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Code in the latest 10.8.4 beta version of Mountain Lion discovered by a 9to5 Mac tipster shows OS X support for 802.11ac WiFi, meaning next-gen Macs might contain the tech. Also dubbed 5G, 802.11ac brings speeds as high as 1.3Gbps thanks to beamforming, while also offering more range and robustness compared to its 802.11n predecessor. To date we’ve seen oodles of routers packing the still-uncertified wireless format, but only a single notebook with the tech has passed through our doors — the Asus G75VW gaming notebook. That might change with a reference to the standard in the “WiFi-frameworks” folder in Mountain Lion’s latest beta, 10.8.4, which was recently sent to developers. Of course, until we see a real Cupertino product packing such a radio, it’s just that — code.

[Image credit: 9to5 Mac]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Apple

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Source: 9to5 Mac

4G phones and tablets could get smaller, run longer, and connect in more places, thanks to Broadcom‘s new 4G LTE Advanced modem, tipped as the industry’s smallest so far. The Broadcom BCM21892 cuts power consumption by as much as 25-percent over a current LTE chip, the company claims, while taking up 35-percent less space and roaming across more network frequencies. That opens the door to a far more flexible 4G device.

The new modem can handle “virtually any” 3GPP LTE frequency band and combination, Broadcom says, including LTE FDD and TDD, and LTE-Advanced with carrier aggregation. There’s also backward compatibility with HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, and EDGE/GSM.

VoLTE (voice over LTE) is supported, naturally, and with a 40-percent power saving over a more traditional WCDMA voice call, while data rates of up to 150Mbps are possible.

Meanwhile, since LTE alone isn’t enough to satisfy the modern world’s connectivity demands, there’s also boosted “wireless coexistance” support. That helps cut down on radio interference between LTE, WiFi, and Bluetooth radios, meaning all three technologies can better cooperate in the same location.

We’ll have to wait a while before we actually see the benefits of the BCM21892, however. Broadcom says the new LTE chip is only now sampling to its customers, with full production not expected until 2014.

Tiny Broadcom LTE chip enables trimmer tablets and longer-lasting phones is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

5G WiFi (better known to us as 802.11ac) makes Barry Allen look like a geriatric. Broadcom’s been talking up the prowess of its 5G hardware for some time now, but the first chance we’ll get to use it is inside LG’s latest TVs. Open one up, and you’ll find Broadcom’s BCM43526 silicon, which promises to offer lag-free HD streaming from the internet or mobile device. The TVs will be making their way into stores across 2013, which’ll be your first time to see if it works as well as promised.

Update: Broadcom has also let slip that it’s licensing Intel’s Wireless Display technology in its WLAN chipsets. Of course, now that Santa Clara has made the standard mandatory for its 2013-Ultrabook designs, hardly surprising,

Continue reading Broadcom’s 5G WiFi chips power LG’s latest HDTVs

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, HD

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Apple’s next update for its Mac lineup will obviously include a few welcome upgrades, but it’s rumored that Apple has struck a deal with wireless chip firm Broadcom in order to bring high-speed 802.11ac 5G “Gigabit WiFi” to future Macs later this year. If true, the new WiFi chips will provide a much-needed boost in networking for the 2013 Macs.

802.11ac offers faster throughput, higher capacity, wider coverage, and improved power efficiency. Products offering 802.11n connectivity (found in most consumer electronics, and is the current standard) provide connections up to 450Mbps, while 802.11ac equivalents start at 450Mbps and are capable of almost tripling its predecessor with 1.3Gbps.

Broadcom is currently just one out of a small number of chip makers currently providing 802.11ac chipsets, which are aimed at the smartphone, tablet, and router markets. Some manufacturers have introduced 802.11ac networking in notebooks recently, but large-scale notebook support is still ultimately lacking.

According to anonymous sources, the 802.11ac WiFi chip is still in development, so it’s actually not really a thing yet, but it’s said that if everything goes according to schedule, the new chips should be ready in time to be put in the new line of Mac computers later this year.

[via The Next Web]

Apple rumored to partner with Broadcom for 802.11ac WiFi in 2013 Macs is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you need to borrow a couple of bucks to tide you over until payday, then the folks over at Broadcom should be feeling altruistic. The chip maker’s latest financials show that it pulled in $2.13 billion turnover and a cool $220 million profit. While that’s more than the $160 million it pulled in in the second quarter, it’s a little off the $270 million it made in the same period last year. Given that the company’s innovating with both 802.11ac chips and branching out into the wireless headphone business, they might even lend you some cash next month, too.

Continue reading Broadcom’s 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Broadcom’s 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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