Latch-Based RAMs and the Hidden Capacitor

Is there a place for a volatile DRAM replacement? While the VLT as a DRAM replacement might be attractive, any success hinges on effective and innovative solutions to some major problems.

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EEVblog #963 – Batteriser / Batteroo Passive Toy Test!

The Batteriser / Batteroo AAA sleeve tested in a toy train passive load and the results analysed!
Does the Batteriser finally live up to the claims of increased performance in passive loads? or is it a complete turkey?
More videos to come…

Full train test footage in a single take HERE
Frank Buss’s test footage HERE
Live test footage HERE

Main testing forum thread HERE

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Drone Detection: An Interesting RF Challenge

Detection a nearby drone is a difficult task for many reasons, but a new system with a sophisticated 3-D antenna claims to be able to do so.

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'Open Source' Robo-Car in '17?

What's in the auto industry 2017 agenda that could change the course of robotic car development? Here's EE Times' prediction.

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Foxconn automating its production lines

Foxconn has ten ‘lights out’ fully automated production lines at its Chinese factories and is increasing automation levels on other lines by deploying 10,000 new robots a year, reports Digitimes. Foxconn makes its own robots which it calls Foxbots. It has already installed 40,000 at its factories. Foxconn’s eventual aim is to automate entire factories ...

Read full article: Foxconn automating its production lines

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SOX up 34% in a no-growth year

Although the semiconductor industry was flat in terms of revenues, the Philadelphia SOX is up 34% on the year from 88 in January to 124 yesterday. The SOX has been driven by continued M&A, continued growth in data centres and increasing demand for automotive ICs as cars get increasingly automated and connected. Other potential drivers ...

Read full article: SOX up 34% in a no-growth year

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Stanford researchers make nanowires three atoms thick

Scientists at Stanford University and the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a way to use diamondoids to make electrical wires which are three atoms thick. “What we have shown here is that we can make tiny, conductive wires of the smallest possible size that essentially assemble themselves,” says Stanford’s Hao ...

Read full article: Stanford researchers make nanowires three atoms thick

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TSMC spends NT$26 billion on equipment

Pure-play foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has spent a total of NT$26.06 billion (US$806.1 million) on machinery equipment from Applied Materials, ASML, FEL and Tokyo Electron, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

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EEVblog #962 – Hacking A Calculator Into A Counter

How to hack a calculator into a test system event counter.

Previous video on contact debouncing and using a universal counter HERE

Forum HERE

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EEVblog #961 – Monkey Debouncing

How do you debounce a clapping monkey?
Probes The Monkey makes his return.
All about contact debouncing, setting up a universal counter as an event counter, and other issues that can arise on a seemingly simple test setup.

Forum HERE

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Qualcomm, Meizu sign 3G/4G global patent license agreement

Qualcomm and Meizu Technology have announced they have reached a patent license agreement whereby Qualcomm grants Meizu a worldwide royalty-bearing patent license to develop, manufacture and sell CDMA2000, WCDMA and 4G LTE including 3-mode (LTE-TDD, TD-SCDMA and GSM) complete devices. The royalties payable by Meizu in China are consistent with the terms of the rectification plan submitted by Qualcomm to China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

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NCC releases draft Telecommunication Regulation Act, Digital Communications Act

Taiwan's National Communications Commission (NCC) on December 28 presented a draft Telecommunication Regulation Act and Digital Communications Act, a bid to facilitate digital convergence through legal reform in Taiwan.

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Global market shares for In-Cell, On-Cell touch solutions to rise in 2017, says WitsView

Among touch solutions used in smartphones, global market share for In-Cell will rise to 29.6% and On-Cell to 26.0%, according to WitsView.

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Inventec to expand AirPod production capacity, says paper

Apple is seeing strong demand for its AirPods during the year-end holidays and its strong sales are expected to benefit the device's manufacturer Inventec, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report. Inventec declined to comment on its orders.

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PWM IC vendor Leadtrend sees sales growth

Power management (PWM) IC vendor Leadtrend Technology has seen its sales continue to gain momentum recently as the company's PWM ICs have found the way into the supply chains of Sony's PS 4 gaming consoles and Dyson's vacuum cleaners, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

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Microsoft new Surface Pro set for 1Q17 launch; to boost Pegatron performance, says paper

Microsoft is planning to launch its new Surface Pro 5 2-in-1 in the first quarter of 2017 which will feature an Ultra HD display and magnetic charging stylus, with Pegatron Technology to manufacture the device, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

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Automation to kill 15m jobs in 20 years

Automation will kill off 15 million jobs in the next 20 years says a report from the indtitute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The report says that 2 million jobs in retail will disappear by 2020, and 600,000 will go in manufacturing. Robot-owners will get rich and displaced workers will get poorer – much like ...

Read full article: Automation to kill 15m jobs in 20 years

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Chunghwa Telecom appoints new president

Chunghwa Telecom's board of directors on December 29 appointed Sheih Chi-mau, currently executive vice president, as the new president to succeed Shih Mu-piao who will retire on January 4, 2017.

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China market: Component order visibility weak from some smartphone vendors for 1Q17

The visibility of component orders from some China-based smartphone vendors, notably Huawei, Xiaomi Technology and LeEco, for the first quarter of 2017 has become weak recently, according to sources from the handset supply chains in Taiwan and China.

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EPA passes environmental impact assessment for TSMC 10nm facilities

Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has approved an environmental impact assessment on land designated for construction of 10nm production facilities by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Taichung, central Taiwan.

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150 million flexible AMOLED panels to be shipped globally in 2017

An estimated 150 million flexible AMOLED panels for use in smartphones will be shipped globally in 2017, triple the shipments in 2016, according to industry sources.

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SPIL orders equipment for NT$1.19 billion

IC packager Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) has announced equipment purchases worth a total of NT$1.19 billion (US$36.93 million) from Advantest and Kulicke and Soffa Industries.

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Foxconn boosting automated production in China

Foxconn Electronics is automating production at its factories in China in three phases, aiming to fully automate entire factories eventually, according to general manager Dai Jia-peng for Foxconn's Automation Technology Development Committee.

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Foxconn increases stake in Sakai Display Products

Taiwan's Investment Commission has approved an application filed by a local investment firm owned by Guo Shou-cheng, the eldest son of Foxconn chairman Terry Guo, to indirectly invest over JPY52.14 billion (US$448.04 million) in Japan-based Sakai Display Products (SDP).

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Friday Quiz: Acquired Companies, Part 2

Given the endless supply of acquisitions, here are ten more. Which do you remember?

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Nokia Hits Apple With Patent Suits

Former phone maker files suit in 11 countries in Asia, Europe and North America, claiming that Apple products infringe some 40 patents.

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SK Hynix to Build Wafer Fab in South Korea

South Korean memory chip company will spend about $1.8 billion to build a memory fab in Cheongju in central South Korea.

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Thinnest Nanowire Self-assembles

The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center claims to have created the world's thinnest wires using a 10-atom diamond cage around a three-atom copper core.

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Toshiba hammered

What a week for Toshiba shares – down 12% on Tuesday, 20% on Wednesday and 17% today. 40% down since the 26th. However Toshiba shares did very well in 2016 riding 70% in the year up to Dec 26. But Toshiba’ solvency is now being questioned and banks which have lent to Toshiba are seeing ...

Read full article: Toshiba hammered

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Growing Unicorn Herd

At the end of 2016, there are 183 unicorns in the world ‘worth’ a collective $652 billion, reports CB Insights. Here is the list. Those joining the unicorn herd in December are: Huochebsng China. Global Switch UK Careen Networks UAE JetSmarter USA Procore Technologies USA Companies which are predicted by CB Insights to join the ...

Read full article: Growing Unicorn Herd

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Semi forecasts bullish

Forecasts for the 2017 semiconductor market are beginning to trickle in and, on the whole, they are much more positive than in the last three years. The last two years have shown no growth at all. Mike Cowan predicts 4.7% growth for 2017; WSTS predicts 3.3%; Bill McLean’s IC Insights predicts 4%; Bill Jewell’s Semiconductor ...

Read full article: Semi forecasts bullish

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10% hike for Q1 wafer prices

As forecast, there has been a hike in wafer prices across the board. The Taiwan newspaper Commercial Times reports that contract prices for 12 inch wafers have been negotiated 10% higher for Q1 2017. The suppliers named are: GlobalWafers, Formosa Sumco Technology, distributor Topco Scientific, Shin-Etsu Handotai, Sumco and distributor Topco Scientific. The 10% hike ...

Read full article: 10% hike for Q1 wafer prices

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The IoT interview: Silicon Labs v-p Dan Cooley

Electronics Weekly talks to Daniel Cooley, general manager of the IoT products business at Silicon Labs. I know you have IP for low power processors and sensor networks; what do you see as the big potential applications for these IoT technologies? Daniel Cooley: The range of Internet of Things end-node applications is virtually unlimited, extending ...

Read full article: The IoT interview: Silicon Labs v-p Dan Cooley

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Huawei Technologies relocates data center in China

China-based telecom equipment vendor Huawei Technologies has relocated its data center from Shenzhen, southern China, to Dongguan, with the new data center equipped with 3,000 server racks, according to Chinese-language Tencent report.

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Tatung System Technologies changes executives

Chairman of Tatung System Technologies, an information service and equipment installation affiliate of the Tatung Group, Wen-yen Lin Kuo has resigned from her position, but will remain a director of the company. Company vice president Brian Shen has been promoted to become chairman and strategy officer, while another vice president Annie Liu has been promoted to president.

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Foxconn/Sharp likely to ramp up stake in lens module maker Kantatsu, says report

Backed by Foxconn Electronics, Sharp is likely to increase its investment in Japan-based lens module maker Kantatsu in order to compete with Taiwan-based Largan Precision to secure lens module orders from Apple for iPhone devices, according to a Japan-based Nikkei report.

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HPE Taiwan optimistic about Taiwan server market

Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) Taiwan chairman Jon Wang expects Taiwan's server market to enjoy good growth in 2017 with an improved economy and new cloud applications such as IoT increasing. As for Lenovo recently landing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) datacenter server orders, Wang said that it is only a short-term order change which will not have much of an impact to HPE.

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Gigabyte to showcase full series of Aorus gaming products at CES 2017

Gigabyte Technology is preparing to showcase its full series of Aorus gaming brand products including notebooks featuring Intel's latest Kaby Lake platform and new motherboards using 200-series chipsets at CES 2017. The motherboards will begin mass shipments in January and are expected to help Gigabyte's revenues to remain strong in the first quarter of 2017.

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Samsung Display to supply AMOLED panels for new iPhone in 2017, say Taiwan makers

Samsung Display will become the exclusive supplier of AMOLED panels for use in Apple's new iPhone devices to be launched in 2017 and can supply 20 million units in maximum a month, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

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On-Bright to see revenues hit NT$1 billion in 4Q16

Analog IC vendor On-Bright Electronics is expected to see its revenues reach NT$1 billion (US$30.96 million) in the fourth quarter of 2016 thanks to orders from the smartphone sector in China, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

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Egistec to swing back to profitability in 2016, says paper

Taiwan-based fingerprint sensor supplier Egis Technology (Egistec) is expected to swing back to profitability in 2016 as the earnings it is expected to generate in the fourth quarter will be sufficient to offset losses of NT$66 million (US$2.043 million) recorded in the January-September period, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

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Wistron reportedly lands next-generation iPhone orders from Apple

Taiwan-based ODM Wistron reportedly has landed next-generation iPhone orders from Apple, making it the third manufacturer of iPhone devices, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

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Global Unichip opens new office in the Netherlands

IC design services provider Global Unichip has announced the opening of a new office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in a move to actively expand its business in Europe.

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VIS likely to post record 4Q16 revenues

Strong demand for LCD driver ICs and power management chips will buoy revenues at specialty IC foundry Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) in the fourth quarter of 2016, which are expected to register a sequential increase despite seasonal factors, according to a recent Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

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Networking device maker Edimax looks to 20% revenue growth in 2017

Networking/communication device maker Edimax Technology expects its revenues to grow 20% on year in 2017 thanks to the release of new devices for the telecom sector, the company said at its latest investors conference.

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SerComm to highlight latest IoT solutions at CES 2017

Broadband networking device maker SerComm will showcase its latest IoT solutions, high-resolution IP cameras and wireless sensors at the upcoming CES 2017 trade show, according to the company.

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China sets 2017 PV feed-in tariffs

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on December 27 announced final feed-in tariffs for PV power-generating stations and distributed PV systems to be established in 2017.

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Qualcomm, Gionee sign 3G/4G patent license agreement

Qualcomm and Gionee Communication Equipment have entered into a new 3G and 4G patent license agreement for China, according to the companies.

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Worldwide HPC server revenue grows 3.9% in 3Q16, says IDC

Worldwide factory revenues for the high performance computing (HPC) technical server market grew by 3.9% to US$2.8 billion in the third quarter of 2016, compared with US$2.7 billion in the prior-year third quarter. Revenues for the first three quarters of 2016 totaled US$8.1 billion, up 3.4% from the US$7.8 billion total for the same period last year, according to new data from IDC.

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Get a Signal's Details

There's a difference between a digitizer's number of bits and how well it shows signal details.

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Korea Fines Q'comm Nearly $1B

Korean regulators fined Qualcomm nearly $1 billion following a two-year investigation into its patent licensing practices, a decision the company will appeal.

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IoT Ready to Light Up in 2017

After laying foundations for the Internet of Things in security and M&A in 2016, it's time to focus on deployments in IoT in 2017.

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China plans ambitious space programme

Yesterday, China’s National Space Administration announced an ambitious programme designed to make China one of the Big Three space powers alongside the USA and Russia. China aims to launch an unmanned Mars probe in 2020, and accomplish soft moon landings in 2017 and 2018, of which the second will be on the far side of ...

Read full article: China plans ambitious space programme

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Qualcomm slapped with $854 million fine by Korea

Korea has fined Qualcomm $854 million for abuse of a dominant market position. Korea says Qualcomm used its position to impose excessive licensing fees on Korean smartphone makers. Korea fined Qualcomm $200 million in 2009 for the same offence. Last year Qualcomm paid China $975 million for the same thing. Qualcomm is also a facing ...

Read full article: Qualcomm slapped with $854 million fine by Korea

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Shipments of Surface Studio better than expected in 4Q16, say Taiwan makers

Global shipments of Microsoft's top-end Surface Studio all-in-one PC during the fourth quarter were originally estimated at 15,000 units mainly because its prices of US$2,999, US$3,499 and US$4,199 are much higher than other AIO PCs', but actually may reach 30,000 units based on orders, and Microsoft has ordered 30,000 units to be shipped in the first quarter of 2017, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

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Etron looks to new products for future growth

Etron Technology has been engaged in the development of new product lines since 2014, eyeing opportunities in emerging market segments such as AR, VR and UAVs, according to Nicky Lu, chairman and CEO of the Taiwan-based fabless firm.

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China to lower terrestrial wind power feed-in tariffs for 2018

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has announced a reduction in feed-in tariffs for terrestrial wind power generation by 5.00-14.89%, with the new rates to come into effect on January 1, 2018.

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Lite-On Semi ramping GPP diode shipments to China, says paper

Lite-On Semiconductor, a maker of discrete and analog IC components, has been ramping up shipments of its GPP (glass passivated package) diodes to the smartphone sector in China, driving revenue growth at the company, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

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If Apple shifts production to US, most China supply chain makers will not follow, says report

If Apple shifts production from China to the US in response to US President-elect Donald Trump's calls for manufacturing in the US, most of its China-based supply chain makers will not follow suit due to higher labor and overall operating costs, as well as costs incurred in environmental accommodations, according to a qq.com report.

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Silicon wafer suppliers hike contract prices by 10% for 1Q17

Local and international silicon wafer suppliers have settled contract prices for 12-inch wafers for the first quarter of 2017 with Taiwan-based semiconductor firms, with overall prices edging up 10% on average, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

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HannStar Display lands orders with shipments scheduled through 1H17

TFT-LCD panel maker HannStar Display has obtained orders with shipments scheduled through the first half of 2017 and production capacity has been quite insufficient to meet demand, company vice president said at a December 27 investors conference.

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PCB maker Unimicron developing SLP products

PCB maker Unimicron Technology has set aside a capex budget of NT$4.946 billion (US$153.19 million) for 2017, according to the company.

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HTC expected to unveil HTC Vive 2 at CES 2017, says report

HTC is likely to unveil its second-generation VR device, the HTC Vive 2, at the upcoming CES 2017 to be held in Las Vegas from January 1-5, according to a Taipei-based Central News Agency (CNA) report.

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Audi/BMW/Daimler sell 10% stake in HERE to China and Singapore

Tencent, the Chinese internet investment company, NavInfo, the Chinese digital mapping company and GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, have bought 10% of HERE, the digital mapping company which Nokia sold to Audi, BMW and Daimler-Benz for $3 billion last year. The price is not disclosed. The three German car makers will reduce their stakes equally ...

Read full article: Audi/BMW/Daimler sell 10% stake in HERE to China and Singapore

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92% of UK engineers are men and 94% are white.

92% of UK engineers are men and 94% are white, says a report by the Royal Academy of Engineering. In a startling report the RAEng finds that, despite the need to double the number of engineering graduates, hardly any are women or from ethnic minorities. While 71% of white engineering graduates were in full-time jobs ...

Read full article: 92% of UK engineers are men and 94% are white.

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Fewer semi execs expect revenue and R&D growth in next three years. KPMG survey,

Half of the semiconductor executives surveyed by KPMG in its 2017 Outlook Report, expect revenue to grow and R&D spending to increase over the next three years, which is less than last year when the vast majority predicted revenue growth and R&D spending increases in the three-year outlook. “These are signs of a maturing industry, ...

Read full article: Fewer semi execs expect revenue and R&D growth in next three years. KPMG survey,

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What I Learned as a "Wrapper"

Learning to do wire wrap taught me not to assume what would and what wouldn't work well.

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Gintech to supply 30MWp PV modules to CSC

Gintech Energy has won a bid to supply high-efficiency PV modules to China Steel (CSC) for the largest steel maker in Taiwan to set up rooftop PV systems totaling 30MWp, according to industry sources.

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Taiwan science parks January-October revenues drop slightly, says MOST

Government-run Hsinchu Science Park (HSP), Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) and Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) generated combined revenues of NT$1.909 trillion (US$59.92 billion) during January-October 2016, dropping 0.59% on year, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

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Winbond orders equipment for NT$1.71 billion

Winbond Electronics has disclosed two purchases of machinery equipment from KLA-Tencor and Tokyo Electron for a total of NT$1.71 billion (US$52.87 million), according to company filings with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

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Getac expects ruggedized industrial PCs, auto components to drive growth in 2017 revenues, says chairman

Getac Technology expects ruggedized devices and automotive safety belt components to be the sources of growth in its 2017 consolidated revenues, according to company chairman James Hwang.

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Himax announces 5.5MP BSI image sensor for computer vision and NIR imaging applications

Himax Imaging, a subsidiary of Himax Technologies, has announced the HM5530 UltraSenseIR product, a low-power and low-noise 5.5-megapixel backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS image sensor with more than 40% quantum efficiency in the near infrared (NIR) spectrum enabling the next generation of embedded computer vision applications such as 3D cameras, autonomous navigation, event and pattern recognition and human-machine interaction.

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MLS hopes Germany will green-light Ledvance acquisition

Germany-based Osram Licht AG in late July 2016 announced the sale of Ledvance, its lamp business unit, to a China-based consortium of LED packaging service provider MLS, Yiwu State-owned Assets Operation Center and IDG Capital Partners at EUR400 million (US$418 million), and the consortium in September-October proposed an acquisition plan to the government in Germany and hopes to obtain approval in the first half of 2017, according to MLS.

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Card reader maker Castles to debut on TSE

Taiwan-based Castles Technology, a specialist in mobile POS devices and contactless readers, will debut on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) with an initial price of NT$39.45 (US$1.222) on December 30.

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ASE obtains ISO 26262 for its Kaohsiung site

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has obtained the ISO 26262 certification from TUV Nord for its Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan facility, according to the packaging and testing company.

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TSMC buys equipment for NT$9.74 billion

Pure-play foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has spent a total of NT$9.74 billion (US$301.96 million) on equipment from six suppliers, according to filings issued with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

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Europe Kicks Off GSA-Based Autonomous Driving Project

The European Agency for the global navigation satellite systems (GSA) has kicked-off ESCAPE, a three-year and 5.4 M euro project to exploit the services offered by Galileo, the European satellite navigation system, in the field of the automated driving.

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Your Year in Review, Unsung Hero

What are, for you, the big moments of 2016, the year's greatest unsung hero, and the stories that EE Times should write in 2017?

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The Future of 3D Printing Starts with Business

3D printing technology at the business level, particularly in manufacturing, is quickly emerging as the place where the real promise lies at least in the near future.

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TSMC Says 10nm on Track, Countering Reports

TSMC's 10nm process is "totally on track" and will contribute to sales revenue for the first time in the first quarter of 2017, according to TSMC.

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PTI buys equipment from Disco

Powertech Technology (PTI), which provides backend services for the manufacture of memory chips as well as logic ICs, has purchased packaging equipment and spare parts from Disco for about NT$500 million (US$15.6 million), according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

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SZS to sell Chongqing plants

Taiwan-based notebook hinge maker Shin Zu Shing (SZS) has announced it will sell its plants in Chongqing, China since demand from its clients from the city is weaker than expected, and the related supply chain is not sufficient.

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Zhen Ding, other PCB makers stepping into production of substrate-like PCB products, says paper

PCB and FPCB maker Zhen Ding Technology Holding has stepped into the development of substrate-like PCB (SLP) products in order to cope with demand from smartphone vendors, particularly Apple, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

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Compal shifting smart device production to Chongqing plants, says paper

Compal Electronics reportedly has signed a pact with the government of Chongqing, China to move its tablet and smart wearable device production to the city with production to start soon, according to a Chinese-language Apple Daily report.

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China market: Smartphone users to be allowed to uninstall preloaded apps, says report

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has published a set of preliminary regulations which demand smartphones sold in China beginning in July 1, 2017 come with a functionality that enables users to uninstall non-essential preloaded apps, according to a China-based qq.com report.

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MediaTek 1Q17 revenues likely to drop 10%

MediaTek is expected to post an about 10% sequential decrease in revenues for the first quarter of 2017, as a result of seasonal factors, according to industry sources.

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Avalue expects over 10% growth in 2016 and optimistic about 2017 performance

Taiwan-based industrial PC (IPC) maker Avalue Technology had weaker than expected growth in the second half of the year due to orders being postponed, but the company will still manage to achieve double-digit percentage growth in 2016 revenues thanks to its strong performance in the first half. As for 2017, the postponed orders plus its new orders for voting machines, which are expected to begin shipping in the first quarter, should boost the company's 2017 revenues.

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HMD Global developing 4 Nokia-branded smartphones for launch in 2Q-3Q17, say sources

Finland-based HMD Global is expected to announce its first Nokia-branded smartphones in February 2017 at Mobile World Congress (MWC), and has been cooperating with supply chain makers in Taiwan to develop four more models for launch in the second and third quarters of 2017, according to industry sources.

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IoT: A New Twist on an Old Idea

I have learned not to dismiss technology reincarnations with an "I've seen this one before" wave of the hand. Oftentimes, old ideas reappear in new guises because of the emergence of new enabling technologies.

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Asustek, Gigabyte restructing poorly performing businesses

As the mobile device market is no long seeing strong growth, Asustek Computer has been reorganizing its loss-making tablet business since the first half of 2016, while Gigabyte Technology is also planning to adjust operations for some of its poorly-performing subsidiaries such as Gigabyte Communications, which mainly handles the company's GSmart smartphone products, and Gigazone International, which handles PC and handset peripheral products.

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Global VR shipments to grow moderately in 2017 due to constrains in hardware, software support

Current major VR device players, including Sony, HTC and Oculus, are unlikely to enjoy a high growth rate in shipments in 2017 due to constrains in the supply of high resolution panels, high performance chips, and supporting software and firmware, according to industry sources.

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NSP to focus on high-efficiency solar cells, investments in PV power stations in 2017, says paper

Solar cell maker Neo Solar Power (NSP) will not expand production capacity beginning 2017 and instead will focus on hiking the proportion of models with high-energy conversion rates and investing in PV power stations in Taiwan and abroad, the Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News (EDN) cited company president Andy Shen as indicating.

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China sets latest 2017 tentative PV feed-in tariff rates

The China government has set the latest tentative feed-in tariff rates for PV power-generating stations and distributed PV systems to be established in China in 2017, with the rates likely to be the final ones, according to China-based media reports.

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Appro to be listed on Taiwan OTC

Appro Photoelectron, a developer of IP cameras, body-worn cameras, in-car video recorder solutions and police-use video recording modules, will be listed on Taiwan's over-the-counter (OTC) bourse in late January 2017, according to the company.

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Sharp to regain own-brand TV marketing in Europe via investing in SUMC

Sharp will regain marketing right of own-brand LCD TVs in the Europe market through investing JPY10.4 billion (US$88.6 million) for an over 50% stake in Cyprus-registered Skytec Universal Media Corp. (SUMC), according to Japan-based media reports.

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Chipbond grabs new gold bumping orders for power amplifiers, says report

Packaging and testing house Chipbond Technology reportedly has landed new orders for gold bumping for power amplifier (PA) components from Japan- and US-based vendors, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

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Unigroup Guoxin to hold over 50% of Yangtze River Storage

China's state-owned Unigroup Guoxin has disclosed plans to invest a total of CNY19.7 billion (US$2.84 billion) in Yangtze River Storage Technology to hold a controlling 51.04% stake in the memory company.

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New Ryzen CPU expected to help raise AMD desktop market share in 2Q17

AMD's next-generation 14nm Ryzen series processors will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2017 and the new platform will be officially released at the end of February and enter global mass shipments in March. Optimistic about its high price/performance ratio, motherboard players have been rather aggressive about placing orders for related motherboards recently and some even believe demand for the new platform will increase AMD's share in the worldwide desktop processor market in the second quarter of 2017.

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CSOT constructing 11G LCD factory

China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) in late November 2016 started construction of an 11G LCD factory with monthly production capacity of 140,000 glass substrates in Shenzhen, southern China, at an investment of CNY53.8 billion (US$7.8 billion). Production of 43-, 65- and 75-inch Ultra HD LCD TV panels and AMOLED panels is scheduled begin in March 2019, according to China-based media reports.

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Taiwan government launches Asia Silicon Valley plan

The headquarters of the Taiwan government's Asia Silicon Valley plan has begun operations with its main goal to maximize Taiwan's Internet of Things (IoT) business opportunities.

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Genesis Photonics boosting FC CSP application to avoid continued net losses

Genesis Photonics has been making efforts to promote FC CSP (flip chip chip scale packaging) for automotive headlights in a bid to bounce back from eight consecutive quarters of net losses, according to the company.

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Apple seeks help from Foxconn for Southeast Asia expansion, says paper

Apple has been aggressively looking to expand into the Southeast Asia market recently and has reportedly partnered with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) for related plans, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

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EEVblog #960 – Mystery Merry Mailbag Teardown

A mystery Mailbag teardown item!
Forum HERE

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Top 10 EELife Columns in 2016

Do you have any favorite columns that appeared on EELife, but that didn't make it to this Top 10?

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Top 10 Programmable Logic Columns in 2016

Do you have any favorite columns that appeared on Programmable Logic Designline, but that didn't make it to this Top 10?

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Asustek, HTC, Acer to fall short of their smartphone shipment targets for 2016

The three-leading Taiwan-based smartphone vendors, Asustek Computer, HTC and Acer, all will see their smartphone shipments fall short of their respective targets set for 2016, according to industry sources.

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China Mobile to focus 2017 handset development on maintaining 4G+ competitiveness

China Mobile has come up with a 2017 handset business development plan with a focus on maintaining its 4G+ competitiveness, according to the company.

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China top-3 vendors to ship over 500 million smartphones in 2017

The top-three China-based smartphone vendors, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, are expected to ship a combined over 500 million smartphones, or one-third of global smartphones shipments, in 2017, according to sources from Taiwan's handset supply chain.

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OLED to penetrate 68% of TVs in 2020, says PIDA

Use of OLED panels in TVs is on the rise, and the proportion of OLED models will keep rising to 68% in 2020, especially dominating high-end TV segment, according to the Photonics Industry & Technology Development Association (PIDA).

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China November mobile communication user base grows to 1.32 billion, says MIIT

There were 1.32 billion subscribers of mobile communication services in China as of the end of November 2016, increasing 0.13% on month and 1.23% on year, and 182.73 million (13.85%) were 3G users, 734.49 million (55.66%) 4G users, and 1.074 billion (81.38%) mobile Internet-access users, according to statistics published by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

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New PV silver paste makers expected to gain more market share

While DuPont, Germany-based Heraeus, South Korea-based Samsung SDI and Taiwan-based Giga Solar Materials have dominated the global supply of PV silver paste used to make crystalline silicon solar cells, newcomers' combined global market share will rise from less than 10% in 2015 to over 15% in 2016 and further to over 25% in 2017, according to industry sources.

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Foxconn appoints CMO, says report

Foxconn Electronics has named Freddie Yuan as the first person to hold the title of chief marketing officer (CMO) for the company, with the appointment becoming effective in December, according to a Taipei-based Central News Agency (CNA) report.

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Taiwan November manufacturing production index up, says MOEA

Taiwan recorded a manufacturing production index (2011 as base year) of 112.91 for November 2016, increasing 2.05% on month and 10.36% on year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on December 23.

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Foxconn adds stake investment in Smart Technologies

Foxconn Electronics on December 23 announced that its Singapore-based subsidiary Foxconn Singapore Pte. will add an investment of US$60 million in Smart Technologies, a Canada-based developer of interactive smart white boards and software solutions used in education and business.

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Electronic Design’s Products of the Week (12/18-12/24)

Here we've rounded up some of the latest products to optimize your applications, devices, and systems.

read more

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SoftBank will make ARM more important for IoT, says Silicon Labs

ARM licensee Silicon Labs is confident that the change of ownership at the Cambridge-based processor firm earlier this year will not be a problem. In fact, ARM’s role in embedded low power microcontroller applications could become even stronger. Daniel Cooley, general manager of the IoT business at Silicon Labs expects the change of ownership at ARM to have a ...

Read full article: SoftBank will make ARM more important for IoT, says Silicon Labs

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Samsung, TSMC hit by poor 10nm yields

Samsung and TSMC have been hit by poor yields on their 10nm processes, reports Digitimes. With TSMC scheduled to begin 10nm production for Apple in Q1, this could be a problem for the Apple A10 and A11 processors processors required, respectively, for the new iPad generation an the iPhone 8. Production of the A11 is ...

Read full article: Samsung, TSMC hit by poor 10nm yields

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Honda and Waymo looking at autonomous car alliance

Honda is talking to Google about teaming up with Google’s autonomous car unit, Waymo. Google put its autonomous car operation in a separate unit earlier this year after deciding not to pursue the development of its own autonomous car but continue with the development of driverless car technologies. In that respect it is hoping to ...

Read full article: Honda and Waymo looking at autonomous car alliance

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China Mobile brings forward schedule for developing 5G

The largest China-based mobile telecom carrier, China Mobile, will undertake large-scale testing of 5G networks in 2017, testing in 2018, and begin commercial operations of 5G networks around China starting 2020, according to China-based Tencent.

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Taiwan market: Microsoft unveils BizTalk Server 2016

Microsoft on December 22 unveiled BizTalk Server 2016, a platform for automating mission critical business processes and integrating private cloud with public clouds, for launch in the Taiwan market.

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FET finishes first 5G testing in Taiwan in cooperation with Ericsson

Mobile telecom carrier Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) has completed the first 5G tests in Taiwan, both indoors and outdoors, on 15GHz frequency bands in cooperation with Ericsson which provided prototype 5G equipment, according to FET.

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Commentary: Implications of former TSMC executive serving as independent director at SMIC

The catchup being played by China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) to the rank of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has moved one step further with former TSMC co-chief operating officer Shang-yi Chiang accepting an offer to serve as an independent, non-executive director at SMIC.

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Imec joins Google cloud for start-ups

Imec has joined the Google Cloud Platform for Startups programme which provides financial support for the coaching and training of entrepreneurs establishing tech businesses. Joining the Google programme expands the support the imec.istart program is able to provide to its startups and will further stimulate early stage startups to develop and market their innovative applications ...

Read full article: Imec joins Google cloud for start-ups

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60% of China PV makers may be forced out in 2017, say reports

Viewing that China-based PV makers are characterized by relatively high debt asset ratios, and global PV demand will shrink in 2017, about 60% of China-based PV makers, especially second- and third-tier ones, will be unable to survive and may be forced out of market in 2017, according to China-based media reports.

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AUO, Novatek, Chipbond to benefit from Sharp decision to stop supplying panels to Samsung, says report

Taiwan flat panel maker AU Optronics (AUO), LCD driver IC supplier Novatek Microelectronics and driver IC packaging firm Chipbond Technology will benefit from Sharp's decision to suspend the supply of LCD panels to Samsung Electronics beginning 2017, according to a Chinese-language udn.com report.

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International prices for solar-grade wafers struggle to reach US$0.9 in 2017, says Danen Technology chairman

International quotes for a solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafer in 2017 are unlikely to reach the relatively high level of US$0.90 seen in the first half of 2016 due to oversupply, and are expected to peak at US$0.80 when demand is relatively strong, according to chairman and president James Fang for solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafer maker Danen Technology.

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China panel makers ship over 1 million smartphone-use AMOLED displays in 3Q16, says IHS

China-based flat panel makers shipped more than one million AMOLED displays to the smartphone sector for the first time in the third quarter of 2016, according to IHS Markit.

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SK Hynix to build new NAND flash fab

SK Hynix has announced it will construct a new fab in Cheongju, South Korea to meet increasing NAND flash demand.

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Huawei Technologies chooses Pegatron, Quanta as notebook ODMs in 2017

Huawei Technologies will launch a 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch clamshell notebook in 2017 and has selected Taiwan-based Pegatron and Quanta Computer as ODMs, according to industry sources.

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Sigurd budgets NT$1.6 billion for 2017 capex

Testing company Sigurd Microelectronics plans to budget NT$1.61 billion (US$50.2 million) in capital expenditures for 2017 to mainly replace equipment and expand production capacity, according to a resolution passed by the company's board of directors.

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Foundries 10nm yield rates lower-than-expected

Both Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) and Samsung's 10nm processes have reached lower-than-expected yield rates, according to industry sources.

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Taiwan market: Kingwaytek Technology launches 4G-based in-car IoV device

Digital map provider Kingwaytek Technology on December 22 launched an in-car IoV (Internet of Vehicles) device based on 4G in the Taiwan market. The device features navigation functions, cloud-based telematics and driving-related software.

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Friday Quiz: Acquired Companies, Part 1

The electronics business is full of stories about acquisitions. How many of these do you know?

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Lattice introduces iCE40 UltraPlus high-performance low-power FPGAs

New FPGAs are ideally suited for use in instant-on, context-aware systems, including smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2he41Rf
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Race for AI Chips Begins

Deep learning has continued to drive the computing industry's agenda in 2016. But come 2017, experts say the Artificial Intelligence community will intensify its demand for higher performance and more power efficient "inference" engines for deep neural networks.

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Computing Got Colorful in 2016

With the rise of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, new memory types, and 5G, computing came into a kind of brilliant autumn in 2016.

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Micron's Successful Quarter Reflects 3D NAND Progress

Rosy numbers are due in large part to market conditions, but betting on floating gate technology for 3D NAND has allowed it to rapidly climb a steep ramp

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DARPA Funds Small Businesses with Big Ideas

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched its answer to Kickstarter, theCommercial Performer Program that aims to harness the little guys ideas that are now being underfunded.

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Could Engineers be Accused of Killing Jobs?

Will robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and self-driving cars make us more productive, put us out of work, or create jobs that require new skills?

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CES: Ericsson, 20th Century Fox and BMW talk 5G

5G mobile technologies and the impact they are expected to have on the connected world of billions of IoT devices will be a big theme at CES 2017, which takes place in Las Vegas next month. Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA, which organises the exhibition, writes: “From the Internet of Things, to virtual reality to self-driving ...

Read full article: CES: Ericsson, 20th Century Fox and BMW talk 5G

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CES: Super-low power processor takes battery out of smartwatch

Is it possible, a smart watch that is powered by body heat? Wearable healthcare and fitness monitors are expected to be important IoT applications. But manufacturers are just scratching the surface of what wearables can do, and often compromise one consumer demand for another. So one interesting announcement at CES 2017 exhibition next month will come ...

Read full article: CES: Super-low power processor takes battery out of smartwatch

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Hynix making $2.7bn bet on NAND market

Hynix is capitalising on the shortage and rising ASPs of memory by investing $2.7 billion in NAND fabs in Korea and China. “In order to grow further, it is important to secure production facilities in advance to deal with NAND Flash market growth to be led by 3D NAND solutions,” says Hynix. $1.8 billion will ...

Read full article: Hynix making $2.7bn bet on NAND market

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By 2019, 20% of user interactions with smartphones will take place via VPAs, says Gartner

Advances in various technologies will drive users to interact with their smartphones in more intuitive ways, said Gartner. Gartner predicts that, by 2019, 20% of all user interactions with the smartphone will take place via virtual personal assistants (VPAs).

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Pegatron chairman re-elected as TCA president

Pegatron Technology chairman TH Tung has been re-elected as the president of the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) with AUO chairman Paul Peng becoming convener of the supervisory committee.

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FocalTech to ship 4 million TDDI solutions a month in 1Q17, says paper

FocalTech Systems is expected to ship up to four million TDDI (touch with display driver IC) solutions a month on average in the first quarter of 2017, up from three million units in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

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Lenovo to downsize scale in Brazil, says report

Lenovo will reduce its scale to decrease overall operating costs in Brazil, mainly through downsizing personnel by 84% from 8,000 employees currently to 800, and reducing total floor area at a factory to be set up in Sao Paulo State, southeastern Brazil, by 50%, according to tech.sino.com.

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FPCB makers expected to see weak 1H17

Flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) makers Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect are expected to see weak revenue performances for the first five months in 2017 as demand for iPhone 7 has started weakening and the two suppliers are unlikely to regain their momentum until Apple begins to prepare for its next-generation iPhone in June 2017, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

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Antenova puts design tools on-line

Antenova, the Hatfield antenna specialist, is launching a series of tools and resources to help product designers successfully integrate antennas onto new PCB designs, with the aim of making antenna integration simpler and faster for all designers. From today, the company is offering a free Antenna Transmission Line Calculator tool to help designers calculate the ...

Read full article: Antenova puts design tools on-line

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ST and Valencell produce biometric wearables development kit

Valencell, a biometric data sensor technology developer, and ST have launched a kit for biometric wearables that includes ST’s SensorTile multi-sensor module integrated with Valencell’s Benchmark biometric sensor system. SensorTile is an IoT module, measuring 13.5 square millimeters, which incorporates an STM32L4 microcontroller, a Bluetooth Low Energy chipset, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor, temperature sensor, ...

Read full article: ST and Valencell produce biometric wearables development kit

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Infineon shipping rad-hard Mosfets

Infineon is shipping volume quantities of its first radiation hardened MOSFETs based on the proprietary N-channel R9 technology platform. Compared to previous technologies it is offering size, weight and power improvements. This is significant in systems such as high-throughput satellites, where the cost-per-bit-ratio can be significantly reduced. The 100 V, 35 A MOSFETs are ideally ...

Read full article: Infineon shipping rad-hard Mosfets

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IC market to grow 8% next year, says Semiconductor Intelligence

The semiconductor market will grow at 8% next year, says Semiconductor Intelligence. After 11.6% growth in Q3, companies are expecting a flattish Q4. For 2016 the outlook is flat, just as it was in 2015. Q4 looks weak based on the guidance from the above companies. Six companies projected declines in Q4 revenue based on ...

Read full article: IC market to grow 8% next year, says Semiconductor Intelligence

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Synopsys Wins Injunction Against EDA Startup

Court order prohibits ATopTech from selling any product found to infringe Synopsys copyrights.

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Robot products may not enjoy demand as expected in 2017, says market watchers

Although many vendors have already entered into the robot market and released products aiming for 2017, some market watchers are pessimistic about their demand as these products are not essential to consumers and limitations over their usages and technologies still require more times to be fully conquered.

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Lenovo lands datacenter server orders from TSMC with help from Compal

Lenovo is cooperating with Compal Electronics to land orders from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for datacenter servers with orders reportedly lasting through July 2017, according to sources from the upstream supply chain, who added that the orders should help Lenovo remain the largest server brand vendor in Taiwan.

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Everlight Electronics' Germany subsidiary WOFI Leuchten subject to patent infringement

The District Court of Düsseldorf, Germany, has judged that WOFI Leuchten Wortmann & Filz GmbH, a Germany-based residential lighting subsidiary maker of Taiwan-based LED packaging service provider Everlight Electronics, infringed Nichi's two YAG phosphoric material (white LED) patents, EP 2 197 053 (DE 697 40 792) concerning two white LED products and EP 2 276 080 (DE 697 40 795) concerning 10 white LED products, according to Nichia.

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CPT China subsidiary to start production in July 2017

Fujian Hua Chia Cai, a China-based wholly owned subsidiary of TFT-LCD panel maker Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), is constructing a 6th-generation TFT-LCD factory with a monthly production capacity of 30,000 glass substrates in southeastern China, with installation of production equipment scheduled for January 2017 and production to kick off in July of the year, according to CPT.

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Former TSMC senior executive becomes independent, non-executive director for SMIC

Shang-yi Chiang, the former executive VP and co-chief operating officer overseeing R&D for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has been appointed by Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) as an independent. non-executive director of the China-based pure-play foundry. The appointment became effective on December 20.

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MLS to invest in Huaian Aucksun Optoelectronics Technology

The largest China-based LED packaging service provider MLS will invest CNY500 million (US$72.5 million) in Huaian Aucksun Optoelectronics Technology, a China-based LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker, for a 26.88% stake to secure supply of LED chips, according to industry sources.

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Taiwan November unemployment rate down on month, year, says DGBAS

Taiwan had 455,000 jobless citizens in November 2016, equivalent to an unemployment rate of 3.87% which dropped 0.08 percentage point on month and 0.04 percentage point on year, according to statistics released by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) on December 22.

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Taiwan market: Asustek officially launches Zenbo home service robots

Asustek Computer has officially launched its home service robot, the Zenbo, in the Taiwan market. The company will begin to take the first round of pre-orders for the robots on January 1, 2017.

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TDK to acquire InvenSense for US$1.3 billion

TDK and InvenSense have entered into a definitive agreement wherein TDK agrees to acquire all outstanding InvenSense shares for cash at US$13.00 per InvenSense share, for a total acquisition price of US$1.3 billion, according to the companies. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

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Kinpo acquires 3D printer orders from Lenovo, says paper

Taiwan-based manufacturer Kinpo has landed orders from Lenovo for 3D printers which will begin shipping at the end of December and mass shipping in early 2017, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

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HTC sends out invitations for product event on January 12

HTC has sent out invitations for a product event to be held on January 12, 2017. New products to be presented at the event may include smartphones, VR devices or other types of wearable products.

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FPCB maker Flexium to buy back 9 million shares

Flexible PCB maker Flexium Interconnect plans to buy back as many as nine million units of its shares directly from the local stock market within the next two months. The repurchased treasury shares will be distributed to employees, the company said.

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China Returns Navy Sea Drone

Seaglider sea drones are capable of executing sea-bottom assays and mapping at depths of up to 1,000 meters.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2htBTYc
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High-Speed Fiber Optics Connect Smart Factories

As M2M and IoT shape business and operations strategies, influence product design and compel companies to re-examine how suppler and customer data is collected and used, a question begs: How will companies pool together all their internal factory.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2iaKUJF
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TDK Agrees to Pay $1.3B for InvenSense

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hV1YCT
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CES: Intel says server healthcare is vital for reliable IoT

Intel will step up its offensive to become a force in all areas of the consumer electronics market at the CES 2017 exhibition in Las Vegas next month. In an attempt to offset its continuing dominate of the computing market – both consumer and enterprise – the processor firm will present its views on applications ...

Read full article: CES: Intel says server healthcare is vital for reliable IoT

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Memory market to grow 10%, says IC Insights

The memory msrket will grow 10% next year, says IC Insights, and will be worth $85.3 billion as a result of ASP rises in DRAM and NAND. After increasing by more than 20% in both 2013 and 2014, the memory market fell upon difficult times in 2015, saysvIC Insights. Conditions that would normally be seen ...

Read full article: Memory market to grow 10%, says IC Insights

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Element14 and TI launch wearables challenge.

element14 has launched a new Design Challenge for designers and engineers called ‘Safe and Sound’, sponsored by TI. element14 will challenge 15 community members to design a personal safety-oriented wearable device or solution that protects a person from personal and environmental risks, monitors personal health or protects personal property from theft. The application areas for ...

Read full article: Element14 and TI launch wearables challenge.

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Government to tighten up drone laws

The government is expected to tighten up on drone use with criminal offences created for people flying drones in no-fly areas. “Some are not aware of the rules or choose to break them putting public safety, privacy and security at risk,” says Avistion Minister Lord Ahmad. A crime of drone misuse could be created. Already, ...

Read full article: Government to tighten up drone laws

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108% growth for AR/VR headsets

AR and VR headsets unit shipments will grow enjoy 108% CAGR between 2015 and 2020, says IDC. The 2020 market is expected to have 76 million unit sales with VR shipping units than AR because it’s cheaper at the moment. More competition and cheaper technology is expected to change that. IDC looks at three headset ...

Read full article: 108% growth for AR/VR headsets

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Dell leads in Windows Hello biometric security solutions, say Taiwan makers

Among vendors of business-use notebooks, tablets and 2-in-1 hybrid models, Dell has leadership in adopting Windows Hello, Microsoft's new biometric security system built into Windows 10 that supports fingerprint, facial or iris recognition solutions matched with a dual-lens camera, and is expected to increase adoption of such solutions in 2017, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

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TV panel prices further rise in December, says IHS

Prices for 40- to 43-inch LCD TV panels have risen US$3 and those for 49- to 65-inch units have increased US$5 in December, according to IHS.

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Huami to ship over 16 million wearable devices in 2016, says report

Huami, a subsidiary of Xiaomi Technology, has shipped over 16 million wearable devices, including Xiaomi Mi Band, so far in 2016 with shipment value reaching CNY1.5 billion (US$215.83 million), according to a China-based qq.com report.

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CPT lands orders from China smartphone vendors

TFT-LCD panel maker Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) has disclosed it has obtained significant orders from two major China-based smartphone vendors, with shipments scheduled for first-quarter 2017.

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Powerchip CEO sees robust DRAM market

The DRAM market conditions for 2017 will be brisk, according to Frank Huang, CEO for Taiwan-based Powerchip Technology.

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Solenoid maker Tai Shing sees stock price surge over 40% on first trading session

The stock of own-brand solenoid and solenoid valve maker Tai Shing Electronics Components debuted on Taiwan's over-the-counter (OTC) market on December 21 with an initial price of NT$40 (US$1.25) per share.

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Memory IC market to increase 10% in 2017, says IC Insights

The total memory IC market is forecast to increase 10% to a new record high of US$85.3 billion in 2017, according to IC Insights. ASP gains for DRAM and NAND flash will help boost total memory sales.

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Taiwan sees increased November export order value, says MOEA

Taiwan received export orders worth US$43.62 billion in total in November 2016, increasing 2.2% on month and 7.0% on year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on December 20.

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2017 Predictions, Networking Edition

It's always interesting (and dangerous) to lay out some predictions for the future of technology, so here are a few visions from my crystal ball for networking.

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Toshiba sampling eMMC embedded auto NAND

Toshiba has launched JEDEC eMMC Version 5.1 compliant embedded NAND flash memory products supporting AEC-Q100 Grade2 requirements. The line-up offers densities of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Sample shipments start from today with mass production scheduled for Q2 2017. The products integrate NAND chips fabricated with 15nm process technology with a controller to manage basic ...

Read full article: Toshiba sampling eMMC embedded auto NAND

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TDK in Talks to Buy InvenSense

TDK is reportedly in talks to acquire inertial and microphone MEMS company InvenSense for about $1.1 billion.

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Trina Solar shareholders consent to delisting from NYSE

China-based PV module maker Trina Solar has announced its shareholders have voted in favor of a plan to delist the company from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

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Innolux denies playing a role in Sharp panel supply strategy

LCD panel maker Innolux under the Foxconn Group has maintained it operates independently, denying it is playing a part in Foxconn Electronics' strategy for supply of TV applications.

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Taiwan market: Smartphone shipments to reach 8-8.5 million units in 2017

Shipments of smartphones in the Taiwan market in 2017 are expected to be flat on year, totaling about at 8-8.5 million units, according to sources from local retail channels.

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Acer recognizes intangible asset impairment of NT$6.34 billion

Acer on December 20 announced the recognition of intangible asset impairment of NT$6.34 billion (US$199 million), equivalent to net loss per share NT$2.06, for 2016 in accordance with IAS (International Accounting Standard) 36.

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MediaTek dismisses report of cut in 10nm chip orders

MediaTek has dismissed a recent Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report indicating the company plans to cut its 10nm chip orders by nearly 50%.

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Ex-TSMC CEO Tsai reportedly to join Tsinghua Unigroup

Rick Tsai, ex-chairman for Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) and ex-CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), reportedly will join China's state-owned Tsinghua Unigroup to assist in the establishment of a new 12-inch wafer plant in Chengdu.

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TSMC buys equipment for NT$6.57 billion

Pure-play foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has spent a total of NT$6.57 billion (US$123.4 million) this week on equipment from eight suppliers, according to filings issued with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

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Quartz component maker Siward invests in New Zealand-based Rakon

Quartz component supplier Siward Crystal Technology has announced that it has purchased 38.02 million shares of New Zealand-based fellow company Rakon for US$10 million or US$0.26 per share.

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Wafer Works to set up 8-inch fab in China

The Shanghai subsidiary of silicon wafer supplier Wafer Works plans to expand its capital by CNY700 million (US$102 million) by selling new shares to a Henan-based industrial development fund, according to the parent company in Taiwan.

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LCD equipment maker Csun reports earnings for November

Semiconductor and LCD equipment supplier Csun Manufacturing has reported net profits of NT$15 million (US$469,050) for November, up 167.2% from a year earlier. The earnings translated into an EPS of NT$0.10 for the month.

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ARM Bolsters HPC Position Through Acquisition

ARM announced it bought Allinea Software, a provider of software tools for high performance computing.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hRgI31
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Chips Execs See Maturing Industry

Semiconductor industry executives responding to a survey see revenue, R&D stable over the next three years.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hFryuZ
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Hello Oculus Touch Controllers; Farewell Breakfast Chandelier

Touch controllers take your virtual reality to a new level of immersive experience, but you have to make sure your play area is clear, otherwise...

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2gZJRqE
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Infineon clarifies Macom lawsuit situation

Infineon has issued a statement that it’s lawsuit with Macom is not settled as some Macom statements might suggest. The court has made no decision on the merits, says a Infineon, Macom has neither won the case nor is settlement imminent. The lawsuit should determine whether Macom continues to be licensed to certain Infineon Americas ...

Read full article: Infineon clarifies Macom lawsuit situation

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BMW to Demo Innovative HMI at CES

BMW will show at the upcoming CES a "virtual touchscreen," a free-floating display that seems to waft between the center stack and the driver.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hWOuUs
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Sitting Around on Your Zuckerbutt

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg AI experiment yields good news and bad news.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hWCimD
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Memory Drives Chip Growth

DRAM and NAND sales and prices are expected to rise for the next several years, leading overall semiconductor growth, according to a new report from IC Insights.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hRp90X
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Sensor Net to Run on RF Power

Researchers at PARC are developing a distributed building automation network using sensors that sip power from 900-MHz RF hubs.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hWg2cz
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Cook, Light, and Drive With RF Energy

RF energy, through the use of high-power solid-state amplifiers and feedback, could change the way we cook, light our homes, and power our vehicles. These applications are still in their infancy, but there's real potential.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hEa1Dl
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CES: Solar cells integrated into IoT-connected buildings

At the CES 2017 exhibition in Las Vegas next month, German printed electronics firm Heliatek is presenting its HeliaFilm technology for building integrated organic photovoltaic cells for widespread urban installations. The significance of HeliaFilm is that it integrates the PV panels as part of the building. In this way the energy generation can be distributed around industrial and commercial buildings which will be smartly connected with ...

Read full article: CES: Solar cells integrated into IoT-connected buildings

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Certification service provider IST acquires factory from SPIL

Taiwan-based Integrated Service Technology (IST), which offers full-scope verification and analysis services to the IC engineering industry with customers covering the whole spectrum of the electronics industry from IC design to end products, has acquired a factory owned by IC backend house Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) for a total of NT$412 million (US$12.9 million), according to company filings with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

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Shuttle steps into care service management systems

Shuttle has introduced an in-house-developed smart home service solution, that utilizes a cloud-based operational management system to provide long-term care services for the elderly and disabled.

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Taiwan foreign direct investment tops US$10.6 billion in January-November, says MOEA

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) approved 3,093 foreign direct investment projects (except from China) with a total value of US$10.634 billion in January-November 2016, respectively decreasing 9.35% and increasing 157.58% on year, according to MOEA statistics released on December 20.

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Digitimes Research: MVNOs growing fast in Japan, may face mergers due to price competition

MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) services have seen fast growing demand in Japan mainly due to the government asking mobile telecom carriers to unlock SIM cards and stop offering zero-price smartphones bundled with 2-year contracts in a bid to enliven the market. However, MVNOs are likely to be under pressure from mergers due to price-cut competition, according to Digitimes Research.

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2.9m VR units shipped in 2016, says TrendForce

Nearly 3 million VR devices will be shipped this year and 5 million next year, says TrendForce. Biggest seller is Play Station VR followed by Facebook’s Oculus Rift and HTC’s Vie. All three devices have been hit by low production yields and component shortages, says TrendForce which estimates that 2.91 million units will ship this ...

Read full article: 2.9m VR units shipped in 2016, says TrendForce

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Qualcomm joins Xen Project

Qualcomm has joined them thee Xen Project which promotes ARM-based server technologies. “Qualcomm Technologies is committed to supporting many open source communities that power the foundation of hyperscale cloud computing, including Xen Project,” says Qualcomm’s Elsie Wahlig, “as an advisory board member and through our code contributions, we are working to continue to make the ...

Read full article: Qualcomm joins Xen Project

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Imec diabetes spin-off raises €7m.

Indigo Diabetes, a spin-off from Ghent University (UGent) and Imec, has raised a €7 million series-A financing round. The funding is provided by an international investment syndicate led by Thuja Capital Healthcare Fund II (The Netherlands) and PMV (Belgium), and includes Sensinnovat, Parana Management Corp, Qbic Arkiv Fund, Fidimec, SOFI, Manuardeo and Capricorn ICT Arkiv ...

Read full article: Imec diabetes spin-off raises €7m.

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Flat 2016, growth in 2017 and 2018, says WSTS

The worldwide semiconductor market is forecasted to be $335 billion in 2016 – virtually unchanged from 2015 – and to grow 3% in 2017 and 2% in 2018 to reach $354 billion in 2018, reports WSTS. For 2016, growth in Discretes (4.2%), Sensors (22.6%), Analog (4.8%) and Microprocessors is expected to be offset by declines ...

Read full article: Flat 2016, growth in 2017 and 2018, says WSTS

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Flat 2016, growth in 2017 and 2018, says WSTS

The worldwide semiconductor market is forecasted to be $335 billion in 2016 – virtually unchanged from 2015 – and to grow 3% in 2017 and 2% in 2018 to reach $354 billion in 2018, reports WSTS. For 2016, growth in Discretes (4.2%), Sensors (22.6%), Analog (4.8%) and Microprocessors is expected to be offset by declines ...

Read full article: Flat 2016, growth in 2017 and 2018, says WSTS

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Taiwan Mobile to reduce capex for 2017

Taiwan Mobile (TWM) expects its capex for 2017 to be significantly lower than the amount it spent in 2016 due to decreased spending on establishing network infrastructure, according to company president James Jeng.

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Taiwan market: Sony Mobile, Samsung to launch mobile e-payment services

Mobile electronic payment (e-payment) services will gain a boost in the Taiwan market in 2017 as Sony Mobile Communications and Samsung Electronics will launch related services soon, according to market sources.

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TV panel supply chain in major reshuffle with Sharp set to stop shipments to Samsung

Foxconn Electronics' decision to have its subsidiary Sharp stop shipping LCD TV panels to Samsung Electronics beginning 2017 will trigger a chain reaction that will also affect Sony, according to the industry sources.

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Adata profits boom in October, November

Memory module firm Adata Technology has disclosed its pre-tax profits for October and November reached a combined NT$711 million (US$22.2 million), which already surpassed the NT$643 million reported for the first three quarters of 2016.

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Cypress shipping MCUs based on eCT embedded flash memory manufactured at UMC

Cypress Semiconductor has begun volume shipments of microcontrollers (MCUs) containing its proprietary 40nm embedded charge-trap (eCT) flash manufactured at United Microelectronics (UMC), according to the companies. The shipments mark the culmination of a multi-year collaboration between Cypress and UMC to integrate Cypress's flash technology with UMC's 40nm low-power (40LP) logic process.

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Phison posts strong profits for January-November

Phison Electronics' pre-tax profits totaled NT$5.05 billion (US$157.6 million) for the first 11 months of 2016, with a pre-tax EPS reaching NT$25.60, according to the flash device controller firm.

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Nova Technology 2017 revenues likely to rise 20% or more

Taiwan-based Nova Technology, which supplies fab tool services for wafer fabs and LCD plants, is expected to enjoy 20% or more revenue growth on year in 2017 with higher profits, according to market sources.

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EEVblog #958 – Mailbag

XMAS Mailbag
T-Shirts HERE
Forum HERE

SPOILERS:
Tritium powered nuclear battery from NurdRage
Blackberry Playbook Tablet Teardown
Sony Video & Audio Editing System 1990’s style
http://www.youtube.com/user/lexonacid
TinyLabs 125KHz RFID keyfob cloning device from TinyLabs
0603 Resistor Kit
TinyGrill
Telematics Gateway (Dodge Charger 2011) Teardown
Cicso GLC-SX-MM Multi-Mode fibre optic module teardown
Tesla vs Edison T-Shirt

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New Consortium Drives Micron's Xccela Bus

The demand for instant-on applications needs to be met with unified flash memory standards, according to Micron and early members, which is competing with Cypress Semiconductor's Hyper-family of products

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2gVun7b
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China's Memory Drama: Must-See in 2017

China's memory chip production plans became evident to close industry observers in 2016. What they'll be watching for next is, who will make the first move in devising and negotiating technology licensing agreements or joint ventures with China.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2i2LbON
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Software Bug Induces Extreme Hardware Test, Maybe

It's easy to make test and troubleshooting assumptions, and we may not have the time or tools to find out what the actual cause of the problem is.

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Looking Ahead to 2017

The SIA is focused on working with the incoming Administration and Congress to continue advancing semiconductor industry priorities in the year ahead.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2i7M58q
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Mechanical Mastermind Creates Horological Masterpiece

You won't believe the attention to detail that goes into designing, modeling, measuring, cutting, grinding, polishing, and fitting the parts to realize this horological wonder.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hSgtEv
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Global Chip Sales Could be Flat This Year

A new industry forecast calls for semiconductor sales to be flat in 2016, a remarkable turnaround considering the bleak forecasts issued earlier in the year.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hMjTJn
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Sensor Firm Novelda Raises Funds, Changes CEO

Norwegian firm will use funding to take take XeThru branded CMOS sensors to high volume production.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2h2PqrZ
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Global Chip Market Recovery Gathers Steam

The pace of year-on-year global chip market growth increased markedly in October led by the regions of the eastern hemisphere.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2h3TlGz
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Programmable Power Supply/Management ICs Save Time & Money

These new ICs may be thought of as analog FPGAs for power, which is ironic since the power market is 6X larger than FPGA market.

from EETimes: http://ift.tt/2hLTBXG
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Brexit is not all bad, says UK manufacturing market

The ‘Brexit Referendum’ has had a positive effect  on the  component distribution market. Despite the uncertainty created by the referendum vote in the summer, the distribution market in the UK is likely to show a better than expected 3% growth in 2016, according to the Electronic Components Supply Network (ECSN). Aubrey Dunford, market analyst at the ...

Read full article: Brexit is not all bad, says UK manufacturing market

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Surrey University enhances conductivity of composites

A technology that could enhance both the electrical and thermal conductivity of conventional composite materials has been developed thanks to a collaboration between the University of Surrey, University of Bristol and the aerospace company Bombardier. Carbon fibre composites, composed of reinforcing carbon fibres within a plastic, have revolutionised industries that demand strong, yet light materials. ...

Read full article: Surrey University enhances conductivity of composites

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Design engineers rely on prototyping rather than simulation

10% of design engineers are still relying purely on physical prototyping rather than a combination of prototyping and simulation, says a report from 6SigmaET. This could, says 6SigmaET, add significant, unnecessary costs to their designs. The findings come from a survey of over 350 engineers working in industrial, consumer and mass-produced electronics. Rather than running ...

Read full article: Design engineers rely on prototyping rather than simulation

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IoT sets new design rules for firms

The evolving IoT market offers product companies tremendous opportunities but presents development teams with an inevitable conflict between product complexity and project timescales, writes Stefan Ingenhaag The IoT market expects that each new product generation extends the previous generation with an innovative set of exciting new features and capabilities. However, the lifetime of each product generation has ...

Read full article: IoT sets new design rules for firms

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China firms extend smartphone market share

112.3 million smartphones were sold in China in Q3, reports Digitimes Research, and 118.4 million are expected to be sold in Q4. The Q3 figure represents 30.9% of all smartphones sold in the world. Foreign companie sold 17.1 million units – 15.2% of the shipments which represented decreases of 2.8% on the quarter and 36.7% ...

Read full article: China firms extend smartphone market share

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Globalfoundries Greater China head reportedly to leave

Joe Chen, VP of sales for Greater China at Globalfoundries, has submitted his resignation that will be effective from December 20, according to industry sources.

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Phison to start shipping UFS solutions in 1Q17

Taiwan-based Phison Electronics has announced it will start shipping solutions for UFS 2.1 NAND flash storage devices in the first quarter of 2017.

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Globalfoundries adds new partners to FDXcelerator program

Globalfoundries has announced the addition of eight new partners to its growing FDXcelerator program. They are Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), Amkor Technology, Infosys, Mentor Graphics, Rambus, Sasken, Sonics and QuickLogic.

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Laster Tech aims at 30% global market share for LED automotive lighting modules in 10 years

LED automotive lighting module maker Laster Tech has attained an about 20% market share in China and will also beef up marketing in the US and Europe, aiming at a global market share of 30% in 10 years, according to the company.

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NCKU, MediaTek cooperate to help Tainan City in dengue fever control

National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and MediaTek on December 15 announced cooperation to establish a joint laboratory for smart citywide disease control, with thirr first plan to help the government of Tainan City, southern Taiwan, control dengue fever in the city, according to MediaTek.

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AR/VR headsets to grow at 5-year CAGR of 108.3%, says IDC

Worldwide augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset shipments are expected to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 108.3% over 2015-2020 forecast period, reaching 76 million units by 2020, according to IDC. The more affordable VR devices will continue to lead the market in terms of volume. However, IDC expects AR headsets to pick up momentum over the forecast as more affordable technologies and more OEMs enter the market.

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China LED packagers expand capacities for fine pixel pitch LED displays

In view of fast growing demand for fine pixel pitch LED displays in the China market, China-based LED packaging service providers have expanded or will expand production capacities, according to industry sources.

from DIGITIMES: IT news from Asia http://ift.tt/2h1aQFO
via Yuichun