SILVER SPRING, MD – The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative is offering a medical electronics forum on Nov. 14 in Silver Spring, MD.
This free event, hosted by the US Food and Drug Administration,willdiscuss requirements and recommendations developed for the electronics industry to ensure reliability of components used in medical products.
Forum topics include existing and related standards and test methods; use conditions for life-critical medical components; test and extrapolation methodologies; sampling population assessment; range and conditions of applicability; test methodologies and criteria; medical grade guidelines; failure modes and effects analysis of MLCC failures, and accelerated life test methods to determine long-term leakage and breakdown failures of MLCCs.
ARLINGTON, VA – Nearly 70% of electronics companies surveyed for a just-released Consumer Electronics Association study are actively recycling their products.
ARLINGTON, VA – Consumer spending on electronics will grow 3.5% in the fourth quarter, down 50% year-over-year, the Consumer Electronics Association revealed in a report set to be released today.
Affected markets include video games, cameras, music players and laptops, the trade group said. The results are based on separate telephone and online surveys of 1,000 persons each, conducted in late September and early October, respectively. The margin of error is three points.
The problem is not one of interest but of economics, CEA said. “There’s still a desire for these products, but the intensity of that desire has declined somewhat in light of economic concerns,” said Tim Herbert, senior director for market research.
The studies forecast cellphone demand to grow 11%, A/V equipment (including TVs) 3.9%, and video games 5.6%. PC demand will drop 1%, CEA said.
SAN JOSE -- North American manufacturers of semiconductor equipment booked $754 million in orders in September 2008 on a three-month average basis, down 13% from revised August figures and off 39% year-over-year.
The book-to-bill ratio was 0.76, meaning $76 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month, SEMI said.
The three-month average worldwide billings for the month, was $990 million, down 7% from August and 36% from September 2007.
"The continued decline in capex spending is accompanied by a major global economic downturn that may have a significant impact on overall consumer electronics spending," said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI, in a press release. "Clearly, concern over these larger economic issues is restraining any immediate capacity investment plans."
WASHINGTON, DC – Big industry production fell lower in September than it had since late 1974, largely as a result of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
The Federal Reserve reported production at US factories, mines and utilities plunged 2.8% last month, in addition to a 1% drop in August.
The Fed estimated hurricane-related disruptions accounted for about 2.25 points of the total drop. In addition, a strike affecting the commercial aircraft industry also was a factor, accounting for around 50 basis points.
Economists originally forecast a September decline of 0.8%.
SAN FRANCISCO -- After strong shipment growth in 2008, PCs may be headed for a dip in 2009, a top Deutsche Bank analyst said today. The credit market and deteriorating macro outlook are the culprits, says Chris Whitmore.
"We expect a difficult PC environment in 2009. We estimate industry-wide PC unit growth of 6% year-over-year and flat revenue growth," Whitmore wrote in a research note today.
Both figures are declines from this year, when unit growth is forecast to be up 11.5% and revenues up 5%.
"We expect the frozen credit market and deteriorating macro outlook to translate into weakening PC demand due to the highly discretionary nature of PC upgrades in developed markets, both consumer and corporate. In addition, we expect ASP pressure to accelerate in 2009 as a result of mix, consumers trading down and incremental price competition, somewhat offset by more favorable commodity pricing."
Demand in emerging markets, which DB estimates have been responsible for roughly 70% of the industry's growth this decade, could also slow materially.
DB forecasts global GDP to grow 2% in 2009. The firm expects the lower GDP growth to show up in smaller corporate IT budgets and delayed PC upgrades. At the consumer level, higher unemployment, and reduced household wealth could tamp down demand.
