Chinese modem maker Spreadtrum Communications has acquired a controlling stake in W-CDMA solutions provider MobilePeak Holdings for about $5m. This will allow Spreadtrum to enter the 3G and LTE markets by combining its new unit’s technology with its own 40nm baseband platform. Spreadtrum increased its equity ownership in MobilePeak to approximately 85% as a result of the acquisition, and expects to purchase the remaining outstanding shares by the end of the year. A new ‘sub-conscious’ mode for smartphones, currently at the proof of concept stage, could extend battery life by over 50%, according to a paper from a team at the University of Michigan, entitled: ‘E-MiLi: Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening in Wireless Networks’. It minimizes the energy spent on listening for…