IC Insights' recently updated Strategic Reviews Online database shows that most large memory and foundry companies performed extremely well in 1H10.

Samsung Electronics has commented that DRAM prices are expected to fall in the third quarter of 2010, and drop further in the fourth.

Toshiba has posted its second straight quarterly profit on rising chip demand, beating analyst estimates for a loss.

LG Electronics, the world's third-biggest mobilephone maker, reported a 33% drop in second-quarter profit after it lagged behind Apple and Samsung Electronics in offering smartphones.

Chip designer Rambus has reported bigger-than-expected losses for the second quarter of 2010, although revenues rose with the help of agreements signed earlier this year with Samsung Electronics.

The talk of a Samsung-Infineon deal surfaced in German publication Manager Magazine but neither firm would comment. Two years ago, Samsung greatly extended its purchasing of cellphone chips from Infineon, largely at the expense of Qualcomm.

Samsung has begun mass producing what it claims is the industry's first 2Gb DDR3 memory using 30nm-class process technology. The chip was introduced on February 1.

Samsung in June announced plans to expand the capacity of its 12-inch chip plant in Austin with a US$3.6 billion investment, and hire 500 more workers there by 2011.

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), South Korea's most powerful business lobby, has asked Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee to head the group. Lee was once convicted of tax evasion.

HTC and Samsung Electronics on Monday cast the latest rebukes to the assertion by Apple that the iPhone 4's reception problems are shared by other global smartphone makers.

Shares of most DRAM makers have underperformed their respective benchmark indexes in Asia so far this year, as European sovereign-debt troubles surfaced and clouded views on global economic growth.

LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Valens Semiconductor has announced formal incorporation of the HDBaseT Alliance and the finalization of the HDBaseT 1.0 specification, made available to Alliance member companies for CE implementation.

Samsung is bucking the predominant one-carrier-per-phone model with its Galaxy S smartphone. It will spend much of this year launching multiple versions of its new flagship smartphone around the world.

Epic 4G will also be the first smartphone to support simultaneous voice and data delivery. That means a user can surf the Internet and do other things while talking.

This could be an indication of Samsung giving more priority to their mobile phones such as the ?？alaxy S' over HTC and Google.

IBM, Samsung and Globalfoundries are working with STMicroelectronics to develop and standardize advanced, 28nm process technology to ensure consistent production worldwide for electronics and device manufacturers.

Samsung intends to raise its market share for smartphones to more than 10% in the fourth quarter from its current level of less than 5%.

A Wolfson audio chip is included in Samsung's soon to be released smartphones, Wave and Galaxy S. Edinburgh-based Wolfson Microelectronics makes microchips for mobile phones, TVs and gaming consoles.

Samsung Electronics' foundry business, Samsung Foundry, has qualified 32nm low-power (LP) process with high-k metal gate (HKMG) technology. The process has successfully completed reliability testing at Samsung Foundry's 300mm logic fabrication line in Giheung and is now ready for production of customer designs.

Samsung Electronics has said due to projected heavy demand for its advanced logic chips, it will invest US$3.6 billion to expand capacity at its plant in Austin, Texas, and hire 500 more workers there by 2011.