The chips will run applications faster and turn tablets into multimedia powerhouses. However, quad-core chips could be power hogs, and tablet applications may need to be rewritten to take full advantage of the hardware features, which could be a challenge, according to analysts.

The fact that Nokia's new chief had to deal with a long-shot of a rumor regarding a supposed buyout deal from Microsoft - at a big discount to its current valuation - shows how far the world's largest mobile phone company has fallen.

Rampant piracy means Microsoft's revenues in China this year will only be about 5% of what it gets in the US, even though personal-computer sales in the two countries are almost equal, CEO Steve Ballmer told employees in a meeting.

Sony has said it resumed output of Blu-ray video disks on May 30 at a factory in Tagajo that was badly damaged by waves unleashed by the magnitude-9 offshore 'quake.

Samsung's total capacity is expected to be eight million 4-inch OLED panels per month by the end of 2011. But the display maker is also said to have delayed investments for larger screen sizes of 6 inches to 9 inches until 2012.

Senior Apple executives are in discussion with Samsung to secure supplies of Retina Display-like screens for the iPad 3, even while the two firms turn to the courts to settle some of their differences over mobile device design.

China has called on Taiwanese companies to ensure work safety after a deadly explosion last week at a plant operated by Foxconn where Apple's iPad2 was being assembled. An initial investigation showed that the accident may have been caused by an explosion of combustible dust in the polishing workshop.

Nokia's Windows Phones will start coming out at a relatively rapid clip after the first one appears later in 2011, said Jo Harlow, Nokia's executive vice president of smart devices.

The blog Patently-O claims that Apple received an "assignment of assignors interest" to the patents, which would protect the company against others who might later claim rights to the patent under color of title. The blog did not confirm whether or not Apple would actually hold title rights to the patents themselves, however.

Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity technology transforms smart phones and other mobile devices into wallets, tickets and keys. Infineon Technologies backs this development and is launching its latest security microcontroller for NFC applications.

The acquisition, valued at US$2.3 billion including net debt, will substantially enhance the scope of Toshiba's Smart Grid and Smart Community businesses and position the company as a global competitor with world-class capabilities.

Accelerometers and gyroscopes didn't attract much consumer notice until they found their way into smartphones. STMicroelectronics CEO Carlo Bozotti believes this business, known as MEMS, will soon generate 10% of the company's revenues.

Sequans Communications has shipped its ten millionth 4G chip. Today, Sequans' chips are inside leading 4G devices, such as the HTC EVO 4G smartphone launched by Sprint in USA and the HTC EVO WiMAX smartphone launched by KDDI in Japan.

Microsoft will buy Nokia's mobile division for US$30bn, and the deal will be completed this year because "both companies are very much in a hurry."

CEO Paul Otellini called the MeeGo tie-in a mistake, and that the company would have been better-off choosing a different partner.

Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) has selected ST-Ericsson's Thor advanced HSPA+ modem to bring lightning-fast connectivity to its new Infuse 4G smartphone for the US market.

The HTC Puccini, a rumored 10-inch tablet, will feature Android 3.01 and powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor. As some of you may recall, the rumors of a larger tablet first surfaced earlier in the year when it was whispered that HTC was working on three devices.