The next big play in broadband is delivering carrier services to multiple consumer devices in the home over a variety of wired and wireless networks. So chipmakers need to be able to provide a portfolio of Wi-Fi, powerline and coax solutions for STBs, gateways and other devices.

China-based Hanvon has selected Freescale Semiconductor's i.MX51 applications processor for its next-generation e-reader products.

The group aims to end a long and heated debate about the next big leap in disk technology and is expected eventually to include all drive makers and their component vendors.

"Targets will be companies that have technologies that Fujitsu doesn't have or that have customers that Fujitsu has never been able to reach so far," company president Masami Yamamoto said in an interview. "We would like to get engaged very actively in M&A activities."

A roundup of news from Indian media regarding the possible BlackBerry ban.

Start-up Fusion-io has snagged Dell as an OEM for its ioDrive PCIe flash card accelerators.

LG Electronics plans to release an Android-based tablet under the Optimus name in time for the holidays. Ten Optimus phones are also on the way this year.

Intel has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire security specialist McAfee, through the purchase of all of the company's common stock at US$48 per share in cash, for approximately US$7.68 billion.

Unlike traditional silicon-based solar cells, the film is composed of metal nanoparticles embedded in a transparent composite matrix, and operates on a different principle. EnSol is now developing the product with help from the University of Leicester's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, saw its quarterly profits rise 3.6%, but sales in its home US market fell for the fifth quarter in a row.

Battery Ventures, Flybridge Capital Partners and Highland Capital Partners represent the traditional venture capitalists behind Smooth-Stone. They have been joined by ARM, Texas Instruments and Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC).

An Apple supply manager has been accused of giving confidential information to Asian suppliers in exchange for kickbacks during a three-year scheme detailed in court filings made available over the weekend.