Around the web
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The Gobi 9x30 is the world's first commercially announced cellular modem for automotive based on the 20nm technology node with support for global carrier aggregation deployments up to 40MHz in both LTE FDD and TDD modes.
Company release
Toshiba has developed what it claims is the world's fastest device controller for embedded NAND flash memory modules compliant with the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Ver.2.0 and UFS Unified Memory Extension (UME) Ver.1.0 standards defined by JEDEC Solid State Technology Association (JEDEC).
Company release
International Rectifier (IR) has commenced initial production at its new ultra-thin wafer processing facility in Singapore. Wafer thinning, metallization, testing and additional proprietary wafer level processing are undertaken at the new 60,000 square foot manufacturing site which receives processed wafers from IR's internal fabs and foundry partners.
Company release
RF Micro Devices and TriQuint Semiconductor have announced a definitive merger agreement under which the companies will combine in an all-stock transaction. To reflect the nature of this transaction as a merger of equals, the new company will have a new name and shared leadership team.
Company release
The Samsung Galaxy S5 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with integrated LTE. Additionally, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor is featured in the Samsung Galaxy Grand 2, bringing LTE connectivity in mainstream smartphones.
Company release
Profits at Sina, owner of China's largest Twitter-like site Weibo, surged in the fourth quarter, boosted by a jump in advertising revenue.
BBC News
InvenSense announces turnkey commercial grade wearable platform for health and fitness (February 24)
InvenSense has announced a turnkey wearable platform solution intended to substantially shorten the time-to-market for any OEM or ODM.
Company release
Hillcrest Labs has announced that Oppo, a China-based CE manufacturer and smartphone OEM, is using Hillcrest's patented Freespace software to provide advanced motion-based functionality on their latest smartphones.
Company release
Qualcomm has leaped ahead of Apple in 64-bit mobile chip development with its first eight-core Snapdragon 615 chip for mobile devices, which has integrated LTE and 4K video rendering capabilities.
PC World
Renesas Electronics has developed what it claims is the industry's first 28-nanometer (nm) flash memory intellectual property (IP) for microcontrollers (MCUs) using a 28nm process technology.
Company release
Sony's flagships have struggled to find success, but that hasn't stopped the company from quickly iterating its smartphone line to keep up with its rivals.
engadget
Chinese mobile technology leader Huawei unveiled the latest additions to its stable Sunday in Barcelona, ahead of the 2014 World Mobile Congress, including its "hybrid" fitness band/smart watch.
CNN
LG Electronics said it will launch a computerized wristwatch later this year, entering a nascent market where Samsung Electronics, Sony and smaller companies such as Pebble are already jostling for dominance.
Bloomberg
Samsung has released two updated versions of its Gear smartwatch featuring slimmer designs and heart rate sensors beating Apple to the release of a health-tracking smartwatch.
Guardian
Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth claims that Apple has acquired a large supply of sapphire displays, possibly alluding to displays with sapphire material that would be used on a future Apple iPhone.
CNET
WhatsApp's jaw-dropping US$19 billion price tag took the world by surprise. But Facebook might have actually gotten WhatsApp for cheap.
CNNMoney
Hewlett-Packard reported fiscal first-quarter sales and profit that topped analysts' estimates as the personal-computer maker won new orders for corporate machines and servers to run data centers.
Bloomberg (via Businessweek)
Google has unveiled a prototype smartphone with "customised hardware and software" that enables it to create 3D maps of a user's surroundings.
BBC News
A smartwatch prototype based on Qualcomm's Toq device will be previewed to carriers at the Mobile World Congress trade show, with no plans to unveil the device publicly, the person said, asking not to be identified because the details haven't been released.
Bloomberg
Nokia is considering buying Juniper Networks to merge into its telecommunications network gear business, German's Manager Magazin Online reported, citing unidentified sources.
Reuters
Qualcomm is under investigation in China for allegedly overcharging and exploiting its market position, which will see the US chipmaker facing fines of over US$1 billion.
ZDNet
WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook's board of directors.
Company release
The upcoming Tesla Model X could inherit some iOS goodness courtesy of a partnership with Apple.
ZDNet
South Korean multinational conglomerates Samsung and LG are considering setting up units to manufacture electronic chips in India, following the government's clearance to build two such semiconductor units.
Economic Times
As if 3D TV and OLED vs. plasma vs. LED TVs and 120Hz and the Soap Opera Effect weren't confusing enough, in the last year we have seen the rise of a new HDTV technology called 4K. Or if you use its official name, Ultra High Definition (UHD).
CNET
A report citing inside sources says the upcoming smartphone will come equipped with fingerprint reading technology within the device's home button.
CNET
Samsung Electronics Co said a memory chip plant being built in China will start operations as planned in the first half of 2014 and the company will remain flexible about further investment in the factory.
Reuters
AMD is rolling out its server CPU platform based on ARM's 64-bit technology - the first of such collaboration between the two firms. The Opteron A1100 series chip, codenamed Seattle, is fabricated using 28nm process technology, and the chip maker plans to sample it this quarter.
EE Times
ARM has announced an enhanced suite of higher performance and more energy-efficient products specifically designed for the rapidly growing mid-range mobile and consumer electronics markets.
Company release
According to people familiar with Apple's plans, the company has made the decision to ramp down iPad 2 production given that customers are resoundingly shifting purchases towards its more modern and capable iPads, namely the iPad mini and iPad Air.
Apple Insider
2014 will be the year that wearables become a key consumer technology, as the smart band segment is estimated to reach 8 million annual shipments. Canalys estimates that this number will grow to over 23 million units by 2015, and over 45 million by 2017.
canalys.com
Lenovo reported Thursday it had made progress in its plan to expand beyond PCs, even before a planned acquisition of Motorola Mobility.
New York Times
Chipmaker Microchip Technology said it would buy Supertex for US$394 million in cash to bolster its business that supplies to the medical, LED lighting, industrial and telecommunication industries.
Reuters
Samsung recently won an order for roughly 7,000 smartphones from the US Army and is close to an order for several thousand devices from the US National Security Agency, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Wall Street Journal
The company's comments feel at once like a hedge against the possibility that Apple may release a watch in 2014, and also like an attempt to prove it can keep up with its Android rivals Samsung and LG.
New York Times
Sony has entered negotiations with Apple to double its supply of camera components for a new iPhone slated to roll out as early as next year.
Nikkei Electronics Asia
Infineon Technologies has projected sales growth in its fiscal second quarter as orders for automotive and identity-checking components rise.
Bloomberg (via Businessweek)
Wang Yu-chi and Zhang Zhijun, the top cross-strait officials from each side, are both attending the four-day talks in Nanjing.
BBC News
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