Intel to slow Israeli factories--for now

Intel will "warm down" or temporarily stop production at its two chip fabrication facilities in Israel at the end of September, a company spokesman said. The move will cut costs but also coincide with the Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, he said. The Intel spokesman, however, emphasized that the halt in production was not prompted by a further decrease in predicted processor demand. "We haven't changed out outlook from July," he said. In that month, the company said it expected to see a seasonal bounce toward the end of the year, but cautioned against excessive optimism.