Cover Story
Getting Away from Focus on Advanced Nations
Opportunities in the Post-BRICs Era
Part 1: Why Emerging Nations Now?
Learning from Samsung to Convert Economic Slump into Opportunity
Biding time until the storm passes: companies taking such a passive attitude will not be able to convert this once-in-a-hundred-years economic slump into opportunities. Companies must keep forging ahead with the belief that crisis can also mean opportunity.
Part 2: On-the-scene report
Reality after the Post-BRICs Era: Addressing Islamic Region is Key
Among the many emerging nations worldwide, only a handful promise high growth. Our correspondent provides a first-hand look at the post-BRIC emerging nations to which this magazine is paying close attention.
Special Feature
Detailed Report from the 2009 International CES
The latest electronic devices are exhibited every year at the International CES.
Reflecting the current economic situation, attendance figures appear to have reached only 110,000, some 20% down on last year. Even so, many visitors said that the show turned out to be more upbeat than expected, indicating that the vigor for developing state-of-the-art devices has not been lost. What has emerged from the latest show is a picture of device manufacturers who have found answers to the question they have been pondering the last several years: "What path do we take now?". 3D TVs and personal computers equipped with Windows Vista and costing less than 100,000 yen, for example, demonstrate the seriousness of both major Japanese and non-Japanese manufacturers.Cellphones, which are emerging as the odds-on favorite in the car navigation system market, and USB 3.0 also attracted much attention.
Shift from Post-Accident Measures to Prevention: Proactive Strategy Required in Product Safety
Risk Assessment Becoming Essential
In the face of the continuous stream of serious accidents caused by various products, manufacturers must shift their mentality about product safety measures from defensive to proactive. It is becoming essential to introduce a “risk assessment methodology,” in which the risks inherent in a product are quantitatively assessed under the various situations in which it will be used.The conventional approach of setting safety standards by chasing after accidents after they have occurred will not allow manufacturers to keep up with product and technology diversification.
Documentary
History of Struggles to Eliminate Lead from Solder: 10 Years of Twists and Turns (Part 2)
Japanese Metal Industry Gets On the Senju Metal Industry Bandwagon
Tutorial
Thermal Design of Thin-Profile TVs (1st Half)
Evaluation Using Initial Simplified Model is Key; Addition of Heat-Dissipating Components can be Avoided
Heat dissipation for home appliances has become a major issue. To achieve compact size, thin profile, high functionality, and high performance, heat dissipation must be considered in the early stages of device design. How should evaluation and design proceed?We explain the specific method involved in a two-part article, using thin-profile LCD TVs as an example.
Key Points of A-D Conversion Everyone Should Know: Session 7
Key Points of Peripheral Circuit Design for Fully Utilizing High-Resolution Products
When peripheral circuits designed for 12-bit A-D converters are used without modification in 16-bit or larger products, problems often ensue. To handle products with higher resolution, peripheral circuits must be designed carefully. This article explains how to select the all-important operational amplifier and the need for a buffer capacitor.
Keyword
White Spaces
Debate on “Open Architecture” is also beginning in Japan
Key Person
AdventNet Inc. CEO Sridhar Vembu: Online Applications Represent Destructive Change
NE Interview
Sun Microsystems, Inc. Vice President and Sun FellowJames Gosling: Having Doubts about Google’s Strategy
News
- Different Evolutionary Paths Taken by Toyota’s and Honda’s New Hybrid Vehicles
- Dissecting Nokia’s WiMAX Terminal
- Next-Generation Memory Cards Emerge
- Health Devices with Mutual Wireless Connectivity to Emerge One After Another in 2009
- Palm Unveils New “Palm webOS”
