| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 7:55:05 AM | | | | | | Duh! SSS tipping point has arrived..................................................................
"relative price differential (the SSD is 175% more expensive) has narrowed into a small absolute differential. $70 is low enough that the obviously superior SSD technology will overwhelmingly be chosen, given the speed differential"
Soon?
Jump from today's cutting edge 64-layer to tomorrow's 200-layer.
Then?
Some form of "X"RAM that might replace both RAM & NAND.
while shills contort n distort on the 20th HDD hotbox PC.
Remember?
A few years ago?
slime street shills and sponsored "experts" told us this could never happen.
Then, SSS would only be niche.
Could never be for cold storage.
SSS will totally replace ALL HDDs, a power sucking, heat producing, space hogging, failure prone 20th bottleneck.
Cymer/HMI/Zeiss/ASML.
Seagate: The SSD Tipping Point
Nov. 15, 2016 11:56 AM
Summary
The SSD threat to HDDs has long been known.
However, right now I believe the pieces are in place to produce a tipping point.
As such, I expect consumer HDD demand to accelerate its drop, and for the higher-margin Enterprise business to also suffer.
It's long been known that SSDs (Solid State Drives) would provide a massive challenge to HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). I needn't remind that ultimately SSDs are much faster, more reliable, less power hungry and lighter. The benefits to computing, especially mobile computing, are entirely obvious.
For the longest of times, SSDs faced but one problem. They were a lot more expensive. As a result, they were only available in lower storage sizes, and these prices and lower storage sizes showed up as being a significant negative for many increasingly storage-hungry applications, such as video. Video, of course, was (and still is) enjoying a massive explosion in usage (at ever-higher resolutions, too).
As time went by, SSDs steadily saw their costs head lower, them being aided by Moore's law when it came to semiconductor manufacturing. Again, this isn't new. What is new, is that I believe the market might now be at a tipping point. Prices and capacities have reached a level where, I believe, suddenly desktop/laptop HDDs are going to see an extreme decline.
This decline will be aided not just by the SSDs becoming larger and cheaper, but also because video (and photo storage) has for a large part shifted towards the cloud. Now, this cloud doesn't store content on vapor, it also needs HDDs -- but the cost per bit at the cloud level will be lower than the cost per bit at the consumer level. Plus, of course, having a video in 1000 consumer devices consumes a lot more bits than having the video in 1 central location. Anyway, video started being heavily consumed in streaming form, and photos have gained from such freemium services as Google Photos, reducing the need for local storage.
The end result is SSD capacities continuing heading towards the "critical" 500GB-1TB levels, while local storage needs have, for the most part, stagnated at those same levels as well (for a mainstream consumer). And as these two meet at a decent price level, the tipping point happens: suddenly, consumers will no longer even consider buying a device which carries an HDD instead of an SSD.
Consider prices for components. A 500GB SSD today can easily be found for less than $110. A 500GB HDD is much cheaper, at $40. The price differential is now just $70 between the two. What can seem as a tremendous relative price differential (the SSD is 175% more expensive) has narrowed into a small absolute differential. $70 is low enough that the obviously superior SSD technology will overwhelmingly be chosen, given the speed differential. This is so because an HDD-equipped laptop will behave as a much lower-end device than the same laptop using an SSD. Thus, a 15% or so price differential between the two laptops will appear as minimal versus the performance boost.
The Tipping Point Is Already Becoming Evident
Take Seagate (NASDAQ: STX). Seagate reports its segments as being:
Enterprise.Client Compute. This is where all PC desktop and laptop HDDs go.Client Non-Compute. This relates to other devices using HDDs, like DVRs or, recently, gaming consoles (moved from Client Compute).The tipping point I am talking about affects mostly "Client Compute". The year-on-year performance for this segment is already showing steep contraction, with volume drops of around 30%. These are the drops I actually expect to accelerate.
Moreover, Seagate has shifted some of this segment into the Client Non-Compute by moving gaming consoles there (Xbox One, PS4). Alas, one could argue that these consoles are just 1 generation away from quitting HDDs as well, especially if Nintendo's Switch gains any market traction. The Switch is based on a mobile device which works as a hybrid console (fixed, on-the-go). Obviously, it doesn't use an HDD.
Regarding DVRs, it might take longer since cost is a powerful argument and customers might be more amenable to poor performance.
It should be said that Enterprise HDDs were 41% of revenue in the latest quarter, versus 24% for PC Client revenues. Thus, while in terms of volume Client Compute represented 41%, it's clear that Enterprise ASPs still bridge a lot of that gap. But this brings us to another problem.
Another Problem - Enterprise
The other problem relates to the Enterprise segment. This segment could broadly be divided into high performance HDDs and high capacity HDDs. Here's how Seagate defines Enterprise Performance HDDs:
Enterprise Performance HDDs. Our 10,000 and 15,000 RPM Enterprise Performance disk drives feature increased throughput and improved energy efficiency, targeted at high random performance server application needs. Performance 10,000 RPM HDDs ship in storage capacities ranging from 300GB to 1.8TB, and our 15,000 RPM HDDs ship in storage capacities ranging from 146GB to 600GB.
Now, these are certainly some of the higher ASP, higher margin, Enterprise products. The problem, of course, is obvious. This is the precise segment which gets eaten by SSDs the quickest. SSDs are superior in performance, and HDDs sacrifice capacity for performance. HDDs in such a segment are bound to lose market share particularly quickly.
The other broad segment, focusing on higher capacity, is the one where HDDs will lose the slowest -- indeed, it's the one segment that's helping show stability, as it gains from the mobile->cloud content move as previously described. However over time 3D NAND improvements and Intel's XPoint are sure to also bring grief there.
Yet Another Problem - SSDs Are A Different Market
It might be that some will put forward the argument that Seagate will be able to sell SSDs as well. Indeed, Seagate already does and has an entire Enterprise segment dedicated to it:
Enterprise SSDs. Available in capacities up to 3.8TB, the SSD features 12GB per second SAS, and delivers the speed and consistency needed for demanding enterprise storage and server applications. We also offer our Nytro family of accelerator cards with capacities up to 4TB.
This, in my view, is a fallacy. It doesn't matter if Seagate will also sell SSDs. The problem here is that HDDs are currently an oligopoly served by a handful of competitors. These competitors control the underlying disk drive technology and don't share it with other potential entrants.
The SSD market, however, is entirely different. The essential building blocks, be they NAND flash memory or controllers, are accessible to every entrant who wants to buy them and build SSDs with them. If there's an oligopoly, this oligopoly would be at the level of the NAND suppliers including Micron (NASDAQ: MU), Samsung, SanDisk, Hynix and Toshiba.
At the SSD level, there's a gazillion competitors, none of which has any cost advantage. Seagate is only one more such competitor. The underlying economics for the SSD business are thus intrinsically horrendous at this point in time, and likely to remain so. Thus, for Seagate, substituting HDD sales for SSD sales, while it can keep the revenue line going, is also sure to lead to a negative margin impact over time. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 8:22:54 AM | | | | | | KLIC CC: Stacking results in a 44% increase.......................................
It makes no sense for the gadget and thingy guys to use 10nm and below Logic and tolerate bottlenecking lagging edge discrete chips.
The 3D interposer Age is here.
The EUV/ArF Age is here.
It's Cymer time.
Cymer/HMI/Zeiss/ASML.
The lower price of solid-state-storage is accelerating consumer and business adoption of NAND-based solid-state-drive. Both 2D and 3D NAND’s production heavily relies on stacks of die connected using wire bonding technology. While we have historically served this space, emerging chance within memory market related to thinner die, taller die stacks and complex stacking arrangements have demanded new wire bonding features and process capabilities.
We directly address this market opportunity with a recent released and feature rich memory bonder that is well-positioned to meet growing demand of NAND and also DRAM applications into the future. Since its release it has been very well received.
Jonathan Chou
Thanks, Joe. As we announced earlier this morning, we are very pleased to have once again exceeded the high-end of our guidance with $216.4 million of revenue for the third fiscal quarter. This deep 38% sequential revenue important marks the second consecutive quarterly ramp. As a reminder, our top line increased steeply by 44% during the March quarter.
This solid performance was largely due to continuing demand of our core ball and wedge solutions, as well as consistent strength within our advanced packaging business supporting system in package opportunities. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 8:47:22 AM | | | | | | "GE Digital and SAP Partner to Advance IIoT"...............................................
GE knows the future is bit intense.
Heard their jet engines have chips.
Their locomotives keep getting smarter.
The ONLY path to success goes thru Chipland.
Cymer/HMI/Zeiss/ASML.
GE Digital and SAP Partner to Advance Industrial Internet of Things (IoT)
Wed November 16, 2016 8:00 AM|PR Newswire
The companies intend to collaborate on cloud-to-cloud interoperability- Collaboration also to focus on SAP® Asset Intelligence Network- Initial focus of collaboration on joint customers within the oil and gas industry- Reinforced commitment to standards and reference architecturesPR Newswire SAN FRANCISCO and WALLDORF, Germany, Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE ( SAPGF) (NYSE: SAP) and GE Digital (NYSE: GE) today announced their intention to explore collaboration in the area of the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). The announcement is driven by the fundamental shared belief in the power of the Industrial IoT, and the ability for joint customers to drive further efficiency, savings and utilization from their investments into assets. The announcement was made at GE's Mind + Machines conference being held November 15 and 16, 2016, in San Francisco. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 9:18:41 AM | | | | | | PSTG PR: Our SSS is NVMe ready (HDD? Not so much)............................................
All the R&D cash being thrown at SSS. SSS no longer has to stuffed into 20th HDD configurations or run on HDD centric software.
Both PCIe and DIMM are specifically for SSS. HDD cannot compete, doomed.
Newer Intel CPUs are XPoint ready.
This is not your Dad's 20th word processor PC era.
This is the 21st All Silicon Solution Age.
This is the EUV/ArF Age.
Cymer/HMI/Zeiss?ASML.
Pure Storage Future Proofs for NVMe; Introduces NVMe-Ready Guarantee
Wed November 16, 2016 9:00 AM|PR Newswire|About: PSTG
PR Newswire MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pure Storage ( PSTG) (NYSE: PSTG), the market's leading independent solid-state array vendor, today announced the introduction of its NVMe-Ready Guarantee. Pure Storage guarantees that every newly purchased FlashArray//M can be upgraded to full NVMe through its EvergreenTM Storage program.
 NVM Express, or NVMe, a next-generation memory-class protocol for CPU-to-flash communication, is poised to drive a shift across the storage industry to NVMe architectures. Leading industry analysts forecast that NVMe, which is enabling the next generation of flash performance and density, will become the leading interface protocol for flash by 2019. A critical mass of consumer devices has already shifted to NVMe, and the enterprise will not be far behind.
"NVMe protocol is set to dominate enterprise flash, because it allows much greater performance than the SAS and SATA interfaces used currently in data center flash drives. SAS was designed for disk, but NVMe was designed both for flash and the new solid-state, non-volatile memories that are waiting in the wings," said Tim Stammers, senior analyst at 451 Research. "Pure's FlashArray//M systems are already future-proofed for this change, and that is a very unusual and important aspect."
NVMe is faster and more parallel than the existing Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) storage protocol, and offers 64K parallel queues in comparison to a single SAS channel, which enables direct communication paths to Solid State Drives (SSDs). This massive parallelism eliminates the "serial-connection" bottleneck – enabling significantly higher performance for coming technological advances, including massively multi-core CPUs, super-dense SSDs, new memory technologies and high-speed interconnects.
"Seven years ago, we saw the potential of flash as an industry standard. We have reached a similar inflection point with NVMe, and enterprises will need to be prepared for the shift to take full advantage of technological improvements in 2017 and beyond," said Matt Kixmoeller, VP of Product, Pure Storage. "Any organization buying new storage today needs to be NVMe-ready to protect its investment. By proactively engineering for NVMe, Pure has widened the gap between purpose-built arrays and legacy retrofits, and is best positioned to lead the industry transition to NVMe."
In anticipation of the now inevitable shift to NVMe, Pure Storage engineered FlashArray//M to be NVMe-ready from the beginning, starting more than three years ago. Every FlashArray//M ships with dual-ported and hot-pluggable NVMe NV-RAM devices, engineered by Pure – an industry first when released in 2015. Additionally, the FlashArray//M chassis is wired for both SAS and PCIe/NVMe in every flash module slot, which enables the use of SAS-connected flash modules today as well as a transition to NVMe in the future.
"As a solution provider and adviser, long-term customer relationships are critical to our ongoing success," said Bruce Poor, Vice President of Sales, Hogan Consulting Group. "Customers deserve investment protection and the NVMe-Ready Guarantee from Pure Storage gives us increased confidence that we are giving customers the best value now, and into the future. A customer shouldn't be penalized for not knowing what the future holds in their technology choice."
Each of the slots within the FlashArray//M chassis is capable of using NVMe and SAS-capable flash modules, and controllers are non-disruptively upgradable to transition internal and external networks from SAS to NVMe. The Purity Operating Environment is optimized for NVMe with massively parallel and multi-threaded design, as well as global flash management across the entire flash pool. As a result, customers will be able to convert any FlashArray//M to NVMe-enabled controllers and capacity without a forklift upgrade or disruptive migration.
"End-user experience is the key to attracting and keeping great customers. The greatest challenge is keeping end-user experience first-class and consistent," said Jason Michaud, President of MacStadium. "Pure Storage anticipates future technological needs like NVMe, and offers a clear, non-disruptive upgrade path, which enables us to stay up and running through periods of tremendous growth with our globally dispersed IT staff."
Upgrades to NVMe-enabled controllers are planned to be generally available prior to December 31, 2017. The full terms of NVMe-Ready Guarantee are available upon request |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 9:54:50 AM | | | | | | MTSI CC: 32% CAGR as 1M+ 100G modules shipped................................................
Soon?
400G.
And,...
Talk about 1T.
Multi-core CPU + GPU + multi-channel SSS + Fibre = Bonanza.
All Silicon Solution.
Cymer/HMI/Zeiss/ASML.
This caps our third year of outperformance, in which we delivered 32% compound annual revenue growth which more than doubled the revenue over that three-year period. Adjusted gross margin improved 970 basis points over those same years and more importantly, we expanded adjusted earnings per share by 47% compounded annually over that time period. This is testament to our balanced and diversified portfolio of investments across three secular growth drivers and within those secular growth drivers which consistently delivered results in all market conditions and allowed us to outgrow our industry by integer multiples. Now let me turn it over to Bob for to review our fiscal fourth quarter financials in further detail.
We've also concluded that our datacenter business is now large enough and important enough as a growth vector, that it merits that we speak to it separately going forward. So switching over to datacenters, we're proud to report that in FY '16, we enabled over 1 million 100G modules going into datacenter and enterprise applications. This number is beyond even the largest TAM reported by any of the market analysts to date and includes leadership positions in laser and VCSEL drivers, CDRs and TIAs. What's even more exciting, is that we believe this is just the beginning of a ramp that will see demand for 100G connectivity within datacenters triple over the next four years. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 10:15:02 AM | | | | | | "Tech companies steal the thunder at the L.A. Auto Show"...............................................................
Name change in order?
Tech-Auto Show?
Tech companies steal the thunder at the L.A. Auto Show
Nov. 16, 2016 9:52 AM ET|By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor
The Los Angeles Auto Show is off and running this week, with technology companies stealing some of the early headlines.
Samsung ( OTC:SSNLF) got the ball rolling with its huge acquisition of Harman (NYSE: HAR), while Amazon dazzled many by showcasing its connected-car Blue Link technology that uses the AI-heavy Alexa in Hyundai cars.
Ride sharing platforms are on display, led by BMW's Reach Now program which is a potential Uber (Private: UBER) X competitor.
Edmunds.com may have sent a bit of shock wave through the auto retailer sector by demonstrating its advanced messaging platform that uses Facebook Messenger to help direct buyers to cars.
Then there is Olli which is the first self-driving vehicle to use IBM (NYSE: IBM) Watson as its brains.
There are plenty of new models on display at the Staples Center - including the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Volkswagen e-Golf, Land Rover Discover, Porsche Panamera and Mazda CX-5. The first look at the Jaguar all-electric I-Pace SUV is one of the more talked about introductions.
The all-electric Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model X mobile design studio will also be making an appearance in LA. Expect some updates on both as the GM vs. Tesla war starts to get ratcheted up. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 12:12:08 PM | | | | | | Oil traitor Mercuria storing 60K tons of gasoline components.........................................
greedyman and chiti had a bunch of leased tankers offshore with oil pushing the price to $100/barrel.
every market manipulated by traitors. There are no fundamentals. only traitors and shill contort n distort.
Awash in gasoline, US refiners export fuel at record pace
Laura Blewitt
MSN |
The U.S. has more gasoline than it knows what to do with.
Exports have risen above imports for three consecutive weeks as recurring pipeline outages and higher production levels by refiners caused Gulf Coast inventories to grow. Typically a net importer of gasoline, the U.S. has shipped a record amount of the motor fuel abroad and doesn’t show signs of stopping.
“Exports will have to be high to keep stocks under control,” Robert Campbell, head of oil products research at market consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. in New York, said in an e-mail. “Runs should be quite high on the U.S. Gulf Coast in the coming weeks.”
The abundance of gasoline pushed Gulf Coast gasoline prices to an eight-month low last week and spurred the longest losing streak since 2012 in futures, making U.S. gasoline an affordable buy. That has triggered some some unusual moves by refiners and traders.
Out to Sea
Independent refiner Valero Energy Corp. shipped excess supplies to Canada instead of Colombia and Phillips 66 sent the first gasoline shipment in 16 months to Egypt, according to shipping data and people familiar with the transactions. Oil trader Mercuria Energy Group is said to be storing a 60,000-ton parcel of gasoline blending components produced in India at an offshore site in the Bahamas. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/16/2016 5:47:49 PM | | | | | | Conn bails out 2nd traitor outfit. the mob creates "good" jobs, too.........................................
the somali pirates, too, had many "good" paying "jobs".
Maybe, Connecticut should recruit them.
Connecticut approves aid package for 2nd hedge fund
Associated PressNovember 15, 2016
81 Comments
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — For the second time in six months, a Connecticut panel approved giving taxpayer money to a hedge fund in exchange for promises to keep and add jobs in the state.
On Tuesday, the State Bond Commission gave the OK to $28 million in forgivable loans and $7 million in grants for AQR Capital Management LLC in Greenwich, which provides hedge fund and traditional investment services for a range of clients. The funds will help pay for an expansion project.
Under the arrangement, AQR will retain 540 jobs and create up to 600 jobs over 10 years. In return, the loans will be forgiven and the grant will be disbursed in phases as the job company's job obligations are met.
AQR is one of the world's largest hedge funds, with $172.4 billion in hedge fund and traditional assets under management.
In May, the same commission approved a $22 million loan and grant package to help the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, expand its offices in Westport, Wilton and Norwalk.
Democratic State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, a Bond Commission member, voted against both deals, questioning whether the state could afford them given its continuing financial challenges.
"For me, it's not necessarily if this is right deal or the wrong deal," he said, adding how, "we don't get to do it all and we're going to have to make some hard decisions."
Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy disagreed, noting how the state is "investing in a company" that already has a large number of jobs in Connecticut and is willing to hire more people "with incomes that are very substantial and will more than pay back the state." |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/17/2016 7:18:46 AM | | | | | | "Barnes & Noble debuts $50 Nook tablet to take on Amazon"................................................
Like I said. Many, many times over many, many years.
The gadget biz will get evermore brutal.
The only way to survive and thrive, in the 21st, is to stuff evermore leading edge Integrated circuits in evermore smaller packages.
Think EUV/ArF Age.
Think OnPulse or NoPulse.
And,...
Insist on Cymer.
HMI/Zeiss/ASML.
Will screen guys have to beg for LTPS AMOLED done TCZ? The screen guys cannot keep up with demand because yield has remained stubbornly low.
Barnes & Noble debuts $50 Nook tablet to take on Amazon
The battle for bookworms' hearts and eyes this holiday season is officially underway! Barnes & Noble announced on Wednesday the forthcoming release of its new Nook tablet. The tablet will retail for just $50 -- 30 bucks less than the baseline Amazon Kindle and on par with the Amazon Fire -- when it becomes available on Black Friday, November 25th. It features a 7-inch IPS display, 7 hours of battery life and 8GB of onboard storage, which can be boosted by up to 128GB using a microSD card. Take that, Macbook Pro
Barnes & Noble offers millions of digital book downloads from its online store which the Nook can pull from. Plus, it has full access to the Google Play content library so finding something good to read while your relatives political discussions devolve into fist fights at the family dinner table. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: BeenRetired | 11/17/2016 8:21:32 AM | | | | | | Slack & Guru: 21st guys collaborate on AI for interaction.....................................................
Just saw a video with the Guru CEO.
There is no doubt gathering and interpreting all sorta data is going to be huge in the 21st. Very bit intense data. Including A/V stuff.
Very, very exciting times.
Cymer/HMI/Zeiss/ASML. |
| | ASML Holding NV | Stock Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| |
