semi

Apple plots course for middle of mobile

Is the world finally ready for the mobile minitablet?

It's become quite clear over the last several months that Apple is ready to bridge the mobile computing gap, with plans to develop a device that fits somewhere in between the iPhone and the MacBook. A recent Wall Street Journal article proclaimed that during his medical leave, CEO Steve Jobs has been working on that midsized mobile device, bigger than an iPhone but smaller than a MacBook.

And just this week, BusinessWeek reported that Apple is developing a "media pad" that would let users watch videos on a … Read more

Apple branching out in 2009?

Familiar Apple rumors are making the rounds again this week as Macworld looms in the distance, one month away.

Trip Chowdhry of Global Equities Research put out a research note Monday morning spotted by D: All Things Digital saying that Apple plans to release something from "a completely new device category" next year. He fails to explain exactly what such a product might encompass, but speculates that it will be based around a processor designed by the former P.A. Semi engineering team.

As a result, the usual rumors (Mac tablet, iPhone Nano, iKindle) are under discussion within … Read more

Apple gambling on Papermaster's leadership skills

Apple knew full well that Mark Papermaster would have to learn his new role as iPod and iPhone chief "on the job" when it hired him.

Papermaster's former employer, IBM, filed a lawsuit against him last week, claiming that he broke the terms of a noncompete contract with IBM in accepting a high-profile job with Apple. InformationWeek spotted Papermaster's formal response Friday morning, in which he declares that the two companies are not competitors and that his experience at IBM is not the primary reason why Apple sought his services.

The court filings reveal the interesting … Read more

Chip gear industry's funk is a red flag

The chip equipment business is "on hold," said an analyst at a major industry association, and that bodes ill for the electronics industry in 2009.

Chip equipment makers signal how the electronics industry will fare in the future. They take orders from chipmakers which, in turn, take orders from electronic gadget makers.

Lara Chamness, a senior market analyst in industry research and statistics at Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, talked about prospects for the industry in an interview. SEMI is an industry watchdog that covers the manufacturing supply chains for the microelectronic, display, and photovoltaic industries.

"We … Read more

Apple engineers working on ARM-based CPUs for iPhone

The magic of social networking has confirmed that Apple plans to make its own ARM-based processors for future versions of the iPhone.

The New York Times spotted the LinkedIn profile of Wei-han Lien, Apple's senior manager of CPU development, over the weekend. Lien's job description, according to his profile, involves managing the ARM CPU design team for Apple, an extension of his previous work at P.A. Semi.

It's been pretty clear for a while that Apple bought P.A. Semi earlier this year to work on developing its own chips for the iPhone, but as the … Read more

Apple seen as likely new ARM licensee

A new architectural licensee revealed by mobile-chip designer ARM might just be an old friend.

ARM Chief Executive Warren East revealed on an earnings conference call on Wednesday that "a leading handset OEM," or original equipment manufacturer, has signed an architectural license with the company, forming ARM's most far-reaching license for its processor cores.

East declined to elaborate on ARM's new partner, but EETimes' Peter Clarke could think of only one smartphone maker who would be that interested in shaping and controlling the direction of the silicon inside its phones: Apple.

And at first blush, the … Read more

Apple's Jobs: PA Semi to design iPhone chips

Apple may have taken a look at the future of mobile chip development and decided to forge its own path.

The New York Times scored an interview with Apple CEO Steve Jobs following Monday's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, and buried inside a rambling exchange about parallel processing and Mac OS X Snow Leopard was this little nugget about PA Semi, the chip company Apple acquired in April. "PA Semi is going to do system-on-chips for iPhones and iPods," Jobs told the Times.

System-on-chips, or SOCs, are pretty much what they sound like: complete computer systems on a … Read more

With EliteBook laptop, HP gets tough

As part of its massive product announcement on Tuesday, HP is introducing the semirugged EliteBook 6930p, a 14.1-inch laptop that's built to MIL-STD-810F specifications for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude, and temperature. That means the EliteBook's brushed anodized aluminum casing and magnesium-alloy chassis can withstand temperatures ranging from -20° F up to 140° F, humidity up to 95 percent, and altitudes up to 15,000 feet, among other feats.

Like most 14.1-inch laptops, the EliteBook 5930p will include a full-size spill-resistant keyboard that's as useful around the office as it is in extreme conditions. The keyboard deck includes a fingerprint reader and a row of touch-sensitive media controls. Buyers can opt for a backlit-LED display; every model includes a 2-megapixel Webcam in the display bezel.

Inside the case, you'll find Intel's Centrino 2 platform, with Penryn-class Intel Core 2 Duo 9000 and 8000 series CPUs, the Intel Mobile 45 chipset (with optional vPro support), and a choice of integrated Intel or discrete ATI graphics. Based on Intel's delayed release dates for the Centrino 2 components, we expect the ATI-based EliteBook to ship in July, with the integrated-graphics version to follow in August.

Pricing starts at $1,179; a full list of specs is after the jump.

Apple keeping PA Semi chips around for military

Apple will be a chipmaker--of sorts--for a while after its acquisition of PA Semi as it satisfies demand for that company's current product.

The Register is reporting that Apple will support PA Semi's current Pwrficient processors after it finalizes the purchase of the company. Apple CEO Steve Jobs indicated after his company bought PA Semi that its primary interest in the chipmaker was for the company's talent and patents, not the actual chips themselves.

But PA Semi counts some pretty influential organizations among its user base, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, which uses military … Read more

Apple's peculiar purchase-- the six Ps of PA Semi

Earlier this week, Apple bought a Silicon Valley chip-design firm named PA Semi for a reported price of $278 million.

Apple will get four things for sure:

People-- PA Semi has a medium-size team that knows how to work together and produce chips. Processes-- PA Semi has design tools and procedures that can be used to design new chips. Patents-- PA Semi did some unique innovative design work for its chips, and there must be some interesting patents on this work. A product-- the PWRficient 1682M, which has found a few design wins in military electronics and other … Read more