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iPhone and Windows 7 don't play nice, Intel P55 chipset to blame
The iPhone is one of the most wildly popular phones the world has ever seen, while Windows 7 is well on its way to becoming the globe's most ubiquitous OS. So compatibility between the two would be kinda sorta important, right? Tell that to Intel's quality control team who seem to have somehow missed an issue between Apple's app carrier deluxe and the P55 Express chipset's USB controller. Consistent (and persistent) syncing issues have been reported on Apple's support forums, wherein iTunes on Windows 7 machines recognizes the iPhone, but spits out an "error 0xE8000065" message whenever the user attempts to sync. While some have found limited success with using PCI-based USB cards (and bypassing the chipset), this is clearly a major issue and something Apple would expect to be fixed before shipping its Core i5 / i7 iMacs, which are likely to sport the chipset. Hit the read link for the original thread of sorrow and regret, and do chime in with your own experience in the comments. [Via The Register]
NVIDIA halting chipset development after all
It's been about two months since NVIDIA called rumors that it was leaving the chipset business "groundless," so perhaps it's no big shock that PC Magazine is now reporting that the company is putting its nForce chipset line "on hiatus." On hiatus, that is, until the company gets a few sticky legal questions out of the way, including whether or not its four-year deal with Intel covers Core i7 processors. Thus we have the delicate line that NVIDIA walks with Intel: for the time being, the two companies need each other, but they don't have to like each other, and as the latter continues to pursue graphics integration with the CPU, manufacturers are going to be increasingly pushed towards all-Intel solutions. All this leads us to wonder if NVIDIA might decide chipsets in general are more trouble than they're worth, especially considering Intel's general attitude about them -- and whether ION might be the next on the block.Update: We've just received an email from NVIDIA's Ken Brown that sheds a little light on the matter. It reads, in part: "[B]ecause of Intel's improper claims to customers and the market that we aren't licensed to the new DMI bus and its unfair business tactics, it is effectively impossible for us to market chipsets for future CPUs. So, until we resolve this matter in court next year, we'll postpone further chipset investments for Intel DMI CPUs." Fair enough. Peep it for yourself after the break.
Panasonic including DivX Plus HD (MKV) support into next gen Blu-ray players, TVs
Nearly a year after Panasonic stepped the UniPhier chips at the heart of its Blu-ray players up to DivX HD, comes word that the company is moving on up to DivX Plus HD (read: Up to 1080p h.264 video in an MKV container) next time around. That includes not only its next line of Blu-ray set-top players we're sure to see unveiled at CES, but also digital TVs and in-car players, so between Panasonic and NEC MKV fans should be able to take their videos even more places without the extra step of transcoding in 2010.
NEC chips to include DivX Plus HD support
Expect even higher quality DivX playback from Blu-ray players, HDTVs and other devices, now that NEC has signed a deal to implement DivX Plus HD (aka h.264 in an MKV container with AAC audio) support in its EMMA chipset family. The company has already signed up chipmakers Sigma and Trident, anything rocking the appropriate logo should be able to handle content at resolutions up to 1080p, or older DivX encoded files, so feel free to plug those USB sticks and network cables into home theater equipment anywhere.
New Atom architecture Pine Trail on schedule for this year, says Intel's Eden
The ever-entertaining Mooley Eden, Intel's General Manager of Mobile Platform Group, wants you to know as succinctly as possible that the rumors of Atom evolution Pine Trail's delay have been greatly exaggerated. "Pine Trail is on schedule. You can quote me on that... The three chip solution down to two chip solution [is] coming this year." Now how about a hint as to where we'll first see this chip, eh Eden?
Rockchip plans on slashing Android phone prices with new RK2808 chipset
Rockchip, already a favorite among dirt cheap, feature-laden PMPs, has its sights set on Android and we couldn't be happier. The company sees Android's free nature being the perfect match for the Chinese market, and plans to release its low-cost RK2808 chipset in October to take advantage of that. In addition to Android, Rockchip claims the RK2808 enables additional multimedia capability over what's currently available in Android handsets. No matter how well the RK2808 pans out, it's obvious that the second half of this year will mark a real explosion in Android, and if we could get some $100 or $200 unlocked imports mixed in there somewhere, we certainly wouldn't be complaining.[Via PMP Today]
Apple rumored not to renew contract with NVIDIA for graphics chips
The relationship between Apple and NVIDIA, the manufacturer of the graphics chips in most Macs for quite some time now, appears to be souring at an exponential rate. Electronista reports that negotiations between the two companies to continue their business relationship are not going well, with Apple accusing NVIDIA of being arrogant. According to a source with access to NVIDIA, Apple is on track to cut NVIDIA off as a graphics chip provider for the next 3-4 years.If the two companies cannot reach an agreement, NVIDIA would continue to provide chips for models that currently use NVIDIA, but Apple would be likely to drop NVIDIA chipsets in updates to their product line, particularly in iMacs and MacBooks currently based on Intel's Nehalem architecture. A significant factor in the disagreement is the way NVIDIA handled the graphics failures of MacBook Pros carrying the GeForce 8600M video chipset, which had a tendency to overheat and eventually stop working. Apple had to extend the warranty on MBP models graphics chips sold from June 2007 to October 2008 to three years (the Apple support page on this issue can be found here).The relationship between Intel and NVIDIA hasn't exactly helped, either. Both businesses filed opposing lawsuits over NVIDIA's license to make mainboard chipsets with their own internal memory controllers. If Intel wins, NVIDIA could not make another chipset like its GeForce 9400M model that supports Core i7 processors, and would oust NVIDIA from Macs by exclusion. Neither Apple nor NVIDIA have publicly spoken on the matter so far. Apple does have a history of severing relationships almost without warning, as they dropped ATI (now AMD) from Power Mac G4s after the company revealed Apple's plans ahead of a Macworld keynote address. However, if Apple does indeed drop NVIDIA, they may have to return to AMD in order to maintain their current graphics standard.
Ralink and Celeno team up on HD WiFi home networking wares
We've known for some while that Celeno had a thing for high-def over WiFi, and that favoritism has never been more clear. Today, the outfit is announcing a partnership with Ralink that will hopefully lead to an array of WiFi home networking designs that are optimized for HD video distribution. The first solution will combine the CL1300 and CLR230 802.11n chipsets along with Ralink's RT2880 and RT2850 chips. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if Celeno is announcing any set-top-boxes to contain said solution just yet, but hopefully that's just a few months away. Hey, CEDIA ain't too far off, is it? Full release is after the break.
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LX: NVIDIA calls Intel's single-chip Atom pricing "pretty unfair"
Now that Intel's been slapped with a record $1.45b antitrust fine in Europe, it seems like the claws are coming out -- AMD just put up that "Break Free" site, and today we've got NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang calling Chipzilla's Atom pricing "unfair." It seems that Intel sells the standard Atom chip for $45 on its own, but bundles the diminutive CPU into the oh-so-familiar netbook configuration for just $25, meaning NVIDIA's Ion chipset isn't price-competitive. Of course, this is just another twist in the endless argument about Ion, but despite the denials, this isn't the first time we've heard whispers that Intel pretty much forces manufacturers to buy complete Atom chipsets -- the dearth of Ion-powered netbooks in the market is fairly suspicious considering the GeForce 9400M at the heart of the platform is a well-known quantity. On the other hand, we've also heard this is all going to change and change dramatically at Computex next month, so we'll see -- either way, things are bound to get interesting.[Via TrustedReviews]
AMD releases another notebook roadmap, does not release Fusion chips
Well, well, a new AMD roadmap promising a superior hybrid CPU/GPU chip sometime in the distant future. That doesn't sound like the same old vaporware refrain we've been hearing about Fusion since 2006 at all, does it? Yep, everyone's favorite underdog is back in the paperwork game, and this time we've got a sheaf of pointy-eared details on the company's upcoming notebook plans, all culminating in the "Sabine" platform, which is wholly dependent on Sunnyvale actually shipping a mobile variant of the delayed Fusion APU in 2011 once it finds the Leprechaun City. In the meantime, look forward to a slew of forgettable laptops getting bumped to the "Danube" platform, which supports 45nm quad-core chips, DDR3-1066 memory, and an absolutely shocking 14 USB 2.0 ports. Ugh, seriously -- does anyone else think AMD should suck it up, put out a cheap Atom-class processor paired with a low-end Radeon that can do reasonable HD video output, and actually take it to Intel in booming low-end market instead of goofing around with the expensive, underperforming Neo platform and a fantasy chip it's been promising for three years now? Call us crazy.[Via PC Authority; thanks Geller]
VIA's 1080p-lovin' VX855 chipset emerges in MacBook Air knockoff
We've already seen one legitimate laptop maker botch up its specification sheet within the past 24 hours, so we certainly wouldn't put it past a KIRF-maker to pull a similar trick. At least on paper, Top Crown Technology Limited's simply-titled 3G Notebook includes a 1.3GHz VIA Nano CPU, the newfangled VX885 Media System Processor, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display (1,024 x 576), Chrome9 graphics, a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD, 3-in-1 multicard reader, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3.5G WWAN and a pair of built-in speakers. The only problem is the backwards Apple logo and the absolute assurance that this thing will be just marginally less craptastic than the "world's cheapest laptop." For shame.[Via NetbookNews]
SiS breaks out, develops ATSC HDTV SoC chipset
Silicon Integrated Systems is best known for its southbridge solutions, at least one of which is likely within the PC you're currently using. For whatever reason, the company has decided to try its hand in the HDTV market by announcing its very own ATSC HDTV SoC chipset. The SiS328 chipset is designed to be implanted in LCD TVs in order to bring ATSC tuning capabilities to an otherwise vanilla monitor. The chip features the company's Digital Nature Video Engine (DNVE) technology, a dual-input HDMI 1.3 receiver, 3D comb filter, two USB 2.0 ports, five analog audio stereo inputs and everything else necessary to deliver ATSC tuning to an LCD TV. There's no indication of which TV makers (if any) are taking SiS up on its new offering, but the chip will be available for shipment starting in early Q2.[Via Beyond3D]
Intel takes NVIDIA to court over chipset licensing
Oh, brother. Another Intel / NVIDIA paper fight? As fate would so fittingly have it, these two giants are meeting up yet again, this time in the courtroom. After talks "of over a year" failed to amount to anything, Intel has filed suit against NVIDIA that -- according to Intel -- "seeks to have the court declare that NVIDIA is not licensed to produce chipsets that are compatible with any Intel processor that has integrated memory controller functionality, such as Intel's Nehalem [Core i7] microprocessors and that NVIDIA has breached the agreement with Intel by falsely claiming that it is licensed." Of course, NVIDIA's official stance is that Intel is simply trying "stifle innovation to protect a decaying CPU business." We have all ideas that the whole truth (and nothing but the truth) lies somewhere in between, but we guess that's why we have people called "lawyers" heading to work each day. If you're daring enough to dig deeper, all the links you need are neatly positioned below.[Via HotHardware]Read - Intel's takeRead - NVIDIA's official responseRead - Further Intel comments
Samsung to show off LTE chipset at MWC
We've known Samsung was working on an LTE chipset for quite a while now, but word's come down from on high that we'll get to see it on show at MWC (which is now just days away). There's no word on which handset we're going to see with the new chipset, but we hear that, among other things, Samsung's going to show its GPP LTE Rel-8 standard-based video-on-demand (VOD) and Internet telephony service using the aforementioned LTE chip-adapted phone and data card, plus it's set to unveil its Mobile WiMAX Ubicell, which uses femtocell connections for use at home or in the office. Barcelona, here we come![Via Samsung Central]
Intel slide shows Atom N280 with 945GSE and GN40 chipsets
It may be hard for you monogamists to understand, but in the world of CPUs, it's perfectly acceptable to play friends with multiple chipsets. To that end, the leaked Intel slide above sure explains a lot about what's going on with the newfangled 1.66GHz Atom N280. First spotted in the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE with Intel's older 945GSE chipset, many wondered why the supposed match-made-in-heaven GN40 chipset (and its 720p hardware-based video decoder) was left out. Apparently, it's all part of the plan. Both the N280 + 945GSE and N280 + GN40 are considered "off-roadmap" solutions meant to give companies a subtle differentiating factor until the "real" N270 successor hits the scene. So yeah, that 1000HE you've got on the brain isn't actually a hodgepodge of components, but a real, certifiably okay combination of CPU and chipset -- though it'd be so much more bodacious with that GN40. Confused yet?[Via Fudzilla]
Details on Intel Atom N280 begin to surface, are short on excitement
Sure, the Atom N270 has done great things for humanity during its brief tenure powering pretty much every netbook that comes down the pipes, but it's time for a change, and it looks like the N280 from Intel -- already slated for a couple Eee PCs -- could provide just the sort of marginal boost we're looking for. The single core chip bests the N270's 1.6GHz clock with blazing 1.66GHz speeds, and a 667MHz bus over the original's 533MHz. What could perhaps be much more interesting is the promised Intel GN40 chipset that accompanies the N280, which there's currently very little info on, but hopefully does a little bit towards competing with NVIDIA's ION -- or at least pepping up that game of solitaire we've been working on.[Thanks, Jagslive]Read - N280 shows up on some new Eee PC modelsRead - N280 netbooks to hit the market between 2Q09 and 3Q09
AMD finally launches Phenom II and its Dragon desktop platform
It was a struggle getting it "officially" out the door, and the reviews are already lackluster, but AMD's 45nm, quad-core Phenom II has finally arrived. It's available in two flavors, the 2.8GHz X4 920 and the 3.0GHz X4 940 Black Edition, going for $235 and $275, respectively. AMD's naturally touting the ostensible cost savings of the chips -- they're supposed to split the difference between Intel's Core 2 Quad and Core i7 processor -- but in reality they seems to trail Intel's offerings pretty soundly on the price / performance curve. The accompanying Dragon platform includes a Phenom II proc, 4800-series Radeon HD graphics and a 790-series motherboard, all of which should combine for low power consumption -- up to 40 percent compared to Phenom processors. Where the Phenom II definitely wins is the fact that some AMD folks will be able to drop in the chip to existing motherboards, but otherwise it looks like value hounds and performance junkies aren't being served by this new chip -- at least until unreasonable overclocking activities make all the pain go away.Read - AMD PRRead - PC World reviewRead - HotHardware review
MediaTek and Sunplus to offer Blu-ray Disc chipsets next year
While the average consumer won't care an awful lot about what goes into a Blu-ray Disc chipset, here's something anyone working hard for every dollar they earn can appreciate: more competition. Word on the street has it that both MediaTek and Sunplus Technology, two Taiwan-based consumer IC design houses, are fixing to certify their own Blu-ray Disc chipsets and to ship 'em as early as Q2 2009. The two outfits are expected to compete with Samsung and Broadcom, though there's no word yet on potential customers for their wares.
VIA's Trinity Platform brings much-needed religious imagery to small form factor media acceleration
Not to be outdone by NVIDIA's move to accelerate netbook graphics with its new Ion platform, VIA just debuted its "Trinity" platform, which pairs a VIA Nano chip with a Media System Processor like the VIA VX800 and a discrete S3 Graphics PCI Express GPU. VIA is aiming this lineup at netbooks and mini-PCs, and are planning to power DirectX 10.1, HD video, Blu-ray playback and Windows Vista. Sounds fine and dandy to us, but unfortunately, like with NVIDIA, we're at the mercy of the manufacturers who will actually be stuffing this into their product -- and they've sure seemed gun-shy with Nano so far. Hopefully this can change some of that, Christian Bale is only half as badass at 15 fps QVGA.
Rumor: 'Jasper' Xbox 360 shipping, features 256MB on-board memory
Candid shots of nekkid motherboards? Check. Awkwardly filmed YouTube videos? Check. Rumor post on Joystiq? Very check. Why, someone must have spotted a new Xbox 360 variant in the wild!According to a post at Xbox-Scene, consoles containing the "Jasper" chipset, which promises a cooler 65nm GPU on the motherboard, have begun to arrive in the homes of consumers. Interestingly, it's claimed that Jasper features 256MB of on-board flash storage, no doubt a concession to the NXE's storage demands. It would appear the Xbox 360 Arcade no longer includes a 256MB external memory card. [Update: Nope! It does!]Tell us, commenters. Have you found Jasper?[Via Engadget]
