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• Arm plans to add multithreading to chip design

  Arm plans to add multithreading capabilities to future architectures as it tries to boost the performance of its processors, a company representative said on Tuesday.

• Tilera: Server with 800 cores may ship next year

  A server with 800 processor cores could ship next year with Tilera's next-generation 100-core chips inside, a company executive said Monday.

• Tablet, phone software developers face multicore challenge

  Writing applications for devices like tablets and smartphones could become more challenging as CPUs and hardware accelerators are added to mobile chips, experts agreed at a processor conference on Monday.

• OCZ unveils next-gen SSD, promising lower price, higher performance

  OCZ Technology today unveiled the next generation of its consumer-class solid state drive (SSD), the 2.5-in Onyx 2 series, which it said is faster, more durable and more affordable that its predecessor.

• Weak server chip shipments on the horizon, analysts say

  The server market is showing signs of weakening, which could lead to a downturn in server chip shipments, further affecting the revenue of chip makers already hampered by lackluster demand for home PCs, financial analysts said Friday.

• Tri-Core 1.5 GHz processors for smartphones: A Marvell

  A new three-core processor from Marvell, the Armada 628, is a 1.5GHz processor with three CPUs on one chip. Designed for powering smartphones and tablets, this tri-core processor can purportedly deliver dual stream 1080p 3D video to your mobile device.

• Marvell announces triple-core chip for tablets

  Marvell on Thursday announced a triple-core chip for tablets and smartphones that it says will deliver breakthrough graphics and application performance.

• IBM breakthrough provides a closer look at atoms

  IBM researchers have come up with a technique to view, record and study the behavior of atoms in real time, which could have a long-term impact on the way nanoscale chips and devices are built.

• Nvidia's CUDA to support x86 processors

  On Tuesday, Nvidia announced it was going to support x86 processors as a target for CUDA applications. This means that apps that are currently written to support Nvidia's GPU line for compute applications will be able to run on standard x86 CPUs--no GPU needed.

• TSMC to unveil 20nm chips with FinFET transistors at IEDM

  Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) may be showing off its vision for the future of chip manufacturing technologies beyond 20 nanometers when it unveils its latest research into FinFET transistors at a chip industry event later this year.

• Intel must prove CPU upgrade is worth the cost

  Intel is testing a processor-upgrade program that may alienate the power users it hopes to attract. The Intel Upgrade Service pilot is a retail store offering that boosts the performance of select desktop PCs with the Pentium G6951 processor.

• High-performance computing rules at GPU Tech Conference

  Nvidia's GPU Tech Conference is evolving to have an even stronger emphasis on high performance computing than the past couple of years. Yes, there are token nods towards the consumer side of the business--Cyberlink is at the show, demoing 3D Blu-ray--but that's about it. PNY is here, but showing its Tesla and Quadro based professional solutions.

• AMD pressures Intel with inexpensive desktop chips

  Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday announced inexpensive desktop microprocessors with up to six cores to put pricing pressure on rival Intel.

• Oracle defies skeptics with Sparc T3 servers

  Oracle has announced new servers based on the Sparc T3 processor, a chip that began life at Sun Microsystems and which some said might never see the light of day.

• Intel’s Sandy Bridge: PC Sales Supercharger?

  Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge microprocessor design is generating a lot of buzz, primarily because it'll integrate the chipmaker's high-end graphics technology with its CPUs.