Smart Meters market faces problems in Germany

Energy markets in EMEA and especially in Germany, where new technologies play increasingly there, that new legislation allows for the consumer, to choose energy provider, and type of energy used. This has complicated to staid situation of measuring and billing for energy.
Certainly will every good citizen decide for the expensive meter, which would analyze and tell him when is the best moment to switch hie next batch of washings for the cheapest rate.
However is as surely every provider or reseller, try to postpone such situation of billing transparency that allows consumer to use its energy in a best and least expensive way possible.
Provider would like to derail or postpone such situation, so it could make his own inefficiency obscure to the consumer.
Citing various technical excuses, like incompatible standards, wireless or wire connections, time delays and data flood or overcapacity.
German government has indicated they want action and expect that by the year 2020 over 80% of all households would be equipped with smart meters. Industry is saying laud and clear, they see that goal unobtainable, and the guilty shall be parliament and or industry influenced legislation or lack of it.

EMS leader Foxcomm has reached over 50% of total market

The known EMS leader, Foxconn (after iSuppli) is going to control over 50% of the market already in 2011. With revenues (Q1 2010) of $17,1b is almost 3 times bigger than the next EMS Flextronics, which in turn is twice as big as its 3rd place holder Jabil Cirquit.

With Apple iPad contracting is Foxconn not sole leader in the market.

ISRO Launches Gagan Satellite Navigation System

August 16, 2010 | Satellite Today | Staff Writer
[Satellite TODAY 08-16-10] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has launched the GPS-supported Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) satellite navigation system to aid Indian air traffic, the organization announced Aug. 12.
Gagan, based on a constellation of 24 satellites positioned in six different orbital locations, aims to provide seamless coverage of air traffic from South Asia to Africa and connect to the systems of Europe and Japan. It is expected to enhance marine and transport navigation, search and rescue operations, survey, and mapping.
The Gagan program is a joint initiative between ISRO and the Airports Authority of India, which said the system would enable airlines to chart direct routes — as they will be less dependent on the ground-based radar systems, save fuel and increase efficiency. The system also would enhance safety features for the airlines by providing services such as precision approach guidance to runways in any weather conditions and increased air-to-air surveillance.

Export grew strongly in Germany

EMEA markets slowly come out of the big letter R, and especially Germany, the export champion have clocked really good numbers: in June +30% against June 2009, and 26% in the first 6 months. Generally in the electronic industry specifically the growth in June 2010 was even 42%.

Not forgetting other crisis of the recent, especially in the financial sector, we can cautiously say that that with so far results, we can expect the growth of exports this year at 8%. What still is high comparing that industry has suffered in the 2009.

Distortions in the supply chain (allocation lists, rise in rare earth material prices, short and long term contracts, rise in Yen value) breaking the progress.

Facing raw materials crisis?

Markt & Technik, is asking the question which in the minds of majority in the electronic industry we face already for years. Shortages occur periodically, remember the Osaka earthquake (90's) where a major resin producer was put out of business causing several months long shortage of resin used to package IC's?
Material used for production of HD, batteries, flat displays and so on. China is the exporter of 93% of world supply of rare earth materials
http://www.baotou-rareearth.com/?gclid=CIv8p4mnu6MCFUQq3wodDFhcdg.

Recently China decided to reduce its exports successively and by 2015 to stop exporting them all together.

Apparently export limits are drastic, For export destined rare earth materials were 22.24 t. in the first 6 months of 2010, comparing that with only 7.98 t. for the second half of 2010, making total exports in 2010 amounting to just over 30 t. Comparing that with exports of over 50 t. in 2009. Europeans and the Americans are concerned that China could use its superior position to dictate prices in the future. Gontermann is noting tat already in July prices on some of these rare materials rose by up to 50%. This could lead to distortions in the supply chain, and even to its collapse.
In response the US and Australia is working hard to increase supply of these rare materials to compensate the coming shortage but authorities warn that will take at least 2 years to make up for the difference.

Skype raises funding on NASDAQ

Skype, a Luxembourg-based provider of internet telephony, said it planned to raise $100m through an initial public offering on the NASDAQ stockmarket. The company, which was founded in 2003, was acquired by eBay in 2005. The online auction site sold 70% of its stake for about $2 billion last year, following legal disputes with Skype’s founders.

new US law, takes "blood" cell phones in its sights

In July, US congress approved the new law, that obliges publicly listed companies to disclose use of specific materials like Tantal, Gold, Tungsten and Tin which may come from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Definitely, the raw materials, especially from lands with no state structures or with collapsed state control, like in Somalia, Congo, Liberia etc. Naomi Campbell is an exception which confirms rules, that big money is involved. John de la Carrè was writing about state involvement in supporting rouge groups, in areas like Goma (Congo), Rwanda, Uganda, and even Kenya where Europeans, Americans, and even recently Chinese play in search of more and more scarce resources, for rapidly increasing industrial consumption.