SANTA CLARA, Calif., - February 8, 2010 - OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI), a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the introduction of the world's first 1.1-micron backside illumination (BSI) pixel. The new OmniBSI-2 pixel architecture represents a major milestone in digital imaging technology, and enables new imaging solutions with superior image quality and low-light sensitivity. The architecture also extends OmniVision's pixel roadmap to submicron levels, and serves as a key enabler in the continuous miniaturization of digital imaging technology."OmniBSI-2 drives the development of higher resolution image sensor solutions with an aggressive form factor and lower z-height for ultra-thin products," said Bruce Weyer, vice president of worldwide marketing at OmniVision. "OmniBSI-2 advances the digital imaging market by enabling improved image quality and enhanced low-light performance that dramatically improves the user experience in videobased applications. OmniBSI-2 technology can also be applied to larger pixel designs to achieve performance advantages that exceed current BSI and FSI imaging sensors."OmniBSI-2 is OmniVision's second-generation BSI technology, and is the first pixel built on a 300mm copper process at 65nm design rules developed in cooperation with strategic manufacturing partner, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). By combining custom 65nm design rules and new manufacturing process modules, the 1.1-micron OmniBSI-2 pixel achieves industryleading low-light sensitivity as well as significantly improved dark current and full-well capacity. OmniBSI-2's custom pixel design rules also enable better pixel layout, better isolation, and significantly reduced crosstalk. Each of these advances represents a substantial improvement over the first generation OmniBSI technology resulting in better image quality, enhanced color reproduction and improved camera performance."By comparison, the new 1.1-micron OmniBSI-2 pixel not only outperforms our current 1.75-micron FSI architecture, but it also equals the performance of our industry-leading 1.4-micron BSI pixel that is currently in mass production," commented Howard Rhodes, vice president of process engineering at OmniVision. "Migrating to 1.1-micron BSI pixel architecture required moving production to TSMC's state-of-the-art 300-mm copper process, which enabled substantially improved design rules and more advanced process tools, resulting in tighter process control and improved defect density. Key to our success was the joint development by the OmniVision and TSMC R&D teams of multiple new process modules that substantially improved opto-electronic performance. We also leveraged our close partnership with joint venture partner VisEra Technologies to establish a 300-mm color filter fabrication capability.""OmniVision and TSMC have been long standing partners in CMOS Image Sensor development. Our engineering teams collaboratively push the boundaries of digital imaging, making them an excellent development and manufacturing partners," said Sajiv Dalal, vice president, business management at TSMC North America. "OmniVision's product migration to 300-mm manufacturing will give it a clear competitive edge and we stand committed to continuously drive improved efficiencies to help widen the gap."TSMC provides the foundry segment's leading CIS technology with the largest CIS production capacity. In 2009, TSMC supported a total capacity of approximately ten million eight-inch equivalent wafers, a six percent increase over its 2008 production capacity."TSMC has been a valuable partner in making the transition to this advanced process node," added Rhodes. "Their experience and expertise in 300mm processing at the advanced technology nodes and ability to continue enhancing the sensor performance have been invaluable in ramping this new pixel technology so quickly and seamlessly."

Santa Clara (Feb 11, 2010) Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, today announced the newest addition to the ARMADA family of application processors - the Marvell ARMADA 618 for next generation HD-capable smartphones. Characteristic of the ARMADA family of application processors, the ARMADA 618 offers a CPU core with PC-class performance, integrated 1080p full-HD encode and decode, and exceptional 3D graphics - delivering a highly scalable and power optimized platform that is designed to fuel high-end applications, rich multimedia and gaming experience in a lightweight form factor with very low power requirements."Featuring a gigahertz CPU, 1080p full-HD video, 3D graphics, the industry's fastest LP-DDR, and optimized power for longer battery life, Marvell's ARMADA 618 application processor represents a dramatic leap forward in high-end, multimedia smartphones," said Ms. Weili Dai, Marvell's Co-founder and Vice President and General Manager of Marvell Semiconductor's Consumer and Computing Business Unit. "Importantly, the ARMADA 600 series of application processors gives our customers a common platform solution to build multiple products and formats for the always-on consumer--scaling from smartphones to eReaders to tablets without compromising either the multimedia performance or the battery life."The ARMADA 618 is based on a Marvell-designed ARM v7 compatible CPU offering gigahertz-class performance in a 12mm x 12mm package. It offers the flexibility to use LP-DDR1 or LP-DDR2 memory up to 533 MHz, a highly flexible display controller capable of four simultaneous displays at up to 2K x 2K resolution, and a highly robust security subsystem that includes a secure execution processor. In addition, it features a powerful 3D graphics engine that supports DirectX, Open GL ES 2.0, and Open VG 1.1, rendering up to 45 million triangles per second with a complete floating point pipeline and unified vertex and fragment/pixel shading, generating contrast-rich scenes with high-definition resolution and color. ARMADA 618 supports Linux, Android, Windows Mobile, and full Adobe Flash.Availability The ARMADA 618 will be demonstrated at the Marvell Booth (Courtyard 18) at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain next week. The ARMADA 618 is currently sampling to early customers.

Lanner Electronics has announced the FW-8910, a new 2U rackmount dual-CPU appliance built around two Intel Xeon C5500 processors and supporting up to 40 Gigabit Ethernet ports.The Lanner FW-8910 targets the performance segment of the network security, NAC, WAN Acceleration and ADC markets, and offers the features of Intel's new C5500 processor, such as integrated memory controller, integrated PCI Express 2.0 controller and Quick Path Interconnect (QPI) technology."As a member of the Intel Embedded Alliance, Lanner strives to lead the industry in developing the most advanced hardware platforms on the latest Intel technologies such as the Intel Xeon processor C5500-series and Intel 3420 chipset," said Jesse Chiang, Product Planner, Lanner Network Communications. "Network security and acceleration solutions demand the highest levels of performance for enterprise-class networks, and performance is what the Lanner FW-8910 delivers.""The new Xeon C5500-series feature multi-core and multi-threaded processing, allowing for vast improvements in network packet processing efficiency," said Frank Schapfel, director of marketing, Intel Performance Products Division. "Directly connecting GbE and 10GbE MACs to the integrated PCI Express controller allows network appliance manufacturers such as Lanner, to easily add sophisticated network connectivity."A 2U rack mount platform, the FW-8910 includes up to five customized Ethernet modules for a combination of up to 40 LAN ports combining GbE copper, fiber and bypass port options. Furthermore, the FW-8910 supports multiple 10Gbps cards, either fiber or 10G Base-T copper, Lanner highlighted. Twelve DIMM sockets support up to 96GB DDR3 memory, and four 2.5-inch hard drives allow for RAID based data protection. High availability features include optional RAID, swappable system fans and redundant 500W power supplies, Lanner added. An optional on-board Cavium Nitrox CN1620 security processor offloads high-level security commands to dramatically increase total system throughput.Lanner's modular design allows for easy replacement of front-facing network port modules, hot-swappable hard drives, rear-accessible fan assemblies and power supply units, the company pointed out.Lanner will be displaying the FW-8910 at the RSA conference, taking place from March 1 - 4, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, and the product will be available for sampling later in first-quarter 2010.Lanner FW-8910 enterprise-class network appliancePhoto: Company

RF semiconductor company Elonics and Taiwan-based networking IC design house Realtek Semiconductor have collaborated to create a multi-standard DVB-T, DAB/DAB+ and FM TV and Radio reference design. The platform can be adopted by manufacturers as an external USB dongle or internal USB Minicard.The reference design is able to receive both digital TV and radio. The same hardware is used to receive all standards by seamlessly reconfiguring the personality of the devices using the supplied software drivers. The device operates in both VHF and L band frequencies. It has low power consumption (around 650mW fully active) and the ultra low component count creates low production costs, the companies highlighted."With high sensitivity performance (-98dBm QPSK, C/R 1/2, DVB-T, 8MHz), the design is proven to work even in the weakest signal environments," said Julian Hayes, Elonics VP of sales and marketing.The production-ready TV and radio USB design contains Elonics E4000 CMOS RF tuner that uses DigitalTune technology to enable high performance and multi-standard capabilities. The companion Realtek RTL2832U is a digital TV and radio USB 2.0 demodulator with DVB-T and FM/DAB/DAB+ reception ability.The reference design surpasses Nordig 2.0, D-Book 5.0 and ETSI 300-744 requirements and can be used for PCs of any size (including notebooks and netbooks). It is available in a number of different form factors and feature options. The USB dongle comes in a number of different sizes from 31mm×18mm including USB connector.

AzureWave Technologies, Inc., a global leading wireless solution provider, has rolled out a complete product line of 11n and Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed (HS) wireless module IC for mobile devices, such as smartphones, mobile gaming devices, e-book readers and portable media players (PMPs), all of which require high bandwidth and efficient power management. AzureWave will showcase the latest 11n + Bluetooth 3.0 technology at MWC in Hall 2, Booth #2C09.What makes AzureWave's wireless module IC outstanding is its small footprint, cutting edge wireless performance, flexible power management and diverse OS support for multitasking smartphones and mobile devices. The coexistence of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in one module guarantees seamless and smooth data transfer. Combined with the latest Bluetooth 3.0 technology + HS, the wireless Module IC enables a wide variety of mobile devices to quickly and easily transfer rich media contents. In addition, it facilitates high speed synchronization with other BT 3.0 + HS enabled devices.According to ABI Research, 802.11n is making its official debut in higher-end smartphones in 2010 and will have at least 87 percent bundle rate by 2014. The quick growth of 802.11n is triggered by consumers' demand for higher bandwidth to transfer big data across different devices and download advanced applications via network. Especially the increasing demand to easily and quickly connect consumers' different devices and share information is far larger than ever, an easy peer to peer connection such as Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth 3.0 + HS featured in AzureWave's wireless modules will help consumers' dream come true.Consumers are looking for smartphones with more powerful processors, better battery life, richer web experience and multitasking capabilities. As a result, combo solutions are growing in popularity among mobile gaming and portable CE to allow consumers to benefit from the outstanding wireless experience. AzureWave will launch the latest 11n high speed solutions in the upcoming MWC at booth #2C09 during February 15-18.

Lanner Electronics has announced the new LEC-7020, an Intel Atom-based industrial computer with 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities. The small form factor (SFF) computer has a VGA, COM, DIO, four USB ports, and an optional LVDS output, and also boasts a new simplified design allowing quick component installation, the company highlighted.With an on-board SIM card socket and mini PCI Express 3G/GPS mini-card module, the LEC-7020 can send GPS signals and communicate via a 3G modem, in addition to connections via the two built-in Gigabit Ethernet and optional Wi-Fi module, Lanner said.To drive digital content the LEC-7020 has an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics engine and features a VGA port and optional LVDS port. The addition of an LVDS port allows for a direct computer to panel connection and reduces deployment costs for system integrators, Lanner noted.The LEC-7020 is also designed to allow easy access to the motherboard for rapid hardware installation, Lanner added.Lanner LEC-7020 digital signage computer with 3G communications and GPSPhoto: Company

AMD has introduced the ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card that fully supports DirectX 11, as well as ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology. This latest offering completes a full DirectX 11 refresh of AMD discrete graphics products, bringing customers a choice of graphics cards to match every budget and form factor, AMD highlighted.In addition to ATI Eyefinity and DirectX 11 support, the ATI Radeon HD 5570 also delivers full 1080p HD playback and supports ATI Stream technology, helping to boost performance for video playback and productivity applications, all while enabling a full Microsoft Windows 7 experience.AMD ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics cardPhoto: Company

Intel has introduced the Itanium 9300-series processor, previously codenamed Tukwila, which the company claims delivers more than double the performance of its predecessor, boosts scalability and adds reliability features to the Itanium platform that is already running mission-critical applications for 80% of the global 100 corporations.With Gartner predicting a 650% growth in IT data over the next five years, the two-billion transistor Itanium processor 9300-series can meet the need head on with twice as many cores as its predecessor (four versus two), eight threads per processor (through enhanced Intel Hyper-Threading Technology), more cache, up to 800% the interconnect bandwidth, up to 500% the memory bandwidth, and up to 700% the memory capacity using-industry standard DDR3 components.Critical corporate workloads also demand high-availability features across all platform components. The Itanium processor 9300-series adds to the architecture's resiliency with new reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) features that extend across the processor, its Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology, and the memory subsystem, Intel said.The processor's machine-check architecture coordinates error handling across the hardware, firmware and operating system, and improves system availability by enabling recovery from otherwise fatal errors.The Itanium 9300 processor employs the second generation of Intel Virtualization technology to improve performance and robustness. Its Intel 7500 chipset can directly assign I/O devices to virtual machines, further boosting efficiency.OEM systems based on the Intel Itanium processor 9300-series will be binary-compatible with existing software and can provide major performance improvements without the need for additional software optimization.Poulson, codename for the next Itanium processor, will add an advanced multi-core architecture, instruction-level and hyper-threading enhancements, new reliability features and more.An enhanced form of Demand-Based Switching (DBS) lowers power consumption when utilization is low. Intel Turbo Boost Technology automatically senses and adapts to provide the right performance boost when needed, and to conserve power when it is not. The Intel Itanium processor 9300 series ranges in price from US$946 to US$3,838 in quantities of 1,000. OEM systems are expected to ship within 90 days.

AMD has announced the introduction of the ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics chip, the latest addition to the line-up of ATI Radeon HD 5000 series GPUs.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 delivers a state-of-the-art HD multimedia and game experience at a value price, claimed AMD. Sharing the same features found in the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series (support for DirectX 11, ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology and ATI Stream technology) the ATI Radeon HD 5450 provides an uncompromising Microsoft Windows 7 experience.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics card offers great performance, allowing users to get the true Windows 7 experience with full DirectX 11 support, for less than US$60 for a 512MB memory configuration.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics enable high quality, high-definition home theater experiences with features such as HDMI 1.3a with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio for media PC.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 is available immediately from a number of partners, including Asustek Computer, ASK, Club 3D, DMM, GBT, HIS, LDLC.com, Micro-Star International (MSI), Sapphire, TUL (PowerColor), VT and XFX.AMD ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics cardPhoto: Company

Gigabyte has launched a new flagship motherboard for the Intel P55 chipset platform, the GA-P55A-UD7, which continues the tradition of the company's UD7-series of packing as many extra features on the board as it can find space for. In the case on the GA-P55A-UD7 value-added extras not seen on common P55-based boards include support for Nvidia 3-Way SLI. USB 3.0 with Power Boost, and SATA 6Gbpss, as well as a 24-phase power design to increase overclocking potential.Although Intel has licensed both Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossfireX for its Core i7 and i5 CPUs, in order to ensure there is enough PCI Express bandwidth to meet the demands of even the fastest GPUs (perhaps for example Nvidia's upcoming Fermi range) running together at the same time, Gigabyte has also added the Nvidia NF200 chip to the GA-P55A-UD7 board.Gigabyte has also included a chips from NEC to add support for SuperSpeed USB 3.0, an upgrade from the P55's native support for USB 2.0, and a SATA 6Gbp controller from Marvell, meaning owners will not find themselves limited to the current standard transfer rates once components and peripherals supporting the new faster standards become readily available on the market. Of course, USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps maintain backwards compatibility with existing devices.Some might question the logic behind adding so many extra features, which increase the selling price of the board, to what is essentially a mid-range platform (Intel has its X58 chipset for the high-end segment). But with the potential for overclocking, the wider choice and more affordable pricing of LGA 1156 CPUs versus LGA 1366 models, as well as future-proofing thanks to USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps, the GA-P55A-UD7 could make a better long-term investment providing near enthusiast performance without the premium price.Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD7 motherboardPhoto: Company