• A new smart plug from the UK will reduce energy consumption by turning off gadgets that are turned on but not in use. [Daily Mail] • Wikia, an open-source search engine by Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, will launch on January 7. [Slashdot] • A mouthwash-like solution in development at Johns Hopkins can diagnose head and neck cancer from your spit. [Locker Gnome]
“A federal judge in California ruled on Monday that wireless chip maker Qualcomm can keep selling chips whose designs infringe patents held by rival Broadcom Corp through January 2009. [Reuters]
Broadcom’s latest 3G HSUPA BCM21551 chip is a bigger deal than its somewhat dry press release indicates. The all-in-one 3G chip is both cheaper and has a “very long battery life” when compared with current 3G chips, which have the problem of sucking your phone’s battery faster than an unclogged shower drain. The new chip will be more like a drain after your wife’s just washed her hair. In addition to having the potential of making it into the iPhone, the chip could mean many more phones—even dinky bargain bin ones—will make the jump to 3G. Which will then in turn make providers expand and improve their 3G coverage. [PRNewswire]
Broadcom VideoCore III multimedia processor could bring 720p HDTV to cellphones, mobile devices [TG Daily]
Chip manufacturer Broadcom has gone ahead and decided to add Bluetooth to its reference platform for consumer set-top boxes. Not only does this mean that you might be able to use a Bluetooth device as a remote control, but also opens up the possibility of having direct audio transfers. That means either wireless speakers or headphones are a very easy and real possibility. Maybe Sony wasn’t as crazy as we originally thought for skipping IR on the PS3. [The Register]
