Roundup: Pleo is dead, Twitter spreads swine flu, Google Earth solves plane crash and more

Roundup: Pleo is dead, Twitter spreads swine flu, Google Earth solves plane crash and more

Here’s all the latest action:

Verizon iPhone in the works — Apple and Verizon have been talking about launching an iPhone for the Verizon network as early as next year. USA Today has the story.

Tragedy strikes as Pleo, the magic dinosaur, is liquidated — Ugobe, maker of robotic… Continue Reading

Qualcomm will pay $891 million to Broadcom to settle patent disputes

Qualcomm will pay $891 million to Broadcom to settle patent disputes

Qualcomm will pay $891 million to Broadcom in a patent dispute settlement, the chip companies announced today.

The deal will settle all pending litigation between the companies worldwide. The companies were in a state of legal warfare over cell phone and other tech patents in the… Continue Reading

ZeroG Wireless raises $17 million for embedded Wi-Fi chips

ZeroG Wireless raises $17 million for embedded Wi-Fi chips

ZeroG Wireless is announcing today that it has raised $17 million in a second round of funding for its business of designing embedded Wi-Fi chips. This company is looking for the day when billions of everyday gadgets and sensors are connected to the Internet.

John Cummins,… Continue Reading

Roundup: More cuts at Yahoo, food cuts at Google and more

Roundup: More cuts at Yahoo, food cuts at Google and more

Here’s the latest action:

More job cuts coming at Yahoo? — Chief executive Jerry Yang has hired consultants from Bain to get the organization “fit.” It’s not likely that means more exercise. SAI has more.

More food benefits slashed at Google – While Yahoos may be losing their… Continue Reading

AMD sells digital TV chip division to Broadcom

AMD sells digital TV chip division to Broadcom

Advanced Micro Devices will sell its digital TV chip business to Broadcom for $192.8 million.

The move is part of chip company AMD’s attempt to raise some cash and regain its footing in its core microprocessor business where Intel has been eating AMD’s lunch.

AMD needs the… Continue Reading

Entropic’s chips to cut the cost of multiple satellite TV set-top installations

Entropic’s chips to cut the cost of multiple satellite TV set-top installations

It’s painful to get satellite TV service installed at your home because technicians have to spend a lot of time wiring multiple set-top boxes to a single dish antenna.

Entropic Communications has a solution that eliminates that problem. And today, the San Diego, Calif. company is… Continue Reading

Interview with Vinod Dham, father of the Pentium, on a life in technology and venture investing

Interview with Vinod Dham, father of the Pentium, on a life in technology and venture investing

Vinod Dham has lived the quintessential Silicon Valley rags to riches immigrant story. Born in Pune, India, he came to the U.S. in 1975 as an engineering student with just $8 in his pocket. He became a chip engineer and helped invent Intel’s first flash… Continue Reading

Roundup: Broadcom backdating, games at work, and more

Roundup: Broadcom backdating, games at work, and more

Former Broadcom executive Henry Samueli to plead guilty in backdating case — The Broadcom flameout saga continues, with former chief technology officer Samueli admitting that he previously lied to SEC investigators about whether or not he had illegally back-dated stock options.  Among Broadcom’s two founding Henrys,… Continue Reading

The madness of King Henry Nicholas?

The madness of King Henry Nicholas?

The news about Broadcom’s former chief executive, Henry Nicholas III, is just stunning. It’s a rise-and-fall story with salacious details of prostitutes and ecstasy that will make the tabloids, not just the tech pages. It’s all the more stunning to me because I met “Nick”… Continue Reading

BroadLight, supplier of passive optical network equipment, raises $12M

BroadLight, a supplier of “gigabit passive optical network” (GPON) semiconductors and software, said it has raised a $12 million fifth round of financing.

The round was led by Benchmark Capital, and included existing investors Azure Capital Partners, Broadcom, Cipio
Partners, Delta Ventures, Israel Seed Partners, Motorola Ventures,… Continue Reading

Broadcom to acquire Global Locate, a provider of GPS technology

Broadcom Corporation, of Irvine, Calif. a maker of semiconductors for communications, said it has agreed to acquire Global Locate, a private San Jose, Calif. fabless provider of global positioning system (GPS) and assisted GPS (A-GPS) semiconductor products and software.

The amount was undisclosed.

GPS is expected… Continue Reading