Applications for jobless benefits decreased by 26,000 in the week ended July 7 to 350,000, the fewest since March 2008.

The company also revised its calendar year 2012 industry forecast for wafer fab equipment spending to US$30-33 billion, compared to its previous expectation of US$32-35 billion, in line with the market changes.

Micron Technology has acquired Intel's 18% interest in IM Flash Singapore and the assets of IM Flash Technologies located at Micron's Virginia wafer fab. At the same time the scope of the JV between Intel and Micron has been expanded to include certain emerging memory technologies and Intel has prepaid US$300 million against future purchases of NAND flash memory.

China has pledged CNY600 billion (US$95 billion) in bank loans to investors from Taiwan as part of its effort to build stronger ties with the island, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, citing a senior Chinese official.

The Intel wafer fab complex in Leixlip, Ireland, is set to receive investment to allow it to manufacture 14nm silicon and beyond, the company revealed in a presentation to analysts on May 10. The investment is expected to be more than US$1 billion.

Revenues for core semiconductor components used in mobile handsets, including platform ICs and wireless connectivity ICs, are expected to reach almost US$37 billion per annum in 2012.

The Indian government has granted its 4G broadband spectrum to Qualcomm nearly two years after the US chipmaker paid US$1 billion in an auction.

Micron has offered a total of JPY220 billion in financial assistance and would also allow Elpida to retain its two main plants in Hiroshima and Akita prefectures, according to sources.

The selection process for a sponsor to support the rehabilitation of Elpida Memory has reached its final stage. Micron Technology, SK Hynix and a consortium of US and Chinese investment funds are expected to participate in the second round of bidding, which will likely wrap up Friday.

Facebook is paying Microsoft US$550 million for some of the patents it recently bought from AOL.

Japan's Toshiba Corporation has agreed to buy IBM's point-of-sale (POS) business in a deal worth US$850 million.

Micron Technology intends to restructure its balance sheet in a manner that effectively increases its debt.

The US, South Korea and many other countries had warned against the launch, calling it a provocation and a cover to test missile technology. North Korea had insisted it would not back down, and said the rocket would only carry a civilian satellite, touting it as a major technological achievement to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, on Sunday.

The US government sued Apple and five publishers, saying they conspired to fix the prices of electronic books, and reached a settlement with three of the publishers that could lead to cheaper e-books for consumers.

Research In Motion has been accused of infringing six patents owned by NXP in a lawsuit filed in a US federal court in Florida.

Memory chipmaker Micron Technology, which rocked in February by the death of its CEO in a plane crash, on Thursday posted a US$224 million net loss in the second quarter as sales fell.

Elpida Memory has filed court papers in US Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware, listing more than US$1 billion in assets and debt. It asked the court to recognize the Japanese case as the main bankruptcy proceeding.

Oil traded near the highest price in two days in New York as investors speculated fuel demand may increase amid signs the US economy is strengthening.

Walmart is taking a 51% stake in Yihaodian, a leading Chinese e-commerce website, in a significant move by the US retailer to boost its online presence in China.

The US Supreme Court Tuesday refused to consider a Hynix Semiconductor appeal that argued Rambus shouldn't be able to enforce certain patents because it misled an organization that sets industry-wide standards for computer memory chips.

Hynix Semiconductor said Thursday a US court has ruled in its favor in an antitrust claim filed by Rambus against the South Korean chipmaker.

US retail sales rose in January, but were dragged down by an unexpected decline in auto sales, according to government data released Tuesday. Overall retail sales were up 0.4% compared to December.