Cover Story
Home Appliances with Flexibility
Software Provides Completely New Internet Compatibility
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Part 1: Decision
Keeping Pace with Changes in Internet, Home Appliances to Support New Services with Software Updates
Until recently, manufacturers of home appliances ensured stability and safety through the use of fixed product functions. That approach, however, makes it difficult to merge their products with the Internet, which changes rapidly. To keep up with the changes occurring on the Internet, home appliances must be as flexible as personal computers.
Part 2: Discerning
Adobe ahead in flexibility, followed by Microsoft
The core technology for providing flexible home appliances is the rich Internet application (RIA) technology.Among the various companies providing RIAs, Adobe has been the most active.The company has been aggressively promoting its RIA technology in the hopes of having it adopted in applications other than PCs, such as cellphones and TVs.For device manufacturers, selecting the right RIA technology can be the first step to success in the market of flexible home appliances.
Special Feature
Smart Grid
Goals for Next-GenerationU.S. Power Grid
The power grid in the U.S. is about to undergo major change, with the object of achieving quicker assessment of problems such as power outages, as well as more efficient use of energy through active utilization of communication network technologies.Many corporations in the communication and IT fields have announced market entry.These corporations are also eying the possibility of entering markets outside the U.S.How will this trend impact Japanese manufacturers?
Japanese Semiconductor Industry at Crucial Moment
Making one more attempt to survive, major Japanese semiconductor manufacturers are beginning to reorganize.NEC Electronics Corporation and Renesas Technology Corp. have begun a dialogue toward a merger.Toshiba Corporation is considering the possibility of spinning off its system LSI business and its discrete component business, while Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited is pursuing a “fab-light” strategy working with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited.Faced with an unprecedented recession, Japanese semiconductor companies are finally starting to take action.Can they seize this
Reassessment of the B-CAS Method Still Uncertain
The B-CAS method has been used for scrambling digital broadcasting signals and for user authentication in cable broadcasting services. When ground digital broadcasting began, this method was considered “temporary.” The discussion to find an alternate method, however, has dragged on for six long years. While the technical direction for an alternative method has recently become somewhat clear, it is quite unclear whether a new method can be implemented by July 2011, when analog broadcasting is scheduled to cease. Moreover, since a new cost burden will arise when the switchover occurs and the interests of the various involved parties do not match, the current state of confusion may last even longer.
Invited Paper
Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering’s Professor Tadahiro Kuroda: Wirelessly Connecting 65 Chips to Reduce SSD Volume to 1/8
As the design rules for NAND flash memory become finer and the technical barrier for multi-level cells becomes higher, three-dimensional chip stacking technology is increasing in relative importance.KeioUniversity has developed a technology for stacking and wirelessly connecting as many as 65 chips.This technology can house a 256-Gbyte SSD in a single package.Compared with the conventional wire bonding method, the new wireless method can increase device speed and reduce power consumption, while reportedly not incurring any additional cost.
NE Academy
Intensive Analog Seminar: Session 5—Tutorial on Completely Digital PLL Circuit “ADPLL”
PLL (phase-locked loops) are essential in the frequency synthesizers of wireless communication circuits and the high-speed clock generators of microprocessors.PLLs are normally implemented using analog circuits.ADPLL is a new design concept that implements a PLL using all digital circuits.Mr.Kobayashi of GunmaUniversity and others, who are carrying out R&D on circuits that actually use ADPLLs, explain their significance and structure.
Practical Measurement Seminar: Part 3—Are Your High-frequency Power Measurements Sufficiently Reliable?
In the last two sessions, we explained the method used for calculating uncertainty in resistance measurements. In this session, we will introduce another method for calculating uncertainty with the measurement target being high-frequency power. The basic approach is the same as that used for resistance measurement. However, measuring high-frequency power involves unique difficulties, one of which is the handling of high-frequency connectors. Without correctly addressing these issues, it is impossible to make highly reliable measurements, and the obtained values will carry a high degree of uncertainty.
Embedding Tutorial: Period II, Session 6—Tools Used in Programming Process
Creating Quality Codes and Converting Them into Executable Format
Documentary
Dream of fuRo (Final): Merging Robots into Society through Development and Human Resource Training
The FutureRoboticsTechnologyCenter (fuRo) of the Chiba Institute of Technology is an organization driven by the long-held ideas of its director, Takayuki Furuta.Furuta, who came close to dying from a major illness when he was in junior high school, wants to develop a robot technology that will be useful for society.Thus, he is also pouring resources into nurturing next-generation robot engineers who share his vision.
Keyword
Urban Mine
Active Involvement of Device ManufacturersCrucial
Closeup
Home Appliances: Ground Digital Adoption Rate Exceeds 60% at Long Last
Mobile Devices: Next-Generation PHS Makers Counting on Camera Functions
Cars: PNDs Playing Leading Role among After-Market Navigation Systems
World Report
From Greece: Not Just Tourism and Shipping - Electronics Industry is Growing As Well
NE Reports
- Patent Dispute between Qualcomm and Broadcom Finally Settled
- USB 3.0 Developers Conference Held in Tokyo
- Fujitsu Improves Its Hardware-Software Cooperative Tool
- China’s Mandatory Certification of IT Products
- Involved Parties Begin Negotiation on Recording of Ground Digital Programs
