On His Holiness, Nic Negroponte
What a laugh. Nic Negroponte ensconced at Davos criticizing Intel's Craig Barrett for being a businessman. Umm yeah, he is. And what are you Mr. Negroponte? A limelight-grabbing self-styled savior...
Continue reading "On His Holiness, Nic Negroponte"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 31, 2007 09:17 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
4G calls on Shanghai
You gotta love it. Speculation is already beginning on when China will move to 4G, even though it hasn't gotten its act together on 3G. A neighborhood in my fair...
Continue reading "4G calls on Shanghai"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 31, 2007 08:44 PM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
IPTV and Net Neutrality, Part 2
At the end of 2006, pressure from citizens' groups forced AT&T into a second round of concessions on insuring net neutrality for all IP traffic, before the FCC would...
Continue reading "IPTV and Net Neutrality, Part 2"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 31, 2007 10:08 AM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Controversial router wins DesignCon award
Congratulations to Cadence Design Systems for winning a 2007 DesignVision award at DesignCon for its Space-Based Router. This is no ordinary router and it came with a bit of...
Continue reading "Controversial router wins DesignCon award"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 30, 2007 11:29 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Notebooks: the new desktop?
The roadmap for notebook computers has several stepwise improvements ahead. That's causing some people to say laptops will take an increasingly large seat in the desktop space over the next...
Continue reading "Notebooks: the new desktop?"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 30, 2007 11:27 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
China pirates: AstalaVista Microsoft
Microsoft may have made recent gains in selling legitimate software in China, but less than a day after the popular Vista OS hit store shelves, pirates were trying to terminate...
Continue reading "China pirates: AstalaVista Microsoft"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 30, 2007 02:24 AM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Mysterious OMAP Marriage
Texas Instruments and Motorola casually threw out an announcement of collaboration on OMAP processor architectures Jan. 29 that was rather significant in its breadth. As with most deals announced with...
Continue reading "Mysterious OMAP Marriage"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 29, 2007 07:17 PM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
On Semi is not off
On Semiconductor continues to surprise the market. FBR, in fact, is increasing its rating and raising its price target from $7 to $11....
Continue reading "On Semi is not off"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 29, 2007 11:36 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
SanDisk expanding beyond NAND?
Flash-memory card giant SanDisk buys NAND parts from Toshiba and others, but the NAND market is in the toilet....
Continue reading "SanDisk expanding beyond NAND?"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 29, 2007 11:15 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
What Cadence's CPF looks like
With all the publicity and controversy surrounding the Cadence Design Systems Common Power Format (CPF), it's easy to lose sight of what CPF is all about. Here's a CPU design...
Continue reading "What Cadence's CPF looks like"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 29, 2007 11:04 AM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Sky falling at Skyworks?
Satya Chillara, an analyst with Pacific Growth Equities, has given a ''neutral'' rating on Skyworks' stock despite shipment pushouts for its RF chips. The target price for the stock is...
Continue reading "Sky falling at Skyworks?"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 29, 2007 11:03 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Satellite TV misses a PC link
Don't expect to see anything about PC links to satellite TV amid all the hoopla about the launch of the consumer version of Windows Vista on Jan. 30. It's time...
Continue reading "Satellite TV misses a PC link"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 29, 2007 10:59 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Friday's "Fun with Video Day"
What's a hustle-bustle industry if you can't have some fun every now and again? If you follow telecommunications (and you do, whether you're a communications engineer or a consumer), you...
Continue reading "Friday's "Fun with Video Day""

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 26, 2007 08:42 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Mentor prepares IC packaging initiative
Here's a little scoop from a Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA) conference this week: Mentor Graphics Corp. is preparing to enter the IC packaging market with a tool set that will...
Continue reading "Mentor prepares IC packaging initiative"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 26, 2007 07:01 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Congress pushing education on broadcast TV transition
There is widespread worry about consumer confusion surrounding the impending transition from analog to digital broadcast TV formats in the U.S. But never fear: Congress is on the case....
Continue reading "Congress pushing education on broadcast TV transition"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 26, 2007 06:04 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
MSOs: Don't bungle the price of the bundle!
Two years ago, the most immediate threat to cable TV multi-system operators came from DBS satellite companies, who assembled nice-price packages to challenge the crusty cable guys. The lack of...
Continue reading "MSOs: Don't bungle the price of the bundle!"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 26, 2007 09:34 AM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
The Wang/Wei: a study of Chinese turtles
In China, the Chinese that have returned from abroad are called sea turtles, or hai gui. In short, they have washed up from foreign shores. Some do well, some don't...
Continue reading "The Wang/Wei: a study of Chinese turtles"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 25, 2007 11:57 PM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
A changing work ethic in Japan?
Times change rapidly in this business, even in Japan, where 2007 is not 1997, it appears. One of my longtime secret correspondent-engineers is on tour in Japan and China and...
Continue reading "A changing work ethic in Japan?"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 25, 2007 08:44 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
The real cost of EDA acquisitions
Magma Design Automation announced another "great" quarter with a heavy GAAP loss. It's all about accounting for early-stage acquisitions, the company says raising the question of what those acquisitions...
Continue reading "The real cost of EDA acquisitions"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 25, 2007 08:31 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Beyond the beige box
Pumpkins, robots and microphones are some of the crazy cases for consumer PCs displayed as The Five Most Creative Computers at TechBlog. I thought this feature was a fun romp...
Continue reading "Beyond the beige box"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 25, 2007 08:19 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
IC, package and board designers, unite!
If you're an IC, package, or pc-board designer, are you even aware what your colleagues in the other two domains are doing? If you're working with system-in-package (SiP), you'd better...
Continue reading "IC, package and board designers, unite!"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 24, 2007 11:45 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Baby kisses for the dragon
It's somewhat fashionable to say the semiconductor industry in China is in its infant stage, so we reporters should be careful what we say about it. But this baby is...
Continue reading "Baby kisses for the dragon"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 24, 2007 11:32 PM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Disaggregation on the march
I'm no Nostradamus but I've long suspected that at some point, Texas Instruments would bag process development. I just didn't think it would happen this soon....
Continue reading "Disaggregation on the march"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 24, 2007 05:34 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Cypress basks in the sun
American Technology Research analyst Doug Freedman maintains his ''Buy'' rating and a $21 price target for Cypress Semiconductor, thanks in part to its fast-growing solar-cell unit, SunPower....
Continue reading "Cypress basks in the sun"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 24, 2007 03:51 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Sun shines as AMD gets pounded
What a difference a quarter makes. Although both AMD and Sun are struggling through a tough server market their fortunes couldn't be more different. After posting their latest results, AMD...
Continue reading "Sun shines as AMD gets pounded"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 24, 2007 12:35 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Analyst downgrades AMD
American Technology Research analyst Doug Freedman has downgraded Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) from a ''Buy'' to a ''Sell'' after the chip maker reported lousy results on Tuesday....
Continue reading "Analyst downgrades AMD"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 24, 2007 12:01 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Zhuhai: Where the Action is
Actually, that's Actions Semiconductor, the little company in southern China that made a big bet on the non-Apple MP3 chip market and executed flawlessly, much to the chagrin of SigmaTel....
Continue reading "Zhuhai: Where the Action is"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 24, 2007 12:57 AM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
New EDA acquisition buys time
In a single stroke announced Tuesday (Jan. 23), a value-added reseller (VAR) became an EDA vendor, an electronic system level (ESL) provider became a one-product company, and a venerable design...
Continue reading "New EDA acquisition buys time"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 23, 2007 08:36 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Party politics are so passé
Just ask Barack Obama or Jonathan Schwartz, it doesn't really matter if you are a red chip or a blue chip, so long as you process the thread....
Continue reading "Party politics are so passé"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 23, 2007 01:32 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
A closer look at Apple
Apparently they handed out of lot of brown paper bags in the Silicon Valley in the past two weeks. They heavy breathing over Apple's new consumer-electronics devices is starting to...
Continue reading "A closer look at Apple"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 23, 2007 12:21 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Intel, Sun....China
Intel spread its microprocessor love to Sun Microsystems today, or maybe Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz got tired of fighting a losing battle....
Continue reading "Intel, Sun....China"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 22, 2007 10:11 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Analog gap in IC verification
Much attention has gone into solving the problem of digital IC verification, but there's still a big gap when it comes to analog portions of the design, notes a Broadcom...
Continue reading "Analog gap in IC verification"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 22, 2007 06:25 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
The Web in your pocket
Both Apple's iPhone and Intel's Ultra Mobile Devices are trying to shove the Internet in your pocket. Guys, it just doesn't fit!...
Continue reading "The Web in your pocket"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 22, 2007 12:06 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
802.11n: Few Surprises, Legacy Services
Initial reports this weekend from Atheros Communications and Metalink Ltd. suggests that the only surprises coming out of the London meeting of the IEEE 802.11n task group were the lack...
Continue reading "802.11n: Few Surprises, Legacy Services"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 21, 2007 07:01 PM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
No porn on Blu-ray? Uh-oh
There are reports circulating on the Internet that adult films will not be available on Blu-ray Disc format. Several reports this week have indicated that adult filmmakers are moving to...
Continue reading "No porn on Blu-ray? Uh-oh"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 19, 2007 07:54 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Taking a look at CE power consumption
With the explosion of consumer electronics in the past few years occurring at a time when the world is asking serious questions about energy consumption, it's worth examining how much...
Continue reading "Taking a look at CE power consumption"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 19, 2007 06:45 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
A STARC new approach to IC design
I get a lot of "tip of the iceberg" press releases that seem to point to a broader story. Such was the case this week, when Clear Shape Technologies announced...
Continue reading "A STARC new approach to IC design"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 19, 2007 05:47 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Catching up
Been out all week at a sales retreat in Santa Cruz. Nice weather, if you like enjoying it from inside a conference room. I'm back and bemused as I catch...
Continue reading "Catching up"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 19, 2007 02:14 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Greatest pitcher of all time?
Last year, the semiconductor industry was thrown a big curve ball and got hit by a chip inventory glut. The IC market was held to zero runs in Q4 of...
Continue reading "Greatest pitcher of all time?"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 19, 2007 01:33 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Xilinx hurt by inventory glut
Satya Chillara, an analyst with Pacific Growth Equities, has a ''neutral'' rating for Xilinx. The FPGA chip maker reported so-so results this week due to inventory issues....
Continue reading "Xilinx hurt by inventory glut"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 19, 2007 10:14 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
TI's outlook is lackluster
Satya Chillara, an analyst with Pacific Growth Equities, has a ''neutral'' stock rating for Texas Instruments, which will report what could be sluggish results next week. TI's share price is...
Continue reading "TI's outlook is lackluster"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 19, 2007 10:00 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Tools for imperfect IC designers
The emerging market for post-silicon validation tools raises an interesting question how do you sell a product that addresses mistakes customers don't want to admit they might make?...
Continue reading "Tools for imperfect IC designers"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 18, 2007 08:03 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Riding the waves at 10Gbit
Get ready for rough waters ahead for 10Gbit Ethernet in the data center....
Continue reading "Riding the waves at 10Gbit"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 18, 2007 10:45 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
WAPI ain't dead
Sony is the first foreign computer maker to support China's homegrown wireless protocol. That makes at least three companies (Lenovo and Founder) that are offering WAPI as an option....
Continue reading "WAPI ain't dead"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 17, 2007 10:27 PM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Should IP be included in EDA revenues?
The EDA Consortium's Market Statistics Service (MSS) reported today that EDA revenue grew 17 percent in the third quarter of 2006, compared to the prior year quarter. But it raises...
Continue reading "Should IP be included in EDA revenues?"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 17, 2007 07:17 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Colorado Springs Was Weak Link in Intel Chain
Intel Corp. surprised very few analysts Jan. 16 when it announced it was pulling out of Colorado Springs. While the 1.4 million-square-foot complex on Garden of the Gods Road dominated...
Continue reading "Colorado Springs Was Weak Link in Intel Chain"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 17, 2007 08:10 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
It may take three generations for 3G to hit China
After waiting for years, there are disturbing rumors starting to spread that another delay may be in the offing for 3G. If so, I suggest China wait until 4G comes...
Continue reading "It may take three generations for 3G to hit China"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 17, 2007 04:40 AM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
More bad news for fab-toolers
Susquehanna Financial Group semiconductor analyst Daniel Berenbaum has more bad news for the chip-equipment sector....
Continue reading "More bad news for fab-toolers"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 17, 2007 01:09 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Netflix offering shows way of the future
People have been talking for years about a future where consumers rent films without the requirement for discs or other physical media. In a sense, this has been reality for...
Continue reading "Netflix offering shows way of the future"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 16, 2007 07:50 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
IBM preps iSCSI storage device
Computer makers have been trying to get users—especially the thousands in small and medium companies—to start using storage area networks rather than just attaching drives direct to servers. Taking a...
Continue reading "IBM preps iSCSI storage device"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 16, 2007 05:14 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Nortel, PBT, and the Saga of Ipsilon
Nortel Networks is crowing about winning a supply contract with the BT 21st Century Network, two years after being frozen out by the carrier then known as British Telecom. Key...
Continue reading "Nortel, PBT, and the Saga of Ipsilon"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 16, 2007 02:26 PM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Tandberg's IP Transport Bonus
Arris Group's $1.2 billion offer for Tandberg Television is interpreted in many circles as a bid to create a TV transport powerhouse, with a special emphasis on digital TV encoding...
Continue reading "Tandberg's IP Transport Bonus"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 15, 2007 10:30 AM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Intel fab in China? Here we go again …
Rumors are flying again that Intel Corp is scouring the Chinese landscape for a good spot to build an advanced fab. This seems unlikely, unless the firm has managed to...
Continue reading "Intel fab in China? Here we go again …"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 15, 2007 04:28 AM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
IC power standards: is peace at hand?
The latest move in the IC power standards war is the approval of Cadence Design Systems' Common Power Format (CPF) as a Silicon Integration Initiative (Si2) "specification." Will it further...
Continue reading "IC power standards: is peace at hand?"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 12, 2007 08:17 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Aegis: When "Semiconductor" Becomes a Liability
Several companies in high-speed communications began life as semiconductor companies, only to drift over into integrated optoelectronics, board-level Ethernet support, or similar products that moved up the integration chain. The...
Continue reading "Aegis: When "Semiconductor" Becomes a Liability"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 12, 2007 11:36 AM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
SEMI's ISS event falls short
In my opinion, SEMI's Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) this week fell short of expectations. In fact, it was a disappointment, as the annual event failed to address major or controversial...
Continue reading "SEMI's ISS event falls short"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 12, 2007 02:00 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
When is an EDA lawsuit news?
Yet another EDA patent infringement lawsuit is in the news, but this one's been settled and you've probably never heard about it. Mentor Graphics' quiet lawsuit against emulation provider...
Continue reading "When is an EDA lawsuit news?"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 11, 2007 08:40 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Hey Nokia, turn down the Wibree volume!
That's the message the CTO of Nokia got at the Consumer Electronics Show in a private meeting with members of the PC industry....
Continue reading "Hey Nokia, turn down the Wibree volume!"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 11, 2007 05:38 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Crow, mmm, mmmm good!
OK, now that I've written my sort-of mea culpa and eaten my delicious plate of crow, please leave me alone. You didn't get blog and the editorial anyway....
Continue reading "Crow, mmm, mmmm good!"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 11, 2007 03:51 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
CES: Audio codec claims blind test victory
Nero AG issued a statement at CES this week saying its Nero Digital audio codec with HE-AAC won a "blind listening test" at 48 kilobits per second, besting Windows Media...
Continue reading "CES: Audio codec claims blind test victory"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 11, 2007 03:02 PM in
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
CES: Consumers in the dark on electronics recycling
The Consumer Electronics Association said "Green Wednesday," the environmental awareness day at CES, was the largest in show history....
Continue reading "CES: Consumers in the dark on electronics recycling"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 11, 2007 02:34 PM in
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
When Crybabies Demand Their Own (iPhone) Way
Over in the Computing blog, my colleague Rick Merritt has provided one reason to doubt the iPhone's ubiquity: Apple Inc.'s common tendency to design a Lexus when a Jetta would...
Continue reading "When Crybabies Demand Their Own (iPhone) Way"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 11, 2007 09:44 AM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Old Europe ticks off SARFT
Seems there is a bit of a dust-up over one of China's mobile TV standards. The issue is whether the China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting standard closely resembles Europe's satellite version...
Continue reading "Old Europe ticks off SARFT"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 10, 2007 10:17 PM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Mobile TV at CES: A sinking feeling?
Is Mobile TV a sinking ship? Who are the rats abondoning it? Is Qualcomm the captain going down with it?...
Continue reading "Mobile TV at CES: A sinking feeling?"

Posted by Junko Yoshida on Jan 10, 2007 07:39 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
A harmonious EDA/IP standards effort
The current EDA vendor infighting over a proposed standard for low-power design has left me a little jaded about standards efforts. But I'm feeling better now, after writing up a...
Continue reading "A harmonious EDA/IP standards effort"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 10, 2007 05:04 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
The morning after Steve Jobs
Got a hangover from the irrational exuberance at MacWorld? Join the growing crowd who may desire but can’t afford the iPhone....
Continue reading "The morning after Steve Jobs"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 10, 2007 11:13 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
UMC's Hu sounds off
At the Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Jackson Hu, chairman and chief executive of United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), sounded off about EDA, engineers and startups....
Continue reading "UMC's Hu sounds off"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 10, 2007 12:39 AM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
For the masses: Moto's cell phone charging bike
If RAZR thin margins in the mobile unit weren’t bad enough, now Moto believes that bicycles with built-in cell phone chargers will be a hit in developing countries like China...
Continue reading "For the masses: Moto's cell phone charging bike"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 9, 2007 10:39 PM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
AmmoCore's demise a lesson for startups
AmmoCore founders believe that Cadence Design Systems played a role in the demise of the once promising EDA startup. Whether or not that's true, there's a lesson for startups ...
Continue reading "AmmoCore's demise a lesson for startups"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 9, 2007 08:35 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Anybody gota Cable-TV chip for Vista?
Getting digital cable-TV into the PC is one of the big accomplishments of the consumer version of Vista coming Jan. 30, and it is being demoed all over the CES...
Continue reading "Anybody gota Cable-TV chip for Vista?"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 9, 2007 05:10 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
UDI is dead, but HDMI is a scrapper
The last pieces of the puzzle fell into place when I saw key Intel and Samsung execs behind the podium at the DisplayPort conference at the Consumer Electronics Conference today...
Continue reading "UDI is dead, but HDMI is a scrapper"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 9, 2007 04:59 PM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
AMD's anti-platform debuts at CES
Advanced Micro Devices may be taking a step into the absurd with its "Better by Design" program debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show Tuesday....
Continue reading "AMD's anti-platform debuts at CES"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 9, 2007 02:43 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
MediaTek on the march
Taiwan's MediaTek Inc is continuing its low-key acquisition run. Late last month, it picked up a 31 percent stake in Airoha Technology Corp., a maker of RF ICs mainly for...
Continue reading "MediaTek on the march"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 8, 2007 11:16 PM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
No free lunch with C language design
To my knowledge, nobody has a tool that will efficiently synthesize a full chip from unstructured C language code written by someone with no knowledge of hardware. That's why I...
Continue reading "No free lunch with C language design"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 8, 2007 07:27 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
MMIC Integration for the Handset: Crazy or Sensible?
This year's IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium included a special Power Amplifier Symposium colocated at the Long Beach Convention Center. The most intriguing Monday workshop on January 8 was a...
Continue reading "MMIC Integration for the Handset: Crazy or Sensible?"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 8, 2007 07:13 PM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Exorcist needed at ISS
At the Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) in Half Moon Bay, Calif., I got stuck in Room 666 at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Nice room. Great view....
Continue reading "Exorcist needed at ISS"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 8, 2007 07:06 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Happy 2007--NOT
2006 will turn out to be a good year for the electronics industry; not great, but good. No one really felt it of course. It felt more like a rock...
Continue reading "Happy 2007--NOT"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 8, 2007 05:40 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
RCA: a Mere Shadow of its Former Self at CES
It pains me to see RCA, once the most celebrated consumer electronics brand name in the United States, soon to become a company that just sells telephony products....
Continue reading "RCA: a Mere Shadow of its Former Self at CES"

Posted by Junko Yoshida on Jan 8, 2007 03:28 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
CES Bargain: Twice the Formats at Twice the Price
Universal Blu-ray/HD DVD players debuted at CES. Escalating the prices that will make CE companies smile, and consumers wince....
Continue reading "CES Bargain: Twice the Formats at Twice the Price"

Posted by Junko Yoshida on Jan 8, 2007 12:45 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Gates, a fast learner, calls the tune at CES
I have never seen Bill Gates in a more upbeat mood than at his CES keynote tonight....
Continue reading "Gates, a fast learner, calls the tune at CES"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 8, 2007 02:48 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
STMicro eyes Chinese CPU
China's Godson CPU may be getting some international cache. Word is that STMicroelectronics is interested in buying the IP associated with the Godson, a 32-bit processor originally developed by the...
Continue reading "STMicro eyes Chinese CPU"

Posted by Mike Clendenin on Jan 8, 2007 02:42 AM in China
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Link YouTube and boob tube, says CES speaker
Who would have thunk it. A Hollywood exec standing up at the Consumer Electronics Show to say Internet video is a good thing and quality isn't always what it's cracked...
Continue reading "Link YouTube and boob tube, says CES speaker"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 7, 2007 03:02 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
CES = Combating Excessive Stress
You'd scarcely know it by the relative levels of publicity, but vendors of wireless communications systems don't have to scramble for face time at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las...
Continue reading "CES = Combating Excessive Stress"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 6, 2007 11:05 AM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
The outlook at International Rectifier
Usually when you sell 25 percent of your company, you're in a world of hurt and scrambling to keep your head above water. International Rectifier did it to enable longterm...
Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 5, 2007 08:45 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Hi-tech PR suffers a loss
Hi-tech PR is not what it used to be. In general, there is too much hype and too little hi-tech expertise among today's so-called PR gurus....
Continue reading "Hi-tech PR suffers a loss"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 5, 2007 06:30 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
KLA giveth, taketh away, then giveth back
Fab equipment vendor KLA-Tencor Corp. it has re-priced stock options determined to be retroactively backdated that were awarded to its current CEO and two advisors. But in the same breath...
Continue reading "KLA giveth, taketh away, then giveth back"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 5, 2007 06:30 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
CAD tool models superconductors
A number of arcane press releases cross my desk in any given week, but here's one that's decidedly different. It's about a CAD tool that claims to be the first...
Continue reading "CAD tool models superconductors"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 5, 2007 05:00 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
One from the vault
We've prattled on about the private-equity buyout trend that's entered the electronics world whole-heartedly. One guy who's been courted by has spurned the offer (only because it wasn't enough dough)...
Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 5, 2007 02:21 AM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Rajeev Madhavan's 2007 meltdown warning
You can always count on Rajeev Madhavan, CEO of Magma Design Automation, for some interesting commentary. He certainly had some for a recent article about the EDA industry in 2007...
Continue reading "Rajeev Madhavan's 2007 meltdown warning"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 4, 2007 08:32 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Next-gen DVD 'war' looking more like a slap fight
Several months ago, and even a few weeks ago, HD DVD versus Blu-ray Disc had all the makings of a classic format war in the mold of VHS versus Betamax....
Continue reading "Next-gen DVD 'war' looking more like a slap fight"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 4, 2007 08:06 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
News flash: Big changes at Virage
Stunner from the ip world: Adam Kablanian stepping down from his CEO role at Virage Logic. In steps board member Dan McCranie, longtime semiconductor luminary. Kablanian will become chairman and...
Continue reading "News flash: Big changes at Virage"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 4, 2007 07:15 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Governator funds computers, cleantech
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced that he will propose nearly $95 million in the state budget to create the Governor's Research and Innovation Initiative. This initiative provides state funding...
Continue reading "Governator funds computers, cleantech"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 4, 2007 06:35 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Technologist goes 3-D
Sitaram Arkalgud is going three-dimensional. The technologist has been named director of Sematech's new 3-D interconnect initiative....
Continue reading "Technologist goes 3-D"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 4, 2007 06:18 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Getting religion
Back in the saddle, thrown in the deep end. Pick your metaphor. But recovering from vacation is not pretty in 2007. That grumpiness aside, Happy New Year! My vacation found...
Continue reading "Getting religion"

Posted by Brian Fuller on Jan 4, 2007 06:00 PM in Industry
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Analyst inspects Nanometrics
Avinash Kant, an analyst with Canaccord Adams, paints a mixed picture about metrology-equipment supplier Nanometrics....
Continue reading "Analyst inspects Nanometrics"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 4, 2007 01:22 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Bringing "Quality of Experience" Back Home
Everyone in the network test and timing industry is talking about Quality of Experience these days, and those without the internal expertise are looking to buy some talent. Before you...
Continue reading "Bringing "Quality of Experience" Back Home"

Posted by Loring Wirbel on Jan 4, 2007 10:40 AM in Communications
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Accolades for Richard Newton
News of the death of Richard Newton, dean of the college of engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, has deeply affected those involved in EDA and electronic design....
Continue reading "Accolades for Richard Newton"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 3, 2007 09:04 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
iPod keeps rolling, legal uncertainty be damned
Even as Apple and certain of its current and former executives face terrific uncertainty on multiple legal fronts, the company can apparently celebrate a successful holiday season that saw its...
Continue reading "iPod keeps rolling, legal uncertainty be damned"

Posted by Dylan McGrath on Jan 3, 2007 01:44 PM in Consumer
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
UMPC: Too small and too big
When will they ever learn? There is a death zone in which any mobile PC is at once too big for your pocket and too small to be useful....
Continue reading "UMPC: Too small and too big"

Posted by Rick Merritt on Jan 3, 2007 11:35 AM in Computing
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Remembering Richard Newton engineering for the world
The sudden death of Richard Newton, dean of the college of engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, isn't only a devastating loss for the EDA industry. It's a...
Continue reading "Remembering Richard Newton engineering for the world"

Posted by Richard Goering on Jan 2, 2007 08:24 PM in EDA Software
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry
Advantest gets testy at Intel
Analyst David Motozo Rubenstein of Jefferies Japan Ltd. on Tokyo-based Advantest: the world's largest ATE company is suffering, due in part to capital spending cuts at Intel....
Continue reading "Advantest gets testy at Intel"

Posted by Mark LaPedus on Jan 1, 2007 09:30 PM in Semiconductors
Permalink |
Comment on this blog entry