Consumer Electronics Daily News

mPayy Adds Tournament Games To Its Payment Network

Expands its Position in Online Gaming & Micropayments

 

mPayy, an alternative payments leader, announced the launch of Tournament Games, www.tournamentgames.com, onto its payment network. Tournament Games utilizes mPayy’s lightbox ‘Checkout Window’ for seamless customer experience to purchase credits directly from the company’s site.

“We’re very excited to add Tournament Games,” stated Kimberley Lewis, VP of Business Development, who will attend the LA Games Conference. “mPayy’s simple, secure way to pay is a great option for adding new gamers and simplifying credit purchases.”

Tournament Games players participate in skill game tournaments played for free, or in tournaments offering cash prizes that require credits. Entry fees range from $0.02 in credits to a couple of dollars, and Tournament Games sells credits in $5.00 increments.

“We chose mPayy for their attractive pricing, and simple, integrated checkout,” said James Pearson, CEO of Tournament Games. “We think this will add value to our customers and look forward to mPayy’s members playing our games.”

When buying credits, players choose mPayy, specify the amount, and click “Purchase.” mPayy members then enter their mobile phone number + password to complete the purchase. Non-members will be prompted to open accounts instantly, and return to the checkout page to complete their transaction.

mPayy allows Tournament Games players without checking accounts to receive funds into free, no fee, Stored Value accounts from other mPayy members. These can be used for purchases from Tournament Games or other online merchants accepting mPayy.

About mPayy, Inc.

mPayy is a secure online and mobile payment platform enabling merchant and bill payment processing for any sized business, plus quick and simple checkout for buyers. The company’s highly scalable platform improves margins by eliminating fraud and reducing transaction costs. mPayy’s efficient service enables profitable micro-payments; easy, secure purchases of digital content and physical goods; flexible recurring and subscription payments and free person-to-person payments.

About Tournament Games

Started in 1997, Tournament Games offers free and paid skill games to its customers. Tournament Games customers download a console that runs directly on their desktops and provides access to an assortment of games. Always secure and virus free, Tournament Games prides itself on its loyal customer base and commitment to serving those customers.

For more information, visit mPayy.

EZchip Discloses Product Roadmap For Its High-Speed & Access Network Processors

 

EZchip Semiconductor Ltd., a leader in Ethernet network processors, is disclosing today the roadmap for the NP high-speed and the NPA access network processors product families.

Within the high-speed category, unveiled is the NP-5, a 200-Gigabit network processor with integrated 200-Gigabit traffic management for ultra-dense 10GE, 40GE and 100GE port line cards in switches and routers. This unveiling follows the successful sampling earlier this year of EZchip’s NP-4 100-Gigabit and NP-4L 50-Gigabit processors that are quickly becoming the preferred solutions for Carrier Ethernet equipment. Within the access category, two devices are revealed that augment EZchip’s NPA family, the NPA-4 providing the highest performance and the NPA-0 providing the lowest cost. These two new products will complement the NPA-1, NPA-2 and NPA-3 that sampled last year and will round out EZchip’s NPA family to be the most versatile and complete network processor (NPU) offering for Ethernet access equipment.

“In a recent survey taken by Heavy Reading (a publication of Light Reading Inc.), EZchip’s NPUs are ranked by networking equipment vendors as the clear network processor leaders. With our fifth generation of NPUs, we are extending our offering to span solutions that range from 1-Gbps all the way up to 200Gbps. We are underlining for our customers our continued long term commitment to the NPU market and further solidifying our market leadership,” said Eli Fruchter, President and CEO of EZchip Semiconductor.

“Through technological innovations and optimized architecture EZchip is able to advance its NPUs’ throughput and functionality time and time again. These efforts have yielded for our customers the best available packet processing solutions. In our new NPUs we will integrate a host CPU and continue in extending per-port functionality at lower power and cost, while maintaining software compatibility that enables our customers to maintain and carry forward their prior investments,” said Guy Koren, CTO of EZchip Semiconductor.

The NP-5 is a 200-Gigabit network processor with integrated 200-Gigabit traffic manager that will provide unprecedented integration and enable building routers and switches for Carrier Ethernet networks as well as data centers with exceptional density and functionality. The NP-5 will enable building line cards that feature multiple 40 and 100-Gigabit ports as well as dozens of 10-Gigabit ports. Through its versatility and rich feature set NP-5 will serve a wide variety of carrier and data center applications.

The NPA-4 and NPA-0 are 24-Gigabit and 5-Gigabit network processors respectively. Both devices are a complete System-on-Chip (SoC) that integrate all the main functions of an access node. Offering high performance, low power, extended functionality and attractive price points, these NPUs will enable building a new class of Carrier Ethernet access nodes for PON, microwave backhaul, base stations, VDSL and Ethernet access, which deliver more throughput, higher functionality at lower power and cost.

All these new NPUs from EZchip integrate into a single chip the main components of a line card including programmable packet processing, traffic management, Ethernet MACs, PHYs, control CPU and Fabric Interface Controller. They are based on the same underlying technology and are code compatible to current NPUs from EZchip. All of EZchip’s NPUs are augmented with a library of production-level applications that includes data-plane code for Metro Ethernet, MPLS, GPON/EPON OLT, OAM and IEEE1588v2 clock synchronization, for enabling reduced development resources and expedited time to market.

About EZchip

EZchip is a fabless semiconductor company that provides Ethernet network processors for networking equipment. EZchip provides its customers with solutions that scale from several 1-Gigabit to 200-Gigabits per second with a common architecture and software across all products. EZchip's network processors provide the flexibility and integration that enable triple-play data, voice and video services in systems that make up the new Carrier Ethernet networks. Flexibility and integration make EZchip's solutions are ideal for building systems for a wide range of applications in telecom networks, enterprise backbones and data centers.

For more information, visit EZchip.

GetJar Empowers Developers w/ Mobile App Conversion oFr All Phones

 

GetJar, the world’s second largest app store, today announced that it is the first to enable developers to measure the conversion rate of mobile downloads to actual users across all open platforms: Android, BlackBerry, Flash, Java, Symbian, Windows Mobile.

Developers want users, not downloads, but until now it was very time consuming to set up tracking codes and analytics to measure conversion of app store downloads to users. GetJar now automates this process, allowing developers to analyze the performance of their application by phone, country, and network.

“With GetJar conversion tracking, developers will know where their apps run, and where they don’t,” said Chris Dury, VP of Product for GetJar. “This conversion data will allow developers to improve their apps, increase conversion, and gain an advantage over the competition, by increasing users, not just downloads.”

Traditionally, there was no inexpensive way for developers to test their app on every phone. There are over 2,500 different mobile phone models that can browse the web and download apps and each of these phone models has different variations for carriers and versions over time. GetJar actually tracks 25,000 different variations in total. Even developers with the best intentions couldn’t possibly discover and test every carrier and firmware variation. Thus, users became defacto testers and were subjected to many apps that simply didn’t work on their phones.

In addition, the Conversion API used in conjunction with GetJar’s Pay per Download (PPD) promotion system, can help developers manage their cost per active user and optimize their marketing efficiency.

 

Developers can also host their apps on their own sites using GetJar App Download Page (ADP) and can track conversions for app downloads. ADP is a free, white label hosting solution for mobile app developers to deliver app downloads from their own Web sites and convert their existing traffic to mobile app users. Consumers simply click a download button and ADP automatically detects the phone and downloads the appropriate app version.

How to get Started with Conversion API

To get started, developers simply add a conversion code into their apps published on GetJar. When the app is opened for the first time, it will notify GetJar. Developers can then see the results in the analytics on the GetJar developer site. For more information and complete documentation, create a developer account at http://developer.getjar.com.

About GetJar

GetJar is the world’s second largest app store, second only to Apple iTunes, with over 900 million downloads to date. The company provides more than 65,000 mobile applications across all major handsets and platforms to consumers in more than 200 countries. In June 2009, GetJar was named winner of the 2009 Meffy Award for Best Direct to Consumer Service. GetJar is backed by marquee investor Accel Partners and is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in the UK and Lithuania.

For more information, visit GetJar.

SEMATECH Technologists Detail Process Advances To Accelerate 3D Manufacturing Readiness

 

With a focus on providing cost-effective and reliable solutions to speed manufacturing readiness of 3D technology options, experts from SEMATECH’s 3D interconnect program based at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering’s (CNSE) Albany NanoTech Complex outlined new developments in wafer bonding, copper removal, and wafer thinning at the 2010 Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting on April 5-9 in San Francisco, CA.

3D integration offers the promise of higher performance, higher density, higher functionality, smaller form factor, and potential cost reduction. In this emerging field, new and improved technologies and integration schemes will be necessary to realize 3D’s potential as a manufacturable and affordable path to sustaining semiconductor productivity growth. At MRS, SEMATECH researchers described several practical 3D integration achievements – applicable across various 3D processes – in areas such as high-aspect ratio TSVs, wafer bonding, and thinning of interconnect test structures.

“Through collaborative research, our goal is to develop and characterize new approaches to implementing 3D,” said Sitaram Arkalgud, director of SEMATECH’s 3D Interconnect Program. “These practical approaches are critical to the integration, process development, metrology, and tool sets that will make 3D TSVs commercially viable.”

“The SEMATECH-CNSE partnership continues to drive leading-edge technologies that will accelerate 3D processes for manufacturing,” said Richard Brilla, CNSE Vice President for Strategy, Alliances and Consortia. “This innovative research will enable critical advances to benefit our corporate partners and the global nanoelectronics industry.”

In partnership with the UAlbany NanoCollege, specific SEMATECH process advances aimed at improving 3D performance include:

A practical approach to copper overburden removal by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), using high removal rate slurry screening and achieving good planarization results, with low polish defects, at a rate suitable for emerging 3D TSV copper applications.

The process development and associated metrology necessary in thinning bonded 300mm TSV and non-TSV bonded wafers, leaving a defect-free surface which meets the requirements for subsequent processing.

An array of metrology techniques used in characterizing a manufacturable wafer bond process to deliver a void and dendrite-free bond for handle wafers.

SEMATECH’s 3D program was established at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex to deliver robust 300 mm equipment and process technology solutions for high-volume through-silicon via (TSV) manufacturing. To accelerate progress, the program’s engineers have been working jointly with chipmakers, equipment and materials suppliers, and assembly and packaging service companies from around the world on early development challenges, including cost modeling, technology option narrowing, and technology development and benchmarking.

About SEMATECH

For over 20 years, SEMATECH®, the international consortium of leading semiconductor manufacturers, has set global direction, enabled flexible collaboration, and bridged strategic R&D to manufacturing. Today, we continue accelerating the next technology revolution with our nanoelectronics and emerging technology partners.

For more information, visit SEMATECH.

New Release Of RedPrairie Warehouse Management Helps Simplify Product Receiving

2010.1 release includes addition of intelligent parsing of GS1/ASN labeling and enhanced supplier item support

 

RedPrairie Corporation, a productivity solutions provider, has enhanced its Warehouse Management solution by streamlining the receiving process for GS1 compliant labeling. Customers who process these labels from their vendors and suppliers will no longer have to discern between ASN and GS1 varieties, and can now define their own barcode templates to support other forms of inbound labels that contain multiple receiving identifiers.

"One of the most time consuming processes within a warehouse is on the receiving front due to the variations of labeling, stack height configurations and product identification challenges that are very much uniquely driven by suppliers," says Scott Zickert, RedPrairie Product Manager for Distribution Products.

“With RedPrairie’s new Warehouse Management release, however, there is no need to indicate whether a product is GS1 or ASN, because the system automatically scans and parses for that data,” Zickert continues. “The result is more efficient receiving, and increased productivity.”

In addition, the new Warehouse Management release allows users to set up override conditions for each of their suppliers and vendors, helping to streamline the inbound receiving process. In the past, suppliers were not offered this level of flexibility. The 2010.1 enhancement enables configuration of items, lot formats, serial numbers types, and default asset types to lessen the amount of time it may take for inbound personnel to determine what type of attributes an item should be associated with during the receipt of non-ASN inventory.

The enhancements will allow customers to receive and support ASN and/or GS1-compliant labeling from their suppliers which in turn will enable partner collaboration and reduced time spent manually identifying product data during receiving.

RedPrairie will be exhibiting at NA 2010 in Cleveland, Oh. in booth #1037.

ABOUT REDPRAIRIE

RedPrairie delivers productivity solutions to help companies around the world in three categories – workforce, inventory and transportation. RedPrairie provides these solutions to manufacturers, distributors and retailers looking to support business strategies that increase revenue, reduce costs and create competitive advantage.

With over 20 global offices and solutions that are installed at more than 34,000 customer sites in over 40 countries, companies trust RedPrairie workforce, inventory and transportation solutions to deliver an increase in productivity – with the flexibility to adapt as business needs change.

At RedPrairie, we understand today’s operational demands and we’re committed to delivering solutions that work. We’re committed to delivering solutions for the real world.

For more information, visit REDPRAIRIE.

Fans Select Drew Brees As Madden NFL 11 Cover Athlete

Cover Selection Marks First in Series of Initiatives Enabling Madden NFL Fans to Shape Franchise

 

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been chosen by fans to be featured on the cover of Madden NFL 11, set to hit retail shelves on Tuesday, August 10. The Madden NFL 11 cover announcement is the result of a first-ever online consumer vote, powered by the Doritos “Change the Game” program, which empowered fans to select the highly-debated cover athlete. The partnership between EA SPORTS™ and the Doritos brand represents the first in a series of initiatives this year which allow fans to help shape the future of the franchise.

Doritos “Change the Game” allowed fans to submit their vote online, with Drew Brees winning over Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

“The Madden NFL franchise holds a special place in popular culture and the cover is a coveted position for players all over the league,” said New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. “I’m honored to be the first cover athlete chosen by Madden NFL fans and it’s a great way to cap off an amazing year for the Saints and the city of New Orleans.”

From February 4 - March 15, fans logged on to www.doritoschangethegame.com to vote daily for one of the three nominees. Voters were also entered into a drawing for a chance to win a trip to the 2010 NFL Draft. During the voting period, former NFL all-stars and Madden NFL cover legends Eddie George, Marshall Faulk and Shaun Alexander were featured on limited-edition Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch Doritos bags to inspire fans to vote for the next Madden NFL cover athlete.

“Drew’s exceptional performance during the regular season and in Super Bowl XLIV resonated with voters and helped cement his position as the fans’ choice to grace the cover of Madden NFL 11,” said Todd Sitrin, Group Vice President, EA SPORTS Global Marketing. “Giving fans the power to select this year’s Madden NFL cover underscores our commitment to connecting with our fans and giving them opportunities to influence the game.”

“Doritos is always looking for unprecedented opportunities to provide our fans access to the things they are most passionate about, and we are thrilled we were able to partner with EA SPORTS to give consumers complete control over this highly anticipated gaming moment,” said Rudy Wilson, vice president, marketing, Frito Lay.

Drew Brees was named Super Bowl XLIV MVP after leading the New Orleans Saints to their first ever Super Bowl title. Following a career threatening injury during his last season with the San Diego Chargers, Brees joined the New Orleans Saints in 2005, less than a year after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, Brees has helped rebuild the city and the football team, through his successes on the field and contributions to the community off the field.

Brees’s decorated NFL career has included four Pro Bowl selections, three All Pro selections, three NFC Offensive Player of the Year awards, the Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and the Pro Football Weekly 2004 Comeback Player of the Year. Off the field, Brees has been a champion as well through his charity - the Brees Dream Foundation - and his work in the New Orleans, San Diego and West Lafayette/Purdue, Ind. communities, which have provided over $4,500,000 to charitable causes and academic institutions.

Beyond the cover athlete selection, the franchise has also recently introduced two new initiatives that further enable fans to influence Madden NFL 11. From March 31 – April 26, fans have had the ability to vote on three match-ups through the Madden NFL website and determine which teams would be featured in the Madden NFL 11 game demo: a Super Bowl rematch, or a replay of one of the Conference Championship games. During the 2010 NFL Draft, fans will have the opportunity to influence rookie player ratings in Madden NFL 11 via online votes on the Madden NFL website.

Madden NFL 11 will redefine videogame football for both veteran and rookie players by providing a Simpler, Quicker and Deeper experience:

• Simpler: Call plays like an NFL coach with ease using an all-new play-calling system, GameFlow, which executes an authentic, situational game plan for you.
• Quicker: The new play-calling system will enable players to spend more time on the field and less in the playbook - completing games in half of the time.
• Deeper: Madden NFL 11 is feature-rich, with improved animations and control options, enhanced online functionality, and new broadcast and audio presentation that delivers the NFL experience fans have come to expect.

Madden NFL 11 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system. Madden NFL 11 will also be available for download globally on mobile platforms including iPod® touch and iPhone® and feature phones.

Madden NFL 11 is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®, and EA SPORTS™ MMA.

For more information about Madden NFL 11 please visit maddenNFL.easports.com. Consumers should also check in regularly at www.doritoschangethegame.com for details on what’s to come from Doritos and Madden NFL 11. For pack art and screenshot assets from Madden NFL 11 please visit http://info.ea.com.

All player participation has been facilitated by NFL PLAYERS, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers personal access to the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football and NCAA Basketball, Fight Night boxing and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, EA SPORTS MMA and EA SPORTS Active™.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies.

For more information, visit Electronic Arts.

Rugged Convertible Classmate PC Design Moves The Way Kids Do

Latest Intel-Powered Convertible Classmate PC Offers Durable Design for School Children Around the World

 

Supported by local computer manufacturers, Intel unveils the latest Intel-powered convertible classmate PC design.

The new convertible design is more rugged and flexible, providing school children around the world with custom-built technology to help advance education.

 

Intel Corporation today unveiled the most flexible and durable Intel-powered convertible classmate PC reference design yet. Supported by local computer manufacturers which are part of the Intel® Learning Series, this new addition combines aesthetics with ruggedness, full PC functionality with enhanced e-learning capabilities and improved performance with energy efficiency.

Building on the success of the clamshell and convertible classmate PC designs, Intel and the Learning Series’ members provide classrooms around the world with a custom-built solution for primary school education.

Featuring the Intel® Atom™ processor and a 10.1-inch LCD monitor, the new convertible classmate PC includes increased memory and storage to run education applications that help students excel in their studies and build skills for the future. The new design can change instantly from a clamshell to a tablet PC, allowing students to naturally switch form factors as they move between activities and locations in the classroom, an observation that Intel ethnographic researchers have termed “micro-mobility.”

"Our ethnographers have spent countless hours understanding how technology can help school age children here in the U.S. and around the world build the skills required for the future," said Kapil Wadhera, acting general manager of Intel’s Emerging Markets Platform Group, which developed the Intel-powered classmate PC reference design based on ethnographic research. “At Intel, we believe that education has the power to transform the lives of individuals, villages, cities and nations, and we understand that technology is one of our greatest tools to advance education around the world.”

Built to move the way kids do, the new Intel-powered convertible classmate PC features a touch-screen with a user interface optimized for eReading applications, water-resistant keyboard, touchpad and screen, improved ruggedness with drop test from desk height, bump and scratch resistance surfaces and structures, and an optional anti-microbial keyboard. In tablet mode, the “palm rejection” feature ignores the touch of hands resting on the screen, allowing students to write and draw intuitively.

In addition to being powered by the power-efficient Intel Atom processor, the new classmate PC features a rechargeable battery with up to 8.5 hours1 of battery life so students and teachers don’t have to worry about plugging in. It also includes integrated wireless connectivity with WiFi and provides the options of 3G, GPS and WiMAX for easy network and Internet connections.

More than 300 vendors – including hardware, operating system, software vendors and enterprise solutions providers – are developing applications, peripherals and services optimized for Intel-powered classmate PCs as a part of the Intel Learning Series offering. This cost-effective, end-to-end solution will be brought to students by an extensive network of local OEMs including CTL, Equus and M&A in the United States, MDG in Canada and local OEMs in Australia, Argentina, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, in addition to Benelux region.

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live.

For more information, visit Intel.

Mirics Launches GPU-Accelerated Broadcast TV Solutions For Desktop PCs

USmart to Deliver Integrated Solutions for Inno3D Add-In Graphics Cards

 

Mirics announced the launch of its multi-standard broadcast TV solution connected to graphics add-in-card products. Mirics’ Hong-Kong based partner, USmart has developed solutions using FlexiTV, the world’s first commercial software-based global TV receiver, enabling GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)-based integration into Inno3D-branded NVIDIA® GeForce® products from ASK Technology Group Ltd. The initial products being launched this quarter will target regions widely served by the DVB-T and ISDB-T digital TV standards.

“Integrating broadcast TV to Inno3D GPU products is a terrific addition that appeals to our customers,” said Matthew Ho, Engineering Director, ASK Technology. “Being first to bring this capability to market and taking advantage of the power of NVIDIA CUDA™ architecture to accelerate the Mirics solution made FlexiTV the perfect complement to our existing products.”

“Bringing FlexiTV to market in conjunction with graphics add-in cards is a natural fit,” said Jay Nunez, Vice President of WW Sales and Marketing, Mirics. “The flexibility of software-based TV and ability to leverage the processing power of the GPU make this a must-have upgrade for consumers seeking not only the best in graphics realism but also to access live digital broadcast TV on their desktop PC.”

This novel integration with GPU products is achieved through an innovative daughter-card that attaches to a graphics add-in card combined with software drivers that enable regional broadcast standards, allowing for a truly global solution as digital standards roll out worldwide. USmart Electronic Products Ltd. is delivering the daughter-card solution designed for integration with leading GPU products. Ben Wong, CEO, USmart stated: “When we partnered with Mirics, we saw great opportunities for bringing broadcast TV to the PC. Launching this GPU-accelerated solution presents a terrific opportunity for consumers to not only add great graphics power to their systems, but get instant access to live TV in time for some of the great sporting events coming this summer.”

Mirics and its partners will be showing the new GPU-integrated solutions with its commercial partners at a launch event in Shenzhen, China on April 22nd, 2010. Interested parties including consumer and technology press looking to attend can get more information on the event by contacting [email protected].

About Mirics

Mirics provides total system solutions for converged wireless connectivity on portable consumer electronic devices such as Notebook PCs, Media Players and Cell phones. The initial focus of the company is the delivery of free-to-air broadcast services and content to portable computing and communications devices. With development, support and sales operations in USA, UK, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, Mirics has brought together a strong team with extensive experience in delivering high performance integrated circuits and algorithmic IP into high volume wireless, broadcast and cellular applications.

Mirics has secured funding from an eminent investor team comprising Acacia Capital Partners, Intel Capital and Pond Venture Partners. Mirics secured $7 million of financing in January 2009, bringing total investor financial support to $22 million.

For more information, visit Mirics.

Silicon Labs Reduces Power System Cost & Complexity With 5 kV Isolated Gate Drivers

Expanded ISOpro™ Family Supports Digital Isolation for Safety-Critical Industrial Drives and Universal Power Supplies

 

Silicon Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leader in high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, has expanded its popular ISOpro™ family to include ISOdriver isolated gate drivers that support up to 5 kV isolation ratings. Silicon Labs’ new 5 kV-certified Si82xx isolated gate drivers reduce cost and complexity for safety-critical industrial systems and universal-powered systems with 120/220 volt supplies. Target applications include isolated switch mode and uninterruptible power supplies, test and measurement equipment, robotic assemblies, industrial drives, industrial and electric vehicle motor controls, battery and solar inverters, wind turbines, air conditioning systems, plasma displays and electronic lighting ballasts.

“Leveraging Silicon Labs’ proprietary and patented RF-based isolation technology, the new ISOdriver ICs combine advanced digital isolation and gate driver capabilities into a single-chip solution,” said Diwakar Vishakhadatta, isolation product line director at Silicon Labs. “The high level of integration we’ve achieved enables developers to simplify their bill of materials, improve efficiency and reduce system cost by eliminating the need for up to 12 external components compared to optocoupler or gate-drive transformer solutions, while at the same time improving system reliability to industrial standards by using CMOS technology.”

The new 5 kV Si82xx isolated gate drivers include the Si822x optocoupler-input-compatible devices and the Si823x digital-input devices. The Si822x gate drivers feature a passive diode input type that emulates an optocoupler’s input, while providing all the performance benefits that accompany CMOS-based digital isolation. The Si822x devices significantly improve system reliability by providing a functional upgrade for popular optocoupler gate drivers.

The Si822x and Si823x devices feature ultra-fast 50 ns propagation delays – more than five times faster than common optocoupler plus gate driver solutions – for better timing margins and higher system efficiency. Based on mainstream CMOS process technology, ISOdriver devices exhibit none of the performance degradations over time and temperature which are common with optocoupler solutions. Supporting gate drive voltages of up to 24 V and peak output current ranging from 0.5 to 4.0 A, the ISOdrivers deliver best-in-class drive strength for both MOSFET and insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) applications, ensuring fast turn-off and turn-on of external switching transistors for maximum efficiency.

For design flexibility, the new ISOdriver devices are available in high-side/low-side and dual driver versions. The high-side/low-side versions have built-in protection against overlap timing errors, ensuring reliable operation for safety-critical applications. In addition, built-in programmable dead-time control allows the user to tune the power supply system for peak system efficiency – a key feature for high-power applications such as motor control.

Simplifying power system application development

Isolated gate drivers are critical building blocks used within power delivery systems in many electronic products. To help speed time to market for these products, Silicon Labs supports power system designers with cost-effective development tools including an open loop evaluation board (OPENLPPOL-EVB). This 100 kHz to 500 kHz single-phase point-of-load evaluation kit streamlines evaluation of multiple Silicon Labs’ digital isolation products including the Si8234 ISOdriver, Si8512 ac current sensor, and Si8540 dc current sensor.

To support development of isolated dc-dc switched mode power supplies, Silicon Labs and National Semiconductor have collaborated on a comprehensive 100 W reference design targeted at high-volume networking and telecom switch mode power supplies (SMPS). Featuring a Silicon Labs ISOpro digital isolator IC and National’s LM5035C controller, the reference design and evaluation board provide a fully functional power converter in the industry-standard quarter-brick form factor based on a half-bridge topology. For more information about the SMPS reference design and evaluation board, visit www.silabs.com/pr/SMPSReferenceDesign.

In addition to its expanded Si82xx ISOdriver family, Silicon Labs offers complementary IC products for power supply applications including ISOpro digital isolator ICs, current sensors and small-form-factor mixed-signal microcontrollers (MCUs).

Pricing and Availability

The Si82xx ISOdriver isolated gate driver ICs are available today. Pricing in 10K quantities for Si82xx devices with a 5 kV isolation rating begins at $1.16 USD. The OPENLPPOL-EVB evaluation board is available now for $99 USD. For additional product information and to purchase samples and development tools, please visit www.silabs.com/pr/isolation.

About Silicon Laboratories Inc.

Silicon Laboratories is an industry leader in the innovation of high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs. Developed by a world-class engineering team with unsurpassed expertise in mixed-signal design, Silicon Labs’ diverse portfolio of highly-integrated, easy-to-use products offers customers significant advantages in performance, size and power consumption. These patented solutions serve a broad set of markets and applications including consumer, communications, computing, industrial and automotive.

Headquartered in Austin, TX, Silicon Labs is a global enterprise with operations, sales and design activities worldwide. The company is committed to contributing to our customers’ success by recruiting the highest quality talent to create industry-changing innovations.

For more information, visit Silicon Laboratories Inc.

Wizzard Media Ramps Its iPhone App Business

Wizzard Media (NYSE Amex: WZE), the world’s leading podcasting network, announced it has surpassed 200 podcast companion iPhone Apps in the App Store bringing the total number of paid Apps to 260 for the iPhone and iPod Touch platform.

Additionally, Wizzard announced first quarter unique monthly podcast audience numbers of 18.5 million, up slightly over the first quarter of 2009. When adjusted to take into consideration the shift of the Company’s free podcast hosting services to an all paid platform in mid 2009, Wizzard estimates unique monthly audience for its podcast network up approximately 23% on a pro forma basis.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) reported yesterday that it shipped 8.75 million iPhones last quarter, versus expectations of approximately 7 million with iPhone sales more-than doubled vs. the prior year. And Apple's iPod business is still growing with 10.89 million units shipped vs. 9 million estimates.

“With the 13,000 shows we distribute through iTunes, we have access to the most sophisticated and engaged digital media consumers in the world which are clearly growing in size as the above numbers demonstrate,” said Chris Spencer, Wizzard Media CEO. “Our revolutionary podcast App allows podcasters to monetize their already established, iTunes based podcast audience offering paid access to bonus content, the ability to charge for virtual goods and sell subscription packages for reoccurring revenues. This new product changes everything for our industry.”

About Wizzard Media

Wizzard Media provides podcast publishers with distribution and monetization services. Our clients include Microsoft, National Geographic, Harvard Business Review, Usher, NPR and more than 13,000 others who use Wizzard Media products to measure their podcast audience, deliver popular audio and video entertainment and monetize their content through advertising and App sales. In 2009, the Wizzard Media Network received over 1.4 billion podcast requests from approximately 50 million people worldwide through iPods, iPhones, iTunes, Zune and many other devices and destinations. We are part of a publicly held, Pittsburgh based company with thousands of shareholders and a world-class team. 

For more information, visit Wizzard Media.