As the age of the "experience economy" approaches, semiconductor products that support everything from cloud computing to digital convergence are particularly important. And Etron Technology's IC products realize the dream of "eye-brain-nerve convergence + thumbs up"! Drawing the analogy of the human brain, the company's niche buffer memory products act like the memory, its USB3.0 host products are like nerves that provide connectivity, and the webcam IC provides vision just like our eyes. The flash drive – commonly known as a thumb drive – is now moving from USB2.0 into the USB3.0 era. Etron's recently launched USB3.0 device control ICs break new world records in terms of speed, adding a "thumbs up" to the coming of the information age of convenient, connected and portable 3C electronics.Dr. Nicky Lu, Chairman and CEO of Etron Technology, explains, "The experience economy is all about touching people's hearts, which drives services, and services drive products – thinking that goes against the grain of the traditional understanding. Semiconductor products are the foundation of the IT industry. We are now moving into the age of heterogeneous integration, but Etron has consistently strived to achieve its goals in terms of designing technologies that take into account both hardware and software, and developing IC products that bring exciting experiences into development. Etron is the leading manufacturer of niche buffer memory and has developed many advanced system-on-chip (SOC) logic IC products, including USB3.0 host controller ICs, USB 3.0 flash drive controller ICs, and 3D imaging gesture-sensing integrated webcam controller ICs. These products work like the brain, nerves, thumbs and eyes of the human body, helping to promote the hot IC products that form the backbone of the 'experience economy' trend!"Etron's independently developed USB3.0 technology creates total solutions for host and device-end ICsThe USB2.0 standard is already widely used, but its limited data bandwidth is a common headache of the transfer technology; as a result, the international next generation USB3.0 data transfer standard was created. Etron's USB3.0 solutions include the launch of a series of new products from host to device-end. SOC platforms were used to develop the dual-port and four-port USB3.0 host controller (HC) ICs - EJ168, EJ188 and EJ198. The company has also moved into the device sector with the successful development of its EV166 and EV268 single-channel and dual-channel flash memory drive controller, which combine advanced, high-performance flash storage technology with superior USB3.0 physical layer (PHY) and controller layer IP and software technologies, with seamless integration delivering the fastest USB3.0 product performance.Etron's EJ198 USB3.0 four-port HC is an HC for PCIe Gen 2 to USB3.0 that complies with both the PCIe Gen 2 and USB3.0 standards, and supports Intel's official xHCI 1.0 interface standard, ensuring that systems have the highest level of compatibility, the lowest power consumption and truly outstanding performance. As the EJ198 has two PCIe Gen 2 channels (PCIe Gen 2 x 2 lanes) each supporting transfer rates of 5Gbps, it is capable of delivering overall bandwidth of up to 10Gbps in full-duplex mode - far ahead of comparable products in the industry. In terms of hardware specifications, it uses an 88-pin QFN package with external dimensions of 10 x 10mm2.In order to deliver both speed and cost efficiency, Etron launched the EJ188 USB3.0 four-port HC, which supports a single PCIe Gen 2 channel (PCIe Gen 2 x 1 lane). While this product has only a single PCIe Gen 2 channel, it is still capable of achieving transfer rates of 5Gbps, consistent with the 5Gbps theoretical speed optimization requirements of USB 3.0. The product is already being used by major system manufacturers.The EJ168 USB3.0 dual-port HC offers the world's fastest access speeds. It also has outstanding compatibility features, and can be interconnected with a variety of USB3.0 products on the market, as well as being backwards compatible with all USB2.0 devices. The EH168 was awarded the "Outstanding IT Application and Product Award" by IT Month in 2010, and was given SuperSpeed USB certification by the international USB-IF association in May last year, as well as receiving the "Innovative Product Prize for Excellent Manufacturers" from the Science Park Administration. The product is already being stably shipped to major motherboard manufacturers in many countries and has been greatly admired by many clients. By the end of last year, total shipments had already exceeded five million chips.Etron also moved into the USB3.0 device sector with the launch of the EV166 USB3.0 single-channel flash memory drive controller IC. Combined with MLC flash memory, the unit is capable of achieving read rates of 150MB/s, making it the world's fastest single-channel flash drive controller IC. It is worth noting that the EV166 is the world's first USB3.0 IC to use a 48-pin QFP package. Its tiny external dimensions of just 14 x 28 mm and dual-layer PCB design make it thin, light, short and compact, helping to reduce manufacturing costs. And as these attributes are the same as USB2.0 chips that use 48-pin QFP packages, it is a convenient choice for upgrades.The EV268 USB3.0 dual-channel flash memory controller IC supports 16CE and is capable of world-beating read rates of 250MB/s or higher in combination with MLC flash memory. It is already being used by Etron's major clients. It is worth mentioning that Etron's whole range of USB3.0 flash memory controller ICs are equipped with advanced ECC (error check and correction) and support SLC/MLC/TLC flash memory on 3x nm, 2x nm and 1xnm processes from different manufacturers.The use of application specific buffer memory KGD in SIP applications is regarded as vital to 4C electronics system designBuffer DRAMs play an increasingly important role in electronics products. Application specific buffer memory KGD (known good die) offers 4C electronics the benefits of reduced system costs and smaller physical volume, as well as meeting performance requirements in terms of low power consumption and high-speed data transfer, and minimizing EMI (electromagnetic interference). In the age of the experience economy, application specific buffer memory KGD enables significant increases in the performance of next generation electronics products, particularly when used in 2.5D/3D SIP applications, bringing consumers a completely new user experience.The steady development and evolution of 4C electronics products is largely the result of constant progress in the semiconductor industry in terms of reducing manufacturing costs and improving system performance. For example, the size at which wafers are produced has moved forward on average once every 10 years, from four inches to five, six and later eight inches; by 2001, 12-inch wafers had already been developed. Chip production processes have also developed according to Moore's Law, with the density of transistors in a given area of chip increasing at such a pace that performance has doubled and costs have halved every 18 months; by 2011, the industry had already introduced 2x nm processes into mass production. These developments made it possible for the key IC components in 4C electronics - main logic controller chips and buffer memory chips - to be separately designed and optimized for specific applications and specifications, manufactured separately by different logic and memory OEMs, and then individually packaged and soldered on to PCBs to achieve system integration, thereby creating a final 4C electronics end product.However, concerns about return on investment (ROI) resulting from the enormous sums needed to carry out R&D on the next generation wafers (18 inches) has led to considerable delays in such wafers entering mass production. Moreover, the recent trend in systems integration towards soldering separately-packaged logic controllers and memory on the PCB to carry out integration means that it is even more difficult to simultaneously meet both cost and performance requirements.Dr. James Sung, President, Etron Technology, explains, "Based on the track record of the development of larger wafer sizes, 18-inch wafers should have entered production in 2011, but they are still nowhere to be seen today. This is because of the considerable cost of building 18-inch wafer fabs, as well the associated R&D costs. The delay is largely due to issues of ROI, rather than fundamental technical limitations. There are also very few companies that have the necessary financial resources and technological expertise in the field, and the issue of how to pass the cost of 18-inch wafer fabs on to consumers is highly unlikely to be resolved in the short term."Memory plays a critical role in high-end 4C electronic products, with insufficient data transfer bandwidth between logic controllers and processors (CPU) constituting the major obstacle. To get around this bottleneck, large amounts of static cache memory must be built into CPUs to cope with the large amounts of data being transferred, dramatically increasing both the manufacturing cost and physical area of CPU chips. Sluggish progress in bringing 18-inch wafers to mass production has led to the emergence of the theory and practice of "heterogeneous integration." This concept means that instead of integrating logic, memory, analog, baseband and high-voltage functions into a single SOC, different logic dies, memory dies, analog dies, baseband dies and flash memory dies are integrated in 2.5D/3D layers to produce heterogeneous vertical integration.Dr. Sung continues: "As to how to make next generation electronic systems meet goals for high performance and low cost, the answer lies in the heterogeneous integration of the SIP, and a move towards customized buffer memory; for this reason, application specific buffer memory KGD will see major growth in the coming years. Etron Technology already has many years experience of involvement in niche buffer memory and is an industry leader, as well as being at the cutting edge of design for the KGD memory used by the world's most important vendors. The development of application specific buffer 3D memory reduces the enormous cost of building new advanced wafer fabs; it does not rely solely on advanced processes, and can be achieved through design technology and improvements to the existing manufacturing technologies of foundries." For this reason, Taiwan's industrial structure of design houses and foundries will be able to use improvements in existing processes to enable the launch of 3D-IC products that meet cost/benefit requirements.Etron has already launched single-chip SOC products and platform solutions for 3D imaging technology applicationsAt CES this year, Etron exhibited the eSP768 3D image capture controller and the eSP868 3D image and gesture recognition controller. These new products are single-chip solutions for 3D screens based on Etron's webcam controllers. The eSP768 controller features unique 3D image capture technology and supports a variety of 3D displays using Anaglyph, Shuttered, Polarized and Auto-stereoscopy (Lenticular and Parallax Barrier) technologies, to provide a bright, flicker-free image that allows viewers to enjoy 3D pictures and video in comfort. The eSP868 is capable of 3D image recognition and 3D gesture recognition, making it suitable for use in applications such as 3D security monitoring and games with an interactive 3D experience.Dr. Ben Wu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager SIP Business Center at Etron Technology, comments, "Many 3D image capture products on the market are expensive and bulky, making it difficult to bring them into general use environments. Etron's eSP768 and eSP868 controllers use our own single-chip technology, which enables the volume of products to be significantly reduced, as well as helping to deliver a quality product at a reasonable price." Reductions in the size and cost of gesture recognition controllers will enable today's hottest motion-sensing games developers and manufacturers of Internet-connected smart TVs to quickly incorporate the controllers into even smaller notebook computers or screens, helping to increase market uptake for 3D imaging and gesture recognition.Etron Technology has been involved in the 3D image capture and gesture recognition sectors for two years and has a wealth of experience of hardware development and extensive software repositories. This allows it to provide fast, comprehensive solutions, making it the perfect 3D imaging technology partner. Dr. Wu notes, "People's eyes aren't flat and symmetrical, plus there are manufacturing tolerances for capture devices, which all mean that every person sees the 3D effect a little differently, causing difficulties in recognition. The 3D image capture and gesture recognition solutions provided by Etron include automatic image correction that increases the precision of the 3D image and the recognition effect." 3D image capture and 3D gesture recognition are extremely complex technologies that require ample software repositories to meet the development requirements of different application software, such as athletic training or motion-recognition games - currently a very popular area.Etron Technology has created a very strong product line in terms of both niche buffer memory solutions and next generation webcam controllers. The combination of increasingly ubiquitous USB3.0 host and device controllers in particular makes more innovative and creative advanced IC products possible, especially in the 3D IC sector, offering a powerful tool to drive any company's growth.Etron Technology's EJ168 USB3.0 dual-port host controller chip has won numerous awards."Thumbs up" for the EV166 USB3.0 single-channel flash drive!

DTS, Inc., a leader in high-definition audio, will participate in the DIGITIMES 2012 Ultra Mobile & Eco-system Forum at the Taipei International Convention Center on April 25. DTS joins mobile industry leaders Intel, Asus, and NXP, among others, to discuss the latest trends and market analysis for the next generation of mobile devices.Mary Crebassa, vice president of strategic partnerships at DTS, Inc., will discuss the importance of audio on Ultra Mobile devices and ecosystems during her presentation. DTS' mobile approach is based on delivering a complete audio technology solution for entertainment playback, which includes codecs, virtualization and audio enhancement; these allow consumers to experience HD music and video on their mobile devices, whether downloaded or streamed, at home or on the move."DTS is an integral player in enhancing the mobile audio experience, and we're looking forward to their presence as a mobile technology leader at our event," stated Chih-Feng Chen, director of marketing & sales department at DIGITIMES. "Audio quality on mobile devices is becoming an increasingly valuable feature to consumers, and we're thrilled DTS will share its insights on this growing trend and thoughts on how developers can leverage the company's premium audio technologies as a differentiator in the marketplace."Recent integrations have showcased DTS' strong commitment and holistic approach to deliver superior sound across mobile devices. Partnerships with Nextreaming and NXP provide consumers with applications to enjoy entertainment content in DTS audio on-the-go, while alliances with Huawei, LG, and Pantech incorporate DTS technologies directly into the mobile devices.Brian Towne, executive vice president and chief operating officer at DTS, Inc. added, "At DTS, we're dedicated to providing the most realistic and immersive audio entertainment experience to on-the-go consumers. Our collaborations with innovative, like-minded companies ensure delivery of superior entertainment content with high-definition audio quality."For more information, visit us online at DTS (http://www.dts.com/). Media interested in speaking with a DTS spokesperson please contact DTS@formulapr.com.DTS on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DTS.IncDTS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dts_inc

The world's largest industrial fair – 2012 Hannover Messe will open on April 23rd. As the largest exhibitor from Taiwan as well as the leading global provider of power management and thermal solution, Delta Group, will introduce customized an extensive product line and integrated systems for the energy management sector. Moreover, Delta Group, recently ranked as a Top 20 Taiwan Global Brands, and led by vice chairman and CEO Yancey Hai, will also announce its new brand campaign "Smarter. Greener. Together." to partners and customers to show its determination for advancing European market share.Comprehensive system integration capability crossing fields of industrial automation and power systemsDelta Group has participated in Hannover Messe for several consecutive years but this is the first year Delta will display a full spectrum of products for a wide variety of industrial applications, demonstrating its advanced capabilities and technology. Highlights this year are Industrial Network, Medium Voltage Driven, Servo Motor, Human Machine Interface, Programmable Logic Controllers, Hybrid Telecom Power System, EV Charging Solution, Infrastructure Solution for Data Center, Small Wind Turbine as well as Mega-watt Wind Power Converters.Delta's booth will also feature a demonstration of the company's newly-open gold-rated green building, the Tao-Yuan R&D Center. This smart green building synergizes the concepts of green building design and building automation with visualized factory automation. It integrates all of the energy-efficient automation products of Delta Group. Worth mentioning is that all of the plant's power consumption data is collected and displayed in real-time. All production lines information is also displayed in real-time and ready for management's access from anywhere in the world. Delta's booth will be live broadcasting and demonstrating this innovative service.Launching the "Smarter. Greener. Together." brand campaignDelta will announce its new "Smarter. Greener. Together." brand campaign to partners worldwide at Hannover. Developed after examining Delta's core values within the context of global trends and the new campaign represents Delta's aspirations and commitment to customers. Smarter: To engage in continuous technological innovations and provide our customers with more efficient and reliable integrated services. Greener: To protect the environment for the benefit of today's and future generation. Together: To partner with our customers for effective and efficient problem solving."Smarter. Greener. Together." is more than the global brand slogan of Delta Group, it crystallizes the core of all Delta products and services. With a new corporate identity and campaign, Delta brings customers a new and unique experience. During the 5-day event, we will hosting an international press conference at 2:15 pm on April 24th in the Dresden room at the convention center and hold daily product briefings from 10am to 5pm. Please visit the Delta booth at A49, Hall 11.

Phoenix Technologies, the global leader in UEFI firmware technologies and products, announced its participation in the Intel Developer Forum 2012 Beijing on April 11 and 12 at the China Notational Convention Center (CNCC) to present the latest innovations in UEFI technology and firmware development tools.Featured by Phoenix during IDF 2012 Beijing will be its flagship UEFI BIOS firmware, Phoenix SecureCore Technology, and Phoenix CoreArchitect, an integrated firmware development and debugging environment. Also highlighted by Phoenix at IDF this year will be its touch-optimized BIOS Setup and BIOS support for the Intel Small Business Advantage Platform.Fully compliant with the latest UEFI specification (version 2.3.1) and the advanced UEFI features of Microsoft Windows 8, Phoenix SecureCore Technology is the most technologically advanced UEFI BIOS firmware to date, offering a high-performance, robust architecture that achieves shorter boot times, greater reliability, and easy customization.For more information, please visit Phoenix at IDF 2012 Beijing: Booth GE08.

ChipSiP Technology, a leading company in turnkey SiP solutions, has achieved total shipments of 100,000 WiDi modules by the first quarter of 2012 after selling bundle with an international PC brand. An insight into the prospects of smart TV, which will help expand WiDi technology to tablet PCs and smart phones from PCs in 2012."When wireless technologies become a part of our homes, they will shift notebook, tablet PC and cell phone on the way of smartening our lives.'Wireless Display' is a significant step forward for mobile device and TV in advancing connected home. Moreover, WiDi is not only easy to carry but it also frees more space for home with its miniature size in the market via SiP technology. The product provides a real-time consistent usage experience between external mobile devices and TVs." said George Tai, President of ChipSiP.Based on the wireless streaming technology, WiDi enables to wirelessly stream high-definition 1080p videos to TV screens from PCs, notebooks, tablet PCs, and smart phones. Families can enjoy the multimedia entertainment instantly on a TV screen by sharing their collection from a mobile device. Georg Tai, President of ChipSiP, said, "Along with the revolution of seamless connectivity and miniaturization components, we will see more opportunities in the second half of this year, which manufacturers require WiDi to be embedded into mobile devices and TVs instead of an external adapter. Most importantly, SiP technology is sparking the innovation of smaller chip package designs and greater integrations in a small system circuit board."SiP technology makes contributions both in remaining extremely small size even when more functionality is incorporated in a small footprint, and in spurring home-network interaction in a smart way. Because of this technology, a wide range of lightweight home devices such as set-top box, IP cam, and LED lighting with wireless connectivity will emerge at home soon.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, launched their long awaited 7 series motherboards designed to deliver the ultimate performance for 3rd generation Intel Core processors. Combining the world's first Dual UEFI BIOS, a new and unique All Digital power design, and the latest GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 technologies, GIGABYTE 7 series motherboards offer an extremely compelling case for a system upgrade."The new GIGABYTE 7 series motherboards are designed to offer a seamless upgrade for enthusiast PC DIYers by providing specifications and features that will be compatible with future CPUs, VGA cards, memory, SSDs, and wireless protocols for years to come," commented Henry Kao, Vice President of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. "It makes sense then for us to aggressively transition to GIGABYTE Z77 and H77 motherboards so that enthusiasts can purchase them in anticipation for the release of Intel's highly sought after 3rd Gen Core processors.""Intel is excited to partner with GIGABYTE on their Intel 7 Series Chipset-based motherboard launch," said Zane Ball, GM Intel Desktop Platforms. "We are pleased that these new boards support Intel's responsiveness technologies, including Intel Rapid Start, Intel Smart Connect and Intel Smart Response. Users will enjoy snappier performance and quicker access to their most important applications."Dual UEFI with exclusive 3D BIOSGIGABYTE 7 series motherboards also feature our revolutionary 3D BIOS that is based on the exclusive GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS technology. With an updated look and feel, this new 3D BIOS offers two distinct modes of interaction in a BIOS environment, 3D Mode and Advanced Mode, that re-draw the traditional BIOS user experience with a far more intuitive and graphical interface.Exclusive All Digital engineOur new All Digital power design for GIGABYTE 7 series motherboards allows users to have greater control over the power delivered to their 3rd generation Intel Core processors on the LGA 1155 socket. Using entirely digital controllers for the CPU, processor graphics, VTT and system memory, users can enjoy more precise power delivery to the PC's energy sensitive components than previously possible.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 - insist on an Ultra Durable motherboardGIGABYTE 7 series motherboards feature the latest GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 technology, embracing a range of exclusive technologies that guarantee DIY PC builders the absolute best protection for their PC. Specific features prevent common malfunction threats including humidity and moisture, electro-static discharge, sudden power loss and high operating temperatures.Lucid Virtu MVPGIGABYTE 7 series motherboards feature the latest Lucid Virtu GPU virtualization technology, Lucid Universal MVP, which improves the visual and graphical performance of your PC. Offering switchable graphics allows the PC to automatically switch between onboard Intel processor graphics and a discrete GPU depending on the application being used, Lucid Virtu MVP also features HyperFormance technology which eliminates redundant rendering tasks to improve frame rates and eliminate screen tearing.Set your desktop free: GIGABYTE Bluetooth 4.0/dual band 300Mbps Wi-Fi PCIe cardGIGABYTE 7 series motherboards include an exclusive PCIe expansion card that offers support for the latest Bluetooth 4.0 (Smart Ready) and dual band 300Mbps Wi-Fi connectivity*. With the growing availability of affordable or free remote mobile to PC software, such as Splashtop and Dropbox, GIGABYTE believes that now is the time to explore and enjoy the home cloud: a personal cloud within the secure environment of a home network where the performance and functionality of desktop PCs can be utilized and controlled by portable cloud devices. (Note: Features may vary by model.)GIGABYTE EZ SetupGIGABYTE 7 series motherboards feature an exclusive EZ Setup utility that allows users to more easily implement the latest Intel responsiveness technologies. Within a simple user interface, you can install and configure Intel Smart Response, Intel Rapid Start, and Intel Smart Connect. GIGABYTE EZ Setup will automate the install procedure for each of these technologies, reducing the procedure to a few simple clicks of your mouse.Onboard mSATA supportAll ATX form factor GIGABYTE 7 series motherboards feature an onboard mSATA connector* that, together with GIGABYTE's EZ Smart Response technology, allows users to simply and cost effectively enjoy better responsiveness from their PCs. mSATA solid state drives have been made popular by the rapid growth of tablet PCs, and provide a cheaper solution for smart caching because they are available in smaller capacities than traditional SSDs. (Note: Features may vary by model.)To learn more about GIGABYTE 7 series motherboards, please visit our website here:http://www.gigabyte.com/microsite/306/images/model.htmlGIGABYTE Z77X-UD5H

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, April 9, 2012 - CAYIN Technology, the professional supplier of digital signage solutions, unveils a new generation of dual-display digital signage player, SMP-WEBDUO. The new player is smaller, lighter, but more powerful. It provides a wider selection of multimedia content and upgrades user experience.New SMP-WEBDUO digital signage player goes smaller and lighter. Compared to the old model, this new media player reduces the size by one quarter and sheds half of the weight as well to facilitate installation in different venues.Users can enjoy more value-added functions without paying more. New SMP-WEBDUO adds the video-in function, and thus enabling users to play real-time video by directly connecting to a TV tuner, DVD player, or other multimedia devices. TV programs, movies, and even surveillance video can be easily adopted to enrich digital signage networks.SMP-WEBDUO also features its capability to control two screens simultaneously and demonstrate plentiful sets of screen combinations both in landscape and portrait orientation. Users can select from the clone, distinct, or extended mode to display identical, different, or even stretched multimedia content from one screen to another.The digital signage player also supports 4 audio output jacks, and therefore enabling users to control the sound independently for each jack and output video or audio to 4 sets of speakers. It increases agility with flexible multimedia distribution for multi-screen applications.In addition to DVI and VGA, the new player adds an HDMI connector and widens display choices. The lossless digital audio output also produces higher sound quality and increases enjoyment.The powerful remote management functions of SMP-WEBDUO can maximize efficiency and minimize daily operating costs. Users can update contents, schedule playlists, adjust volume, and turn on/off screens via Ethernet, WIFI wireless, or 3G data network.With advanced integration of GPS technology, administrators can easily locate each player on Google Maps and monitor the overall connection status instantly. Players installed in moving vehicles can even playback content based on the current location.SMP-WEBDUO can playback 1080p Full HD video, music, HTML/Flash, image, ticker, clock, and live feed information, such as the weather and news. As a web-based digital signage player, it is equipped with great flexibility to present multimedia content created by web languages, such as HTML, JavaScript, and Flash. It can also be extended to integrate with databases, web servers, RFID devices, QR codes, barcode scanners, and touch screens and develops more interactive applications.CAYIN Technology has dedicated itself in developing high quality and high technology products continuously to satisfy customers' demands with better solutions. SMP-WEBDUO, with well-designed functions in both hardware and software, is definitely the right choice to have a double great visual experience.For detailed product introduction, please visit: http://www.cayintech.com/digital_signage_products/digital_signage_player_smpwebduo_features.htmlAbout CAYIN TechnologyCAYIN Technology offers a complete portfolio of appliance-based digital signage solutions, including media players, servers, and software, for various commercial applications, such as education, transportation, retail, hospitality, corporate use, and financial and public institutions. CAYIN is dedicated to being a reliable partner to its clients worldwide, and has successfully set up various application references globally. In order to best facilitate the deployment of CAYIN products, the company also provides tailored services to satisfy the ascending market demand for almost limitless applications.SMP-WEBDUO upgrades your visual experience with a brand new design

Global electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation, recognized by design engineers as having the industry's largest selection of electronic components available for immediate shipment, and Packet Digital LLC announced the two companies have signed an agreement in which Digi-Key will be a global distributor of Packet Digital products.Packet Digital is an emerging world leader in the design, development, and marketing of advanced power management solutions for portable electronic devices and embedded systems. With its patented On-Demand Power technology and PowerSage integrated circuits, Packet Digital extends battery life in portable electronic devices, helping consumer electronics companies and branches of the military develop faster, smarter, smaller products."Power management is extremely important when designing and developing portable electronic devices and embedded systems," said Mark Zack, Digi-Key's Vice President of Semiconductors. "PowerSage's scalable, next generation approach to prolonged battery life addresses users' insatiable appetites for extended usage without recharging.""Packet Digital is very excited to partner with industry leader Digi-Key to distribute our PowerSage integrated circuits worldwide," said Terri Zimmerman, Packet Digital's COO."By taking a real-time systems approach to power management, Packet Digital has developed PowerSage, a family of intelligent integrated circuits that monitor entire systems and distribute power only when needed by using dynamic voltage scaling," said Dr. Joel Jorgenson, Packet Digital's CEO. "PowerSage integrated circuits are ideal for notebook computers which require very long battery life and very economical use of power sources. They have also proven great savings in Servers, Portable Media Players, and other mobile devices and computers."Packet Digital was recently named the winner of the Electronics and Overall Innovation Challenge during Aviation Week 2012. United States Senator John Hoeven (ND) met with Jorgenson and Zimmerman in the US Capitol March 8 to congratulate the Fargo-based manufacturer for receiving the award.Packet Digital products are available for purchase now on Digi-Key's global websites: http://www.digikey.com/As a leading, integrated, Internet-based global distributor of electronic components, information about and inventory of millions of products is accessible to customers around the globe, with all products shipped from Digi-Key's single, North American location. The company's integrated business model provides product and support information online to help put engineers and procurement professionals in control as they solve tough product development challenges.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards is pleased to announce their On/Off Charge technology now enables fast charging of the new Apple iPad (3rd Generation) devices, as well as previous Apple devices, on a majority of GIGABYTE motherboards, including soon-to-launch GIGABYTE Z77 motherboards.A derivative of GIGABYTE's highly acclaimed 3x USB Power feature, On/Off Charge technology allows iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices to draw more current from GIGABYTE motherboard USB ports than standard USB ports allow, with the added benefit that the PC can be on, in standby mode or even off. Many mobile devices can be charged via a desktop PC's USB ports as long as the system is connected to an active power source, however this is not the case with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Even when the PC is being used and charging is enabled, these devices usually only draw a mere 0.5A for a trickle charge that can take 3 hours or more to fully charge the device. The benefits of GIGABYTE On/Off Charge are that users can reduce their charge time by around 40% while also acting responsibly and shutting down their PC system while it is not in use, e.g. while they sleep.GIGABYTE On/Off Charge comes in two flavors: a backwards compatible On/Off Charge driver that can be downloaded from the official GIGABYTE utility web page, and an On/Off Charge front panel connector. The On/Off Charge front panel connector features a special controller combined with the On/Off Charge driver that allows the computer to detect the current required by iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch products. The device dictates the current it draws, so there is no threat of overcharging from GIGABYTE 3x USB Power technology. Tests conducted in the GIGABYTE labs have shown various charging speeds with an average charging time saving of around 40%.About 3x USB Power Boost3x USB Power Boost from GIGABYTE is designed to deliver the utmost compatibility and stability for USB devices by supplying sufficient power through a single USB port. This helps free-up USB ports for using multiple USB devices and is particularly useful with PC cases that only have 2 front panel USB ports. Please visit the GIGABYTE 3x USB Power Boost website for more details.Learn more about GIGABYTE On/Off Charge from the official microsite, please visit:http://www.gigabyte.com/MicroSite/185/on-off-charge.htmGIGABYTE On/Off Charge supports quick charging of new Apple iPad

Already the world's largest restaurant chain, SUBWAY with more than 36,000 restaurants across 99 countries, is still taking every step to stimulate customer appetites. SUBWAY TV & RADIO, which is made up of NEXCOM's fanless media players NDiS 161 and Real Digital Media's NEOCAST digital signage platform, serves as a powerful communication medium for helping SUBWAY franchisees better inform customers of available options and enhance in-store customer experiences.ChallengeRestaurants pose many environmental challenges. With long restaurant operating hours and variable temperatures, SUBWAY TV & RADIO required a robust solution that could withstand these conditions to ensure the successful playback of their promotional content, especially during peak times. Furthermore, due to the scale of the network rollout, SUBWAY required a future-proofed hardware solution that could meet the demands of today as well as tomorrow, and could warranty against premature obsolescence.SolutionSUBWAY selected the NEXCOM fanless media player NDiS 161 to meet these challenges.One of the keys to ensuring the reliable playback in a restaurant environment is to select a robust, hardened media player appliance. One of the essential aspects of these types of media players is a fanless design. Fanless architecture deters environmental intruders, thereby increasing the durability and lifespan of the media players and protecting SUBWAY franchisees' investments.Additionally, the NDiS 161 is NEXCOM's high-definition media player. As SUBWAY content and digital signage application demands increase, the NDiS 161 will be able to support these challenges without requiring SUBWAY to install new hardware. Delivered pre-loaded with the Real Digital Media NEOCAST embedded player software, the NDiS 161 media players arrive on site ready to "plug and play". Combined with a mutli-year service support contract, SUBWAY has a technically robust and supported solution to ensure the success of their global rollout.ResultSUBWAY TV & RADIO is poised to become the largest digital signage network in the world. At the core of this network will be the NEXCOM fanless media player NDiS 161. Built to last, this solution is aimed to help companies like SUBWAY have confidence in their network infrastructure, so they can deliver their messaging more efficiently and serve customers better.SUBWAY selected NEXCOM's fanless media players NDiS 161 and Real Digital Media's NEOCAST digital signage platform