Consumer
USB Connects Car Makers to the Consumer
February 4, 2010 6:16 am | by Henry Muyshondt, SMSC | Articles | CommentsUSB is the interface of choice for many of today’s consumer electronics products. Everything from cameras, to telephones and media players, as well as portable navigation devices use USB. Even devices with wireless interfaces, such as a Bluetooth phones, need to be connected to charge their batteries. USB provides the perfect interface: it is in widespread use and has a very well defined connector that makes it easy for both carmakers and device makers to use.
Module Solves Power Supply Challenges
February 3, 2010 11:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsIntersil Corporation announced the ISL8200M, a compact, scalable power module. This flexible new module provides designers an easy-to-use general-purpose power solution that satisfies a wide range of point-of-load (POL) power requirements. The ISL8200M is a
Turning Wireless Technology into Enhanced Mobile Experiences
February 3, 2010 10:47 am | by Jarkko Vatjus-Antilla, EB, Elektrobit Corporation | Articles | CommentsFrom smartphones to netbooks and everything in between, mobile devices are rapidly changing the way in which the world communicates. New platforms, operating systems and application frameworks are altering the embedded mobile playing field, driving the need for developers to stay ahead of market trends and end-user expectations. The new game has developers more focused on understanding the different technologies being used, and how each can create enriched mobile experiences that match to shifting end-user demands.
Department of Defense Schools Recieve BOXLIGHTs
February 3, 2010 9:17 am | News | CommentsBOXLIGHT in partnership with Alpha Sum Business Machines has announced the delivery of nearly 1000 GSA approved projectors sent to military K-12 Department of Defense schools located around the United States and Puerto Rico. “The initial order of Seattle X30N’s and accompanying accessories began shipping to over 80 schools in mid-January,” said Chad Harrison, BOXLIGHT Business Development Manager. “With an open, year-long bid, we anticipate the number of projectors to approach the 1500 mark.”
LPCXpresso: New Web Enablement Platform Released
February 3, 2010 8:43 am | News | CommentsNXP Semiconductors today announced the availability of a low-cost, web-enabled development tool platform, LPCXpresso, for the LPC ARM processor family of microcontrollers. The LPCXpresso features an easy-to-use interface and supports the complete product design cycle, providing an end-to-end development solution. NXP is also announcing today the launch of the industry’s first Cortex-M0 design competition, the “LPC1100 Cortex-M0 Design Challenge,” providing free LPCXpresso tools to qualified contestants.
New Design Kit Expands Simulation Capability
February 3, 2010 8:23 am | News | CommentsAgilent Technologies Inc. today announced the availability of an NXP Semiconductors' design kit for RF small-signal products within Agilent's Advanced Design System (ADS). The design kit provides NXP's customers with easy access to comprehensive libraries of models within ADS for NXP's RF wideband devices, diodes, junction FET's, dual-gate MOSFET's and MMIC's. With the new design kit, customers can run simulations in ADS prior to moving to prototype. This significantly accelerates project development with NXP's components and speeds time-to-market.
Single-chip Analog Mobile TV Receiver Based on 65 nm CMOS
February 3, 2010 5:46 am | Product Releases | CommentsTelegent Systems introduced its third generation analog mobile TV receiver, the TLG1121. This single-chip analog mobile TV receiver is based on 65nm CMOS process technology, reducing power consumption and solution footprint relative to the company’s previous generation product. The TLG1121 provides
The Disruptive Technology of Solid State Lighting
February 2, 2010 9:31 am | by Alix Paultre, Editor-in-Chief | Videos | CommentsECN's Editor-in-Chief, Alix Paultre, describes Solid State Lighting, its impact on the industry, and the technologies preceding it.
ANADIGICS Power Amplifiers Selected for Novatel Phones
February 1, 2010 10:07 am | News | CommentsANADIGICS, Inc., a leading provider of innovative RF solutions for broadband wireless and wireline communications, today announced that Novatel Wireless has selected its WCDMA/HSPA and EDGE power amplifiers (PAs) for two new wireless HSPA+ Mobile Broadband USB modems. HSPA+ is the next evolution of high-speed packet access (HSPA) wireless broadband technology, offering greater capacity for data throughput compared to current 3G networks.
LCD Monthly Desktop Monitor Production Rate Highest Since Mid-2008
February 1, 2010 4:57 am | News | CommentsJanuary LCD monitor production for top PC and monitor brands—about 85% of the market—was 12.5 M, the highest level in more than a year, as noted in the newly announced DisplaySearch Monthly Desktop Monitor Brand and OEM Production Report.
Nokia cuts phone prices as market growth returns
February 1, 2010 4:51 am | News | CommentsNokia (NOK1V.HE) cut phone prices across its portfolio in late January, putting its cheapest smartphones on a collision course with mid-range phones from rivals Samsung (005930.KS) and Sony Ericsson. Nokia said price changes were part of its normal, ongoing business.
Power Inductors Achieve Desirable DC Bias
February 1, 2010 4:47 am | Product Releases | CommentsTaiyo Yuden’s NRS5020 (5.0 mmx 5.0 mm, with a maximum height of 2.0 mm) and the NR5040 (5.0 mm x 5.0 mm, with a maximum height of 4.0 mm) wire-wound power inductors are said to feature the industry’s best DC bias characteristics for 5 mm square power inductors. Though more
Exploding the Efficiency Myth of Class D Amplifiers
January 29, 2010 11:56 am | by Huw Davies, Audium Semiconductor Ltd., www.audiumsemi.com | Articles | CommentsMuch has been written about the efficiency of Class D amplifiers, with figures of 90 percent or greater being routinely quoted. Such numbers might seem to suggest that the efficiency problem of audio amplifiers has been well-solved by conventional Class D. However, a closer look shows that this is far from the truth, with these amplifiers frequently seeing only single-digit percentage efficiencies, in real product usage conditions.
Microsoft profit beats on strong Windows 7 sales
January 29, 2010 9:05 am | News | CommentsMicrosoft Corp posted a bigger-than-expected 60 percent jump in quarterly profit, helped by strong sales of Windows 7, and said it expected business technology spending to recover this year. The world's biggest software maker said on Thursday that net profit came to $6.7 billion, or 74 cents per share, for its fiscal second quarter, versus $4.2 billion, or 47 cents per share, a year ago.
Apple backs VoIP calls over 3G networks for iPhone
January 29, 2010 4:48 am | News | CommentsApple Inc. is allowing iPhone owners to use Internet calling services over cellular networks. Several companies offering Voice over Internet Protocol - or VoIP - services said this week that Apple now allows their applications to work on the iPhone.
Truetouch Tablet Demo
January 29, 2010 4:14 am | Videos | CommentsCypress Semiconductor demonstrates tablet-sized capacitive touchscreen with true multi-touch all-point capability.
Painful Wii price cut keeps Nintendo in the game
January 28, 2010 11:35 am | News | CommentsGames maker Nintendo's showed greater than expected resilience in its battle for market share last quarter thanks in part to a 20 percent price cut on its Wii product that sliced into profits. A firm yen also took its toll on profits, and the Japanese company that earns 85 percent of its revenues outside its home country stuck to its forecast for a first annual profit fall in four years.
NY AG calls Internet discount clubs 'deceptive'
January 27, 2010 9:56 am | News | CommentsThe New York attorney general warned Internet retailers Wednesday that they should stop funneling unsuspecting customers into "deceptive" Web discount clubs that have been accused of slamming people with hidden fees.
Apple unveils $499 tablet with AT & T data plans
January 27, 2010 9:33 am | News | CommentsApple will sell its newly unveiled tablet-style iPad starting at $499. The iPad resembles an iPhone, but larger. Apple will sell some iPad models with data plans from AT&T, with no contract required.
Several VITA Specifications Reach ANSI Recognition
January 27, 2010 9:16 am | News | CommentsVITA, the trade association dedicated to fostering American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited open system architectures in critical embedded system applications had several of its specifications reach ANSI recognition in the past year. A total of eight specifications completed the process and reached full recognition under the guidance of the VITA Standards Organization (VSO).
Rochester Continues Manufacturing Intel's IXF1002
January 27, 2010 9:02 am | News | CommentsRochester Electronics, the world's largest authorized manufacturer of discontinued semiconductors, is announcing that it will provide, under a license from Intel, continuing manufacturing and customer support for Intel's IXF1002 Dual Port Gigabit Ethernet Media Access Controller, which facilitates simple network management protocol and remote monitoring management in gigabit Ethernet server environments.
DC-DC Converter Has Wide Input Range
January 26, 2010 11:48 am | TDK-Lambda Americas, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsGlobal power supply manufacturer TDK-Lambda has announced its latest high density, cost-effective, DC-DC converter family with the introduction of the new CC-P-E Series. These are ultra compact, fully isolated converters that feature wide range DC inputs (24V or 48V nominal) which make them suitable for telecom, datacom, distributed power, battery operated devices, FPGA, and process control applications. Available with output voltages of 3.3V, 5V, 12V or 15Vdc, with output power ratings of 15 or 30-watts, these fully-regulated, high efficiency (92% typical) converters can be paralleled for higher power applications, says TDK-Lambda.
Capacitive Touch Switch Has Pressure-less Sensor
January 26, 2010 11:07 am | Product Releases | CommentsOptrex America Inc. has developed capacitive touch switch technology that detects variations in position and command, eliminates air gaps and reduces the number of layers required. Optrex says that this technology offers the highest standards of optical performance with exceptional ease of design for human machine interfaces, handheld terminals, gaming, medical equipment, and point-of-sale and mobile applications.
ON Releases New Clock Driver
January 26, 2010 9:16 am | On Semiconductor | Product Releases | CommentsON Semiconductor, a premier supplier of high performance, energy efficient silicon solutions for greener electronics, today announced an expansion of its family of clock drivers, with the release of the NB7L585, NB7L585R, NB7V585M and NB7V586M differential 2:1 mux input to 1:6 devices, and the NB6HQ14M and NB7HQ14M 1:4 fanout clock/data drivers with equalization.
Folding-blade Adapter is Ultra Thin
January 26, 2010 4:56 am | Phihong | Product Releases | CommentsPhihong has developed a folding blade adapter that, with a 15 mm thickness when the blades are folded, is said to be the thinnest available. The PSA05F adapter is available with 5 V and USB A socket output, and meets the requirements of the United States’ Federal Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) as well as
