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Nikkei Electronics

January 16 2006 Issue

Keyword .  .  .  p. 10

silicon cycle

What’s New .  .  .  p. 28

• With the Official Announcement of Viiv at CES 2006, Intel’s Home Network Strategy Begins in Earnest
• Honda to Begin Mass Production of Thin Film Solar Cells with an Efficiency of 12% from 2007
• Hollywood Moves to Fill in the Analog Hole
• Sharp to Use Plant Based Plastic Paint for LCD TV’s
• Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Sheets for ETC Will Use Waste Materials to Lower Costs
  
  

Leading Trends

The Battle around “Copy Once” for OTA Digital TV.  .  .  p. 43
Controlling copies of high definition television programs shown over digital terrestrial broadcasts is a topic of heated debate between broadcasters, who believe the so-called “Copy Once” scheme ought to be maintained, and equipment manufacturers calling for a fundamental review.  
The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) is putting forward the use of “Copy Free” technology together with output protection.

RMT Shakes the Game Industry as Game Currency Moves to Be the Center of the Net Economy.  .  .  p. 49
In November 2005, a space station existing within an online game sold for US$100,000.  Real money trading (RMT), or the buying and selling of currency and items in games for real money, has become brisk. 
The activity looks like becoming an indispensable part of online games and Internet business.

Cover Story

The Restructuring of the Semiconductor World.  .  .  p. 75
The semiconductor industry is heading down a bold path towards global restructuring.  On one side manufacturers in a healthy position seek further expansion; on the other, ailing manufacturers are fighting for survival.  
The key to success will be the “specialty store” business model through which companies channel managerial resources only into products that will generate a profit.


(Part 1) The Core Issue
Reforming business to meet demand for low prices—choose to be a “specialty store,” not a “department store”

(Part 2) Prescription for Revival
Dismantle systems of vertical integration and put an end to high costs

(Part 3) Engineer Discussion
Why Japanese semiconductor manufacturers cannot make money

Interview

Intel’s, Intel Senior Fellow, Director, Corporate Technology Group Chief Technology Officer, Justin Rattner: “We Are Supporting the Vision We See 10 Years from Now”.  .  .  p. 97

Tech Tale

The Refrigerator that Increases Vitamin C Using LEDs (Part 3): “An Orange Color Can Increase It 1.5 Times”.  .  .  p. 100

Guest Paper

Large Electronics Manufacturers Must Restructure and Solve These 6 Problems.  .  .  p. 105
While specialized manufacturers involved in a specific field and specialized subcontractors, who only take on specific jobs, have enjoyed continued growth, general electronics companies are finding it difficult to sustain operations covering a large number of areas.  E
lectronics industry analyst Hideki Wakabayashi stated in his final report as a securities analyst that a bursting of the digital consumer electronics bubble would probably destroy not only general electronics manufacturers, but also the entire structure of electronics manufacturers in Japan.  
He says domestic general electronics manufacturers are lagging behind specialized producers in many areas, including quality of management and worldwide share, operating profit ratio, number of R&D personnel, and the use of intellectual property assets.  An industry shakeup and review of business models would help solve these issues.  
Wakabayashi explains why general electronics companies ought to embark on reforms that could be extremely painful.

NETs Buyers’ Guide

Small Inductors for Power Supplies.  .  .  p. 116
Small power inductors, a component used in DC-DC converters and switching regulators, are coming on to the market one after the other.  
Many mobile phones and other portable devices currently use inductors with a height of 1.0-1.2mm, which is nearly the same as other surface-mounted components—connectors, ICs and capacitors.  Also emerging are samples of 0.8mm-high inductors that will be able to be used in portable devices to be released from autumn 2006 to 2007.
 Some are already being mass produced.  Besides conventional wirewound inductors, thin-film and multilayer inductors are on the rise.  This is because with a high switching frequency at around 1MHz, they require only around 5µH inductance.

NETs Seminar

An Usability Seminar for Embedded Engineers (Part 5): Using a Checklist, Confirm the Usability of a Device Before Shipping.  .  .  p. 121
The fifth installment in our series on methods for improving the usability of embedded devices introduces methods for verifying just how much attention is being paid to the ease of use of devices during the development process.  
We explain the types of checklists used in verification and how to create them.

Fuel Cells for the Home Use for Full Scale Commercialization in 2008.  .  .  p. 127
In February 2005, 1kW fuel cell cogeneration systems for households were first released onto the market.  Development is still underway, aimed at achieving full-scale popularization in 2008.  
We introduce household fuel cells as they stand today along with their future prospects.

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Keyword:	10
News Ranking	12
What's New:	28
Selected Shorts:	37
Leading Trends:	43
Cover Story:	75
Interview:	97
Tech Tale:	100
Guest Paper:	105
NETs:	116
Calendar:	148
From the Readers:	152
From the Editors:	153