1Q12’s large-sized panel shipments reached 1.71 million units with QoQ regression of 3.1 percent

TAIWAN: Coupled with new product quality problems and cutting-edge technology adopted in production lines that brought about capacity loss, 1Q12 LCD panel shipments of main applications categories were restrained by fewer working days and labor shortage due to Chinese Lunar New Year holidays.According to WitsView, the panel research division of TrendForce, large-sized panel shipments in 1Q12 amounted to 1.71 million units with QoQ decline of 3.1 percent.In terms of application categories, TV panel shipments declined by 7 percent QoQ, dragged down by slow season and disappointing sales performance in China during Chinese New Year. However, aided by the healthier year-on-year panel inventory levels, new-model launches, and inventory preparation...

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NASA awards Redfern integrated optics (RIO) with phase 2 contract for development of 1064nm laser for space LIDAR

SANTA CLARA, USA: Redfern Integrated Optics Inc. (RIO) announced that it has been awarded a Phase 2 SBIR contract for further development of its breakthrough single-frequency narrow-linewidth semiconductor laser technology in the 1064nm spectral region, suitable for spaceflight operation.RIO's proprietary external-cavity semiconductor laser is packaged in a standard 14-pin compact "butterfly" package and produces a single-frequency output with a linewidth less than 2 kHz, ultra-low phase and relative intensity noise, and high immunity to vibrations, all under a wide range of operating temperatures."Our partnership with NASA in the development of superior laser sources for the next generation space LIDAR instruments has reached a new stage with this award which will enable RIO to expand its...

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LG to lead flat panel market with cinema 3D smart TV line-up

BANGALORE, INDIA: LG Electronics India announced the launch of its latest series of Cinema 3D Smart TVs incorporating Cinema Screen design and large screen size 3D TV’s.Soon Kwon, MD LGEIL, said: “Technology and design are key factors behind LG Home Entertainment products. With our 2012 CINEMA 3D Smart TV line-up, we have been able to take a significant step forward, thanks to a series of new and upgraded 3D features led by the CINEMA SCREEN Design.” The CINEMA SCREEN Design translates the latest advances in LG’s Flat Panel TV technology into an aesthetically superior form. The Bezel that surrounds the new CINEMA 3D Smart TVs has been slimmed down to negligible levels (1 mm), creating a more optimal and comfortable environment for immersive 3D viewing. The picture goes virtually from edge...

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Samsung’s interactive smart TV debuts in India

CHENNAI, INDIA: Samsung Electronics announced the launch of its new, more interactive and intuitive Smart TV models - its flagship LED ES8000 and ES7500 series and the Plasma E8000 series in the Indian market.Samsung’s Smart Interaction technology provides Smart TV users with a new, more natural and intuitive option for controlling and interacting with the TV - breaking the physical boundaries between the consumer and screen. Samsung’s new Voice Control, Motion Control, and Face Recognition commands advance the user experience in a competitive TV market that values ease, convenience and choice. Users can turn the TV on or off, activate selected apps or search for and select content in the web browser—all without touching the remote. The Samsung...

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Dell’s enhanced Alienware portfolio delivers exceptional mobile gaming experience

INDIA: Alienware, Dell’s high performance PC gaming brand, is taking the mobile gaming experience to a new level with its enhanced gaming laptop portfolio that lets gamers choose a system that best fits their mobile lifestyle. The enhanced systems include: the M14x, the most powerful 14-inch laptop in the universei, for the gamer who requires a balance between mobility and performance; and the 3D-capable M17x for top performance with an immersive high-definition, surround-sound sensory experience. The Alienware M14x and M17x laptops deliver immersive sensory experiences, with each offering the latest NVIDIA GeForce HD graphics cards and the Creative Sound Blaster audio chipset with THX 7.1 digital surround sound and Klipsch-branded speakers.High-performance mobile gamingA perfect balance of...

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Panel makers plan on price increase, monitor shipments continued to grow in Mar-12

TAIWAN: According to the Worldwide LCD Monitor Shipments Report from WitsView, the research division of TrendForce, both global top 10 LCD monitor brands and SIs’ shipments enjoyed a continuous growth in Mar-12. Shipments of brand vendors amounted to 11.64 million units with MoM increase of 5.1 percent, while SI shipments reached 12.27 million units with a surging MoM of 8.1 percent.Brand vendors’ overall shipments continued to increase as Samsung, the leading brand vendor, launched new models mostly in Mar-12 while some retailers in the U.S. restocked their inventory. A continuous uptrend in SI shipments was due to three factors: 1) some of the February’s orders being postponed to March, 2) there were relatively more working days in Mar-12,...

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Global OEM connected car system shipments to exceed 39 million by 2016

LONDON, ENGLAND: OEM connected car system shipments are expected to grow from 8.22 million in 2012 to 39.5 million in 2016. While the United States and Western Europe remain the leading regions, car OEMs such as GM, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, and Mercedes Benz increasingly look to China as the next major expansion area for launching connected car solutions in order to maintain or enhance their competitive position in this fledgling market.Dominique Bonte, vice president and group director, telematics and M2M, comments: “Clearly the automotive industry has moved on from looking at telematics and connected car solutions as a nice premium add-on option to seeing bringing connectivity to the car as an essential tool to create more value to the end user, driving loyalty via advanced CRM-based customer...

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NTT America continues focus on cloud, global expansion and green initiatives

NEW YORK, USA: NTT America, a global IT infrastructure services provider and wholly owned subsidiary of NTT Communications Corp., announced its continuing support for the company’s cloud, global connectivity and green efforts and the refocus of key business units to address customer requirements and market dynamics. In addition the company has won awards for both green efforts and in marketing.As enterprise cloud demand continues to grow in parallel with customers’ interest in global connectivity to support large scale cloud deployments, NTT America has ensured its leadership through a variety of partnerships and an ongoing speaking platform to bring insights and information to the industry.Enterprise cloud* NTT America’s president and CEO, Kazuhiro Gomi, participated in the Executive Forum...

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Samsung intros series 7 Gamer

RIDGEFIELD PARK, USA: Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, today announced the Samsung Series 7 Gamer, the ultimate laptop for gaming enthusiasts. Designed with feedback from passionate PC gamers in mind, the Series 7 Gamer features a 17.3-inch full HD LCD display, high quality Dolby Home Theater surround sound, rich NVIDIA Geforce graphics and a 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor, as well as a unique dial that allows users to easily transition between four modes for maximum performance at all times.“The Series 7 Gamer offers all the elements of a high-powered gaming machine with the convenience of the mode-changing dial, which enables you to switch off components in order to save power and have a quieter experience when you’re using it as a more...

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HGST demos industry’s first 12Gb/S SAS SSD

SAN JOSE, USA: HGST (formerly Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and now a Western Digital company), announced the storage industry’s first technology demonstration of a 12 gigabit per second (12Gb/s) SAS solid state drive (SSD), representing the next performance step in the evolution of SAS, the preferred interface technology for enterprise servers and storage solutions. HGST is participating in the 12Gb/s SAS demonstration at the SCSI Trade Association Technology Showcase on May 9, 2012, at the Hyatt Hotel in Santa Clara, Calif.SAS SSDs and hard disk drives (HDDs), with their rich SCSI heritage, continue to be the building blocks of choice for enterprise and cloud storage. Enabling next-generation storage solutions, 12Gb/s SAS is a broadly supported industry standard as it delivers twice...

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Pioneer intros most powerful internal BDXL/BD/DVD/CD recordable drive

LONG BEACH, USA: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. unveiled the BDR-2207, Pioneer’s most powerful and full-featured drive. The internal SATA drive can read and write to all BDXL disc formats, including BD-R and BD-RE triple-layer 100GB media, BD-R quad-layer 128GB media, as well as conventional recordable Blu-ray Disc (single-layer 25GB media and dual-layer 50GB media). In addition, the drive features PowerRead and Pioneer’s PureRead2, Auto Quiet mode, QuickStart, and Peak Power Reducer technologies.The BDR-2207 is packaged with CyberLink software that gives users the ability to play standard Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D titles on correctly configured computers, as well as author and record high-definition Blu-ray Disc content and standard-definition DVD content.“Consumers do so much with their computers...

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Essar Group unleashes power of cloud with Windows Azure

INDIA: In an effort to offer its customers Web-based applications with high performance and scalability while maintaining low infrastructure and management costs, multinational conglomerate Essar Group has implemented Windows Azure,Microsoft’s cloud services platform, to deliver some of its applications. A leader in various business sectors, including steel, energy, power, communications, shipping ports, logistics and construction, and with operations in more than 25 countries across five continents and revenues at $17 billion, Essar remains competitive in an aggressive marketplace through a focused effort on superior customer service.With its enterprise customers in mind, the company sought to enhance its offerings with a cloud version of some of its applications. Microsoft Services approached...

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Zenith Infotech launches TigerCloud powered by Intel Xeon processor

MUMBAI, INDIA: Zenith Infotech announced the launch of its new product TigerCloud which is primarily aimed at mid-size organisations. TigerCloud is a high performance private cloud product that combines server, storage and network virtualization technology and allows customers to build and have their own sophisticated private clouds at costs lower than public clouds. Based on Intel Xeon E3 processor family, TigerCloud is a three-in-one product, combining private cloud, business continuity and backup, as well as scale out iSCSI storage.As per IDC, though cost continues to be an important variable constraining technology adoption, small and medium businesses (SMBs) are also exhibiting a perceptible desire for customized solutions and products that cater to their unique requirements. IT spending...

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LG unveils BX503B and BX403B - high brightness semi shot-throw projectors

NEW DELHI, INDIA: LG Electronics have scaled to new heights with the launch of two high brightness projectors, BX503B and BX403B in India. These high resolution projectors provide short projection distance and uses DLP technology. Powered by DLP technology, these projectors are virtually immune to color decay and offer an extended lifespan lasting year after year. The technology also boasts of a filter free design to eliminate the need for filter cleaning and filter replacement which not only reduces labor for support staff but also saves money for companies and schools. “With the launch of these two models in India, LG’s focus would be expanding its portfolio. LG's customer-centric approach ensures industry-leading premium products with exceptional quality and the most relevant features and...

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More than one in five US households have TV connected to Internet

SCOTTSDALE, USA: At least 21 percent of US households (approximately 27 million) have either an Internet-ready TV, game console, standalone Blu-ray player, and/or smart set-top box connected to their home network. Of these four device categories, the game console is the most used device, reaching over 80 percent of these connected TV households, followed by Internet TVs (27 percent), standalone Blu-ray players (24 percent), and smart set-top boxes (13 percent).“Game consoles got an early lead in the connectivity space when Microsoft’s Xbox 360 launched in late 2005. Multiplayer gaming, along with the attention devoted to features outside of gaming from all three key console manufacturers, Microsoft and Sony in particular, have helped catapult the game console to the top of the connected CE...

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US Department of Defense counterfeit regulations impact global suppliers

EL SEGUNDO, USA:Stringent new counterfeit-part regulations contained in the 2012 US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) may have broad international implications, impacting hundreds of overseas companies that have supplied billions of dollars’ worth of items to the American government. Non-US-based suppliers accounted for more than $2 billion during the five-year period from 2007 to 2011, with European Union (EU) and Middle Eastern companies accounting for the bulk of the American government’s procurement spend, according to the IHS Haystack Gold service. “There’s a perception that U.S. regulations such as 2012 NDAA, Section. 818. Detection and Avoidance of Counterfeit Electronic Parts,is only an issue for American companies, and that they don’t impact firms in Europe, the Mideast and...

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Hitachi Unified Storage embraced by partner ecosystem

BANGALORE, INDIA: Hitachi Data Systems Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd, announced broad global partner support for the company’s new Hitachi Unified Storage family. The ecosystem includes support from strategic technology partners and the Hitachi TrueNorth Partner community, and complements Hitachi Data Systems solutions and services organizations to help customers successfully and efficiently manage their critical business applications and meet their growth requirements. The new Hitachi Unified Storage, with a single management framework, redefines unified storage by storing multiple data types with more flexibility and balanced scalability than any other midrange solution, and without compromising performance, scalability or cost efficiency. Several strategic partners, including...

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Point Grey launches HD 6.0 MP FireWire camera with industry leading CCD sensitivity

RICHMOND, CANADA: Point Grey, a world-leading designer and manufacturer of digital cameras for industrial, scientific, and traffic applications, announced the addition of new 6.0 megapixel models to its Grasshopper Express IEEE 1394b (FireWire-b) digital cameras series. Building on Point Grey's experience with Sony EXview HAD CCD II technology, the new Grasshopper Express GX-FW-60S6 uses the Sony ICX694 to deliver high resolution and extreme sensitivity in a compact and low-cost package.Following the successful release of the ICX674 used in the GX-FW-28S5, the ICX694 applies EXview HAD technology to higher resolution, multi-tap image sensors. Compared to other CCD devices, EXview is known for higher quantum efficiency, reduced smear, and increased near infrared sensitivity. The ICX694 is a...

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China will overtake US in connected TV sales in 2014

BOSTON, USA: The global connected flat-panel TV (FPTV) market will increase to 91 million units in 2012, according to the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service report, “Global Flat-panel TV and Connected TV Forecast 2012.” By the end of 2011, nearly 100 million households worldwide owned at least one Connected FPTV, 6 percent of global household penetration. Strategy Analytics projects that the number of global connected FPTV households will reach 502 million by 2016.Content providers and Pay TV operators will increasingly leverage the growing presence of connected TVs to reach consumers, driving the growth of connected TVs. Nearly 40 percent of all FPTVs sold in 2012 are projected to be internet-enabled; and this figure will rise to 80 percent in 2016. The United States will remain...

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