| Semiconductor industry hits record sales of $255.6 billion
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported $255.6 billion in global semiconductor sales for 2007. Revenues were up 3.2% from $247.7 billion in 2006.The industry association said that major drivers for chip sales remained personal computers, mobile handsets, and consumer electronics. PC shipments were up 13.8%, cellphone shipments were up 20% and MP3/PMP player as well as digital camera shipments increased by about 20%, while LCD TVs gained about 50% in 2007, the SIA said.Memory devices, including DRAM and NAND flash, saw "strong pricing pressures" and average selling prices (ASPs) for both DRAMs and NAND flash declined. Total bit shipments for DRAMs nearly doubled in 2007, but total revenues declined by 7.4% due to a 39% decline in ASPs. NAND flash revenues were up 26% but unit shipments grew even faster at nearly 46%, the SIA said.
Courtesy Antoune Albert
Today, as the profession shifts from negative and slide film to digital, we look at some of the leading visual artists of our time, from hard-bitten news photographers to up-and-coming artists. El-Ustaz At the old Akhbar El-Yom building, several walls swathed entirely in vivid pictures detailing Egypt's history welcome visitors to the photography department. Guarding the entrance is a small panel, a kind of shrine, the centerpiece of which is a portrait of chief photographer Mohamed Youssef, surrounded by smaller pictures of every single photographer who has followed him at the national newspaper empire. “He was the dean of photographers," says Farouk Ibrahim, manager of the photography department at Akhbar El-Yom, pointing out that Youssef was the first to break through colonial barriers, the first Egyptian to be trusted with managing a photography department's coverage of the nation at a daily national press outlet.
CBA leads way on rates rise
From Friday, the bank's standard variable home loan rate will go up 0.3 per cent to 8.97 per cent. Business loan rates will also increase by 0.3 per cent. Not only has Australia's biggest home lender passed on in full yesterday's adjustment to rates by the Reserve Bank, but it is also recouping more of the additional costs imposed by the global credit market problems. The bank says it had believed wholesale funding rates would ease, but it says regrettably that has not happened. The other three big banks say their rates remain under review. Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has told Radio 2SM the Commonwealth Bank's decision will put many families under even more pressure. "I think the Commonwealth Bank has a lot of explaining to do," he said.
The Drama Principle
Which makes the White House failure to close the door on a veto all the more suspicious. ... P.S.: I'd say the weak response from the White House itself outweighs the earlier response from Patrick Ruffini of the RNC, which contains the magic sentence but appears to be relying on the ambiguous, weasely Bush CNN interview. But you make the call. ... P.P.S.: It seems clear, though, that the 10-day pocket veto clock hasn't started ticking yet. ... P.P.P.S.: See Captain Ed, who's convinced Bush is going to sign. ... Update: I realize I'm using the same methodology--'Why don't they just come out and say it clearly?'--that many experts used to conclude that Saddam had nuclear weapons. But Saddam had reasons for maintaining strategic ambiguity! Bush doesn't. ... 5:28 P.M. link Sunday, October 8, 2006 Is Bush going to sign the 700-mile border fence bill (the Secure Fence Act), passed with great fanfare by Congress a little over a week ago? According to an AP story from Friday: President Bush has not yet signed the Secure Fence Act That signing ceremony he held last Wednesday in Arizona, it turns out, was only for a Homeland Security appropriations bill that included "$1.2 billion for border fencing." It wasn't the Secure Fence Act.
JVC introduces high-resolution fixed IP network camera
JVC Professional Europe has extended its IP camera product line up with the introduction of a new high-resolution fixed IP network camera, model VN-V25U. The VN-V25U comes in a 23% smaller enclosure than its predecessor the VN-C20U and incorporates advanced electronics for IP surveillance.
The VN-V25U produces superior image quality and the camera provides full motion dual stream VGA resolution for both Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 images at 30 frames per second (fps). Here, operators are able to view images in real-time and at a low bandwidth MPEG-4. When an alarm is triggered, the camera can stream real-time Motion JPEG images for continuous and high quality recording.
The Wide-D function incorporated inside the camera is the equivalent to the conventional wide dynamic range function found inside traditional analogue CCTV cameras and allows pictures to be adjusted to identify details of the subject even in backlit conditions.
JVC GR-D750
The final word: The GR-D750 is a solid little performer that punches well above its weight; offering impressive image quality for entry-level users. If you're on the lookout for a cheap miniDV camera, you could certainly do a lot worse than this. ON PAPER at least, the GR-D750 is the unmistakable runt of the JVC litter. With its low image resolution, rudimentary feature set and cheap looking design, we certainly weren't expecting much; yet it turns out that looks can be very deceiving. From its attractive price tag to its above average video performance, this is one of the best budget offerings we've seen in quite a while. It represents excellent value for money and is a perfect introduction to digital video - provided you can live without the bells and whistles. The GR-D750 is a standard-definition camcorder that records video to miniDV tapes.
12/30 - 01/06 (84)
And finally the piste de resistance: Trekell said he has received e-mails from people "as they are crying at their computers and students just enraged and vowing vengeance." Crying at your computer just because someone won't pat you on the head and call you a "good boy" for sodomizing your buddy? Give me a break. That last part gives me a little concern, though. Vengeance? In what form? If it's a political effort to sway public sentiment, then that's their First Amendment right. But if it's something else, they'd better cool their heels and get a grip. .
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