Kingston Digital, the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology, has announced that it is shipping a 4GB and 8GB Class 10 microSDHC card, joining the previously-released 16GB Class 10 card. Kingston also plans to add a 32GB capacity to the family in the second quarter of 2011."Kingston's Class 10 microSDHC cards are compatible with many of the latest mobile phones including Android smartphones and BlackBerry devices, HD cameras and the increasingly popular tablet PCs," said Mike Kuppinger, flash card business manager, Kingston. "The Class 10 speed provides faster data transfer rates and the various capacities help satisfy storage needs for users with both light and heavy memory needs."Kingston takes mobility and versatility a step further when it makes these cards part of the Mobility Kit, which includes an SD adapter and a USB card reader. The SD adapter allows users to capture continuous images or videos in digital cameras while the reader provides a simple and fast way to transfer data to a host PC. The Class 10 microSDHC cards will ship as part of the Mobility at the end of March.In addition to the Class 10 cards, Kingston currently ships the microSDHC card in a Class 4 specification as both a standalone and part of the Mobility in capacities up to 32GB. The cards are backed by a lifetime warranty and 24/7 live technical support. Kingston: Class 10 microSDHC card offering Part no. Capacity and features MSRP (US only) SDC10/16GB 16GB microSDHC Class 10 (card+SD adapter) US$139 SDC10/16GBSP 16GB microSDHC Class 10 (card only) US$138 SDC10/8GB 8GB microSDHC Class 10 (card+SD adapter) US$38 SDC10/8GBSP 8GB microSDHC Class 10 (card only) US$37 SDC10/4GB 4GB microSDHC Class 10 (card+SD adapter) US$23 SDC10/4GBSP 4GB microSDHC Class 10 (card only) US$22 Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, March 2011Kingston 16GB Class 10 microSDHC cardPhoto: Company

Japan-based Powdec has announced that together with Sheffield University, they have succeeded in developing breakthrough high-voltage GaN power transistors. This was realized by creating semiconductor hetero-junction structures based on novel principles, which solve the problems of conventional transistors and dramatically improve the transistor erformance.Current collapse is almost completely eliminated, power losses are reduced and high break-down voltages of more than 1,100V are realized in the new transistors, Powdec said. These new GaN transistors are suited to be used in a broad range of equipment from inverters in consumer appliances to server power supplies, electric vehicles and industrial motors to lower power use.Powdec revealed that in its breakthrough solution, instead of a conventional metal field plate, a thin film of p-type GaN (p-GaN) is used. The company succeeded in realizing a polarization effect in the top and bottom interfaces of the AlGaN (aluminium gallium nitride) layer where equal negative and positive charge is generated, creating a 2-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) and 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the interfaces. This polarization effect almost completely suppresses both the current collapse and current leakage at the gate of the HFET (heterojunction field effect transistors). This is a similar effect seen in silicon super junction devices where the entire length of the gate-drain channel is depleted (high resistance), and the electric field is distributed uniformly along the channel, enabling these GaN transistors to sustain high breakdown voltages.Powdec solved the difficult issue of realizing a high hole density in collaboration with University of Sheffield. This allowed a 2DHG of high hole density to be achieved for the first time in the world, the company claimed.Going forward, Powdec's breakthrough HFET technology can be easily combined with 'normally-off' structures. Powdec plans to shift growth of the devices to large diameter silicon wafers, with aims to have these energy efficient, high voltage products shipping in volume in two to three years. To accelerate the market adoption of these innovative, low-power GaN devices, Powdec said it is actively expanding its partnerships worldwide.

Nvidia has introduced the GeForce GTX 590, the fastest dual graphics card available from the company. Powered by dual Nvidia Fermi-class GPUs on a single card, the GTX 590 is designed for enthusiasts and those looking to build the ultimate gaming PC.With a combined 1024 Nvidia CUDA architecture cores, 3GB of GDDR5 memory, six billion transistors and over 2200 individual components all packed into an 11-inch dual slot card, the GTX 590 delivers 32 tessellation engines that can power today's DirectX11 games at resolutions of 2560 by 1600 and higher. With four separate video outputs on each card, consumers can configure their PC with four independent displays, or they can span their gaming across three 3D displays, at a resolution up to 5760 by 1080.With Nvidia SLI technology, gamers can increase their PC's gaming performance by adding a second GeForce GTX 590, for enabling Quad SLI gaming mode.The GTX 590 also features a special cooling system and dual vapor chambers, which deliver both performance and acoustics. Measured with a standard decibel meter, the GTX 590 clocks in at 48dB, more than two times quieter than the closest competitive product under full graphics load, the company claimed.With an estimated selling retail price starting at US$699, the GeForce GTX 590 is available starting today from the world's leading add-in card partners, including Asustek Computer, EVGA, Gainward, Gigabyte Technology, Inno3D, Micro-Star International (MSI), POV, Palit, and Zotac.Nvidia GeForce GTX 590 graphics cardPhoto: Company

AU Optronics (AUO) will be joining Earth Hour, organized by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), along with 128 countries. From 8:30-9:30 pm on March 26, all office lights will be turned off. The company's 42,000 employees worldwide are also encouraged to join this event with their families and friends. It is estimated that around 6,000 kWh of electricity will be saved in one hour, approximately the consumption amount of one Taiwanese household for 1.5 years. AUO will practice to be even greener by turning off the lights for one hour every day from now on.In view of the excessive carbon emissions around the world that have caused climate change and posed threats to human survival, WWF conceived Earth Hour to encourage individuals, communities, companies and governments to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour on the last Saturday of March annually. It is hoped that more awareness could be raised towards the need to take action. Taiwan is collaborating with WWF for the first time this year, joining this global initiative. As a green, global citizen, AUO has decided to participate in Earth Hour with no hesitation.On March 26, AUO will turn off all office and dormitory lights in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, the US, and Europe for one hour. The company's 42,000 employees worldwide are also invited to join this event with their families. An estimated 6,000 kWh of electricity will be saved by the 42,000 households in one hour, approximately the consumption amount of one Taiwanese household for 1.5 years. In addition, AUO will continue to turn off the lights at noon every day from now on, and encourage its employees to adopt greener practices. The measures include: providing exclusive parking space for car-pool employees, reminding employees to examine and reduce their own carbon footprints every day, replacing paper cups with mugs, offering and encouraging vegetarian diet every Monday, purchasing locally grown fruits and vegetables to reduce food miles, and organizing charity events to send used goods to nonprofit and charity groups.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced that it led 15 supplier partners in jointly completing Taiwan's first semiconductor supply chain carbon footprint verification. The project was completed with assistance from the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs' Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), and is part of the IDB's "Semiconductor Supply Chain Carbon Footprint Assistance and Promotion Plan". It follows TSMC's successful completion of the IDB's "Supply Chain Carbon Inventory Assistance Plan" in June 2009.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced that it led 15 supplier partners in jointly completing Taiwan's first semiconductor supply chain carbon footprint verification. The project was completed with assistance from the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs' Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), and is part of the IDB's "Semiconductor Supply Chain Carbon Footprint Assistance and Promotion Plan". It follows TSMC's successful completion of the IDB's "Supply Chain Carbon Inventory Assistance Plan" in June 2009.In this project, TSMC led 15 supplier partners to verify the carbon emissions of IC products produced by wafer fabs and packaging and testing facilities according to the PAS2050 standard. The manufacturing process was examined in great detail, going as far as emissions for each layer of an IC product, and final data was further verified by a third party. This project not only set records in terms of the number of participating companies and level of detail, it also shows that Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain is actively carrying out the government's carbon reduction policies and answering the global call for product carbon footprint labeling and eco-labeling. The results of this project will help the semiconductor industry establish the capability to provide carbon footprint and eco-labels to satisfy the future requirements of customers and consumers."As we face the challenges of global climate change, energy conservation and carbon reduction, TSMC will continue to collaborate with our suppliers, share our experience in cutting emissions, and do our part to protect the environment and fight global warming." said TSMC Senior VP Stephen Tso.Participants in this project include Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), Taisil Electronic Materials, Air Products, Air Liquide Far Eastern, United Industrial Gases, Boclh Industrial Gases, Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), Basf Electronic Materials Taiwan, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Taiwan, Cabot Microelectronics, Dow Electronic Materials, Asia Union Electronic Chemical, ProsperChem, Topco Quartz Products and Ardentec. Each company has completed personnel training, facility inventory and on-site surveys, data compilation and calculation, as well as checks for data accuracy. Third-party verification was completed at the end of January 2011.

GlacialLight, a sub‐division of the experienced technology manufacturer GlacialTech, has announced the newly innovated GlacialPower LED driver that improves lumen and power‐saving performances, making available more compatible, more efficient and more reliable LED lighting products. The GlacialPower LED driver is already in use on GlacialLight's MR16 and AR111 LED bulbs.GlacialLight's R&D team has developed the GlacialPower LED driver to eliminate the need for an electronic transformer, aiming to provide more energy‐saving and environmentally‐friendly LED products. GlacialPower's LED driver technology is expected to lead a new trend in innovation and become an essential feature for all LED lighting products. Traditionally, LED chips are powered as follows: an electronic transformer is used to convert AC voltages (usually 110V or 220V) to the LED product's specified voltage (AC12V). This power then flows into an LED driver and is converted into DC voltage with constant current control. Finally, the power flows to the LED chip.With GlacialPower's innovative LED driver, the first step in this power conversion process is unnecessary. AC voltages flow directly into GlacialPower's LED driver and then provide a constant current to the LED chip, without any additional drivers needed in the bulb itself. This enhancement means that GlacialLight's LED products have a more optimized and streamlined powering process. The simplified process makes the power conversion efficient and enhances the reliability of the LED products.Design of LED lighting products is based on three core technologies including electrical design (LED drivers), mechanical design (cooling devices), and optical design (lamp holders), respectively performed by GlacialPower, GlacialTech, and GlacialLight in the GlacialTech family. With the three core technologies in hand, GlacialTech has integrated all the resources required for exceptional designs and manufactures excellent LED lighting products you can trust.

Memory module maker Power Quotient International (PQI) has announced a new 2.5-inch external hard disk drive (HDD) series, the H567L/V, which has both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 transfer capabilities.The H567L supports the current mainstream USB 2.0 transfer interface, with transfer speeds of up to 480Mbps/sec, while the H567V features a USB 3.0 interface with transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps/sec. Operating roughly 10 times faster than USB 2.0, USB 3.0 greatly reduces data transfer times and is backward compatible with USB 2.0.The new HDD series casts aside traditionally thick, heavy and inflexible exterior molds by utilizing precision engraving polishing technology to create an elegant mirror-like exterior on both the front and back plates. All sides are coated with an aluminum mist to give it a glossy finish and a surface as smooth as the skin of a newborn babe. With its contrasting diamond black and aurora white color scheme and diffusion of indiscernible yet dazzling radiance, the H567L/V captivates everyone around it.In addition, PQI demonstrates its close attention to fulfilling user wishes by installing four raised points on the back of the device to protect against scratches, prevent slippage, and reduce noise, all while offering protection from inadvertent and annoying scrapes and even cutting down on noise produced during use. By offering four storage options of 320GB, 500GB, 640GB and 750GB, different capacity requirements have also been addressed.Also, the exclusive bonus application software Ur Fortress provides users with complete data encryption functions, including confidential document security protection and personal image and video protection guarantees, enabling users to more effectively backup their data and manage confidential documents.PQI H567L/VPhoto: Company

Following the acknowledgment of the world's first LEED gold-certified TFT-LCD facility in 2009, AU Optronics (AUO) announced today that its 8.5G facility located in Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) has passed ISO 50001 standard for energy management. AUO is the world's first TFT-LCD manufacturer to have obtained this certification, again demonstrating the company's achievements in green practice.ISO 50001 is developed by the ISO/PC 242 energy management project committee of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The standard establishes a framework for industrial plants or commercial facilities to manage energy, so that energy efficiency increases, costs are reduced and less impact is made on the environment.AUO has introduced ISO 50001, the latest international standard on energy management, to front-end TFT and back-end module facilities based on its obtained certifications such as ISO 14001, ISO 14064 and LEED. The goal is to achieve 25% energy savings in 2015, with 2010 as the base year. The focus of the ISO 50001 certification is on production energy management. A total of 66 energy-saving measures are raised in 2011, aiming at 10% energy conservation. An estimated 55 million kWh of electricity will be saved, and 35,000 tons of carbon emissions reduced, the equivalent effect of the afforestation of nine New York City 's Central Park .AUO has initiated AUO Green Solutions since 2008, and led the industry by developing the "Green 2010" eco-efficiency indexes , both of which formed important basis for the ISO 50001 certification. The "Green 2010" goals that included an 80% waste recovery rate, 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and 70% reduction in water consumption were successfully reached within the timeframe. In addition, AUO has also achieved the "carbon balance" milestone at the end of 2010. The accumulated potential carbon emissions reduced by the greener products from 2009 to 2010 far exceeded the actual emission amount of 1.41 million tons, approximately the consumption amount of 610,000 households in one year.In the future, AUO plans to advance the ISO 50001 energy management system to each fabrication. By means of energy source management, energy performance will also be taken into account in procurement to enhance value chain energy management. As an all-round, leading green solutions provider, AUO will dedicate itself to continuous innovations for better green competitiveness.

In recent years, there have been a variety of technology trends relating to the digital home. The most important of these trends is the development of home network technology. Whether you look at externally connected broadband Internet technology, or network connectivity within the homes, the need for solid technological standards is obvious. Therefore interoperable standards for digital home connectivity have been adopted as wireless 802.11, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and HomePlug.Power line communication (PLC) technology has previously been difficult to popularize due to skepticism on transmitting IP packets across 110V or 220V power lines as well as how this technology would address electromagnetic interference (EMI). These difficulties have long been overcome and the technology has reached a stable and mature stage. Today, Ethernet adapters using PLC have easy plug and play installation onto electrical outlets in any room. This technology comes perfectly at a time when more homes are equipped with multiple digital devices and entertainment centers looking to share the same multimedia files amongst themselves.The broadband PLC market was split into three camps. Now, it has aligned behind the HomePlug Powerline Alliance (HomePlug) which has the longest history. Founded more than a decade ago, it consists of 65+ companies and has certified some 220 products. More than 90% of PLC products on the market make use of HomePlug technology. HomePlug also has been standardized by IEEE in 2010, becoming the IEEE1901 power line transmission standard.HomePlug technology has advanced from HomePlug 1.0 with the speed of just 14Mbps, to 200Mbps with the HomePlug AV standard, to the imminent launch of HomePlug AV2 with speeds in the Gigabit range. The wave of enthusiasm for digital home over the last few years has increased consumer demand for multimedia streaming applications, placing HomePlug AV, with its 200Mpbs bandwidth, as the perfect solution for such digitally-minded consumers. The HomePlug Alliance is also working on its new IEEE1901 compliant Green PHY standard for smart power grid applications. HomePlug Green PHY is aimed at smoothly integrating power management and high speed networking of various types of devices.According to Jay Cheng, CEO and chairman of GigaFast Ethernet, HomePlug Green PHY is used for low-speed signal transmission over the power grid. It will be integrated into household devices for reporting power consumption status using the PLC network, helping power companies and ordinary users properly manage power consumption. For example, a HomePlug Green PHY-compliant chip embedded in the electricity meter will automatically calculate consumers' power usage. The connected electricity meter will also allow power companies to create power usage plans for low-intensity and high-intensity periods, in order to balance power loading and increase efficiency of power delivery.GigaFast already has over a decade of experience in engineering and manufacturing HomePlug PLC products for OEM/ODM partners around the world. Having chosen to prioritize the development of PLC over wireless at an early stage, Cheng indicates that GigaFast was early to see the convenience of installing HomePlug products and the potential for developing the digital home. For this reason, nurturing the necessary technologies and talent has been at the heart of the company's mission from the very beginning.GigaFast exhibited two main products at the recent two consumer electronics shows: CES and CeBIT. Both products at these shows were very well received. The first was a 500Mbps HomePlug AV Powerline Ethernet Bridge, using Atheros chipset, to expand the transfer rate of HD signals, while the second was a HomePlug AV with Clearpath Technology by Sigma Designs that uses all three wires - phase, neutral, and ground to deliver improved performance and up to twice the throughput. More recently, GigaFast has responded to the increasing popularity of IPTV by working on ways of integrating HDMI signals and PLC systems. This will let more products make use of household power transfer to enable the reception of DVR signals in different rooms, allowing PLC to become a central nervous system for information, which integrates electricity, networking and multimedia.GigaFast demonstrates HomePlug PLC products at this year's CES and CeBIT Photo: Company

Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation has announced its role as a founding member of the China Electronics Distributor Alliance (CEDA). CEDA is supported by the Chinese government and related industry associations, as well as corporate distributors of electronics that conduct business with Chinese companies.CEDA was established in order to promote franchised distributors' value-added services, to strengthen cooperation between suppliers and distributors of electronic components, and to encourage technological innovations with the support of government incentive policies."China has played a major role in the electronic component industry and Digi-Key is experiencing exponential sales growth in China," said Mark Larson, president and COO of Digi-Key Corporation. "It is appropriate that we join this alliance which facilitates the relationships between American companies and Chinese companies to develop a clear-cut understanding of distribution guidelines and to develop the marketing research that will benefit companies throughout the entire global industry."The establishment of CEDA was recently celebrated at a luncheon in Shenzhen, China. There the founding companies were thanked for their contributions to CEDA. Digi-Key Corporation, along with Arrow, Avnet, WPG, Future Electronics, Mouser, element 14, RS Components, Richardson Electronics, Comtech, SZCEAC, Techtronics, Asiacom, Honestar, Shanghai Linpo, Morusun, Letdo Electronics, Jiangsu Sunlord, CE-Power, Zetron, Alignment, and Interine were recognized as founding members.