Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased 3% in 2016 when compared to 2015 area shipments according to the SEMI.

Read full article: Wafer revenues languish

The prospect of Intel licensing AMD’s GPUs is as unlikely as Intel licensing ARM technology to let Intel’s customers make ARM-based chips in Intel fabs. But that is what happened last August, “Our 10 nm design platform for foundry customers will now offer access to ARM Artisan physical IP, including POP IP, based on the …

Read full article: Can A Leopard Change Its Spots?

Toshiba launches a transistor array for LED lighting and industrial, high-voltage signal transmitters.

Read full article: Toshiba launches transistor array for HV transmitters

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan the winning medals will be made from obsolete electronics – old or discarded devices.

Read full article: Tokyo 2020 gold medals go green, from old gadgets

Thanks to Gartner for this one – the ten best customers for ICs in 2016: $bn Samsung 31.6 Apple 30 Dell 13.3 Lenovo. 12.8 Huawei 9.9 HP 8.5 HP Enterprises 6.2 Sony 6.1 BBK 5.8 LG 5.2  

Read full article: Ten Best Chip Customers In 2016

Nexperia is NXP’s former Standard Products division which was sold to Chinese financial investors last June.

Read full article: Nexperia launches today

Osram Lighting Solutions will be the new business home for Texas lighting services specialist Maneri-Agraz Enterprises, while Legrand acquires a luminaire maker and Nichia announces further patent-infringement actions.

During his campaign and even in his Inauguration Address, Donald Trump has spoken frequently about the importance of improving the nation’s infrastructure – roads, bridges, airports, and yes, even water and wastewater.

Could 2017 be the year to move the needle on repairing and replacing aging water and wastewater infrastructure? Experts say public awareness is on the rise and that utilities are ready for the challenge.

In the waning weeks of the Obama Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a report on the impact upon drinking water supplies from the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) practices in the oil and gas industry.