Too many LEDs in 2011/12?

2010 provided many stories of increased activity relating to the growth of LED applications; MOCVD equipment shipments and expanding alkyl chemical manufacture being just two. It is quite interesting therefore to note IMS Research's report in which they state "LED supply growth is significantly outpacing demand growth creating a widening surplus and increasing pricing pressure". IMS Research expect the current wave of MOCVD kit shipments, especially to China, to continue and thus increasing the supply imbalance in 2012. Perhaps the good news is that they think that the oversupply will be constrained by the lack of substrates and TMG alkyls.

High speed Scots

Scientists at the University of Glasgow have created an ultra-fast 1,000-core computer processor. Using Field Programmable Gate Array chips the team have been able configure specific circuits to individual mini-circuits thus creating a 1000 core processor. The researchers then used the chip to process an algorithm which is central to the MPEG movie format (used in YouTube videos) at a speed of five gigabytes per second: around 20 times faster than current top-end desktop computers.

The $1 a year job

Clearly Apple can pay their staff whatever they want. Regulatory filings last week state that Apple CEO Steve Jobs earned $1 in salary in 2010. This meagre annual salary has been in place since 1997. Mr Jobs does own over $1 billion Apple shares but has not sold any recently. He should be able to get by on the 138 million shares he owns in Walt Disney, who pay an annual dividend of around $0.35 each.

Prediction time (again)

It's January and so it must be crystal ball time. Those clever chaps at Electronic Times have produced a list of technologies to watch in 2011. The Editor's two favourites from the list are: "gesture recognition for hands free convenience" and "fully biodegradable electronics". Having recently being frustrated by the operation of my HTC smartphone, the idea of a quick hand gesture and into the trash bin seems quite appealing.

The clarity of youth?

Congratulations to Biology Letters for publishing a scientific paper by a group of eight year olds about bumble-bees. In my undergraduate days I remember reading a collection of classic scientific papers written by Rutherford, Stoney, Thomson and the like. It struck me then, as now, that their papers were perfectly understandable and therefore accessible to most readers. Could the same be said of today's leading edge publications? I certainly struggle with many publications and question who is the intended readership nowadays? Perhaps journal editors should follow the lead from Biology letters and ensure that whilst the paper is not "dumbed down" the ideas are clearly explained and are open to more people? In extremis I am attracted to the Groucho Marx school of testing comprehensibility: "A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five"

The full bumble-bee paper is available via this link.

CES does not slay the iPad

The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show has seen a range of tablets from Sony, Motorola, RIM, Samsung et al but all are finding it difficult to challenge the dominance of Apple's iPad. Rivals are already playing catch-up, especially after Apple made a bold move to price the iPad at $500. The range of tablets using Google's Android software is a reminder that Apple will not have the market to itself. Highlights at the CES included: 3D and internet TV models; a robotic telescope that automatically aligns itself; a set of video goggles that can capture and share an athlete's field of view on the world; a personal energy generator using kinetic energy; a new, tiny mobile digital TV receiver device for iPad and a robot that gives you a massage.

In the meantime thousands of gamers flocked to Chiba, Tokyo to try out the Nintendo 3D enabled DS console.

Sent from my iPhone

On 3 January 1977, the company Apple Computer was incorporated.

Rubber dub - tweet, tweet

A simple rubber device that replicates complex bird songs has been developed by a team of US researchers.
The song is produced by blowing air through the device, which mimics a bird's vocal tract, the team explained.
The findings appear to challenge the idea that birds had to learn complicated neurological controls in order to produce distinctive calls.
Further details at BBC News Science & Environment.

On this day in 1719

John Flamsteed FRS (born 19 August 1646 – died 31 December 1719) was an English astronomer who catalogued over 3,000 stars and was the first Astronomer Royal. Flamsteed wrote his first paper on astronomy at the age of nineteen, entitled Mathematical Essays, concerning the design, use and construction of an astronomer's quadrant, including tables for the latitude of Derby. He subsequently attended Jesus College, Cambridge (as did both RTA's Richard Thomson and Carl Richardson - although not at the same time ...). He is also remembered for his strong conflicts with Isaac Newton who published significant parts of Flamsteed's work against his request.

5,000 km in 2010

RTA's Richard Thomson has achieved a new personal cycling record - 5,000 km in a year. Completed today, in fact his first ride in December.

On this day in 1947

John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain presented their “little plastic triangle” to the Bell Labs VIPs and it became official: The super star team had invented the first working solid state amplifier.

Their invention of the transistor has been called “the most important invention of the 20th Century.”