- 13 March 2006 -

News summary

Tahoe Receives IBM Award

Wireless Electronic Design Services (EDS) provider, Tahoe RF Semiconductor, Inc., has been named winner of the "Best Microelectronics Solution" award in the annual IBM PartnerWorld Beacon Awards competition, honouring IBM Business Partners for their innovation, customer satisfaction and outstanding achievements in providing on-demand business solutions.

Web: http://www.TahoeRF.com

Dual Wavelength IR Sensors

Edinburgh Instruments has a new range of high performance low cost dual wavelength IR refrigerant gas sensors. The Chillcard 11 range is designed to be integrated into a wide range of monitoring systems and employed in refrigeration plant rooms where rapid, accurate and reliable detection measurement of HCFC / HFC refrigerant gas leakage is required. This versatile range uses a rugged infra-red source to ensure a long lifetime, minimum maintenance and reduced susceptibility to shock.

Web: http://www.edinst.com

Largest Sale of LED Lighting Fixtures To Date In The Parking Garage Segment

Lighting Science Group Corp., has announced an order for 1,000 of its s Optimized Digital Lighting (ODL) Low Bay lighting fixtures from Amtech Lighting Services, one of the largest lighting management companies in the US. Lighting Science believes this order is the largest sale of LED lighting fixtures to date in the parking garage segment. It expects to begin shipping the products during the second quarter for installation in select garages operated by AMPCO System Parking, another ABM subsidiary, and in AMPCO client garages. The Low Bay fixtures contain an array of high output LEDs and Lighting Science's patented ODL power management system housed in a durable, attractive fixture. They consume approximately 75 watts, roughly 60% less than incumbent lighting technologies and produce minimal heat. The nation's estimated 40,000 garage facilities provide an excellent platform for Lighting Science to launch their low bay fixtures given the high cost of electricity and the demand for energy efficient lighting, particularly in the garage sector which usually operates on a 24/7 basis.

Web: http://www.lsgc.com

Logitech Mice Gain Award

At CeBIT last week two of Logitech's cordless mice won prestigious '2006 red dot design awards' for superior design quality and innovative design. The Logitech MX610 Laser Cordless Mouse which can receive and process wireless communication from the PC, senses when the computer shuts off and powers down accordingly. Its integrated LEDs notifies people of e-mails or when the mouse battery is low.

Also, the new Logitech MX610 is a Left-Hand Laser Cordless Mouse with all the advantages afforded to the right hand: Logitech´s precision laser tracking system, advanced cordless technology, navigation controls, and e-mail and instant message notifications. Until now, most left-handed computer users, including Logitech's president and CEO Guerrino De Luca, have only had the choice of navigating with an ambidextrous-shaped mouse or unnaturally using their right hand to scroll, point etc.

“The MX610 Left-Hand Laser Cordless Mouse is now my mouse of choice,” De Luca said. “With people spending more time using a personal computer as they work, communicate and play, the comfort of a mouse has become increasingly important. Left-handers haven’t had great mouse choices until now. This new mouse allows them to take advantage of the same advanced Logitech mouse technologies as our right-handed customers, while using their favoured hand to make computer navigation more efficient and their experience richer.”

Web: http://www.logitech.com

TV & Handsets

The new deadline requiring conversion from analog to digital TV broadcasting will be a windfall for US pay TV providers, says a new report from Strategy Analytics. "Digital TV in the US: 2009 Deadline Creates Windfall for Cable and Competitors" predicts that the February, 2009 switch-off date will spur millions of households served only by free analog broadcasts to finally sign up for multichannel service from cable, satellite and telecom companies.

Additionally, it said that 246 m handsets were shipped worldwide in Q4 2005. “We forecast 15% growth and an annual total of 943 m units in 2006, rising 11% to 1 bn units in 2007. Global shipments increased at a 25% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2005, down marginally from 26% growth in Q3 2005 but up from the 23% growth in Q4 2004,” it recently said. “Industry-wide average selling prices remained under pressure. Nokia ramped up shipments in CDMA. Motorola held steady in GSM. LG retained top slot in CDMA, while NEC achieved second position in UMTS for the full year”.