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BEIJING -- A group of leading Chinese consumer electronics companies today announced the formation of an industry consortium whose mission is to build and drive the adoption of the next-generation interactive television and home CE networking interface known as DIVA, or Digital Interface for Video and Audio. The DIVA Consortium's charter members (called the Promoters Group) include major CE and home appliance manufacturers such as Sichuan Chang Hong Electric, Qingdao Haier, Hisense Electric, Konka, Nanjing Panda Electronics, Skyworth Group, SVA Information, TCL, and Synerchip.

The Promoters Group will demonstrate the DIVA bi-directional technology next month and expects to release the specification by the end of 2008.

In addition to the transmission of uncompressed video and audio data, DIVA technology embeds a reliable, high-speed bi-directional data transmission channel to allow the consumer to locate, connect and control various CE devices from a DIVA-enabled digital television (DTV). The DIVA interface purports to help streamline and simplify connections among various electronics devices, offering ease of connection and use. Leveraging a single interface, which integrates multimedia and data communication, the DIVA standard promises to upgrade home networks to a new level, making DTVs the center of the home entertainment network.

Today's digital interfaces are point-to-point connections that are limited in their ability to accommodate a network of devices. DIVA reportedly has the ability to connect multiple source devices to multiple displays, to monitor and control various digital home appliances from the TV in the living room, and to organize various personal and mobile entertainment devices in the same home network.

The China Video Industry Association has agreed to fully support the DIVA standard.

DUBLIN -- Printed electronics will be a $300 billion market within 20 years, claims a recent research report, with the largest segment printed transistors and memory.

The technology, says Research and Markets, will drive lighting, displays, signage, electronics, medical disposables, smart packaging and smart labels, among other products. The firm claims more than 150 organizations across the chemical, plastics, printing, electronics and other industries are developing printed transistors and memory, with the first products being sold this year.

NEWARK, NY -- IEC Electronics reported second-quarter revenue of $11.9 million and net profit of $673,000. For the quarter ended March 28, revenues climbed 9% and earnings were up 11.6% over last year. (A year ago, pro forma earnings included a one-time gain; without it, net profits would have been $314,000.)

For the quarter, gross margin improved to 11.6%, from 10.3% sequentially, due to changes in product mix and improved manufacturing efficiency.

In a press release, chairman and CEO Barry Gilbert said, “We had a solid quarter. The current economic slowdown is challenging and some of our customers are experiencing reduced revenue growth in their markets. While we expect some of the demand from these customers to be lower than last year, other customers are substantially increasing their orders with us, and their prospects appear to be bright for the balance of fiscal 2008.”