AMD launches MMX extensions brand Tom Foremski Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has come up with a new brand name for the extended MMX instruction set that will be a feature of its forthcoming K6-3D microprocessors, and says it has reached an agreement with rivals National Semiconductor and IDT on using the same MMX extensions. The addition of 21 MMX instructions ...

Network computers set fair for takeoff Tom Foremski Thin-client computing devices are set to take off over the next few years predicts US market research firm In-Stat. The worldwide market for thin-client devices was just 364,000 units last year, but by the year 2002 it will reach almost 6.7 million units. In-Stat defines thin clients as network computers (NCs), browser ...

Mouse inventor wins computing ‘Nobel’ Tom Foremski Computer pioneer and computer mouse inventor Douglas Engelbart has received the computer industry’s highest honour, with the Association for Computing Machinery awarding him the A.M. Turing Award. Sometimes referred to as the “Nobel Prize” for the computing industry, the Turing Award is named in honour of British computer genius Alan Turing. Although Engelbart ...

Mitel reviews future of Lincoln semiconductor fab Richard Wilson Mitel Semiconductor will sell one of the three UK semiconductor fabs it acquired when it bought GEC Plessey Semiconductor, if it cannot be run profitably. Mitel, which found significant under-utilisation of capacity in some of the former GPS fabs at Swindon, Roborough and Lincoln, is reviewing the future of the Lincoln ...

Eurodis jumps into distribution top four with US deal Richard Wilson Eurodis Electron has teamed up with US distributor, Pioneer-Standard Electronics in a global distribution agreement that places Eurodis in the world top four electronic component distributors. The agreenment opens the possibility of global sourcing for Eurodis. As well as the potential cost benefits of this, the UK distributor will ...

BAe buys into Saab Richard Wilson British Aerospace has bought a 35 per cent stake in Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab AB for ?269m. BAe said in a statement the deal will enable a common strategy to be pursued in a number of business activities including combat aircraft, aerostructures, guided weapons and training systems.

Korean spending priority is for R&D to accelerate the introduction of new products and to take DRAM technology leadership;...

Speakers line up for Europartners Mick Elliott More leading speakers have been lined up to discuss issues affecting the electronic component distribution sector at the Europartners Electronic Component Distribution Forum in Paris (May 6-7). From outside the industry Jean-Luc Wahl, head of the treasury Department at Union Banques de Paris, will discuss the Impact of the European single currency on ...

Siebe hots up Melanie Reynolds Siebe is bidding to buy Eurotherm in a recommended cash-and-share deal that values the temperature controls company at ?439m. “This acquisition complements Siebe’s existing activities in the temperature controller market,” said Allen Yurko, Siebe CEO. Eurotherm’s chairman, James Hann welcomed the acquistion as giving access to wider distribution channels. Siebe’s activities include power and industrial ...

Eurodis good Q3 Steve Bush Eurodis Electron is claiming a good third quarter with both sales and profits exceeding last year’s figures for the same period last year. Eurodis says that the usual January to March electronic component market upturn did not happen this year, the market being “in a state of partial recovery.”