Connected Device Market to Grow to 1.34 Billion Units in 2016
Connected consumer electronics devices, which have the ability to connect directly to the Internet or to a home network and can deliver IP-based video content, will continue to grow rapidly. According to a research report by NPD In-Stat (The Global Market for Connected and Smart CE Devices), the connected device installed base will grow from 256.8 million units in 2011 to 1.34 billion units in 2016.
Mobile Traffic to Drive Small Cells Market to $14 Billion
According to a recent NPD In-Stat research, by 2015 there will be 160.3 million active small cells, and the retail value of small cell shipments will reach $14 billion. This is because mobile data usage nearly doubles each year, but mobile operators cannot increase expenditures at that rate. At the same time, data rates are affected by the proximity of a device to a cell. Small cells cover areas where macrocells would be overkill and are essential to the success of heterogeneous networking (HetNet).
iPhone Ranked First in Q4, but Samsung Smartphones Finished First in 2011
Global smartphone shipments grew to a record 155 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011. According to Strategy Analytics, Apple reclaimed the top position as the world’s number one smartphone vendor with a 24% marketshare during the fourth quarter. Apple’s global smartphone shipments surged 128% annually to 37.0 million units. However, Samsung became the market leader in annual terms with a 29.9% global share in 2011. Apple was a close second with 19.0%. Nokia finished third and saw its share dropped in half to 16% in 2011 from 33% in 2010.
Android Accounts for 39% of Tablets Sold
Global tablet shipments grew to 26.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011. This is an all time-high and a 150% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2010 (10.7 million units). According to Strategy Analytics, Apple iOS remains strong at 58% (15.4 million iPads). However, Android now accounts for 39% of tablets sold (29% a year earlier). Strategy Analytics expects demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users to remain strong.
Research Team Discovers Insulator Property of Bilayer Graphene
A team of researchers have found that when the number of electrons on a bilayer graphene (BLG) sheet is close to zero, the material becomes insulating (resists flow of electrical current). This finding suggests that multi-layer graphene might be suitable as an electronic material in the semiconductor and electronics industries. Their research was published recently in Nature Nanotechnology. The research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, FENA Focus Center, and other agencies.
MIT Researchers Speed Up Fast Fourier Transform
A team of MIT researchers have developed a new algorithm that improves on the fast Fourier transform (FFT). The Fourier transform is a method for representing an irregular signal as a combination of pure frequencies. The new MIT algorithm is up to ten times faster than the traditional FFT algorithm. The MIT algorithm is useful for image compression and can enable smart phones to wirelessly transmit large video files without draining batteries or consuming monthly bandwidth allotments. The new MIT algorithm will be presented this week at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA).
New Research Could Lead to Graphene Cooling Electronics in the Future
A research team have made a breakthrough discovery with graphene, which is a material that could play a major role in keeping laptops and other electronic devices from overheating. A key finding is the possibility of a strong enhancement of thermal conduction properties of isotopically pure graphene without substantial alteration of electrical, optical and other physical properties. Isotopically pure graphene can be ideal for many practical applications.
Q3 2011 EDA Revenue Grew by 18.1% to $1,543.9 Million
The Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry revenue increased to $1,543.9 million for Q3 2011. This is an 18.1% increase compared to $1,307.0 million in Q3 2010. Sequential EDA revenue for Q3 2011 increased 7.4% compared to Q2 2011, and the four-quarters moving average increased by 17.8%. The four-quarters moving average compares the most recent four quarters to the prior four quarters. This data was presented in the latest Market Statistics Service (MSS) report by the EDA Consortium (EDAC).
MANA Researchers Develop Highest Performance Thin Film Capacitors
A research group at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) have developed thin-film capacitors using a new high-permittivity (high-k) dielectric sheet with molecular-level thickness (~1 nm). The researchers were led by MANA scientist Dr. Minoru Osada and principal investigator Dr. Takayoshi Sasaki at the National Institute for Material Science (NIMS) in Japan.
SEMATECH 3D EC, SIA, SRC Team on 3D integration Technology
SEMATECH’s 3D Enablement Center (3D EC), the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) have identified the top technical challenges for new killer applications to enable future development of heterogeneous 3D integration beyond mobile wide I/O DRAM. Addressing the common challenges of next generation applications is critical for acceleration of the broad adoption of 3D ICs. The goal of the three organizations is to fully realize 3D integration for semiconductor manufacturing and design.
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