Around the web
8 Nov 20167 Nov 20164 Nov 20163 Nov 20162 Nov 20161 Nov 201628 Oct 201627 Oct 201626 Oct 201624 Oct 2016
A Canadian company is suing Sony in a Chinese court for alleged patent infringement, in a dispute that could establish the country as an important new venue for intellectual property cases.
The Financial Times
A rather speculative KGI note suggests that Apple's focus on augmented reality (AR) instead of virtual reality (VR) will give the company a 3-5 year lead on the rest of the industry when it launches its first products. The report also suggests that Apple could use augmented reality as part of an autonomous driving system.
9to5Mac.com
Apple captured an estimated 104% of total smartphone industry profits during Q3. How is this possible? Because the Android vendors were busy losing money.
ZDNet
Apple will not refresh the iPhone SE in the first half of 2017, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The lack of refresh comes as Apple attempts to maintain high margins on its high-end iPhone models, Kuo said in a new research note.
Mac Rumors
When Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, one of the biggest and loudest skeptics was Steve Ballmer, who was CEO of Microsoft at the time.
Business Insider
Among its early backers are technology group Samsung, German engineer Bosch and Hermann Hauser, the founder of Cambridge-based chip designer ARM.
The Financial Times
Zeiss SMT has been a supplier to ASML for 30 years. It makes lenses and other equipment needed to focus the energy beams ASML uses to help companies such as Intel and Samsung create the circuitry of semiconductor chips.
Reuters
Massive government investment in China's semiconductor industry risks distorting the global market for integrated circuits, leading to damaging overcapacity and stifling innovation, US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker has warned.
Reuters
Apple's granted patent 9,485,862 was filed in Q3 2014 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Patently Apple
Marvell Technology said it plans to eliminate 900 jobs as part of a restructuring designed to narrow the chip maker's focus on more profitable businesses.
Wall Street Journal
Tesla Motors has announced that all Tesla vehicles - Model S, Model X, and the upcoming Model 3 - will now be equipped with an on-board "supercomputer" that can provide full self-driving capability. This in-vehicle supercomputer is powered by the Nvidia DRIVE PX 2 AI computing platform.
Company release
Smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm, which agreed to buy NXP Semiconductors for about US$38 billion last week, reported a better-than-expected 13.3% rise in quarterly revenue, helped by strong demand, particularly in China.
Reuters
The all-American iPhone may remain somewhat of a fantasy for now, but at least a few more of its internal chips could end up being manufactured on home turf.
MIT Technology Review
Chipmaker Broadcom is nearing a deal to acquire network gear maker Brocade Communications Systems Inc in a deal that could be announced later this week, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Reuters
South Korea's exports fell in October because of problems at two of its biggest companies, with Samsung Electronics abandoning its trouble-plagued Galaxy Note 7 and Hyundai Motor suffering a lengthy labor strike.
Nikkei Electronics Asia
Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn Technology Group, is making wireless charging modules to go with the iPhone's 10th anniversary range slated for release in 2017, according to an industry source familiar with the matter.
Nikkei Electronics Asia
LG Electronics is not going to apply modularized structure for its next smartphone called 'G6 (tentative)' that is expected to be released in 2017. It is basically withdrawing its strategy of modularization that was first introduced to G5 in just a year.
ETNews.com
Shares of touch-sensor technology maker Synaptics are down $13.93, or 21%, at $53.77, after the company yesterday afternoon reported fiscal Q1 revenue and profit that topped analysts' expectations, and also projected revenue this quarter above consensus, but missed with its gross profit result and forecast lower profit this quarter as well.
Barron's
Worldwide smartphone shipments up 1% in 3Q16 despite Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall, says IDC (Oct 26)
Despite the recall of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7, volumes were up 1.0% compared to 3Q15 when vendors shipped 359.3 million units.
IDC
The fund will have a size of about KRW200 billion (US$175.4 million), of which KRW50 billion will be financed by Samsung Electronics and KRW25 billion by SK Hynix.
Hankyung
Toshiba raised its forecast for first-half operating profit by 36% to JPY95 billion (US$906 million), crediting growth in memory chips and hard disk drives, as well as cost-cutting measures.
Bloomberg
Sony and Panasonic, the Japanese electronics makers, have warned that profits would be hit by lower export income owing to the stronger yen and the retreat from lossmaking businesses.
The Financial Times
Samsung Electronics said strength in its semiconductor business offset the impact to its mobile phone business caused by exploding batteries in its flagship Galaxy Note 7 products.
EE Times
Texas Instruments said profit shot up 21% in the latest quarter as continued strong demand in the automotive and industrial sectors helped the chip maker report results just above its forecast.
Wall Street Journal
The three new iPhone models to be launched next year are likely to sport glass backs supplied by China's Biel Crystal Manufactory and Lens Technology, an industry source told the Nikkei Asian Review.
Nikkei Electronics Asia
It includes confidential information about Samsung's 14nm and 10nm fabrication processes.
SamMobile
Seeking Alpha
Austrian sensor chip maker AMS has warned of a setback with one of its customers which could hit revenues and force a writedown in its accounts, sending its Swiss-listed shares down by as much as 23% on Tuesday.
Reuters
In a surprise move on Monday, the German authorities withdrew approval for the takeover of a domestic semiconductor firm by a Chinese bidder, a deal that was set to be an emblem of a new push by Chinese companies to acquire cutting-edge technology businesses and a sign of Berlin's tolerance for such moves.
New York Times
Japan's Sharp will become the main supplier of LCD panels to Universal Media, the Slovak manufacturer licensed to sell Sharp-brand televisions in Europe, The Nikkei learned Thursday.
Nikkei Electronics Asia
156/1505 pages