Processors

Ruiz out at AMD, Dirk Meyer new CEO

This post was updated at around 2:45 and 3:40 p.m. PDT with additional information from the earnings conference call.

Advanced Micro Devices CEO Hector Ruiz is stepping down from the helm of the troubled chip company, and Dirk Meyer is taking over.

Ruiz announced the leadership change Thursday during AMD's second-quarter financial earnings conference call. He will remain as executive chairman, but Meyer will immediately take over as the sole executive leader of AMD. "The time is right to turn the company over to a new leader."

Ruiz announced last year that Meyer was the designated successor … Read more

AMD quitting handheld, TV chips amid more losses

AMD continues to stumble through another down year.

The company announced along with the release of its second-quarter earnings results Thursday that it is getting out of the handheld and digital television businesses. As has been the case for the last several quarters, AMD is continuing to lose bucketloads of money: $1.2 billion this time around.

The $1.2 billion isn't as bad as it looks at first glance, but it's still pretty bad. In order to get out of the business of making graphics chips for handhelds and digital TV processors, AMD has to take a … Read more

EU confirms additional antitrust charges against Intel

Updated at 1:05 p.m. PDT to include Intel's response.

Europe's governing body said Thursday it is expanding the number of antitrust charges it is bringing against Intel.

The European Commission's official announcement confirms a report that appeared earlier this week in The Wall Street Journal.

The commission filed court papers Thursday bringing three additional charges against Intel for abusing its dominant position in the chip market in Europe, including offering inducements to European retailers for not buying processors from the company's competitors, chiefly Advanced Micro Devices.

In addition, Intel is charged with paying "… Read more

After miscue, Centrino 2 takes the stage

SAN FRANCISCO--Though a little behind schedule, it's finally here.

Despite a minor snafu that held up the launch by three weeks, Intel officially introduced its new Centrino 2 platform at a press event here Monday night.

The delay was reportedly a problem with the FCC certification for the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard used in the platform, in addition there were reports of problems with the integrated graphics feature.

But on launch day, Intel's Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the mobile platforms group, said the fix was a "simple procedure" and that Intel is &… Read more