============================================================= Electronic News Today News and Analysis for the Strategic Decision Maker April 24, 2000 ============================================================= Today's edition sponsored by Dovebid TOP STORIES ---------------------- 1. Intel unveils flash memory for next-generation security applications 2. TSMC adds Web-based collaboration to its services offering 3. Intel rolls out new mobile CPUs (700MHz PIII, 550MHz Celeron) 4. Transmeta secures $88M in second round of financing 5. SoftDSL closer to reality 6. PMC Sierra rolls out new architecture for carrier and ISP networks BUSINESS NEWS -------------------------- 7. Shipments of Internet appliances to take off by 2004, firm says 8. Consumer demand, resurgent Asia fuel PC shipment growth 9. Lexra intros RISC core for communications applications 10. Samsung unveils TFTs for mobile phones 11. Micronas intros mixed signal video decoder 12. Therma-Wave receives several tool orders 13. A fond farewell IN-SITES ------------- In-Depth: In-Stat examines alliance plugged into home networking spec Survey attempts to gauge patent and IP practices, compensation Useful links from around the Web Sign up a friend /==========Sponsored Link============ At DoveBid, we have over 500,000 assets online with a huge selection of electronic equipment ready for bidding right now. Register with DoveBid by April 20 and get 500 free click miles good for flights and merchandise. See our website for details. http://www.dovebid.com =================================/ TOP STORIES --------------------- 1. Intel unveils flash memory for next-generation security applications Intel Corp. unveiled today its 0.18-micron Advanced+Boot Block flash memory, the company's first flash memory technology on 0.18 micron lithography. The product is designed to enable next-generation security applications by minimizing the risk of cloning and other types of fraud in digital phones and Internet appliances. The high-speed programming of the Intel flash device is also designed to reduce manufacturing time without the need for costly external voltage switching logic. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3200-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------ 2. TSMC adds Web-based collaboration to its services offering Foundry giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) today began offering Web-based engineering services to its customers via Internet Layout Viewer, a Web front-end developed with CreOsys Inc. to provide geographically dispersed designers with the ability to collaborate with TSMC Design Service engineers in real time. Internet Layout Viewer lets teams of designers review all or part of the chip layout, providing accurate placement and routing as well as correct physical topology of the device, before first silicon. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3244-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Intel rolls out new mobile CPUs (700MHz PIII, 550MHz Celeron) Intel Corp. today rolled out two new mobile processors, a mobile Pentium III and a mobile Celeron, aimed at desktop and low-cost PC applications. Running at 700MHz, the new Pentium III chip applies Intel's SpeedStep technology. SpeedStep enables a notebook to optimize its voltage and frequency to lower power consumption. The processors can switch clock frequency and voltage, depending on whether the computer is running on batteries or is plugged into AC power. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3243-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Transmeta secures $88M in second round of financing Transmeta Corp. said today it has received $88 million in funding from a number of big name corporations, possibly paving the way for an initial public offering. Transmeta’s new investors include America Online Inc., Compaq Computer Corp., Gateway and Sony Corp. as well as Taiwanese manufacturers Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Samsung, Phoenix Technologies and First International Computer, a company associated with Via. The Santa Clara, Calif., company made a splash in January when it debuted its Crusoe microprocessors, available in 700MHz and 400MHz-versions operating on only 1 watt of power. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3251-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 5. SoftDSL closer to reality Motorola Corp. today demonstrated what it claims to be the next generation in low-cost broadband communications at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) held in New Orleans, La. Running on an AMD (Advanced Micro Devices Inc.) Athlon processor, Motorola showed its first SoftDSL communications technology that will eliminate the need for costly fixed-function hardware such as chipsets, dedicated modem and other components found in today’s DSL technology, the company said. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3248-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 6. PMC Sierra rolls out new architecture for carrier and ISP networks PMC-Sierra today introduced its new OC-48/OC-48c (2.5 Gbit/s) channelized architecture the company claims will revolutionize the way carrier and Internet Service Provider (ISP) networks are built, deployed and managed. The CHESS (Channelizer Engine for SONET/SDH) chip set allows for traditionally separate voice and data infrastructure to be configured into new, highly integrated carrier-class multi-service networks. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3242-115NewsDetail.asp BUSINESS NEWS -------------------------- 7. Shipments of Internet appliances to take off by 2004, firm says Shipments of Internet appliances will increase 15 fold by 2004, according to Cahners In-Stat Group, heating up the market for both equipment manufacturers and semiconductor suppliers. In a market comprised of TV-based Internet appliances, Web phones and Internet terminals, the Scottsdale, Ariz., research firm predicts in a recent report that Web phones will lead the overall growth with an estimated five-year Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 202 percent. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3247-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Consumer demand, resurgent Asia fuel PC shipment growth Consumer demand and a resurgent Asian economy fueled a double-digit growth in worldwide PC shipments this quarter, according to reports released by International Data Corp. and Dataquest Inc. The reports estimate that PC makers shipped about 30 million PCs in the first quarter ended March 31. IDC said worldwide PC sales grew 20 percent compared to the year earlier quarter, while Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner Group Inc., said worldwide sales grew 15 percent. PC sales in the United States also showed a double-digit increase compared to last year, but the consumer heavy declined by 7 percent on a sequential basis, according to International Data Corp. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3245-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Lexra intros RISC core for communications applications Lexra, a manufacturer of processor cores for embedded applications, today introduced the LX4189, a high performance 32-bit RISC core targeted at communications applications. Optimized for 0.15-micron silicon processes, the device will begin shipping by the end of the second quarter, the San Jose-based company said. Other RISC cores are based on architectures invented in the early 1980s, Lexra said, but at today’s 0.18-micron processes and below, a different architecture is needed to take full advantage of the silicon technology. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3241-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 10. Samsung unveils TFTs for mobile phones Samsung Electronics Ltd. has completed development of a 2-inch thin-film-transistor LCD (liquid crystal display) for use in IMT-2000 mobile phones, the company said today. The 2-inch display is produced in a low-temperature, poly-silicon process and supports high resolution moving pictures as well as still photos, Samsung said. Third generation (3G) IMT-2000 is a commercial service that is scheduled to begin start-up both in the U.S. and Europe in the coming weeks. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3250-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 11. Micronas intros mixed signal video decoder Micronas, a manufacturer of semiconductors, today introduced its single chip, mixed signal VPX 3226E video decoder for multi-standard analog video signals. The Zurich, Switzerland based company said the device is compatible with nearly every color-decoding standard used worldwide and offers full data broadcast support for Teletext, Intercast, Wavetop, WebTV for Windows and Electronic Programming Guide Services. The multi-standard video pixel decoder delivers digital video images for consumer video and graphics applications such as PCs, set-top boxes, projectors, LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs and DVDs. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3249-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 12. Therma-Wave receives several tool orders Therma-Wave Inc. said today it has received several tool orders from a major Korean DRAM manufacturer and a Japan-based IC customer. The orders came through Therma-Wave’s Japanese distributor. The Fremont, Calif.-based company also disclosed it has received an order from a Taiwan foundry customer for 300 mm tools. Therma-Wave, which specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing process control metrology systems used to maker semiconductors, said the orders signal the company’s strong presence in the expanding Asian market. For more… http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3246-115NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- 13. A fond farewell After two years as editor of EN Today and three years with Electronic News overall, I have decided to leave the publication and try my hand at, you guessed it, a dot.com start-up in a field which has been an avocation of mine for many years--Performing Arts. Liz Neely will continue to provide the high-quality news you've come to expect from EN Today. In two years, we've grown from a paid-fax newsletter with a tightly-controlled subscriber base to a free service, delivered via email, to more than 20,000 industry professionals and executives. Backed by the Cahners Electronics Group and the commitment of its publications and affiliated partners, the newsletter has steadily increased the size and scope of its content. With some exciting developments in the works, the future looks bright. My thanks to those who helped shape the newsletter with their feedback. I look forward to joining your ranks as an avid reader of this publication. For those interested in any parting shots, my new email is chad@fasca.net. ------------------------------------------------------------- In-Depth: In-Stat examines alliance plugged into home networking spec April 10th marked the debut of a new organization named HomePlug. HomePlug is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing an open specification for networking over in-home powerline, with founding members from the silicon, networking, PC and retail industries. Why the interest from the big players? As with the Home Phone Networking Alliance (HPNA), these vendors see convergence taking place in the home through digital communications technology, and powerline is yet another medium to make this happen. These companies see the importance of participating in the developmental phase of a market that will be the platform for the generation of products in the consumer technology market. For more... http://www.electronicnews.com/enews/news/3149-104NewsDetail.asp ------------------------------------------------------------- Survey attempts to gauge patent and IP practices, compensation What kind of incentives does your company supply for pursuing patents and intellectual property development? Inquiring minds want to know. The Intellectual Property Institute, EDN Magazine, and e-inSITE have sponsored a survey to gauge industry practices regarding patent compensation and intellectual property management. Completing the anonymous survey takes roughly 5 minutes. A special report detailing results will be available for interested participants. To partcipate, click here: http://www.ednmag.com/ednmag/extras/ipsurvey/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Useful Links from around the Web Apple possibly pursuing another iMac-look clone (based on AMD ref. design) From SlashDot (item 8) http://www.slashdot.com ------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up a friend Your management team strives to be on the top of its game, so give them the inside scoop on how to receive strategic news and analysis sent directly to their desktop five days a week--tell them about Electronic News Today. Registering is easy. The service is free. Click on the link below and fill in the appropriate info. http://lists.cahners1.com/entoday ------------------------------------------------------------ Visit e-inSITE: The Electronics Industry Knowledge Network http://e-insite.net/ ENews Today Staff --------------------------- Today’s edition written by Jayant Mathew (jmathew@cahners.com), Tom Murphy (tmmurphy@cahners.com), Peter Brown (Pbrown@cahners.com), Liz Neely and Chad Fasca Edited by Chad Fasca and Liz Neely mailto:cfasca@cahners.com mailto:lneely@cahners.com Visit Us Online --------------------- Visit our website, where you can subscribe to the print edition of Electronic News, the weekly newspaper of news and analysis for strategic decision makers in the electronics industry, as well as the email newsletter, and link to other exciting tools such as the Electronic News 100 Stock Index: <http://www.electronicnews.com/default.asp> Feedback --------------- Send problems or suggestions to entoday@cahners.com or please contact Liz Neely, Web Editor, at 408.345.4450 Copyright Cahners Business Information, 2000. All rights reserved. All information is not intended to constitute an advisement to sell, etc.