AMD reveals its 2012-2013 roadmap, promises 28nm chips across the board by 2013

AMD pulls back the kimono, reveals impending 2013 APU invasion
Ready for a bevy of more exotic-sounding codenames from AMD? Well, have a seat, as the maker of everyone's favorite APUs just revealed its roadmap extending through 2013. And folks, it's quite the doozy. But before we delve into its technical intricacies (which you'll find tucked after the break), we'll begin with some general takeaways. Per CEO Rory Read, 2012 and 2013 are "all about execution," with the company girding itself for the next "inflection point" where it'll excel. The key to this strategy, as he describes it, is to continue marching towards a full-SoC design that will cover a host of devices running the gamut from mainstream laptops to tablets and so-called Ultrathins, the company's forthcoming answer to Intel's Ultrabook onslaught.

During its announcement, timed to coincide with AMD's annual financial analyst day, the company also stressed its unique position wedged between Chipzilla and makers of ARM chips. Ask Read and he'll tell you that's a key advantage for AMD, that its CPU and GPU IP will bring more value through a better overall experience in the market. That's a strategy less obsessed with raw specs and sheer speed and more focused on a holistic package. Senior VP Lisa Su said AMD will aggressively enter the tablet arena this year in a big way, reiterating that AMD-based Windows 8 slates are indeed en route, though she stopped short of giving an ETA. Finally, the company's renewing its focus in the server market, as it seeks to cut a larger slice of the cloud computing pie. That's AMD's 2012 / 2013 plans in a nutshell, but if you're the kind of person who likes a few technical specifics (and who doesn't, really?) meet us after the break for a peek at what's in store.

Continue reading AMD reveals its 2012-2013 roadmap, promises 28nm chips across the board by 2013

AMD reveals its 2012-2013 roadmap, promises 28nm chips across the board by 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T Mobile CTO: next iPhone chipset ‘will support AWS’

T-Mobile's now the lone national player in the US telecom market that hasn't enjoyed the success of the iPhone, and we've heard on several occasions that its top brass isn't oblivious to the effect that its exclusion from Apple's graces has had on the company, going as far to say that the ball is ultimately "in Apple's court." But in a recent interview, it sounds as though T-Mo CTO Neville Ray has seen some of Apple's roadmap, and the next chipset -- the one that ideally would be included in the next iteration of the iPhone -- will be offering support for Magenta's AWS radio. If true, we'd certainly expect the carrier's bad fortunes to turn around... unless Apple chooses to keep T-Mobile out of its club regardless, which Ray mentioned was a distant possibility. If LTE is also included, the fourth-largest US carrier will still be a bit behind by simply not having the next-gen network connectivity -- although Ray did specify that it isn't impossible to deploy LTE in certain areas by repurposing spectrum -- but we have a feeling there will be plenty of people willing to forego that bullet point on the spec list in order to get their hands on an iPhone with genuine T-Mobile HSPA+ support.

T Mobile CTO: next iPhone chipset 'will support AWS' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Continue reading Broadcom introduces first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chipset, wishes 802.11n well

Broadcom introduces first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chipset, wishes 802.11n well originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell unveils Alienware Aurora gaming rig, will serenade you for $2,200

Dell has just taken the wraps off a brand new addition to the Alienware family, hailing it, rather poetically, as "a serenade to raw gaming power." It's called the Alienware Aurora, and it's staring at you with a Cylon-like grin in the image above. Beneath its menacing veneer lurks Intel's six-core, 3000 series Core i7 CPU, an X79 Express chipset and quad-channel DDR3 memory, all of which are kept in check by Dell's liquid cooling and active venting technologies. The gaming rig also supports both multi-display and 3D configurations, with GDDR5 memory-laced graphics cards. In case you're not satisfied, you can always get under the hood and tinker with it yourself, without even busting out your tool belt. The Alienware Aurora is available now for prices starting at $2,200, so hit up the source link for more details.

Dell unveils Alienware Aurora gaming rig, will serenade you for $2,200 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm’s two new 1GHz dual-core chipsets make S1-to-S4 migration easier for manufacturers (updated)

If the most recent batch of S4 chips from Qualcomm wasn't enough to completely satiate your thirst for new SoC's, the folks from San Diego are adding two more options to the already heapin' pile. At the 2011 Uplinq China Conference in Shenzhen, Qualcomm announced the MSM8625 and MSM8225 S4-class dual-core chipsets, both of which can clock up to 1GHz and pack an Adreno 203 GPU plus a 3G modem. While these numbers aren't relatively exciting at this day and age, the real selling point here is that these chips are actually software and hardware-compatible with the entry-level MSM7x27A and MSM7x25A S1 chips, meaning some of the existing S1-based designs can be quickly and easily adapted to these new S4 chips. Interested manufacturers can nab some of this new silicon from the third-generation Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) program -- which was also announced today as Qualcomm enters the smartphone reference design business -- or standalone in the first half of 2012, but let's just hope we won't end up seeing too many familiar-looking phones. Press release attached after the break.

Zach Lutz contributed to this report.

Update: We just did a hands-on with one of Qualcomm's new reference designs -- the one we played with had Dianxin OS installed, but we also came across one powered by Aliyun OS. Neither were running smoothly but we've been told they were slightly rushed so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Anyhow, enjoy the photos.

Continue reading Qualcomm's two new 1GHz dual-core chipsets make S1-to-S4 migration easier for manufacturers (updated)

Qualcomm's two new 1GHz dual-core chipsets make S1-to-S4 migration easier for manufacturers (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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