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| SanDisk rolls 64Gbit 4X flash memory cards |
10/19/2009 |
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SanDisk Corp. has begun production shipments of memory cards based on the company's X4 flash memory technology. This technology holds four bits of data in each memory cell, twice as many as the cells in conventional multi-level cell NAND memory chips.
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| Window 7 to boost notebook space |
10/16/2009 |
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DRAM Exchange believes that Windows 7 has far better performance than Vista, incorporating better memory utilization, power management and interface.
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| SMIC to extend process to 40nm |
10/16/2009 |
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"Our 45-nm technology has been implemented at SMIC's 300-mm facility in Shanghai ahead of schedule and we look forward to a similar result at these additional geometries," said Richard Chang, president and CEO.
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| Taiwan DRAM companies face consolidations |
10/16/2009 |
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The venture, Taiwan Memory Corp. (TMC), has gained support from Japan's Elpida Memory Inc. But to date, TMC has received little or no support and its future also remains shaky.
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| Kingston secured sources by backing DRAM makers |
10/15/2009 |
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Industry sources have commented that Kingston's role as a supportive partner for financially-distressed DRAM makers allows the memory module house to minimize the impact of recent chip shortages especially for DDR2. Elpida Memory, Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) and ProMOS Technologies have given priority to Kingston.
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| Questions re-surfaced on China manufacturing |
10/15/2009 |
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But for many OEMs China has become costly and risky, and the whole notion of outsourcing has come into question. “I spent 25 years in the outsourcing industry, but I’m not a huge proponent,” said Barnhart. “It’s like dynamite. Treat it without care and it will kill you.”
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| DRAM prices up while DDR2/DDR3 changing over |
10/15/2009 |
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Last week, "demand for both 1-Gbit and 512-Mbit DDR2 devices in the spot market was still strong. Average spot pricing for the 1-Gbit DDR2 device increased 2.8 percent in comparison with 1.6 percent for DDR3 devices," according to Gartner.
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| Taiwan DRAM companies stock rebounced |
10/14/2009 |
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Morgan Stanley said in a report on Sept. 21 that the computer-memory industry’s three-year slump is over and chipmakers may see a recovery that may last two years.
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| NXP teams with Vifage to share technology |
10/14/2009 |
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At the agreement's core is the transfer of a part of Netherlands-based NXP’s CMOS IP rights and certain engineering talent and equipment to Fremont, Calif-based Virage. Virage Logic will establish an R&D center in Eindhoven providing on-going support to NXP and developing new products based on the acquired advanced CMOS I/O, analog mixed-signal, and SOC infrastructure IP.
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| Intel beats expectation on PC market |
10/14/2009 |
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Thanks to a surprising rebound in the PC market, Intel Corp. on Tuesday (Oct. 13) exceeded analyst expectations with its third-quarter results and a fourth-quarter sales target that, if accurate, would put the company essentially back to the same quarterly run rate it had before all hell broke loose.
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| Microsoft's Ballmer stays conservative on Win 7 |
10/13/2009 |
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Microsoft's marketing arm are in overdrive to promote the new OS. Microsoft went so far as to offer a 90-day trial of Windows 7 to enterprise users to help woo them to upgrade from Vista or XP.
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| DDR3/DDR2 Price Parity Achieved? |
10/13/2009 |
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Contract quotes for 2GB DDR2 modules went up to US$31.50 on average in the first half of October 2009, exceeding the level of US$31 that DDR3 parts achieved, according to data from DRAMeXchange. 1Gb DDR2 chips edged up to US$1.78, also surpassing 1Gb DDR3 at US$1.75.
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| Mentor to enhance PCB CAD thru acquirsition |
10/13/2009 |
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Valor's solutions target three segments in the pc board manufacturing market: design of the physical layout of the pc board, fabrication of the bare pc board and assembly of pc board components.
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| IC counterfeiters indicted |
10/13/2009 |
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The defendants entered into three separate contracts with the U.S. Navy between March and July, according to the indictment, and subsequently shipped counterfeit devices bearing false trademarks, the indictment alleges. It also alleges that the defendants imported more than $140,000 worth of counterfeit ICs.
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| UMC to convert Singapore fab for 40nm |
10/12/2009 |
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Construction for UMC's 12i was completed in April 2002 as Singapore's first 300-mm fab. Pilot production at the plant began in 2003. Fab 12i has a current capacity of 31,000 wafers per month and currently is in volume production for customer products down to 65/55 nm.
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| ARM's challenge to Intel can lead to takeover |
10/12/2009 |
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"First, we believe ARM processors will match Intel's performance while beating them on power consumption and possibly cost. Second, we expect PC manufacturers to switch from Intel/Microsoft OS-based platforms to ARM/Chrome OS-based platforms beginning in 2H10 to reduce their dependence on Intel and improve margins,"
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| Qimonda formed IP office in Florida |
10/12/2009 |
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Qimonda Licensing LLC will be headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, (Florida). One of the company's directors is Brian Prather who already has overseen Qimonda's licensing business. The unit will exploit Qimonda's worldwide patent portfolio. According to sources close to the insolvent DRAM manufacturer it has been regarded as necessary to launch such a company in the US instead of Asia.
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| Dutch Philips turnied profit |
10/12/2009 |
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Royal Philips Electronics has opened the quarterly reports season with a surprisingly high after-tax profit of €176 million (about $259 million). Due to the absence of a structural recovery however the outlook remains cautious.
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