Touch user interfaces have made significant advances in the consumer electronics market particularly for mobile phones and notebook computers, opening the door for adoption in other applications including white goods, computer peripherals, medical equipment, and instrumentation. Synaptics made its debut in the home appliance market earlier this year with the launch of the Samsung Hauzen ZERO air conditioner.
The standout products on day three of the SID 2010 conference is Universal Display's new PHOLED display architecture with a unique four-color, sub-pixel design, which promises to drive commercial development of all-phosphorescent active-matrix OLEDs and Sony's tiny rollable OLED display that can wrap around a pencil.
Smaller distributors were the only ones to post sales gains in 2009. Interestingly, two of the five distributors that posted growth last year -- Interstate Connecting Components and Sherburn Electronics -- derive 100 percent of their sales from interconnect products. Both of them also target the military/aerospace industry. Here are the top 10 sales leaders by ICs, passives/electromechanical devices, interconnects and computer products as well as sales growth.
iPad to drive IC growth for tablets
Scottsdale, Ariz. — The Apple iPad promises to energize the emerging tablet PC segment, creating a potential semiconductor opportunity of more than $4.1 billion in 2014, reports In-Stat. Other winners include battery and display makers, according to the market research firm.
“Tablets have quickly become a high priority for competitors across the value chain, including mobile operators,” says Jim McGregor, In-Stat analyst, in a statement. “Even more important, is that the opportunity in tablets is complementary to other mobile devices, particularly smartphones and netbooks.”
In-Stat’s report, “The Rise of the Internet Tablet: The Keys to Success” (#IN1004604WH), shows that the potential unit total available market (TAM) for tablets, positioned between smartphones and PCs, is about 50 million in 2014. The researcher says initial pricing of mainstream tables will be in the $400 to $500 range based on bill-of-material (BOM) estimates.
So far, only Apple and ICD have indicated carrier strategies, and only Apple offers an entire solution that includes content and applications, says In-Stat.
NXP offers a low-power IC aimed at MPPT applications using PV cells or fuel cells. 
C&K Components offers a series of low-cost, miniature slide switches. The OS Series of RoHS-compliant switches feature a new high-temperature option for lead-free soldering.