nxp
Latest
Google and Ford want to bring small radar to more devices
Google and Ford are partners in a new standard that could bring radar to more devices for touch-free control and health tracking.
Oppo demos true wireless charging on its rollable phone
At MWC Shanghai 2021, Oppo unveiled its "Wireless Air Charging" tech, which can apparently deliver up to 7.5W of power over a short distance.
Qualcomm gives up on buying chip giant NXP
Qualcomm has been trying to buy giant chip maker NXP for the better part of two years. All that patience might not have paid off, however. Qualcomm is planning to drop its bid for NXP by the end of July 25th (that's today, if you're reading in time). Its executives reportedly expect Chinese regulators to shoot down the deal, with CEO Steve Mollenkopf pinning it partly on the "current geopolitical environment." In other words, Trump's trade war with China is dimming what chances were left of a merger.
'Digital Key' standard uses your phone to unlock your car
You can already use your smartphone as a car key if you own the right vehicle (just ask Tesla Model 3 owners). There hasn't really been a common standard for it, though, and that has hurt adoption -- you can't guarantee that you'll have phone access if you switch brands, or even individual models. You might soon have a solution. The Car Connectivity Consortium, a mix of major smartphone and automotive brands, has posted a Digital Key 1.0 standard (PDF) that will let you download (what else?) a virtual key that can unlock your vehicle, start the engine and even share access with other drivers.
Qualcomm just announced the biggest chip acquisition ever
The smartphone world is starting to slow, and the companies that make the chips that go inside them are teaming up to stave off dwindling profits. Perhaps that's why Qualcomm today announced that it's picking up NXP Semiconductor for $47 billion, in what is set to become the biggest ever semiconductor deal.
Finally, a light switch so green it doesn't need electricity
It's not very often that a light switch really catches Engadget's eye, so you know it has to be something clever to show up on our virtual pages. This particular lightbulb activation device (as demonstrated by NXP) is not only wireless, it's powerless -- we were able to turn on a wireless lightbulb simply by tapping on the switch itself, without requiring an external power source. This one single action alone actually generates just barely enough power to push a signal to the bulb. The unit we played with also utilizes NFC to pair wirelessly with a light source. All told, it worked without a hitch, and the tech is currently being sampled out to manufacturers. This means we'll likely start seeing devices take advantage of this setup sometime this year, so be on the lookout for more details as they come out.
Here's what high-end smartphone speakers could sound like in 2014 (ears-on)
Not all smartphone speakers are created equal. Last year, we were blown away by a prototype NXP audio chip that boosted volume (but not distortion) through the use of feedback circuitry. The chip monitored a speaker's behavior in real-time so that it could be pushed to the limit without creating crummy sound or being physically torn apart. Others were impressed too: Motorola has since used the nine-volt TFA9890 in the Moto X and the Droid Ultra. These phones have single speakers, but are almost able to match the volume and sound quality of a good stereo system, such as HTC's BoomSound audio in the One family of smartphones (which rely on two five-volt NXP-controlled speakers). So, what comes next? That'd be the second-gen TFA9895, which makes some gentle but noticeable improvements, and which should start arriving in high-end smartphones by the time we get to Mobile World Congress next year. Fortunately, we don't have to wait that long to hear it, because NXP just invited us to an exclusive ears-on.
Imprecise computers 'R' good enough for you, save power, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You may have heard of probabilistic computing, a concept that relies on "good enough" calculations to save processing power. You may not know just why and where we should use it, however; thankfully, ExtremeTech has just offered an explanation of the technology's merits. The site notes that it's getting difficult to maintain accuracy and power efficiency as processors get ever more complex. By reducing precision in areas where it's not as essential, such as browsing and media playback, chip designers can significantly improve battery life. The technology isn't in widespread use just yet, but it may become commonplace in the near future. NXP is already making limited use of imprecise computing to improve security, while Intel has investigated variable-precision floating-point math units that scale back for less intensive tasks. While accurate processors are here to stay, there's a real chance they'll be accompanied by probabilistic circuitry in future energy-efficient gadgets.
Modded Nexus 7 shows why some phone and tablet loudspeakers are better than others (video)
We never used to take the speakers in phones or tablets very seriously. Frankly, we're not sure manufacturers did either. But the old assumption that tiny = tinny is starting to seem a bit unfair. Last year, Dutch chip-maker NXP released a new type of mobile audio component -- the TFA9887 -- that allowed a mobile device to monitor its speaker system in real-time in order to max out volume without risking damage to the driver. Although NXP is way too modest to confirm it, we happen to know that this chip made its way into a number of HTC devices, including the new One, One X+ and 8X, where it's been described as "feedback" speaker technology. The extra voltage delivered to speakers by this generation of component hasn't been especially wild -- just a couple of volts above the industry norm of around 3V. But what you're about to hear after the break is the next-gen TFA9890, which is expected to appear in devices around the middle of this year, and which racks things all the way up to 9.5V. This promises to be a much more audible leap relative to traditional no-feedback speaker systems, and you should be able to spot the difference for yourself after the break.
NXP's silicon fingerprinting promises to annoy the heck out of ID hackers
It's 2013 and white hat hackers like Adam Laurie are still breaking into ID chips that are supposed to be secure. How come? Partly it's the way of the world, because no man-made NFC or RFID security barrier can ever be truly impervious. But in practical terms, a chip's vulnerability often stems from the fact that it can be taken apart and probed at a hacker's leisure. The secure element doesn't necessarily need to have power running through it or to be in the midst of near-field communication in order to yield up its cryptographic key to a clever intruder who has sufficient time and sufficient desire to breach the security of a smartphone, bank card or national border. Which brings us to the latest device in NXP's SmartMX2 range -- a piece of technology that is claimed to work very differently and that is expected to hit the market next year. Instead of a traditional key stored in the secure element's memory, every single copy of this chip carries a unique fingerprint within the physical structure of its transistors. This fingerprint (aka Physically Unclonable Function, or PUF) is a byproduct of tiny errors in the fabrication process -- something chip makers usually try to minimize. But NXP has found a way to amplify these flaws in a controlled way and use them for identification, and it'd take a mightily well-equipped criminal (or fare dodger, or Scrabble cheater) to reverse engineer that.
Cisco and NXP invest in Cohda, will work together to enable connected car
More than a year after NXP Semiconductors worked with Cohda Wireless to hook up cars via 802.11p, the chip maker has decided to invest in its partner with a little help from Uncle Cisco. While the PR is mum on the exact amount, the investment is apparently significant enough that all three companies are set to work together. Cohda's wireless knowhow, NXP's semiconductor chops and Cisco's vast infrastructure would join forces -- á la Voltron -- to help usher in the era of the connected car. By enabling car-to-car (C2C) and car-to-infrastructure (C2I) communications, drivers could avoid hazards, evade bad traffic and even form "trains" of vehicles on the road like what Volvo's demonstrated with its SARTRE project. No word on a timeline for when we'll see this on public roads, but automotive-qualified IEEE 802.11p products are said to be one of the trio's first goals, so hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later. [Image credit: Creativity103, Flickr]
GreenWave Reality ships WiFi-aware light bulbs that flick on through motion and smartphones
We've seen connected light bulbs before, some more sophisticated than others, but they're rarely as straightforward as GreenWave Reality's just-shipping Connected Lighting Solution. Eco-friendly LED bulbs in the lineup include support for WiFi and are immediately controllable from a smartphone or tablet as soon as they're receiving power. Basics controls like group presets and timed lighting are just the start; if you're not worried about leaving anyone in the dark, the bulbs can respond to motion sensors and only illuminate the rooms that need attention. And while the intelligence isn't new in itself, GreenWave would argue that sheer accessibility gives it an edge, with electric utilities in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden skipping the retail middleman by selling directly. Don't despair if you live in the US: the linked-up lighting is cleared for eventual use by Americans who'd like to save both energy and a trip to the light switch.
Cirque shows off its Glidepoint NFC trackpad built into a laptop, we go hands-on (video)
Each year, CES always seems to circle around a few common themes, and NFC -- Near-Field Communication -- is getting a large chunk of the spotlight this week, and it's not all completely about mobile payments. In fact, we're just scratching the surface of what NFC is truly capable of. We stopped by the NXP booth and found a treasure chest full of the latest innovations in the world of NFC, the first of which is the Cirque Glidepoint NFC trackpad. The company had a fully working trackpad that's actually built into a laptop, as well as an external model that can be plugged into any USB port (tablets, for instance). We navigated to Engadget's home page on our Galaxy Nexus and placed it on the pad, and just as expected, Android Beam activated and our touch initiated the data transfer. Within two seconds, the browser pulled up and loaded the site. We also used a business card with a NFC tag built-in and accomplished the same task. But it doesn't stop there -- the concept can be applied to other NFC applications, such as YouTube videos, maps and even the Activision critter seen above. The unit we demoed was a prototype that's still a long ways from final hardware, so don't expect to see them embedded into a laptop until mid-2013. External trackpads, according to Cirque, should be seeing the market in four months.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with NXP's Jeff Miles (update: video embedded)
We've got plenty of questions about near-field communications, and who better to talk to than Jeff Miles, a VP at NXP, the company behind the NFC chips in your devices? Follow along at 6:30PM ET, after the break. Update: Interview video now embedded.
Microsoft demos NFC-based tap-to-share for Windows 8 devices (updated)
There's not a ton of details on this just yet, but Microsoft confirmed during its Build keynote today that Windows 8 devices equipped with an NFC chip will be able to use a tap-to-share feature to either send content from one device to another, or simply receive content from something like an NFC-equipped card. Update: NXP Semiconductors has now confirmed that it "worked closely" with Microsoft to develop an NFC driver for Windows 8, and that it's also supplied the NFC solution used in the Windows 8 tablets given out at Build. According to the company, the NFC support in Windows 8 includes things like device pairing (simply tapping to pair a Bluetooth headset, for example), data sharing, and the ability to transfer control from one device to another (such as during a video call). And that's all to say nothing of the usual fare like interacting with an NFC-enhanced advertisement, not to mention other applications that will surely follow once it's actually put into practice. The company's press release is after the break.
Sony Ericsson signs deal with NFC chip maker, gets ready to do the Xperia pay
If Google ever hopes to lead the mass exodus away from credit card transactions with Google Wallet, a lot more NFC-packing handsets will need to hit the market. Thus far Sony Ericsson hasn't exactly led the near-field charge, aside Japan's Xperia Acro, but it looks like that may soon change, thanks to a deal struck between the phone maker and semiconductor producer, NXP, which will bring the company's PN65 to future Android-based Xperia models. Wave your phone after the break to check out the official announcement.
NXP and Cohda teach cars to communicate with 802.11p, hopes to commercialize tech by 2014
Ford promised to give our cars X-ray vision, and this little blue box might be the key -- it's apparently the first standardized hardware platform for peer-to-peer automobile communications. Called C2X (for "car-to-x"), the module inside is the product of Cohda Wireless and near-field communications gurus at NXP, and it uses 802.11p WiFi to let equipped cars see one another around blind corners, through other vehicles, or even chat with traffic signals up to a mile away. Pocket-lint got a look at the technology during Automotive Week, and got a good idea of when we can expect the tech; NXP says it should begin rolling out in 2014, and hopes to have 10 percent of the cars on the road gleefully gabbing by 2020.
Samsung Nexus S utilizing NXP's PN544 NFC chip
Well, color us surprised. Just last Wednesday, Samsung announced that it had developed its very own NFC module in-house, but today we're learning that it came just a few months too late for inclusion in the outfit's forthcoming Nexus S. Right on cue, NXP Semiconductors has come forward today proclaiming its involvement in the first handset to ship with Android 2.3. The outfit's PN544 NFC controller and accompanying open source software stack will be used in the Nexus S, and naturally they've both been "fully integrated and validated on Gingerbread." Of course, only time will tell what sort of applications spring up to take advantage, but we've got a feeling that metro payments and the like could be first in line. Nice of America to finally catch up, right?
Germany slapping RFID tags on its populace for the sake of brisker bureaucracy
ID cards and RFID tags are similar in one key respect: they get a lot of bad press -- one for constricting civil liberties, the other for being a lousy security risk -- and yet are widely used around the world. It's fitting, therefore, that Germany has decided to marry the two for the latest version of its own personalausweis. Dutch company NXP has begun production of the requisite RFID chips for these new slices of plastic, which will roll out from the beginning of November this year. The Deutsch state sees a vastly expanded role for the modernized cards, including validating your identity for online shopping and communicating with your local authority (e-government, they call it). And, of course, your biometric data is loaded onto the chip as well, just to make things nice and neat. You know, we remember the good old days when identity theft used to be hard.
First Data and Tyfone announce partnership for NFC payments by microSD card
We've already seen Visa team up with DeviceFidelity to deliver NFC payments via microSD card, and it looks like they now have some company from First Data and Tyfone, who have just announced a partnership of their own to help bring the technology to the cellphone-toting masses. At the heart of their system is Tyfone's SideTap card made by NXP Semiconductors (pictured after the break), which is not only able to function as an actual memory card in addition to a NFC payment device, but should cost about the same as a regular memory card of the same capacity as well. Using a microSD card instead of a phone with built-in NFC technology also cuts out the need for carriers or phone manufacturers to be involved, which is apparently where First Data comes in, as it will responsible for bringing the cards to consumers (in addition to dealing with retailers, carriers and financial institutions). Complete details on a rollout still seem to be a bit up in the air, but the two companies are promising that it will hit the market in the second half of 2010, with trials slated to begin mid-year.