Industry News
Digital MEMS Microphone Market Expands, Partly Driven by New iPad and iPad 2 Design Wins
March 28, 2012 5:33 am | News | CommentsDriven by their widespread use in top-selling mobile devices like Apple Inc.’s new iPad and iPad 2, market revenue for digital microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphones is set to overtake the analog segment next year for the first time ever. Revenue for digital MEMS microphones will reach $315 million in 2013, compared to $261 million for the analog MEMS equivalents, according to an IHS iSuppli MEMS Special Report from information and analytics provider IHS.
Did Apple Tell the New iPad’s Battery Meter to Lie on Purpose?
March 27, 2012 7:03 am | by Peter Pachal | News | CommentsThe new iPad is a huge hit for Apple, to the tune of 3 million devices sold in the first weekend alone. And it’s no wonder — the device is a big upgrade from previous models, quadrupling the resolution of the tablet’s screen to an ultra-sharp “retina” display. However, the new model has brought with it a spate of minor issues, one of which is slowly rising to the status of “scandal.
ViaWest Welcomes Infolink Consulting as Newest Member to its Channel Partner Program
March 27, 2012 6:36 am | News | CommentsViaWest announces the addition of Infolink Consulting to its Channel Partner Program Infolink is a Premier IBM Cognos and Informatica business partner specializing in business analytics and data integration solutions. Designed to offer partners competitive solutions packages, ViaWest’s Channel Program is a benefit to providers looking to expand their services portfolio, increase their clients’ overall satisfaction and boost sales.
Green Hills Software Celebrates 30 Years of Embedded Industry Leadership
March 27, 2012 6:34 am | News | CommentsGreen Hills Software is celebrating its 30-year anniversary. The company attributes its 30 years of stability and growth to forming strong long-term relationships with customers and partners, remaining focused on delivering leading technology innovation, and the technical depth and stability of its founding executive team.
NFC Phone Sales to Jump to 100 million in 2012
March 26, 2012 11:17 am | News | CommentsSome 100 million cellphones using Near-field Communication (NFC) technology will be sold this year, with sales more than tripling from a year ago, research firm Berg Insight said on Monday. Handset vendors released more than 40 NFC-enabled models in 2011, hoping to tap emerging market for mobile payments.
Uniforms With Microchip Notify Parents If Their Children Skip School
March 26, 2012 11:12 am | News | CommentsIn Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil, 20,000 grade school students have recently started wearing uniforms embedded with GPS chips similar to those used in pet trackers. The chips automatically send parents a text message as soon as their children enter the school grounds, or if their children are late for more than 20 minutes.
First LTE Windows Phones Will Be Available April 8
March 26, 2012 11:09 am | News | CommentsThe first LTE Windows Phones will officially be available April 8 in the form of the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II. Booth handsets were announced earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. The Lumia 900 will be the third smartphone released by Nokia in the U.S. following its partnership with Microsoft.
Researchers Seek to Advance Thin-film Electronic Devices
March 23, 2012 5:12 am | News | CommentsResearchers in California have made a discovery that could advance organic thin-film electronic devices. According to a report on the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory website, researchers have determined the pathways by which electrical charge is transported from molecule to molecule in an organic thin film.
Telecommunications Industry Association Supports Passage of JOBS Act
March 22, 2012 6:37 am | News | CommentsThe Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and its 500 member companies, the manufacturers and suppliers of global communications networks, support Senate passage of the JOBS Act. This legislation will modernize the nation’s capital formation rules, reduce red tape and help emerging growth companies, including those in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, transition into public company regulatory compliance.
FCC Moves Forward on 700 MHz Interoperability and MSS Spectrum Rules
March 22, 2012 6:08 am | News | CommentsThe FCC voted to investigate what technical factors should be taken into account as part of an effort to make the entire Lower 700 MHz band interoperate. Additionally, the FCC voted to look at rules that would allow terrestrial use of Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum, which could have a significant impact on how and when Dish Network deploys its network.
Apple Battles Motorola, Nokia and RIM Over SIM Card Specs
March 22, 2012 6:06 am | News | CommentsApple is leading a charge against rival smartphone makers Motorola Mobility, Nokia and Research In Motion over specifications for the so-called "nano-SIM," the next generation of smaller SIM cards for smartphones, according to a Financial Times report. Apple submitted a request to European Telecommunications Standards Institute in May 2011 to standardize the nano-SIM design, which would allow companies to free up more internal space in devices for other functions.
Reverse Printer Erases Content on Paper
March 22, 2012 6:03 am | by using long and ultrashort pulsed lasers, the technology can remove laser-printed content, leaving the paper clean and undamaged. The paper can easily be reused and printed on again. | News | CommentsA team of researchers at the University of Cambridge has come up with an innovation that can “unprint” something. According to reports, the new technique could be 20 times more efficient than recycling and more eco-friendly as it only emits half the carbon emissions. “Material recovery through reusing eliminates the forestry step from the life cycle of paper and eradicates emissions arising from paper incineration or decomposition in landfill,” said Julian M.
AT&T Reinvents the Steering Wheel
March 22, 2012 5:57 am | News | CommentsDistracted driving kills an estimated 3,000 people yearly in the United States, triggering calls for bans on one of the causes, mobile phone use in vehicles. In response, the wireless industry is ramping up its anti-distraction efforts. Now, AT&T Labs is contributing with a vibrating steering wheel that promises to deliver navigation information to drivers more safely than on-screen instructions or turn-by-turn GPS commands.
Networks for Remote Contractors See Massive Growth
March 22, 2012 5:16 am | News | CommentsAs more employers embrace telecommuting, marketplaces that connect them with remote freelance workers are taking off. These sites allow businesses to post projects that can be completed away from an office in a database that workers can browse. They’re different from crowdsourcing sites such as Mechanical Turk that help businesses hire anonymous workers for often-mindless tasks.
New Site Offers eCommerce of Epoxies, Bonding Wire and Tools, and Laser Cut Epoxy Preforms
March 22, 2012 5:12 am | by Posted by Ron M. Seidel, Editorial Intern March 22, 2012 | News | CommentsSemiGen, an RF/Microwave assembly and automated PCB manufacturing house has announced the grand opening of their new RF Supply Center and is accepting online orders for immediate shipment of low volumes of popular epoxies, adhesive films, bonding tools, gold wire and other supplies used in die attach, substrate attach, chip bonding, assembly, screen printing, and surface mounting of microwave modules and components.
Richardson RFPD and Analog Devices to Present Live Webinar on Integrated RF ICs
March 16, 2012 11:10 am | by Posted by Janine E. Mooney, Editor | News | CommentsRichardson RFPD announced it will be joining with Analog Devices to present a free one-hour webinar explaining how to optimize infrastructure and point-to-point (PTP) radio designs using highly integrated RF ICs. The webinar will be hosted by Microwave Journal on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, beginning at 8:00 AM PT/ 11:00 AM ET/ 3:00 PM UTC.
iPad Expected to Dominate Sales of NAND Flash in Media Tablets at Least Through 2015
March 16, 2012 11:07 am | News | CommentsWith its leading market share position and high memory usage, Apple Inc.’s iPad is set to continue to dominate worldwide demand for NAND flash in media tablets at least through the year 2015, according to the IHS iSuppli Memory & Storage Service from information and analytics provider IHS. Apple’s iPad in 2011 accounted for a commanding 78 percent of global gigabyte shipments of NAND flash for use in media tablets, down from 92 percent in 2010, when it had the market all to itself for most of the year.
Laser Services Implements New Manufacturing Software Program
March 16, 2012 10:40 am | News | CommentsLaser Services has announced that as part of their ongoing commitment to ISO and AS 9100 standards, they have recently reached a new plateau in process management. By building out new modules in their 2009 MRP software solution, E2, they recently achieved a dramatic increase in on-time deliveries. Every step in their design and production process, from purchase orders to production and shipping, is now monitored and controlled through a custom developed MRP scheduling component in E2.
Printed Electronics Europe: Here Comes the User Pull
March 16, 2012 10:35 am | by Posted by Janine E. Mooney, Editor | News | CommentsPrinted Electronics has come of age: Here comes the user pull, and also the user pool. At the Printed Electronics Europe 2012 Berlin ( www.PrintedElectronicsEurope.com ) event, every attendee will become a user after receiving a working printed electronics product. The addictive nature of printed electronics has created end users from as many as diverse verticals from including electronics, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, military, advertising & media and toy industries.
Juniper Networks to Sponsor the Cloud & Technology Transformation Alliance
March 16, 2012 10:11 am | News | CommentsVIRGO and The 2112 Group announced that Juniper Networks will be participating in and sponsoring the new Cloud & Technology Transformation Alliance (CTTA). The CTTA is a communal project of IT professionals dedicated to examining the challenges and opportunities with next-generation technologies and to develop best practices and adoption guidance for the entire IT community.
RFMW and MAJR Products Announce Worldwide Distribution Agreement
March 16, 2012 10:06 am | by Posted by Janine E. Mooney, Editor | News | CommentsRFMW and MAJR Products announced a worldwide distribution agreement effective November 1, 2011. MAJR Products is a leading supplier of high performance EMI/RFI shielding products. RFMW Ltd. is a specialized distributor providing customers and suppliers with focused distribution of RF and microwave components as well as specialized component-engineering support.
Micrel Expands Clock and Timing Solutions with Acquisition of PhaseLink
March 16, 2012 10:04 am | News | CommentsMicrel announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling interest in PhaseLink Company Limited, a private company based in Taiwan and Silicon Valley. The acquisition is intended to complement Micrel’s high performance clock generation and distribution products for the communication market, as well as expand its offerings into the consumer and industrial markets.
New Consulting Services to Support RF Design and Test Engineers
March 16, 2012 10:02 am | News | CommentsConstant Wave announced it has launched a suite of consulting services to support the needs of RF design and test engineers. Consulting services include: Design or test process development and optimization; measurement, analysis and application assistance; and live product training. Services are customized to specific customer needs – whether engineers need help developing or improving a test process, or solving a measurement challenge.
TIA ICT Market Review & Forecast Says U.S. Network Infrastructure Spending to Reach $300 Billion by 2015
March 15, 2012 12:35 pm | News | CommentsIndustry’s Most Comprehensive Data Report Also Predicts Wireless Data Spending will Top Voice Spending for the First Time in 2013; Anticipated to Reach $108 Billion The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech global communications networks, has announced the release of its 2012 ICT Market Review & Forecast (MR&F).
Mouser Advances Product Knowledge with New Medical Applications Site
March 15, 2012 12:24 pm | News | CommentsMouser Electronics has announced the launch of its new Medical Applications Product Knowledge Center (PKC) training site, focused on providing the most current insight into personal fitness, wellness and medical applications available. As one of the fastest growing industries, medical electronics represents an increasingly demanding market for design engineers.
