Generally if you want to read about power dissipation in SoCs and the potential impact on limiting how much computer power we might be able to cram onto a given piece of silicon then EE Times is a good place to look. But last weekend there was a full-length article in, of all places a different Times, the New York Times, entitled Progress… Read More
Apple makes 2/3 of profits of entire mobile industry
This is an amazing picture (click to enlarge). Apple now makes 2/3 of all the profit in the entire mobile handset industry. And that is the entire handset industry, not just smartphones where it has also blown past Nokia to become number one (although there are more Android handsets than iOS, those handsets are spread across multiple… Read More
Once Upon A Time… ASIC designers developed IC for Supercomputer in the 80’s
During last week-end, I had the good surprise to meet with one of my oldest friend, Eric, who remind me the old time, when we were working together as ASIC designers for… a Supercomputer project.
In France, in a French company (Thomson CSF) active in the military segment and being able to spend which was at that time a fortune ($25M) … Read More
Going to DAC? There’s an app for that
Are you going to DAC in San Diego? Do you have an iPhone? In which case Bill Deegan’s dac48 app is something you should install before you get there. It’s free, which makes a nice change from EDA software pricing.
The app substitutes for the various paper, agendas and maps that you need to consult to find exhibitors, check… Read More
Semiconductor Industry Security Threat!
The IBM X-ForceTrend and Risk Report reveals how 2010 was a pivotal year for internet security as networks faced increasingly sophisticated attacks from malicious sources around the world. The X-Force reportedly monitors 13 billion real-time security events every day (150,000 events per second) and has seen an increase in … Read More
2011: A Semiconductor Odyssey!
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey showed us a world where machine vision allowed a computer to watch and interact with its human colleagues. Yet after 40 years of incredible progress in semiconductor design, the technology to make computer-based image and video analysis a reality is still not practical.
While working with… Read More
Semiconductor Industry Damage Assessment (Disaster in Japan)
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2011 will have far reaching ramifications around the world for years to come. People have asked me how this disaster will affect the semiconductor industry so I will try and summarize it in this blog.
First the foundries:
According to TSMC: … Read More
SemiWiki Top Influencers get Android Tablets!
The most impressive devices at CES this year by far were the Android tablets, I absolutely want one. It will not replace my laptop but my laptop will no longer leave the house (my laptop AC adapter weighs more than a tablet!) My iPod will be for walks and the gym, I won’t buy another digital camera, and no e-reader for me.
SemiWiki is a cloud… Read More
Semiconductor Supply and Demand in 2010/2011
The semiconductor analysts are at it again, revising numbers, polishing their guesstimates, and patting each other on the back for being equally as inaccurate. I blame these crystal ball hacks for the semiconductor shortages and price hikes we are experiencing today.
These people get paid to guide investors, and the industry… Read More
Cloud Computing = Darknet! BEWARE!
Cloud computing will be the tragic end to the digital world as we once knew it. As we become more and more dependent on mobile internet devices we become less and less independent in life itself. Consider how much of your critical personal and professional information (digital capital) is stored via the internet and none of it is safe.… Read More
What would you do if you were the CEO of Intel?