http://www.digitimes.com DIGITIMES English version providing daily news about Asia's IT industry en-us Copyright 2009 DIGITIMES Inc. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:19:45 GMT 1440 131 62 http://www.digitimes.com/ http://www.digitimes.com/images/NewWLogo.gif Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:15:24 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PR206.html Soft pricing for both DRAM and NAND flash continued into this week (November 16-20), as some traders started dumping inventory into the channel, according to inSpectrum.
]]> Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:10:30 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD208.html Chimei shipped 15,000 LCD TVs in October 2009, remaining the top vendor in the Taiwan LCD TV market, according to market sources. Chimei expects to ship over 150,000 units in 2009, up about 30% on year, the sources noted. Displays Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:09:57 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD209.html Shipments of Taiwan monitors may see a sequential decrease in the fourth quarter of 2009 mainly due to a high baseline set in the third quarter thanks to government procurement projects which boosted shipment volumes, according to industry sources. Displays Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:06:45 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD204.html Microsoft will team up with Taiwan-based Senao International, an IT and telecom retain chain, to promote its newly released Windows 7 and Windows Mobile operating systems, according to the companies. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:04:14 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD212.html Acer and Asustek Computer continued to lead in the EMEA netbook market in the third quarter of 2009, taking up 32.4% and 19.6% shares, respectively, but Samsung Electronics rose quickly with a 12% share to take third place, according to figures from research firm Canalys. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:09 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD217.html Supreme Electronics has estimated its consolidated revenues will top NT$3 billion (US$92.68 million) in November and hit a 2009 year-high in the fourth quarter driven by demand for memory products. The company expects a bright outlook for memory products in the first quarter of 2010. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:55:42 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD210.html Innolux Display, Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) and TPO Displays have agreed to call a board meeting on November 20 to discuss details of the merger of the three companies, according to a TPO filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).
]]> Displays Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:45:35 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD216.html Aptina Imaging plans to use Micron Technology's 8-inch fab in Japan as a CMOS image sensor (CIS) production site since it is still unable to immediately support short lead-time orders from clients, according to Aptina CEO David Orton. Aptina will also consider using fabs in Taiwan for manufacturing some of its CIS products in the future, Orton added. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:38:02 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD225.html LCD driver IC packaging and testing house Chipbond Technology may see fourth-quarter 2009 revenues decline by up to 30% sequentially, as customers' inventory levels are still high, according to market watchers. Gross margin for the quarter will accordingly slide to 14-16% for the quarter, compared to 23.5% in the third quarter. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:36:24 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PR205.html Toshiba on November 20 announced it plans to team up with Nantong Fujitsu Microelectronics (NFME), a joint venture owned by China-based Nantong Huada Microelectronics, Fujitsu of Japan and others, for system chip assembly and testing in China. The companies expect to enter into a definitive agreement in January 2010 and to establish the joint venture in April 2010. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:34:06 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PR204.html New TV power consumption limits imposed by California's Energy Commission (CEC) could cut aggregate annual power consumption of LCD TVs worldwide in half by the year 2013, if the standards are adopted universally, according to iSuppli. Displays Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:27:41 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD213.html Sales of netbooks bundled with 3G services in the Taiwan market dropped to 12,000-13,000 units in October from the monthly 15,000-16,000 units in July and August, according to market sources. The ratio of netbooks sold via bundles compared to retail sales declined to 40% in October, compared to around 50% in July and August. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:19:11 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD218.html Taiwan-based inductor makers Chilisin Electronics, King Core Electronics and Mag.Layers Scientific-Technics are expected to see revenues stay flat in November and drop 1-2% sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to market sources. Chilisin and King Core are optimistic about the 2010 outlook as they roll out new product lines.
]]> Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:13:27 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD214.html Taiwan-based Pihsiang Electric Vehicle Manufacturing plans to team up with France-based Microcar to launch electric cars in France in the first quarter of 2010, according to company president Chiang Ching-ming. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:57:55 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD205.html The Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will draw up a program to subsidize domestic providers of IT services developing innovative applications based on cloud computing technologies. The program is scheduled for tender in the first half of 2010, according to IDB. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:40:25 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD211.html Pegatron Technology has received a large volume of orders for smartbooks from a number of clients, which are likely to launch in cooperation with telecom carriers in the first quarter of 2010, according to company general manager of business unit one, Jeremy Shu. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:39:34 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD200.html LDK Solar recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell a 15% ownership stake in its 15,000 metric ton (MT) annualized capacity polysilicon plant in Xinyu City, China. The stake was sold to Jiangxi International Trust and Investment for approximately 1.5 billion yuan (US$219 million). Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:33:35 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD221.html Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) expects to allocate a capex higher than the NT$9 billion (US$280.4 million) projected for 2009 in 2010. The new capex will include a budget of NT$3-4 billion for its roll-out of HSPA+ infrastructure, according to chief commercial officer Yvonne Li.
]]> Telecom Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:31:51 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PB200.html Two leading carriers in Asia, China Mobile and Singapore Telecommunication (SingTel), have kicked off roll-outs of their LTE trial networks, attracting the participation of a number of telecom equipment suppliers, according to industry sources. Telecom Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:03:38 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD220.html King Yuan Electronics Company (KYEC) has estimated revenues to grow by up to 5% sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2009, while maintaining a 60-65% utilization rate. The IC testing firm attributed the slight growth to a continued pickup in demand for graphics chips and niche memory. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:59:53 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD207.html Sony Ericsson has unveiled its first Android-powered smartphone, the Xperia X10, in the Taiwan market and plans to start deliveries in the first quarter of 2010, according to Steve Yeh, president of Sony Ericsson Taiwan. Telecom Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:44:28 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD215.html Taiwan-based IC designers are seeing increased short lead-time orders for December 2009 from China, as OEMs and vendors place orders to avoid shipping delays due to uncertain weather, according to industry sources. North China is currently experiencing a blizzard which has caused traffic chaos. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:38:02 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091113VL200.html Despite the economic downturn in 2008, LSI saw annual revenues increase. With complete solutions and a strong position in the storage and networking markets, LSI is expected to continue growing. In a recent interview with Digitimes, Jeff Richardson, executive VP and general manager of semiconductor solutions group at LSI, talked about LSI's advantages in the market and what strategies it is employing in pursuit of further success.
]]> Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:30:19 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PR203.html Elpida Memory has held a ceremony in Munich, Germany to officially open its test laboratory for DRAM chips at its Munich Design Center, which began operations in May 2009 as a GDDR development facility. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:49:47 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PR201.html North America-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers posted US$756.2 million in orders in October 2009 and a book-to-bill ratio of 1.10, according to SEMI. A book-to-bill of 1.10 means that US$110 worth of orders was received for every US$100 of product billed for the month. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:45:54 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD206.html Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) has completed construction of its new and separate 200mm (8-inch) and 300mm (12-inch) fabs in Shenzhen, China. David NK Wang made his first appearance as SMIC's CEO on November 19, when the China-based foundry held a ceremony to celebrate the completion. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:37:16 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD202.html Global demand for Blu-ray Disc (BD) players and movie discs is expected to steadily increase as average retail prices for players will drop from US$193 currently to US$77 in 2012 while blank media will drop from US$5 to US$1.50, according to Taiwan-based makers at a BD forum held in Taipei on November 19.
]]> Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:22:19 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PD203.html Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) launched S Marketplace, its online store for handset-based applications, in October 16, 2009 and expects to reach cumulative downloads 4.66 million in 2012, according to the company. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:13:57 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PR202.html Qualcomm and MediaTek announced on November 20 that they have entered into a broad arrangement under each company's patent portfolios, including CDMA and WCDMA essential patents, with respect to all integrated circuit products, including CDMA and WCDMA products. Bits + chips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:07:38 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120VL200.html There were 58.24 million subscribers of digital cable TV service in China as of the end of the third quarter of 2009, growing by 46.6% on year, according to China-based consulting company Analysys International. Systems Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:03:01 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091120PR200.html Hynix Semiconductor has announced Intel validation of 2Gb DDR3 DRAM chips using 40nm-class process technology. The chipmaker said it has begun mass producing the new chips, and expects the validation of RDIMMs to also be completed within before year's end. Bits + chips Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:11:26 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091119PD204.html Electrophoretic display (EPD) maker Prime View International (PVI) has announced the company's board of directors on November 18 approved procedures for the acquisition of E-Ink. PVI chairman Scott Liu noted that the acquisition is expected to complete by the end of 2009.
]]> Displays Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:06:46 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091119PD205.html Market watchers expect China will require six to eight 8G or above LCD panel production lines to fulfill its demand in the future. China's LCD TV panel demand in 2009 is estimated at around 27 million units, and is forecast to rise to 38 million units in 2010 and 45 million units in 2012, market sources added. Displays Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:03:50 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091119PD209.html Hewlett-Packard (HP) on November 18 launched a Blu-ray equipped high-end gaming notebook, the Pavilion dv8, manufactured by Quanta Computer in the Taiwan market priced NT$72,900 (US$2,269). Systems Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:57:58 GMT http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091117PR212.html The PV inverter market staged a strong recovery in the third quarter of 2009 with shipments reaching record levels and the outlook for the market is becoming increasingly positive, according to IMS Research. Bits + chips