#SECURITY: "Disaster Recovery Technologies Bloom"

There are at least 10 new technologies available to mitigate the impact, search, rescue and recovery operations after natural disasters. Check them out by clicking "Further Reading" below for a slideshow: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Run from the Army's Universal Ground Control Station, the blimp can carry communications equipment payloads over 2,500 pounds and travel at almost 100 miles per hour.
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Low-Power Micro-Servers Greening Data Centers"

In 2013 Intel's Atom will power a second-generation of greener micro-servers, following Intel's first-generation green datacenter processor in 2012, the Xeon E5-2600. The new 22-nanometer Atom "Avoton" S1200 will run on just six watts in 2013 and when shrunk down to 14-nanometer in 2014, just five watts. R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Intel’s evolving both Xeon E3 and Atom processors down parallel paths to 22-nanometer sizes in 2013, called the Xeon “Haswell” and the Avoton “Silvermont”. Both will ride the wave of Intel’s 3-D tri-gate ultra-low-power process down to 14-nanometer dimensions by 2014. SOURCE: Intel
Further Reading

#ALGORITHMS: "Grid Engine+MIC Beats IBM Supercomputer"

A $10,000 many-integrated-core (MIC) based cluster computer running the Univa’s Grid Engine distributed resource management software can perform in the same class as a $10 million IBM supercomputer, according to the algorithm's original programmer: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Grid Engine works with Univa’s analytics and reporting metrics which track processor utilization for maximizing speed and energy efficiency of cluster computers. SOURCE: Univa
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Immersion litho still beating EUV"

Repeated predictions about the end-of-the-road for semiconductor immersion lithography have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, the current lithographic techniques may be good enough to last all the say to additive self assembly for the next generation: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Light at 193 nm has a resolution limit on the order of 65 nm, but immersion lithography uses the same light source and yet realizes a semiconductor process at precisions as high as 40-45nm. (Source: Nikon)
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Intel's Atom Extends Mobile Battery Life"

Intel is still the number one chip maker worldwide, but not for long if trends keep pushing new users to smartphones and tablets instead of traditional PCs and laptops, since most of these mobile devices use ARM cores. The tide may turn in 2013, however, if Intel can deliver on the ultra-low-power Atom processor it unveiled today at IEDM: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Intel's FinFET transistors use three-dimensional (3-D) fins to increase the surface are of its gates, thus lowering leakage and increasing field strength for lower voltage power supplies--both of which boost battery lifetime for mobile devices.

Here is what GoParallel says about Intel's Atom: Intel is aiming to upgrade its Atom processor for the biggest growth areas were in mobile chips. The new low-power process for its mobile Atom processors was described at the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM 2012, San Francisco, Dec. 10-11). The new ultra-low-power Atom will extend the battery life of smartphones, tablets, netbooks, embedded systems and other wireless devices, according to Intel...
Further Reading

#MATERIALS: "MIT integrates InGaAs in 22-nm design flow"

Intel and others have been experimenting with integrating III-V semiconductors into the silicon design flow for years, but now MIT claims to have a process that could best silicon altogether: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Cross-section transmission electron micrograph of the fabricated transistor shows the V-shaped inverted gate (center) with the indium gallium arsenide channel (light color) under the molybdenum source and drain contacts on either side.

Here is what EETimes says about MIT's III-V work: Integrating III-V transistors into the 22-nm design flow is possible today, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which demonstrated indium-gallium arsenide (InGaAs) transistors recently at International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM, San Francisco)...
Further Reading

#ALGORITHMS: "Data-Flow Cuts Multi-Thread Overhead for MIC"

Parallel processing is hard enough with quad-core chips, but the desktop supercomputers of the future will have thousands or even millions of cores, making most task schedulers obsolete. Data-flow techniques, however, promise to keep parallel processing on track by eliminating the bottlenecks of traditional scheduling techniques: R. Colin Johnson

MPI, OpenMP and OpenCL...treat each thread as an independent machine that runs for an arbitrarily length of time...Swarm's data-flow execution model (right) uses uniform-sized codelets with known control and data dependencies. SOURCE: ETI

Here is what GoParallel says about data-flow: For massively parallel processors...applications today can use a message passing interface (MPI) for internode communications and shared memory for coordinating tasks on a single node [but] all these techniques become less effective as more cores are added to a system...One promising solution: data-flow management techniques...performing dynamic scheduling that maps tasks...to processor resources in real time.
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Qualcomm overtakes TI in chip sales rankings"

Texas Instruments has been the legendary leader in semiconductor chips since the beginning of time, it seems, but not a relative youngster--Qualcomm--has booted them out of third place behind Intel and Samsung: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Despite the overall two percent drop in semiconductor sales worldwide, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Sony, NXP, nVidia and MediaTek all raised their ranking with positive growth in chips for mobile devices.

Here is what EETimes says about Qualcomm and TI: Despite the poor outlook for semiconductors this year, with more than 59 percent of 157 chip suppliers expected to experience revenue declines, one bright spot was booming mobile devices. At the top of mobile is Qualcomm, which is edged out Texas Instruments according to IHS iSuppli taking the third spot behind Intel and Samsung Electronics, which have been the top two chip makers for several years.
Further Reading

#SPACE: "Peter Diamandis revels in doing the impossible"

Peter Diamandis heard his calling when he was 12 years old--winning first place in the Estes Rocket Design Competition by creating a system capable of simultaneously launching three rockets. Later, while in college at MIT, he co-founded “Students for the Exploration and Development of Space” and later at Harvard Medical School he co-founded the Space Generation Foundation.

All Diamandis’ interest in space exploration culminated, however, when he founded the X Prize Foundation for which he is CEO today. Since then he co-founded with Ray Kurzweil the Singularity University for which he serves as chairman today, and in 2012 he co-authored with Steven Kotler the New York Times bestselling book “Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think” which sums up his pioneering attitude...
Further Reading

#DISPLAYS: "LCD inventor did so much more"

George Heilmeier began his career at RCA’s Sarnoff Research Center where he discovered that an applied voltage could change the color of dye-doped liquid crystals in the 1960s. Credited as the inventor of the LCD* by the US Patent and Trademark Office’s National Inventors Hall of Fame (Akron, Ohio), Heilmeier had secured his place in electronic history, alongside other hall-of-famers like Thomas Edison and Steve Wozniak, after working at RCA for only six years.

In the 1970s Heilmeier entered government service as a White House Fellow and special advisor to the Defense Department. Then in 1975 he was appointed Director of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. At DARPA he shepherded-in the modern era of high-tech weaponry including stealth aircraft, space-based lasers and smart-bombs using artificial intelligence (AI).
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Stephen Hawkings 'Big Brain' Powered by MIC"

Stephen Hawkings Cosmos, based on SGI's ‘Big Brain’ platform, is the world's first shared memory supercomputer, according to Intel, powered by its new many-integrated-core (MIC) architecture: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Stephen Hawking’s Miracle Consortia’s Cosmos supercomputer uses SGI’s Big Brain chassis to house 32 Xeon Phi coprocessors in the world’s first MIC-powered shared memory supercomputer. Source: SGI

Here is what GoParallel says about Hawking's Cosmos supercomputer: The world’s first shared memory supercomputer is powered by Intel’s Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture. Used in the latest incarnation of Stephen Hawking’s pioneering Cosmos supercomputer for the Miracle Consortia, SGI’s “Big Brain” houses 32 Xeon Phi co-processors utilizing over 1,800 cores in a shared-memory of nearly 15 terabytes (TB)...
Further Reading

#MEMS: "Tini-tiny microphones go HD"

When the iPhone 5 announced support for wideband voice, only Sprint in the U.S. supported it, but by this time next year nearly every carrier worldwide will be hawking the crystal clear sounds of HD audio.To meet that growing demand for wideband handsets, Bosch Group company Akustica has announced an extensive line of MEMS microphones that enable HD audio to be adapted to any smartphone, tablet or other mobile device: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog



Akustica sports a new family of HD mics with super-wide frequency response and crystal clear voice reception with four varieties for use with nearly any existing or future consumer electronics device.

Here is what EETimes says about HD audio for mobile: Akustica unveiled a new family of high-definition (HD) microphones...at the MEMS Executive Congress . Now wideband voice can be received and transmitted by any smartphone, tablet, laptop or hybrid convertible that switches to these pin-compatible HD mics...
Further Reading

#MEMS: "Atom 'Clover Trail' Perfect for Windows 8"

Intel claims that its "Clover Trail" Atom processor enables tablet computers to extend their battery lifetimes even longer than that nine-hours an iPad typically gets--citing 10-to-18 hour battery lifetimes for Atom-powered tablets from Lenova, Asus and others: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog


Windows 8 tablets powered by Intel’s Atom Z2760 processor, code named “Clover Trail” can extend battery lifetime up to three weeks in standby mode or 10 hours watching HD video. Source: Intel

Here is what Intel says about Atom for Windows 8 tablets: Intel’s Atom “Clover Trail” processor has breen custom-tailored for Window 8 tablets, according to Intel, which claims extended battery lifetimes for mobile devices using it at the to MEMS Executive Congress 2012...
Further Reading

#MEMS: "Nintendo Claims World's Most Accurate Game Controller"

Nintendo's game-changing GamePad controller for its Wii U gaming console sports the world's most accurate MEMS sensor technologies that combine accelerometers and gyroscopes with an automotive-quality magnetometer from PNI Sensors: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog


PNI Sensor's ultra-precise geomagnetic sensors are house in three separate packages--for X, Y and Z--to provide automotive-grade sensing for the world's most accurate gaming controller from Nintendo.

Here is what EETimes says about the world's most accurate gaming controller from Nintendo: STMicroelectronics and PNI Sensor collaborated on a new ultra-fine resolution e-compass that makesw Nintendo's new Wii-U GamePad controller the most accurate in the world...
Further Reading

#ROBOTICS: "1000 Robot Makers Debut Worldwide"

Nearly a thousand robot companies are already hawking their wares to a global population of about one million working robots. All the manufacturing, service and personal robotics vendors are detailed in an interactive online map created by The Robot Report: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Red markers are industrial robot makers; Blue with an "S" are service robots used by corporations and governments; Blue with a "P" are service robots for personal and private use; Green markers represent robotic start-up companies and Yellow shows where the top 20 robotics-focused universities and research labs are located. Visit the interactive map listing each company's, name, country and website by clicking Further Reading below.
Here is what The Robot Report says about robotics companies: Presented on this map are 977 robot manufacturers and the top 20 robotics universities and research facilities. Every type of company; every facet of the industry; most industrialized countries of the world are represented. From big companies like KUKA, ABB and Fanuc to start-ups like Redwood Robotics in California and Etnamatica in Sicily; from Iceland to Western Australia. These companies are robot makers; they may or may not also be robot users. That's for another map.
Red markers reflect 200+ industrial robot makers; Green is for the 170+ start-up companies; and Blue is separated into two groups: "S" for service robots for governmental and corporate use while "P" covers service robots for private or personal use. Yellow is used to show the location of the top 20 robotic research and educational facilities. A country-by-country table is shown below.
The global map does not cover an additional 825 ancillary businesses such as image systems, software developers, engineering and consulting firms, integrators and resellers, designers, servo, laser and stereo camera providers, etc. Nor does it cover 225 other educational facilities and research labs. These can be found in our Ancillary Businesses and Educational and Research Facilities Directories.
The map is also limited by my own research capabilities, language translation limitations, and scarcity of information about robotics companies in emerging countries. It show a single entry for a company headquarters regardless how many branches, subsidiaries and locations that company might have.
In spite of all those caveats, at first glance I was impressed by the sheer quantity of the markers. One can easily see that many of the start-ups and service robotics companies are located near prominent Yellow-marked universities and research labs in clusters surrounding Carnegie Mellon, MIT and Harvard, UC Berkeley, Stanford and Willow Garage, the University of Tokyo and TITECH, etc. Or areas of innovation and energy like Seoul, Korea, Israel and New York City.
Red markers - industrial robot makers - stand out for their predominance in the industrial sections of the world: Germany, Switzerland and Central and Western Europe and the UK, Japan, Korea and the Great Lakes area of the US.
Blue markers - service robots (every other type of robot except industrial) are everywhere as are Green start-up markers. These are the emerging robotics companies in non-industrial robotics: robots used in healthcare, scientific labs, for defense and security, in academia, as toys, for remote presence and autonomous mobility underwater, on the ground and in the air and for a myriad of other uses.
Further Reading

#MEMS: "Windows 8 Tablets Sport Snazzy Sensors"

Microsoft does tablets right, at least in the sensor category, since it has mandated that all touchscreen-based tablets and convertibles using its Windows 8 operating system have at least nine MEMS sensors. As a result, the revolutionary apps that made the iPad famous can not be more easily ported to the Microsoft camp since they already have the necessary sensors: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog


The ultra-low power Intel Atom “Clover Trail” Z2760 processor, designed especially for Windows 8, powers the Acer Iconia Tab. SOURCE: Microsoft

Here is what Windows8Center says about sensors for tablets: Tablets for Windows 8 span the spectrum of power/cost, but MS-mandates maker sure all have the MEMS sensors that made the iPad famous, according to presenters at the MEMS Executive Congress (MEC, Scottdale, Ariz.) where manufacturers of accelerometers, gyroscopes and digital compasses gather annually...
Further Reading

#MEMS: "Bosch hawks world's smallest altimeter"

Bosch Sensortec has transferred its portfolio of high-precision automotive MEMS expertise to craft mass-market versions for consumer devices, the latest of which is the world's smallest barometric sensor: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog


Bosch claims its 2-by-2.5-by-.95 millimeter package (right) has a 65 percent smaller footprint than the last generation.

Designed for use as an altimeter smart enough to tell smartphone users what floor they are on in the mall, Bosch's BMP280 measures a tiny 2-by-2.5 millimeters, but gives an accurate reading of altitude to within a resolution of 10 centimeters...
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Xeon Phi Supercharging Green HPCs"

Intel is taking multi-processing mainstream by beginning to deliver its Xeon Phi 60-core massively parallel processor chip in its PCIe bus coprocessor form-factor for Xeon-powered servers and workstations. For under $2000 users can have their own personal supercomputer, and high-performance computer (HPC) builders now have a component for massively parallel processors that are nevertheless compact and energy efficient: R. Colin Johnson


Intel’s Xeon Phi now comes is two flavors–the 3100 (top) which offers screaming speed at 300 Watts, and the the 5110P (bottom) which at 225 Watts does not require a fan.

Here is what GoParallel says about Intel's Xeon Phi: In a turning point in the high-performance computer (HPC) market, Intel has started delivery of its Xeon Phi many-integrated-core (MIC) processors, set for volume production by Jan. 2013. By incorporating as many as 60-cores into each Xeon Phi coprocessor, future supercomputers multiply performance at a fraction of the current cost and power consumption, solidifying Intel’s lead in green HPCs for the foreseeable future.
Further Reading

#MEMS: "Unified sensor interface sought"

With dozens of MEMS sensors studding smartphones, tablets and other mass-market devices, the MIPI Alliance is aiming to create a sensor-networking standard that reduces the number of pins needed on processors to interface to sensor from dozens to just two: R. Colin Johnson


Today it takes up to 23 pins (top) on an SoC to manage all the MEMS sensors attached, but by drafting a universal interface, the MIPI Alliance hopes to reduce the required pins (click on image to expand).
Source: MIPI Alliance

Here is what EETimes says about a sensor interface standard: A standards development group is exploring the feasibility of a new interface standard that would enable even multiple degree-of-freedom arrays of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors to use a simple common interface.

Such an interface—which would be used by accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, altimeters, compasses, proximity sensors and non-MEMS sensors like GPS, near field communication, fingerprint identification, and the touchscreen itself—would require agreement from all interested parties on what protocols need to be recognized, according to the MIPI Alliance. The organization recently announced an open "birds of a feather" group to investigate the requirements for integrating multiple sensors into mobile systems...
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Xeon Phi Wins Top 10 Supercomputer Slot"

Intel already dominated the Top500 Supercomputer List with over 76 percent of the winners using its Xeon processors, but its lead is lengthening now that its massively parallel Xeon Phi has made the Top10 spot in 2012: R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Intel processors powered 76% of the Top500 Supercomputer Sites worldwide.

Here is what GoParallel says about the Top500 List: Intel’s massively parallel Xeon Phi coprocessor powered a Top 10 Supercomputer on the 20th anniversary of the Top500 Supercomputer List. At 2.6-petaFLOPS, Stampede ranked seventh out of 500 supercomputers, one of only 23 petaflop-caliber systems on this year’s list.

Located at the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas (Austin), Stampede is powered by a Dell PowerEdge C8220 chassis using Xeon E5 main and Xeon Phi coprocessors. Only 62 of the Top500 supercomputers used coprocessor technologies to perform acceleration this year, including eight using advanced prototypes of Intel’s forthcoming Xeon Phi.

The other Xeon Phi based winners in the Top 100 included...
Further Reading

#MEMS: "Sensor to prevent smart-meter tampering"

MEMS sensors have become so inexpensive that even specialized functions have been targeted by suppliers like Freescale Semiconductor, which announced its smart-meter tamper-prevention sensor at the MEMS Executive Congress 2012 (Nov. 7-9, Scottsdale, Ariz.): R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog


Freescale's three-axis accelerometer optimized for sensing tilt can be used to prevent tampering with stationary smart meters.

Here is what EETimes says about MEMS sensors for tamper prevention: Sensing "tilt" in old style pinball machines used a mechanical ball-in-tube sensor, but the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) version should harness a tri-axis accelerometer, according to Freescale Semiconductor Inc.

At the MEMS Executive Congress 2012 here, Freescale rolled out a tilt sensor— Xtrinsic MMA8491Q—that the company says could be used for a modern version of tilt-detection in pinball. But the target application for the device is preventing tampering in smart meters.
Further Reading

#MEMS: market growth outpacing competitors

Instead of beginning to wane, the exponential growth of MEMS devices is just starting, according to analysts at the MEMS Executive Congress 2012 (Nov. 7-9, Scottsdale, Ariz.), who predict that a dozen new types of MEMS device will keep the market vitalized for the foreseeable future: R. Colin Johnson


News MEMS devices take a decade to mature (right) with the bulk of next-generation MEMS innovations still in the formative stages (left).

Here is what EETimes says about the MEMS market: Micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) have revolutionized every market in which they have become successful, but the trend is just beginning, according to analysts speaking on a panel at the MEMS Executive Congress 2012 here.

Analysts project rapid growth for the types of MEMS already in widespread use. But, by later this decade, several more types of MEMS devices are expected to be in production, creating more potential for exponential growth.
Further Reading

#MARKETS: "10 electronics visionaries to watch"

EE Times is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with special articles to celebrate the innovators who made the electronics industry what it is today, as well as the visionaries who are taking it forward: R. Colin Johnson


David Shepler was the Jeopardy Challenge Program Manager at IBM Research (shown here giving pointers to the human contestants on how to compete against Watson--IBM’s pioneering artificial-intelligence technology)...More recently, Shepler became program manager for IBM's Smarter Energy Research Institute, which is developing predictive analytics, system optimization and advanced computation models that will help define the smart grid of the future.

Here is what EETimes says about the future movers-and-shakers of electronics technology: Predicting the future is always fraught with peril, but the visionaries featured here are boldly going where no one has gone before.

To be sure, the personalities featured in this slideshow are not unique--in each category dozens of other pioneers could have been used in lieu of those chosen. Nevertheless, the pioneering vision and unflinching dedication of those featured in this slideshow serve as a shining example of how to “do” the future right.
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Moore's Law goes biotech"

EE Times is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with this special articles honoring Gordon Moore whose Law may be faltering, but whose legacy will live on as long as semiconductors are king: R. Colin Johnson


Here is what EETimes says: Gordon Moore captivated a generation with his prophetic foreshadowing that the density of semiconductor devices would double every year or two -- a prediction that has been so dependable that commentators have enshrined it as: Moore's Law.

And even as we approach the end of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS), when bottom-up molecular self-assembly is predicted to take over from today's top-down subtractive lithography -- the density of new devices is still expected to double every few years, extending Moore's legacy indefinitely even in new fields such as biotechnology.
Further Reading

#MARKETS: "Future Tech--from 3-D chips to cognitive computing"

With EE Times celebrating its 40th anniversary, a series of special articles are featuring the innovators who made the electronics industry what it is today and tomorrow: R. Colin Johnson


3-D chip stacks--here a Hybrid Memory Cube from Micron--will dominate the future of semiconductors.

Here is what EETimes says about the technologies defining our future: We picked ten technologies representative of trends which we expect will redefine our industry as well as the way we expect to interact in an increasingly interactive world. Admittedly, there are dozens of other examples we could have chosen with equal validity. We welcome your comments on our choices.

A few software-related trends were included because they are enabled by electronic technologies. We intentionally resisted including the deluge of “social media” and related trends that are merely popular uses of electronic devices.
Further Reading

#WINDOWS-8: "What You Need to Know BEFORE Upgrading"

If you have not upgraded to Windows 8 yet--and even if you have--you should read this post about the new security measures that solve existing problems, but still leave the door open malware creeping in from the new Metro-style user interface: R. Colin Johnson

Windows 8 security is hardened, but unfamiliarity with its new "Metro-style" interface could trick unsophisticated users into running programs that pretend to be patches to fix problems that don’t exist, but instead install malware. And since all applications submitted to Windows 8′s Windows Store must be digitally “signed” malware authors will be encouraging to try and steal digital certificates.

Here is what SlashDot says about Windows 8 security: Windows 8 features tightened cyber-security, suggests Aryeh Goretsky, distinguished researcher at anti-malware vendor ESET and a member of its Zeroday Emergency Response Team. In addition to enhanced versions of existing security measures, the next-generation operating system includes several new capabilities that thwart specific, hard-to-combat threats. Despite those new capabilities, bad actors could still inject malware by exploiting users unfamiliar with new features of Windows 8, so read on to find out what you can do to keep data safe...
Further Reading

#TABLETS: "Design an Ebook Overnight with Turn-Key Epson Controller"

With Microsoft's Surface, Google's Nexus, Barnes & Noble's Nook and Amazon's Fire all copying Apple's iPad by using a battery-draining full-color LCD display, analysts were predicting the demise E-Ink's paper-white B&W display that extends battery life for eBooks from days to weeks. Nevertheless, the E-Ink display continues to be used by ultra-inexpensive and feather-light eBooks, as evidenced by Epson's recent release of a complete integrated controller module which simplifies the eBook designer's job: R. Colin Johnson

Just add this inexpensive E-Ink controller to your design for quick-and-easy eBook devices whose battery life lasts for weeks, and whose weight and cost is a fraction of Apple's iPad and all the look-alikes from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Barnes&Noble and the legions of other copy-cats.

Here is what Epson says about its E-Ink controller: Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson", TSE: 6724), a global supplier of imaging products and semiconductor solutions, today announced a newly developed e-paper display (EPD) controller module. The S4E5B001B000A00, which measures only 2.3 cm x 2.3 cm, consists of the key electronics elements necessary for an E Ink EPD-based product such as Epson's high-performance EPD controller (S1D13522), a power management IC (PMIC), 4-Mbit flash memory for command/waveform storage, and an on-board 26-Mhz crystal oscillator.

The EPD controller (S1D13522) mounted on the module is an industry-proven multi-pipeline EPD controller that has already been widely adopted by various e-book manufacturers. It reduces CPU overheads for EPD applications by allowing multi-regional and concurrent display updates, picture-in--picture, rotation, transparency and hardware cursor functions to achieve the optimal display experience.

Epson believes that the S4E5B001B000A00 is an ideal choice for any customer who seeks to easily develop EPD applications without needing to go through a complex technical learning process, and which has the potential to accelerate time-to-market for EPD-related products.

"We applaud Epson for constantly innovating their semiconductor offerings," said Sri Peruvemba, CMO, E Ink. "The new module will reduce design time and complexity for customers and will help open up new markets."

"In recent years, Epson has mainly concentrated on providing unique EPD controller products to e-book customers. Our next goal is to expand our product lineup to include industrial and other promising new applications," said Kazuhiro Takenaka, deputy chief operating officer of Epson's Microdevices Operations Division. "Customers are already designing products using our module and we expect to see many more opportunities as we move forward."

To further assist customers integrate EPDs into their products CPU companies expect to release reference designs featuring the S4E5B001B000A00 in the fourth quarter of 2012. Samples of the S4E5B001B000A00 are available from today, and production is expected to start in December 2012.

Epson plans to demo the S4E5B001B000A00 at Electronica 2012 in Munich, Germany (November 13 to 16).
Further Reading

#MARKETING: "Smartphone/Tablet Convergence at Apple/Google/Microsoft"

Unless you check carefully, its starting to be hard to tell whether you are on Apple's, Google's or Microsoft's websites, now that each has embraced the post-PC era with smartphones and tablets which all look pretty much alike: R. Colin Johnson

Google's new smartphone, mini-tablet, full-size tablet line-up pictured here (made by LG, Asustek and Samsung, respectively) is hard to distinguish from Apple's iPhone, iPad Mini and iPad full-size (all made by Foxconn). All Google needs now is a music-player, like the iPod, and the similarities would be nearly indistinguishable. (Oh, and don't forget how Google Play is modeled on iTunes!)

Here is what Google says about its latest iPad lookalike: With a dazzling 2560-by-1600 high-resolution display and powerful graphics processor, Nexus 10 places you right inside the action with picture-perfect performance. Over 4-million pixels in your hands means that text is sharper, HD movies are more vivid and photos look as clear as the day you took them.

All your favorite Google Play content looks great on Nexus 10. Magazines come alive with rich images and razor sharp text. With movies and TV available in full 1080p, you’ll always have the best seat in the house. Nexus 10 was made to share. Just turn on your tablet and tap your photo to sign in and get access to your own private homescreen, apps, email, photos, storage, and more.

Personalizing your homescreen is easy. Choose your own wallpaper, add your favorite apps and games from Google Play, create folders, and arrange beautiful new widgets just the way you like them -- it’s as easy as drag-and-drop.
Video chat with Google+ Hangouts.

Nexus 10 lets you video chat with up to nine friends at once with Google+ Hangouts, and with a 1.9 megapixel front facing camera and microphone noise-cancellation, you’ll always come through loud and clear.

Updated to bring you the web in HD, Chrome is now better than ever on Nexus 10. Advanced MIMO WiFi and accelerated page loading give you web browsing speeds up to 4x faster* than normal WiFi.

View, edit and share your photos on Nexus 10. The ultra high-resolution display lets you relive each moment in stunning detail, while powerful new editing tools make it easy to touch up your best shots before sharing them with friends and family with just a few taps.
Further Reading

#ROBOTICS: "Jumping Robots to Extend Battery Life"

Robots could drastically extend their battery life by jumping instead of walking or rolling as they do today--especially if robots adopt a unique two-step 'stutter jump' technique discovered by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology: R. Colin Johnson

Georgia Tech Assistant Professor Daniel Goldman (left) and Graduate Student Jeffrey Aguilar examine a simple robot built to the dynamics of jumping. The research could lead to reduced power consumption by hopping robots. (Click image for high-resolution version. Credit: Gary Meek)

Here is what Georgia Tech says about jumping robots: Stutter Jumping: Study of 20,000 Jumps Shows How a Hopping Robot Could Conserve its Energy

A new study shows that jumping can be much more complicated than it might seem. In research that could extend the range of future rescue and exploration robots, scientists have found that hopping robots could dramatically reduce the amount of energy they use by adopting a unique two-part “stutter jump.”

Taking a short hop before a big jump could allow spring-based “pogo-stick” robots to reduce their power consumption as much as ten-fold. The formula for the two-part jump was discovered by analyzing nearly 20,000 jumps made by a simple laboratory robot under a wide range of conditions.

“If we time things right, the robot can jump with a tenth of the power required to jump to the same height under other conditions,” said Daniel Goldman, an assistant professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “In the stutter jumps, we can move the mass at a lower frequency to get off the ground. We achieve the same takeoff velocity as a conventional jump, but it is developed over a longer period of time with much less power.”

The research was reported October 26 in the journal Physical Review Letters. The work was supported by the Army Research Laboratory’s MAST program, the Army Research Office, the National Science Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the GEM Fellowship.

Jumping is an important means of locomotion for animals, and could be important to future generations of robots. Jumping has been extensively studied in biological organisms, which use stretched tendons to store energy.

The Georgia Tech research into robot jumping began with a goal of learning how hopping robots would interact with complicated surfaces – such as sand, granular materials or debris from a disaster. Goldman quickly realized he’d need to know more about the physics of jumping to separate the surface issues from the factors controlled by the dynamics of jumping.

Inspired by student-directed experiments on the dynamics of hopping in his nonlinear dynamics and chaos class, Goldman asked Jeffrey Aguilar, a graduate student in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, to construct the simplest jumping robot. Aguilar built a one-kilogram robot that is composed of a spring beneath a mass capable of moving up and down on a thrust rod. Aguilar used computer controls to vary the starting position of the mass on the rod, the amplitude of the motion, the pattern of movement and the frequency of movement applied by an actuator built into the robot’s mass. A high-speed camera and a contact sensor measured and recorded the height of each jump.

The researchers expected to find that the optimal jumping frequency would be related to the resonant frequency of the spring and mass system, but that turned out not to be true. Detailed evaluation of the jumps showed that frequencies above and below the resonance provided optimal jumping – and additional analysis revealed what the researchers called the “stutter jump.”

“The preparatory hop allows the robot to time things such that it can use a lower energy to get to the same jump height,” Goldman explained. “You really don’t have to move the mass rapidly to get a good jump.”

The amount of energy that can be stored in batteries can limit the range and duration of robotic missions, so the stutter jump could be helpful for small robots that have limited power. Optimizing the efficiency of jumping could therefore allow the robots to complete longer and more complex missions.

But because it requires longer to perform than a simple jump, the two-step jump may not be suitable for all conditions.

“If you’re a small robot and you want to jump over an obstacle, you could save energy by using the stutter jump even though that would take longer,” said Goldman. “But if a hazard is threatening, you may need to expend the additional energy to make a quick jump to get out of the way.”

For the future, Goldman and his research team plan to study how complicated surfaces affect jumping. They are currently studying the effects of sand, and will turn to other substrates to develop a better understanding of how exploration or rescue robots can hop through them.

Goldman’s past work has focused on the lessons learned from the locomotion of biological systems, so the team is also interested in what the robot can teach them about how animals jump. “What we have learned here can function as a hypothesis for biological systems, but it may not explain everything,” he said.

The simple jumping robot turned out to be a useful system to study, not only because of the interesting behaviors that turned up, but also because the results were counter to what the researchers had expected.

“In physics, we often study the steady-state solution,” Goldman noted. “If we wait enough time for the transient phenomena to die off, then we can study what’s left. It turns out that in this system, we really care about the transients.”

This research is supported by the Army Research Laboratory.
Further Reading

#ROBOTICS: "NASA Robot Challenge Offers $1.5 Million"

Autonomous robots capable of retrieving geological samples on their own without the need for remote control operators is the goal of the 2013 NASA Robot Challenge which offers a $1.5 million purse: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what NASA says about its Robot Challenge: NASA and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass., have opened registration and are seeking teams to compete in next year's robot technology demonstration competition, which offers as much as $1.5 million in prize money.

During the 2013 NASA-WPI Sample Return Robot Challenge, teams will compete to demonstrate a robot can locate and retrieve geologic samples from a wide and varied terrain without human control. The objective of the competition is to encourage innovations in automatic navigation and robotic manipulator technologies. Innovations stemming from this challenge may improve NASA's capability to explore a variety of destinations in space, as well as enhance the nation's robotic technology for use in industries and applications on Earth. The competition is planned for June 2013 in Worcester, Mass., attracting competitors from industry and academia nationwide.

NASA is providing the prize money to the winning team as part of the agency's Centennial Challenges competitions, which seek unconventional solutions to problems of interest to the agency and the nation. While NASA provides the prize purse, the competitions are managed by non-profit organizations that cover the cost of operations through commercial or private sponsorships.

"We've opened registration and are eager to see returning teams, and new challengers, enter this second Sample Return Robot Challenge," said NASA Space Technology Program Director Michael Gazarik at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "Contests like NASA's Centennial Challenges are an excellent example of government sparking the engine of American innovation and prosperity through competition while keeping our nation on the cutting edge of advanced robotics technology. Teams from academia, industry and even citizen-inventors are all invited to join the competition and help NASA solve real technology needs. With a $1.5 million prize purse, we're looking forward to seeing some great technology that will enable our future missions and advance robotics right here in America."

The first Sample Return Robot Challenge, which took place in June, also was held at WPI. While almost a dozen teams entered the competition, none qualified to compete for the prize purse. NASA and WPI are partnering again to repeat and advance the competition, which is expected to draw more competitors and greater technological innovation from among the teams.

"We're honored and excited to once again host the Sample Return Robot Challenge," said WPI President and CEO Dennis Berkey. "This year, 7,000 people turned out to watch the competition, which was the first of its kind on the East Coast, and to enjoy WPI's fantastic Touch Tomorrow Festival of Science, Technology and Robots. This university is a hub of expertise and innovation within the area of robotics, and it's a pleasure to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in the wonders of this competition, this festival, and this emerging field."

There have been 23 NASA Centennial Challenges competition events since 2005, and through this program NASA has awarded more than $6 million to 15 different challenge-winning teams. Competitors have included private companies, student groups and independent inventors working outside the traditional aerospace industry. Unlike contracts or grants, prizes are awarded only after solutions are successfully demonstrated.

WPI is one of the only universities to offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in robotics engineering. In 2007, the university was the first in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree program in this area. Through its Robotics Resource Center, WPI supports robotics projects, teams, events and K-12 outreach programs. Each year, WPI manages at least seven competitive robotics tournaments and also has sponsored programs that foster the use of robots to solve important societal problems and encourage consideration of the societal implications of this new area of technology.
Further Reading

#TABLETS: "For the Rest of Us Run Windows 8"

Since the tablet mania started by Apple's iPad and Google's Nexus tablets, Windows users have been suffering from tablet-envy, but no more, as now the largest user-base in the world has begun the transition from the PC- to the tablet-computing era: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what Windows8Center says about tablet-envy: Surface represents Microsoft’s 21st-century approach to computing, arguably as innovative as the previous century’s move from Windows from DOS. The touch-enabled, tile-based user interface answers Apple’s iPad and Google’s Android.

More importantly, it represents the natural evolution of the Windows user – and developer– base into tablet computing. Surface moves beyond PC-style direct-access to files–refocusing users on content, not the technical expertise needed to access and manipulate it.
Further Reading

#WIRELESS: "Telit's M2M Adopts LTE at 100Mbps"

The machine-to-machine (M2M) communications market got a boost to 100-Mbits per second by virtue of Telit's new LTE-based cellular modem technology: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what Telit says about its new 100Mbps M2M modem: Telit Wireless Solutions, a leading global vendor of high-quality machine-to-machine (M2M) modules and value-added services, today announced the introduction of the LE920 LTE module for European and North American OEM automotive and aftermarket segments. The new 920 form factor measures 34x40x2.8mm on a 198-pad LGA automotive-grade package. The product delivers 100Mbps-down and 50Mbps-up data rates on LTE networks and is fully fallback compatible with DC-HSPA+ delivering up to 42Mbs-down and 5.76Mbps-up where available. Quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE performance ensure the module connects even in remote areas devoid of 3G or 4G coverage. Equipped with a high performance multi-constellation GPS plus GLONASS receiver, the LE920 module provides superior navigation coverage even in harsh environments and challenging urban canyons with fast and accurate position fixes, making it ideally suited for full-featured integrated navigation systems and location based services delivered through the car’s infotainment system.

Telit’s LE920 includes distinguishing features such as Rx diversity which allows the end-device to be equipped with two distinct cellular antennas improving the quality and reliability of the wireless connectivity in urban areas, undergrounds, and other similar scenarios, making the product ideal for applications such as an in-vehicle hot-spot. Fully voice capable, the LE920 provides full-duplex PCM as well as analog input and output for applications such as a hands-free in-car cellular functionality, fleet management and other vehicle voice gateway applications. For easy integration, the product includes a USB 2.0 high-speed port and device drivers for most Windows and Linux platforms, and will be available in local variants as required for all major LTE carriers and partner networks in North America and Europe.

The LE920 was designed to meet the most current specifications for the European eCall and Russian ERA-Glonass programs. Mandated by the European Commission, all new cars must have an eCall automatic emergency in-vehicle call system installed by 2015. The system is designed to enhance quality and speed of rescue operations in automotive accident response efforts. In case of a crash, the eCall system transfers the necessary accident data to the nearest emergency service response center expediting life saving measures. ERA-Glonass was designed to be compatible with the European eCall standard. The objective of the program is to combine mobile communications and satellite positioning providing for faster assistance in case of automotive collisions. Its infrastructure is planned to be installed in 2013 with systems mandated in all vehicles in 2014. North America has no similar program.

“The LE920 is Telit’s new high-performance automotive product which also introduces to the market our new form-factor for this segment. One which provides our R&D and product management teams with lots of space for future integration of new and valuable features and resources for our automotive customers,” said Dominikus Hierl, chief marketing officer at Telit Wireless Solutions. “With the LE920’s comprehensive and industry-leading LTE multi-band support, the connected vehicle can provide passengers the same comfort and convenience in terms of internet and information access just as they would enjoy at the home or office - with no compromise in performance.”

As the LE920 was conceived specifically for the automotive market, it boasts an extended temperature range, operating from -40°C to +85°C, designed and manufactured under the strict automotive quality standards specified in the ISO/TS16949. Additionally, materials, facilities, and processes applied on the LE920 also comply with Production Part Approval Process or PPAP, a full traceability framework standard adopted by the automotive industry which among other things allows defective parts to be traced back in its full genealogy up the supply chain.

Industry’s only pure-play m2m, Telit creates value by partnering with customers to provide expert guidance and support from concept development through to manufacturing quickly bringing ideas to market in all application areas including the new “smart” space. With service enhanced products in cellular, short-range, and satellite-navigation easily bundled through high-level software interfaces, Telit-powered m2m devices cost less to integrate, maintain, operate, and update with lower price points for bundled products and savings translating into competitive advantage at the time of sale and throughout the operating life of the customer device.
Further Reading

#CHIPS: "Communications and Automotive Driving Global Chip Market"

Communications and automotive applications are driving the global market for semiconductor chips, according to IC Insights: R. Colin Johnson

The communications and automotive IC markets are forecast to out-pace the growth of the total IC market through 2016 according to data in IC Insights’ soon-to-be-released IC Market Drivers 2013 — A Study of Emerging and Major End-Use Applications Fueling Demand for Integrated Circuits. The communications segment is forecast to see a cumulative average annual growth rate of 14.1% from 2011-2016, almost double the 7.4% CAGR expected for the entire IC market during this timeframe. The automotive IC market is also expected to exceed total IC market growth during this period, growing at an average annual rate of 9.0%.

• The communications IC market is forecast to reach almost $160 billion in 2016, an increase of 94% from 2011. The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to represent 61% of the total communications IC market in 2012, increasing from 59% in 2011.

• At approximately $28.0 billion, the 2016 automotive IC market is forecast to be 53% greater than the size of the automotive IC market in 2011. Europe is the largest regional market for automotive ICs, accounting for 37% of the market in 2012. However, by 2016, the Asia-Pacific automotive market is forecast to be nearly the same size as the European market.

• An aging global population is driving demand for ICs in home healthcare and medical applications within the industrial segment. Analog ICs are forecast to represent 45% of the total industrial IC market in 2012, and are forecast to account for the largest portion of the industrial IC market through 2016.

• The worldwide government/military IC market is forecast to reach $2.46 billion in 2016 but represent only 0.7% of the total IC market at that time, the same percentage as in 2011.

• The computer IC market is forecast to represent 34.0% of the total IC market in 2016, down from 41.7% in 2011. A 12% decline in the computer memory market is expected to cause the total computer IC market to decline by 9% in 2012, the second consecutive year of decline.

• The 2011-2016 consumer IC market is forecast to register a 1.9% CAGR, slowest among all end-use categories and 5.5 points less than the total IC market. Japan, once the stronghold of the consumer electronics business, is forecast to hold less than half the share (22%) of the consumer IC market as compared to the Asia-Pacific region (50%) in 2012.
Further Reading

#WIRELESS: "Vast Majority of Smartphones to Sport 5GHz WiFi by 2015"

Over 70 percent of smartphones will ship with 5GHz band IEEE 802.11ac WiFi capabilities by 2015, according to Allied Business Intelligence (ABI Research, Oyster Bay, NY): R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog

Here is what ABI says about WiFi in smartphones: Wi-Fi protocols have changed significantly over the last two to three years and almost every smartphone shipped this year will offer some form of Wi-Fi capabilities. However, a new Wi-Fi protocol will begin to dominate mobile devices soon. New market intelligence from ABI Research projects the IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi protocol will begin to conquer the existing protocols (802.11b, g, and n) in the next two to three years.

“The Wi-Fi 802.11ac protocol offers several advantages over the current and most commonly used 802.11n protocol,” says senior analyst Josh Flood. “Firstly, the wireless connection speed will be quicker; the new protocol also offers better range and improved reliability, and superior power consumption. It’s also capable of multiple 2X2 streams and should be particularly good for gaming experiences and HD video streaming on mobile devices.”

The Market Data “Mobile Device Enabling Technologies” provides further details on handset technologies by key regions. Additionally, further technology and regional shipments are presented for the following technologies in mobile handsets and smartphones: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, speech recognition, NFC, camera embedded, front facing camera, touchscreens, accelerometers, gyroscopes, altimeters, magnetometers, MEMS microphones, 3-D displays, gesture recognition, and facial recognition. These findings are part of the Mobile Device Technologies Research Service.
Further Reading

#TABLETS: "Supply Shortages Limiting iPad Mini Shipments"

Shippments of Apple's new iPad Mini will be limited in 2013 due to shortages in its supply chain, according to DisplaySearch: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what DisplaySearch says about the iPad Mini: Apple revamped its mobile PC lineup on Tuesday, announcing additions to its iPad and MacBook Pro lines. As DisplaySearch had anticipated, the company introduced the iPad Mini, a refreshed iPad (the iPad with Retina Display), and a 13.3” MacBook Pro notebook.

The $329 iPad Mini comes with a 7.9” 1024 x 768 display, dual core A5 processor, and up to 10 hours of battery life. The $499 iPad with Retina Display comes with the same 9.7” 2048 x 1536 display as the new iPad (which is no longer listed on the Apple website) but features an A6 processor, and up to 10 hours of battery life. The iPads can be pre-ordered on October 26 and ship on November 2. The $1,699 MacBook Pro with Retina Display features a 13.3” 2560 x 1600 screen and is currently available.

As is typical, we expect the iPads to be supply constrained initially, especially the iPad Mini with its $329 price. The new low price point is expected to appeal to a wider audience and drive up demand. However, panel supply chain indications point to an even more than typical tightness in the market for the iPad Mini.

Apple is expanding its supplier base with new partners for the iPad Mini. Apple will continue to work with LG Display who is supplying panels to Foxconn for the finished product, and is adding AUO, who will supply panels to Pegatron. However, AUO is having yield issues with the 7.9” panel which is limiting their supply to Pegatron, and in September, AUO shipped just over 100,000 units. The production plan is reach 400,000 units in October, 800,000 units November and 1 million in December. LG Display shipped 300,000 panels in September, and plans to ship 1 million in October, 2.5 million in November, and 3 million in December.

Samsung has been one of the leading panel suppliers for the iPad. In fact when the new iPad was first released, Samsung was the only supplier that could meet production orders with LG Display gradually ramping up to meet demand. However, Samsung and Apple appear to be winding down their relationship most likely due to the legal conflicts the two have been embroiled in recently. In previous iPad launches, LG Display and Samsung have been the main panel suppliers with roughly equal panel production.
Further Reading

#ROBOTICS: "LG Home-Bot Going Mainstream"

Robotics is going mainstream thanks to LG's worldwide introduction of its Home-Bot which look eerily similar to iRobot's Roomba: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what LG says about its robotic vacuum cleaner: LG Electronics’ HOM-BOT SQUARE robotic vacuum cleaner made its global debut in Place Beaubourg, Paris, where it demonstrated to an international audience what the next generation of robotic cleaning technology would bring.

“Helping consumers lead more convenient lives with smart technology is what LG is all about,” said Moon-bum Shin, Executive Vice President and CEO of the LG Electronics Home Appliance Company. “HOM-BOT SQUARE is contributing toward this goal in a large way on the strength of its innovation and competitiveness in this growing market.”

With sharp right-angles being found in practically every building in the world, LG engineers based the new HOM-BOT on a square, different from the circular design of most robot cleaners. The cleaner’s unique square design, hi-tech sensors and newly improved brushes (1.5cm longer than those in the previous model) are collectively called Corner Master and enable HOM-BOT SQUARE to more effectively reach areas that other cleaners simply ignore.

Corner-detecting sensors supply the cleaner with spatial information, telling it when the edge of the room has been reached, when to turn and when to stop. Sensitive Dual Eye 2.0™ camera sensors scan the floor, sampling multiple images per second and then analyze the information to generate an accurate map of the space – even with the lights off. Onboard ultrasonic and infrared sensors allow the HOM-BOT SQUARE to detect and easily avoid obstacles in its path.

LG’s HOM-BOT SQUARE also features Turbo Mode, which allows the user to manually set cleaning functions to the specific requirements of their flooring. And Smart Turbo Mode enables the cleaner to detect the type of flooring and change its own settings automatically.

Visitors to LG’s HOM-BOT SQUARE launch event in France were given the opportunity to play a live version of LG’s dust-killing internet game. Participants used a remote to navigate the vacuum cleaner around a course and vacuum up simulated dust characters. Those who “caught” the most characters in the allocated time took home a new HOM-BOT SQUARE cleaner.

Launching first in France, HOM-BOT SQUARE will be available in other European markets in the fourth quarter followed by its global launch in 2013.

Key Specifications for LG’s new HOM-BOT SQUARE:
Corner Master
Dual Eye 2.0™
Easy-out Dust Bin
Low noise level: 60 dBA
HEPA 11 Filter
Smart Turbo
Learning Function
Voice Guidance
Long-lasting Battery

Further Reading

#ALGORITHMS: "Smart Framework Enables Internet-of-Things"

By the end of the decade, trillions of devices on the Internet-of-Things will dominate global communications with machine-to-machine (M2M) transactions. Today each M2M service provider has proprietary protocols, but Intel is aiming to standardize the those communications with a cookbook-style technology for brewing up interoperable connections on the Internet-of-Things: R. Colin Johnson

Cloud services will extract the ultimate value from the Internet of Things by deriving value from data captured at every step in the system—from sensors to gateways to cloud.

Here is what Go-Parallel says about Intel's efforts: A new architectural framework for embedded devices on the quickly growing Internet of Things has been released by Intel with its McAfee and Wind River subsidiaries.

The Intelligent Systems Framework (ISF) aims to facilitate easier coordinated use of multiple Atom, Core and Xeon processors in distributed embedded systems. ISF works with all the serial and parallel programing tools Intel already offers, plus adds numerous enhancements to virtualization, trusted execution and remote-management specifically supporting machine-to-machine (M2M) interactions among devices on the Internet of Things.

Industry researcher IDC predicts that by 2015, a third of all connected systems will be intelligent, representing a $2 trillion market. By the end of the decade, analysts predict trillions of embedded devices will be addressable over the Internet, offering incredible business opportunities. The Intelligent Systems Framework, in cooperation with McAfee security and Wind River real time support, aims to provide a standardized and scalable way to grow the Internet of Things.

Further Reading

#MATERIALS: "ST Embraces Next-Gen Silicon-on-Insulator"

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers have a buried layer of insulating silicon-dioxide atop of which transistors are fabricated, adding to the cost of chips since SOI wafers are more expensive, but providing isolation from the substrate and nearby devices. However, it took the innovation of adding fully-depleted transistors (FD-SOI) to take the technology mainstream, since FD-SOI enables leakage currents that rival Intel's FinFETs, allowing chip makers to 'catch up with Intel." STMicroelectronics is the first major chip maker to commit to FD-SOI and in cooperation with SOI wafer provider Soitec has just offered its 28-nanometer FD-SOI process to European researchers: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what ST says about its FD-SOI process: STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), Soitec (Euronext) and CMP (Circuits Multi Projets) today announced that ST’s CMOS 28nm Fully Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator (FD-SOI) process, which uses innovative silicon substrates from Soitec, is now available for prototyping to universities, research labs and design companies through the silicon brokerage services provided by CMP. ST is releasing this process technology to third parties as it nears completion of its first commercial wafers.

The introduction in CMP’s catalogue of ST’s 28nm FD-SOI CMOS process builds on the successful collaboration that has allowed universities and design firms to access previous CMOS generations including 45nm (introduced in 2008), 65nm (introduced in 2006), 90nm (introduced in 2004), and 130nm (introduced in 2003). CMP’s clients also have access to 65nm and 130nm SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator), as well as 130nm SiGe processes from STMicroelectronics. For example, 170 universities and other companies have received the design rules and design kits for the ST 90nm CMOS process, and more than 200 universities and companies have received the design rules and design kits for the ST 65nm bulk and SOI CMOS processes.

Since CMP started offering the ST 28nm CMOS bulk technology in 2011, some 60 universities and microelectronics companies have received the design rules and design kits and 16 integrated circuits (ICs) have already been manufactured.

“There has been a great interest in designing ICs using these processes, with about 300 projects having been designed in 90nm (phased out in 2009), and more than 300 already in bulk 65nm,” said Bernard Courtois, Director of CMP. “In addition, more than 60 projects have already been designed in 65nm SOI and it is interesting to note that many top universities in Europe, USA/Canada and Asia have already taken advantage of the collaboration between CMP and ST.”

The CMP multi-project wafer service allows organizations to obtain small quantities--typically from a few dozens to a few thousand units--of advanced ICs. The cost of the 28nm FD-SOI CMOS process has been fixed to 18,000 €/mm2, with a minimum of 1mm2.

“With the first designs in FD-SOI technology already in the pipeline, the time is right to make the technology available to the research communities. Our FD-SOI manufacturing process allows existing designs to be quickly and easily ported to FD-SOI where significant power and performance benefit can be realized,” said Philippe Magarshack, Executive Vice President, Design Enablement and Services, STMicroelectronics. “In addition, ensuring that universities have access to our leading-edge technologies can help us attract the best young engineers as part of our commitment to remain a technology leader on a long-term basis.”

“Our partnership with STMicroelectronics and CMP is an additional example of Soitec’s commitment to providing differentiated materials solutions to the open market, supporting the continual expansion of the FD-SOI ecosystem and users of advanced technologies,” said Steve Longoria, senior vice president of worldwide strategic business development for Soitec. “Through this partnership we will see new and innovative products based on Soitec's FD-SOI materials, as a result of providing universities and other customers with a proven path for developing and testing next-generation integrated circuits.”
Further Reading

#ALGORITHMS: "Cisco/Citrix Target Virtualization in the Clouds"

Virtualization and cloud computing are fitting hand-in-glove as enterprises migrate to using multiple different kinds of user platforms--smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops--to access the same corporate information. Virtualization simplifies deployment and allows IT to manage devices remotely for higher efficiency and increased security, and cloud deployments make it affordable. Recognizing this trend, Citrix, which absorbed Virtual Computer earlier this year, just announced a deal with networking giant Cisco to meld virtualization software with cloud infrastructure, creating a seamless migration path to virtualization in the clouds for enterprises aiming to modernize: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what Citrix says about its new relationship with Cisco: Expanding business partnerships can be an exciting, even historic proposition. They’re a chance to forge new relationships, improve products and services, reinforce to customers what makes your business special and, ultimately, improve how people work. This is why we’re so excited about our extended partnership with Cisco, announced today at the Citrix Synergy conference in Barcelona.

We’ve been working successfully with Cisco for more than a year now, and in that time we have doubled our business together by deploying tens of thousands of new virtual desktops to companies across the globe. We recognize the significant transformation taking place in enterprise networks as companies support more mobile, anytime anywhere access to enterprise applications. As a result, Citrix and Cisco
are taking another leap forward in our partnership – extending into networking, cloud and mobility:

Mobile Workstyles: We’re teaming up to develop mobile workstyle and BYOD (bring your own device) solutions that give mobile users better ways to access business data and apps from any device, anywhere.

Cloud Orchestration: We’ll provide an integrated cloud solution that will help enterprise and service provider customers deliver better public, private and hybrid clouds.

Cloud Networking: We are combining Cisco’s leadership in the datacenter with strength in application delivery from Citrix to deliver a best-of-breed approach to designing next-generation, cloud-ready networks.

In phase one of our networking partnership, Cisco sales teams will now recommend Citrix NetScaler ADC for Cisco Unified Data Center Architecture and Solutions. This will enable our mutual customers to deliver any application or service with the best possible performance, security and availability. Additionally, Citrix is developing a suite of migration tools, reference documents and services to ensure seamless integration of Citrix NetScaler into Cisco Cloud Network Services architectures.

To fully support customers during this transition phase, Citrix is offering a new ACE Migration Program (AMP) to all global customers.
Further Reading

#ALGORITHMS: "Hyper-threading: Perfect for Neural Networks"

Today artificial neural networks (ANNs) are experiencing a resurgence, as a result of the success of high-profile applications that instill smarts into all sorts of apps, such as those using voice dictation, gesture navigation and knowledge representation. Luckily, the emerging legions of multi-core processors from Intel, AMD, Freescale and others support multiple threads, which is ideal for programming neural networks: R. Colin Johnson

Biological neurons (upper left) are emulated by artificial neural network (ANN) mapping concepts that sum inputs (upper right) then supply an output (bottom) filtered by an activation function. Source: Intel

Here is what Go-Parallel.com says about ANNs: Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used today to learn solutions to parallel processing problems that have proved impossible to solve using conventional algorithms. From cloud-based, voice-driven apps like Apple’s Siri to realtime knowledge mining apps like IBM’s Watson to gaming apps like Electronic Arts’ SimCity, ANNs are powering voice-recognition, pattern-classification and function-optimization algorithms perfect for acceleration with Intel hyper-threading technology.
Further Reading

#NETWORKING: "Massive Migration to Cloud in 2012"

Cloud computing has been a major enterprise draw over the last several years, but in 2012 the ordinary consumer got into the act with a massive migration to the clouds. Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon have coaxed nearly half a billion consumers to begin entrusting their data to cloud servers, potentially creating a cloud service market with billions of subscribers: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what IHS says about the massive migration to the clouds: The consumer cloud performed strongly in the first half of 2012, with the number of personal subscriptions to online storage services at the end of June already at 75 percent of the market’s projected sum for the year, according to insights from the IHS iSuppli Mobile & Wireless Communications Service from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

The number of global consumers using cloud services after the first six months hit more than 375 million, or about three-quarters of the estimated total of 500 million by year-end. While no firm numbers exist to show the extent of the cloud in 2011 because it was relatively new and untested, best estimates put global subscribers then at approximately 150 million. Subscriptions to either free or paid cloud services will continue to climb in the years ahead, jumping to an estimated 625 million next year, and then doubling over the course of four years to reach 1.3 billion by 2017, as shown in the figure below.

“The cloud is a game changer in an age of near-ubiquitous mobile broadband, offering benefits to consumers and cloud service providers alike,” said Jagdish Rebello, Ph.D., director for consumer and communications at IHS. For consumers, cloud services are intended to manage and store user-generated data or purchased content, such as music, ebooks, pictures or videos. The content can then be seamlessly accessed and synced across devices like smartphones, media tablets and PCs. Meanwhile, technology companies are looking at the cloud as a way to generate revenue.”

Technology giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon are using their own cloud offerings to sell hardware, content and other cloud storage services. Such services are often provided at the same cost—or below the cost—of equivalent offerings from pure-play cloud storage providers like Dropbox, Mozy, Carbonite and SugarSync.
To compete with the big players, pure-play cloud providers are adopting a freemium model in which they throw in 2 to 5 Gigabytes of cloud storage for free, and then offer tiered pricing plans for higher levels of storage. In many cases, these service providers limit the size of files that can be stored on their storage service.

The business of providing cloud storage can be costly, however. The cloud industry will continue to lose money from pure cloud offerings, IHS believes, and independent providers will find it extremely difficult to remain financially viable. This, in turn, provides mobile network operators with an attractive opportunity to partner with the pure-play providers and to offer differentiated services.
In addition to generating revenue opportunities, cloud services can create stickiness and reduce churn among the customers of mobile operators. Users with large amounts of data stored on an operator’s cloud service are likely to be reluctant to migrate their content to another operator’s cloud service at the end of a contract period because of the hassle involved, so the cloud can be effectively leveraged as a tool to retain customer loyalty.

All told, the winners in the increasingly tight race among mobile providers to entice consumers to their cloud will be those that can offer a personal service supporting diverse mobile devices and computers on their network, with huge revenue growth potentially at stake.
Further Reading

#NETWORKING: "CBeyond Touts Full-Service Cloud"

Enterprises already committed to Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization platform would do well to check out a new full-service cloud data center offered by CBeyond, which enables small to medium businesses to migrate without owning or managing their own servers: R. Colin Johnson

Here is what CBeyond says about its TotalCloud Data Center service: Cbeyond Inc. (NASDAQ: CBEY), the technology ally to more than 60,000 small and mid-sized businesses, today announced the launch of its new TotalCloud™ Data Center managed service. With TotalCloud Data Center, small and medium-sized businesses can now access secure, enterprise-class, customizable cloud services without having to purchase, configure, install and manage servers.

Cbeyond’s TotalCloud Data Center service is built on Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V platform. It combines enterprise-class networking, storage and security to handle demanding, real-time business application workloads. Available in both public and private formats based on security needs, the service includes managed and monitored security features, backup services and round-the-clock infrastructure monitoring and support.

TotalCloud Data Center enables businesses to adjust storage, security and processing power individually to reflect changing business and operating requirements. Available features include load balancing, private firewalls and dedicated VLANs.

"With our TotalCloud Data Center service, businesses of any size can finally ditch their computer room and customize their own ideal cloud environment for business applications and processes," said Chris Gatch, chief technology officer, Cbeyond.

An early adopter of Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program (TAP), Cbeyond was one of the first cloud services providers to include customers in beta trials of the latest Windows Server 2012 operating system in March 2012.

"Windows Server 2012 was built from the cloud up, based on Microsoft’s history of running large cloud datacenters and products," said Ian Carlson, Director, Product Marketing, Windows Server, Microsoft. "Groundbreaking storage capabilities, advanced Hyper-V virtualization functionality (including network virtualization), and multi-server management are just a few of Windows Server 2012’s features that offer customers of Cbeyond’s TotalCloud Data Center service a hosted cloud environment that lets them focus on their business instead of technology."
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