Warren East, the executive who has seen UK semiconductor juggernaut ARM Holdings through some of its most explosive growth, fuelled by deals with companies like Apple for its iPhone and iPad devices, is stepping down from his job and retiring, the company said today. He is being replaced by insider Simon Segars, who is currently president of ARM. East had been with the company since 1994. The… → Read More
Samsung Electronics has been knocked hard on mobile phone design innovation in the last few days, but in what might be a spectacular display of diversionary tactics, it is also doubling down on another significant part of its business — chipmaking. Today, the Dutch semiconductor machine maker ASML announced that Samsung would be investing close to $1 billion — yes, more or less the same amount… → Read More
ARM Holdings — supplier of microchips for Apple’s iPhone and iPad products, Samsung’s Galaxy line and soon technology for Microsoft’s Windows 8 devices — continues to report strong results while riding the wireless device boom and expanding to newer areas. The company reported Q2 earnings (ended June 30) of £135.5 million ($213 million), beating analyst estimates of $206 million. Net profit was… → Read More
Apple finally confirmed earlier reports that it bought Israeli semiconductor startup Anobit Technologies. Apple did not confirm the price, which is believed to be between $400 million and $500 million.
Apple bought Anobit for two reasons: its flash memory controllers are a key component of all Apple’s leading products (from iPads and iPhones to MacBook Airs), and in one fell swoop it just added… → Read More
Japan’s biggest business daily, The Nikkei, is reporting that Sony plans to double its production volume for image sensors used in smartphones and digital cameras. Big S is currently thinking about buying back a semiconductor plant it sold to Toshiba in 2008. → Read More
Semiconductor sales dropped in October, but the decline worsened in November. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), sales for November fell to $20.8 billion, a 9.8% decrease from the $23.1 billion recorded in November 2007. → Read More
Trouble ahead, captain! Before ten years is out, our pattern of reducing the size of semiconductors (for example, the move to 45nm from 65nm with Penryn) every two years or so is going to hit a brick wall. In a few more shrinks, we’ll be approaching 10nm, at which point quantum mechanics begin to take over and reality gets all wobbly. So what’s next? IBM’s chief technologist says… → Read More
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