It's the first time since 1996 that IBM closed ahead of Microsoft. Microsoft was worth three times as much as IBM in 2000.

Toshiba and Amkor Technology have announced that they have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the acquisition by Amkor of Toshiba Electronics Malaysia, Toshiba's semiconductor assembly operation in Malaysia, together with a license to Amkor for certain related intellectual property rights.

Micron Technology fell in US trading after reporting a fiscal fourth-quarter loss on weak demand for personal computers.

Atmel has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Advanced Digital Design, a Spain-based developer of power line communication solutions. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in October.

Samsung Electronics doesn't expect "a drastic rebound" in prices for DRAM used in PCs, Kwon Oh Hyun, head of the company's chip division, said in an e-mail.

When you are in the lighting business and a disruptive new technology such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) comes along, it pays to be inventive.

LG Electronics Inc. and component-making unit LG Innotek Co. said on Wednesday that they filed a lawsuit with a South Korean court on Tuesday seeking an injunction blocking local branches of Germany's BMW AG and Audi AG from selling vehicles equipped with lighting products made by Osram AG, which the Korean companies allege infringe their patents.

Germany, the world's biggest solar panel market, added 664MW of the devices in June, a 69% drop from the same period last year, according to preliminary figures from the German power grid regulator.

Solar manufacturers including a unit of SolarWorld AG are preparing a U.S. trade complaint against China, as they seek to counter low-cost, subsidized imports, according to people familiar with the matter.

Two days before a looming deadline, the U.S. Department of Energy finalized two loan guarantees Wednesday from the same economic-stimulus program that backed Solyndra LLC.

IBM and Intel will invest US$4.4 billion over five years to create a hub for next-generation computer chip technology in New York, according to the state's Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Philips Roadway Lighting announced the new RoadView luminaire series designed for use in place of up to 400W HID sources.

Some may think of the solar energy industry as new and even in need of government help, but those who have worked in it for decades say plenty of privately funded solar power companies are thriving.

The renewable energy sector and in particular, solar is becoming increasingly popular at Google, having now invested more than $850 million in the renewable energy sector. The latest US$75 million investment is in Clean Power Finance's ?？hite label' financing solution for the US residential market for solar PV installations.

Applied Materials announced that Toshiba has purchased its SmartSched predictive scheduling software to improve the capacity and efficiency of its photolithography operations. Installation of the first phase of this breakthrough software solution began in August at Toshiba's Fab 4 facility in Yokkaichi, Japan.

The company now expects net sales to decline 6% to 8% sequentially. This compares to the initial guidance of flat to down 3% sequentially.

A project to install solar panels on military housing across the US, creating thousands of jobs, has been cut back sharply after SolarCity, the company behind it, failed to secure approval for a government loan guarantee before a September 30 deadline.