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BRADENTON, FL – Connector analyst Ron Bishop will keynote the IICIT Connector & Interconnection Technology Symposium in May. The keynote will be about The World Connector Industry with special focus on the outlook for 2007 and 2011. Bishop is president of Bishop & Associates Inc., a consulting firm, and a noted expert on the connector industry. The conference takes place May 8-9, in Dedham, MA. For more information and registration, visit http://www.iicit.org.

SAN FRANCISCO – On April 2, Korea's National Assembly passed legislation similar to a series of European Union regulations, including the RoHS, WEEE and ELV (End of Life Vehicles) directives. The regulation goes into effect Jan. 1, 2008.

But while the Act Concerning the Resource Recycling of Electrical/Electronic Products and Automobiles has elements of the EU directives, it is also unique, according to Michael Kirschner of Design Chain Associates. Like EU’s RoHS Directive and China’s legislation, he says, the regulation omits a detailed scope (certain classes of automobiles and electronics initially equivalent to that of Korea’s preexisting Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources), substance restrictions and concentration limits, design for environment requirements, and so on. Presidential Decrees and Ordinances from the Ministry of the Environment will define these concepts.

Items to be specified in the next step of legislation include precise definitions and lists of “Electrical and Electronic Equipment”; “Automobile,” and “Hazardous Substances” and their threshold limits and a Mandatory Annual Recycling Objective for Automobiles, along with evaluation methods. Test Methods of Hazardous Substances will be published. And an individual or collective scheme for recycling will be set up, among other actions.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – Growing video usage, Microsoft Vista, and aggressive pricing will all contribute to skyrocketing sales of wide-format LCD desktop computer monitors during the next five years, making this the dominant format by 2009, iSuppli predicts. Worldwide sales of wide-format LCD monitors are set to grow to 146.9 million units by 2011, rising at a CAGR of 74.3% from only 9.1 million units in 2006, according to the firm. In 2007, end-user sales will nearly quadruple to 35.8 million units. Revenue will grow to $20.9 billion by 2011, rising at a 55% CAGR from $2.3 billion in 2006. In 2007, revenue will triple to $6.7 billion. By 2009, wide-format LCD monitors will account for the largest share of the LCD monitor market, surpassing traditional-format displays, iSuppli predicts. The biggest battleground in 2007 is expected to be in the 19", 20" and 22" wide markets. The 20" wide panels offer a higher resolution than the 19" wide-format LCD panels, and are generally considered to be a better fit for Microsoft’s Windows Vista, but price has trumped performance. Twenty-inch panel suppliers have responded with more aggressive price moves. With the winner of this battle poised to become the market leader in the LCD monitor market, the stakes are considerable. Adoption rates for wide-format monitors are expected to be higher for consumers than for corporations.