The Return Of DAC In-Person


Apart from masked faces everywhere, you could be excused for not knowing that there was a pandemic going on. Sure, the numbers were down, the show floor was smaller, and most of the parties didn't happen, but everyone was so happy to be able to bump elbows with their colleagues. Buttons were available for attendees to show the level of comfort they had with various types of greetings, from "... » read more

A Virtual DAC Experience


This has been the first virtual conference for me, and I will say I was not sure what to expect. I did moderate a panel for it, but that was pre-recorded because the panelists did not care to be awake and performing live for what would have been 3 a.m. for them. I hosted a virtual happy hour, I conducted many interviews, attended sessions, keynotes and other events, but one thing stands out to ... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things Paris-based Parrot Drones and five other companies were selected by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Army to adapt off-the-shelf commercial drones for combat applications as part of the Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance program. SRR seeks to develop unmanned aerial vehicles that have a flight time of 30 minutes, a range of three kilometers (nearly two ... » read more

Design Infrastructure Alley at DAC 2019


2018 marked the first year of the Design Infrastructure Alley (DIA) at DAC. It was the first time that DAC devoted floorspace to discussing the unique IT needs of the semiconductor industry. Some of the big issues we are looking to address at DAC include: Increased Focus on Data/IP Security Semiconductor companies have traditionally had a very open, collegial way of working. The emphasis... » read more

Research: The Heart and Soul of DAC


Research is the very heart and soul of the Design Automation Conference (DAC). In fact, one could easily argue that our industry as we know it today would not exist if not for the fundamental research that has been published at DAC for over five decades, as well as many of its sister conferences (e.g., DATE, ICCAD, etc.) This year I am honored to have been selected to serve as the 56th DAC T... » read more

Big Shifts In Tech Conferences


By Ed Sperling and Katherine Derbyshire Identifying central themes in technology conferences, or finding enough latitude where the theme is extremely well defined, is becoming challenging throughout the tech industry. Throughout the semiconductor industry, in particular, many are asking how various organizations will differentiate conferences in the future and who will be the target audience... » read more

The Week in Review: IoT


Finance Marvell Technology Group priced $500 million in senior notes due in 2023 and $500 million in senior notes due in 2028. The chip company will use net proceeds from the debt offering, cash on hand, and borrowings under a new term loan facility to fund the cash consideration and other amounts payable for Marvell’s proposed $6 billion acquisition of Cavium. The companies have expected to... » read more

The Week In Review: IoT


Finance Samsara, an Industrial Internet of Things startup, raised $40 million in its Series C financing, led by General Catalyst. Andreesen Horowitz, an existing investor, and Samsara’s founders also participated in the funding round, which values the company at $530 million. The supplier of Internet-connected sensors for industrial and transportation applications has raised a total of $80 m... » read more

Monday At DAC


The 54th DAC got started today in a very steamy Austin. While we may be a maturing industry, there is certainly no indications that the people within the industry have given up or intend to take it easy. The event really got started late Sunday when Laurie Balch, chief analyst for Gary Smith EDA, delivered her message. She said that the focus is becoming the verticals. "This change in focus is ... » read more

54th DAC Program Finalized


A DAC winter meeting held in sunny Mexico isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. (Although we did enjoy the break from this winter storms!) Everybody thinks the Executive Committee members are lounging on the beach enjoying drinks with little umbrellas in them. That couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, I and 15 other EC members spent most of our February meetings in Puerto Vallar... » read more

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