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.

PhotoFast, the leading premium iOS smart accessory company based in Taiwan, announced the ultimate audio recording solution. Headphone jack for iPhone7, PhotoFast breakthrough Lightning digital recording technology, without unnecessary DAC/ADC that may affect audio output. Support 48 kHz lossless PCM format keeping the original highest audio quality. Breaking the limitation of iOS, PhotoFast kept the ability of innovation to reach the remarkable achievement.Enhance efficiency and performance in professionals life.Smartphones have reshaped our personal and professional lives in many ways, our memories are captured, stored and shared through the smartphone’s camera lens, but strangely they have ignored one of the most standard features in our phones: voice calls. Call Recorder is the first device of its kind for the iPhone, that lets you record, store and share voice and internet phone calls. The device lets you keep all of your important mobile and internet phone conversations with just one touch. With Call Recorder you will never need to worry about missing important information during a call.One touch recordings for simple and easy use on any callsJust one touch and all the recordings will go instantly to the In-App storage and the MicroSD card, where you will be able to go back and listen as many times as you need, improving your performance overall, as well as keeping memorable conversations along with those wonderful photos for many years to go back and remember. Also, the microSD card reader integration gives you the advantage of expandable external storage, where all your music, videos, photos, and contacts can be seamlessly transferred between microSD card and your iDevice. By multiple memory cards applied, you can effortlessly free up your iPhone storage space, backup, or share files through the handy Call Recorder.The world’s first device that supports recording all mobile and communications Apps calls on iDevices. Features a microSD Card Reader.

Universal Scientific Industrial (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., (SSE 601231), a leading global company in electronic design and manufacturing, is going to launch WM-BAC-CYW-33 SiP (System in Package) module for IoT applications which can be applied on home appliances, home security and consumer products. The WM-BAC-CYW-33 SiP module is utilized Cypress WiFi 11ac solutions and is supported by the all-inclusive WICED Studio SDK. WM-BAC-CYW-33 SiP module is with USI’s exclusive miniaturization technology via molding process and conformal shielding. Module samples will be ready in July, 2017.Cypress provides unmatched connectivity solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). Its 802.11ac chips offer the fastest and most power efficient consumer download experiences with more robust and more reliable connections. Cypress CYW43455 Combo solution (802.11ac, Dual-Band WiFi + Bluetooth 4.2) and CYW54907 IoT System-On-Chip (802.11ac, Dual-Band WiFi + Embedded Apps MCU) can benefit IoT applications for complex solutions with Audio/Video entertainment, while maintaining robust connections, offering improved network performance for multiple users using and applying beamforming for enhanced range.USI is a major WiFi connectivity module partner of Cypress, with Cypress 11ac/BT/BLE combo solutions, the WM-BAC-CYW-33 SiP module can provide high-performance WiFi transmission to fulfill customers’ high-speed WiFi requirements in the IoT market. The WM-BAC-CYW-33 SiP Module with USI’s miniaturization technology is particularly ideal for those products which demand stylish design and high performance of high-data-throughput audio and video streaming such as home monitoring and video entertainment to transmit high-resolution 4K data.“USI is a trusted partner in our IoT development ecosystem, and we are pleased to have those advanced modules with our new 802.11ac Wi-Fi solutions,” said Brian Bedrosian, vice president of marketing for the IoT Business Unit at Cypress. “Developers of emerging IoT applications are increasingly asking for the high performance and advanced coexistence that our dual-band 802.11ac solutions offer.”Product ContactJason Tsai jasont@ms.usi.com.twAbout USIUSI is a global ODM/EMS leading company providing design, miniaturization, material sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, and after services of electronic devices/modules for brand owners. USI is a member of ASE Group and has been listed in Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2012. It has many years of experience in the electronics manufacturing services industry and leverages the industry-leading technology of ASE Group, which enables USI to offer customer diversify product in the sectors of wireless communication, computer and storage, consumer, industrial, and automotive electronics worldwide. Through the sales service network in North America, Europe, Japan, China, Taiwan, and manufacturing sites in China, Taiwan and Mexico. USI has about 15,000 people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.usish.comUSI_SIP

Computex Taipei has long been one of the most important tradeshows worldwide for engineers and executrives in ICT industries. On May 31, 2017, Digitimes hosted Computex 2017 Mobile and IoT technology forum, featuring speakers from various sectors to share their views of the future of IoT technology leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) capability.IBM leveraging IIoT technologies for cognitive manufacturingInternet of Things combining and converging sensor technologies and robotics is driving profound transformations of the industrial system. As more factories and equipment are equipped with IoT devices, data volume will double by 2020 and computing must become more cognitive to properly process, analyze and optimize the information. This is a key focal point of the talk by Mike Chang, IBM Cloud Adoption leader. He talked about the concept of "cognitive manufacturing," which involves a set of smart manufacturing solutions with cognitive IoT technology via IBM Watson cognitive computing technologies.Integrated with IoT and AI, according to Chang, cognition involves three key elements: understanding, reasoning and learning. Through cognitive computing technologies, the concept of mass production will be replaced by smart automated production, which will help Taiwan manufacturers handle orders that come in small volumes and big varieties.There are four layers of cognitive manufacturing solutions: the data, predict, prescription and cognitive layers. IBM's approaches start with optimizing existing equipment. This will include many intra-factory activities. Then through B2B connectivity, it will have the chance to refine the value chains across the ecosystems. The next step is integrate with IoT technology in order to add values to the data collected from sensors. IBM is a leader in transforming technologies with Industrie 4.0, bringing together things that are instrumented, interconnected, inclusive and intelligent in order to generate insights from collected data and transform manufacturing.Qualcomm broadens IoT portfoliosQualcomm has been broadening its capabilities in IoT to meet the demands of an increasingly connected IoT world. ST Liew, VP and president of Qualcomm Taiwan, talked about semiconductor solutions accelerating IoT development. Qualcomm is moving from discrete ICs to integrated platforms. The company has over 25 different IoT reference platforms to help OEM and ODM partners shorten the development cycle and reduce time to market. The new applications range from drones, wearables, immersive VR/AR devices, smart home, smart cities, Industrial IoT, LTE for IoT and 5G New Radio. By the year 2020, Qualcomm semiconductor solutions will have migrated IoT to higher-speed connection to accommodate various fast-growing connected devices.Part of Qualcomm's strategy to accelerate its growth in IoT has been to support Google's Android Things on its Snapdragon 210 processor. This is the 4G LTE-powered SoC capable of supporting Android Things and it also has a powerful quad-core processor and GPU in the market. The OEMs and developers start to utilize the Snapdragon 210 and see more and more affordable LTE-connected devices. This will help IoT devices are no longer limited to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity for communications.In the smart home sector, Liew highlighted Qualcomm's new tri-mode dual-core SoC named the QCA4020 supporting Bluetooth Low Energy 5, dual-band Wi-Fi and 802.15.4 technologies including ZigBee and OpenThread. Considering how prevalent these three connectivity standards are in the home, it is the most logical combination of the three most commonly used communication protocols in the home. These chips also come with features from Qualcomm's recently announced Network IoT Connectivity Platform which includes pre-integrated support for HomeKit and OCF as well as cloud services using AWS IoT SDK or Microsoft Azure SDKs.Qualcomm has also made announcements concerning IoT and 5G as well as upgrading its existing line of LTE chips scaling LTE to connect IoT devices and satisfy the huge demands for data today. When it comes to 5G, Qualcomm has been focused on supporting the 5G New Radio standard to build seamless connection.VIA provides complete solutions for USB 3.1 Gen 1/ Gen2, USB Type-CDavid Hsu, VIA Labs associate VP of product marketing, presented VIA's full line of chipsets for USB 3.1 and USB Type-C covering applications including hub, multi-functional docking, video dongle, cable, power bank, car charger and wall charger. VIA sees USB Type-C specification as a connector standard of the future. The emerging USB Type-C applications are phone docking stations and USB Type-C power charger of mobile peripherals.For the battery pack solutions, VIA's products offer several unique features including switchable charging sequence to extend the battery life for mobile gaming console. VIA also provides silicon solutions for simple USB Type-C video dongle devices with support of bi-directional operation. The chipset lineups provide several turnkey solutions including "Multi-Function Dock," "Charging-thru Multi-Function Dock" for standalone hub or docking stations, "USB Type-C Mini-Dock/Dongle" for USB external drives, "DP-ALT mode" for video dongle or multimedia docking station. These turnkey solutions cover almost 85% design-in projects for USB Type-C electronics devices in the market.Hsu noted that the adoption of USB Type-C trend will have more use cases than before. VIA is introducing more solutions to target different market segments. He concluded that the USB Type-C market relies on the right product in the right time with ease of use. And the most important thing is select a solid technology partner. VIA will help OEM and ODM vendors boost the USB Type-C demands.Xperi enabling IoT experience with product licensing and semiconductor IPsXperi has four major brands including DTS, Fotonation, Invensas and Tessera. For these four brands, 50% of their revenues from product licensing businesses including premium audio systems and advanced imaging solutions. And the other 50% come from semiconductor packaging technologies and silicon interconnect technology. Xperi is expanding the ability to address new opportunities in IoT and AR/VR development through high-definition audio and image recognition technology. Vincent Ting, Xperi APAC sales director, indicated the current technology portfolios are ideally suited to deliver the next generation of audio and imaging solutions to mobile, consumer electronics, and automotive markets. The newly developed products range from DTS Virtual:X technology, HD Radio, DTS Play-Fi (streaming the music wirelessly in WiFi networks), DTS Headphone:X (providing users with heightened awareness headphones on VR headsets).FotoNation researches and develops embedded image processing solutions for computer vision and computational imaging applications. Its video and image enhancement technologies can be found at the core of more than 25% of the all smartphones on the market, and other consumer imaging products.Xperi integrated DTS' audio and digital radio technology solutions with Fotonation imaging solutions, which enable immersive experience through various devices to satisfy the future development of IoT technology.Dialog pushing low power connectivity solutions for smart homeWei Tong, product marketing manager of Dialog Semiconductor, talked about the explosive growth for smart home applications. Dialog is a proven chipset supplier in the RF world for over 20 years, especially in short-range 1.9GHz and 2.4GHz RF IC product matrix. Dialog SmartBond family chips use Bluetooth stack proven in millions of products all over the world. The low power performance is a result of Dialog's design expertise in mixed-signal power management & RF connectivity IC. Today, there have been over one billion units in Dialog RF IC shipments and the failure rates are below 10ppm.In the smart home sector, Dialog silicon solutions are aiming for energy, security, control and convenience purposes. For the energy management, Dialog's chipsets manage heating and cooling machines through room sensors. And in the security sector, the chipsets for smart door locks will focus on reliability, security, low power consumption, small form factor and quick response. The same applications will also apply to other products such as window sensors and camera-based motion sensors.Dialog is part of the Apple HomeKit ecosystem. Dialog's HomeKit Solution is the first HomeKit Accessory Protocol (HAP) BLE 2.0 certified solution on the market. All the actions can be grouped and triggered using Siri or Apple HomeKit enabled apps. Dialog will continue to maintain the strength to support leading smart home ecosystems including Apple HomeKit, Nest and other proprietary standards.Macronix on smart connected devices for IoTGrandy Hsueh, Macronix segment marketing deputy director, presented a talk on smart devices including home appliances and many others.There are several challenges and expectations in the IoT market. People are concerned about the welfare of elderly people in agiging societies, security issues and energy savings, and smart home devices must be easy to control and work efficiently. Developers of smart home solutions still need to learn from mistakes, as the systems are mostly not flexible enough to make things easy in response to human needs, lifestyles and habits.Smart home assistant will be a new solution to provide a good answer for users. He is very optimistic about seeing widespread usage in the modern home in the future.All the smart devices require memory components. Macronix has full memory product lineups covering different kind of NVMs (non-volatile memory) with broad range of product portfolios.Peraso upbeat about WiGigBrad Lynch, senior VP, Product Development, Peraso, talked about WiGig (802.11ad), which is Gigabit WiFi standard working in the 60 GHz band and delivers up to 8Gbit per second data transmission. He highlighted WiGig is the next WiFi standard. The recent focus of development in 802.11ad is promoting Wi-Fi Certified WiGig certification, which was launched in Oct 2016. The major players include Dell, Intel, Peraso, Qualcomm and Socionext. Peraso is one of the top 3 WiGig chipset suppliers. Lynch presented applications focusing on WigGig networking, wireless VR/AR development and 5G fixed wireless broadband.WigGig networking application is mainly for multi-gigabit Wi-Fi connectivity. It is a highly efficient, cost effective solution to provide gigabit Ethernet network in the office, home and public spaces including airports, malls and cafes. The data transfer rate is only seven seconds for transmitting a 1.45GB file at average transfer speed of 219 MBytes/s (or 1750 Mbits/s). The speed is two times faster than Ethernet Gigabit technology.WiGig Direct is another attractive multi-gigabit wireless application featuring wireless 4K display, high speed media sync and wireless docking. Peraso chipsets provide the support for scalable USB network adaptors. For enhancing smartphone usability, Peraso chipsets also provide benefits for smartphone 4K screen casting, cloud data sync and on-the-go backup.In the booming VR/AR segments, wireless data throughput increases user experience of VR headsets.The Peraso WigGig chipset offers a low cost, low power HMD solution with simple USB adapters on a VR source platform leveraging highly customizable antenna and software architecture.Ayla IoT platform powers creativity through end-to-end servicesMichel Maeso, Ayla Networks's VP of Global Sales & Service, talked about Ayla's end-to-end agile IoT platform as a service (PaaS) architecture. Ayla provides enterprise-class secure connectivity and cloud data services for Owlet to introduce innovative Smart Sock, which is the wearable baby monitor for consumers that transmits information like heart rates, sleep quality, blood oxygen levels and skin temperatures to a parent's smartphone or other smart devices. Data and alerts are securely transmitted to parents or caregivers via Ayla's end-to-end platform.Maeso said consumers care more about values than prices. Ayla's platforms provide proactive services and increase customer loyalty. This is how IoT business is developing. Ayla is a company that meets customer's strict criteria for data management, security, cloud-based back-end infrastructure and services and robust wireless connectivity through strategic relationships with leading wireless chip and module vendors.Digitimes Research: LPWAN fulfilling IoT needsBenson Wu, a Digitimes Research analyst, said that after reviewing the world's top LTE service providers, he found that 4G services are seeing shirnking profits. And most telecoms have started to look at the benefits of connected devices enabling IoT services. The Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) is a solution for increasing business opportunities. LPWAN has rapidly gone from "not needed" to an important part of communications for the IoT industry. The building of the LPWAN infrastructure is just beginning. LPWAN is a low-cost, high-volume business. A couple of mobile operators will trial Narrow Band IoT technology alongside their launch preparation of a LoRa network. Also the coming of 5G technology will be a big boost for LPWAN solutions.