#MARKETS: "Demand Grows for Digital Compasses, Supplies Stable"

Japan's earthquake has slowed or stopped electronics manufacturing in many facilities—especially automotive electronics—but digital compass makers claim to be keeping up with growing demand for location-based services in vehicles, smartphones, personal navigators and touch-screen tablets.


AKM's electronic compass, using Hall sensor technology on a CMOS chip, was discovered inside Apple's iPhone 3 and 4 by Chipworks.

Digital compass makers are hustling to avert a global shortage that could stunt sales of popular navigational electronics in vehicles, touch-screen tablets and nearly all smartphones, but automotive electronics manufactured near the stricken nuclear reactor in Japan are on indefinite hold.
Further Reading: http://bit.ly/NextGenLog-gizn