WRAL Tech Wire

Chip maker AMD takes new direction under former Lenovo exec

Rory Read, who left the world's No. 2 PC maker to take over as CEO at AMD, is redirecting the chip maker's future toward more flexible, not just more powerful, processors.

AMD

Intel 1Q earnings fall 13 percent, meet Street

The world's largest chipmaker said Tuesday that profits fell 13 percent in the latest quarter while operating expenses rose and sales were flat. However, these results beat analyst expectations and the California company is forecasting an increase in revenue throughout 2012.

Where is tech going? Tuesday's earnings could shed light

Earnings from IBM, Intel, and Cree on Tuesday look to point which way the technology industry will be heading this year in the Triangle and across the globe.

Earnings 2012

Durham semiconductor startup Sarda lands IDEA Fund as investor in $3M round

The venture capital firm follows up on a $36,000 grant its not-for-profit arm NC IDEA Fund awarded Sarda last June. Sarda, which was co-founded by two chip industry veterans, focuses on improving energy efficiency and reducing the size of power components in mobile devices.

State of the tech economy: PC hardware, software, chip sales update

A look at how selected companies providing computers, components, services and related software are faring.

Chip breakthrough: NCSU researchers improve performance 20%

The team develops a technology that enables graphics processing units and central processing units to collaborate on a single chip. On current chips mounting GPUs and CPUs operate separately.

Cree misses Street on revenues, earnings; shares tumble 7 percent

The Durham-based light emitting diodes and chip technology firm reports revenues under analysts' expectations. Earnings miss by a penny. CEO says "business environment remains challenging."

New $4.6B plant begins producing chips for IBM

Big Blue blog: GlobalFoundries Inc. and IBM announced a deal Monday to manufacture chips at the new GlobalFoundries plant in N.Y. Plus:

Intel tells data center customers they can turn up the heat

By using new software and hardware to get a more detailed picture of what's hot and what's not, data centers can spread work around to different computers to keep them cool - evn at 100 degrees, Intel says. But will customers listen?

Tar Heel Traveler profiles NCSU semiconductor pioneer

Jay Baliga, a professor who invented a semiconductor chip that has transformed society, seemed born for engineering greatness. He recently was honored for his achievements with a National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Lenovo turns ThinkPad Tablet into globetrotter with Qualcomm chip

By adding Qualcomm Gobi, Lenovo says its ThinkPad Tablet will operate across multiple carriers and technologies.

State of tech sector: What PC, chip, services earnings report are saying

IBM, Lenovo, Apple, EMC, Dell, Intel, AMD, Microsoft, others provide a snapshot of the IT sector's heatlh.

iPhone No. 1 with workers; HP plans ultrabook; Meebo IM reaches 250M; AOL execs bail; Intel's supercomputer chip

Bulldog blog: iPhone tops BlackBerry in enterprise survey; HP takes on Apple with ultrabook; Meebo now reaches 250 million uniques a month; Intel packs supercomputing power in a palm-sized chip.

NCSU lands $1.5M grant from Intel to develop a 3D-based chip

N.C. State Researchers aim to develop a three-dimensional chip structure with the goal of boosting energy efficiency. They aim to have a prototype by 2014.

Former IBM, Lenovo exec Rory Read's first big move at AMD: 1,400 layoffs

The ex president of Lenovo says the chip maker will cut 12 percent of its workforce while also shifting products to faster growing markets.