of the nitty gritty details, but we know it offers a 2MP front-facing cam and utilizes the SlideME app market. No availability date was given, but eFun is aiming to sell the tablet for somewhere between $250 and $280. If it sounds vaguely interesting at all, make sure to keep a close eye on our CES 2012 coverage for more information. Update: We just added the press release below. Adding to the specs we listed earlier, the Elite 10 will have a 5MP rear camera, HDMI support, 8GB of flash memory and a micro-SD expansion slot. Its "street price" is listed at $230.
Broadcom introduces first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chipset, wishes 802.11n well
Good news for people who love fast things: Broadcom is sliding into CES with its first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chips, all based on fifth-generation WiFi technology. For those unaware, 5G WiFi is aimed at handling higher-bandwidth services like HD movie streaming, and the company claims that they're three times faster and up to six times more power efficient than similar 802.11n solutions. Broadcom's family of 5G WiFi solutions includes the BCM4360, BCM4352, BCM43526 and BCM43516, and the whole lot is being sampled now with its most trusted partners. As for consumer availability? Mum's the word at the moment, but you can dig into the nitty-gritty just past the break.
Rambus, Broadcom sign licensing deal, agree to share toys
It never hurts to stop arguing, hug it out and agree on a patent licensing deal. Today, Rambus -- which filed a complaint against Broadcom with the International Trade Commission in 2010 -- signed a licensing deal that resolved those claims. In the statement, Rambus said it will license its patent for integrated circuits used in chips made by Broadcom. The company didn't disclose any financial details related to the deal or which technology would be part of the agreement. However, given that Broadcom's known for its wireless networking chips often found in WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular-capable devices, it seems likely to be in the wireless realm. In other news, Rambus and Broadcom have added each other as Xbox Live friends and gotten to level 36 in Modern Warfare 3 co-op gameplay.
Engadget's Holiday Blues-buster 2011: win a Roku 2 courtesy of Broadcom!
It's the holiday season, so how about tossing a few miracles your direction? We have five absolutely top-notch gadgets that we want to hand out to our readers this week, so we're introducing our Holiday Blues-Buster Giveaway! So here's the deal: we'll be offering a different piece of Grade-A circuitry every day from now until Friday, and you'll be eligible to enter each one (one time per day). We're starting off the week with a bang: Broadcom is on a quest to "connect everything," and will have three items up for grabs. Today's feature is the Roku 2! Just make sure you check out the rules past the break, and leave a comment below. If you don't win today, don't fret -- you'll have four more chances coming. Good luck!
Broadcom's got a WICED game it plays, to make smart devices feel this way
Broadcom wants you to fall in love with its BCM 4319 WICED (Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices) platform -- a weeny 802.11 a/b/g /n WiFI module that can be added to any device that uses a microcontroller. Jimmy one into your fridge, digital camera or aircon and it'll find its own way to the cloud. With instant networking for kit like this, doctors could monitor patients vital signs, your holiday snaps could find their own way online and, most importantly of all, you can make sure the kids aren't fiddling with the darn thermostat again.
