Cover Story
PetaFLOPS Computing Will Also Refine Consumer Electronics
Supercomputers and consumer appliances could be considered complete opposites and yet they are fast coming closer to one another with a rapidly increasing number of supercomputers incorporating microprocessors similar to those found in consumer electronics. This development will evolve in time into the fusing of mounting and network technologies.
Part 1 The Trends
Versatile technologies rapidly advancing as different fields begin to merge
Part 2 The Technology
Development begins with microprocessors-a path to performance improvements and major cost cuts
Leading Trends
Latest Developments from CEATEC
On display at CEATEC JAPAN 2006, held October 3-7, were the latest technologies destined for application in televisions, HDTV recorders, mobile phones, and cars. In the digital television field, broadband-compatible products are finally starting to emerge.
Leading Trends
With Prices of Raw Materials Rising, Electronic Devices Hold Out with Design Improvements
Electronics manufacturers are being exposed to the severity of escalating raw material costs and the impact can no longer be contained by the efforts of procurement departments alone. Unless design and manufacturing departments offer their support, manufacturers could be in for a torrent of rising prices.
Keyword
mobile number portability
Tech Tale
Renewing Information Is the Key to a Car Navigation System (Final): Progress Won't Stop for a Long While Yet
Guest Paper
Nokia Describes Its Approach to Software Testing
Originally appearing in software engineering magazine, IEEE Software, this is a Japanese translation of a paper on the TTCN-3 software testing technology, as submitted by Finland's Nokia Corporation. Although not yet well known in Japan, application of TTCN-3 in Europe is spreading beyond the communications field where it originated, for example to the automotive industry. TTCN-3 is a type of programming language used for test case descriptions in place of existing test scripts and which allows unified management of test results. Besides getting actively involved in the standardization of TTCN-3, Nokia has played a leading role in development of this technology by producing TTCN-3 tools internally and extending application of the technology throughout the company. How do you introduce a new testing technology to a large enterprise? TTCN-3 experts from Nokia explain the process.
NETs Buyers' Guide
Miniature Wireless LAN Modules
Competition is mounting in the development of compact wireless LAN modules for installation inside various portable devices. Despite wireless LAN already being incorporated in some devices such as portable game consoles and mobile phones, the rise in competition is due to an expected jump in the number of models employing the modules from 2007. Compact wireless LAN modules rolled out between 2006 and 2007 will be positioned as "second generation." Compared to "first generation" modules rolled out from around 2004, they are much smaller and thinner and consume considerably less power. Here we describe the trends surrounding IEEE802.11b/g wireless LAN modules that require less than 100mm2 for mounting and as well as the criteria device manufacturers should be looking at.
NETs Seminar
Interactive Interface Functionality for Next Generation Optical Disks (Part 6): HDi Applications Are Composed of 5 Types of Files
The previous installment gave an outline and application examples of HD DVD's interactive interface functionality and explained the reasons behind the use of standard World Wide Web (WWW) technologies in its development. The latest installment provides an outline of the systems, file structure, and description method used to realize the interactive interface functionality for the HD DVD specification.
NETs Seminar
With an Increase of 20% in 2006, Sales of Mobile Phones Continue to Be Favorable
The number of mobile phones produced worldwide rose approximately 20% year-on-year in 2006, ensuring the figure ended above 900 million units. Oligopolization of the market by major players such as Nokia Corporation and Motorola, Inc. continues. In terms of transmission methods, W-CDMA phones are on the rise with an expected 63% year-on-year increase in 2006. The market share of Japanese companies, however, is falling dramatically.
NETs Seminar
Basics of TDR/TDT Measurement (Part 1): Compute Characteristic Impedance Based On Actual Measurements
An increasing number of consumer appliances and embedded devices are being given high-speed interfaces such as PCI Express, Serial ATA, and HDMI, which boast signal frequencies exceeding several hundred MHz. Particularly useful in the design of these high-speed interfaces has been the measurement methods employed for signal transmission paths, using time domain reflectometry (TDR) and time domain transmission (TDT) techniques. US-based Tektronix, Inc., provides insight into its measurement know-how.
What's New
- Tearing Down a Fuel Cell
- Security Experts Argue about the Hash Function Crisis
- Fuji Xerox Applies Model Checking Technology to MDD and Finds Bugs Unnoticed Before
- Bringing Popularization of Movie Downloads Closer; Services Using CSS to Burn DVDs Are on the Way
- Nokia's New "Wibree" Wireless Technology Achieves 1/10th the Power Consumption of Bluetooth
