The rapid-evolving IoT devices are transforming our everyday interactions through richer human-machine interfaces, connectivity, and scalability. In particular, in the smart home and connected cars markets, the two major IoT applications, as Amazon’s Alexa voice service fuels the development of a wide-range of voice-enabled smart home devices and the US will mandate DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) V2X technology by 2023, both of them have been given a strong boost recently. In response to the trend, NXP Semiconductors is well positioned to grab huge opportunities with its comprehensive processor platforms.The Newly Upgraded i.MX 8 Series Processors"NXP’s i.MX 6 platform, which is already widely adopted in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets, has been upgraded to i.MX 8 with ARM v8 core embedded,” Martyn Humphries, VP of consumer and industrial applications processors at NXP said. “Now we have three i.MX 8 families, i.MX 8, i.MX 8M, and i.MX 8X, targeting at high-end automotive and industrial, multimedia, and cost-effective applications respectively. The samples of these new processors are delivered to customers. It’s expected that we can see new designs in the market by early next year. The progress is very important for NXP.”Take i.MX 8M as an example, Martyn pointed out that higher performance of voice, audio, and video is required to address the requirements for next-generation media IoT devices in terms of video streaming, audio streaming and immersive audio, and smart home functions.The new trends include: video-watching experience has been quickly shifting from traditional STB to OTT, driving the huge demands for video-on-demand applications. Therefore, it is forecasted that IP video will represent 79% of all global traffic by next year. Meanwhile, 4K and HDR will also drive the need for updated equipment such as TVs.As for audio, in order to enable immersive audio, the migration of DSP to ARM is driving the system architecture change. Also, with the advent of voice control, the market is fast moving from Bluetooth speakers to networked Wi-Fi speakers to be always connected.“The development of various media IoT devices shows strong momentum with these new trends,” Martyn stressed. “In order to help customers grasp the new opportunities, semiconductor providers should be able to provide rich reference platforms and build a strong ecosystem to speed up the time-to-market. And this what NXP is doing aggressively.”Surge of Voice-enabled IoT Devices"The emergence of IoT and voice control is revolutionizing smart home, and machine learning and AI will further drive this market even higher,” said Martyn."Driven by Amazon, Google, and other technology leaders, natural language learning has made significant progress over the past years. With the accuracy of automatic speech recognition reaching above 95%, voice control has become the most overwhelming interface for a wide range of smart home devices.”He believes that it’s just at the beginning of the smart home revolution. Starting from only one voice gateway such as Amazon Echo at user’s house, in the future, more home appliances, including lamps, coffee machines, and so on, will also use voice as an interface and to be connected with the cloud and home hub to provide more friendly services."Last year, we can only see Amazon Echo in the market. From this year, a lot more devices with voice control function have been launched rather than just speakers. Moreover, it’s expected that AVS-enabled home appliances will be ready by end of this year.”In line with the trend, NXP teams with Amazon to create Alexa Reference Platform, helping third-party makers to easily integrate Alexa Voice Service (AVS) into their devices. Meanwhile, NXP also supports Google Assistant in its Android Things solution."It’s a great opportunity for many appliance makers in Great China, in a bid to embrace the new era of smart home,” he stressed. “NXP is now working with a tier-one branded company to launch new product by end of this years. It’s expected that it will become one of the hottest gifts for the coming holiday season.”Market Leader, Focusing on V2X, ADAS New OpportunitiesIn the automotive market, according to Jerwern Yi, Automotive MicroProcessors Marketing Director at NXP, driven by the demands for seamless connectivity, safety driving, and energy efficiency, automotive electronics has been quickly innovated, in a bid to move from improving the sensing and computing capabilities for cars to gradually reach the ultimate goal of autonomous driving.With strong leadership, NXP’s worldwide market share in automotive electronics increased 8% to 34% last year and is expected to keep growing this year. “Our excellent performance is a result of accurate growth strategies, including developing common technology platforms, adopting leading-edge processes to enhance IC performance, strengthen software competence, and targeting at the emerging safety, security, and connected applications," Yi said.NXP provides complete solutions in the area of V2X, ADAS, connectivity & security, general purpose and integrated solutions, and vehicle dynamics and safety. As for ADAS, radar, lidar, camera, and sensor fusion solutions are already available.In order to implement the sensing capability with external environment for cars, V2X has been one of the key areas of connected car applications. Yi pointed out that the DSRC standard that the US will mandate is a low-latency 802.11p communication technology. NXP’s solution has been selected by Cadillac, which will mass produce vehicles that support DSRC standard in about two years. Also, with strong ecosystem partnerships, NXP initiates multiple V2X test projects in Singapore, Germany, and China to speed up the wide adoption of this technology.As for the highly discussed autonomous driving topic, "Currently, the automotive industry is in the Level 2 stage in terms of automation level. To reach the Level 5 of full automation, we need to address a lot of challenges in computational performance, power, safety & security, data bandwidth, and more," Yi said. He suggested companies should go back to the basics to the most needed L2+/L3 technologies.To cope with the automotive security issue, NXP has come up a "4+1 Solution" concept to cover from secure interface, gateway, to network and processing, plus the secure car access, to establish a complete security framework for future smart cars. Meanwhile, NXP is working with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Chang-An Automobile Group to push the standardization for automotive security.With the in-depth understanding of the stringent requirements for safety, security, and reliability in automotive, NXP takes a more pragmatic strategy. "With our leadership position in the market, we will keep abreast of the latest developments and move steadily to L3/L4 products first. It’s for sure that NXP will definitely play an integral role in the future connected car market," Yi said.Martyn Humphries, VP of consumer and industrial applications processors at NXP, provided insights about smart home revolution and NXP partnership details with Amazon and Google on Alexa and Google Assistant.Jerwern Yi, Automotive MicroProcessors Marketing Director at NXP, shared NXP's marketing strategies of connected cars globally and in Greater China, NXP latest automotive microprocessor product roadmap, product portfolio and platform.

team+ has been invited by the Ministry of Economic Affairs to attend the largest international exhibition, the “Taipei International Information Technology Show (COMPUTEX Taipei)”. As the gold medal winner of the APICTA communication award and the APEC mobile-commerce team winner, we exhibited our “team+ Business Instant Messaging” to show Taiwan’s development and innovation in the information communication field.Digitization revolution; InnoVEX focuses on business collaboration solutionsAccording to the joint research of the international data groups “IDG” and “EMC”, about 90% of business owners say that achieving a digital business is their top priority in the next one to three years. With the popularity of smart phones and flourishing of cloud services, businesses are entering the mobile digital communication age. This year, the software giants have begun entering the field one after another and the business communication collaboration market has formally entered a major growing period.Teamplus Technology owns the famous “team+” brand. Kuo Cheng-Hsiang, the founder and chairperson of team+, says that the communication culture of eastern countries is different from that of western countries. Businesses in Europe and America emphasize open-type communication and focus on team communication, discussion, collaboration and the like. Businesses in Asia, however, not only emphasize communication efficiency, but also focus on hierarchical management. For this reason, it was necessary to introduce our business announcement single-direction communication, API connection, back-end management mechanism, etc, and to begin establishing a dedicated communication and collaboration system in a private cloud environment.Private cloud structure; satisfying businesses' high information security requirementsThere is another important reason why businesses prefer the private cloud: it is the rigid demands of information security, which makes the businesses want to store their information in their own countries so as to make sure that confidential data will not be leaked. team+ is deployed by private cloud, and provides strict content encryption and anti-assembling mechanisms Further, the encryption technique used by team+ has obtained international certifications from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and “Federal Information Processing Standards FIPS 140-2”, leading to the first successful instant messaging software in Taiwan.In addition, team+ provides an “API interconnection management mechanism” to expand, be embedded into, and be integrated with the existing E-systems of businesses. In this way, businesses can connect their systems to various mobile applications to immediately push all important notifications to all relevant groups or staff, resulting in improved operational performance.On the other hand, team+ provides dedicated customization services for businesses. EVERY8D has accumulated lots of experience implementing projects helping the government or businesses establish communication & collaboration platforms. EVERY8D customized the platform for each business according to their industrial situation. Examples of team+ integrating its core application flow into platforms include government agencies, land transport, marine transport, air transport, high-tech manufacturing, medical institutions, consumer good brands and other various industries.Kuo Cheng-Hsiang emphasizes that only innovation can increase the value of a brand. After competition becomes fierce in the business instant messaging market, our highest priority is making changes in response to the competition, leading the industry to enter major markets, creating high-performance business communication & collaboration experiences and speeding up the business digitization transfer.team+ realizes high-performance business communication & collaboration.

Taiwan’s leading global ICT annual event, COMPUTEX, which focused on IoT (Internet-of-Things) applications and business solutions, successfully concluded last week. ThroughTek, IoT cloud platform provider that registered as Taiwan’s first IoT company on the Emerging Stock Board, demonstrated its smart home, surveillance, and connected car solutions for customers at the Grand Hyatt Taipei during COMPUTEX week.Real-time streaming with alerts to protect and safeguard assetsAlthough video streaming application has been around, the ability to effectively process video monitoring for real-time response and alerts remains critical in the IoT. ThroughTek provides IoT connective technology and a cloud platform solution for global brands and devices, including Xiaomi’s IP cameras “Xiaoyi” and “Xiaofang”; Hikvision, a leading video surveillance products; Swann, North America’s largest CCTV and DIY security camera provider. This year, ThroughTek collaborated with APPRO.PHO to integrate its video streaming solution to the Body Cam device using Kalay Platform’s connective technology. With the Kalay Platform solution, the Body Cam enables real-time streaming and cloud recording in the event of an emergency or incident to provide evidence for further analysis. Moreover, the demand of video monitoring application and services is especially critical in helping to prevent crime with the increased number of terrorist attacks internationally.As the connected vehicle application matures, video surveillance will also be a key element for developing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). ThroughTek is currently working with local brands and manufacturers of dash cameras to integrate real-time streaming and motion-detection with cloud recording functionalities to built-in rear-view mirrors, providing a connected experience for vehicle owners. Additionally, vehicle owners can capture, record, receive notifications during critical moments, and playback or check the status of their vehicle at any given time via mobile app.Delivering IoT video data for various applicationsThroughTek recognizes that video surveillance acts as the eyes and ears and provides value-added offerings for IoT devices systems. Currently, the Kalay Platform enables more than 20 million connected devices, with over seventy percent being video surveillance related products. The amount of video streaming data transmitted and supported by the Kalay Platform presents tremendous value and opportunities. With third party integrations for machine-learning and AI services, facial recognition solutions can be utilized for cloud doorbells to monitor entries for homes and commercial environments. Through data collection and machine-learning modules, the application can be customized to recognize either people and objects for endless possibilities.

Apple has introduced a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, featuring displays with ProMotion technology and the new A10X Fusion chip. The new 10.5-inch model reduces the borders by nearly 40% to fit into a package that weighs just one pound, according to the vendor.Digitimes previously reported that the upstream supply chain's shipments for Apple's new 10.5-inch iPad Pro have been increasing recently and the device's monthly shipment volume is expected to grow to 600,000 units in July, up from around 500,000 units currently, helping its annual shipments to reach five million units in 2017.The redesigned Retina display in iPad Pro features ProMotion, a new technology that delivers refresh rates of up to 120Hz. With ProMotion, Apple Pencil is more responsive with a 20-millisecond latency, according to Apple. ProMotion also improves display quality and reduces power consumption by automatically adjusting the display refresh rate to match the movement of the content.The Retina display features antireflective coating, making content easier to see indoors and out. True Tone dynamically adjusts the white balance of the display to match the light around users. A wide color gamut enables iPad Pro to deliver digital cinema-standard colors.The new 64-bit A10X Fusion chip provides performance that is faster than most notebooks shipping today, according to Apple. A six-core CPU and 12-core GPU deliver up to 30% faster CPU performance and 40% faster graphics performance than the A9X chip, while delivering all-day battery life.The iPad Pro also features the same front- and back-facing cameras as iPhone 7, including a 12-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, along with a 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera. The iPad Pro also features a four-speaker audio system, providing powerful, clear and rich stereo sound in any orientation. An embedded Apple SIM and support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and LTE Advanced make it easier to stay connected.The Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, available for purchase separately, bring precision and utility to the iPad Pro. Sensors in the Apple Pencil measure both pressure and tilt for natural drawing, annotating and note-taking. A new full-sized Smart Keyboard has been custom designed for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, offering a keyboard that never needs to be charged or paired over Bluetooth and is foldable into a protective Smart Cover.The 10.5-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, space gray, gold and rose gold and starts at US$649 for the 64GB with Wi-Fi model and US$779 for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is available in silver, space gray and gold and starts at US$799 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model and US$929 for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model.The new iPad Pro models are already available to order in markets including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. India, Turkey, UAE and other countries and regions will follow later this month. Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other countries and territories will follow in July.The Apple Pencil is available for US$99. The Smart Keyboard is available in charcoal gray for US$159 for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and US$169 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.Apple 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tabletsPhoto: Company

Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC), a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced its AcuEdge Development Kit for Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS). The Microsemi AcuEdge Development Kit for Amazon AVS delivers enhanced audio processing to improve voice recognition rates in adverse audio environments for emerging human to machine (H2M) applications in the internet of things (IoT), industrial internet of things (IIoT) and automated assistance markets.The kit is designed to enable third party developers and original design manufacturers (ODMs) to evaluate and incorporate Alexa functionality in H2M applications, while interfacing with the Microsemi Timberwolf ZL38063 multi-mic audio processor.Microsemi’s Timberwolf is a field programmable, field upgradable digital signal processor equipped with specific hardware accelerators to run three simultaneous acoustic echo cancellers (AECs). Its AcuEdge Development Kit for Amazon AVS comes complete with a development board that connects directly to a Raspberry Pi and plastic frames to help position microphones and speakers in targeted applications. It also enables users to speed development of their products by utilizing the quick start guide and user interface.“The Microsemi AcuEdge Development Kit for Amazon AVS offers a scalable platform enabling developers to quickly and cost effectively achieve their design criteria requiring two mics,” said Shahin Sadeghi, marketing director at Microsemi. “Our AcuEdge development kit utilizes Microsemi’s state-of-the-art Timberwolf solution and has been tested for compatibility with Amazon AVS. The kit is for use by ODMs and third party developers to bring innovative H2M applications to market.”Microsemi’s Timberwolf is enabled with compressor/limiter/expander (CLE) microphone pickup algorithms, beam forming, and stationary and non-stationary noise reduction, enabling voice control and speech recognition not only from a distance but also in the presence of adverse noise and audio sounds. The complete kit features a Timberwolf evaluation board, which is populated with two microphones capable of operating in both 180 degree and 360 degree audio pickup modes. The evaluation board is equipped with the Raspberry Pi connector, which allows for quick and easy setup. Additionally the kit is delivered with a board and speaker stand allowing users to quickly evaluate the performance of the solution.“Amazon’s goal is for developers and device makers to have access to a wide range of reference solutions that fit their needs,” said Priya Abani, Director, Alexa Voice Service. “We’re excited to be working with Microsemi to provide device manufacturers with a way to quickly and easily integrate Alexa into their products across a variety of form factors, including wall-mounted and on-table devices, smart speakers, and connected home products.”While the Raspberry Pi runs the Amazon AVS client and Alexa wake word detection, the Timberwolf solution runs all front-end audio processing enabling significantly improved speech recognition accuracy. The signal processing technology implemented by the Timberwolf audio processor includes:-Noise reduction-Beam forming-Barge-in support-CLE mic pickup-Full duplex two-way audio-Stereo acoustic echo cancellation-Direct mic interface as well as Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) and Inter-IC Sound (I2S)/time-division multiplexing (TDM) connection to the Raspberry PiAvailabilityThe Microsemi AcuEdge Development Kit for Amazon AVS is generally available through distributors Arrow and Future Electronics. It retails for $299.About the AcuEdge Technology and Timberwolf ZL38063 Multi-Mic Audio ProcessorMicrosemi’s AcuEdge's technology consists of license-free, royalty-free audio intellectual property (IP) solutions. It is the compilation of various IPs targeted at processing voice signals in conjunction with noise reduction algorithms, automatic gain control, echo cancellation, psychoacoustic noise reduction, howling detection and rejection. These powerful capabilities are the foundation for enterprise level automatic speech recognition, sound classification and other intelligent decision-making functions based on sound and audio detection. The ZL38063 Timberwolf provides a powerful digital signal processor (DSP) with voice specific hardware accelerators, three digital microphone interfaces, two independent 16-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs) with headphone drivers and two flexible time-division multiplexed (TDM) interfaces in a single 64-pin QFN package. Additional features include 44.1/48 kHz stereo music playback with voice, ultralow and standby off power, and stationary and psychoacoustic noise reduction. It can run unattended (controllerless) and offers self-booting into a configured operational state. In addition, the ZL38063 has built-in support for G.712 and G.722 and is G.168 and G.169 compliant line echo cancellation (LEC). To learn more about the ZL38063 visit https://www.microsemi.com/products/audio-processing/home-automation/zl38063. For more information about the Development Kit for Amazon AVS visit https://www.microsemi.com/amazon-alexa-kit.

StorArt Technology, a leading NAND flash controller solution provider, announced the launch of the three new NAND flash controllers in the fourth quarters of 2017, including SSD/SA3801, UFS/SA3700 series and uSD/SA3308. All product-lines aim at the widespread applications, supporting 2D and 3D-NDND flash from all the major NAND suppliers, allowing OEMs to deliver the most advanced, cost-effective and reliable storage products in the market.The SA3801, a high-performance SSD Controller, supports PCIe 3.0x2 and NVMe 1.2 technology. It features 2GB/s with 4 NAND channels and 8 CEs supporting up to 2TB. With StorArt’s new LDPC engine, Global Wear Leveling, End-to-End Data Protection, HMB and temperature sensor, the SA3801 delivers high performance, better reliability, and more cost-effective PCIe SSD solution.The SA3700 series, SA3701 and SA 3711, UFS2.1/UFS1.1 Controllers, is the latest generation embedded memory standard for mobile applications defined by JEDEC. It features serial link-based MIPI M-PHY interface and SCSI architecture model which enables high performance, up to5.8Gbps and high capacity with low power. With StorArt’s new LDPC engine, Global Wear Leveling and enhanced flash technologies, SA3700 series is targeted to be the best embedded storage solution.StorArt continues developing new SD controller to the market. StorArt’s latest SD controller, SA3308, complies with SD 5.1/6.0 and supports A2 performance, 4K Video Speed Class V30 for 4K video recording and compatible with Android 7.0/6.0 Adoptable Storage platform. The SA3308 provides excellent sequential/random data read/write performance and better user experiences.About StorArt TechnologyStorArt Technology Co., Ltd is founded on Feb, 2012. Headquartered in Hsinchu Science Park, StorArt’s focus is to develop embedded NAND flash controllers, including SSD, UFS, eMMC, eMCP, uSD and SD controllers.StorArt Technology Announces Launch of Three New NAND Flash Controllers in the Fourth Quarters of 2017

Smart home and connected cars are the two major IoT applications, and both of them have been given a strong boost as Amazon’s Alexa voice service fuels the development of a wide-range of voice-enabled smart home devices and the US will mandate DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) V2X technology by 2023. In response to the trend, NXP Semiconductors is well positioned to gain a strong foothold in these markets with its comprehensive processor platforms in consumer and automotive applications.“Driven by Amazon, Google, and other technology leaders, natural language learning has made significant progress over the past years,” Martyn Humphries, VP of Consumer and Industrial i.MX Applications Processors at NXP said. “With the accuracy of automatic speech recognition reaches above 95%, voice control interface has become more pervasive than ever.”He believes that it’s now just the beginning of the smart home revolution. Starting from only one voice gateway such as Amazon Echo at user’s home, in the future, more home appliances, including lamps, coffee machines, and so on, will also use voice as an interface and to be connected with the cloud and home hub to provide more friendly services.Therefore, NXP teams with Amazon to create Alexa Reference Platform, NXP’s i.MX processors helping third-party makers to easily integrate Alexa Voice Service (AVS) into their devices. Meanwhile, NXP also supports Google Assistant in its Android Thing solution.Under this trend, in addition to speakers, we can see various devices with voice control function to be launched in the short term. Moreover, it’s expected that AVS-enabled home appliances will be ready by end of this year. “It’s a great opportunity for many appliance makers in Great China, in a bid to embrace the new era of smart home,” he stressed.As for the automotive electronic market, according to Jerwern Yi, Automotive MCU Product Marketing Director at NXP, NXP is a strong leader in the market, with complete solutions in V2X, ADAS, connectivity & security, general purpose and integrated solutions, and vehicle dynamics and safety. In fact, NXP’s worldwide market share increased 8% to 34% last year and is expected to grow this year,Regarding the progress of V2X, NXP’s solution has been selected by Cadillac, which will mass produce vehicles that support DSRC standard in about two years. Also, with strong ecosystem partnerships, NXP initiates multiple V2X test projects in Singapore, Germany, and China to speed up the wide adoption of this technology.Though the ultimate goal of smart cars is to be fully automated and the autonomous driving is at the top of its hype now, there is still a long way to go. “Currently, the automotive industry is in the Level 2 stage in terms of automation level. To reach the Level 5 of full automation, we need to address a lot of challenges in computational performance, power, safety & security, data bandwidth, and more,” Yi pointed out. “Take the most fundamental issue of security as an example, until now, the industry doesn’t have any standard or specific approach to ensure the automotive security. If we can’t even guarantee the security, how can it be possible to realize the goal of self-driving?”Therefore, with the in-depth understanding of the stringent requirements for safety, security, and reliability in automotive, NXP takes a more pragmatic strategy. “With our leadership position in the market, we will keep abreast of the latest developments and move steadily to L3/L4 products first. It’s for sure that NXP will definitely play an integral role in the future connected car market,” Yi said.Martyn Humphries: Vice President , Consumer and Industrial i.MX Applications ProcessorsJerwern Yi: Automotive MicroProcessors Marketing Director

Western Digital Corporation (“Western Digital”) (NASDAQ: WDC), a global data storage technology and solutions leader, today announced the world’s first client solid state drives built with its 64-layer 3D NAND technology. This technology milestone enables the company to deliver new, innovative SSDs with lower power consumption and higher performance, endurance and capacities. This is the latest achievement in a nearly three-decades-long legacy of flash memory industry firsts from the company.“Delivering 64-layer 3D NAND-based SSDs into the PC segment marks a critical step in our ongoing conversion to this new technology, as well as offers long-term benefits for our customers,” said MIke Cordano, president and chief operating officer, Western Digital. “Between our two, strong brands in SanDisk and WD, and their respective loyal customer bases and distribution channels, these advanced SSDs will appeal to a very broad footprint of the computing population that are seeking the benefits of today’s newest technologies.” WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD—Powered by Western Digital 3D NANDTargeting DIY enthusiasts, resellers and system builders, WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSDs boast an industry-leading 1.75M hours MTTF, as well as the quality backing of WD Functional Integrity Testing Lab (F.I.T. Lab) certification. In addition, consumers can download free tools: Acronis® True Image WD Edition cloning software, and WD SSD Dashboard software, which enables continuous performance and capacity monitoring, and firmware updates.SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD—Accelerated performance for gaming and graphicsIntended for gaming and creative enthusiasts who want to improve their PCs, the SanDisk Ultra 3D SSDs are ideal as a drop-in upgrade for existing systems. For consumers looking for a simple path to upgrade their PCs, a SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD delivers enhanced endurance and reliability, no-wait boot-up, shorter application load times, and quicker data transfer. In addition to cooler, quieter computing, the SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD includes proven shock- and vibration-resistance to protect your drive.Availabilty and Pricing:WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSDs will be available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities in both a traditional 2.5-inch/7mm cased drive as well as a single-sided M.2 2280 form factor. Like all WD SSDs, the WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD includes WD F.I.T Lab certification for compatibility with many leading platforms.SanDisk Ultra 3D SSDs will be available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities in a traditional 2.5-inch/7mm cased drive form factor.Both products boast up to 560MB/s and 530MB/s sequential read and write speeds respectively, a 3-year limited warranty, and will be available worldwide in the third quarter of 2017. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price will start at $99.99 USD for the WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD and SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD 2.5-inch/7mm version and will start at $99.99 USD for the WD Blue M.2 2280 version.Further information about the WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD can be found on the WD web site at https://www.wdc.com/wd-blue-3d.html and information about the SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD can be found at https://ww.sandisk.com/home/ssd/ultra-3d-ssd.About Western DigitalWestern Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) is an industry-leading provider of storage technologies and solutions that enable people to create, leverage, experience and preserve data. The company addresses ever-changing market needs by providing a full portfolio of compelling, high-quality storage solutions with customer-focused innovation, high efficiency, flexibility and speed. Our products are marketed under the HGST, SanDisk and WD brands to OEMs, distributors, resellers, cloud infrastructure providers and consumers.Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including the development, performance, capacity, capabilities, applications, approximate price and estimated product availability of the WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSDs and SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD and expectations for the acceleration of the transition to 64-layer 3D NAND, that are based on current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: our product offerings may not be available at the price and time we expect, the transition to 64-layer 3D NAND may not accelerate as expected and other risks detailed from time-to-time in Western Digital’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our most recent quarterly report filed on May 8, 2017 on Form 10-Q to which your attention is directed. This news release contains information from third parties, which reflect their projections as of the date of issuance. All statements made in this news release are made only as of the date of this release. Western Digital undertakes no obligations to update the information in this release in the event facts or circumstances change after the date of this release.###Apps, services, and other features are subject to change based on your location, software version, device model, and third party service providers.Western Digital, SanDisk, the SanDisk logo, WD, the WD logo, F.I.T. Lab, SanDisk Ultra and WD Blue are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Acronis and True Image are registered trademarks or trademarks of Acronis International GmbH and or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Pictures shown may vary from actual products. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Not all products may be available in all regions of the world. As used for storage capacity, one gigabyte = one billion bytes and one terabyte = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.Company continues to demonstrate advancement of flash memory with introduction of new 3D NAND SSDs

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: CY), the leader in wireless connectivity solutions for the IoT, today announced a new wireless solution that delivers advanced coexistence combining 802.11ac high-performance Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for IoT applications. The new highly integrated Cypress CYW4373 solution incorporates a USB 2.0 hub that provides a common WLAN and Bluetooth interface. The combo solution is ideal for smart home products and network peripherals such as home appliances and printers.Wi-Fi networks powered by 802.11ac simultaneously deliver low-latency and high-speed with secure device authentication, making it the ideal wireless technology to connect directly to the cloud. Cypress’ 802.11ac solutions use high-speed transmissions to enable IoT devices with faster downloads and better range, as well as lower power consumption by quickly exploiting deep sleep modes. The CYW4373 solution is supported in Cypress’ all-inclusive, turnkey, WICED Studio IoT development platform, which streamlines the integration of wireless technologies for developers. More information on Cypress’ WICED 802.11ac solutions is available at http://www.cypress.com/802.11ac.“A wide range of smart home and portable electronics applications are adding 802.11ac high-performance Wi-Fi to connect to the cloud due to its ability to manage fast connections and provide cleaner air, while also supporting low-power operation,” said Brian Bedrosian, vice president of marketing for the IoT Business Unit at Cypress. “Cypress’ 802.11ac combo solutions enable coexistence with Bluetooth in the crowded 2.4-GHz band, providing audio, video and voice control applications with high fidelity, even in multi-user environments.”The CYW4373 combo solution features a dual-band 2.4- and 5-GHz radio with dynamic channel selection of 20-, 40- and 80-MHz channels, supporting up to 433 Mbps performance, and it includes a separate Bluetooth/BLE 4.2 subsystem. The solution simplifies system design with a common USB hub or shared SDIO interface to the system host controller.About Cypress WICED Studio IoT Development PlatformThe Cypress WICED Studio IoT development platform features an integrated and interoperable wireless software development kit (SDK). The SDK includes rigorously tested Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocol stacks, as well as simplified application programming interfaces that free developers from needing to learn complex wireless technologies. In line with the IoT trend toward dual-mode connectivity, the SDK supports Cypress’ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combination solutions and its Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy devices. The SDK enables cloud connectivity in minutes with its robust libraries that uniquely integrate popular cloud services such as Amazon Web Services, IBM Bluemix, Alibaba Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, along with services from private cloud partners.Cypress’ WICED Studio connectivity suite is microcontroller (MCU)-agnostic and provides ready support for a variety of third-party MCUs to address the needs of complex IoT applications. The platform also enables cost efficient solutions for simple IoT applications by integrating MCU functionality into the connectivity device. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocol stacks can run transparently on a host MCU or in embedded mode, allowing for flexible platform architectures with common firmware. More information on Cypress’ WICED platform, ecosystem and community is available at http://www.cypress.com/wicedcommunity.AvailabilityThe CYW4373 802.11ac solution is currently sampling to lead customers. Full production is expected in late 2017.Follow Cypress OnlineJoin the Cypress Developer Community, read our Core & Code blog, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and watch Cypress videos on our Video Library or YouTube.About CypressCypress is the leader in advanced embedded system solutions for the world’s most innovative automotive, industrial, home automation and appliances, consumer electronics and medical products. Cypress’s programmable systems-on-chip, general-purpose microcontrollers, analog ICs, wireless and USB-based connectivity solutions and reliable, high-performance memories help engineers design differentiated products and get them to market first. Cypress is committed to providing customers with the best support and engineering resources on the planet enabling innovators and out-of-the-box thinkers to disrupt markets and create new product categories in record time. To learn more, go to www.cypress.com.

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: CY), the market leader in USB-C, today announced availability of a new USB-C controller with Power Delivery (PD) that streamlines the design of power adapters, mobile chargers, car chargers and power banks. The EZ-PD CCG3PA controller supports the PD 3.0 standard with programmable power supply (PPS) and Qualcomm’s Quick Charge (QC) 4.0 protocol, which enable new power source product designs to provide an improved fast charging user experience. As these standards and the USB Type-C standard continue to evolve, compliance and interoperability pose an ongoing challenge, but the programmable CCG3PA controller enables firmware upgradeability to keep up with changes and overcome interoperability issues. The controller offers a high level of integration that minimizes bill-of-material costs and simplifies designs, replacing multiple discrete components with a single-chip solution. More information on the EZ-PD CCG3PA controller is available at http://www.cypress.com/ccg3pa.“As USB-C proliferates this year, the demand for USB-C power sources will increase, putting more pressure on our customers to bring their power adapters, mobile chargers, car chargers and power banks to market quickly, while keeping up with rapidly evolving USB standards,” said Ajay Srikrishna, vice president of Cypress’ Wired Connectivity Business Unit. “Our highly-integrated EZ-PD CCG3PA controller is optimized to simplify the design of USB-C power source products, with support for the required charging standards, and the ability to upgrade firmware to keep pace with changes in standards.”The EZ-PD CCG3PA controller is a one-chip solution that minimizes bill-of-material costs for USB-C power source products by integrating error amplifiers for constant voltage, constant current and PPS applications, a 30 V regulator that allows direct operation from VBUS, VBUS short protection on configuration channel (CC) pins, gate drivers for high-voltage power FETs, a low side current sense amplifier, and dedicated hardware for legacy charger detection protocols plus system level electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. Programmable overvoltage and overcurrent circuitry protects systems against power overloads and other faulty operating conditions. The controller also integrates an ARM Cortex-M0 and 64KB Flash with read-while-write function for firmware upgradeability. The product enables design of efficient USB-C power adapters for a wide range of applications including mobile phones and PCs.Product AvailabilityThe EZ-PD CCG3PA controller is now sampling in 24-pin QFN (16 mm2) and 16-pin SOIC (60 mm2) packages. The controller will be in production in the third quarter of 2017. Designers can get started with the CY4532 CCG3PA evaluation kit, which is now available for $149. Cypress provides CCG3PA solution reference designs for a 45-Watt notebook PC power adapter, a 27-Watt mobile phone charger, a 60-Watt car charger and a power bank. More info on Cypress’ USB Type-C and PD solutions is available at www.cypress.com/Type-C.About Cypress’ EZ-PD PortfolioCypress’ EZ-PD portfolio of USB-C controllers also includes CCG1, the world’s first programmable USB-C controller, CCG2, the market’s smallest programmable USB-C solution, CCG3, the market’s most integrated programmable USB-C solution, CCG4, the world’s first two-port USB-C solution, and CCG5, the market’s first two-port USB-C solution optimized for Thunderbolt notebook and desktop PCs. The EZ-PD portfolio was the first to support the latest USB PD 3.0 specification, which enables more robust end-to-end power delivery and charging solutions for laptop and mobile devices.The USB Type-C standard is gaining rapid support with top-tier electronics manufacturers by enabling slim industrial designs, easy-to-use connectors and cables, and the ability to transmit multiple protocols and deliver up to 100 Watts of power. The USB Type-C standard’s 2.4-mm-high connector plug is significantly smaller than the current 4.5-mm USB Standard-A connector.Follow Cypress OnlineJoin the Cypress Developer Community, read our Core & Code blog, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and watch Cypress videos on our Video Library or YouTube.About CypressCypress is the leader in advanced embedded system solutions for the world’s most innovative automotive, industrial, home automation and appliances, consumer electronics and medical products. Cypress’ programmable systems-on-chip, general-purpose microcontrollers, analog ICs, wireless and USB-based connectivity solutions and reliable, high-performance memories help engineers design differentiated products and get them to market first. Cypress is committed to providing customers with the best support and engineering resources on the planet enabling innovators and out-of-the-box thinkers to disrupt markets and create new product categories in record time. To learn more, go to www.cypress.com.