An international LED forum held in Taiwan in mid-June showed that makers have extended development and production from general lighting to IR (infrared), UV (ultraviolet) chips, and high-end automotive lighting, according to Digitimes Research.

Despite the fact that the design is complete and the chip is ready for mass production, Intel's 28nm SoFIA 4G application processor (AP) is still unlikely to be launched until the beginning of 2016 due to the adjustments over the software part that is still not yet mature...

US-based Cree will spend US$85 million to restructure its LED device business through reducing total production capacity for LED chips. The move is mainly due to negative impact price competition from China-based LED makers, according to Digitimes Research.

During a survey of southern China's white-box tablet supply chain recently, Digitimes Research found that Intel will not be able to supply its Cherry Trail-based solutions to white-box players until the end of the third quarter. Most white-box players will only be able to use Bay Trail-T CR solutions for their Windows 10 tablets, reducing these devices' attractiveness to consumers.

Panel makers aim to tackle the 8K market starting 2018 when Japan will offer various channel transmissions in 8K, and the World Cup is held in Russia. Demand will continue to grow around 2020 when major sporting events will be held in Japan, according to Digitimes Research.

Combined revenues of South Korea's major display driver IC companies – Silicon Works, Lucid Display Technology (LDT), Technology Leaders and Innovators (TLI) and Clover Hitech – fell 6.1% to KRW313.7 billion (US$284 million) in 2014, down for a second straight year, according to Digitimes Research.

The rapid expansion in demand for premium PC hardware from the enthusiast and overclocking segments has given hardware vendors a much needed opportunity to bolster declining sales in the mainstream consumer space. But while related players have all enjoyed some gains from their efforts to design and market products primarily for overclockers, the main winners so far have been the chip providers...

The Internet of Things (IoT) has brought multiple applications and new business models for the development of smart home, which in turn may also bring about a take-off for the smart home industry, according to Digitimes Research.

The LCD monitor market saw average retail pricing fluctuate in May, which is expected to carry over into June. In terms of products launched, Dell has released U, UZ, P, E series high-end, mid-range and entry-level LCD monitors in the Japan market as of June, and 24- and 27-inch U series models featuring DisplayPort/HDMI dual interfaces.

Looking at the world's fabless IC design sector, there have been various acquisition and business consolidation cases this year. The world's semiconductor industry is undergoing structural change due to the rises of South Korea and Taiwan, and China has also invested a great deal in this field already...