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Sales of semiconductors in November indicate that consumer products such as LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs, digital music players, and other devices sold well during the holidays, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said Monday.
November chip sales rose 2.3 percent year-on-year to $23.1 billion, the SIA said.
Unit demand has far outpaced last year. But falling chip prices have hurt industry revenue, the chip association said. For example, DRAM (dynamic RAM) bit shipments grew 25 percent in the three months through mid-December, but average selling prices have declined 20 percent over the same period.
The association also noted that rising energy prices and concerns about the sub-prime lending issue in the U.S. do not appear to have had a significant impact on consumer spending for the holidays, the SIA said. The group reiterated its forecast that worldwide semiconductor sales will reach a new record in 2007. But it will take a stronger than expected December selling season to reach the 3.8 percent growth goal the group had forecast earlier this year, the SIA said.
Investment banking firm Credit Suisse was not as optimistic as the SIA.
The November data was below normal seasonal trends, noted analyst John Pitzer, in a report on Monday. Even if December reaches its normal seasonal growth, 2007 industry revenue will only reach $255.7 billion, up 3.2 percent over last year. The growth percentage would fall short of the SIA's 3.8 percent target.
The slow November prompted Credit Suisse to lower its 2008 chip industry revenue forecast to 9.4 percent year-on-year growth, down from a previous target of 13 percent.
In Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, devotees of the dram can peruse the latest revised edition of the 1989 work. In 336 pages brimming with maps, photos, and informed overview of factors such as geography and flavor components--even proximity to the sea--Jackson sketches the evolution of Scotch whisky, from the prebottling days, when shopkeepers like Johnnie Walker and the Chivas Brothers would create their own blends for sale, to the late-1960s and 1970s' surge of individual distilleries marketing their own bottlings. Lamentably labeling the former as a time when "orchestrations drowned out the soloists," Jackson provides some sweet sheet music of his own: 294 pages are devoted to an A-to-Z review (including full-color labels and tasting notes) of more than 800 singles from "every Scottish malt distillery that has ever witnessed its product in a bottle." It's the perfect book to take to your local liquor store next time you're trying to navigate the high shelf of Scotland's highlands, lowlands, and islands. You may laugh at Jackson's description of Auchentoshan Select's "oily" nose with "hints of citrus zest" or Aberlour 10-year-old's "mint-toffee" bouquet. But you'll be laughing out of the other side of your haggis when you actually smell them. All the notes are well researched and designed to appeal to Cardhu-carrying connoisseurs, as well as those who'd just like to know more about Bowmore. In his introduction, the author describes a whisky's finish as "a crescendo, followed by a series of echoes. When I leave the bottle, I like to be whistling the tune." Scotch drinkers will find plenty to wet that whistle in Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. --Tony Mason
 Compact and easy, to use the MyFi offers 150 XM satellite channels. |
The MyFi comes with a densely packed carton of accessories, including everything from headphones and antennas to a remote control, belt clips, and separate docking apparatus for integrating the receiver with your home and car stereos.
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An illuminated six-line LCD is your gateway to browsing XM's programming. You can browse by station, by category, or (our favorite) by currently playing artist. Thirty channel presets simplify access to your favorites, and a handy memo button stores artist and song data for up to 20 performances you'd like to look into later (or find again on XM).
Any satellite radio system requires a fairly heavy-duty antenna. Accordingly, the MyFi comes with four: one for the home (place it in a south-facing window), one for the car (mount it on the roof or trunk), a clip-on antenna for when you're hoofing it, and a built-in antenna. Our home reception was perfect--we never experienced a single drop out. Car reception was spottier, though still excellent. You just have to get used to the fact that where analog radio gets noisier in areas with poor reception, satellite radio drops out altogether; it's either all there, crystal clear, or all absent. And that's where My XM, MyFi's recording feature, comes in handy.
 The MyFi mounts easily in most vehicles. |
My XM lets you record XM programming to MyFi's onboard memory--perfect for time shifting your listening (as with a news program or a scheduled performance on XM Live) or for tuning in when you'll be someplace lacking XM reception (in a canyon, on a subway, in a windowless cubicle, etc.). You can schedule a recording or start and stop recording at any time you wish, and new recordings pick up where you last stopped. But you can't erase anything unless you clear the memory--which means you can't whittle away songs you don't like to retain your favorites. It's also important to remember that when you've filled the unit's memory (128 MB, or 5+ hours of full bitrate XM radio), it'll record over earlier material, starting from the top. During playback, however, My XM lets you skip easily from track to track and even pick from a list of all tracks.
You can configure the MyFi's LCD to scroll stock and sports-score tickers, a great way to keep an eye on important stats. The receiver also features a built-in sleep timer (15 minutes to 1 hour) and an alarm clock (wake to a beep or to XM programming).
What's in the BoxFor car use, you have a choice of mounting options for the vehicle cradle: flush mount, vent mount, or swivel mount. The cradle houses a power jack for a DC vehicle power adapter (included), an antenna input, and an audio output for use with the provided cassette-shell audio adapter. You can use the cassette adapter or the MyFi's built-in wireless FM transmitter, which turns any FM radio into an XM radio. (Audio quality is better using the supplied cassette audio adapter, however. You may also purchase a wired FM adapter, though XM asserts that the cassette adapter sounds better than that, too.)
 The Delphi XM MyFi comes complete with all of the accessories needed to enjoy XM anywhere. |
Positioning the car antenna can be inelegant, despite its heavy-duty magnet. You can have it professionally installed or live with an exposed antenna cord, though XM recommends using "existing holes, body grommets, and other wiring channels" rather than closing a door over the cord on a daily basis. The receiver's battery pack proved good for about five hours between charges. The included earbud headphones are neither comfortable nor particularly well made; a nicer set would represent XM's strong sound quality. --Michael Mikesell
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MyFi receiver with a clip-on antenna, an integrated rechargeable battery, a complete home accessory kit (with antenna and audio cable), a complete vehicle accessory kit (with antenna), stereo earbud headphones, a remote control, a remote battery, a belt clip/stand, a protective carrying case, and quick-start guides and user's manuals in English and Spanish.
