Fusion-io code makes servers storage appliances

Fusion-io code makes servers storage appliances

SAN JOSE – Fusion-io is shipping its Ion Data Accelerator, software to enable it flash memory cards on a server to act as a storage networking array or appliance. The code opens up a new front in competition between servers and appliance makers for storage networking jobs.

Fusion-io pioneered a route to boosting server performance by selling solid-state drives that ride the PCI Express interface to act as caches, expanding memory throughput. To date servers have been the biggest market for solid-state drives but flash-based appliances are seen as the next big target.

“We expect to be an increasingly large part of the flash appliance market” with the Ion software, said Woody Hutsell, senior director of product development at Fusion-io.

Storage giant EMC is also on the trial with plans for similar software code-named Thunder it may release before the end of the year, said David Floyer, CTO and co-founder of market watcher Wikibon (London).

“There will be some huge investments in software in this sector,” said Floyer. Fusion-io is in the lead, but it “lacks the financial muscle of an EMC, HP or IBM, so they have to keep running, and if they trip the bigger competitors could trample them,” he said.

Fusion-io claims Ion software on servers will outperform on most fronts competing appliances from Violin Memory and Texas Memory Systems. It plans to support up to 20 Terabytes of memory delivering 600,000 I/O operations/second with read and write latencies of 73 and 56 microseconds, respectively

Competitors beat Ion only in write latency due to their use of DRAM buffers which require power back up with batteries or supercapacitors.

The software sells for $3,900 and will be generally available in October from Fusion-io as well as partners Cisco Systems, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM. A division of distributor Synnex Corp. will sell the software integrated with servers from HP and Supermicro.

Separately, Fusion-io announced a design partnership with NetApp. The two will work to optimize Fusion-io’s server software for use with NetApp’s Virtual Storage Tier products including its Data Ontap operating system.

In addition, Fusion-io is working with unnamed partners on software accelerating atomic write operations for databases. It is also “in the early stages” of preparing a software developers kit that makes its PCIe flash disks look like main memory capable of handling load/store operations for Linux and Windows Server operating systems.

“There’s a range of applications there,” said Gary Orenstein, vice president of products for Fusion-io.
TAG:Ion Data Accelerator Storage Networking Arrays Solid State Drives Flash Drives Storage Appliances Fusion io Storage Networking Storage Flash Memory Servers NetApp

New sim, testing tools used to design Mars lander

New sim, testing tools used to design Mars lander

WASHINGTON – When engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) realized they had to start from scratch in order to safely land a Mini Cooper-sized rover on the surface of Mars, they realized simulating the fiery descent and landing widely known as the “Seven Minutes of Terror” would require an unprecedented amount of computer simulations and testing.

They turned to companies like Siemens PLM Software to help conduct thermal design and analysis studies to determine how the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft carrying the Curiosity rover would behave as it descended through the thin Martian atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. NASA engineers had to figure out how to protect the spacecraft moving at speeds as high as 13,000 miles per hour as it descends to its landing site from temperatures as high as 1,447 degrees C.

If the spacecraft survives the fiery entry into Mars’ atmosphere and its sky crane successfully lands Curiosity on the surface early Monday morning (Aug. 6), the rover must then be able to operate at temperatures ranging from -135 degree C to +50 degrees C.

Tim Nichols, managing director of Siemens PLM Software (PLM stands for Product Lifecycle Management) said in an interview that program managers also had to find ways to model the G forces on the spacecraft during entry, descent and landing. Early in the risky program, Nichols continued, JPL engineers realized they needed a far more integrated approach to simulating the hazardous automated landing and the spacecraft’s predicted behavior as a way to minimize risk.


The automated entry, descent and landing sequence of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft that will use a risky sky crane landing technique to lower the Curiosity rover to the surface of Mars. (Source: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

TAG:Mars Science Laboratory Siemens PLM Curiosoty Simulation Testing Mars NASA JPL

New sim, testing tools used to design Mars lander

New sim, testing tools used to design Mars lander

WASHINGTON – When engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) realized they had to start from scratch in order to safely land a Mini Cooper-sized rover on the surface of Mars, they realized simulating the fiery descent and landing widely known as the “Seven Minutes of Terror” would require an unprecedented amount of computer simulations and testing.

They turned to companies like Siemens PLM Software to help conduct thermal design and analysis studies to determine how the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft carrying the Curiosity rover would behave as it descended through the thin Martian atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. NASA engineers had to figure out how to protect the spacecraft moving at speeds as high as 13,000 miles per hour as it descends to its landing site from temperatures as high as 1,447 degrees C.

If the spacecraft survives the fiery entry into Mars’ atmosphere and its sky crane successfully lands Curiosity on the surface early Monday morning (Aug. 6), the rover must then be able to operate at temperatures ranging from -135 degree C to +50 degrees C.

Tim Nichols, managing director of Siemens PLM Software (PLM stands for Product Lifecycle Management) said in an interview that program managers also had to find ways to model the G forces on the spacecraft during entry, descent and landing. Early in the risky program, Nichols continued, JPL engineers realized they needed a far more integrated approach to simulating the hazardous automated landing and the spacecraft’s predicted behavior as a way to minimize risk.


The automated entry, descent and landing sequence of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft that will use a risky sky crane landing technique to lower the Curiosity rover to the surface of Mars. (Source: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

TAG:Mars Science Laboratory Siemens PLM Curiosoty Simulation Testing Mars NASA JPL

Startup raises $30 million to bring MRAM to market

Startup raises $30 million to bring MRAM to market

LONDON – A Moscow-based investor has helped MRAM startup Avalanche Technology Inc. (Fremont, Calif.) close a third round of equity funding at $30 million. The money will be used to "productize" the company's technology, which the firm says is ready for action in applications such as solid-state drives.

The $30 million raised brings the total invested in the company since its formation in 2006 to about $50 million.

The money will be used to bring Avalanche's spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) non-volatile memory chips into production. These will be based on Avalanche's proprietary spin-programmable memory (SPMEM) technology, which the company claims combines spin-current and voltage switching to allow lower write current, smaller cell size and scalability to future technology nodes and radiation-hard applications.

Avalanche did not state what size of stand-alone memory it intends to bring to market or when. But on its website the company states it has produced 64-Mbit STT MRAMs on 65-nm low power CMOS processes on 300-mm diameter wafers at multiple foundries.

The memory is expected to be utilized in solid-state storage such as solid-state drives (SSDs), the company added.

Avalanche also ostates on its website that its cell size roadmap begins at 15F2 and extends below 1.0F2 to be less than 20 percent of the relative size of any current memory device.
Next: From Russia with love
TAG:VTB Capital MRAM Avalanche memory SSD semiconductor magnetic

Wolfson predicts return to profit in 2H12

Wolfson predicts return to profit in 2H12

LONDON – Audio and MEMS mixed-signal chip company Wolfson Microelectronics plc (Edinburgh, Scotland) has announced a reduction in its net loss in the second quarter as it has increased its sales revenue. The company said it expects to return to "underlying profitability" in the second half of 2012.

The company made a net loss of $2.2 million on revenue of $40.3 million in 2Q12. This compares with a net loss of $6.2 million on revenue of $30.3 million in 1Q12. A year before in 2Q11 the company made a net loss of $2.6 million on revenue of $38.6 million. Revenue was up 33 percent sequentially and 5 percent year on year.

Wolfson said ramping sales were largely due to design-ins with smartphones and that three leading manufacturers of mobile devices have selected Wolfson MEMS microphones for products due to launch in 2H12.

Revenues in 3Q12 are expected to be in the range $46 million to $54 million, depending on customer product ramps with the mid point being 24 percent up on 2Q12.

"Despite consumer market headwinds persisting, our first half results are in line with previous guidance and we have achieved considerable revenue momentum. Our audio hubs and MEMS microphones continue to be adopted at record levels by brand-leading companies, particularly in smartphones and tablet computers," said Mike Hickey, CEO of Wolfson, in a statement.


Related links and articles:

www.wolfsonmicro.com

News articles:

Wolfson wins audio slot in Samsung smartphone

Wolfson to acquire Dynamic Hearing

ST teams with Swiss startup on audio ICs


TAG:Wolfson audio MEMS microphone sound fabless semiconductor

AMD recruits Apple processor guru as chief chip architect

AMD recruits Apple processor guru as chief chip architect

LONDON – Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) has announced the appointment of Jim Keller as corportate vice president and chief architect for microprocessor cores reporting to CTO Mark Papermaster.

Keller is aged 53 but has broad experience. He has designed several generations of mobile processors for Apple and prior to that worked with Broadcom, AMD and prior to that spent time as a consulting engineer with Digital Equipment Corp. where he architected two generations of Alpha processors.

Keller has been asked to lead the microprocessor core design efforts with a focus on developing both high-performance and low-power processor cores that will be the foundation of AMD's future products.

"Jim is one of the most widely respected and sought-after innovators in the industry and a very strong addition to our engineering team," said senior vice president and CTO Papermaster, in a statement issued by AMD. "He has contributed to processing innovations that have delivered tremendous compute advances for millions of people all over the world, and we expect that his innovative spirit, low-power design expertise, creativity and drive for success will help us shape our future and fuel our growth."

Keller was most recently a director in the platform architecture group at Apple focusing on mobile products, where he architected several generations of mobile processors, including the chip families found in millions of Apple iPads, iPhones, iPods and Apple TVs. Prior to Apple, Keller was vice president of design for P.A. Semi, a fabless semiconductor design firm specializing in low-power mobile processors that was acquired by Apple in 2008.

While at P.A. Semi, he led the team responsible for building a powerful networking system-on-chip and its integrated PowerPC processor.

Keller previously worked at SiByte and Broadcom as chief architect for a line of scalable, MIPS-based network processors. Prior to working at Broadcom he spent several years at AMD, playing an instrumental role on the design team responsible for Athlon and Opteron processors, which featured the world's first native x86-64 bit architecture. In addition Keller co-authored the widely adopted HyperTransport specification, as well as the x86-64 processor instruction set.

Keller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University.


Related links and articles:

Report: Samsung ramping Apple's A6 chip

TSMC's A6 processor to respin, says report

Samsung, TSMC and the A6: not OR but AND?

TSMC test runs Apple processor, says report

Samsung fabs Apple A5 processor


TAG:Jim Keller Mark Papermaster processor Apple Broadcom semiconductor ARM MIPS PowerPC Alpha DEC

AMD recruits Apple processor guru as chief chip architect

AMD recruits Apple processor guru as chief chip architect

LONDON – Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) has announced the appointment of Jim Keller as corportate vice president and chief architect for microprocessor cores reporting to CTO Mark Papermaster.

Keller is aged 53 but has broad experience. He has designed several generations of mobile processors for Apple and prior to that worked with Broadcom, AMD and prior to that spent time as a consulting engineer with Digital Equipment Corp. where he architected two generations of Alpha processors.

Keller has been asked to lead the microprocessor core design efforts with a focus on developing both high-performance and low-power processor cores that will be the foundation of AMD's future products.

"Jim is one of the most widely respected and sought-after innovators in the industry and a very strong addition to our engineering team," said senior vice president and CTO Papermaster, in a statement issued by AMD. "He has contributed to processing innovations that have delivered tremendous compute advances for millions of people all over the world, and we expect that his innovative spirit, low-power design expertise, creativity and drive for success will help us shape our future and fuel our growth."

Keller was most recently a director in the platform architecture group at Apple focusing on mobile products, where he architected several generations of mobile processors, including the chip families found in millions of Apple iPads, iPhones, iPods and Apple TVs. Prior to Apple, Keller was vice president of design for P.A. Semi, a fabless semiconductor design firm specializing in low-power mobile processors that was acquired by Apple in 2008.

While at P.A. Semi, he led the team responsible for building a powerful networking system-on-chip and its integrated PowerPC processor.

Keller previously worked at SiByte and Broadcom as chief architect for a line of scalable, MIPS-based network processors. Prior to working at Broadcom he spent several years at AMD, playing an instrumental role on the design team responsible for Athlon and Opteron processors, which featured the world's first native x86-64 bit architecture. In addition Keller co-authored the widely adopted HyperTransport specification, as well as the x86-64 processor instruction set.

Keller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University.


Related links and articles:

Report: Samsung ramping Apple's A6 chip

TSMC's A6 processor to respin, says report

Samsung, TSMC and the A6: not OR but AND?

TSMC test runs Apple processor, says report

Samsung fabs Apple A5 processor


TAG:Jim Keller Mark Papermaster processor Apple Broadcom semiconductor ARM MIPS PowerPC Alpha DEC

AMD recruits Apple processor guru as chief chip architect

AMD recruits Apple processor guru as chief chip architect

LONDON – Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) has announced the appointment of Jim Keller as corportate vice president and chief architect for microprocessor cores reporting to CTO Mark Papermaster.

Keller is aged 53 but has broad experience. He has designed several generations of mobile processors for Apple and prior to that worked with Broadcom, AMD and prior to that spent time as a consulting engineer with Digital Equipment Corp. where he architected two generations of Alpha processors.

Keller has been asked to lead the microprocessor core design efforts with a focus on developing both high-performance and low-power processor cores that will be the foundation of AMD's future products.

"Jim is one of the most widely respected and sought-after innovators in the industry and a very strong addition to our engineering team," said senior vice president and CTO Papermaster, in a statement issued by AMD. "He has contributed to processing innovations that have delivered tremendous compute advances for millions of people all over the world, and we expect that his innovative spirit, low-power design expertise, creativity and drive for success will help us shape our future and fuel our growth."

Keller was most recently a director in the platform architecture group at Apple focusing on mobile products, where he architected several generations of mobile processors, including the chip families found in millions of Apple iPads, iPhones, iPods and Apple TVs. Prior to Apple, Keller was vice president of design for P.A. Semi, a fabless semiconductor design firm specializing in low-power mobile processors that was acquired by Apple in 2008.

While at P.A. Semi, he led the team responsible for building a powerful networking system-on-chip and its integrated PowerPC processor.

Keller previously worked at SiByte and Broadcom as chief architect for a line of scalable, MIPS-based network processors. Prior to working at Broadcom he spent several years at AMD, playing an instrumental role on the design team responsible for Athlon and Opteron processors, which featured the world's first native x86-64 bit architecture. In addition Keller co-authored the widely adopted HyperTransport specification, as well as the x86-64 processor instruction set.

Keller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University.


Related links and articles:

Report: Samsung ramping Apple's A6 chip

TSMC's A6 processor to respin, says report

Samsung, TSMC and the A6: not OR but AND?

TSMC test runs Apple processor, says report

Samsung fabs Apple A5 processor


TAG:Jim Keller Mark Papermaster processor Apple Broadcom semiconductor ARM MIPS PowerPC Alpha DEC

RF test startup raises funds

RF test startup raises funds

LONDON – Mesuro Ltd. (Cardiff, Wales), a startup RF test company founded in 2008 as a spin off from Cardiff University, has announced it has raised £700,000 (about $1.1 million) in a funding round.

The money will be used to expand overseas sales and device characterization capabilities, the company said.

The system expansion will allow the company to provide device testing at continuous waveform powers of up to 100 watts to 4-GHz fundamental with harmonic control to 12-GHz, covering the major wireless communications bands including LTE. Mesuro will provide on-wafer testing capability up to 50-GHz, which will provide aerospace- and defense-related customers with enhanced capabilities.

"The Mesuro sales are extremely encouraging and these funds should enable the company to convert its highly promising pipeline in the coming year," said David Baynes, CEO of Mesuro investor Fusion IP plc, in a statement from Mesuro.

Ann Casey, Investment Executive Finance Wales, commented: "Mesuro has made excellent progress in developing and commercializing its testing equipment. It is clearly focused on its market and already achieving creditable sales levels. We are pleased to participate in this funding round as it will give Mesuro the capital it needs to expand into new markets and we look forward to seeing even greater sales revenues."


Related links and articles:

www.mesuro.com

News articles:

Rohde & Schwarz extends into North American EMC market

Industry view: Strategy Analytics on the RF market

Spirent's wireless-connectivity test system offers simultaneous functional device testing

TAG:Mesuro Cardiff RF microwave test measurement

RF test startup raises funds

RF test startup raises funds

LONDON – Mesuro Ltd. (Cardiff, Wales), a startup RF test company founded in 2008 as a spin off from Cardiff University, has announced it has raised £700,000 (about $1.1 million) in a funding round.

The money will be used to expand overseas sales and device characterization capabilities, the company said.

The system expansion will allow the company to provide device testing at continuous waveform powers of up to 100 watts to 4-GHz fundamental with harmonic control to 12-GHz, covering the major wireless communications bands including LTE. Mesuro will provide on-wafer testing capability up to 50-GHz, which will provide aerospace- and defense-related customers with enhanced capabilities.

"The Mesuro sales are extremely encouraging and these funds should enable the company to convert its highly promising pipeline in the coming year," said David Baynes, CEO of Mesuro investor Fusion IP plc, in a statement from Mesuro.

Ann Casey, Investment Executive Finance Wales, commented: "Mesuro has made excellent progress in developing and commercializing its testing equipment. It is clearly focused on its market and already achieving creditable sales levels. We are pleased to participate in this funding round as it will give Mesuro the capital it needs to expand into new markets and we look forward to seeing even greater sales revenues."


Related links and articles:

www.mesuro.com

News articles:

Rohde & Schwarz extends into North American EMC market

Industry view: Strategy Analytics on the RF market

Spirent's wireless-connectivity test system offers simultaneous functional device testing

TAG:Mesuro Cardiff RF microwave test measurement

RF test startup raises funds

RF test startup raises funds

LONDON – Mesuro Ltd. (Cardiff, Wales), a startup RF test company founded in 2008 as a spin off from Cardiff University, has announced it has raised £700,000 (about $1.1 million) in a funding round.

The money will be used to expand overseas sales and device characterization capabilities, the company said.

The system expansion will allow the company to provide device testing at continuous waveform powers of up to 100 watts to 4-GHz fundamental with harmonic control to 12-GHz, covering the major wireless communications bands including LTE. Mesuro will provide on-wafer testing capability up to 50-GHz, which will provide aerospace- and defense-related customers with enhanced capabilities.

"The Mesuro sales are extremely encouraging and these funds should enable the company to convert its highly promising pipeline in the coming year," said David Baynes, CEO of Mesuro investor Fusion IP plc, in a statement from Mesuro.

Ann Casey, Investment Executive Finance Wales, commented: "Mesuro has made excellent progress in developing and commercializing its testing equipment. It is clearly focused on its market and already achieving creditable sales levels. We are pleased to participate in this funding round as it will give Mesuro the capital it needs to expand into new markets and we look forward to seeing even greater sales revenues."


Related links and articles:

www.mesuro.com

News articles:

Rohde & Schwarz extends into North American EMC market

Industry view: Strategy Analytics on the RF market

Spirent's wireless-connectivity test system offers simultaneous functional device testing

TAG:Mesuro Cardiff RF microwave test measurement

Japan revives mobile chip joint venture

Japan revives mobile chip joint venture

LONDON – Japan has revived plans for a mobile equipment chip joint venture but has come up with something smaller and less ambitious than a previous plan that was cancelled earlier this year.

NTT Docomo Inc. Japan's largest wireless carrier, Fujitsu Ltd., NEC Corp. and Fujitsu Semiconductor Ltd. have announced an agreement to form a joint venture to focus on the development and sales of semiconductor products with built-in modem functions for use in communications equipment.

The joint venture – Access Network Technology Ltd. – is majority owned by Fujitsu with Docomo and NEC each taking about a 20 percent stake in the venture. The company is scheduled to begin operations in August after capital contributions have been made.

The group is a subset of a larger group that announced a similar intention in December 2011 and which was cancelled in April 2012 (see Docomo kills LTE joint venture).

Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. were involved in the original plan, which was terminated because the group could not agree details by the target deadline of March 31. Renesas Electronics Corp. is a noticeable absentee from both the aborted plan and the current joint venture.

The objective of the formation of the joint venture is to enhance management responsiveness in the fast moving mobile digital market while bringing together diverse technologies from the individual companies, Fujitsu said in a statement. Fujitsu will hold 52.8 percent of the company with Docomo holding 19.9 percent and NEC holding 17.8 percent. Fujitsu Semiconductor will hold 9.5 percent. The company is headquartered in Kawasaki.


Related links and articles:

Docomo kills LTE semiconductor JV

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Docomo, Fujitsu, Renesas: The triangle thickens

NTT Docomo tips fabless JV for mobile chips

TAG:Fujitsu NEC Docomo JV mobile chip Renesas semiconductor

Japan revives mobile chip joint venture

Japan revives mobile chip joint venture

LONDON – Japan has revived plans for a mobile equipment chip joint venture but has come up with something smaller and less ambitious than a previous plan that was cancelled earlier this year.

NTT Docomo Inc. Japan's largest wireless carrier, Fujitsu Ltd., NEC Corp. and Fujitsu Semiconductor Ltd. have announced an agreement to form a joint venture to focus on the development and sales of semiconductor products with built-in modem functions for use in communications equipment.

The joint venture – Access Network Technology Ltd. – is majority owned by Fujitsu with Docomo and NEC each taking about a 20 percent stake in the venture. The company is scheduled to begin operations in August after capital contributions have been made.

The group is a subset of a larger group that announced a similar intention in December 2011 and which was cancelled in April 2012 (see Docomo kills LTE joint venture).

Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. were involved in the original plan, which was terminated because the group could not agree details by the target deadline of March 31. Renesas Electronics Corp. is a noticeable absentee from both the aborted plan and the current joint venture.

The objective of the formation of the joint venture is to enhance management responsiveness in the fast moving mobile digital market while bringing together diverse technologies from the individual companies, Fujitsu said in a statement. Fujitsu will hold 52.8 percent of the company with Docomo holding 19.9 percent and NEC holding 17.8 percent. Fujitsu Semiconductor will hold 9.5 percent. The company is headquartered in Kawasaki.


Related links and articles:

Docomo kills LTE semiconductor JV

Report: Renesas Mobile up for sale in re-org

Docomo, Fujitsu, Renesas: The triangle thickens

NTT Docomo tips fabless JV for mobile chips

TAG:Fujitsu NEC Docomo JV mobile chip Renesas semiconductor

Japan revives mobile chip joint venture

Japan revives mobile chip joint venture

LONDON – Japan has revived plans for a mobile equipment chip joint venture but has come up with something smaller and less ambitious than a previous plan that was cancelled earlier this year.

NTT Docomo Inc. Japan's largest wireless carrier, Fujitsu Ltd., NEC Corp. and Fujitsu Semiconductor Ltd. have announced an agreement to form a joint venture to focus on the development and sales of semiconductor products with built-in modem functions for use in communications equipment.

The joint venture – Access Network Technology Ltd. – is majority owned by Fujitsu with Docomo and NEC each taking about a 20 percent stake in the venture. The company is scheduled to begin operations in August after capital contributions have been made.

The group is a subset of a larger group that announced a similar intention in December 2011 and which was cancelled in April 2012 (see Docomo kills LTE joint venture).

Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. were involved in the original plan, which was terminated because the group could not agree details by the target deadline of March 31. Renesas Electronics Corp. is a noticeable absentee from both the aborted plan and the current joint venture.

The objective of the formation of the joint venture is to enhance management responsiveness in the fast moving mobile digital market while bringing together diverse technologies from the individual companies, Fujitsu said in a statement. Fujitsu will hold 52.8 percent of the company with Docomo holding 19.9 percent and NEC holding 17.8 percent. Fujitsu Semiconductor will hold 9.5 percent. The company is headquartered in Kawasaki.


Related links and articles:

Docomo kills LTE semiconductor JV

Report: Renesas Mobile up for sale in re-org

Docomo, Fujitsu, Renesas: The triangle thickens

NTT Docomo tips fabless JV for mobile chips

TAG:Fujitsu NEC Docomo JV mobile chip Renesas semiconductor

China clears Microchip's SMSC acquisition

China clears Microchip's SMSC acquisition

SAN FRANCISCO—China's antitrust regulatory body rubber stamped Microchip Technology Inc.'s $939 million acquisition of Standard Microsystems Corp. (SMSC), clearing the way for the deal to close this week, Microchip said Tuesday (July 31).

Microchip (Chandler, Ariz.) said China's Anti-Monopoly Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce notified the company that the acquisition had cleared review. Microchip said it expects the deal to close Thursday.

Microchip previously said in June that the acquisition was cleared by the U.S. The company also got clearance for the acquisition from Germany, South Korea and Turkey.

"We are pleased that receiving the confirmation from MOFCOM completes all of the regulatory approvals for the transaction to acquire SMSC," said Steve Sanghi, Microchip's president and CEO, in a statement. "We anticipate the closing of the transaction to take place on August 2, 2012, and moving forward in achieving business goals of the combined companies."


TAG:Microchip SMSC China Acquisition

和田玉价格上涨长线投资收益大

和田玉价格上涨长线投资收益大

　　如今的玉石价格已经长得非常的高,主要是指一些高档的玉石,例如精品和田玉,这些玉石适合做长线投资,而且和田玉的升值空间非常大,长线投资的回报率也是很客观的.玉器作为一个新的投资门类,它的前景是很乐观的,如今越来越多的投资者把目光投向了玉器投资,是看重了玉石的价格上涨的空间,以及对玉器市场的信心.

　　其中,和田玉的表现更为引人瞩目,短短几年内价格翻番甚至上涨数倍数十倍的情况屡见不鲜,以前标价几万元的,现在许多售价已上百万元,让众多先期入市的藏家获利不菲.什么样的玉石更保值.和田玉,上亿年凝结的天地精髓,是自古以来达官贵人富商豪门佩戴、馈赠、收藏的必选.数百年来,和田玉更被视为一种永不褪色的时尚.近年来,伴随着玉石市场需求的不断扩大,翡翠原料的开采量也是日益加大,使得玉石珍品越来越稀少,市面上可以见到的高档玉石更是少之又少,因而使得高档玉器价格的不断飙升,涨幅位居各种宝石和收藏品之首.

　　在不少人看来,和田玉除了它无可取代的独特魅力之外,它的保值增值潜力更是无穷的.高档玉石的价值基本上不受市场行情波动的影响,与其他收藏品相比,它的价格更加稳定且升值明显,与其他艺术品相比,收藏风险较小,收藏界内,玉器必是不可缺少的一部分,实际上,高档和田玉非常适合长线投资,近几年来,升值速度非常快,特别是一些名家玉雕的产品更是涨势惊人,目前也有越来越多的人选择和田玉来进行保值.

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TAG:和田玉价格上涨长线投资收益大 翡翠 翡翠手镯 中国翡翠网 翡翠新闻

和田玉价值标准界定需看三点

和田玉价值标准界定需看三点

　　和田玉之所以一直都没有一个严格的价值界定标准,与其自身的特性有着不可分割的关系.影响和田玉价值的因素有很多,产地、品貌、雕刻题材、是否出自名家之手等等.正是因为这些繁多的因素,和田玉价值评定一直没有统一的口径,笔者认为,和田玉价值标准界定应着重看三点:和田玉产地、和田玉雕工、和田玉雕是否出自名家.

　　一、产地

　　一件和田玉作品的好坏,首先要看的便是原材.色泽、油度、品相、产地都不佳的作品相信雕刻的再精美也没有收藏价值.在当今的和田玉鉴定方面,我国的一些机构只针对石性与折射率进行,但是忽略了产地的区别,将一些昆仑玉、俄料、加拿大、韩国玉也纳入和田玉范围.对和田玉熟悉的消费者都了解,我国和田玉一直以新疆为贵,一些其他地区所产的虽然笼统来讲也叫和田玉,但价格却相差甚远.所以,国家如此宽泛的鉴别标准,使一些消费者蒙受了不少损失,所以希望在今后的和田玉价值标准完善时能够将产地纳入其中,使消费者鉴别起来更为方便.

　　二、雕刻工艺

　　除了和田玉原材价值,雕工也同样影响价值.雕工不同,雕刻出的作品艺术魅力、风格、美感等就有所不同.而和田玉的价值中,欣赏价值也占了很大一部分.所以在工料同样重要的收藏观影响下,即使原料上乘,没有精湛的雕工,同样收藏价值大打折扣.所以在和田玉价值标准界定中,雕工也是很重要的一项.当今的和田玉工艺比较受欢迎的当属海派玉雕,一些年轻的海派玉雕师也因此备受瞩目.

　　三、是否出自名家之手

　　是否出自名家之手,同样影响和田玉作品的价值.当今的和田玉收藏者可以分为两类,一是爱好型收藏者,二是资深收藏者.第一类藏家以爱好为主,并且由于经验或资金有限,多会收藏一些商品类作品,但升值空间却并不大.而第二类资深收藏家则更关注作品各方面的价值,所以多会选择大师级作品或者新秀作品.笔者认为收藏新秀作品比大师作品更具优势,由于是新秀,所以作品价格不如大师的高.如海派玉雕新秀穆宇静的作品,无论从雕工、原材都不低于大师级作品,与大师的区别唯独在于知名度的大小.但是各位收藏者要明白,穆宇静的知名度同样会随着时间的推移而提高,所以收藏穆宇静的作品相当于花较少的钱买了一件大师级作品,升值空间更大.

　　对于和田玉未来的市场走势,大多数和田玉收藏者还是非常看好的.笔者也相信,随着和田玉行业的发展与壮大,国家一定会出台较为合理的和田玉价值评估体系.这将使和田玉升值变得更加平稳,和田玉市场更加健康.

来源:新浪收藏
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TAG:和田玉价值标准界定需看三点 翡翠 翡翠手镯 中国翡翠网 翡翠新闻

探访神秘的宝石画制作

探访神秘的宝石画制作

　　(吴华丽 王艳龙)以珠宝玉石闻名的云南省瑞丽市,正悄然兴起一种宝石画生产制作,这种宝石画因制作工艺复杂、困难而被业内称作手工“石头刺绣”.

　　31日,记者走访了瑞丽宝石画生产商宝之林,了解宝石画生产状况.在该家店里,记者看到,一楼摆放着的万里长城、牡丹、毛泽东画像等题材的各类宝石画,吸引着顾客的目光.而在二楼,30名工人正在紧张地忙碌着加工宝石画,调料、上胶、镶嵌……

　　“一个人一个月平均只能制作一幅画,就像民间手工刺绣一样困难.”宝之林的老板、缅籍华人王茗说,制作一幅宝石画需要描摹、撒粉、描边、镶嵌、吹检等多道工序,操作工人需要根据画的要求选取相应颜色的宝石,然后再镊子一粒一粒贴上去,工程量巨大,因此宝石画价格也不菲.

　　王茗介绍,制作宝石画对工人有着较高的要求,要懂绘画、懂艺术,所以一般一个工人需要至少3年的功底才能制作.同时,由于对视力等伤害比较大,40岁以上就不能做了.

　　已经做了10年的缅甸女孩阿玛伦(音译)是这里制作宝石画最熟练的工人之一.她告诉记者,宝石画制作对耐心、毅力都是一种挑战.

　　“心不静做不好,并且时间长了肩膀、眼睛又会痛.”阿玛伦说,一天几小时的专注制作很艰辛,但也可以磨练自己的毅力.“我们信佛,做起来就像打坐一样,心里特别静.”

　　宝石画制作兴起于缅甸,进入中缅边境小城瑞丽更只有短短几年时间.

　　“现在瑞丽只有两三家做宝石画,但购买者不少,有的时候常常要提前预定制作.”王茗说,随着中国宝玉石文化的进一步发展,以画作形式出现的宝石画将会更加流行起来.

　　“我们正在摸索各类中国画制作技巧,提高效率,应对未来的市场需求.”王茗称,她们已经在对中国人喜欢的各类绘画艺术进行研究,并制作宝石画,争取满足未来市场需求.

来源:新浪收藏
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TAG:探访神秘的宝石画制作 翡翠 翡翠手镯 中国翡翠网 翡翠新闻

A look inside Apple’s kitchen table group

A look inside Apple’s kitchen table group

SAN JOSE – A 17-year veteran of Apple’s small but powerful industrial design team provided a glimpse of the design process at Apple in the first testimony of the company’s patent infringement case against Samsung.

Apple attempted to use the testimony to evoke the ethos of Apple’s painstaking dedication to original design. However, under cross-examination Samsung’s attorney made clear Apple closely follows competing products.

Christopher Stringer appeared in court in a white cotton suit and well-worn cowboy boots. His shoulder length hair and full beard were streaked with grey. Lean and tanned, he resembled a 40-something Jesus with an Australian accent.

“I’ve worked on every Apple product since I joined in 1995,” Stringer said. “I can say that because we work as a team and take that very seriously, dedicating time every week so we all get together and talk about every project we are working on,” he said.

Stringer is named in many of Apple’s patents, as are most of the roughly 16 people in Apple’s industrial design team run by Jonathan Ive to whom Stringer reports.

“We work together around a kitchen table,” Stringer explained. “It’s a culturally diverse group with members from Australia, Japan, Britain, Germany, Austria--and we’ve been together a very long time, many of us for 15 years, so it’s a very familiar small environment which is remarkable for a company the size of Apple,” he said.

Nevertheless the group is a powerful one. Stringer repeatedly said the group can make design decisions without concern for the manufacturing difficulties or costs they may entail.

“We link directly to the highest levels of Apple and are involved in all the products Apple ships,” he said.

While the “kitchen table” meeting area of the group sounds cozy, it is not always a comfortable place to be.

“It’s a brutally honest debate [there], that’s where all the ideas happen,” Stronger said. “We sketch and trade ideas and go back and forth--that’s where the brutal criticism comes in,” he said.

Once the group settles on sketches it likes, it takes them to a separate team of CAD specialists that creates computer and 3-D models of them as subjects for further brainstorming and debate. Sometimes the models “might be just a little corner of a product,” he said.

“We will even sketch on models or use a sketch from a different design session, [the process] weaves and knits [ideas] until we think we have something really special,” Stringer said. “We’re a pretty maniacal group of people, we obsess on details, every single detail is very carefully crafted,” he said.

“The process is not linear,” he added. “It doesn’t go from thought to sketch to model to production—we can jump straight back to idea stage if a better idea is created,” he added.

Indeed, Apple’s lead attorney Harold McElhinny, showed how what became the industrial design for the original iPhone was one of dozens of models designers had created, rejected and then later returned to re-evaluate. The final form factor was set as early as the spring of 2006, according to the dates on Apple’s CAD files.

Among the many models created was a “extruded lozenge” form factor Samsung alluded to in its opening statement. Samsung alleged Apple changed from that square-edged model to a more round-edge version after an Apple designer saw a Sony phone he admired.

Apple claims one of the patents Samsung infringed was a patent on the rectangular shape with rounded edges of the original iPhone. In selecting that design from the many other models Apple designers realized “it was the most beautiful of our designs--we sometimes don’t recognize it [at first] but we finally realized it,” Stringer said.

Interestingly, Apple was working on tablet concepts with multi-touch screens before it came up with the idea of the iPhone, Stringer said. The iPad “was a long project, we tried so many things,” he said.

Apple showed early models of iPad designs including some reminiscent of Grecian columns with sharp square outlines and curled edges. The company also considered similar industrial designs for the iPhone and iPad.

In the end, “we decided the [iPad] deserved its own identity, we couldn’t copy ourselves,” said Stringer. “It wasn’t like a consumer electronics product at all--it didn’t feel like a device, it felt like a new object,” he said.
Next: “We’ve been ripped off”
TAG:Christopher Stringer Apple Samsung IPhone IPad Patents Infringement Court

A look inside Apple’s kitchen table group

A look inside Apple’s kitchen table group

SAN JOSE – A 17-year veteran of Apple’s small but powerful industrial design team provided a glimpse of the design process at Apple in the first testimony of the company’s patent infringement case against Samsung.

Apple attempted to use the testimony to evoke the ethos of Apple’s painstaking dedication to original design. However, under cross-examination Samsung’s attorney made clear Apple closely follows competing products.

Christopher Stringer appeared in court in a white cotton suit and well-worn cowboy boots. His shoulder length hair and full beard were streaked with grey. Lean and tanned, he resembled a 40-something Jesus with an Australian accent.

“I’ve worked on every Apple product since I joined in 1995,” Stringer said. “I can say that because we work as a team and take that very seriously, dedicating time every week so we all get together and talk about every project we are working on,” he said.

Stringer is named in many of Apple’s patents, as are most of the roughly 16 people in Apple’s industrial design team run by Jonathan Ive to whom Stringer reports.

“We work together around a kitchen table,” Stringer explained. “It’s a culturally diverse group with members from Australia, Japan, Britain, Germany, Austria--and we’ve been together a very long time, many of us for 15 years, so it’s a very familiar small environment which is remarkable for a company the size of Apple,” he said.

Nevertheless the group is a powerful one. Stringer repeatedly said the group can make design decisions without concern for the manufacturing difficulties or costs they may entail.

“We link directly to the highest levels of Apple and are involved in all the products Apple ships,” he said.

While the “kitchen table” meeting area of the group sounds cozy, it is not always a comfortable place to be.

“It’s a brutally honest debate [there], that’s where all the ideas happen,” Stronger said. “We sketch and trade ideas and go back and forth--that’s where the brutal criticism comes in,” he said.

Once the group settles on sketches it likes, it takes them to a separate team of CAD specialists that creates computer and 3-D models of them as subjects for further brainstorming and debate. Sometimes the models “might be just a little corner of a product,” he said.

“We will even sketch on models or use a sketch from a different design session, [the process] weaves and knits [ideas] until we think we have something really special,” Stringer said. “We’re a pretty maniacal group of people, we obsess on details, every single detail is very carefully crafted,” he said.

“The process is not linear,” he added. “It doesn’t go from thought to sketch to model to production—we can jump straight back to idea stage if a better idea is created,” he added.

Indeed, Apple’s lead attorney Harold McElhinny, showed how what became the industrial design for the original iPhone was one of dozens of models designers had created, rejected and then later returned to re-evaluate. The final form factor was set as early as the spring of 2006, according to the dates on Apple’s CAD files.

Among the many models created was a “extruded lozenge” form factor Samsung alluded to in its opening statement. Samsung alleged Apple changed from that square-edged model to a more round-edge version after an Apple designer saw a Sony phone he admired.

Apple claims one of the patents Samsung infringed was a patent on the rectangular shape with rounded edges of the original iPhone. In selecting that design from the many other models Apple designers realized “it was the most beautiful of our designs--we sometimes don’t recognize it [at first] but we finally realized it,” Stringer said.

Interestingly, Apple was working on tablet concepts with multi-touch screens before it came up with the idea of the iPhone, Stringer said. The iPad “was a long project, we tried so many things,” he said.

Apple showed early models of iPad designs including some reminiscent of Grecian columns with sharp square outlines and curled edges. The company also considered similar industrial designs for the iPhone and iPad.

In the end, “we decided the [iPad] deserved its own identity, we couldn’t copy ourselves,” said Stringer. “It wasn’t like a consumer electronics product at all--it didn’t feel like a device, it felt like a new object,” he said.
Next: “We’ve been ripped off”
TAG:Christopher Stringer Apple Samsung IPhone IPad Patents Infringement Court

A look inside Apple’s kitchen table group

A look inside Apple’s kitchen table group

SAN JOSE – A 17-year veteran of Apple’s small but powerful industrial design team provided a glimpse of the design process at Apple in the first testimony of the company’s patent infringement case against Samsung.

Apple attempted to use the testimony to evoke the ethos of Apple’s painstaking dedication to original design. However, under cross-examination Samsung’s attorney made clear Apple closely follows competing products.

Christopher Stringer appeared in court in a white cotton suit and well-worn cowboy boots. His shoulder length hair and full beard were streaked with grey. Lean and tanned, he resembled a 40-something Jesus with an Australian accent.

“I’ve worked on every Apple product since I joined in 1995,” Stringer said. “I can say that because we work as a team and take that very seriously, dedicating time every week so we all get together and talk about every project we are working on,” he said.

Stringer is named in many of Apple’s patents, as are most of the roughly 16 people in Apple’s industrial design team run by Jonathan Ive to whom Stringer reports.

“We work together around a kitchen table,” Stringer explained. “It’s a culturally diverse group with members from Australia, Japan, Britain, Germany, Austria--and we’ve been together a very long time, many of us for 15 years, so it’s a very familiar small environment which is remarkable for a company the size of Apple,” he said.

Nevertheless the group is a powerful one. Stringer repeatedly said the group can make design decisions without concern for the manufacturing difficulties or costs they may entail.

“We link directly to the highest levels of Apple and are involved in all the products Apple ships,” he said.

While the “kitchen table” meeting area of the group sounds cozy, it is not always a comfortable place to be.

“It’s a brutally honest debate [there], that’s where all the ideas happen,” Stronger said. “We sketch and trade ideas and go back and forth--that’s where the brutal criticism comes in,” he said.

Once the group settles on sketches it likes, it takes them to a separate team of CAD specialists that creates computer and 3-D models of them as subjects for further brainstorming and debate. Sometimes the models “might be just a little corner of a product,” he said.

“We will even sketch on models or use a sketch from a different design session, [the process] weaves and knits [ideas] until we think we have something really special,” Stringer said. “We’re a pretty maniacal group of people, we obsess on details, every single detail is very carefully crafted,” he said.

“The process is not linear,” he added. “It doesn’t go from thought to sketch to model to production—we can jump straight back to idea stage if a better idea is created,” he added.

Indeed, Apple’s lead attorney Harold McElhinny, showed how what became the industrial design for the original iPhone was one of dozens of models designers had created, rejected and then later returned to re-evaluate. The final form factor was set as early as the spring of 2006, according to the dates on Apple’s CAD files.

Among the many models created was a “extruded lozenge” form factor Samsung alluded to in its opening statement. Samsung alleged Apple changed from that square-edged model to a more round-edge version after an Apple designer saw a Sony phone he admired.

Apple claims one of the patents Samsung infringed was a patent on the rectangular shape with rounded edges of the original iPhone. In selecting that design from the many other models Apple designers realized “it was the most beautiful of our designs--we sometimes don’t recognize it [at first] but we finally realized it,” Stringer said.

Interestingly, Apple was working on tablet concepts with multi-touch screens before it came up with the idea of the iPhone, Stringer said. The iPad “was a long project, we tried so many things,” he said.

Apple showed early models of iPad designs including some reminiscent of Grecian columns with sharp square outlines and curled edges. The company also considered similar industrial designs for the iPhone and iPad.

In the end, “we decided the [iPad] deserved its own identity, we couldn’t copy ourselves,” said Stringer. “It wasn’t like a consumer electronics product at all--it didn’t feel like a device, it felt like a new object,” he said.
Next: “We’ve been ripped off”
TAG:Christopher Stringer Apple Samsung IPhone IPad Patents Infringement Court

Apple v. Samsung kicks off innovation debates

Apple v. Samsung kicks off innovation debates

SAN JOSE – The Apple v. Samsung case now starting here has already raised two broad questions: What’s the line between aggressive benchmarking and copying of a competitor’s product? And what’s the line between filing relevant patents that are relevant to evolving standards and ones that are intentional submarines?

In opening statements this morning, Apple attorneys showed detailed Samsung reports extending over more than 100 pages. They compared existing Samsung handsets to the iPhone on a feature-by-feature basis making rec0ommnedation at each page suggesting Samsung adopt iPhone techniques.

“The evidence will show Samsung has taken our property,” said Apple’s lead attorney.

“Samsung will say we didn’t copy, we benchmarked and everybody in electronics benchmarks--even Apple benchmarks, but benchmarking had a very special meaning at Samsung,” he said.

“Samsung sold more than 22 million infringing phones and tablets in the U.S. using Apple’s inventions,” he claimed. “Samsung has taken sales away from Apple and will generate more than $2 billion in profit for Samsung that they made using our intellectual property,” he added.

Specifically Apple will seek $2.5 billion in damages, said to be a new watermark in infringement cases. It claims Samsung infringed utility and design patents on the user interface and product look and feel of both the iPhone and the iPad.

Separately, Apple also contends Samsung broke rules in industry standards groups by not declaring patents covering standards work until after the standard was completed. Specifically it claims two Samsung 3G patents were filed before ETSI standards were frozen, then not disclosed until two years later.

For its part, Samsung showed Apple’s detailed internal teardowns of Samsung S1 and Galaxy Tab products. In addition, it showed an email to Apple’s lead designer, Jonathan Ive, suggesting changes to the look of the iPhone before it was released based on the look and feel of a Sony handset.

“Being inspired by competing products and trying to develop better ones is not copying its competition and everybody does it,” said a Samsung attorney.

Samsung showed examples of handsets and tablets released before the first iPhones and iPads but having a roughly similar look and feel.

“If you make something popular it doesn’t mean you can exclude other people from doing it,” the Samsung attorney said. “Apple didn’t invent the rectangular form factor you see, it didn’t invent the large touch screen,” he added.

He claimed as much as 26 percent of some iPad and iPhone bill of materials are for Samsung components. That includes the Retina display Apple heavily markets and is made exclusively by Samsung. “Who’s the innovator,” he asked.

Samsung’s opening statements conclude this afternoon.

Apple’s head of marketing, Phil Schiller, and its head of mobile operating systems, Scott Forstall, are both expected to testify.
TAG:Apple Samsung Patents

Apple v. Samsung kicks off innovation debates

Apple v. Samsung kicks off innovation debates

SAN JOSE – The Apple v. Samsung case now starting here has already raised two broad questions: What’s the line between aggressive benchmarking and copying of a competitor’s product? And what’s the line between filing relevant patents that are relevant to evolving standards and ones that are intentional submarines?

In opening statements this morning, Apple attorneys showed detailed Samsung reports extending over more than 100 pages. They compared existing Samsung handsets to the iPhone on a feature-by-feature basis making rec0ommnedation at each page suggesting Samsung adopt iPhone techniques.

“The evidence will show Samsung has taken our property,” said Apple’s lead attorney.

“Samsung will say we didn’t copy, we benchmarked and everybody in electronics benchmarks--even Apple benchmarks, but benchmarking had a very special meaning at Samsung,” he said.

“Samsung sold more than 22 million infringing phones and tablets in the U.S. using Apple’s inventions,” he claimed. “Samsung has taken sales away from Apple and will generate more than $2 billion in profit for Samsung that they made using our intellectual property,” he added.

Specifically Apple will seek $2.5 billion in damages, said to be a new watermark in infringement cases. It claims Samsung infringed utility and design patents on the user interface and product look and feel of both the iPhone and the iPad.

Separately, Apple also contends Samsung broke rules in industry standards groups by not declaring patents covering standards work until after the standard was completed. Specifically it claims two Samsung 3G patents were filed before ETSI standards were frozen, then not disclosed until two years later.

For its part, Samsung showed Apple’s detailed internal teardowns of Samsung S1 and Galaxy Tab products. In addition, it showed an email to Apple’s lead designer, Jonathan Ive, suggesting changes to the look of the iPhone before it was released based on the look and feel of a Sony handset.

“Being inspired by competing products and trying to develop better ones is not copying its competition and everybody does it,” said a Samsung attorney.

Samsung showed examples of handsets and tablets released before the first iPhones and iPads but having a roughly similar look and feel.

“If you make something popular it doesn’t mean you can exclude other people from doing it,” the Samsung attorney said. “Apple didn’t invent the rectangular form factor you see, it didn’t invent the large touch screen,” he added.

He claimed as much as 26 percent of some iPad and iPhone bill of materials are for Samsung components. That includes the Retina display Apple heavily markets and is made exclusively by Samsung. “Who’s the innovator,” he asked.

Samsung’s opening statements conclude this afternoon.

Apple’s head of marketing, Phil Schiller, and its head of mobile operating systems, Scott Forstall, are both expected to testify.
TAG:Apple Samsung Patents

Toshiba to commence volume production of white LEDs

Toshiba to commence volume production of white LEDs

SAN FRANCISCO—Japan's Toshiba Corp. announced it would start mass production of white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on a production line that the company will build within its 200-mm wafer fab at subsidiary Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corp. in northern Japan.

Toshiba (Tokyo) said it expects mass production of the LEDs to commence in October.

According to Toshiba, thanks to their energy efficiency, white LEDs are winning wide acceptance in general purpose lighting, TV backlighting and other applications. The company estimates that the market for white LEDs will grow from about 700 billion yen (roughly $8.75 billion) to 1 trillion yen (about $12.5 billion) in fiscal 2013.

Toshiba said it would use gallium nitride-on-silicon—a technology that secures growth of gallium nitride (GaN) crystals on a silicon substrate—to the development of white LEDs. The company said it has collaborated with Bridgelux Inc., a developer a of LED lighting technologies, in white LED chip development since January.

The combination of Bridgelux's crystal growth and LED chip structure and Toshiba's advanced silicon process and manufacturing technology has succeeded in developing a prototype chip with a maximum optical output of 614mW, Toshiba said. Toshiba will build on this achievement to start mass production of white LEDs, the company said.

Toshiba said it considers white LEDs a next-generation growth area in the discrete business. By advancing the establishment of white LEDs production in addition to power devices, a current strategic focus product area, Toshiba said it intends to enhance the discrete business.


TAG:While LEDs Toshiba Production Fab

Toshiba to commence volume production of white LEDs

Toshiba to commence volume production of white LEDs

SAN FRANCISCO—Japan's Toshiba Corp. announced it would start mass production of white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on a production line that the company will build within its 200-mm wafer fab at subsidiary Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corp. in northern Japan.

Toshiba (Tokyo) said it expects mass production of the LEDs to commence in October.

According to Toshiba, thanks to their energy efficiency, white LEDs are winning wide acceptance in general purpose lighting, TV backlighting and other applications. The company estimates that the market for white LEDs will grow from about 700 billion yen (roughly $8.75 billion) to 1 trillion yen (about $12.5 billion) in fiscal 2013.

Toshiba said it would use gallium nitride-on-silicon—a technology that secures growth of gallium nitride (GaN) crystals on a silicon substrate—to the development of white LEDs. The company said it has collaborated with Bridgelux Inc., a developer a of LED lighting technologies, in white LED chip development since January.

The combination of Bridgelux's crystal growth and LED chip structure and Toshiba's advanced silicon process and manufacturing technology has succeeded in developing a prototype chip with a maximum optical output of 614mW, Toshiba said. Toshiba will build on this achievement to start mass production of white LEDs, the company said.

Toshiba said it considers white LEDs a next-generation growth area in the discrete business. By advancing the establishment of white LEDs production in addition to power devices, a current strategic focus product area, Toshiba said it intends to enhance the discrete business.


TAG:While LEDs Toshiba Production Fab

Indian firm launches $125 MIPS-based Android 4.1 tablet

Indian firm launches $125 MIPS-based Android 4.1 tablet

SAN FRANCISCO—An Indian firm has begun offering in India a media tablet featuring a MIPS-based processor and running the latest version of the Android operating system for about $125, according to a statement released Tuesday (July 31) by intellectual property licensor MIPS Technologies Inc.

According to MIPS (Sunnyvale, Calif.) the tablet, offered by Karbonn Mobile India Private Ltd. is the lowest cost tablet on the market featuring Android 4.1, also known as "Jelly Bean."

The Karbonn Smart Tab 1 tablet features an ultra-low power MIPS-based JZ4770 SoC from China's Ingenic Semiconductor Co. Ltd. The tablet is available now through Karbonn's website and online portals and retail outlets in India such as Reliance Digital and Walmart, MIPS said.

The Karbonn Smart Tab 1 tablet was first introduced in early July with the Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system. An upgrade to Android 4.1 will be available to customers who purchased this earlier version of the tablet, according to MIPS.

Other low-cost Android tablets featuring MIPS-based Ingenic processors have launched in emerging markets over the past eight months. Last December, Ainol Electronics Co. Ltd. launched an Android 4.0 tablet in China for less than $100.

Google announced Jelly Bean at its developer conference in San Francisco last month. The latest version of Android includes a smoother and more responsive user interface, a home screen that adapts to fit content, a predictive keyboard feature that suggests the next word before a user begins typing it and more interactive notifications.

The Indian media tablet market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 71 percent from 2011 to 2017, according to a recent study by ABI Research. A statement released by MIPS quoted Jeff Orr, mobile devices practice director at ABI, saying 2012 is an important year for media tablets in India because an increasing number of models designed for the India market are becoming available at different price tiers."Keys to success for tablet vendors will be localized content, seamless connectivity and providing an enhanced user experience," Orr said.

Pradeep Jain, managing director of Karbonn Mobiles, said in the MIPS statement that Karbonn is the first company in the world to offer an Android 4.1 tablet at such an affordable price point. " We intend to be the leading marketer in the Indian tablet market wherein we wish to reach up to 200,000 units per month by focusing on enterprise business solutions segmentation, education, healthcare, hospitality and next-generation business verticals," Jain said.

"Millions of tablets are already shipping around the globe based on our design, and we anticipate increasing success as more and more companies recognize the differentiation our solution can enable," said Qiang Liu, chairman and CEO of Ingenic Semiconductor, in the same statement.

Gideon Intrater, vice president of marketing at MIPS, said MIPS has achieved a number of additional design wins since the announcement of the sub-$100 Ainol Android 4.0 tablet in China in December. "Working closely with Ingenic and its OEMs, we are seeing increasing success for the MIPS architecture in tablets, especially in emerging markets such as China, Indonesia and now India," Intrater said.


TAG:Jelly Bean MIPS Ingenic Karbonn India Tablet Shipping Android 4 1

Amy Farrah Fowler helps Texas Instruments teach

Amy Farrah Fowler helps Texas Instruments teach

LONDON – Mayim Bialik, the Emmy-nominated actress who plays neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on the television show The Big Bang Theory, is going to be doing teaching gigs at schools as part of working with Texas Instruments Inc. (Dallas, Texas).

Bialik is well qualified to teach because she holds a Ph.D in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, which she managed to study for while also maintaining a career as an actress with numerous TV and film roles.

Bialik has agreed to be the official TI spokeswoman for a math and science technology project and try to inspire students to pursue science, technology engineering and math (STEM) education and careers. In part she will do this by demonstrating math the on TI Nspire-CX graphing calculator.

Students, parents and educators from around the United States are invited to enter a Texas Instruments competition called "Take Mayim back to school." The winning school will receive in-person class instruction from Bialik. The competition runs through Sept. 30, 2012 and can be found on the TI Calculators Facebook page.

However, Bialik is already working with TI and has been saying how much she is enjoying it. In a Tweet posted one week ago she said: "How I love being spokeslady for Texas Instruments: meeting fantastic students, demo'ing w/ passionate teachers, love GEAR UP!" In another she said: "At NCCEP in DC. Just demo'd the TI n-spire to 100 awesome GEAR UP high schoolers. I love math and so do they. I so love working with TI!"



Mayim Bialik, actress, neuroscientist and educator


Related links and articles:

TI press release

Competition page

Mayam Bialik's home page
TAG:The Big Bang Theory Amy Farrah Fowler Sheldon Cooper Texas Instruments STEM science technology engineering math

Amy Farrah Fowler helps Texas Instruments teach

Amy Farrah Fowler helps Texas Instruments teach

LONDON – Mayim Bialik, the Emmy-nominated actress who plays neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on the television show The Big Bang Theory, is going to be doing teaching gigs at schools as part of working with Texas Instruments Inc. (Dallas, Texas).

Bialik is well qualified to teach because she holds a Ph.D in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, which she managed to study for while also maintaining a career as an actress with numerous TV and film roles.

Bialik has agreed to be the official TI spokeswoman for a math and science technology project and try to inspire students to pursue science, technology engineering and math (STEM) education and careers. In part she will do this by demonstrating math the on TI Nspire-CX graphing calculator.

Students, parents and educators from around the United States are invited to enter a Texas Instruments competition called "Take Mayim back to school." The winning school will receive in-person class instruction from Bialik. The competition runs through Sept. 30, 2012 and can be found on the TI Calculators Facebook page.

However, Bialik is already working with TI and has been saying how much she is enjoying it. In a Tweet posted one week ago she said: "How I love being spokeslady for Texas Instruments: meeting fantastic students, demo'ing w/ passionate teachers, love GEAR UP!" In another she said: "At NCCEP in DC. Just demo'd the TI n-spire to 100 awesome GEAR UP high schoolers. I love math and so do they. I so love working with TI!"



Mayim Bialik, actress, neuroscientist and educator


Related links and articles:

TI press release

Competition page

Mayam Bialik's home page
TAG:The Big Bang Theory Amy Farrah Fowler Sheldon Cooper Texas Instruments STEM science technology engineering math

Amy Farrah Fowler helps Texas Instruments teach

Amy Farrah Fowler helps Texas Instruments teach

LONDON – Mayim Bialik, the Emmy-nominated actress who plays neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on the television show The Big Bang Theory, is going to be doing teaching gigs at schools as part of working with Texas Instruments Inc. (Dallas, Texas).

Bialik is well qualified to teach because she holds a Ph.D in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, which she managed to study for while also maintaining a career as an actress with numerous TV and film roles.

Bialik has agreed to be the official TI spokeswoman for a math and science technology project and try to inspire students to pursue science, technology engineering and math (STEM) education and careers. In part she will do this by demonstrating math the on TI Nspire-CX graphing calculator.

Students, parents and educators from around the United States are invited to enter a Texas Instruments competition called "Take Mayim back to school." The winning school will receive in-person class instruction from Bialik. The competition runs through Sept. 30, 2012 and can be found on the TI Calculators Facebook page.

However, Bialik is already working with TI and has been saying how much she is enjoying it. In a Tweet posted one week ago she said: "How I love being spokeslady for Texas Instruments: meeting fantastic students, demo'ing w/ passionate teachers, love GEAR UP!" In another she said: "At NCCEP in DC. Just demo'd the TI n-spire to 100 awesome GEAR UP high schoolers. I love math and so do they. I so love working with TI!"



Mayim Bialik, actress, neuroscientist and educator


Related links and articles:

TI press release

Competition page

Mayam Bialik's home page
TAG:The Big Bang Theory Amy Farrah Fowler Sheldon Cooper Texas Instruments STEM science technology engineering math

ARM microcontroller, IoT exam coming early in 2013

ARM microcontroller, IoT exam coming early in 2013

LONDON – A second entry-level exam, addressing Cortex-M cores, microcontrollers and the Internet of Things, will be added early in 2013 to the ARM Accredited Engineer certification scheme recently rolled out by processor intellectual property licensor ARM Holdings plc (Cambridge, England).

The first, entry-level exam in a tiered system of accreditation is available globally and the test – administered by Prometric Inc. (Baltimore, Md.) – can be sat in any one of 6,000 test centers around the world, Paul Elbro, vice president and general manager of ARM Services, told EE Times.

The drive for the accreditation scheme came from Taiwan. Employers were finding lots of engineers were putting "ARM experience" on their CVs and Taiwanese employers wanted a way to benchmark that, said Elbro. He added that demand for certification is high in Asia-Pacific because companies often take on large numbers of engineers to address consumer electronics projects with very short time-to-market windows. Those companies can't afford to employ ARM-experienced engineers who then have to spend time re-familiarizing themselves with toolsets and architectures, Elbro said. The risk is that time lost bringing engineers up to speed results in a late product that makes no money. "There is no time to learn on the job," said Elbro.

ARM's response has been the tiered engineering accreditation scheme.

The first exam looks at the basics of the ARMv7 architecture and at Cortex-A and Cortex-R cores. It does not look at microcontrollers, the topic of the second entry-level exam.

To become ARM accredited engineers have to attend a test center with government supplied ID – such as a passport or driving license – and take a computerized test. There is a fee to take the exam that varies by country. It is £125 in the U.K. and $200 in the United States and $160 (US dollars) in Taiwan, according to the Prometric website.

Gaining the ARM Accredited Engineer (AAE) status is not necessary to work on ARM-based projects but it is expected to provide engineers and students with an advantage over their peers when seeking employment.

Elbro said that having introduced two entry-level qualifications 2013 would be a year of delivery and listening for feedback on the scheme to drive any changes. "To remain relevant and keep the scheme serving industry we do need to keep listening," said Elbro.


Related links and articles:

AAE support page

Download AAE entry-level syllabus

News articles:

ARM introduces engineer exam scheme

Low-power webinars worth watching

Amy Farrah Fowler goes back to school with Texas Instruments

TAG:ARM Cortex microcontroller MCU IoT exam engineer

ARM microcontroller, IoT exam coming early in 2013

ARM microcontroller, IoT exam coming early in 2013

LONDON – A second entry-level exam, addressing Cortex-M cores, microcontrollers and the Internet of Things, will be added early in 2013 to the ARM Accredited Engineer certification scheme recently rolled out by processor intellectual property licensor ARM Holdings plc (Cambridge, England).

The first, entry-level exam in a tiered system of accreditation is available globally and the test – administered by Prometric Inc. (Baltimore, Md.) – can be sat in any one of 6,000 test centers around the world, Paul Elbro, vice president and general manager of ARM Services, told EE Times.

The drive for the accreditation scheme came from Taiwan. Employers were finding lots of engineers were putting "ARM experience" on their CVs and Taiwanese employers wanted a way to benchmark that, said Elbro. He added that demand for certification is high in Asia-Pacific because companies often take on large numbers of engineers to address consumer electronics projects with very short time-to-market windows. Those companies can't afford to employ ARM-experienced engineers who then have to spend time re-familiarizing themselves with toolsets and architectures, Elbro said. The risk is that time lost bringing engineers up to speed results in a late product that makes no money. "There is no time to learn on the job," said Elbro.

ARM's response has been the tiered engineering accreditation scheme.

The first exam looks at the basics of the ARMv7 architecture and at Cortex-A and Cortex-R cores. It does not look at microcontrollers, the topic of the second entry-level exam.

To become ARM accredited engineers have to attend a test center with government supplied ID – such as a passport or driving license – and take a computerized test. There is a fee to take the exam that varies by country. It is £125 in the U.K. and $200 in the United States and $160 (US dollars) in Taiwan, according to the Prometric website.

Gaining the ARM Accredited Engineer (AAE) status is not necessary to work on ARM-based projects but it is expected to provide engineers and students with an advantage over their peers when seeking employment.

Elbro said that having introduced two entry-level qualifications 2013 would be a year of delivery and listening for feedback on the scheme to drive any changes. "To remain relevant and keep the scheme serving industry we do need to keep listening," said Elbro.


Related links and articles:

AAE support page

Download AAE entry-level syllabus

News articles:

ARM introduces engineer exam scheme

Low-power webinars worth watching

Amy Farrah Fowler goes back to school with Texas Instruments

TAG:ARM Cortex microcontroller MCU IoT exam engineer

玉器收藏：材质最重要

玉器收藏：材质最重要

　　记者:两天下来,感觉来您这里鉴定玉器的藏友相对不是很多,可是从收藏市场来看,玉器收藏的人应该不在少数呀.

　　王:这是正常现象.在这类面向基层收藏者的鉴定活动中,寻求玉器鉴定的往往比瓷器、书画类的要少一些.玉有君子之德,历来是国人喜爱的对象.然而,虽然玩玉、藏玉的人不少,但真正懂玉的人却很少.玉器收藏,首先讲究的是材质,以新疆和田玉为上.而这两天来做鉴定的玉器,以次充好的占大多数.更有甚者,有人拿来的根本是假玉,造假者用酸等化学原料将劣质玉染色,这样的玉器戴在身上,时间长了会对人体有害.

　　记者:我看见有位收藏者拿着一块雕刻过的和田玉籽料让您鉴定,您却直说可惜.

　　王:玉器雕工的好坏直接影响玉的价值.那个小伙子拿来的玉原本品质还不错,但雕工粗糙,反而降低了玉的艺术价值和市场价值.很多收藏者有这样的误区,认为一块玉料经过加工雕琢,其价值自然就会提升,其实,如果不能保证工艺,在现在的市场环境下,把一块玉料原样保存静待自然升值,比贸然雕刻要好得多.

　　记者:您对喜欢玉器收藏的太原晚报读者提一些建议吧？

　　王:我的建议其实适用于所有的收藏者,那就是“多看少买”.收藏者一定要找可靠的卖家,切忌贪图便宜,玉器收藏现在几乎已经无漏可捡了.

来源:新浪收藏
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TAG:玉器收藏：材质最重要 翡翠 翡翠手镯 中国翡翠网 翡翠新闻

7 thoughts on VMWare's $1.26B bid for Nicira

7 thoughts on VMWare's $1.26B bid for Nicira

SAN JOSE – It's Gold Rush time in California again thanks to VMWare’s proposed $1.26 billion acquisition of Nicira Inc., a startup pioneering software-defined networking. There’s no doubt there’s gold in them thar hills, but it’s too early to tell how much and who will drag the bullion to the bank.

I have seven observations after spending a good chunk of last week hearing commentary on the deal. In short, there is gold here, but how much is a matter of some debate. There’s pressure to jump in the stream with engineers among the first getting wet. Expect some industry realignment before we are done. Cloud computing plays a substantial role. And there are more loose ends here than in a stack of denim at a Levi’s factory.

First some background.

Software defined networks (SDNs) take network jobs run in protocols supported by router and switch ASICs and turn them into server apps. The goal is to shorten the time and effort it takes to set up and manage networks.

Stanford University got the ball rolling on SDN with its Clean Slate program in 2002. By 2007, three of the leading thinkers in the field were creating a vision of software-defined networks, an anti-protocol interface called OpenFlow to implement it and a company called Nicira to create the software products based on it.

The people and their ideas were compelling enough to attract $50 million in venture capital. Late last year Nicira announced its Network Virtualization Platform along with five customers for it–AT&T, eBay, NTT, Rackspace and Fidelity Investments.

Meanwhile VMWare, grown big and hungry as a supplier of virtualization software for servers, has been trying to extend its reach into the cloud. Bigger rivals such as Hewlett-Packard and IBM were threatening to eat its lunch. So VMWare snatched up Nicira and the Gold Rush began.

1. This is real

A Verizon technical manager said he has seen the glinting metal of SDN and it passed his test.

“If we continue to build networks the same way we have and project our growth into the future, it becomes an untenable business model,” said Prodip Sen, who heads a dozen-person advanced architecture group for the carrier.

“With SDN, I can separate out parts of networks, introduce new services faster and assess costs to each piece that provides a given service,” said Sen at the NetEvents Americas conference in Miami last week. “If I cannot do that, I can’t plan my business properly,” he added.

So Verizon is working with Hewlett-Packard and Intel to create a set of SDN test labs. The trio created some proof-of-concept demos last year. Now they are working on new ones based on real user scenarios with plans for field trials next year.

In this way, SDN is part of a broad effort to expand from pushing bits to owning business processes. “We are moving away from managing devices to managing services, and operators are trying to figure this out,” said Greg Gum, chief marketing and business development officer for equipment provider Telco Systems.

In a blog, Nicira investor Ben Horowitz pitches SDN as part of a 30-year change of era in communications, making the process of setting up and running networks easier and more open.
Next: 2. It’s very big
TAG:Open Networking Foundation Big Switch Networks Software Defined Networks Open Source Gold Rush VMWare Nicira Networking Routers SDNs Servers Cisco Stanford ONF Virtualization Embran