Stories related to: computer chip

Apple has acquired a designer of sophisticated, low-power computer chips, Forbes reports. Analysts say the move will likely lead to a new kind of chip powering future iPhones and iPods, as well as new Apple designs, helping the company differentiate itself from competition scrambling to keep up. The news comes as a blow to chip maker Intel. More »

Scientists in England have created the world’s smallest transistor, the BBC reports. At 1 atom thick and 10 atoms wide, it could be the key to creating microchips beyond the power of silicon. The transistor is made of graphene, a single layer of graphite and an excellent conductor of electricity. And unlike with silicon, the smaller a graphene transistor is, the faster it works. More »

Intel's choice of Vietnam for a massive superconductor plant surprised the tech world 2 years ago, but the firm's trailblazing has sparked a wave of high-tech investment that is transforming the country, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The plant is still more than a year away from completion, but Intel's presence is helping a nation that had no tech industry to speak of build one from the ground up. More »

Global demand for computer chips helped Intel power to a 9% first-quarter revenue gain, beating analysts' estimates and sending a message that while US sales may be slumping, the world’s largest chip maker’s still got game. Intel stock rose 7.7% in after hours trading, the New York Times reports, as the news allayed worries that computer sales are slowing. More »

Sun Microsystems is moving toward connecting computer chips using lasers instead of wires, a move that could make computers 1,000 times faster. The company snagged a $44 million Pentagon contract to continue work that could also mean smaller, more energy-efficient machines. It won’t be easy, though: A Sun researcher told the New York Times the chance of success is 50%. More »

Intel and Microsoft will fund researchers at two universities working on new programming techniques for multicore chips, sources told the Wall Street Journal . The companies will reportedly provide $2 million annually for five years, to speed the development of chips that can contain dozens—or even hundreds—of microprocessors of multiple types. One of the grants is expected to go to UC Berkeley. More »

Steep drops in the price of NAND flash memory have hit Intel's profits, but CEO Paul Otellini vows it's not going to put the company in the red, the AP reports. Prices of the chips have fallen more than 50% recently, much more than the chipmaking giant had predicted. Otellini says the company will move into new markets to offset the effect of the cheap chips. More »

Imagine a computer chip that could literally have wires drawn onto it and erased like an etch-a-sketch. That’s what University of Pittsburgh researchers have been able to create, Technology Review reports. To demonstrate the technology, researchers drew the tip of an atomic force microscope across the chip like a pencil, leaving nano-sized, conductive wires in its wake. More »

Falling prices for flash memory prompted chipmaker Intel Corp to trim its first quarter gross-profit projection slightly yesterday, driving share prices down nearly 3% in after-hours trading, reports Bloomberg. Analysts said oversupply for NAND flash chips—used in cameras, music devices, and mini-storage devices—would likely persist into the third quarter, keeping prices soft. More »

Intel will push its tinest new chips behind the brand name Atom in an effort to create demand for two emerging types of computing devices. The Atom line includes chips already announced by the company, reports the Wall Street Journal . One, formerly known as Silverthorne, is aimed at cellphone-sized devices that Intel calls “MIDs”—mobile mobile Internet devices. More »

Intel is working on a tiny, inexpensive microprocessor aimed at very low-end computers. Code-named Diamondville, the chip is for computers priced under $250, especially portable ones that Intel calls Netbooks. Manufacturers are creating such machines for emerging markets, as well as for industrialized countries, where they’re often bought as additional family computers, reports the Wall Street Journal . More »

EU investigators raided Intel’s German office today, searching for evidence that the chip maker has broken antitrust laws, the BBC reports. The European Commission has already opened a case against Intel for monopolistic business practices, but officials said the surprise raid was the first step in its investigation, signaling that the company could face other allegations of misconduct. More »

Intel is developing a low-power-consuming chip aimed at a new category of mobile Internet devices, or MIDs, which range between a cell phone and laptop in size. The company’s new MID chip, expected out in the second quarter, draws about a tenth of the power used by Intel’s laptop chips, reports the Wall Street Journal . More »

Advanced Micro Devices pleased investors with its fourth-quarter financial report yesterday, as it neared profitability despite a big loss that included its acquisition of graphics chip maker ATI Technologies. AMD execs said they expect to break even early in the second half of 2008, reports the New York Times . AMD shares jumped 35 cents to $6.69 on the news in after-hours trading, and to $6.97 by midday today. More »

IBM scientists have reached a “significant milestone” in chip technology, using optical signals to speed up and shrink the largest multicore processors. The breakthrough controls light pulses with a device called a wave-guide, a wire-like structure on the chip that communicates among processors; hybrid electronic-optic chips could reduce refrigerator-sized supercomputers to the size of laptops within five years, the Journal reports. More »

Semiconductor sales in October went up 5% worldwide from last year, thanks to strong growth in the Asian-Pacific region and Japan, and an industry association forecasts 3.8% growth for the year, reports the Wall Street Journal . Meanwhile prices have dropped rapidly -- "Consumers are reaping huge benefits from continued rapid price attrition," said the association president. More »

The government of Abu Dhabi, through its investment arm, bought an 8.1% stake in Advanced Micro Devices for $622 million. It will receive 49 million newly-issued AMD shares, but won't get any board representation. The computer chip maker desperately needs the cash after a $396 million loss during the third quarter, reports the Wall Street Journal . More »

Electronics makers expect to sell lots of PCs, iPods and mobile phones this holiday season, judging by how many semiconductor chips they scooped up in August, PC World reports. Sales of global chips rose to $21.6 billion in August, a 4.5% increase over last year. August is the month that manufacturers stock up on chips to get ready for holiday demands. More »

Lan Lee and Yuefei Ge, both of California, were indicted Wednesday by a grand jury on two counts each of economic espionage, conspiracy and theft of trade secrets. The former employees of chip maker Netlogics Microsystems allegedly downloaded chip tech plans onto their home computers, intending to start their own company backed by Chinese money, PCWorld reports. More »

Chip maker Nvidia is going after industry giant Intel in the market for cheap, high-quality PC graphics. Nvidia will roll out special graphics chips for Intel-based computers costing about $500, the Wall Street Journal reports, a segment Intel currently dominates.   Both companies want to cash in on consumer lust for better games and faster video feeds. More »