In today’s Bulldog wrapup of technology and life science news:

  • Raleigh-based BioDeliverySciences raises $21 million in new debt
  • Intel to acquire chip designer Altera
  • ​BlackBerry settles with Ryan Seacrist’s Typo
  • Avago pays $37B for Broadcom
  • ​Google offers free storage for photos, videos

The details:

  • BDSI borrows $21 million

Raleigh-based BDSI has borrowed $20.7 million from MidCap in a deal that requires the technology and drug development firm to pay interest only for the next 12 months. BDSI had borrowed from MidCap before.

​Noted Dr. Mark Sirgo, Chief Executive Officer of BDSI: “This funding bolsters our available capital resources well into 2016 as we continue to make a concentrated effort behind the launch of BUNAVAIL. In addition, we see this as a positive, non-dilutive way to lower our overall cost of debt while extending our cash runway. We are pleased to partner again with MidCap and we thank them for their continued confidence in our business.”

  • Intel buys into chips powering cloud computing, smarter cars

Intel is buying chip designer Altera for about $16.7 billion in cash to expand its reach into new chip markets that are powering the wireless revolution, smarter cars and more.

The deal is the biggest in Intel Corp.’s 47-year history. It is the latest in an industry that is looking to acquisitions to boost lackluster sales and cut costs. Sales are falling for personal computers because people are increasingly turning to smartphones and tablets.

While Intel already works with Altera on the manufacturing of certain kinds of high-end chips, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said that owning the company will allow Intel to fully integrate that manufacturing and put in place design and production improvements, ultimately lowering costs and improving the products.

Altera is known for making chips used in phone networks and cars, markets in whichIntel has been looking to expand.

“Their PC chip business is going downhill, and so here’s a way to bolster their earnings by getting into a different type of business,” says Tony Cherin, finance professor emeritus at San Diego State University.

  • BlackBerry and Ryan Seacrest’s Typo reach settlement

BlackBerry said Monday that it reached a patent infringementsettlement with Typo, a maker of iPhone keyboards co-founded by “American Idol” hostRyan Seacrest. The Canadian smartphone maker had accused Typo of ripping off its design.

Under the agreement, Typo Products LLC will be banned from selling keyboards for mobile devices with a screen size that’s less than 7.9 inches, essentially knocking them out of the iPhone market. The largest model of the Apple phone has a height of 6.22 inches.

BlackBerry said Typo will be able to sell keyboards for devices with screens that are larger than 7.9 inches. Typo’s website currently sells $189 attachable keyboards for the iPad.

BlackBerry Ltd., based in Canada, first filed the lawsuit against Typo last year, saying that the startup copied its smartphone’s keyboard. Typo’s keyboard was a case that snapped on to the iPhone and had a physical keyboard.

  • Avago looks to grow with $37B deal for chipmaker Broadcom

Avago Technologies is buying rival chipmaker Broadcom in a cash and stock deal worth about $37 billion, vastly expanding its lineup of products for the rapidly growing wireless device market at a time when sales growth has otherwise been tough to come by for smaller chipmakers.

Hock Tan, Avago’s president and chief executive, says that the deal will make his company the third largest semiconductor maker in terms of revenue and give it the most diversified communications platform in the industry, adding that there is very little overlap between Avago and Broadcom’s products.

Tan said that the proliferation of high-speed data services for wireless devices around the world has resulted in a jump in chip content per wireless device, as well as a surge in the amount of data traffic running through data centers.

“We believe we are in the beginning stages of enhanced networking in the home as people use their wireless devices to connect to various entertainment, security and comfort functions that are all driven by pervasive broadband access,” Tan said Thursday.

“This acquisition will allow us to access this trend more deeply.”

  • Google offers unlimited free storage of photos, videos

Google is willing to store and organize all of the world’s digitalphotos and videos for free.

The online photo service announced Thursday is the latest example of Google’s desire to wrap its tentacles around virtually every part of people’s lives.

Google will provide unlimited storage of all photos up to 16 megapixels and high-definition video up to 1080p.

The service, called Google Photos, will be available as an app on Android and Apple devices, and on a website, http://photos.google.com . It’s a variation of the photo-management tool on Google Plus, a social networking service that has struggled to compete against Facebook since its 2011 debut.

“There has been a renaissance in the thinking of what Google Plus is for,” said Bradley Horowitz, Google’s vice president of photos and streams. Google Plus will stick around, Horowitz said, although it is likely to focus on bringing together people who share common interests and hobbies instead of trying to connect friends and family.