Editor’s Note: QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM)
Qualcomm Racing to Create Wireless Charging for Electric Cars (Bloomberg)
QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) made a splash last week when it unveiled the Toq smartwatch, which charges without being plugged in. That same technology will soon be used on bigger, faster gadgets: race cars. The company’s Halo system, acquired in 2011, will become part of the new FIA Formula E race series beginning next year with events in cities including London, Rome and Los Angeles. Electric speedsters built by the likes of France’s Spark Racing Technology will reach 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds and top out at over 130 miles per hour on city streets.
Windows 8.1 tablets pin hopes on Intel’s ‘Bay Trail’ processor (CNET)
Future Windows 8.1 tablets will be powered by the marquee attraction at Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s annual forum that starts Tuesday — the Bay Trail Atom chip. What is Bay Trail exactly? At the high end, it is a series of Atom processors built primarily for tablets. (Lower-end Celeron and Pentium variants should appear in low-cost laptops.) Maybe most importantly, it’s a completely redesigned Atom that is trying to break from the past of pokey Windows 7 Netbook Atoms.
Broadcom’s Back on the Offensive (TheStreet.com)
In a deal that went relatively unnoticed, Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM) acquired LTE-related assets from affiliates of Renesas Electronics for $164 million. LTE, which stands for long-term evolution, is a communication standard for mobile devices, such as those produced by Apple and Samsung. Given the lack of attention that this deal has gotten, it seems as if the Street continues to underestimate this management team. Essentially, Broadcom is gaining assets that are industry-tested and ready for volume production today. Not to mention, these included dual-core LTE SoC (system-on chips). What this means is that, although QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM)’s Snapdragon S4 continues to be the most widely used chip on the market, Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM)’s no longer just chopped liver. And management demonstrated strong confidence that it can harvest value from this transaction.
Qualcomm’s wireless bulb wants to outshine hue with WiFi (SlashGear)
Roll on the smart home: QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) has an eye on being the glue that sticks wireless home automation together, and it’s demonstrating that with some proof-of-concept remote control lightbulbs. Thanks to a tiny new Qualcomm Atheros chipset, the demo light hooks up via WiFi to a simple Android app which allows for remote on/off control, dimming, and even timed shutoff. It’s an obvious stab at alternative lighting systems like Philips’ hue, but QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) won’t be content with just the lamp market.
Intel Planning “Overclock” Feature for SSDs (Tom’s Hardware Guide)
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) will reportedly release a product in 4Q13 or 1Q14 that can “overclock” solid-state drives, or SSDs. Intel hasn’t exactly explained what this product will be, but said on Friday that it has scheduled a block of time during the Intel Developers Forum taking place in San Francisco just weeks away to discuss the possibility. According to Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s website, the session will be called “Overclocking Underclocked Intel Core Processors for High Performance Gaming and Content Creation,” and is aimed at system manufacturers, developers and the build-it-yourself PC gamer crowd.
