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SAN JOSE -- The 90-day moving average of worldwide semiconductor sales in March rose 4.6% sequentially and 58.3% year-over-year, setting a new monthly record in the process, the Semiconductor Industry Association today reported.

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The electronic manufacturing services industry contracted 11% in 2009, less than expected due to a resurgence of consumer spending late in the year. According to a new forecast from International Data Corp., the industry will enjoy a compound annual growth rate of 8% for the 2010-2014 forecast period. But the recovery is still on shaky ground, with periods of weakness expected into 2011.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – March North American PWB shipments were up 17.7% year-over-year, while orders rose 36.8% compared to 2009.

WASHINGTON -- New orders for durable goods slipped in March, falling 1.3% to $176.7 billion, the US Department of Commerce said, as demand for civilian aerospace and certain transportation goods dragged down the rest of the index.

NEW YORK – Electronics components remain in short supply, with major distributors upping lead times by as much as 100%.

AUSTIN – The popularity of e-books, particularly Amazon’s Kindle, drove electronic paper display shipments to 5 million units in 2009, up 417% year-over-year, says DisplaySearch.

“Seeing this growth for a new application, especially in the second half of last year, is a vote of confidence from consumers who seem to have embraced e-books,” said Hiroshi Hayase, DisplaySearch director of small/medium displays. “Momentum from e-book popularity last year combined with new, larger-screen products hitting the market right now means that this trend will continue, so we will see large shipment volume increases in the first half of 2010.”

Amazon’s Kindle e-book, with a 6" display, captured 66% of the total EPD market in 2009, says the research firm. This market domination is expected to increase as the Kindle DX, with a 9.7" display, is positioned to compete with Apple’s iPad, released earlier this month, which uses a 9.7" TFT LCD.

“We expect to see other service providers increase their presence in the US and expand e-book adoption in Europe and Asia as well,” Hayase added.