What comes to mind when you hear the term "wireless charging?" Today, smartphones and mobile devices have become ubiquitous, and people are increasingly reliant upon 3C products. We often hear people say things like "My phone is running out of battery," or "I forgot to bring my charging cable," and even "Can you let me charge my phone for a few minutes?" in both public and private areas. Wireless charging technologies have been in development for over a decade, but why hasn't the industry experienced explosive growth such as that seen in the IoT or AR/VR industries?There are currently two types of mainstream wireless charging technology: "magnetic induction" and "magnetic resonance." Magnetic induction is used for short distances and has higher efficiency. Although it has the advantage of low cost, it is also easily impacted by distance factors and it is difficult for it to support simultaneous charging of multiple devices. Magnetic resonance allows charging over farther distances and charging panels can be installed beneath tables, with charging operations being able to penetrate materials such as wood, plastic, and glass. In addition, multiple devices can be charged simultaneously.In order for wireless charging to become widespread, a "unified standard" must be created and a "large amount of charging stations" must become available. Currently, most wireless charging products on the market use first-generation wireless charging technologies. Since power supply equipment must be tightly combined (and precisely aligned) with the end that power is supplied to, these technologies do not provide a good user experience. Also, there are currently two technical standard organizations: WPC and AFA. Equipment vendors and systems vendors have mainly taken a wait-and-see attitude toward determining which standard will become mainstream, which is why they have not built a large amount of charging resources in the market, resulting in the industry advancing at a slow pace and the number of users still being small.JJPLUS Leads the Way in Building the Wireless Charging EcosystemHowever, the situation of the wireless charging industry may change this year. Taiwan's JJPlus has accumulated more than a decade of experience in development of RF technology, and is one of the few vendors in Taiwan that are engaging in the development of wireless charging system integration. After more than two years of development, working with well-known research institutions in the US, as well as licensing magnetic resonance charging technology from WiTricity, JJPLUS will launch a new line of products in October 2016.According to Chung-He Shu, president of JJPLUS, JJPLUS has been developing its WiFancy wireless charging products for almost two years. It has not only obtained many patents for its technology, but also product certifications from the AirFuel alliance. JJPLUS Corporation has been investing in Taiwan's wireless charging industry for many years. It believes that in order for the industry to rapidly develop, someone must lead the way and be a pioneer. JJPLUS has also been actively connecting upstream, midstream, and downstream vendors from the industry supply chain. It has also been engaging in cooperation with other vendors, government organizations, as well as academics in order to jumpstart the wireless charging industry.JJPLUS's WiFancy346 magnetic resonance wireless charging system has a beneath-the-table transmitter that is capable of penetrating materials including wood, granite, plastic, and glass. JJPLUS also provides wireless charging products for two different types of table thickness (2-3.5 centimeters and 3.5-5 centimeters). Two power receivers can be placed on the table at any given time, allowing devices such as smartphones or tablet computers to be charged simultaneously.The biggest advantage of this cloud-based wireless charging system is that it integrates IoT technologies and big data applications. In the future, system integrators can build cloud-based wireless charging solutions by including internally-developed software. By choosing the WiFancy346, commercial service providers will be able to try out low-cost, diverse business models.Developing the World's Thinnest Wireless Charger for Use with the iPhone7In addition to the WiFancy346, which is a beneath-the-table infrastructure equipment, JJPLUS also provides two desktop dongles (WiFancy D1) which are respectively for use with iOS phones (Lightning interface) and Android phones (Micro USB interface), with different receiver-end interface designs (Micro USB and Lightning). These designs not only provide wireless charging receiver functionality, but also wireless charging signal detection. Flashing lights with signals are added, providing extra convenience in terms of searching for charging areas.For the consumer market, JJPLUS is in line with the launch schedule for the iPhone7. It has introduced wireless charging phone cases that support the iPhone7/iPhone6/6s, as well as the WiFancy 203, which is a desktop wireless charging transmitter that is currently the world's thinnest (0.9 cm). Chung-He Shu points out that this wireless charging mobile phone case optimizes the user experience. The design of the mobile phone case connector has not only been given a patent, but also allows users to quickly switch between wire-based charging and the new Lightning earphones, eliminating the need to remove the protective case.When placed in the user's home, the WiFancy 203 desktop wireless charger allows users to charge devices vertically, horizontally, or placed lying down, thereby overcoming the restriction of charging angles and allowing users to use their phones while charging. In addition, the WiFancy 203 comes in a glossy finish that uses the same materials as the new jet black iPhone7. This design targets business users and it is a beautiful device with advanced functionality.Finally, Chung-He Shu emphasizes that they wish to form a wireless charging ecosystem in Taiwan, allowing equipment vendors, system integrators, software vendors, and cloud services providers to each play an important role in the industry. JJPLUS hopes to be able to make important contributions to Taiwan's wireless charging industry and welcomes other vendors to join it, cooperating in terms of technology and business models.The iPhone case allows you to charge your phone simply by putting it on the table.The under-table wireless charger supports table tops up to 5 cm thick and charging two phones at the same time.

NKT Cables is acquiring ABB's global high-voltage cable system business with a total enterprise value of 836 million euros (US$934 million). High voltage cables are key components in sustainable energy networks, used for transmitting large amounts of electricity over long distances. The business is part of ABB's Power Grids division, which is currently undergoing a strategic review.NKT Cables designs, manufactures and supplies power cables for low-, medium- and high-voltage solutions mainly in the Alternating Current (AC)-area. It has major production facilities in Europe and China as well as sales offices around the world, and employs around 3,200 people. In 2015, revenue was 1.2 billion euros."We are combining two strong cable portfolios rooted in a shared Nordic heritage that will be more competitive on a larger scale under NKT Cables' ownership, while maintaining access to supply through a long-term strategic partnership," said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. "The combination of our niche cable system business with the strength of NKT Cables demonstrates our commitment to active portfolio management, a key element of our Next Level strategy."ABB's high-voltage cable technology and manufacturing as well as service footprint is highly complementary with NKT Cables' activities, making the combined business ideally suited to serve the rising global demand for long-distance power transmission cable systems. The combined operational scale and reach of the two businesses is expected to lead to even better service for global customers."ABB's high-voltage cable business will add considerable strength to our portfolio and bring us a world-class manufacturing operation. We will leverage the technology, domain competence and highly skilled workforce to grow this business," said Michael Hedegaard Lyng, President and CEO of NKT Cables. "We look forward to ramping up our long-term partnership that will serve future projects all around the world."ABB's cable system business offers turnkey solutions including design, engineering, supply, installation, commissioning and service. It had adjusted standalone revenues of US$524 million in 2015, employs around 900 people, and has state-of-the art manufacturing and R&D capabilities for high-voltage submarine and underground cables in Karlskrona, Sweden. The transfer of assets also includes a new, cutting-edge cable-laying vessel, currently under construction. With experience of over a century, the business serves a range of applications and has commissioned hundreds of alternating current and direct current links around the world."As part of the strategic partnership, ABB and NKT Cables will work together on future projects to access market opportunities in areas like sub-sea interconnections and Direct Current (DC) transmission links", said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB's Power Grids division. "This transaction will simplify and focus the Power Grids portfolio."The transaction is anticipated to close in Q1 2017, subject to regulatory clearances and fulfilment of the closing conditions. Goldman Sachs acted as exclusive financial advisor to ABB and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as legal advisor.ABB will report on the progress of its Next Level strategy, including the strategic portfolio review of its Power Grids division, at its upcoming Capital Markets Day on October 4, 2016.ABB (http://www.abb.com/) is a leading global technology company in power and automation that enables utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 135,000 people.

The United States is seeing rising tensions between its law enforcement officers and the citizens they are charged to protect, with multiple reports of clashes between the police and citizens over recent months causing public commotion. In Taiwan, the police force is facing similar circumstances with comparable levels of severity and urgency. Systems and solutions with advanced information technologies that leverage cloud computing and big data analytics for crime prevention and investigation have become a highly anticipated remedy and are setting a global trend as well.Drawing on the European Union's experience, for example, the European Commission launched the Future Internet Public-Private Partnership Program (FI-PPP) as part of the European Safe City project in 2011, which engages both the public and private sectors to build a pan-Europe Internet technology platform and infrastructure. The program has already proceeded into its third phase (September 2014 to September 2016) wherein the industry ecosystem is under construction to support large-scale deployment and is engaging participation of private businesses. According to an announcement made in 2016, 400 million euros have been devoted to the program which selected six European cities for pilot implementation of the innovative developments and applications much needed by various aspects of the communities.Major applications include video analysis and application, real-time positioning, path tracking, information security, ad-hoc networking construction for emergency response, decision support system and smartphone integration. Massive investments in the technologies to access and analyze video images and to integrate communication and information security have drawn attention to preventive policing and helped in the development of early prediction and prevention measures.The function of video integration, on which American and European governments have placed a strong emphasis, are also focusing on expanding the capabilities for searching video database, dispatching services, tracking vehicles and building a high efficiency police information service network. Investigations on high-tech and Internet crimes in Taiwan are still being conducted mainly by the Criminal Investigation Bureau and local police officers in charge of Internet crimes at the municipal level. Investigations on high-tech and Internet crimes by first-line police officers remain at an early development stage.VERETOS sets an example for smart mobile video systems for police patrol carsIn the US, police have made major investments in police equipment, particularly in the deployment of cloud platforms for first-line law enforcement, which makes efficient use of large amounts of video data. Getac's VERETOS smart mobile video system is an in-vehicle surveillance system for patrol cars that was developed in response to the changes in US policing strategies to take homeland security, terrorism prevention, social governance and public order into consideration and to leverage the operations of intelligence centers gathering large amounts of information resources. Part of Police Departments in South Carolina and Minnesota have entered into contracts to deploy VERETOS, which has the potential to become available at nearly 20,000 police stations and in more than 200,000 police cars across America. With this track record, Getac believes VERETOS will also benefit first-line Taiwan police forces.Video images captured by VERETOS during police duty are saved on the cloud for proper evidence management and are further processed using big data analytics so that the massive video footages can be transformed into useful intelligence. VERETOS, equipped on police cars, combines hardware and software solutions including the main system, control panel and multiple in-vehicle high definition video cameras.VERETOS has a camera design that takes the limited space inside a police car into consideration. The camera on the rear view mirror at the front seat can captures the front view and the camera aimed at the back can keep track of the suspect's activities in the back seat. There is also a camera mounted on top of the vehicle equipped with automatic license plate identification to help police officers detect suspicious vehicles during patrol duty. The dedicated SaaS cloud platform enables direct access to terabytes of video data recording crime scenes in digital formats and gathers and analyzes all types of crime data, thereby establishing evidence for cracking cases. This greatly assists in scientific investigation and enhances active forensic data collection.In addition, VERETOS also provides a wearable camera mounted on a police officer's chest to expand the scope of evidence collection so that the officer can continue to capture video when he or she has to get out of the car to conduct an investigation. This not only serves the purpose of documenting the investigation and ensuring the police officer's safety but also protects the suspect. VERETOS offers a complete smart policing solution that closely supports first-line law enforcement officers with the body-worn cameras.As large amounts of photographs and video footages get uploaded to the cloud data center at incredible speeds, this is when the advantages of VERETOS can be fully exploited to achieve benefits on efficiencies and costs in data processing and management. By leveraging the establishment of a cloud data center and information security technologies, VERETOS enables a high level of security and ease-to-use system for regional police stations.VERETOS uses a highly secure browser as its main control interface for searching, marking and sharing digital evidence and for providing real-time streaming video, drawings of crime scenes and markings of police car locations. Emphasis is also placed on the availability of automatic cloud remote backup systems to guarantee safety of important video data. Most of all, the collected video data is combined with coordinates and historical information including the people, time, location and objects involved in the incident, which upon analysis become critical data helping the police solve crimes. VERETOS effectively raises patrol efficiency, enhances precinct security and analyzes criminal behavior. This is the main reason why the U.S. police have introduced the system as they need a more powerful and active system to help them work more efficiently.James Hwang, Chairman of Getac, commented that VERETOS not only sets an important example for rugged computers but also establishes a benchmark for police IT systems. It is also a new business model marking a critical turning point in Getac's transformation. Adoption of VERETOS systems is growing in the US with future expansion to Europe in the plan. VERETOS uses Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service platform and mainstream Intel processors. By collaborating with leading technological players in cloud computing, Getac holds bigger advantages in its expansion into the cloud solution market. Getac looks forward to joining forces with more cloud service ecosystem partners to create additional value and capture more opportunities worldwide.Getac VERETOS smart mobile video system in operation inside a police carGetac VERETOS smart mobile video system and product portfolio

American Megatrends Inc. (AMI), a global leader in BIOS and UEFI firmware, server and remote management tools, data storage products and unique solutions based on the Linux and Android operating systems, is proud to announce the launch of OEM server systems with Aptio V support for Diablo Technologies' Memory1.Over the span of a year, AMI worked alongside Diablo Technologies to integrate AMI's flagship Aptio V UEFI firmware features with Diablo's Memory1 system memory module. With AMI's support for Diablo's Memory1 technology, OEMs in the server industry can expect higher capacities and greater performance when creating their system solutions. Together, Aptio V and Memory1 not only add memory capacity and economic value to OEMs, but also provide the tools to create high quality hardware solutions for their end users. The first shipment of server systems with this support is now publicly available and Aptio V is updated for Memory1 to support 3rd and 4th generation Intel Xeon (D- and E-series) server processors.Aptio V from American Megatrends represents the "next generation" of UEFI BIOS firmware and comes fully equipped with support for the latest UEFI specifications. AMI leads in the UEFI/BIOS industry with over 30 years of development experience - and Aptio V is designed to exceed the expectations of various market segments, specifically the server, embedded, tablet, client, and ARM markets.Diablo Technologies' flagship Memory1 is a system memory solution that efficiently optimizes big data applications by providing up to 2TB of application memory in a single, dual-socket server. Memory1 128GB all-flash DDR4 DIMMs integrate seamlessly with standard servers without changes to the operating system, hardware or applications. With Memory1, OEMs can significantly lower the total cost of ownership for end users - creating more performance per server to benefit big data analytics, database and cloud applications. Diablo's system memory solution is production released and available now through select server OEMs."This partnership with AMI has enabled a rapid market launch and the success of Memory1 in delivering Big Memory for Big Data," said Mark Stibitz, Chief Executive Officer of Diablo Technologies. "Incorporating Memory1 support into Aptio V, the industry's leading UEFI firmware solution for servers, provides multiple advantages to OEMs and end-users, along with the confidence of having a robust, easy to deploy, industry-standard solution.""The collaboration between AMI and Diablo Technologies to integrate Aptio V with DDR4 Memory1 modules is another sign of our commitment to embrace the very latest hardware protocols and standards in server design," said Subramonian Shankar, President, CEO and Founder of American Megatrends. "We share the excitement of Diablo Technologies to be able to provide our OEMs with support for this technology, as we see its vast potential as the industry continues to move towards high-capacity, low cost, energy-efficient memory solutions for datacenter and big data applications," he continued.

Socionext Inc., an emerging leader in advanced SoC technology for video and imaging systems, today announced the release of SC2M15, a new codec IC designed for video transmission equipment. The device can process decoding, transcoding and encoding of H.264/HVC video and audio signals with a single chip, and is suitable for applications including digital broadcasting and video streaming through Internet Protocol among others. Socionext will start volume shipments of the SC2M15 at the end of September.In addition to the conventional digital broadcasting, new applications such as video distribution through Internet Protocol (IP), infrastructure surveillance and medical imaging are driving the expansion of the video transmission equipment market. Requirements for these kinds of equipment include higher stability and lower overall system cost. To keep pace with such needs, the transition is underway from software-based to hardware-based architectures. Socionext's new codec IC meets those challenges, providing essential functions such as transcoding of multiple video streams and high image quality encoding at low bit rates.Developed based on the company's long-time experience on signal processing technology, the SC2M15 is equipped with all the necessary and sufficient functions for video transmission, which includes simultaneous transcoding of three channels of H.264 / full-HD video and audio, high image quality encoding at a low bit rate such as 1080i60 and 2Mbps. In addition, the SC2M15 is designed as a slave-type device, meaning it can be controlled by external CPU through serial interface, giving users the freedom to design various equipment for wide range of applications including digital broadcasting, security systems, and medical imaging, as well as video capture and in-house video communication systems.Socionext aims to be the world's leading solution provider in the video transmission equipment market, by offering advanced codec products like SC2M15 and related services.About Socionext Inc.Socionext is a new, innovative enterprise that designs, develops and delivers System-on-Chip products to customers worldwide. The company is focused on imaging, networking, computing and other dynamic technologies that drive today's leading-edge applications. Socionext combines world-class expertise, experience, and an extensive IP portfolio to provide exceptional solutions and ensure a better quality of experience for customers. Founded in 2015, Socionext Inc. is headquartered in Yokohama, and has offices in Japan, Asia, United States and Europe to lead its product development and sales activities. For more information, visit socionext.com.SC2M15

The world's first SiP (System in Package) processed LoRa+MCU solution is presented today through the extraordinary collaboration between the world-leading Internet of Things solution providers Gemtek Technology and AcSiP. Gemtek Technology is a renowned wireless broadband manufacturer, as AcSiP is a professional module manufacturer.SiP shrinkage is one of the core technologies of module miniaturization. And by applying this superior advanced technology into the production of LoRa+MCU integrated products under the SiP semiconductor packaging framework, Gemtek Technology (http://www.gemtek.com.tw/giot/index.html) and AcSiP (http://www.acsip.com.tw)combined/ have successfully come up with a 13mm x 11mm module, which is relatively smaller in size in contrast to the former 18mm x 18mm module. This excessively decreased footprint requirement in terms of PCBA space, which could render more flexibility and broader potentials for future customer product designs due to its miniature size and may well benefit the now popular wearable device products on the market. LoRa-MCU SiP module is the highly anticipated solution for the consumer electronics industry in recent years.The current LoRa+MCU SiP joins togther the advantages of small-size and high-integration, which not only enables end product designs to be lighter in weight, but also simplifies the PCBA design, and therefore significantly reduce the time and cost in customer induction, research and development.Gemtek and AcSiP are the pioneers in introducing the LoRa+MCU SiP product to the world. LoRa chips are developed by Semtech. MCU (Microprogrammed Control Unit) are developed by STMicro. This SiP package has incorporated the crystal, RF switch and matching circuits etc. With the support from the original manufacturers, it draws the goal to achieve high-level integration for solution providers within the industry closer to market expectations. And with the cooperation among these original companies, applications and availability may be enhanced to a higher standard. LoRa wireless technology emphasizes the quality features of long distance, high penetration, high sensitivity etc., which may complement the shortfalls seen between BT/Wi-Fi and 2G/4G. The LoRa wireless technology demonstrates infinite possibilities and is expected to achieve higher grounds.The LoRa solution provides a complete set of SDK/HDK package, which is compatible with LoRaWAN and may help customers to accomplish various application developments via a faster pace. AcSiP has mentioned that with the support of a simple solution and robust technical foundation, they aspire to promote the establishment of more LoRa devices, in a way to accelerate and expand the scope of applications associated with the Internet of Things.Overseeing all advantages, the LoRa+MCU SiP is expected to replace the former LoRa solution that used to adopt module or CoB packaging methods and will be engaged in a wider span of LoRa applications, which includes home automation applications as in wearable devices, domestic tracking devices, machinery and merchandise tracking devices, home-care applications, landslide and waterlevel monitors, pollution prewarning systems, smart electricity meters etc. Smart city street and relevant management facilities may employ the technology to improve the prospects of living.Gemtek and AcSiP are the pioneers in introducing the LoRa+MCU SiP product to the world.

With just a few weeks to go to the biggest 5G event in the region, we would like to announce our confirmed Show Headline speakers sharing the latest in 5G, 5G architecture, services and much more!Hear it first at 5G Asia!• Tay Yeow Lian, MD Networks, SingTel, will be speaking about SingTel's Journey to 5G• Park Jin-Hyo, Senior Vice President-Network Technology R&D, SK Telecom, will be speaking about SK Telecom's Journey Towards 5G Commercialization• Fred Xiao, NFV&Cloud Chief Marketing Expert, Huawei, will be speaking about 5G Road to a Super Connected World• Takehiro Nakamura, VP & MD 5G Lab, NTT DOCOMO, will give an update of NTT DOCOMO activities toward 5G deployment in 2020 and beyond• Subbu Subramanian, Engineering Director, Facebook, will be speaking about Flexible Network Architectures for Ubiquitous 5G LTE• Boudewijn Pesch, VP Sales, JAPAC. Oracle Singapore, will be evaluating the Road to 5GPeople currently registered include:• Head of Development, AirAsia Bhd• CTO, Altel• CFO, Arete M Pte Ltd• CEO, AzQtel• Chief Advocacy Officer + Director, Binary HealthCare• CEO, Cateleya• Group CFO, Celcom• Chief Scientist, Wireless Technologies, China Mobile Research Institute• Senior Vice President and Captive Head, Comcast• Vice president & chief technology officer of Antenna Systems, CommScope• Head of Content - APAC, Dailymotion• Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, DiGi Telecommunications• Senior Engineering Director, Facebook• CEO, First Media/Bolt of Indonesia• Chairman, KDDI R&D labs• CTO, Lanka Bell Ltd• Chief Operating Officer, M1 Limited• Vice President, NTT DOCOMO• IT Manger, SingPost Ltd• Senior Vice President, SK Telecom• AVP, StarHub Ltd • Vice President - Product Architecture, Telstra• AGM, U Mobile Sdn Bhd• Head Roaming Manager, VIETTEL (Cambodia)• Head, Service Management Asia , Vodafone Global Enterprise• CEO, YTL Communications.......and many more! Download the full attendee list here.

Filled with cutting-edge content, future-focused product demo's and unrivaled opportunities to meet with the LTE and 5G ecosystem, 5G Asia is THE event in the APAC region to set you on the path for the connected future. Co-located with Network Virtualisation and SDN Asia, 5G Asia provides the platform to discuss the future of wireless networks & technology in the APAC region - the most advanced LTE & 5G markets in the world.Formally known as LTE Asia, 5GAsia conference offers attendees the opportunity to discover how the most innovative operators are getting 5G ready, along with how they are starting to optimize their LTE Networks through Carrier Aggregation, LTE-A, VoLTE, Video and RCS.Moving towards a connected generation where connectivity is a key challenge, the show will hear from IoT experts for the first time to share use case for 5G networks, while the demo zone in the exhibition will show hands-on examples of what the future holds.Click here to register now OR, if you are an operator in the APAC region, you can register for your free operator pass.Website: https://tmt.knect365.com/5g-asia/

Apple has introduced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 series is the first water and dust resistant iPhone. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in more than 25 countries beginning September 16.The iPhone 7 features a 12-megapixel camera with a f/1.8 aperture and 6-element lens. The iPhone 7 Plus features the same 12-megapixel wide angle camera as iPhone 7 and adds a 12-megapixel telephoto camera that together offer optical zoom at two times and up to 10 times digital zoom for photos.Coming later in 2016, the dual 12-megapixel cameras also enable a new depth-of-field effect, using both cameras on iPhone 7 Plus to capture images, while technology including Machine Learning separates the background from the foreground.The camera systems also feature new Apple-designed image signal processor, which processes over 100 billion operations on a single photo in as little as 25 milliseconds, new 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, advanced pixel technology and auto image stabilization; and new Quad-LED True Tone flash that is 50% brighter than iPhone 6s including a sensor that detects the flickering in lights and compensates for it in videos and photos, according to Apple.The new custom-designed Apple A10 Fusion chip features a new architecture. The smartphones also have a longer battery life than its predecessors. The A10 Fusion's CPU now has four cores, integrating two high-performance cores that run up to two times faster than iPhone 6, and two high-efficiency cores that are capable of running at just one-fifth the power of the high-performance cores. Graphics performance is also more powerful, running up to three times faster than iPhone 6 at as little as half the power, enabling a new level of gaming and professional apps, according to Apple.Both phones include support for up to 25 LTE bands and LTE Advanced for three times faster data rates than iPhone 6 at up to 450 Mbps. For customers in Japan, iPhone will now support the FeliCa contactless technology, bringing the ability to use credit and prepaid cards, including on iD and QuicPay domestic networks, and Suica, Japan's transit card issued by JR East.New stereo speakers offer sound that is two times louder than iPhone 6s, offering increased dynamic range of sound and a higher quality speakerphone. The new iPhone comes with EarPods with Lightning connector as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter that allows customers to use old headphones and accessories.The new AirPods, Apple's new wireless headphones, feature the new Apple W1 chip. The AirPods harness the power of Siri, allowing users to access their personal assistant with a double tap.The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus come in a design in silver, gold and rose gold finishes and introduce two all-new black finishes, a black finish that has an anodized matte appearance, and an jet black finish that has a deep, high-gloss look. The new jet black finish is accomplished through a nine-step process of anodization and polish for a uniform, glossy finish, according to Apple. An entirely reengineered enclosure results in a water resistant iPhone offering protection against spills, splashes and dust.The new iPhone features a new Retina HD display with a wide color gamut for cinema-standard colors, color saturation and color management. There is an all-new solid-state Home button on iPhone 7, which, working in tandem with the new Taptic Engine, provides more precise and customizable tactile feedback.The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in silver, gold, rose gold and the new black finish in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB models starting at US$649, and the new jet black finish will be offered exclusively on the 128GB and 256GB models.Through Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program, customers in the US, and for the first time in the UK and China, can get an unlocked iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, with the protection of AppleCare+, choose their carrier and have the opportunity to upgrade to a new iPhone every year. The iPhone Upgrade Program is available with monthly payments starting at US$32.3Customers will be able to order the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus beginning September 9, with availability beginning September 16, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US.The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in Andorra, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia and Slovenia beginning September 23. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will also be available to customers in India beginning October 7.The new Apple-designed wireless AirPods including charging case will be available for US$159 beginning in late October. All iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models will include EarPods with Lightning Connector and a Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter, also sold separately for US$29 and US$9, respectively.Apple-designed accessories including leather and silicone cases in a range of colors will be available starting at US$35 and iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case will be offered in black and white for US$99. Lightning Docks in several color-matching metallic finishes will also be available for US$49.Apple iPhone 7 and 7 PlusPhoto: Company

Entegris Inc. (NASDAQ: ENTG), a leader in specialty chemicals and advanced materials solutions for the microelectronics industry, is proudly celebrating its 50th year of helping customers solve their critical materials challenges and enhance their manufacturing yields."It has been an exciting journey for us that began with the emergence of Moore's law and that has tracked the growth of the semiconductor industry into a $330 billion market," noted Bertrand Loy, president and chief executive officer of Entegris, at the semiconductor industry's annual SEMICON West trade show in San Francisco. Mr. Loy continued: "Today, we are thrilled to be in a position to help enable the many innovations our customers continue to develop, not only in the microelectronics market but in an increasing array of industries."Entegris was formed in 1966 as Fluoroware, a startup company serving early microelectronics manufacturers. After merging with EMPAK in 1999 and rebranding itself Entegris, the company went public in 2000. The company expanded in 2005 with the merger with Mykrolis, a spinoff from Millipore, and again in 2014 with the successful acquisition of ATMI, a publicly held supplier of high-performance electronic chemicals. Today, with approximately 3,500 employees worldwide and more than $1 billion in annual revenue, Entegris stands as one of the largest global, high-performance, specialty chemical companies serving the microelectronics industry."Our success has been built on strong corporate values and has centered around teamwork, innovation and dedication to excellence, which have allowed us to introduce a number of market-leading product platforms throughout the years. We could not have achieved this milestone without the support of our customers and suppliers, and the dedication of our employees. I am grateful to all and I invite everyone to celebrate this milestone with us," Mr. Loy added.Over its 50-year history, Entegris has brought hundreds of innovations to its markets, including many technology "firsts." Among its notable products are Integra valves, Spectra FOUPs, PrimeLock fittings, Torrento liquid filters, SDS safe gas delivery systems and NOWPak liquid dispense systems. Industry "firsts" include the first linear wafer carrier, first wafer shipper, first wafer suspension system and the first 300mm FOUP (wafer carrier)."I am truly excited about what lies ahead for Entegris. We are addressing dynamic markets that increasingly rely on the kind of high-performance purity solutions we are known for. With our strong technology platform and our relentless focus on operational excellence and innovation, we look forward to continuing to deliver for our customers and our strategic partners," Mr. Loy concluded.Entegris products will be on display during SEMICON West on the second floor of the W Hotel near the Moscone Convention Center. Or, for more information, visit the company's website at http://www.entegris.com/.About EntegrisEntegris is a leading provider of yield-enhancing materials and solutions for advanced manufacturing processes in the semiconductor, life sciences and other high-technology industries. Entegris is ISO-9001 certified and has manufacturing, customer service and/or research facilities in the United States, China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Additional information may be found at http://www.entegris.com/.Entegris Celebrates 50 Years in Business. Company traces its roots to the 1966 founding of fluoroware