Asia
Graphics processing instrumental in automotive semiconductor growth
June 4, 2012 12:04 pm | News | CommentsDedicated graphics processing units (GPUs) are forecast to become increasingly prevalent in automotive instrument clusters and infotainment systems according to IMS Research, recently acquired by IHS Inc. This uptake of technology and the associated silicon will drive semiconductor revenue growth, with the combined instrument cluster and infotainment semiconductor market reaching
Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology 2012 opens on June 9
June 4, 2012 11:59 am | News | CommentsThe 2012 Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology will open for business on June 9 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex at the Electrical Engineering Brand Name hall 6.1 and the new hall 8.1. Running until June 12, the premier event will serve as the comprehensive platform on building technology for industry professionals both in China and abroad. The show will feature
Analysis: Robots lift China's factories to new heights
June 4, 2012 9:15 am | by Don Durfee, Rueters | News | CommentsThe giant orange robotic arms that swiftly weld together car frames at the Great Wall Motors factory in Baoding might seem like the perfect answer to China's fast-rising labor costs - they don't ask for a raise, get injured or go on strike.
Softbank unveils post-Fukushima radiation smartphone
May 29, 2012 9:18 am | by Reuters | News | CommentsMobile phone operator Softbank Corp said on Tuesday it would soon begin selling smartphones with radiation detectors, tapping into concerns that atomic hotspots remain along Japan's eastern coast more than a year after the Fukushima crisis.
Reshoring of some Chinese manufacturing jobs likely as cost gap expected to shrink to just 16 percent next year
May 25, 2012 9:08 am | News | CommentsThe tide has begun to turn on the flow of manufacturing jobs from the U.S. to China and other low-cost countries, according to a new study from The Hackett Group. Some companies are already reshoring a portion of their manufacturing capacity, and this trend is expected to reach a crucial tipping point over the next two to three years...
Taiwan's UMC says to invest $8 billion in 12-inch wafer fab
May 24, 2012 9:36 am | by Argin Chang, Reuters | News | CommentsTaiwan's UMC, the world's No.2 contract chip maker, said it will invest $8 billion in a 12-inch wafer plant in Taiwan, joining its peers in investing in high-end technology to meet demand for chips in fast-growing markets like mobile devices.
China, Russia and India to generate most business for power transformer market
May 22, 2012 11:44 am | News | CommentsPower transmission networks across the world are being given with much-needed attention from utilities, as rising populations and economic growth encourage substantial investments in grid expansion and strengthening, according to a new report by energy experts GlobalData. The new report states that
Mindspeed and China Mobile collaborate for TD-SCDMA/TD-LTE small cell solutions
May 22, 2012 9:49 am | News | CommentsMindspeed Technologies, Inc. announced that it will form a joint development lab with China Mobile Communications Corporation to support the operator's recent deployment of Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) femtocells.
TDK expands capacity for power capacitors with new EPCOS factory in northern India
May 17, 2012 10:57 am | News | CommentsTDK Corporation announces that its subsidiary, EPCOS India Pvt. Ltd., has officially opened a new factory in India for power capacitors. Located in Bawal, Haryana, some 100 kilometers southwest of New Delhi, the new plant will focus on
Greenliant Systems appoints Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia to distribute NAND memory products in China and India
May 17, 2012 10:43 am | News | CommentsGreenliant Systems, a leader in energy-efficient, solid state storage products, has signed a distribution agreement with Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia, an operating group of Avnet, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Avnet will distribute
China Mobile in talks with Apple for iPhone
May 16, 2012 9:07 am | by Lee Chyen Yee, Reuters | News | CommentsChina Mobile, the world's biggest telecom carrier by subscribers, said on Wednesday it is negotiating with Apple Inc to carry the popular iPhone in China. China Mobile is the only Chinese operator that does not officially carry the iPhone because its homegrown 3G technology is not supported by the chips used in current iPhone models.
Mobile sales dip as China buyers hold off: Gartner
May 16, 2012 9:06 am | by Tarmo Virki, Reuters | News | CommentsGlobal sales of mobile phones fell 2 percent in January-March after ten straight quarters of growth, as Chinese buyers held back in anticipation of new models and economic uncertainties weighed on developed markets, research firm Gartner said. The data, published on Wednesday, confirmed South Korea's Samsung became the world's largest cellphone maker in the quarter...
Apple, supplier Foxconn to share costs on improving factories
May 10, 2012 12:38 pm | by John Ruwitch, Reuters | News | CommentsApple Inc and its key supplier Foxconn Technology Group will share the initial costs of improving labor conditions at the Chinese factories that assemble iPhones and iPads, Foxconn's top executive said on Thursday. Foxconn chief Terry Gou did not give a figure for the costs, but the group has been spending heavily to fight a perception its vast plants in China are sweatshops with poor conditions for its million-strong labor force.
Counterfeit-part risk expected to rise as semiconductor market shifts into higher gear
May 10, 2012 10:27 am | News | CommentsWith the semiconductor industry entering a phase of accelerating growth, the number of counterfeit-part incidents also is expected to rise to new record highs, according to an analysis of trends conducted by information and analytics provider IHS
NPD Solarbuzz Announces Inaugural China PV Conference in Shanghai, July 19-20
May 10, 2012 10:08 am | News | CommentsSolarbuzz announced it will host its inaugural Solarbuzz China PV Conference in Shanghai, China. This two-day event will take place July 19-20, 2012 at the Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel, and will provide valuable insight and critical market data to help the PV supply chain effectively develop business strategies.
Japan's social media heavyweights scrap gambling games
May 9, 2012 9:22 am | by Mari Saito, Reuters | News | CommentsJapan's leading social gaming companies Gree Inc and DeNA Co Ltd said on Wednesday they would gradually phase out games that contain aspects of gambling as they face increased pressure from regulators. The game under investigation by Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency is called "complete gacha", which charges users around $3 to $4 to turn over virtual cards.
US, China to cooperate more on cyber threat
May 8, 2012 11:43 am | by LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press | News | CommentsAsserting that cyberattacks against the U.S. don't come only from China, the U.S. and Chinese defense ministers said they agreed Monday to work together on cyber issues to avoid miscalculations that could lead to future crises. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that since China and the United States have advanced cyber capabilities, it is important to develop better cooperation.
Taiwan exports fell 6 percent in April
May 7, 2012 5:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsTaiwan says its exports declined 6 percent to $25.5 billion in April amid waning foreign demand for its tech products. The Finance Ministry said Monday that exports to the U.S. fell 16 percent from a year earlier to $2.7 billion amid a sharp decline in handset deliveries. It said overall exports...
Russia, China on top copyright pirates list again: USTR
April 30, 2012 2:33 pm | News | CommentsThe United States on Monday again put Russia and China on its list of countries with the worst records of preventing copyright theft, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said. Argentina, Canada and India were also put on "priority watch list," along with Algeria, Chile, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand, Ukraine and Venezuela.
China's space know-how said threat to U.S., Taiwan
April 27, 2012 11:43 am | by Jim Wolf, Reuters | News | CommentsChina's growing capabilities in space could undercut any U.S. military response if Beijing resorted to force to bring self-ruled Taiwan into its fold, a study released Friday by a congressionally mandated U.S. commission said.
Workers protest at Foxconn plant in China
April 27, 2012 9:48 am | News | CommentsWorkers at a Chinese factory owned by Foxconn, Apple Inc's main manufacturer, threatened to jump off the roof of a building in a protest over wages just a month after the two firms announced a landmark agreement on improving working conditions.
Analysis: As technology shifts, Asian giants wrestle for TV control
April 25, 2012 9:14 am | by Tim Kelly and Clare Jim, Reuters | News | CommentsLG Electronics will steal a march on its rivals by bringing forward the launch of a 55-inch flat TV using next-generation technology, raising the stakes in a cut-throat battle for the living room between Asia's top tech powerhouses.
Toshiba drops out of bidding for Elpida: sources
April 24, 2012 12:34 pm | by Maki Shiraki, Reuters | News | CommentsToshiba Corp is no longer bidding for bankrupt Japanese chip maker Elpida Memory, sources close to the talks said, leaving a handful of foreign firms including SK Hynix and Micron Technology in the race to take over the company.
GE Energy licenses DLynx point of load portfolio to FDK
April 18, 2012 9:15 am | News | CommentsGE Energy has agreed to license the DLynx™ Digital Point-of-Load (POL) DC power converter product portfolio to FDK Corporation (FDK). The technology licensing agreement is designed to help original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers in Asia optimize energy efficiency, lower cooling requirements, reduce risk and accelerate new product development efforts.
Exclusive: China's ZTE planned U.S. computer sale to Iran
April 10, 2012 1:54 pm | by Steve Stecklow, Reuters | News | CommentsChina's ZTE Corp, which recently sold Iran's largest telecommunications firm a powerful surveillance system, later agreed to ship to Iran millions of dollars worth of embargoed U.S. computer equipment, documents show.
