January 1, 2007

Keyword ... p. 12

First-to-Invent System

Whats New ... p. 30

Increasing the Safety of Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries

Sony Starts Corporate Social Responsibility Procurement

The Discussion of Overhauling Copy Restrictions on Digital Broadcasting Reaches an Interesting Point

Sony Allies NXP Ally to Spread FeliCa throughout the World

Flat Panel TV Price Competition Creates a Rival for Rear Projection TVs

Special Feature

These Are the Differences in the R&D Practices of Worldwide Companies ... p. 51

Openness and globalization are two new trends spreading through corporate research and development. Taking a look at the R&D strategies of the 10 most watched companies in Japan and overseas, as identified through a survey of engineers, we introduce the latest developments.

Part 1 Strategies ... p. 54

Openness and globalization—new trends triggered by leading companies

R&D Strategies of 10 Top Companies in Japan and Overseas ... p. 56

Overseas—Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; IBM Corp.; Nokia Corp.; Google Inc.; Apple Computer, Inc.

Japan—Canon Inc.; Toyota Motor Corp.; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.; Sony Corp.; Sharp Corp.

Part 2 Interviews ... p. 70

We put questions to five major Japanese electronics manufacturers—Toshiba Corp.; Hitachi, Ltd.; NEC Corp.; Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Cover Story

The Plan to Revive Japanese National Research Projects ... p. 83

The Japanese government invests more than one trillion yen annually into national projects aimed at promoting research and development. Electronics engineers, however, have been generally critical of the various projects achievements, going so far as to question the need for the initiative. But surely it is important to show a willingness to make the most of the projects considering the environment that domestic manufacturers now face. Engineers have a major role to play.

Part 1 Taking Stock of the Current Situation ... p. 86

Moving from participating for the sake of good relations with the government to strategic advantage—now is the time to alter perceptions

Part 2 Promotion Strategy ... p. 94

Engineers ought to show leadership—the past might offer clues to a breakthrough

Survey of Attitudes ... p. 104

Readers recount national project realities

Tech Tale

How to Make a Small Robot for Exploring Asteroids (Part 1): No Precedent, No Budget, and a Weight Limit ... p. 108

NE PLUS

Microcomputers are appearing in more and more devices as new applications keep emerging. Further specialization of jobs, however, is making it difficult for engineers involved in development to see the big picture and to fully come to grips with microcomputer operational principles. This instigates trouble more often than not. We review the basic technologies looking at relevant trouble-shooting and guidelines on choosing the right microcomputer.

NETs Seminar

Below the Surface, Damage from Cracking Is Increasing (2nd Half): Protective Measures that Come From an Analysis of a Crackers Observation Methods ... p. 116

The second installment in this series mainly introduces the technology used in CrackProof, the cracking prevention tool developed by HyperTech Co., Ltd. With damage caused by cracking on the rise due to the prevalence of the Internet, we look at the design of CrackProof and how it offers a defense against cracking in order to protect software.

Finally, Salaries Are Rising Again ... p. 124

Findings of a reader survey conducted by US periodical Electronic Design, show that the average salary of electronics engineers in the US in 2006 was around US,000, a 3.5% increase from 2005. However, many feel uneasy about the deteriorating employment environment, which is contributed to by a rise in employment of foreign engineers and a shift of product development to other countries.

For further information, please contact:

Nikkei Electronics

1-17-3, Shirokane

Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8646, Japan

Vox: +81-3-6811-8141, Fax: +81-3-5421-9100

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/