With new Sirf GPS chip, location-aware gadgets will multiply
CSR’s Sirf Technology division is announcing a new navigation chip today that can be the brains of location-aware gadgets.
As this new “location processor” chip gains adoption, we should see an increase in the variety and quality of GPS gadgets. These gadgets include new breeds of digital cameras, portable game players, wearable gadgets and other consumer devices. Those devices will be able to geotag output such as photos that tell you exactly where they were taken…. Continue Reading
CSR acquires Sirf for $136 million to form wireless and GPS chip powerhouse
The British wireless chip firm CSR has agreed to buy Sirf Technology Holdings for $136 million in stock.
The newly combined company will be a powerhouse in wireless and global positioning system (GPS) satellite navigation chips. CSR, based in Cambridge, England, makes wireless chips such as Bluetooth radios, while Sirf, based in San Jose, Calif., makes GPS chips.
The $2.06 per share price is a steal made possible by the weak stock market. CSR paid a 91… Continue Reading
Will ultra-wideband high-speed wireless technology ever find its market?
Last week, the wireless chip startup WiQuest shut its doors after its VC backers gave up on the maker of ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless chips. The closure of the firm with 120 employees and $54 million in funding raises a question about the nascent UWB technology, which provides high-speed data wireless links over a short distance. But supporters of the technology say one company’s failure won’t sink the industry.
For years, UWB technology has been a solution… Continue Reading