Asian consumer electronics giants Samsung and Toshiba are teaming up to give the NAND flash memory market more options. The two have agreed to license their proprietary NAND wares to each other so that the industry can rely on more than just a single producer.

The initial quarter of the fiscal year 2007 shows a slowdown in shipment sale as 252 million handsets were shipped in the first three months. That's a 12 percent overall increase, but analysts say that the figures are significantly below expectations.

The trend in the past few years has been a 20 percent increase in sales per annum. This year saw a slowdown in Q1 because of Motorola's decision to hold back on shipments. It flogged 45.2 million units worldwide, which is a 1.5 decrease compared to last year's first period covering January to March.

Other mobile giants, however, have kept the uptrend alive. Market leader Nokia has shipped a total of 91.1 million units shipped, jacking up a 21 percent total increase.

Motorola, however, said that it plans to capitalize on growing markets in the two most populous nations in the world: India and China. The company said that the two markets may account to about 60 percent of the total new phones sold this year.

GDC or Game Developers Conference has been expanding in the last few years in terms of events, locality and focus. It would be remembered that mobile entertainment took spotlight back in 2002 when the organizers had included GDC Mobile in its official roster of events.

Next year's gathering is no different as the partial list of participating companies was just revealed. Aside from giants Microsoft and Sony, other confirmed attendees include Ericcson, Motorola, I-play and Nvidia among others. GDC Executive Director Jamil Moledina declares, "The objective for GDC Mobile, as it is for the entire GDC, is to provide a program designed primarily to empower individual game creators with hands-on development details and unveilings of bold breakthroughs."

Furthermore, GDC Mobile will be host to over 50 lectures, keynotes, panels and round tables looking at various aspects of the medium. "The GDC has grown to become the world's largest game industry-only event and GDC Mobile has quickly stamped its claim as the leading conference dedicated to mobile interactive entertainment development," Moledina added.

GDC is to be held March 5 to 6 next year, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Amsterdam-based, electronics giant Philips is prepping to reduce its ownership share in its Semiconductors division in the course of the second half of 2006 to a minority stake through an initial public offering of the company and/or sale of shares to financial investors, while continuing to evaluate industry consolidation opportunities.

In December 2005, the company announced that its Semiconductors division would be legally separated in order to generate value to Philips’ shareholders and to provide better ability to the division to achieve its business renewal objectives and become a stronger company. It seems like the Philips' camp is prepping for an all-out war with semiconductor giants like AMD and Intel.

In an e-mail from Philips’ President and CEO Mr. Gerard Kleisterlee, he mentioned that "the future deconsolidation of Semiconductors is a further step for Philips in moving away from a focus on high volume electronics and implementing a strategy to build a Healthcare, Lifestyle and Technology company with a strong market focus around the brand promise of Sense and Simplicity." In English, they are widening their horizons and trying to branch out to other fields.

The new semiconductors company will continue its business renewal strategy as well as consider additional measures to strengthen its portfolio in Mobile & Personal, Home, Automotive & Identification and Multi Market Semiconductors. The new company's name will be announced in the coming months and preparations for a separate stock exchange listing have started. With that, let the semiconductors showdown begin.