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


Another Negative Year for Semiconductor CapEx

Another Negative Year for Semiconductor CapEx
by Bill Jewell on 09-29-2013 at 11:00 pm

Global semiconductor capital spending is headed for another decline in 2013, following a 12% decline in 2012. Gartner’s September forecast called for a 7% decline in 2013. Most of the major spenders expect flat to declining expenditures in 2013. Intel in July estimated 2013 spending of $11 billion, flat with 2012 and down from … Read More


Semiconductor Market Back to Healthy Growth

Semiconductor Market Back to Healthy Growth
by Bill Jewell on 08-29-2013 at 9:00 pm

The worldwide semiconductor market is back to a healthy level of growth. WSTS data shows the 2Q 2013 global semiconductor market was up 6.0% from 1Q 2013 – the strongest quarter-to-quarter growth since 6.6% growth in 2Q 2011. Recent forecasts for 2013 market growth range from a conservative 2.1% from WSTS to an optimistic… Read More


Can China alone drive semiconductor growth?

Can China alone drive semiconductor growth?
by Bill Jewell on 06-25-2013 at 9:04 pm

Production of electronic equipment (including computers, communications, consumer, etc.) has been sluggish over the last year in all key regions of the world except China. The chart below shows three-month-average change versus a year ago for electronics production in local currency through April 2013 (May 2013 for China).… Read More