Intel (INTC) is reportedly planning to make significant changes to its Ivy Bridge processors that could see a new wave of powerful and battery-efficient Windows 8 tablets launch in the near future, according to a report from CNET. By lowering power consumption, PC makers could build tablets or even PC/tablet hybrids that will have batteries that last all-day as opposed to just a few hours. CNET’s report says it’s not clear when Intel plans to push out the more efficient Ivy Bridge processors and that they won’t be available this year. Intel has been criticized in the last several years for its failure to make Medfield-powered smartphones that compete with ARM’s mobile processors. It’s believed Intel’s inability to build capable chips for the mobile market is one

View the original article here

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Texas Instruments is eliminating 1,700 jobs, as it winds down its mobile processor business to focus on chips for more profitable markets like cars and home appliances. Texas Instruments said in September it would halt costly investments in the increasingly competitive smartphone and tablet chip business, leading Wall Street to speculate that part of the company's processor unit, called OMAP, could be sold. The layoffs are equivalent to nearly 5 percent of the Austin, Texas-based company's global workforce. ...

View the original article here