Taiwan's HTC makes 2 big cloud-based investments-- spending nearly $90m to buy into OnLive and Saffron.

The $40m OnLive investment is, no doubt, to speed up development into cloud-based on demand mobile content. OnLive already has an iPad and Android tablet app out-- one that only allows users to spectate ongoing games.

Meanwhile Saffron earns a $48.6m investment. The British company already has an impressive client list, integrating its technology in products and services from HTC, LG, Paramount, Continue reading...

Following reports of Sandy Bridge chip shipments stopping due to a design issue, Intel issues a statement for OEMs to work around the situation-- thus reducing product delays.

The chip problem was due to transistors leaking current, causing SATA performance problems.

Intel's temporary solution for OEMs working with the flawed chips involves their not using the 4 affected ports on the chips-- thus shipping with only the mainboard's first 2 SATA ports enabled.

The solution should mainly effect Continue reading...

Intel suspends shipments of its Core series processors-- Core i5 and i7 Sandy Bridge chips specifically-- due to flawed transistor.

The faulty transistors leak current, causing SATA data transfer performance problems.

Intel says it is already on the case, and should be delivering updated chipsets to its customers by late February. It should also manage to reach full volume recovery by April. The company estimates the costs to repair and replace all faulty materials to reach $700m.

This problem Continue reading...

Analysts are saying Apple is sitting on what they very bluntly call an "insane pile Of cash" worth around $60bn, to grow to $80-$100bn by this time next year. But unlike Uncle Scrooge, the company cannot afford to sit on such a money pile-- not before the pressure really builds up and shareholders start calling for dividends.

It's like sitting on a rocket, waiting as the pressure kicks in for take-off.  Except the trip is still being planned.

Trust us, somewhere in Apple is a group figuring out Continue reading...

Samsung confirms its acquisition of display technology developer Liquavista.

Liquavista specialises in in electrowetting technologies for e-Paper and transparent displays-- and owns the technology's core patents, now in Samsung's hands.

Samsung has been looking for display technologies for some time, following its backing away from EPDs (the kind in Kindle and Nook e-readers). Its own Galaxy Tab uses colour LCD screens. Liquavista markets its technology as ideal for mobile applications, since Continue reading...

ARM and IBM announce an extension in their collaborative semiconductor research deal.

While the 2 companies worked together since 2008, the new deal will see them research on increasingly smaller process sizes-- down to 14nm. This will result in cheaper, faster and more energy efficient designs for mobile devices.

The actual terms of the deal are not yet available.

ARM leads the mobile processor market, and now appears to be going for the netbook, notebook and desktop markets. Back at CES, Microsoft Continue reading...

An entire group of reporters at CES listened as top Sony execs told them Sony wants to take the number two spot behind Apple’s iPad in terms of tablet PC sales by 2012.

"I wants don't get" may be a familiar expression in Europe but maybe not in Tokyo.

For Sony (who has yet to decide on a tablet) to become Number Two in a very, very competitive tablet world, sounds a lot like "Californian dreaming" or at least Las Vegas loose talk. You would normally dismiss this if it wasn't Sony and if it wasn' Continue reading...

The Man with The Axe Falls to a Bigger Axe

Abruptly, Dirk Meyer, the "engineer's engineer" and CEO of AMD has resigned...amid believable speculation that an unhappy AMD Board handed Meyer his resignation-- and asked to sign it.

Meyer, the CEO who wielded an unpopular job-cutting axe on AMD executives in Europe, fell to the bigger axe of the AMD Board.

Bruce Claflin, Executive Chairman of the AMD Board (an ex-Digital alumnus) admits: "Dirk became CEO during difficult times.  He successfully s Continue reading...