http://www.electronicsweekly.com/ElectronicsWeekly.com - News, analysis, research and opinions provided by the journalists of Electronics Weeklyen-gbCopyright Reed Business Information 2006http://www.electronicsweekly.com/images/ew-logo.gifhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/14430Electronics WeeklyThu, 03 Jul 2008 17:32:00 GMT60http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44065/tsmc-cheers-up-chip-industry.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44065/tsmc-cheers-up-chip-industry.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsGood news for the stability of the chip market is that the leading foundry, TSMC, reckons Q3 sales will be better than Q2 and that the semiconductor market will grow 5 per cent this year.Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:32:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44064/hynix-hopes-for-dram-tariff-relief.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44064/hynix-hopes-for-dram-tariff-relief.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe US government starta a review of the tariff which Hynix has to pay on its DRAM exports to the US following the 2003 finding by the US authorities that the company had been unfairly subsidised by the Korean government.Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:41:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44063/nanomachine-senses-with-single-electron-transistor.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44063/nanomachine-senses-with-single-electron-transistor.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsUniversity of Southampton's School of Electronics and Computer Science is combining nanomachining and single-electron transistors, aiming to make sensitive sensors. "This is the first time that anyone has combined these two nanotechnologies to develop a smart sensor," says project leader Professor Hiroshi Mizuta.Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:58:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44062/operators-drive-down-cost-of-3g-femtocell.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44062/operators-drive-down-cost-of-3g-femtocell.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsTelecoms operators are pushing to get the cost of a 3G femtocell in the home down to €40 – well below the current $99 (€63) targetThu, 03 Jul 2008 14:35:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44061/surrey-nano-tool-will-improve-solar-cell-efficiency.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44061/surrey-nano-tool-will-improve-solar-cell-efficiency.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsSurrey NanoSystems has won an order to supply Ludwig-Maximilians University with a sputtering tool to support fundamental research into the fabrication of hybrid solar cellsThu, 03 Jul 2008 14:24:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44060/top-ten-blog-posts-exploding-wind-turbine-st-nxp-wireless-lithium-ion-batteries.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44060/top-ten-blog-posts-exploding-wind-turbine-st-nxp-wireless-lithium-ion-batteries.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsHere are the top ten most-read blog posts on ElectronicsWeekly.com this last week. A video of a self-destructing wind turbine leads the way, from the "Good Ideas, Bad Execution" blog Made By Monkeys. And Mannerisms follows with a post on the new venture ST-NHXP Wireless...Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:13:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44055/intel-adds-mpu-market-momentum-but-amd-makes-long-term-gains.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44055/intel-adds-mpu-market-momentum-but-amd-makes-long-term-gains.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsAbout half of AMD's long-term growth came at the expense of Intel, iSuppli reports, adding that the remainder came out of the market-share of smaller suppliers.Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:32:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44056/cypress-sells-mems-unit-to-dainippon.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44056/cypress-sells-mems-unit-to-dainippon.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsCypress keeps the laser optical navigation sensor technology developed by its Silicon Light Machines subsidiary, but has sold the MEMS remainder of the business to Dainippon Screen Manufacturing.Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:07:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44058/applied-teams-with-researchers-on-advanced-films-for-next-gen-displays.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/03/44058/applied-teams-with-researchers-on-advanced-films-for-next-gen-displays.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe US Display Consortium-sponsored programme will bring together the US government, private industry, and university participants to allow research and development for future display technology.Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:24:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44054/uk-government-urged-to-back-plastic-electronics-to-the-hilt.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44054/uk-government-urged-to-back-plastic-electronics-to-the-hilt.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe government's former chief scientific advisor Sir David King has told MPs the government must "back to the hilt" British investment in plastic electronics engineering.Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:56:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44052/i2c-sets-16-channel-led-flasher.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44052/i2c-sets-16-channel-led-flasher.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsAn open-drain port expander for microcontrollers, the Catalyst Semiconductor CAT9552, is aimed at switching and flashing LEDs for advertising and industrial control. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:05:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44051/nand-still-strong-even-without-apple-effect-semico.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44051/nand-still-strong-even-without-apple-effect-semico.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsDespite the rough start to the year and without substantial pull from Apple and its coming devices like the 3G iPhone, Semico forecasts 2008 NAND revenues will increase 13%, with unit growth of 35%.Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:44:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44050/avnet-looks-to-programmable-ic-market-with-latest-acquisition.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44050/avnet-looks-to-programmable-ic-market-with-latest-acquisition.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsAvnet buys Source Electronics, a provider of outsourced custom programming services for ICs. Source will be integrated into the services operations of Avnet Logistics, a division that delivers logistics and programming services globally.Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:32:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44049/renesas-combines-china-sales-technical-subsidiaries.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44049/renesas-combines-china-sales-technical-subsidiaries.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsBy reducing the number of the sales and technical support organisations in China from four to two, Renesas believes its actions will create a more efficient business system with unified sales and technical support operations.Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:09:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44057/shrinking-standards-squeeze-embedded-designs.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/02/44057/shrinking-standards-squeeze-embedded-designs.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsAs new embedded designs combine highly integrated silicon, portable platforms, and soaring data rates, the industry is adopting smaller form factors that emphasize cooling, reliability, and performance.Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44048/top-10-most-viewed-products-on-electronicsweekly.com.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44048/top-10-most-viewed-products-on-electronicsweekly.com.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsHere are the top ten most viewed Products on ElectronicsWeekly.com in the last week, with Silicon Sensing angular rate sensors still leading the way (pictured), followed by a SiTel Semiconductor single-chip DECT and an Avago Technologies RF 802.11 a/b/g/n front end module... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:42:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44047/anomalies-puzzle-chip-industry.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44047/anomalies-puzzle-chip-industry.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNews"The global economy is unsettled, but the semi market is holding its own", writes Malcolm Penn, CEO of Europe's leading chip industry analysts, Future Horizons, in its June market report, pointing out a series of anomalies prevailing in the semiconductor industryTue, 01 Jul 2008 11:51:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44046/quad-dac-sets-dc-dc-converters.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44046/quad-dac-sets-dc-dc-converters.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsMaxim introduces quad and dual sink-source current DACs specifically designed for power-supply adjustment, the DS4422 and DS4424. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:12:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44045/oil-price-adds-to-problems-for-manufacturers.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44045/oil-price-adds-to-problems-for-manufacturers.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsFuel prices continue to escalate, with concerns over US domestic stocks leading to the price of crude hitting a record high of $135 a barrel - and with no indication of a slowdown in the immediate futureTue, 01 Jul 2008 11:04:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44044/iqe-expands-wafer-capacity-to-meet-us-orders.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44044/iqe-expands-wafer-capacity-to-meet-us-orders.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsIQE has announced significant orders from its largest customers for various products from the semiconductor wafer manufacturer's New Jersey facilityTue, 01 Jul 2008 10:53:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44043/imperial-heart-implant-pulses-rf-piezo-oscillator.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44043/imperial-heart-implant-pulses-rf-piezo-oscillator.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsImperial College is developing an implantable passive blood pressure monitor based around a SAW (surface acoustic wave) oscillator. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:08:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44042/consumer-electronics-keep-semi-sales-strong-sia.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44042/consumer-electronics-keep-semi-sales-strong-sia.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsThe Semiconductor Industry Association reports that growing sales of consumer electronics in emerging markets have become a major factor driving semiconductor sales.Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:07:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44041/virage-logic-pays-5.2m-for-non-volatile-memory-ip-business.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/07/01/44041/virage-logic-pays-5.2m-for-non-volatile-memory-ip-business.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsWith the deal, Impinj becomes a pure-play RFID provider and Virage extends its embedded memory position into the non-volatile memory market for standard CMOS processes.Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:47:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/06/30/44040/dialog-looks-for-analogue-designers-in-edinburgh.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/06/30/44040/dialog-looks-for-analogue-designers-in-edinburgh.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNews"We’re recruiting every week,” Dr Jalal Bagherli, CEO of Dialog, told EW, “we started in Edinburgh last year with three designers and already we’re up to 20.”Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:03:00 GMThttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/06/30/44038/via-improves-pico-itx-io.htmhttp://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2008/06/30/44038/via-improves-pico-itx-io.htmeditorial@electronicsweekly.comNewsx86 processor maker Via Technologies has up-graded its 100x72mm Pico-ITX motherboard, and simplified its connections easing industrial use. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:34:00 GMT