July 30, 2007

News      p. 7

Are the Xbox360 Problems Caused by a Failure to Control Heat from the GPU?

HDD Areal Recording Density Is Growing Quickly

Relaxation of “Copy Once” Saves the Remuneration System for Video Home Recording

Automobile Manufacturers and Others Establish an Automobile Electronics Research Facility in Kita Kyushu

NE Interview

Nomura Research Institute, Ltd., Chief Corporate Counselor, Teruyasu Murakami: “‘International Symbiosis’ and ‘Technology Diplomacy’ Change the Rules of the Game”           p. 38

Key Person

Lenovo Group, Yao Yingjia: “Design Is Rooted in Culture”        p. 43

Keyword

Photovoltaic Solar Cells     p. 45

Cover Story

New Plastics Can Overturn Common Knowledge         p. 47

Electronics manufacturers find themselves in direct competition with manufacturers from emerging economies in a bid to lower costs, but are stuck with climbing raw material expenses. A low-cost agenda alone will just make matters worse.  Manufacturers will need to be more aggressive to break out of this predicament, setting themselves apart by employing new materials that will enhance product functions.  The situation has in fact spawned many new resins possessing startling capabilities.  Each is so unique they will certainly add value to a company’s products if applied well.

Overview              p. 50

Active participation in joint development efforts will generate future value

Practical Example              p. 54

Unique new resins steadily emerging—fully making use of their superior characteristics

Special Feature

EUV Lithography Moves to Practical Implementation   p. 85

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology, which had been thought of as a futuristic technology, has finally taken its first step towards practical application.  The technology will pave the way toward realization of 64 to  256Gbit NAND flash memory and microprocessors containing 1.6 to 6.4 billion transistors.  The technology is likely to be employed in certain products from 2010 at the earliest, with mass production commencing around 2011.

E3: The True Battle Begins for the Latest Game Consoles          p. 95

The E3 Media & Business Summit relating to home video games was held from July 11 to 13, 2007 in Santa Monica, California.  It was the first E3 summit since the launch of the most recent game consoles—Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3.  Third-party developers of game software reiterated their “omnidirectional” stance, targeting multiple game consoles.  The three console developers are starting to differentiate their products by offering online services and bolstering the lineup of their own game software.

Guest Paper

Just What Is So Great About the iPhone?       p. 101

We had cognitive psychologist, Donald A. Norman, and US design firms, frog design inc. and Cooper, evaluate the iPhone user interface.  The results revealed both areas of excellence and areas that had not been fully developed.  We take a closer look at the findings to delve into the design concept of Apple Inc.

Incorporating Performance Testing in Test-Driven Development              p. 111

Test-driven development (TDD) refers to software development that centers on the implementation of tests.  The objective is to enhance quality, mainly in terms of function.  In one example, IBM Corp. used TDD to develop a device driver for point-of-sale systems using Java language in an attempt to raise the quality of software performance.  By continually testing performance throughout the development process, a high level of performance was attained.

Documentary

The Chip that Popularized CMOS (Part 1): A Fast and Inexpensive CMOS Chip Destroys User’s Stereotypes   p. 121

Tutorial

Causes and Countermeasures for Accidents (Part 1): Why Electronic Products Emit Fire     p. 164

Many accidents have occurred recently involving the combustion of household electrical appliances such as notebook computers, printers, microwave ovens and clothes dryers.  Brand reputations built up over the years are in danger of being severely damaged by serious accidents caused by errors in design.  Yoshiyuki Ihara, who has engaged in product failure analysis for many years, talks about the causes of product-related accidents and methods of prevention.

Introduction to Mobile Power Electronics (Part 6): Small Size, High Output, High Efficiency Motors  p. 171

Motors used in mobile equipment in which space is limited face various restrictions not applicable to industrial motors.  For example, they must be compact, high-powered and highly efficient, as well as being able to operate within a broad speed range, generate little noise, and have an extensive temperature range.  In this installment, we look at principles of operation and control techniques, focusing our attention on alternating current (AC) motors, which drive comparatively large loads.

1seg Systems (Part 2): The System for Data Transmission         p. 183

Integration of communication and broadcasting can be observed in the form of tie-ups between the two services.  However, it is extremely difficult for such different industries to come up with a single set of specifications and standards.  The 1seg system was created jointly by the two industries.  This second installment explains the mechanisms behind data broadcasting and the receiving of digital content.

Watcher / Samsung

Using Personal Specialized Knowledge as the Biggest Weapon for R&D  p. 215

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/english/