Transmeta Corp. On Tuesday announced plans to offer a processor with embedded security features as the semiconductor design company races against its much-larger rival Intel Corp. In the market for chips custom-made for mobile computing.
A new version of Transmeta"s Crusoe TM5800 processor with the built-in security features will be available in the second half of the year, said Walter Sun, a senior product manager at Transmeta.
In September, Intel announced plans to offer security technology built into its microprocessors, code-named LaGrande, within the next few years.
"If security is not inside the processor and it"s in another chip it"s a weak link because you have to communicate with that chip," said Matthew Perry, president and chief executive of Santa Clara, California-based Transmeta. "Putting it inside the (main) chip is inherently more secure."
An advanced safty/security measure for users? Or a step further in privacy invasion ie. Palladium? You say. -Ed