Applied Power Electronics Conference & Exposition 2014: "Less Power"

Applied Power Electronics Conference & Exposition 2014: "Less Power"
by Bill Jewell on 03-27-2014 at 11:00 pm

On the television show “Home Improvement”, Tim Allen’s character always sought “more power” for whatever project he was working on. The theme of the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) 2014 could have been “less power”. APEC 2014 featured five days of seminars and sessions including professional education,Read More


2014 Semiconductor Growth Could be 2X 2013 Rate

2014 Semiconductor Growth Could be 2X 2013 Rate
by Bill Jewell on 02-21-2014 at 10:00 am

The fourth quarter 2013 semiconductor market declined 0.8% from the third quarter, according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS). Full year 2013 growth was 4.8%. Our most recent 2013 forecast at Semiconductor Intelligence was 6% in November 2013, based on expectations of positive growth in 4Q 2013. Who had the most… Read More


International CES Wrapup

International CES Wrapup
by Bill Jewell on 01-15-2014 at 4:00 pm

Semiconductor Intelligence attended the International CES last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. A wide variety of consumer electronics devices were displayed at the conference. These ranged from:

· Fascinating – but is it practical? (personal robots, drones)
· Exciting – but when will it be cheap enough for the mass market? (UHD TV,
Read More


International CES: Day Four

International CES: Day Four
by Bill Jewell on 01-08-2014 at 7:00 pm

Wednesday, January 8.

Sensors are big at CES. Big as in many vendors and applications, but small in size. Sensors were prominent features in automobiles, PCs, tablets and mobile phones. But the most exciting is the relatively new area of digital health and fitness. CES has 366 exhibitors in this category, with most of them featuring… Read More


International CES: Day Three

International CES: Day Three
by Bill Jewell on 01-07-2014 at 10:45 pm

Samsung 105 inch curved UHDTV edited 1 300x171

Tuesday, January 7

Today was the official start of International CES. The crowds were huge – almost every area of the massive Las Vegas Convention Center was crowded.

Now that we have all spent lots of money replacing our old picture tube television sets with big flat panel HDTVs, manufacturers are pushing the next big thing: Ultra… Read More


International CES: Day Two

International CES: Day Two
by Bill Jewell on 01-06-2014 at 8:00 pm

race car 300x237

Monday, January 6, 2014.Press conference day at International CES, starting with LG at 8 am and finishing with Sony at 5 pm. Some of the most interesting presentations (I will not overuse the word “cool” today) were:

Izon, LLC introduced a glasses-free 3D TV. They demonstrated on a 24 inch screen playing the latest … Read More


International CES: Day One

International CES: Day One
by Bill Jewell on 01-05-2014 at 10:00 pm

Semiconductor Intelligence will be attending the International CES this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) puts on the show each year. The CEA insists the meeting be called “International CES” and states “CES” no longer stands for Consumer Electronics Show. The… Read More


Semiconductor equipment back on track

Semiconductor equipment back on track
by Bill Jewell on 12-19-2013 at 11:00 pm

Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales have increased each of the last three quarters after dropping significantly in the second half of 2012, based on data from Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) and Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ). Much of the volatility is in sales… Read More


Semiconductor market could grow 15% in 2014

Semiconductor market could grow 15% in 2014
by Bill Jewell on 11-20-2013 at 8:00 pm

The global semiconductor market has grown 4% for the first three quarters of 2013 compared to a year ago, according to World Semiconductor Trades Statistics (WSTS). Guidance for 4Q 2013 revenue change versus 3Q 2013 varies widely for key semiconductor companies. Texas Instruments (TI), Broadcom, Infineon and Renesas all expect… Read More


Tablets, smartphones & China still driving growth

Tablets, smartphones & China still driving growth
by Bill Jewell on 10-23-2013 at 10:36 pm

Media tablets and smartphones have been the two most significant drivers of electronics and semiconductor growth for the last few years. Forecasts from two major market research firms indicate these devices will continue to be major drivers for the next few years. For 2013, Gartner and IDC (International Data Corporation) both… Read More