2013: to Infinity & Beyond …

This has been a complex year. Some stories were ferocious: the unspeakable double punch of earthquake and typhoon in the Philippines; the ongoing civil war in Syria; the Snowden/NSA revelations; the military coup in Egypt; the Boston Marathon bombings; the shopping mall attack in Nairobi; the shootings at the Washington Navy Yard; the discovery of kidnapping victims in Cleveland. Some stories were about historic change: a new pope; the death of Nelson Mandela; a choppy roll-out for the Affordable Healthcare Act.

Some stories were about trends: a decrease in unemployment; an increase in the financial markets; a marked uptick in housing values; the majority now carrying smart phones. Some stories were about SIP: Synopsys let loose a slew of IP-related press releases; Cadence acquired Tensilica and did the same; TSMC continued to portray itself as a foundry that just happens to have 3000+ IP cores in its arsenal; ARM remained the 800-pound gorilla.

Some stories were about EDA: Mentor talked non-stop about customers in the transportation sector and out-performed the Nasdaq, Dow, S&P500, CDNS and SNPS. FinFETs were all the rage, players big and small declared their readiness to embrace the technology, and Berkeley Prof. Chenming Hu accepted the Phil Kaufman Award. DAC celebrated 50 years and moved to Austin. EDAC had a party, celebrated EDA’s golden anniversary, and helped prepare a place of honor for design automation in the Computer History Museum. The industry sent a collective shout-out to Gary Smith.

Some stories were about those who report the news: Ed Sperling launched Semiconductor Engineering with veterans Ann Mutschler, Brian Bailey, Jeff Chappell, Katherine Derbyshire, and Mark LaPedus all on board. Gabe Moretti joined Extension Media. Brian Fuller joined Cadence.

And some stories were not stories at all, but were personal encounters of wonder and delight: Life of Pi, the movie, was an extraordinary 3D experience that combined great story telling, breathtaking imagery, and a profound intersection of technology, artistry, and humanity. Attending five weddings in 11 weeks between late August and early November provided ample evidence that the young generation about to rule the planet is awash in optimism for the future. And our first grandchild, born in October, is busy proving every day that life is good and tenacious, and that stories of family and community are the only stories that are really worth holding onto.

Happy Holidays to all of you, and very best wishes for 2014. May all of your stories in the coming year take you to Infinity & Beyond!

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Tags: Ann Mutschler, ARM, Brian Bailey, Brian Fuller, Cadence, Chenming Hu, Computer History Museum, Ed Sperling, EDA, EDAC, FinFETs, Gabe Moretti, Gary Smith, Jeff Chappell, Katherine Derbyshire, Life of Pi, Mark LaPedus, Mentor Graphics, Synopsys, TSMC

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