Apple to make iPhone 14 in India in shift away from China

Yahoo – AFP, September 2022 

Apple will manufacture its new flagship smartphone in India, the US tech giant said Monday, as it seeks to diversify production away from a dependence on China. 

The iPhone supply chain is based mainly in China but the country's zero-Covid policies and tensions with the United States have hurt production, analysts say. 

"We're excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India," Apple said in a brief statement. 

The California-based firm already makes older iPhone models in India via Taiwanese manufacturers such as Foxconn, which has a factory in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. 

The latest announcement comes just weeks after Apple launched new smartphones. The tech behemoth is commencing production of the iPhone 14 in India much earlier than it did for previous models, Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said. 

"Over the last couple of years, it has been increasingly diversifying its supply chain to India," Chaurasia told AFP. 

About 7.5 million iPhones -- around three percent of Apple's global production -- were made in India last year, the analyst added. 

"We expect that the local production of iPhones could reach more than 11 million this year," he said. 

Apple's announcement will be a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" strategy under which he has urged foreign businesses to manufacture goods in the South Asian nation.

Chip machinery maker ASML wins first order from China

DutchNews, May 16, 2018

Photo: ASML 

Chipmachine marker ASML of Veldhoven has won its first-ever order from China, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Wednesday. 

The paper said Chinese Semiconductor Manufacturing International has ordered a $120m extreme ultraviolet lithography machine from ASML which never identifies its customers. Citing Nikkei Asian Review the FD said this is the latest in a series of orders for the EUV machines from ASML. 

Taiwan-based TSMC has ordered eight of the EUV machines, Samsung six and Intel three while GlobalFoundries of the US has ordered one. At the presentation of first-quarter figures in April, ASML said it had booked orders for 20 of the machines. 

EUV technology allows the industry to continue to print smaller features onto ever-more complex chips. It is carried out in a vacuum using a plasma to produce EUV light using highly sophisticated mirrors instead of lenses to project the circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. 

Today’s silicon chips have features as small as 40 nanometers – less than a few hundred atoms across – and ASML says EUV lithography tools will be used to print even smaller 

Using EUV to print transistors this small is equivalent to printing an image the size of a human eye on the surface of the earth from a space shuttle . . . and then printing another image on top of the first one with perfect alignment, the company says.

Google to buy part of smartphone maker HTC for $1.1 billion: Taiwan firm

Yahoo – AFP, 21 September 2017

Taiwan's struggling smartphone maker HTC is selling part of its smartphone
business to US technology giant Google

Taiwan's struggling smartphone maker HTC said Thursday it was selling part of its smartphone business to US technology giant Google for $1.1 billion.

The deal includes intellectual property licensing and half of its research staff, or around 2,000 people, and is expected to be completed in early 2018 pending regulatory approval, HTC said.

"For Google, the deal will further strengthen its investment in and committment to smartphones and its hardware business... it shows that Google sees Taiwan as a key hub for innovative technology," HTC spokesman Peter Shen told a press conference in Taipei.

He declined to give further details about the deal but stressed that HTC would continue to develop and sell smartphones under its own brand.

HTC mum on alleged partnership with Israeli VR startup Replay

Want China Times, CNA 2015-07-14

Cher Wang speaks at an event at HTC's headquarters in Taoyuan, June 6.
(Photo courtesy of HTC)

HTC declined to comment Monday on a report that the Taiwanese smartphone maker is hoping to work with an Israel-based startup to provide virtual reality technology.

Local magazine Business Next reported on Saturday that HTC chairwoman and CEO Cher Wang had planned to visit Replay Technologies in early June, but was forced to cancel the plan because she needed to address HTC's tumbling share price.

The report said Wang canceled the plan in an e-mail to the Israeli company, citing Replay co-founder and CEO Oren Haimovitch-Yogev.

Wang's secret visit was aimed at teaming up with Replay for new technologies used in the HTC Vive — a virtual reality headset developed jointly with US video game supplier Valve, which is expected to hit the consumer market in the second half of this year, the report said.

In response to the report, HTC told CNA on Monday that it does not comment on rumors or speculation.

Replay has developed a new video format called "freeD," or free dimensional video, which works by capturing reality as a true three-dimensional scene, comprised of three-dimensional pixels that faithfully represent reality, rather than as a flat 2D image.

This information is stored in a freeD database and can be accessed to create any desired viewing angle from the multi-dimensional information, the three-year-old startup said.

The freeD technology has been used in instant replays at major sports events, including the 2012 Olympic Games, NBA All-Star Games, MLB games and the Super Bowl.

Replay has formed partnerships with Samsung Electronics, Sony and Microsoft.

Singapore tops global IT readiness report

Want China Times, Lin Kuo-pin and Staff Reporter 2015-04-19

Visitors at Taipei Computex, June 2, 2014. Taiwan ranked No. 18 in this
year's report. (Photo/Wang Ying-hao)

Taiwan ranked 18th in the networked readiness index (NRI) of the Global Information Technology Report 2015, which was released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on April 15, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Commercial Times. Singapore claimed the first place,

The NRI measures economies in terms of their capacity to prepare for, use and leverage information and communications technologies. In the 143 economies surveyed this year, Singapore moved up from No. 2 last year to overtake Finland as the world's most network-ready country.

Finland dropped to second after topping the ranking for two years in a row. Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the US were ranked third to seventh. The UK moved up one place to be No. 8 and Luxembourg moved up two places to No. 9. Japan advanced six places from last year to No. 10, only the second Asian country in the top ten.

Russia climbed nine places to 41 while China remained the same at No. 62. South Africa was ranked 75, Brazil 84 and India 89.

Taiwan was ranked 18, the lowest position since it was first evaluated in 2002. Taiwan's highest ranking was No. 6 in 2011 and No. 7 in 2006.

Taiwan's 3D printer 'da Vinci' wins Nikkei excellent product award

Want China Times, CNA 2015-01-09

The da Vinci 1.0 3D printer. (Photo courtesy of XYZprinting)

A Taiwanese brand won a Nikkei Asian Review Award for Excellence for the first time at the 2014 Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards on Tuesday when XYZprinting Inc. took the honor for its 3D printer.

The da Vinci 1.0 3D printer, which went on sale at stores in Japan in March 2014, won the award because of its affordable price, ease of handling and attractive exterior design, XYZprinting said in a statement on Tuesday.

XYZprinting CEO Simon Shen said his company was encouraged by winning the Nikkei award and will continue to develop products that make it easier for consumers to enjoy using 3D printers.

Nikkei has been recognizing superior new products and services every year since 1982, when it launched the "Nikkei Outstanding Product of the Year Awards." The awards name was changed to the current name in 1987.

Nominations are not based on public application or participation. Instead, Nikkei selects candidate products and services on its own every September to November and then has a panel of judges select some 40 winning products and services at the end of the year.

Prior to earning a Nikkei award, the da Vinci 1.0 was selected for an Editor's Choice Award at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2013. It also received Computex Taipei's Best Choice Award in June last year.

XYZprinting, a unit of Taiwanese electronics conglomerate Kinpo Group, told the press in November last year that it plans to ship 120,000 3D printers globally in 2015, triple an estimated 40,000 units in 2014, due to a wider offering of products.

3D printing is the automated process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape based on a digital model. The technology is already changing the design, prototyping and manufacturing processes in a wide range of industries, according to market research firm Gartner.

Taiwan and China race for 3D printing tech edge

Want China Times, Hsu Chang-ping and Staff Reporter 2014-11-24

A 3D printing machine. (Photo/Yen Chien-long)

Taiwan's government has to put more effort into developing polymers and metallic materials to provide for 3D printing, which has become increasingly popular in Taiwan and China, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

China's government is reportedly providing all sorts of resources into the development of 3D printing, including capital and land. A spokesman for Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) said China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore have all fallen slightly behind in this new technology, but are making efforts to upgrade.

In the future, Taiwan's government will gradually build up its niche market in 3D printing in the industries involving cultural creativity, biomedicine, electronics, toys and molds.

China has already invested US$240 million in the industrial parks of Zhuhai, Qingdao, Wuhan and Chengdu to develop the industry, according to the ITRI.

WestingCut Industrial Technology, in the province of Anhui, has been collaborating with the Chinese government in developing 3D printing technology. It has invested NT$7.5 billion (US$242.32 million) to establish the Xery 3D Printing Science & Technology based in Haozhou. The factory will produce 50,000 3D printers for household use, 20,000 printers for business use, and 5,000 printers for industrial use a year, as well as 500,000 tonnes of material used for 3D printing.

WestingCut chairman Yu Jinhu said that the US and Taiwan are aggressively developing 3D printing technologies, and that the cost for the printing equipment will be lower in the future, making the prices of printed products more affordable. By then 3D printing will become more popular and trigger another revolution.

ITRI said that Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Economic Affairs wish to develop 3D metal printing instead of plastic. The technology will be first applied in the production of car parts.

Taiwan-developed technology can bootup phones in just 6 seconds

Want China Times, CNA 2014-11-11

Lo Shi-wu shows off his invention, Nov. 10. (Photo/CNA)

A researcher in southern Taiwan has developed a potentially energy-saving technology that he says allows smartphones to boot up in as little as six seconds.

"When I looked at the code in the operating system relating to power-saving, I realized there was a more efficient way to code it and started looking into it," said Lo Shi-wu, an assistant professor of computer science and information engineering at National Chung Cheng University.

On average, it takes 40 seconds for most devices to turn on, according to the researcher.

Lo explained Monday that this technology could save energy by encouraging people to switch off their phones when not in use, something many people currently avoid because they feel turning the phone back on when they want to use it can take too long.

Calling his invention an improvement on other energy-saving designs for phones, Lo said it works based on the random access ability of flash memory.

The technology has been patented in Taiwan and South Korea and has already been transferred to several major chip and software companies, Lo said, without specifying the companies.

While it has obvious applications in mobile devices running Google's Android operating system and internet-capable devices, Lo suggested that in the future, car computers and Web-based TV services, such as Chunghwa Telecom's Multimedia on Demand (MOD), could integrate it as well.

Google will not make further investment in Google glass supplier

Want China Times, CNA 2014-10-23

A man tries on Google Glass, Apr. 25. (File photo/CNS)

Taiwanese chip maker Himax Technologies announced Wednesday that Google has decided not to exercise its previously issued purchase option to make an additional investment into a Himax unit, Himax Display, which supplies liquid-crystal-on-silicon microdisplay technology for Google Glass.

The second round investment decision by Google will not affect the two companies' strategic partnership, Himax said. They added they the company has been authorized by Google to make the following statement: "Google continues to work closely with Himax as a strategic partner on future technologies and products and will remain a board observer."

The companies did not explain why Google has decided not to make additional investment.

Himax Display has been Google's partner for several years. The US search giant made its first-round investment in October 2013 to acquire a 6.3% stake in Himax Display and had the option to increase its stake to 14.8%.

Over the last few years, Himax Display has devoted its research and development of its liquid-crystal-on-silicon technology for new applications of head-mounted displays and other wearable computing applications.

HTC introduces groundbreaking new digital camera

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-10-11

The HTC RE digital camera, right, linked up to a smartphone. (Photo/China Times)

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC is venturing into uncharted waters with its new RE high-resolution camera, reports the Commercial Times, our Chinese-language sister paper.

The RE, set for release in the US later this month, was launched in New York on Oct. 8 local time, along with the company's new midrange smartphone, the Desire Eye.

Designed to look like a periscope, the RE can be used as an independent still and video camera or as a connected device controlled via a smartphone. The device has no power switch but has touch sensors that activate when it is picked up. It has just one button, which shoots a still with a short press and a video when pressed for longer.

As a still camera, the RE has a resolution of 16 million pixels and an angle of view of 146 degrees. Video resolution is full HD at 1080p at a rate of 30fps, and a 4x slow motion mode will be accessible at a resolution of 720p. Shallow underwater shots are possible as the RE is water resistant to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes.

Notably, the RE is the first piece of HTC hardware that is compatible with both Android and Apple's iOS.

HTC CEO Peter Chou said at the launch that the RE is the start of the next leg of HTC's journey, adding that the cross-platform characteristic will allow more people to get to experience HTC's products and improve its brand awareness. Company founder and chairwoman Cher Wang also expressed confidence in the RE as well as the company's financial performance for next year.

The RE will be available for US$200 in the US at Best Buy, Amazon and telecommunication operators such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The camera is expected to reach the Taiwanese market by the end of the year.

San Francisco's Uber brings private car-hailing app to Taiwan

Want China Times, CNA 2014-07-05

An advertisement for Uber's taxi hailing app. (Photo/Uber)

Uber, a San Francisco-based transportation networking company that makes mobile apps which allows customers to book and track vehicles for hire, is seeking to introduce the new technology to Taiwan, an official from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Friday.

Ministry officials said they were still assessing whether the company's services are legitimate and violate any local transportation rules.

Uber has begun soliciting members in Taiwan through the internet by launching discounts.

The apps, when downloaded to the user's smartphone, detect the Global Positioning System's (GPS) space-based satellite navigation system and finds the nearest available driver who is a member of the network.

Customers can hail a private car, track the car's progress on a map, pay the driver, and even split the fare with friends using a credit card system, all via the Uber smartphone app that connects passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire and ridesharing services, according to the company website.

In addition to car-for-hire services, Uber also offers taxi services, which allow customers to book and pay for taxi journeys, according to the ministry.

Wang Mu-heng, deputy director of the ministry's Department of Railways and Highways, said under existing rules, drivers who work for car-for-hire companies cannot directly receive assignments from customers, Wang added.

Wang said if Uber cooperates with car-for-hire companies to supply car hiring services, then these companies can use the app to communicate with customers and assign drivers to pick up customers and accept payments.

If Uber collaborates with taxi-cab companies, it will need to be licensed to become a taxi services provider and cannot offer discounts, according to Wang. He added that they should charge customers taxi fares based on a flag-down fare and the distance traveled in accordance with related regulations.

Uber has filed applications to operate information management, business consulting and even third-party payment services, the ministry said.

It said it was concerned about the operating methods of Uber, however, given that if disputes arise from such services, consumers' rights are at stake. The ministry has therefore decided to consult with government agencies to look into whether Uber's operations are legitimate.

The ministry said car-for-hire providers could face fines of NT$9,000 (US$300) to NT$90,000 (US$3,000) and taxi companies could be fined NT$50,000 (US$1,700) to NT$150,000 (US$5,000), if they are found to be in violation of the law.

Apps using Uber's technology were first launched in 2009 and are currently in operation in more than 70 cities in 37 countries.

Asustek unveils world's first 5-in-1 laptop at Taipei Computex

Want China Times, CNA and Staff Reporter 2014-06-03

The ASUS Transformer Book V. (Photo courtesy of Asustek)

Taiwan-based PC maker Asustek unveiled Monday a line of new products at this year's Computex Taipei computer trade show, with a converged notebook that enables five modes across the Windows and Android platforms given pride of place.

The Transformer Book V is a 12.5-inch tablet combined with a detachable keyboard dock and a 5-inch smartphone. Based on different usage scenarios, the device, which supports dual operating systems, can transform into a Windows laptop, a Windows tablet, an Android laptop, an Android tablet, or an Android smartphone.

"Asus is passionate about technology and driven by innovation," Asustek chairperson Jonney Shih said at a pre-show press conference. "We dream, we dare and we strive to create an effortless and joyful digital life for everyone."

The five-mode Transformer Book V is expected to hit store shelves in September or October this year, according to Asustek.

Also on display at the company's product showcase was the Transformer Book T300 Chi, a high-performance detachable notebook powered by Intel's next-generation Core series processor, which comes with a 12.5-inch tablet. The T300 Chi features LTE support and is equipped with a 2560 x 1440 high-resolution display.

Jerry Shen, Asustek chief executive officer, told a press briefing after the product showcase that both the Transformer Book V and the T300 Chi are expected to create "huge volumes" of shipments this year because of their competitive prices.

He declined to specify prices, saying only that the monthly shipments of the T300 Chi could rank second among all the company's notebooks when the T300 Chi starts shipping in the third quarter, behind only the successful T100 model.

"We will not sacrifice any user experience [on the T300 Chi] and will make all its five modes perfect," Shen added.

Asustek shares ended up 1.38% at NT$331 (US$11) Monday in Taipei trading before the product announcement.

Taiwan to start 3D printing development program in May

Want China Times, CNA 2014-04-10

3D printers and finished products at a forum in Taipei, March 3.
(Photo/Kuo Chi-chuan)

A 3D printing development program is scheduled to kick off in May to tap the fast-growing 3D printing industry, according to a report from Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology released Wednesday.

Under the three-year program initiated by the ministry, NT$70 million (US$2.33 million) will be spent each year to help the local development of 3D printing technology.

According to Wohlers Associates, a technology consulting firm, the size of the global 3D printing market is expected to grow to US$10.8 billion by 2021 from US$2.3 billion recorded in 2013, representing a compound annual growth rate of 22%.

The ministry said 3D additive manufacturing technology developers are currently facing problems such as the poor production efficiency and the unsatisfactory quality of finished 3D printed products, which will have to be addressed before their products can go on the market.

For the first year of the program, the ministry will push for efforts to cultivate talent in both the academic and industrial arenas, in a bid to bridge the gap between the local development and international progress in the 3D printing business.

The ministry said the program will focus on research and development to facilitate the local 3D printing industry, and will assign part of its budget to develop such devices as metal molding devices and other technology for dentistry.

The three-year program is also aimed at encouraging the academic and industrial sectors to set up a strategic alliance to work together in the 3D printing development, the ministry said.

The ministry said that as Taiwan has taken the lead over many of its competitors in the world in the information and communications technology business, the program is expected to lead the local high-tech sector to combine cloud technology with 3D printing development in a bid to further strengthen innovation of the local 3D printing industry.

Acer unveils US$115 budget tablet

Want China Times, CNA 2014-02-27

The Iconia One7. (Photo/Acer)

Taiwanese computer maker Acer unveiled its cheapest tablet computer to date Wednesday when it announced the Iconia One7 with a price tag of just NT$3,490 (US$115).

Taking aim at the low-cost tablet market favored by price-sensitive customers, Acer said in an emailed statement that it began shipping a "limited volume" of the One7 to local distributors Wednesday and expects the 7-inch tablet to go on sale in early March in Taiwan and later in the month in China and other Asia-Pacific markets.

The Iconia One7 packs a Cortex-A9 dual-core 1.5GHz chipset from Taiwan's VIA Technologies, a 1024x600-pixel screen, 16GB of built-in memory and a micro-SD card slot. The company said it supports high-definition 1080p video playback, despite the relatively low WVGA screen resolution.

The One7's specifications hold up to competitors in the 7-inch low-price bracket, including its cross-town rival Asustek Computer's US$139 MeMO Pad HD 7 and US online retailer Amazon's US$139 Kindle Fire HD.

Acer shares closed flat at NT$18.05 (US$0.59) Wednesday on the Taiwan Stock Exchange ahead of the announcement.

The struggling Taiwanese PC maker has aimed for explosive growth in its tablet computer business for 2014 despite intensified competition from other low-cost Android tablet vendors.

Maverick Shih, president of Acer's BYOC (Build Your Own Cloud) and Tablet Business Group, told the media on Feb. 5 that the company "will be working hard to achieve aggressive growth" and is eyeing 10 million tablets shipped this year.

For comparison, the Commercial Times estimated that the company shipped only half of that number last year, citing sources within Acer.

A Dec. 3 report by research firm IDC noted that while the worldwide market has embraced 7-inch tablets, they will have to compete with the increasingly large smartphones, some of which are nearly as big at 6 inches.

Legislature to pass amendments to wiretapping law in Taiwan

Want China Times, CNA 2014-01-14

A telephone from the Legislative Yuan. (Photo/Yao Chih-ping)

Lawmakers across party lines in Taiwan reached a consensus Monday on draft amendments to the Communication Security and Surveillance Act that will limit a wiretap order to one individual suspect only.

The consensus was reached amid concerns over wiretapping abuses and communications security in the wake of the controversial wiretapping of the Legislature by the Special Investigation Division (SID) under the Supreme Prosecutors Office last year.

The draft amendments are expected to clear the Legislature on Tuesday.

Wu Ping-jui, a caucus whip of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, said the draft amendments will allow prosecutors to ask the court to issue a wiretap order only after the prosecutors office has formally registered a case.

They will also restrict the order to apply to one individual suspect, although prosecutors can ask for several orders in the same case or a related case.

In addition, the amendments will stipulate that criminal material inadvertently obtained through a wiretap cannot be used as evidence in the criminal proceedings of another case, according to legislator Lee Guei-min of the ruling Kuomintang.

But if prosecutors find material related to another crime and successfully apply for a separate court-approved wiretap order within seven days of the wiretap, the material can still be used as evidence, Lee said.

Lawmakers also agreed on some exceptions, saying that prosecutors could obtain communications records immediately rather than wait for a court's approval in robberies and murders and cases involving fraud, drug abuse, human trafficking and offenses subject to more than seven years in jail.

Under the consensus, any information obtained from a wiretap that is unrelated to the purpose of the investigation cannot be transcribed.

If civil servants or former civil servants use wiretapping information for another purpose, they will be subject to a sentence of up to three years in prison.

'da Vinci' 3D printer nabs CES award with US$499 price tag

Want China Times, CNA 2014-01-13

The 'da Vinci' 3D printer on XYZprinting's website. (Photo Courtesy
of XYZprinting)

At just US$499, XYZprinting's new 3D printer, the da Vinci 1.0, caused quite a stir at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas — including among the editors at Reviewed.com, who selected the printer for an Editor's Choice Award.

The Taiwanese firm's entry-level 3D printer beat 27 other products to earn the endorsement from Reviewed.com, which presented the awards in partnership with CES organizers.

Judges praised the da Vinci 1.0 as an "affordable and approachable 3D printing" device, comparing it to products from other brands that use the same fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology but generally cost over US$1,400.

"The display of the XYZprinting 3D printer drew the attention of global media at the CES show because of its low price, and we also received a lot of inquiries from worldwide distributors," Gary Shu, senior manager of XYZprinting's market development division, said in a statement.

XYZprinting, a unit of Taiwanese electronics conglomerate Kinpo Group, is scheduled to start shipping its da Vinci 1.0 printers to China in January, Japan and the United States in February, and Europe in March, chairman Simon Shen told a media briefing last month.

The company has set its global sales target at 100,000 printers in 2014 and 1 million over the next three years, Shen said.

3D printing is the automated process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape based on a digital model. The technology is already changing the design, prototyping and manufacturing processes in a wide range of industries, according to a report by market research firm Gartner Inc.

Gartner said that enterprise-class 3D printers will soon be available for under US$2,000, advising businesses to start experimenting with the technology to improve traditional design and prototyping methods.

Hon Hai's cloud center catches the eye of Facebook, Alibaba

Want China Times, Cheng Shu-fang and Staff Reporter 2014-01-09

Hon Hai's cloud computing data center in Kaohsiung. (Photo/Yen Rui-tien)

Several prominent companies have inquired into collaborative efforts with Taiwan-based Hon Hai on a cloud computing data center in Kaohsiung's software industry park. Among them are the likes of Alibaba, Hewlett Packard and Facebook.

Hon Hai, the world's largest contract manufacturer known in China by its trading name Foxconn, started to build its cloud computing data center last August. The center is expected to become operational in March, and is currently applying for an operation certificate from Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Alibaba, Hewlett Packard and Facebook are interested in using space in the internet data center, which would allow them to launch more localized cloud services to Taiwan's technologically savvy population.

Hon Hai has invested in the software industrial park for over two years at a sum of NT$1.9 billion (US$31 million). The data center is approximately 10,000 square meters large and is geared for an almost 63,000 square meter expansion for software development.

Taiwan unveils new 3D-IC technology

Want China Times, CNA 2014-01-09

A worker inspects an IC wafer at a lab located in the Hsinchu
Science Park in northern Taiwan. (Photo Courtesy of TSMC)

Taiwan's National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) unveiled on Tuesday a new three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D-IC) technology that it said can be used to make "super chips."

The laboratory said it has spent NT$500 million (US$16.6 million) over the past 10 years developing the "Monolithic 3D-IC" technology, which chip makers can use to stack multiple layers of chips, allowing for more functions at a lower power consumption level.

"We have developed a very critical core technology in line with industrial trends," said Shieh Jia-min, who is in charge of the project.

Currently, only French research-and-technology organization Leti is working on a similar Monolithic technology, but the NARL can provide better performance and offer more components with its solution, Shieh said.

The new technology enables 150 layers of chips to fit in space once used to stack a mere two chips using traditional technology, and helps improve signal propagation speed, provides a higher order of connectivity and offers new design possibilities, Shieh said.

Shen Chang-hong, another researcher on the team, told CNA that a Taiwanese flat panel maker is currently collaborating with the team and plans to release new products using the technology in April at the earliest.

"We're promoting technical cooperation at the moment, and looking forward to technology transfer in the future," Shen said.

The laboratory plans to enhance the technology and expects it to mature to a level suitable for use by memory chip makers or contract chip makers within five years, he said.

The technology can benefit the telematics, aerospace, cloud computing and information and communications sectors, according to researchers.

Aurora Group of Taiwan enters 3D printing market

Want China Times, CNA 2013-12-04

An Aurora F1 3D printer. (Photo/CNA)

The Aurora Group, Taiwan's leading manufacturer of office furniture and automation equipment, on Tuesday unveiled a three-dimensional printer for business use.

Developed jointly with the state-run Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the Aurora F1 3D printer will go on sale next month in 166 Aurora stores at a price of under NT$100,000 (US$3,400), according to the company.

Print quality and stability can be achieved without connecting the printer to a computer, using an SD card. The printer was built with the use of fused deposition modeling technology and a biodegradable plastic material called Polylactic acid.

The target market comprises mainly consumer electronics manufacturers, professional designers and academic institutions in Taiwan, which amount to some 200,000 customers, said Alice Lin, executive director of the Aurora Group.

"We will bring our distribution advantage to bear on the new business, creating higher value for our customers," Lin said at the product launch.

The F1 printer will be distributed later in overseas markets such as Japan and the United States, according to Tony Tsai, senior division manager of the company's 3D printing business department, but did not give a timeframe.

Aurora, in partnership with the ITRI, is also aiming to launch a cloud-based service for office applications, hopefully by the second half of 2014, Tsai said.

In September, Aurora inked an agreement with US 3D printer maker Stratasys to become the sole distributor of the American firm's Idea line of 3D printers in China.

With the unveiling of the F1, dealers forecast that Aurora's 3D printer sales in Taiwan and China will account for 10% to 15% of the group's total revenues in three years.

Global shipments of 3D printers priced at less than US$100,000 will show 49% annual growth this year, reaching 56,507 units, market research company Gartner forecast in an October report.

Shipments will increase further by 75% next year to 98,065 units, followed by a near doubling of unit shipments in 2015, Gartner said.

"The 3D printer market has reached its inflection point," said Pete Basiliere, a research director at Gartner.

"While still a nascent market, with hype outpacing the technical realities, the speed of development and rise in buyer interest are pressing hardware, software and service providers to offer easier-to-use tools and materials that produce consistently high-quality results," he said in the report.

MediaTek unveils world's first true octa-core mobile platform

Want China Times, CNA 2013-11-21

A press event held by MediaTek to unveil the octa-core mobile platform, Nov. 20.
(Photo/Yang Hsiao-fang)

Taiwan's MediaTek on Wednesday took the veil off the world's first "true octa-core" mobile processor, showing off the system on a chip (SOC) in China to woo the high-end smartphone and tablet markets.

Built using the advanced 28-nanometer process, the MT6592 combines eight core application processors, each capable of clock speeds up to 2GHz, enabling premium gaming performance, advanced multi-tasking and enhanced web browsing, the Hsinchu-based company said in a statement.

The SOC is expected to roll out in new mobile devices running the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system by the end of the year 2013 and is slated to be put in devices running the latest Android 4.4 Kit-Kat software in early 2014.

A "true octa-core" mobile chipset means the chip is capable of having all eight processor cores running at the same time, boosting performance. Competitors' "fake octa-core" platforms, as MediaTek calls them, are actually two quad-core chipsets put together, meaning they cannot make all eight cores work at once.

"We are thrilled to offer the new MT6592 to our customers as part of our ongoing commitment to providing inclusive mobile technology," said Jeffrey Ju, general manager of MediaTek's smartphone business unit.

"Being the first to market with this advanced eight-core SOC is testament to the industry-leading position of MediaTek," he said in the statement.

In an investor conference held Nov. 1, MediaTek said it expects its consolidated sales for the fourth quarter to fall up to 5% from the third quarter to range between NT$37 billion (US$1.25 billion) and NT$39 billion (US$1.31 billion) after taking the slow season effect into account.

Market analysts said the fourth-quarter guidance was better-than- expected, as MediaTek has gained the upper hand in competition in the huge China smartphone chip market.

Shares in MediaTek closed down 2.9% at NT$419 (US$14.2) Wednesday in Taipei before the announcement of the new mobile platform.