The outlook for PC shipments continues to call for eventual stabilization as competition from other devices eases, upgrades to new models and Windows 10 boost demand, and economic conditions around the world stabilize or improve. However, the decline in PC volume since early 2012 is still expected to linger through 2016 with later years struggling to boost volumes as economic issues and competing products continue to present headwinds, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.

SK Hynix has returned to the consumer solid state drives market again, three years after the company disappeared in the market in 2012.

Taiwan's economy grew at the slowest pace in three years as exports collapsed amid weaker global demand and rising competition from regional rivals.

Globalfoundries has developed a 22nm FD-SOI platform of four processes based on a licensing deal it originally signed with STMicroelectronics back in 2012.

Fujitsu, NTT Docomo and NEC will dissolve by March a joint venture for developing core chips for smartphones. The venture, Access Network Technology, was formed in August 2012 to develop baseband chips.

Mali graphics IP core shipments are on course to be more than 300 million units in 2013, more than doubling the 150 million units shipped in 2012, according to Simon Segars, CEO of processor IP licensor ARM.

Worldwide semiconductor revenues decreased by 2.2% to US$295 billion in 2012, according to IDC.

It may seem strange but Chinese chip vendor Allwinner Technologies (Zhuhai, China) probably sold more application processors for tablet computers in 2012 than Intel and Qualcomm put together.

Nokia's position in the smartphone market dropped to No. 10 in the first quarter of 2013, from No. 8 in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Between March 2012 and October 2012, the proportion of people who used a desktop or notebook computer for tweeting fell from 77% to 64%. In the same period the proportion who used a mobile phone for tweeting rose from 53% to 64%.

After strong gains in 2010 and 2011, power transistor sales fell more than 8% in 2012 to US$12.3 billion primarily due to weak economic growth and high levels of uncertainty, which caused equipment makers to rein in semiconductor purchases, according to IC Insights.

Data from Chinese semiconductor industry sources identifies Allwinner as, by far, the number one apps processor supplier for Chinese tablets in 2012, followed by Rockchip, ViaTech, Amlogic and Vimicro.

Worldwide semiconductor revenues reached US$299.9 billion in 2012, down 2.6% from 2011, according to Gartner.

Seven O-S-D product categories and device groups reached record-high sales in 2012 compared to 14 new records being set in 2011.

Google is cutting loose another 10% of its Motorola Mobility workforce - which means 1,200 employees at the smartphone maker face redundancy. The move comes after 4,000 jobs in the Motorola wing of Google's biz were axed in August 2012.

"Led by continuing strength in the Americas, the global semiconductor industry has built on its momentum from the end of 2012 with an encouraging start to 2013, but ongoing economic uncertainty is holding back more robust growth," said Brian Toohey, president and CEO of Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).

ARM, the designer of chips for leading smartphones, beat analyst expectations with full-year profits up 20%. A presentation to investors by CEO Warren East was dominated by talk of the 'post-PC' era, in which the market for Internet-enabled devices will spread into areas such as security and healthcare.

Worldwide microprocessor sales are expected to regain strength in 2013 and grow 12% to US$65.3 billion after rising just 5% in 2012 to US$58.2 billion due to weakness in standard PCs and the shaky global economy, according to IC Insights.

Japan has posted a record high trade deficit for 2012, as exports to Europe and China continued their plunge.

Bucking the industry trend and rising three places to No. 3, Qualcomm attributed its 29.6% growth to continued adoption of smartphones and the growth of 3G and LTE technology in emerging regions, such as China and India.

The two companies are expected to ship an estimated 353 million smartphones and hold a combined 47% share of the total smartphone market in 2012. Smartphone suppliers under pressure include Nokia, RIM and HTC, each of which is expected to register steep double-digit year-over-year declines in smartphone unit sales this year.

MIPS Technologies has entered into separate definitive agreements with Bridge Crossing, an acquisition vehicle of Allied Security Trust, and Imagination Technologies with net proceeds of approximately US$7.31 per share in cash to each holder of MIPS common stock. The total value of the transaction represents a 40% premium to the closing price on April 11, 2012, the day prior to the first public rumor of a potential sale of MIPS.

At the 2012 International Symposium on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography, industry and research experts named the timely development of a source suited for high-volume manufacturing as the most critical issue. Other challenges remain the development of yielding masks and the further development of high-quality EUV resists.

Jobless numbers hit a grim record of 18.2 million across the eurozone in August, showing an annual rise of well over two million for the recession-stricken single currency area.

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2013 Infineon expects a revenue decline of up to 10% relative to the fourth quarter of the 2012 fiscal year. The management board will define and implement measures to improve profitability beyond the first quarter of the 2013 fiscal year.

The billings figure is 4% lower than the first quarter of 2012 and 13% lower than the same quarter a year ago, while the bookings figure shows decreases of 10% on year and 4% on quarter, according to SEMI.

FormFactor will acquire MicroProbe, a provider of advanced SOC wafer test solutions, for US$100 million in cash and US$16.8 million in stock, subject to customary adjustments. The merger is expected to close in the first half of FormFactor's fiscal quarter ending December 29, 2012.

Intel's R&D expenditures accounted for 32% of the top-10 spending and about 17% of total R&D expenses at all semiconductor companies worldwide-counting IDMs, fabless suppliers and foundries.

Warren East, chief executive of ARM, said the chipmaker was holding back on some of its recruitment plans in 2012 amid fears of a slowdown in sales in the second half of the year.

The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) 2012 electronics show in Berlin has seen numerous Windows 8 tablets, but those are not the only mobile devices on the show floor. Samsung is at the event with its lineup of Series 9 Ultrabooks, for example.

It's a little too soon to write off HTC.

Semiconductor revenues worldwide will grow 4.6% in 2012 to US$315 billion, according to IDC. Revenues will grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2011-2016, reaching $380 billion in 2016.

Qualcomm has lowered its forecast of global cellular device shipments for 2012 due to a gloomy economic outlook, though it expects device sales to surge in the fourth quarter because of upcoming products, a likely reference to Apple's iPhone and Microsoft's Windows 8 tablets.