shortage
Latest
RIPE NCC handing out its last block of IPv4 addresses, tries to fend off internet survivalism
In a world where IPv6 lives and IPv4 addresses are scarce, network providers must fight for survival... or at least, claim their IP blocks quickly. The RIPE NCC, the regional internet registry for Asia, Europe and the Middle East, warns that it's down to assigning its last set of 16.8 million IPv4 addresses as of this weekend. That sounds like a lot, but we'd do well to remember that the registry churned through about 5.2 million addresses in just the past two weeks. What's left won't be around for long, folks. To cut back on the number of Mad Max-style battles for dwindling resources, RIPE NCC is rationing out IPv4 for local registries in 1,024-address chunks -- and only to those who both have IPv6 assignments as well as proof of a need for IPv4. With just a bit more than half of the RIPE NCC's customers currently on IPv6, that could still trigger a shortfall among networks that haven't prepared for the internet protocol apocalypse. We'd advise that companies stock up on IPv6 supplies before launching the raiding parties.
Amazon Kindle Touch goes out of stock, sparks conspiracy theories
We hope your heart wasn't set on snagging a Kindle Touch before heading off to school this fall. Both the WiFi and 3G versions of the reader are no longer available as new devices from Amazon's US pages -- if you want one at all in the country, you'll have to swing past a retail store or scour the virtual bargain bins for used models. Suffice it to say that the timing of this vanishing act is extremely convenient in light of Amazon's special event next week, although just what it means is very much an unknown. Is there a light-up sequel on its way? A winnowing of the e-reader line to fewer models? Or just a quick inventory check? We'll have a better answer on September 6th, but the out-of-stock notice is a not-so-friendly reminder that patience is a virtue.
Samsung's 'human centric' Galaxy S III launches around the globe, says what delays?
Despite carrier and retailer indications of delays for certain editions of Samsung's new Galaxy S III, the company triumphantly announced its launch right on schedule tonight. Of course, here in the US we're sadly on the outside looking in at the launch action going on in 28 countries as a new day dawns for the 29th, but at least there's rumblings that our localized editions aren't far off. In July, its world tour is expected to have swung through 145 countries and 296 carriers. As long as you're looking for a 16GB Marble White quad-core Exynos juggernaut, you should be able to find it right away -- if the machine translated Korean press release (Update: English link added) is too tough to bear, remember we've got all the launch details (and a review) right here.
Intel cuts Q4 revenue forecast by $1 billion due to hard drive shortages
We've already seen quite a few companies lower their forecasts in the wake of the Thailand floods and subsequent hard drive shortage, and it unsurprisingly looks like Intel is no exception. The company issued a press release today advising that its fourth quarter revenue is now expected to come in at $13.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million, and not $14.7 billion (plus or minus $500 million) as previously expected. If you do the math, that means the company is taking around a $1 billion hit in revenue, due largely to a reduction in the worldwide PC supply chain that's led to a drop in processor purchases. According to Intel, thing should begin to turn around in the fourth quarter, when it expects computer sales to be "up sequentially," although it notes that hard drive shortages are expected to continue into the first quarter, with a recovery anticipated to take place over the first half of 2012. The company's full statement is after the break.
Japanese scientists discover massive rare earth deposits, China bristles
China's control over the rare earths market hasn't faced too many challenges over the past few years, but that may be changing, thanks to a major discovery in Japan. Geologists say they've uncovered expansive new deposits of rare earth minerals, buried within a seabed some 20,000 feet below the Pacific Ocean surface. Research leader Yasuhiro Kato estimates that the deposits contain anywhere from 80 to 100 billion metric tons of rare earths, which, if commercially viable, could pose a serious threat to China's global hegemony. Supply shortages and aggressive Chinese export controls have combined to raise global prices in recent years, much to the chagrin of manufacturers who rely upon the metals to produce smartphones, tablets and a wide variety of other gadgets. But with analysts predicting a rare earth surplus within the next few years and Japan's mining industry now poised for a potential resurgence, the outlook is certainly looking a lot brighter.
Display shortage forces Samsung to lose its competitve edge over the iPad 2
Samsung may be forced to fatten its tablet devices due to a display shortage. The Korean company gleefully proclaimed its revised Galaxy Tab line was thinner than the iPad 2 and repeatedly showcased the tablet's lean and mean design. An unfortunate display shortage has forced the company to drop its thinner GFI display and replace it with a thicker GFF display. This Glass Fiber Filter display is almost 40 percent thicker and has lower light transmittance than its thinner counterpart. Samsung might be forced to make two variants of the Galaxy Tab, one with the original spec and one with a slightly heftier profile. Display shortages are an unfortunate part of electronics manufacturing. AMOLED display shortages delayed the full rollout of the several Android handsets inducing the DROID Incredible. More recently, Apple is thought to have cornered the market in tablet displays, forcing manufacturers like RIM and Motorola to scramble for the leftovers. [Via Electronista]
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 troubled by screen issues, chubbier version the result?
Everyone 'round here knows that Samsung has a lusty 10.1- and premature 7-inch version of its Galaxy Tab tablet. But we've heard nary a peep from Samsung about that $469 8.9-incher announced alongside its bigger, just-as-thin sibling back in March. We might know why. According to Korean news site Etnews, Samsung is having trouble getting it to market due to low yields of the 8.9's G1F touch-panel which uses one less film layer than conventional GFF (glass fiber filter) panels. This G1F architecture is behind Samsung's Super Clear LCD which you'll find on Sammy's own Galaxy Player, (Russian) Nexus S, and Wave II handsets. Etnews claims that Samsung will offset the G1F shortfall with GFF-type touch panels that are 30 - 40 percent thicker and dimmer, thanks to the extra layer. If true then we have one question: which regions will get the chunkier Galaxy Tab 8.9 when if finally does launch this summer?
Samsung's new AMOLED production line should help ease smartphone display shortages
AMOLED displays may be in relatively short supply nowadays, but Samsung is doing its best to bridge the gap. Today, the company's Mobile Display unit announced that its 5.5th-generation AMOLED production line is now open, some two months ahead of schedule. The line uses glass substrates that are substantially larger than those found in its existing factories, allowing Samsung to increase output, while lowering costs. This increase in production comes in response to growing demand for the Galaxy S II and an AMOLED market that, according to DisplaySearch, should triple in value this year to $4.26 billion. For now, the production line is focusing on smartphone displays, since that's where demand is growing fastest, but will eventually turn its attention to tablet PC displays, as well. The new factory assembling the displays can currently churn out about three million screens per month, but is capable of ramping that up to 30 million, at full capacity. No word yet on when it will achieve this rate, but if SMD continues to boost its output, we may even see that market surplus we've been hearing about.
ASUS ramping up Eee Pad Transformer production, says they'll be easier to find in the 'coming weeks'
We couldn't help but notice that a lot of you want to buy the Eee Pad Transformer; it's just that your quest for one is turning up dry. We asked ASUS for an update on the shortage and the company said it's cranking 'em out at a furious pace to meet strong demand. Here's what a PR rep had to say: We are ramping production every week to address the supply concerns, including almost daily air shipments into North America. We expect the supply line to improve significantly over the coming weeks. So there you have it: if you live on the North American continent, at least, you'll soon be able to find an elusive Transformer -- and just in time for a much-appreciated Android 3.1 update.
China's dead affected by iPad 2 shortages of a different sort
In life as in death, it seems, getting your hands on an iPad 2 is no easy feat. Reuters is reporting today that paper replicas of the tablet are selling out in parts of Asia, as revelers prepare to set the things ablaze during China's Qingming festival Tuesday. As is tradition, paper versions of money, clothing, and, yes, consumer electronics are burned as offerings to the dead, and this year Apple's latest slate is apparently all the rage for expired techies -- one shopkeeper in Malaysia said his stock of 300 paper iPad 2s sold out quickly, leaving him unable to meet demand. Sounds strangely familiar, doesn't it?
Tragedy in Japan hasn't "meaningfully impacted iPad 2 supply"
The Japanese earthquake had a devastating effect on the people of Japan and temporarily shut down many manufacturing facilites. Analysts speculated this disaster might have produced a shortage of key components used in the electronics manufacturing process, but according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, this shortage will have minimal effect on the future supply of the iPad 2. Munster expects the current shortage of the iPad 2 to continue into the June 2011 quarter, but this shortage is the result of excessive demand, not component production issues. Both the iPad and the iPhone 4 could see, at most, a one to two week delay as a result of earthquake-related shutdowns. This is good news for Apple customers looking to score an iPad 2, especially those international fans who waited in long lines today, only to walk away empty-handed. Of course, there are many problems Japan faces these days that are much more important than producing computers, but it's good to hear that this isn't another issue to deal with. A resumption of Japanese manufacturing will also help to stimulate the economy in Japan and help rebuild the devastated country.
Nintendo reassures UK fans that 3DS won't sell out, but warns that prices will rise
If you didn't pre-order a 3DS for today's UK release -- and you want a 3DS -- Nintendo would like to inform you that you don't have to freak out and rip a display unit out of a store kiosk. Well, that's a bit of a paraphrase. "We have well in excess of the pre-orders available," Nintendo UK's James Honeywell told Eurogamer. He said that there is "literally no reason" shoppers wouldn't be able to buy a 3DS this weekend. You might not have to scramble to secure a console, but if you're interested in one, haste may still be in order -- at least, according to Nintendo, who kind of wants you to buy a 3DS right away regardless. The discounts that UK retailers have been offering for the system will dissipate after the launch period, Honeywell said. "I'm not sure a lot of those offers will be there for the long term. Those are great offers for the launch. There's huge amount of noise and hype around the launch. Those prices will start to revert a bit."
Toshiba and Hitachi LCD plants damaged, will shut down for a month
You can't have a 9.0 magnitude earthquake without breaking a few factories, particularly ones that produce fragile liquid crystal screens, and this week Toshiba, Hitachi and Panasonic are each reporting damages that have forced them to close LCD production facilities affected by the tsunami and quake. Panasonic isn't sure when its plant in Chiba prefecture might resume carving up the glass sandwiches, telling Bloomberg that "there has been some damage, though not a fire or a collapse," but both Hitachi and Toshiba will reportedly halt some assembly lines for around a month to deal with damages. It's probably still too soon to talk about panel shortages -- though they seem likely soon -- but we'll let you know how things progress.
Apple to use 60 percent of world touchscreen supply in 2011
Apple is buying up touchscreen displays for the 40 million iPad tablets it intends to sell in 2011, and it has scooped up 60 percent of the global touchscreen inventory. Apple has secured most of the touchscreen displays coming off the production line of panel makers Wintek and TPK and has created a shortage among second-tier tablet makers. The report suggests RIM, HP and Motorola are competing for the remaining inventory, a situation that makes it difficult for smaller manufacturers to compete in this growing market. The bulk of these displays are glass capacitive panels, similar to the ones currently used in the iPad and the iPhone. As an alternative, manufacturers may be forced to use a thin-film capacitive touchscreen display that provides the same functionality, but is less durable and has a different feel than standard glass displays. Tablet manufacturers are also turning to smaller touch panel makers such as Sintek Photronic and J Touch to fill their display needs. According to the report, the shortage in inventory for the iPad and iPhone in 2010 can be attributed to a lack of touchscreen displays. Rather than let history repeat itself, Apple has reportedly invested billions into a variety of display manufacturers. Earlier rumors suggest the Cupertino company has invested US$7.8 billion to secure individual display units from Samsung as well as an additional $3.9 billion in pre-payments to Sharp, LG Display and Toshiba Mobile. Combine this current rumor with previous ones, and it is becoming clear that Apple has wisely cornered the market for touchscreen displays.
Apple creating touch panel shortages for tablet competition?
Things tend to get messy for the competition when Apple decides to direct its vast cash reserves on "very strategic" components. Especially when Cupertino starts waving around stacks of dough in the range of $3.9 billion to $7.8 billion. For reference, just look at what Apple did to NAND supplies as the flash-based iPod rose to dominance. Today DigiTimes is reporting that Apple is occupying close to 60 percent of the global touch panel production capacity from the likes of Wintek and TPK resulting in "tight supply" for the competition. The impact on consumers, according DigiTimes' sources at upstream component makers, is that tablet PC makers are unable to ship enough product to match orders due to component shortages. The issue is especially troublesome for second-tier tablet hopefuls who must compete with the likes of HP, RIM, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, LG, Dell (everyone but Sony) for the scraps. As a result, Apple should be able to more easily meet iPad demand in 2011, according to DigiTimes, while its competitors struggle to keep up.
HP Envy 14 Radiance displays sold out... forever
Yep, it's a sad tale, but HP's run out of those glorious 1600 x 900-resolution, 350nit Radiance displays for its Envy 14 once and for all. As you may recall, they did come back in stock for a short time, but HP tells us that limited supply has dried up and that there are no plans right now to restock the inventory. In fact, a HP representative was pretty explicit in saying that the high-resolution panel won't be returning to the 14.5-inch Envy. We're sorry we don't have better news for you or a fresh pack of tissues to help dry your tears, but hey, we guess there's always the larger 17-inch model with its full 1080p panel.
AMOLED shortage to become a surplus in 2011
Samsung's beautiful Super AMOLED panels are becoming more and more common in mobile devices, but they're not as common as they could be if there were more of the things flying out of Samsung Mobile Display factories. Predictably that's set to change in 2011, with SMD planning to fulfill its promise and bring another production facility online, while other competitors in Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore will ramp up their own AMOLED facilities in the coming year. Meanwhile, China is said to be working on its OLED supply chain as well, meaning those displays of the passive matrix variety will also be flying off of assembly lines soon. So, 2011 may still not be the year of a chicken in every pot, but it could be the year of glowy organic goo in every smartphone.
Shocker! GameStop expects Kinect and Move to be in short supply this holiday season
Are you prepared to be blown away? Have your mind flipped inside-out? Experience a revelation to end all revelations? Tough luck, bubs. During an earnings call yesterday, GameStop president Tony Bartel was cited as saying that both Microsoft's Kinect and Sony's PlayStation Move would both be difficult to find this holiday season, noting that the Kinect would be "a hot item through the holiday season and the key opportunity will be just to continue to keep them in stock." He also stated that the Move would be "in short supply," and even went so far as to predict that consumers would be "following the UPS truck to our stores to pick up that product as soon as they can find it." Naturally, GameStop's in-stock guarantee won't apply to the two things it actually should (read: Kinect and Move), and Tony stopped short of providing hard evidence that this so-called shortage would in fact occur. But hey, no one ever said that drumming up demand for a product your store hawks was a bad business move, you know? And on the real, we're guessing that Santa will actually have the hots for these things, and if you're considering one, it's always wise to be proactive. Or spend countless nights attempting to snipe Johnny Doe on eBay -- your call. [Image courtesy of Geek In Heels]
Pantech drops AMOLED completely due to shortage, may resume use in 2H 2011
The Pantech Vega that just hit Korea may boast a sizable 3.7-inch AMOLED screen, but don't expect future phones from the Helio manufacturer to follow suit -- after suffering the same shortages that drove HTC to Sony's SLCD-illuminated doorstep, Pantech's also temporarily giving active-matrix organic technology the boot. Now, you may not give two nickels about the technologies in Pantech's next handset, but the firm's got a finger on the industry's pulse. So when an unnamed executive says "phones to be rolled out in the first half of next year" won't use AMOLED, that hints at when the shortage for US-bound devices might also let up. In case you're curious, 2H 2011 is when Samsung's next AMOLED facility is slated to open, though by that point AU Optronics and TPO Display should be shipping the screens as well.
LG: 'Apple may have to delay launches of the iPad for some countries'
We're not certain how many screen suppliers Apple has at this point, but LG is certainly a major player, so our ears tend to perk up when the Korean manufacturer admits it can't stay ahead of the game. LG CEO Kwon Young-Soo told reporters the firm just can't keep up with incredible demand for the iPad's brilliant 9.7-inch IPS display, and suggested that Cupertino might actually have to slow international expansion as a direct result. "Apple may have to delay launches of the iPad for some countries due to tight component supplies and strong demand," he said, adding that even if the firm were to increase production capacity, supplies would remain tight through early 2011. Residents of Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and The Netherlands came in under the wire, but it sounds like there may be another wait for the rest of the world.
