Semiconductor

Standard and Poor’s ratings services lifted Lucent Technologies Inc.’s corporate rating to B from B- in its review of the telecom equipment industry. “Standard & Poor’s believes industry revenues have stabilized in recent quarters, after declining steeply from their peak …

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. led the mobile-phone charge with the introduction of five new advanced GSM phones, including three for the Americas market. The company’s news came on the heels of new phone news from a …

LOS ANGELES-Texas Instruments Inc. shares took a 4-percent tumble on the news of its optimistic first-quarter revenue forecast on its semiconductor business. TI said it anticipated revenue of between $2.8 billion and $2.9 billion and earnings of between 19 cents …

IRVING, Texas-Nokia Corp. said it cut 50 positions from its research and development facility in Texas. The company said the layoffs were primarily in its radio network and core network research divisions. Nokia spokeswoman Laurie Armstrong said the move was …

OTTAWA, Canada-Zarlink Semiconductor said it has developed what it describes as the first digital microphone technology for cell phones. “For consumers, digital microphone technology offers better sound quality for voice and recorder applications, and superior noise cancellation capabilities to improve …

CANNES, France-M-Systems and Emblaze Semiconductor said they will work together to deliver an advanced on-board multimedia memory solution for mobile phones, personal digital assistants and other mobile devices. This will entail including M-System’s Mobile DiskOnChip flash disk product on Emblaze …

CANNES, France-SiGe Semiconductor introduced its RangeChargerT SE5120, a power amplifier for cellular handsets compliant with wideband CDMA technology. The product is optimized for W-CDMA handsets operating in the 1920 to 1980 MHz band. It is the first new cellular amplifier …

CANNES, France-The MultiMediaCard Association introduced version 4.0 of the MultiMediaCard specification, which offers wider bus width, dual-voltage operation and higher transfer speeds. The new specification includes three key features. The wider bus width allows for host design flexibility and higher …

OTTAWA, Canada-Atsana Semiconductor Corp. and RF Micro Devices Inc. respectively introduced a media processor and transmit module for mobile handsets. Atsana’s product, the J211, is for embedded applications such as multimedia ones. RF Micro Devices transmit module is called the …

BOSTON-Emblaze Semiconductor said it has entered an agreement to license wavetable technology from Sonic Network Inc. for use in current and future integrated circuits for mobile multimedia appliances including support for polyphonic MIDI capabilities for the mobile-phone market. Emblaze said …

ATLANTA-Advanced Recognition Technologies Inc. signed a cooperation and co-marketing agreement with Renesas Technology Corp. that will allow Renesas’ SH-Mobile Consortium to offer ART’s speech and handwriting recognition solutions to its customers. Renesas was formed by the merger of Hitachi Ltd. …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Cypress Semiconductor Corp. introduced its Wireless USB LR device, which is a 2.4 GHz radio system-on-a-chip solution that provides more than 50 meters of wireless connectivity. The company said the new product extends its presence into the longer-range …

TAIPEI, Taiwan-Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said it recorded a six-fold increase in its net profits to $479.3 million. The company attributed this to a rise in customer demand. Some of its customers include Motorola Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc., which …

SEOUL, South Korea-Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said it signed an agreement with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. to add BlackBerry capability to its mobile phones. Samsung is the latest in a line of major licensing deals for RIM. Nokia …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-Agilent Technologies Inc. said it has unveiled a micro-size electronic component known as film bulk resonator duplexer for handsets, data cards and other wireless products. The company said the product is its smallest ever and can shrink phone …

Semiconductor players remain the most optimistic wireless sector, even if the stock profiles do not reflect the upbeat mood. Yet according to a new study, the shares are poised to grow. Standards & Poor’s Equity Research said semiconductor stocks have …

Siemens AG has reduced its stake in chipmaker Infineon Technologies Inc. by selling 150 million shares, leaving Siemens with about a 20-percent stake in the semiconductor firm. Siemens had a 40-percent stake in the company. The decision comes as Infineon’s …

OTTAWA-Atsana Semiconductor Corp. said it has raised $10 million in equity financing. The company, which makes multimedia processors for mobile phones and personal digital assistants, names such companies as Siemens Mobile Acceleration, GrowthWorks WV Funds, Covington Capital Corp. and Greenstone …

FRANKFURT, Germany-Siemens AG has reduced its stake in chipmaker Infineon Technologies Inc. by selling 150 million shares, leaving Siemens with about a 20-percent stake in the semiconductor firm. Siemens had a 40-percent stake in the company. The decision comes as …

It is payment without tears and without contact, thanks to a new technology Philips Semiconductor and Visa International are showcasing at the Consumer Electronics Show. Known as Near Field Communication, the protocol will allow consumers to pay for goods and …

In the eyes of market research firm IDC, wireless chips are on a roll. And semiconductor companies want to match this zeal with solutions and initiatives. In its report released last week, which was an optimistic revision of its earlier …

It is payment without tears and without contact, thanks to a new technology Philips Semiconductor and Visa International are showcasing at the Consumer Electronics Show. Known as Near Field Communication, the protocol will allow consumers to pay for goods and …

AUSTIN, Texas-Ultra-wideband semiconductor company Alereon said it has received $31.5 million in the first round of its series A financing. The financing, which was led by Austin Ventures, included companies such as Pharos Capital, Centennial Ventures, Kinetic Ventures, eCentury, Duchossois …

Motorola Inc. bowed to investor clamor for an outsider with the appointment of former Sun Microsystems Inc. president Edward Zander as the new helmsman, officially ending the reign of the Galvin family. Zander, most recently of private equity company Silver …

In what might be the first stamp of Edward Zander, new chief executive officer, Motorola Inc. said it has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a $2 billion initial public offering for its proposed chip unit spinoff. The new …