Will Paul Otellini Convince Tim Cook to Fill Intel’s Fabs?

Will Paul Otellini Convince Tim Cook to Fill Intel’s Fabs?
by Ed McKernan on 09-27-2012 at 8:30 pm

An empty Fab is a terrible thing to waste, especially when it is leading edge. By the end of the year Intel will, by my back of the envelope calculation, be sitting with the equivalent of one idle 22nm Fab (cost $5B). What would you do if you were Paul Otellini?

Across the valley, in Cupertino, you have Tim Cook, whose modus operandi is … Read More


Damn! Cramer Figured It Out

Damn! Cramer Figured It Out
by Ed McKernan on 09-20-2012 at 8:04 pm

As an investor, one has to always be aware when Jim Cramer informs the world of the investment scenario you have been playing comes out of the shadows and sees the light of day. Soon the herd will follow which is positive, but now one has to figure how long to ride the roller coaster. In an article posted on thestreet.com entitled “TechRead More


2nd International Workshop on Resistive RAM at Stanford

2nd International Workshop on Resistive RAM at Stanford
by Ed McKernan on 09-20-2012 at 8:02 pm

A Veritable who’s who of ReRAM researchers will be present at the 2nd International Workshop on Resistive RAM at Stanford in the beginning of October. Sponsored by IMEC and Stanford’s NMRTI (Non-Volatile Technology Research Initiative), the program features two days of talks, panel sessions and no doubt lots of… Read More


ReRAM Based Memory Buffers in SSDs

ReRAM Based Memory Buffers in SSDs
by Ed McKernan on 09-19-2012 at 11:40 am


In a paper at the VLSI meeting in Hawaii, Professor Ken Takeuchi described using an ReRAM buffer with an SSD. He points to some major performance gains that one can expect from such a configuration in terms of energy, speed and lifetime. Is this an opportunity for ReRAM that could spur development of the technology? Read more in a post… Read More


Micron ReRAM Patent Alert

Micron ReRAM Patent Alert
by Ed McKernan on 09-11-2012 at 3:16 pm


Micron recently was awarded patents related to ReRAM. As everyone knows, patents are the lifeblood of technology based industries and the memory business is no different. But what can you learn from a patent? In the first of a series of Blogs, Christie Marrian moderator of the ReRAM-Forum asks that question in the context of patents… Read More


Intel’s Haswell and the Tablet PC Dilemma

Intel’s Haswell and the Tablet PC Dilemma
by Ed McKernan on 09-07-2012 at 12:26 pm

Paul Otellini’s greatest fear in his chase to have Intel win the Smartphone and Tablet space is that he opens the door to significant ASP declines in his current PC business. This is the Innovator’s Dilemma writ large. In 2011, Intel’s PC business (excluding servers) was $36B at an average ASP of $100. Within that model is an Ultra … Read More


Apple’s Victory Will Re-Shuffle the Semi Industry

Apple’s Victory Will Re-Shuffle the Semi Industry
by Ed McKernan on 08-27-2012 at 2:00 pm

Apple’s legal victory over Samsung has been analyzed in thousands of articles and TWEETs since last Friday’s announcement and surely more will follow. Most of the commentary has focused on the first order impact to handset manufacturers. It is not entirely clear how it will all settle but there are sure to be secondary ramifications… Read More


What’s Next For Emerging Memories

What’s Next For Emerging Memories
by Ed McKernan on 08-17-2012 at 11:00 am

In doing some digging in preparation for the start of www.ReRAM-Forum.com Christie Marrian asks if ReRAM.CBRAM technology is approaching a ‘tipping point’ relative to NAND Flash. You can read more of his analysis over at the blog he moderates (ReRAM-Forum.com). Also a note to readers. The blog is interested in collecting new … Read More


The Generational Legacy of Steve Jobs

The Generational Legacy of Steve Jobs
by Ed McKernan on 08-16-2012 at 12:00 pm

Truly great leaders are recognized by the impact they leave several generations down the road. Roosevelt and Churchill are two historical figures who together saved Western Civilization, thus leaving a tremendous legacy even now, two generations later. In the semiconductor world we mark our generations in the two-year cadence… Read More


Qualcomm Acquires Intel’s Playbook

Qualcomm Acquires Intel’s Playbook
by Ed McKernan on 08-10-2012 at 12:00 pm

The Mobile Tsunami wave has yet to crest and the surfers strong enough to mount it are dwindling fast to the dismay of market watchers and experienced analysts. The distraction of these past few days is the courtroom drama being played out between the sumo wrestlers, Apple and Samsung, which in the end will not result in a cessation… Read More