If forecasting is to be believed, we are looking at 1.7 billion [with a B] USB 3.0 devices to be shipped during 2011. With the world population at just 6.8 billion, this means that nearly 1 in 5 will have a USB 3.0 product. Hmm does that number sound right?
In-Stat seems to think they’ve got their numbers right, but I challange them.
With USB 3.0 being a slow start given that Intel wont even include the drivers in their chipset, it’s hare to believe OEMs will generate that much demand. Traditionally, OEMs lean on Intel to provide built in drivers to reduce overall cost of integration of new devices. Without the native driver, this forces integrators to go out and find solutions, like the NEC 3.0 chip.
Here is a quick snap shot at some numbers for USB 3.0 and it’s related family of products:
USB 3.0 spec up to 5 GHz data transfer rate – about 500MB/s
Microsoft has not provided a native set of drivers for Windows as of yet
NEC shipped 3 million controllers in 2010 and expected to ship 20 million for 2011
USB-IF has tested nearly 120 USB 3.0 devices as of Dec 2010
Intel will finally provide support for USB 3.0 in it’s Sandy Bridge chipset sometime in 2011
Even in 2014 USB 2.0 will carry the bulk of sales for USB devices
By 2014 In-Stat is forecasting USB 3.0 to be in 225 million USB flash drives, seven million set-top boxes and nearly 40% of all digital media players.
Trek 2000 Ltd introduces a wifi SD card where by the user could transfer files from a device, like a camera, to a computer without the need for cables or internet access.
We’ve seen this card before called the Eye-Fi card so we’ve been here before. What I like to see is the concept adopting on and more vendors are making such a device.
Trek 2000 has a bit of unique name for their SD wifi card; the “FluCard.” The FluCard was aptly named because Trek 2000 is hoping the product name will be contagious and easily remember by users. Of course, this naming idea is like “Kleenex” or “Google” where it just becomes a house-hold name. Trek has done this before, apparently the owner of Trek 20 coined the phrase “Thumb Drive” and we all know what that is!
The FluCard is a wifi device and does not need internet access to work. You could be in the middle of the Sudan and transfer files from your digital camera to your phone or computer. The wifi is license free.
The FluCard is comprised of a NAND flash chip for memory and an IC controller which has built in wifi capability.
Today Toshiba announced a power outage at their plant in Yokkaichi. Toshiba claims the power will be restored by Friday Dec 12th 2010. There where no details about the outage, but it could have an effect on flash memory in Jan/Feb of 2011.
Toshiba estimates that up to 20% of their production schedule will be effected by the power problem.
Seems a little suspicious as prices for flash continue to decline, but that’s just my conspericy theory coming out.
Apple could be the biggest customer effected by the problem as they use Toshiba for most of their MacBook Air SSD component. However, Electronista reports that Apple has other suppliers such as Samsung, Hynix and even Intel.
From what we know, Apple has a dual source policy program for events just like this.
Source:Â Electronista.
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Today Toshiba announced a power outage at their plant in Yokkaichi. Toshiba claims the power will be restored by Friday Dec 12th 2010. There where no details about the outage, but it could have an effect on flash memory in Jan/Feb of 2011.
Toshiba estimates that up to 20% of their production schedule will be effected by the power problem.
Seems a little suspicious as prices for flash continue to decline, but that’s just my conspericy theory coming out.
Apple could be the biggest customer effected by the problem as they use Toshiba for most of their MacBook Air SSD component. However, Electronista reports that Apple has other suppliers such as Samsung, Hynix and even Intel.
From what we know, Apple has a dual source policy program for events just like this.
Source:Â