Digitimes Research estimates that worldwide top-5 notebook brand vendors and top-3 ODMs both enjoyed 31% on-month shipment growth in May because of preparations for new notebook models and growing demand for Chromebooks.Hewlett-Packard (HP) was the largest vendor in May in terms of shipments. Lenovo ranked second due to its weak performance in emerging markets; however, the China-based vendor's shipments were only 500,000 units short of HP's. Dell dropped from number one in April to number three in May, but its shipments in the month were the highest monthly performance of the year so far. Asustek Computer and Acer both enjoyed better performances in May than in April, Digitimes Research's figures showed.With HP's increased shipments and Dell's stable orders, the top-3 notebook ODMs together achieved on-month growth of 31% in May and the volume was flat from May a year ago. This is the first time the top-3 ODMs were able to escape from an on-year decline in seven months.With orders from HP and Lenovo increasing around 600,000 units from April, the second-largest ODM Compal Electronics achieved an on-month shipment growth of 33% in May, performing the best among the top-3 ODMs. Quanta Computer also achieved an on-month shipment growth of 31% because of orders for Chromebooks from several brand vendors.

Global shipments for smartphone-use touch panels will reach 369.49 million units in second-quarter 2016, increasing 11% sequentially and 6.2% on year. Touch panel shipments for notebooks and 11-inch and above tablets will reach 6.339 million units, gowing 2.5% sequentially and 78.1% on year, according to Digitimes Research.For tablets under 11-inch, touch panel shipments will reach 44.480 million globally in the second quarter, decreasing 3.5% sequentially and 11.2% on year, Digitimes Research indicated.Taiwan-based makers will ship 17.056 million touch panels for smartphones, 6.283 million units for below 11-inch tablets and 2.836 million units for notebooks and 11-inch and above tablets in the quarter.Of the smartphone-use touch panels shipped by Taiwan makers, 37.8% will be film-based capacitive models, 36% on-cell ones, 21.1% OGS (one glass solution) and 5.1% GG (glass/glass). Film-based capacitive models will account for 46.7% of the touch panels for below 11-inch tablets, GG 42%, on-cell 9.1% and OGS 2.2%.

China-based makers will ship an estimated 180.322 million touch panels in the second quarter of 2016, increasing 16.6% on quarter and 9.8% on year, according to Digitimes Research.The shipments will consist of 157.732 million touch panels used in handsets, up 20.5% on quarter and 12.4% on year, 20.911 million units used in below 11-inch tablets, down 7.0% on quarter and 7.2% on year, and 1.679 million units used in 11-inch and above tablets and notebooks, Digitimes Research indicated.Of handset-use touch panels, film-based capacitive models will account for 73.4%, glass-based capacitive ones for 24.2% and resistive ones for 2.4%.For touch panels used in below 11-inch tablets, 68.4% will be glass-based capacitive models, 31.0% film-based capacitive ones and 0.6% resistive models.

The South Korea government-sponsored Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute estimates the production value for digital signage in South Korea in 2016 at KRW2.55 trillion (US$2.14 billion) and forecasts that the value will increase to KRW3.97 trillion in 2020, according to Digitimes Research.The corresponding production value for displays used in digital signage will grow from KRW1.70 trillion in 2016 to KRW2.44 trillion in 2020, Digitimes Research indicated. However, the ratio of production value for displays to that for digital signage will drop from 66.7% to 61.5% due to increasing use of connected interactive (via touch or sensing functions) digital signage.Digital signage in South Korea comprises of four types: unconnected non-interactive models for static information or advertising content displays; unconnected interactive models which enable users to choose content; connected non-interactive ones which display information but do not allow users to choose content; and connected interactive models which enable collection and analysis of information about users and can maximize advertising.

Narrow-Band IoT (Internet of Things) and LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) are seeing increased application for wireless long-distance communications at low power consumption, and thereby are likely to become two significantly important LPWAN (low-power wide-area network) standards, according to Digitimes Research.CAT-1 in LTE R8 by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) in 2009 and CAT-0 in LTE R12 in 2014 are regarded as transitional standards for IoT because specifications in power consumption and bandwidth do not meet requirements, Digitimes Research indicated. 3GPP in September 2015 proposed LTE R13 of which CAT-M focuses on NB-IoT.LoRA Alliance in June 2015 released LoRaWAN 1.0 in competition with NB-IoT. As of the end of March 2016, LoRaWANs had been commercially deployed in 13 countries and LoRaWAN trialled in more than 60 other countries.In comparison, NB-IoT has competitive advantages of an already mature ecosystem for cellular networks, support from telecom equipment vendors including Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei Technologies and ZTE, large telecom carriers including AT&T, China Mobile and China Unicom, as well as chip solution providers such as Qualcomm. NB-IoT also uses licensed spectrum to provide secure and stable services. LoRaWAN has the advantage of being an open platform to facilitate various enterprises entering the IoT application market.

In the Japan market, chat robots, such as Pepper launched by SoftBank, are increasingly targeted for use by people suffering dementia, and Japan-based Fuji-Keizai predicted that demand for care-oriented chat robots in the Japan market will reach JPY1.7 billion (US$15.5 million) in 2021, 3.4 times the level in 2014, according to Digitimes Research.Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in January 2016 predicted that 20% of people aged over 65 will be dementia patients in 2025, Digitimes Research indicated. Studies in Japan have found that chat can stimulate the brain and thereby avoid or delay the onset of dementia.Ninnin Pepper, a software application specifically for taking care of old people with dementia, won the best award in the Pepper App Challenge 2015.Palro launched by Fuji Soft in 2010 and Unasukikabocyan launched by Pip in 2011 are other chat robots widely adopted by elderly care centers in Japan.

Conexant has been putting lots of effort into developing its AudioSmart technology in recent years, and has successfully driven a wide range of emerging audio applications. At this year's Computex, the company will demonstrate its latest-generation AudioSmart 3.0 technology, including highly-efficient, powerful silicon and software solutions that are redefining the audio experience for a range of consumer electronics - such as tablets and PCs.Two Major Trends in the Audio Market"Conexant has achieved 50% revenue growth over the past year," noted Saleel Awsare, Conexant's president. "This is significant, and our remarkable performance is a result of our being at the forefront of two important trends: the emergence of various voice control interfaces, and the migration to the new USB-C standard."He further explained that leading high tech companies are providing intelligent personal assistant applications, such as Microsoft's Cortana, Google's Google Now, and Apple's Siri, which have been widely adopted by consumers. Also, next-generation consumer products like 2-in-1 detachable PCs and smart appliances including TVs, speakers, and smart home hubs are rapidly adopting voice control interfaces. These changes in the market are creating broader opportunities for Conexant's audio technology, which is perfectly suited to voice-enabled applications.Additionally, the adoption of USB Type-C (USB-C) has been the fastest in the history of USB standards, with many smartphone, laptop and tablet manufacturers already implementing USB-C connectivity into their products. Much smaller in size than a standard USB-A connector, USB-C also beats previously released USB connectors in terms of power, bandwidth and data speeds. Most importantly, it consolidates power, data, and multimedia transmission into one, fully-reversible cable to greatly enhance its usability.According to Awsare, smartphones and notebooks will gradually remove the traditional 3.5mm analog jack and transfer to the new USB-C connector. This opens up new opportunities for audio accessories, and the market is expected to grow significantly over the next couple of years.Turning Notebooks into Group SpeakerphonesIn the wake of these new developments, Conexant has enhanced its technology portfolio to embrace the emerging business opportunities, and has impressive demonstrations on hand at this year's Computex.One of the major highlights is that the company will be showcasing the world's first PC to receive Microsoft Skype for Business certification as a Group Speakerphone device - a result of Conexant partnering with a top computer maker.By adopting Conexant's high-performance far-field voice input pre-processing technology along with context-aware control automation software, a highly portable notebook computer can completely replace a desk-based speakerphone. Loud, clear telephone calls are now possible directly from the PC itself."The level of performance achieved by this platform addresses the fact that Skype audio problems often hinder communication and put a damper on productivity," Awsare said. "Similar challenges arise when attempting to communicate with intelligent personal assistants. Isn't it frustrating when Microsoft Cortana can't understand you or produce the results you need?"With AudioSmart 3.0 technology, Conexant's voice processing algorithms allow users to speak naturally and be heard - as well as better hear what others are saying. With advanced de-reverb, superior noise reduction, integrated smart amplifier technology, and excellent Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) hit rates, AudioSmart 3.0 makes VoIP communication more natural - even in far-field conditions.The first certified Skype for Business notebook to offer Group Speakerphone certification will be available in the second half of this year, targeting the commercial PC market. "Among the top five notebook makers, four of them are Conexant's customers. As the PC market matures and consolidates, PC makers are eager to differentiate their products to maintain a competitive edge. AudioSmart technology enables them to provide their customers with a significantly better audio experience," Awsare noted.A Promising Outlook for USB-C Audio ApplicationsAs for USB-C, Conexant has announced the CX20985 and CX20899, two new USB DSP audio CODECs that support USB-C connectivity for smartphone headsets and docking stations. The new CODECs enable a best-in-class audio experience on USB audio peripherals.The CODECs are highly integrated, single-chip solutions that are fully compliant with the USB-C standard - as well as enterprise requirements for Skype for Business. The devices minimize bill of material (BOM) costs by eliminating the need for an external crystal, and integrating a capless headphone driver that produces a full-range frequency response and eliminates AC coupling capacitors.End-to-end AudioSmart solutions bridge devices, docking stations, and peripherals together with focus on complete implementation and a robust user experience at the full-system level. By contrast, a piecemeal approach with multiple silicon devices and software from different vendors often results in mismatches between critical components, such as amplifiers that do not properly link with Acoustic Echo Cancellation software and speakers that pop due to interface timing issues.As one of the earliest entrants into the USB headset space, Conexant is the leading provider of gaming and office headset technology, having shipped over 40 million units to market leaders. According to Awsare, this track record of innovation makes Conexant uniquely qualified to identify and implement the next big audio accessory trend."While there are other vendors that offer USB headset and docking technology, we have the audio expertise to deliver what they cannot: single-chip, comprehensive solutions that include software and are truly plug-and-play," Awsare noted. "We're taking our innovative technology that is enabling advancements such as voice control and contextual awareness in smart home devices, TVs, smartphones, and more - and we're bringing all of its benefits to audio accessories."Continuing to lead the way forward for audio accessories, Conexant plans additional enhancements to its AudioSmart family of USB-C compliant audio CODECs soon. Innovative features such as active noise cancellation (ANC) will be introduced for hearables, including health monitoring headsets and other applications in the near future.Working Closely with Customers to Drive New DesignsEmbracing the trends of voice control and USB-C audio, Conexant is further enhancing collaboration with customers to jointly develop new products. For example, Conexant has formed a strategic partnership with China's Unisound to bring AudioSmart voice control to smart appliances. LG and LeTV have also selected AudioSmart technology to be used in their TV, set-to-box, and IoT hub products."There are lots of design activities in the Asia Pacific region, so this is a very important market for us. We will keep investing in the area to prep growth. To accommodate a larger staff, we expanded our Taipei office and established test facilities last year to provide better services for customers in this region," Awsare said.At Computex, Conexant will showcase a range of its AudioSmart silicon and software technologies. Demos will include audio solutions for PCs, headsets, smart appliances, and USB-C docking stations, with a focus on end-to-end systems including preprocessing software for 4-mic arrays, intelligent control software, and smart amplifiers. Attendees are encouraged to stop by Conexant's suite #1002-10F at the Grand Hyatt Taipei during the show.Saleel Awsare, Conexant presidentPhoto: Conexant's AudioSmart technology enables a best-in-class voice control interface with clear speech

While a number of consumer virtual reality (VR) applications for games and video have been developed in 2016, the introduction of more head-mounted display (HMD) VR devices has also brought new aspects to the professional VR application market, according to Digitimes Research.Professional VR applications apply to a number of industries including aerospace, medicare, CAID (computer aided industrial design), architecture and image production, using VR simulation processes to reduce system risk and to improve efficiency. Professional VR applications utilized Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) solutions previously, but the popularity of CAVE systems has been low because they are expensive and also not easy to transport and assemble. However, HMD VR devices are much competitive in price and also portable, luring more professional VR operators to shift from CAVE systems to HMD VR devices, Digitimes Research said.Additionally, more VR startups have chosen to focus on developing professional VR applications due to the potential production value of the professional VR industry.Given that there are already fast-growing VR application companies in the medicare, CAID and image production sectors, and some CAVE solution providers are moving to HMD solutions, professional VR applications will in return become a driving force for the growth of the HMD VR market, Digitimes Research commented.

The production value of South Korea's memory chip industry is expected to increase about 5% sequentially in the second quarter of 2016, according Digitimes Research. Demand for smartphones and other mobile devices is picking up, but chip prices continue to fall.The production value of memory chips, including DRAM and NAND flash, in Korea slipped below KRW11.50 trillion (US$9.66 billion) in the first quarter of 2016, due to poor end-market demand as well as falling chip prices, said Digitimes Research. Despite a recent pick-up in demand, prices, particularly prices for DRAM, continue to slide limiting the overall industry output value growth.Meanwhile, the production value of South Korea's memory chip industry fell as a proportion of the worldwide industry output value to less than 60% in the first quarter of 2016, Digitimes Research indicated.

Combined shipments of Wintel-based notebooks (excluding detachable models) from the top-five Wintel notebook vendors: Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asustek Computer and Acer declined 39% on month and 1% on year to 7.38 million units in April, according to data compiledby Digitimes Research.Meanwhile, shipments of Wintel notebooks from the three major: ODMs Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics and Wistron totaled below six million units in April, slipping 33% sequentially and 20% on year, Digitimes Research added.Among brand vendors, Dell outperformed Lenovo and HP to rank the number one Wintel notebook vendor in April thanks to strong demand in the business sectors in the US and Europe.Both Lenovo and HP suffered an over 50% sequential decline in shipments of Wintel models in April due to a strong base set a month earlier, while Asustek's monthly growth was the second highest due to increased shipments of gaming notebooks.Compal saw its shipments tumble 47% on month in April as HP and Lenovo together cut their orders by 1.5 million units in the month.Meanwhile, Quanta and Wistron also saw their Wintel notebook shipments decline over 20% sequentially in April, Digitimes Research noted.