Linux News: Chips

Intel Vows to Fight EC Antitrust Ruling, $1.4B Fine
May 13, 2009

The European Commission fined dominant CPU maker Intel $1.4 billion on Wednesday after finding the company violated anticompetition laws. Intel CEO Paul Otellini blasted the decision, saying EU regulators had ignored crucial evidence that will, on appeal, prove the company innocent of charges that it harmed consumers through its discounting practices.

EC May Slam Intel With Record-Breaking Antitrust Fine
May 11, 2009

The European Commission could be nearing a decision to impose a significant fine against Intel over allegations that it used discounting practices to limit rival chipmaker AMD's market share. The timing coincides with a Department of Justice announcement promising more vigorous antitrust enforcement in the United States.

Apple Bets Its Chips on In-House Microprocessor Design
April 30, 2009

The microprocessors that will go into future Apple products -- especially the handheld variety -- will need to be smaller, cheaper and more powerful while using less power. Those chips could be the result of in-house designer brainpower, not third-party suppliers: Steve Jobs' company is in the middle of a hiring spree, according to a Thursday report.

HP's Z Series Will Dazzle Your Eyes, Bob the Monster Will Steal Your Heart
March 30, 2009

I spent much of last week attending an event put on by HP, Intel and BMW, which launched HP's new professional workstation line on top of the new Nehalem processors from Intel. This took place at DreamWorks, where we were treated to an early screening of the "Monsters vs. Aliens" movie. This last was a showcase for DreamWorks huge 3-D bet and one that I haven't been a believer in.

Intel Throws Down Gauntlet With AMD License Challenge
March 16, 2009

Intel's and Advanced Micro Devices' often-rocky relationship is teetering on the brink of open warfare. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Intel has accused AMD of breaching terms the two companies forged in a cross-licensing agreement dating back to 2001.

Intel Enlists Taiwan Semi to Build Mobile Might
March 03, 2009

Intel is revealing the mysterious workings of its Atom processing chip to Taiwan Semiconductor in a bid to break into the smartphone, netbook and TV set-top box markets. This marks the first time the world's largest semiconductor company has agreed to share the underlying technology behind its X86-based chips.

iWork, Nvidia, Intel, Chargers: Can't We All Just Get Compatible?
February 20, 2009

There were a lot of different topics on the minds of Apple bloggers this week -- tidbits like Apple dropping its 20-inch Cinema display, some new tear-down photos of the 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro, and the squabble between Apple and the Electronic Frontier Foundation over jailbreaking the iPhone.

A Tale of 2 Stim Plans: US Sold Out, Intel Got It Right
February 16, 2009

It's hard not to look at the stimulus package announced last week and not be disappointed. About 35 percent of it is tax cuts that will be so small for the majority of us that it simply won't have an impact other than to put the country in deeper debt. Intel announced its own stimulus package in the form of a massive investment in new fabs.

Read All About It -- 3 Ways to Spare a Tree
February 14, 2009

OK, you heard Oprah rave about the Kindle, and you were so impressed that you ordered one. Then you ended up waiting because the darn thing was out of stock -- for months! Your patience is being rewarded, and you'll be getting the improved version 2 of the Kindle, which has more memory to store books, better battery life, an improved screen and more intuitive buttons. And the same exact price tag: $359.

Intel Bucks Recessionary Tide With Gutsy Investment Plan
February 10, 2009

In a bold move, chip giant Intel announced Tuesday that it will invest $7 billion in its U.S. manufacturing facilities even as the semiconductor industry and the overall economy continue to spiral downward. Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini made the announcement in a speech before the Economy Club in Washington, D.C.

AMD Fortifies Phenom II Line With Triple-Core Chips
February 09, 2009

AMD announced the release of its latest round of Phenom II microprocessors Monday. The five new additions include both triple-core processors and quad-cores that are part of AMD's "Dragon" platform line of desktop PC chips announced last month. Among AMD's offerings are three quad-core and two triple-core processors, marking first time the chipmaker has rolled out a triple-core processor for the Phenom II line.

Obama, Obama, Recession, Recession, Obama
January 23, 2009

The Obama techies had their fingers on the switch on Tuesday, and at precisely 12:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, they threw it. The Bush administration's WhiteHouse.gov underwent a Cinderella-like transformation and joined the Web 2.0 era. There's a White House blog now, if you can imagine that, and a page that will host video of the president's weekly address to the nation.

Report: Intel Cooking Up More Robust Low-Power Processors
January 19, 2009

Intel is reportedly preparing a new consumer ultra low voltage platform aimed at small, highly portable notebook computers. The new push will focus on ultra-mobile PCs priced between $700 to $900. Consumers should look for the new platforms in hardware beginning in the second quarter of 2009. Intel would not confirm or deny the information in the report.

Scientists Find Too Many Cooks - er, Cores - Spoils the CPU
January 15, 2009

A new simulation by Sandia for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration has found that trying to use too many cores for multicore supercomputing processing just leads to slower, not faster, computations. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corp., a Lockheed Martin company.

The Small Wonders of a Smaller CES
January 12, 2009

As the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas continued on Friday and through the weekend, it became clear that the official attendance count at this year's gadget fest will likely reflect significant shrinkage. In addition, runaway hits -- things that really managed to shake the ground everyone was walking on -- seemed few and far between.

Freescale Eyes Cheap Linux Netbooks With New Chip Design
January 05, 2009

Freescale Semiconductor has launched a new low-cost processor, the i.MX515, that's designed to power what Freescale hopes will be new lines of Linux-based netbooks retailing for less than $200. There are lots of interesting angles to Freescale's efforts -- the lower price point, the technology behind the i.MX515, and a new path for Linux into the minds of everyday consumers.