TSMC HAS FINALLY come to terms with its 40nm ordeal. In a transcript published by EETimes, Shang-Yi Chiang, TSMC’s R&D boss, laid out six bullet points to explain the situation the company is coming from, what steps it’s taking to make amends and where it's going.
The 40nm yield issues were blamed on the company’s previous lack of experience with the new, smaller node. Without going into too many specifics, Chiang explained the delay in achieving a viable yield was due to it using 193nm shrink immersion on the wafers, which resulted in a high defect rate, and also its low-K process that would damage the dies when converted into a package. TSMC is looking at extreme ultraviolet and e-beam direct write as alternatives to shrink immersion depending, of course, on cost.
Having its clients breathing down its neck couldn’t have been easy. TSMC immediately started developing its 3rd generation manufacturing process on the node. Currently, output for 40nm wafers is 80,000 wafers per quarter, as only Fab 12 is manufacturing these. However, the company vowed it will be able to double that by year’s end, that is, 160,000 wafers per quarter, once Fab 14 is up and running.
He then moved on to explaining what the company plans to do next with its 28nm roadmap. It will start with a 28nm Low Power (28LP) silicon oxynitride, followed a quarter later by the 28nm high performance (28HP) high-K metal gate process. Despite it being the first high-K metal-gate process, Chiang believes that TSMC will be able to migrate the technology as it moves forward with 22nm and 20nm nodes. 28nm should be introduced by Q3 2010, we garnered.
Further along the roadmap comes the aforementioned 22nm node. Chiang expects to see a more mature second-generation high-K metal-gate process kick in. The first 22nm process will be a high-performance one (22HP), followed 2 quarters later by the low-power version (22LP). These should be in place by Q3 2012 and Q1 2013, respectively.
Considering TSMC’s major clients are the likes of AMD, Nvidia, Broadcom and Qualcomm. not to mention Intel, it seems that it's taking fairly important measures to reassure its clientele about its manufacturing. Of course we should expect a reaction from Global Foundries soon, as it are developing competing processes in their own house.
So, if you’re a GPU buff, late 2010 or very early 2011 would be a good estimate for a new generation of GPUs. That, or smartphones. We'll have to wait and see.

MOBILE OPERATOR O2 announced a raft of new price plans in the hope of retaining Iphone customers now that its exclusive on the device has vanished.

The new plans include two sim-only tariffs aimed at Iphone users who are finishing their existing 18 month terms. Those who can do without data are also presented with two new options should they wish to forgo a subsidised handset. And to round things off, O2 presented a "mobile broadband" plan which includes a whopping 1GB per month transfer on either 30 day or 18 month contracts.

Seemingly in denial about not being Apple's only child, O2 apologised about claiming until earlier this week, incorrectly, that it was still the only operator in the UK that had the blessing of Steve Jobs. Of course that isn't the case with Vodafone, Orange and virtual operator Tesco Mobile now peddling the devices.

For Iphone users on O2 that are thinking of jumping ship, O2 are trying to tempt them with a £15 or £20 per month deal with contract lengths of 18 months and 30 days respectively. Both plans comprise of 300 talk minutes, unlimited UK texting and "unlimited" 3G and WiFi data they are a sharp drop from the plans at the Iphone launch.

The good news for Iphone users rolls on with the release of O2's "tethering bolt on". For the measly sum of £2 per day you can use your Iphone as a modem. Just make sure you don't breach their excessive use policy, a policy according to an O2 spokeswoman that doesn't have a figure. Indeed after hours of parsing O2's terms and conditions, we couldn't find an exact figure listed. For now it seems be a case of seeing how far you can push them.

Quite why O2 chose today to make a big song and dance about their Iphone "simplicity" plans is a mystery, as current users have been offered the deal for over a month now. Given that O2's two year exclusivity deal ran out before Christmas, the chosen announcement date remains a pertinent question and one that our O2 spokeswoman was unable to answer.

Maybe a clue could be the launch date of the Iphone 3G. Sales of the original Iphone were lacklustre and only picked up when the second generation device tipped up in July 2008. After some simple arithmetic would tend to suggest a fair chunk of customers' contracts are coming up for renewal very soon.

For O2, the Iphone helped them pinch a vast amount of users from competing networks. Now it seems that it is they, not Apple who will have to work hard in order to keep them.

The viliv S10, weighing a mere 2.67 lb (1.21kg), is an unparalleled tool for mobile productivity, featuring integrated 3G (optional), and a swivel, multi-touch screen. It runs Windows 7 seamlessly, while boasting a 10-hour battery life, thanks to its Intel Atom 1.6GHz (2.0GHz max) CPU and solid-state drive. And, let’s face it: design matters and the S10 has sleek, enviable industrial design worthy of its capabilities.

Ultraslim and Lightweight:
The viliv S10 strikes the perfect balance between usability and portability. At 2.67lb (1.21KG), the S10 measures just 10.23(W) x 7.28(L) x 0.67~1.02(H)inch [260(W) x 185(L) x 17~25(H)mm]. In simpler language, it fits comfortably within the borders of a standard sheet of copy paper, which measures 8.5 x 11 inches—and it’s only an inch thick.

Convertible Multi-touch screen:
The multi-touch display lets you interact with the device by placing up to 3 fingers directly onto the surface of the screen and navigating using the easy gesture controls built in to Windows 7.
Handwriting recognition is also built into Windows 7, and it allows you to use a stylus, or your fingers, to sign documents, draw charts, take handwritten notes - or, of course, to provide super-intuitive navigation. Swivel the screen to show something to a colleague, or twist-and-fold the screen down and you have an extremely portable slate-style device with excellent battery life!

HD LCD:
The viliv S10 has a 10.1-inch HD LCD with a 1366 x 768 (WXVGA) resolution – superb for watching movies, reading e-books/newspapers and surfing the Web in full resolution without the need for constant scrolling.

Processor
Intel Atom Z530 (1.6GHz)
Intel Atom Z550 (2.0GHz)

Storage
60GB HDD
32 or 64GB SSD

Communication
WiFi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Built in HSPA modem (optional)

Input/Output
Webcam

Physical Features
260(W) x 185(L) x 17~26(H)mm
10.23(W) x 7.28(L) x 0.67~1.02(H)inch
1.21 Kg
2.67 Lbs

Memory
1GB DDR2 SDRAM (533MHz)

Display (Internal)
10.1" 3-Point Resistive Swivel Multi-touch LCD

Integrated Ports
2 USB Host, 1 USB Link (PC-PC data transfer)
SDHC, Headphone-out, Mic, Stereo Speakers
D-Sub, Multi I/O (Composite / Component / S-Video)

Power
Up to 10 hours battery life max
(7 hour movie playback)
43Wh

Operating System
Windows 7 Home Premium

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

These 1GB lightsaber flash drives may have been imported from Japan and they may light up when plugged in, but they still don't feel quite right without some woosh-woosh-zzwoommm-zwing sound effects. Worth $20 without those?