Several top-10 PC vendors to cut order volumes by 50% on year in 1Q09 Systems | Dec 4, 01:00 | | Several top-ten PC vendors including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer and Asustek Computer are expected to reduce their PC order volumes in the first quarter of 2009 by around 50% compared to the same period in the previous year, according to sources at component makers. Read more | |  |
| Taiwan government to push for consolidation in DRAM industry, but direct bailout unlikely Bits + chips | Dec 4, 12:26 | | Instead of pouring funds directly to rescue financially-troubled Taiwan DRAM makers, Taiwan's lawmakers have asked the state planners office under the Council of Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) to push for a consolidation process within the memory industry. Read more | | |
| TSMC asks employees to take more unpaid leave to help cut costs Bits + chips | Dec 4, 11:13 | | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has asked its employees to take more unpaid leave to help the company reduce its operating costs as part of its efforts to curtail the impact of the ongoing economic downturn. Read more | | |
| | | | | Notebook battery cell pricing starting to drop in December Systems | Dec 4, 16:23 Battery cell makers are planning to drop their prices by 5-8% in December this year following a recent fall in the global price of cobalt, an important... Read more | | Quanta expects to maintain 3Q08 shipment levels in 4Q Systems | Dec 4, 15:22 CC Leung, vice chairman of Quanta Computer, has relayed reports from the company's channel partners that their sales grew 3% during the Black Friday... Read more | MSI netbooks featuring Intel MID platform to be showcased at CES Systems | Dec 4, 12:34 Micro-Star International (MSI) plans to showcase its 10.2-inch Wind Notebook U110 and U115 models, which adopt Intel Intel's Menlow platform for mobile... Read more | | Simplo November revenues score historical high Systems | Dec 4, 01:15 Notebook battery module maker Simplo Technology has scored another monthly historical high with November revenues of NT$3.17 billion (US$94.37 million),... Read more | First-tier motherboard makers planning layoffs Mobos | Dec 4, 01:10 With Asustek Computer unlikely to meet its original annual shipments goal for both notebooks and motherboards, while annual profits in 2008 are also... Read more | | Panel makers' development projects for international handset vendors unaffected by economic downturn Displays | Dec 4, 16:28 Although international handset vendors such as Nokia, LG Electronics (LGE) and Samsung Electronics have trimmed their handset shipment forecasts for... Read more | IC design houses Holtek, Sonix and Sunplus lower 4Q08 sales targets Bits + chips | Dec 4, 16:52 Because orders have been frozen in November, IC design companies continue to lower their fourth-quarter sales targets. Some consumer electronics IC suppliers... Read more | | Lite-On Semiconductor reports decline in November revenues Bits + chips | Dec 4, 16:01 Lite-On Semiconductor Corp (LSC) has reported that November consolidated revenues amounted to NT$784 million (US$23.36 million), down 31.7% on year and... Read more | Holy Stone sees November sales down 30% Bits + chips | Dec 4, 15:46 Passive component maker Holy Stone has reported November sales of NT$776 million (US$23.12 million), down 30% from October and 35% on year due to weak... Read more | | Solar wafer maker SAS hits record revenue for 40 months straight in November Bits + chips | Dec 4, 11:08 Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS), a Taiwan-based producer of solar-grade crystalline silicon wafers, has reported self-estimated revenue of NT$871... Read more | SPIL lowers 4Q08 revenues forecast Bits + chips | Dec 4, 01:05 Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) has lowered its fourth-quarter revenues forecast from a fall of 8-13% on quarter originally to a 25-28% sequential... Read more | | CHT to transfer 30 WiMAX base stations to Global Mobile for commercial operation Telecom | Dec 4, 16:31 Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has signed an agreement to transfer the 30 WiMAX base stations and other related equipment it built for the M-Taiwan (mobile Taiwan)... Read more |
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Systems | PC market will slow as financial turmoil spreads, says IDC Dec 4, 16:47 | | | | | Worldwide server market decelerates in 3Q08, says IDC Dec 4, 16:41 | | | | | Taiwan market: TWM launches daily-charged 3.5G Internet-access service Dec 4, 14:43 | | | | | China market: Locally developed online games account for 66% market share at end of 3Q08 Dec 4, 14:34 | | | | | Digital power supply market approaches US$600 million in 2008, says IMS Research Dec 4, 12:25 | | | | | Picocells have limited window of opportunity, says ABI Research Dec 4, 12:24 | | | | |
Displays | Samsung's LCD panel utilization rate drops to 70%, says paper Newswatch | Dec 4, 16:42 | | | | | Epistar executives take pay cut, says paper Newswatch | Dec 4, 15:06 | | | | | Taiwan market: Chimei expects promotional campagin to drive December revenues Dec 4, 12:21 | | | | | LCD monitor shipments flat in 3Q, says DisplaySearch Dec 4, 11:21 | | | | |
Bits + chips | NAND flash set for slower growth in 2009, says DRAMeXchange Dec 4, 14:19 | | | | | Mirics and Spreadtrum announce strategic partnership to deliver innovative CMMB solutions for PCTV Dec 4, 13:57 | | | | | China solar wafer supplier LDK urged to cut prices Dec 4, 12:06 | | | |
| Chicony claims dominance in netbook components market Systems | Dec 3, 11:54 | | Chicony Electronics, a Taiwan-based maker of PC components, has become a main supplier of keyboards, adaptors, webcam modules and other components used in netbooks for Asustek Computer, Acer, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and other international vendors, according to the company. Read more | | |
| Foundries face heavy market capitalization erosion after TSMC guidance cut Bits + chips | Dec 3, 10:41 | | The continuing global economic woes have hit the Taiwan foundry industry badly. With leading foundry player Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) having downgraded its guidance for the first time over the past seven years, the shockwaves sent its own and other foundry players' share prices crashing on December 2. Read more | | |
| | | | | HLDS and TSST cut OEM prices for DVD burners amid Korean Won depreciation Systems | Dec 3, 01:15 Optical disc drives makers Hitachi-LG Data Storage (HLDS) and Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology (TSST) lowered their quotes for half-height 20x DVD... Read more | | VIA sees drop on November revenues Mobos | Dec 3, 16:40 VIA Technologies' revenues in November were NT$412 million (US$12.29 million), drops of 35.54% on month and 44.02% on year, while the company's combined... Read more | AMD updates chipset schedule for next year Mobos | Dec 3, 16:33 AMD plans to launch a new entry-level IGP chipset, the 760G based on RS780 architecture, in January 2009. The chipset will support DirectX 10 and Shader... Read more | | China LCD TV vendor Konka to produce LEDs for backlighting Displays | Dec 3, 15:48 China-base LCD TV vendor Konka is entering the LED industry, with the company planning to start construction on a plant in Kunshan, China in mid January... Read more | Small- to mid-size LCD panel maker Wintek reports 38% drop in November revenues Displays | Dec 3, 11:28 TFT LCD and touch panel supplier Wintek has announced November consolidated revenues of NT$2.2 billion (US$65.7 million), down 38% from record high of... Read more | | Amtran says Vizio TV sales strong on Black Friday Displays | Dec 3, 01:10 Amtran Technology, which makes the Vizio-branded flat panel TVs, has disclosed that the brand had strong Black Friday sales because of its pricing strategy,... Read more | FPCB maker Uniflex adjusts company structure after suffering continued losses Bits + chips | Dec 3, 15:01 Flexible PCB (FPCB) maker Uniflex Technology will see losses this year because orders have dropped 50% in the fourth quarter. In response the company... Read more | | DRAM makers' November sales expected to plunge on production cuts and sliding quotes Bits + chips | Dec 3, 11:20 Major DRAM makers Nanya Technology, Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) and ProMOS Technologies are estimated to post revenue drops of 40-50% sequentially... Read more | IC designers to cut sales targets to reflect difficult times Bits + chips | Dec 3, 10:54 After Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) lowered its fourth-quarter financial forecast, the market is speculating that Intel will also... Read more | | Toshiba informs TSMC and UMC of delay in MEMS project, sources claim Bits + chips | Dec 3, 01:05 Toshiba has told Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) that it will delay a plan to produce... Read more | More players in packaging and testing sector may lower 4Q forecasts Bits + chips | Dec 3, 01:00 With Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) lowering its fourth-quarter guidance closely on the heels of a grimmer outlook offered by Taiwan Semiconductor... Read more | | Inventec Appliances to shift focus on CDMA handsets, targeting China market Telecom | Dec 3, 12:21 Inventec Appliances, the Taiwan-based vendor of OKWAP-branded handsets, will shift its focus on the development and marketing of CDMA 2000 models instead... Read more |
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Systems | Asustek subsidiaries AzureWave and TwinHan to merge via share swap Newswatch | Dec 3, 14:40 | | | | | Taiwan digital camera makers may share 60% of 2009 global shipments, paper says Newswatch | Dec 3, 11:37 | | | | | 4Q HDD shipments to be flat or down, says iSuppli Dec 3, 10:04 | | | | |
Displays | LED leadframe maker I-Chiun sees 48% drop in November revenues Stockwatch | Dec 3, 17:00 | | | | | LED chipmaker Epistar's November revenues may drop 25%, says paper Newswatch | Dec 3, 16:10 | | | | | Taiwan market: Sharp joins Sony in LCD TV price war Dec 3, 16:03 | | | | | Toshiba to double LCD TV outsourcing to Taiwan in 2009, says paper Newswatch | Dec 3, 15:22 | | | | |
Bits + chips | Driver IC maker Macroblock to ship LED lighting applications next year, says paper Newswatch | Dec 3, 15:33 | | | | | Hynix announces development of 2Gb mobile DRAM Dec 3, 15:20 | | | | | MPI high-end probe cards receive validation from first-tier companies, says paper Newswatch | Dec 3, 14:44 | | | | | Winbond executes second-round capacity cut for 2008 Newswatch | Dec 3, 11:55 | | | | |
Telecom | China maker to launch Android Dream 2 handset soon, says report Newswatch | Dec 3, 17:10 | | | | | HTC announces acquisition of One & Co design firm Dec 3, 16:53 | | | | | Taiwan market: APBT breaks even two months ahead of schedule Dec 3, 14:16 | | | | | China market: Mobile communication service subscribers over 627 million in October 2008 Dec 3, 11:06 | | | | | Economic crisis spurs mobile device shipment contraction in 2009, iSuppli says Dec 3, 09:57 | | | |
| Asustek to replace Atom with Celeron in Eee Box to boost sales Systems | Dec 2, 01:05 | | While its nettop products have not sold as well as expected since debuting four months ago, Asustek is introducing a Celeron version of the Eee Box priced at NT$7,988 (US$240) in order to increase shipments for this year, according to market sources. The company is replacing the Atom processor with a Celeron 220 processor and upgrading its hard drive from 80GB to 120GB, while cutting the overall price, the sources explained. Read more | | |
| Top five notebook vendors expected to combine for shipments of more than 125 million units in 2009 Systems | Dec 2, 01:00 | | Despite an uncertain economic outlook for 2009, global notebook shipments from the top five notebook vendors – Hewlett-Packard (HP), Acer, Dell, Toshiba and Asustek Computer – are expected to reach close to 130 million units in 2009, according to market sources. Read more | | |
| Handset component suppliers turn conservative about 4Q Telecom | Dec 2, 11:40 | | Most Taiwan-based handset component suppliers who had previously remained optimistic about their shipment outlooks for the fourth quarter of this year have now become more conservative over business prospects, predicting their fourth-quarter revenues to stay flat or even decline slightly from the previous quarter. Read more | | |
| TSMC downgrades 4Q sales forecast by 8-9%, but no layoffs planned Bits + chips | Dec 2
Amid a global economic downturn that has lead to declining semiconductor sales, leading global pure-play foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced that its fourth-quarter sales will come in well below the company's previous guidance given at the end of October due to a reduction of wafer shipments. Read more | | | | | | | New Taiwan accounting standard to affect profits in PC supply chain Systems | Dec 2, 15:39 Although the Taiwan government has announced a delay in implementing a new accounting standard for inventory accounting, players in the PC supply chain... Read more | | Taiwan vendors optimistic about all-in-one PC segment Systems | Dec 2, 12:24 Although Intel's Atom processor has successfully stimulated demand in the netbook market, its adoption in the nettop market has not had a similar effect... Read more | Worldwide server shipments grow 4%, revenues decline 5% in 3Q08, says Gartner Systems | Dec 2, 12:24 Worldwide server shipments for the third quarter of 2008 increased 4.4% over the same quarter last year, while worldwide server revenue for the same... Read more | | Kontron to outsource 75% of production to Quanta Computer by 2010 Mobos | Dec 2, 11:24 Germany-based industrial PC maker Kontron, in order to minimize production costs, plans to have Taiwan-based Quanta Computer undertake OEM production... Read more | Innolux dismisses report about suspending China LCM plant construction Displays - Stockwatch | Dec 2, 12:12 Innolux Display has dismissed a report that said the company was suspending the construction of a LCD module (LCM) plant in Xiamen, China. Read more | | IC packaging and testing house ASE cuts 4Q guidance Bits + chips - Stockwatch | Dec 2, 17:11 The world's largest packaging and testing house Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has announced that the company's fourth-quarter revenues will... Read more | Many China firms gearing up for poly-Si production, but few will enter into volume production 2009, say Taiwan makers Bits + chips | Dec 2, 17:09 Due to fast growing demand for solar cells, there have been many newly established producers of polycrystalline silicon material (poly-Si) in China and... Read more | | SMIC to gain TD-SCDMA orders on partnership with Datang Bits + chips | Dec 2, 16:03 Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) is expected to receive a positive sales contribution from its strategic partnership with... Read more | Foxconn investment in AMPI to benefit IC designer APEC Bits + chips | Dec 2, 15:56 With Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) taking a 16% stake in second-tier foundry Advanced Microelectronic Products (AMPI) through a private... Read more | | Memory makers may prefer to forget 2008, says iSuppli Bits + chips | Dec 2, 12:14 For memory chip makers, 2008 will go down as a year to forget, as a major downturn in this segment caused revenues to fall for nearly all suppliers and... Read more | Semiconductor fab spending to decline by 41% in 2008, says SEMI Bits + chips | Dec 2, 12:00 Worldwide fab capacity is expected to grow by 5% in 2008 and is currently expected to increase between 4-5% in 2009, according to SEMI. Read more | | Commentary: Growing popularity of low-cost PCs bad for DRAM makers Bits + chips | Dec 2, 11:15 Over the past few years, DRAM makers had been expanding capacity aggressively on industries' positive estimates of how the Windows Vista operating system... Read more | DRAM prices drop to new lows Bits + chips | Dec 2, 10:08 DRAM prices have dropped to new lows, with 1Gb DDR2 reaching only US$0.6, according to market sources. Read more | | Semiconductor market down 2.4% on year, says SIA Bits + chips | Dec 2, 01:20 Worldwide sales of semiconductors declined by 2.4% in October to US$22.5 billion compared to sales of US$23.0 billion in October 2007, the Semiconductor... Read more |
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Systems | China market: 3Q08 third-party e-payment service tops 66 billion yuan Dec 2, 11:53 | | | | | Taiwan market: Samsung launches 13.6-megapixel digital camera M310W Dec 2, 10:01 | | | | | China market: 3Q08 network security sales over 2 billion yuan Dec 2, 09:58 | | | | |
Displays | HannStar cuts utilization rate at Wuhan LCM plant Stockwatch | Dec 2, 17:02 | | | | | Korean vendors trim handset shipment goal for 2009, says report Newswatch | Dec 2, 15:31 | | | | | BenQ cuts global staff by 3-5%, says paper Newswatch | Dec 2, 12:29 | | | | | Taiwan market: 16:9 LCD monitor shipments growing Dec 2, 11:36 | | | | | Taiwan market: Local LCD TV vendors expect to join price war Dec 2, 01:10 | | | | |
Bits + chips | Applied Materials looks to drive TSV adoption Dec 2, 16:50 | | | | | Semiconductor equipment sales to fall 28% this year, says SEMI Dec 2, 12:31 | | | | | Yeon announces increased RFID IP, says paper Newswatch | Dec 2, 12:26 | | | | | Number of DRAM makers in Asia to shrink, says report Newswatch | Dec 2, 12:03 | | | | | Taiwan DRAM makers expected to report falling revenues in November, but losses narrow Newswatch | Dec 2, 11:59 | | | | | Passive components maker Walsin braces for 10-15% decline in 4Q orders, says paper Newswatch | Dec 2, 11:46 | | | |
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Notes and corrections | | The DDR2 density in a December 2 article about DRAM pricing was incorrectly stated as 1GB. It is 1Gb. | | A December 2 article incorrectly stated that DRAM makers expected prices to rebound. They do not expect prices to go up. |
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