NationalSemiconductor
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Texas Instruments wraps up purchase of National Semiconductor
In April, Texas Instruments announced its intention to snatch up National Semiconductor for a cool $6.5 billion. Now, almost six months later, the acquisition is complete and TI can tack another few percentage points on to its already market-leading chunk of the analog chip market. At least for now, National will operate as a branch of TI's analog division, which now accounts for over 50-percent of the company's revenue, and keep its (reasonably) well known brand name alive. For a few more details on the deal, check out the PR after the break.
Texas Instruments to acquire National Semiconductor for $6.5 billion in cash money
As the saying goes, everything's bigger in Texas, and that includes Texas Instruments' (TI) share of the semiconductor market. The Dallas-based firm announced today that it will pay $6.5 billion for National Semiconductor. With the acquisition complete, National will become a branch of TI's analog segment, which is now positioned to make up 50 percent of the company's revenue. According to a joint press release, TI held the biggest chunk of the analog semiconductor market in 2010 at 14 percent, and with the new addition that number's bound to get even bigger. Full PR after the break.
Wireless Power Consortium to create universal wireless charging standard, insist that it's like magic
Although we've seen some interesting demos, wireless power systems have mostly been a novelty -- apart from a couple gaming accessories, the most notable thing a wireless company has done so far is declare bankruptcy. That's hopefully about to change, however: a new group called the Wireless Power Consortium plans to introduce a series of charging standards aimed at making sure all this magical tech plays nice with each other. The eight-company group includes Logitech, Philips, Sanyo (and now Panasonic, we'd suppose), TI, National Semiconductor, ConvenientPower, and Fulton Innovation -- which demoed that wireless hamburger for us, you'll recall. The group plans to first release a five-watt standard targeted at mobile phones, after which it'll take aim at laptops and other more power-hungry devices. Based on the flood of wireless-related PR we've been getting as CES gets closer, we're expecting some big things to happen in this space -- it sounds like Energizer is also going to get involved, which could be interesting. We'll see how it plays out -- hopefully this is the year we finally cut that power cord.Read - PC World articleRead - WIreless Power Consortium website
National Semiconductor's new op amps achieve record low distortion
We're obsessive about keeping everything in our HD data streams, well, HD. Usually that means keeping things in the digital realm for as long as possible. But at some point before the audio signal gets to your speaker cones, it has to return to its analog roots. Two new op amp (operational amplifier) chips from National Semiconductor have achieved record low distortion figures of 0.00003% total harmonic distortion, which should help make the transition from digital bits to analog voltage really, really transparent. Op amps are used in the preamplifier stage, so don't throw out your receiver in disgust because its power amplifier section falls short of this distortion figure! But once these chips start making it into receivers, you'll be able to sleep easier knowing that at least the preamp stage isn't what's standing between you and sonic nirvana.
National Semi hands out pink slips, snatches "gift" iPods
He who giveth can also taketh away -- our parents used to use that line when threatening our young lives, but in the case of manufacturing giant National Semiconductor, it also holds true for iPods. You'll recall that in a transparent bid for publicity genuine show of appreciation for its employees last month, the company "gave" all 8,500 of them a 30GB iPod to celebrate record profits from the previous year -- although spokespeople were careful to only say that National Semi was "equipping" staff with the players, and apparently refused to speculate on whether or not terminated employees would be able to keep their "gifts." Well as it turns out, 35 workers recently laid off from the company's Arlington plant were in fact asked to hand in their 'Pods as they walked out the door, and those folks who had given theirs away were charged a "fair market value" to be paid from their soon-to-be-non-existent wages. Now we're no experts in public relations, but it seems that if you're going to make a big deal about how much your company values its employees, you'd want to do your best to avoid the sort of seemingly hypocritical behavior that publications such as ours just love to cover.[Via digg]
Get laid off, give back the iPod says National Semiconductor
Remember a few weeks ago we wrote about National Semiconductor raking in the dough and handing out iPods to all their employees? Well, it looks like those iPods weren't a reward after all, but rather company equipment. National Semiconductor laid off 35 factory workers, which is odd given their huge profits but welcome to the 21st Century I suppose. Anyway, not only did these people lose their jobs but on the way out National Semiconductor said, 'Ah, yes and we'll be needing those iPods back, thanks!'That's right, the iPods, according to the company, weren't gifts but rather company hardware. Sadly, many employees didn't know that and gave the iPods away, or sold them. Worry not laid off folks, you can just pay National Semiconductor $300 and they'll call it even.Thanks, Anne.
Work for National Semiconductor, get an iPod
National Semiconductor, the premier analog company (at least according to their website) is going digital; digital music that is. The company plans on giving each of its 8,500 employees a 30 gig iPod so they can listen to company podcasts. This is also, I am sure, a way of thanking the employees for a very good year (who knew you could make over a billion dollars a quarter making analog devices?).
National Semi has record year, pulls iPod PR stunt
You may (or may not) know National Semiconductor, but they're an enormous industry player and chip-maker in the Valley, and apparently they just had their best ever year of business in their 47-year history. So good, in fact, they apparently bought each of their 8,500 employees an iPod to say thanks. (For those not counting, that's over 2.2m in iPods.) Now maybe we're a little jaded about the fact that that they issued a press release to let people know just how "grateful" they really were for 2005's successes -- or maybe we're just a little bitter our bosses didn't get us portable audio players last holiday season. But we know one thing for sure, and that's that tingle of vexation that Gil Amelio must be feeling right now -- he having once led both Apple and National back in the day -- with both companies more over-the-top successful than ever. before.
