Hardware
Brother Group, a developer and manufacturer of printing, communication and digital imaging products for homes, announced that it achieved a 60% drop in carbon emissions in 2007 compared to its CO2 levels in 1990. The Group has also trimmed its total energy consumption of electricity and fuel use by an equivalent of 31 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2007. These results of the company's environment-focused initiatives are in line with the launch of a trade-specific voluntary action plan in Japan (where it has its global headquarters), which is set to decrease the industry's production of carbon wastes by 28% in 2010 against levels in 1991. Among the environmentally-aware representative organisations that have spearheaded the action plan are Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association, Japan Business Machine and Information System Industries Association, and the Communications and Information Network Association of Japan.
Japan is investigating a possible defect in AppleÆs iPod after one gadget allegedly shot out sparks while recharging, a government official said yesterday. The defect is suspected in the lithium-ion battery in the iPod Nano, model number MA099J/A. The problem surfaced in January in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo, and Apple reported the problem to the ministry in March. The ministry has instructed Apple Japan to find out the cause of what it is categorising as a fire and report back to the government. The iPod was assembled in China, but it was still unclear who made the lithium-ion battery, the ministry official said.
SonyÆs PS3 games console was put under renewed pressure by price cuts to MicrosoftÆs Xbox 360 console in Europe, according to industry analysts Strategy Analytics. Microsoft has confirmed that the recommended prices of each of its Xbox 360 console models will be reduced this week. The entry level model, the Arcade, is now the cheapest of the current generation of consoles from Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo. The most expensive, the Elite, is now ú40 pounds ($60) less expensive than SonyÆs PS3. Sony is worried that the PS3's recent sales surge may fizzle out now that the premium Xbox 360 undercuts the PS3. Sony will be scrutinising the daily sales reports, but will probably try to hold out until later in the year before making its next price move.
Net Insight has received an order for a contribution network from a large communications company in Japan. This is a new customer for Net Insight, a Japanese telecommunications company that provides a multitude of services for video contribution and distribution to various operators from terrestrial broadcasters to CATV. Net Insight's Nimbra platform will be deployed and used for a contribution network for video and Ethernet services. The equipment will be delivered during the first quarter 2008. The order has been won in close cooperation with its partner Itochu Cable Systems and with this new customer, the company hopes to continue its market penetration in Asia.
Mobile/ Wireless
Sony Corporation will stop manufacturing cellular phones for NTT DoCoMo by the end of this year to focus on overseas customers amid a saturated domestic market. The 10 or so manufacturers supplying handsets in Japan face an increasingly competitive business environment. Smaller players such as Sanyo Electric and Mitsubishi Electric have already announced plans to withdraw from the domestic handset market. Sony initially considered withdrawing from the Japanese handset market altogether, but has decided for now to continue developing and producing handsets for KDDI Corporation because of their partnership in the music distribution business.
Korea
Semiconductors
LG Electronics has decided not to acquire Hynix Semiconductor as the chipmaker is unlikely to produce synergy with its existing business. LG Group has made a final decision not to take over Hynix as, according to the company, LG Electronics does not need the semiconductor business to boost its core competence. The company will not invest further in the plasma display panel (PDP) production lines although the display business will likely turn in a profit in the first quarter. Korea Exchange Bank and other local creditors hold a combined 36.03% stake in Hynix. They acquired the stake under a sizable debt-for-equity swap arrangement in 2001.
Hardware
LG Display of Korea has announced an intellectual property cross-licensing agreement with Eastman Kodak. The license, which is royalty-bearing to Kodak, enables LG Display to use Kodak technology, including yield-improving capabilities for Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) modules, in a variety of small- to medium-size display applications such as mobile phones, portable media players, picture frames, and small TVs. The agreement also enables LG Display to purchase Kodak's patented OLED materials for use in manufacturing displays. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Samsung Electronics will launch a new UI (User Interface) phone called Anycall Haptic phone. The new phone is a premium touch screen phone, based on a variety of haptic functions with innovative UIs applied. It is AnycallÆs strategic model for the first half of this year.
LG Electronics said it plans to buy 32-inch and 52-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) panels from Japan's Sharp Corporation in order to satisfy surging demand for flat screen TVs. The company is said to be buying about 2 million 32-inch panels from Sharp but declined to specify the number of 52-inch panels to be purchased. It also didnÆt disclose the value of the deal.
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