At CES 2018, Qualcomm Technologies International has announced that its Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform now supports Microsoft Cortana. The platform integrates the hardware and software required to help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) reduce the time and cost of developing smart speakers with support for the intelligent digital assistance provided by Microsoft Cortana.

"All Mac systems and iOS devices are affected, but there are no known exploits impacting customers at this time..."

Tech firms are working to fix bugs that could allow hackers to steal personal data from computer systems. Google researchers said the "serious security flaws" were in chips made by Intel, AMD and ARM, and affected devices which use them.

A serious flaw in the design of Intel's chips will require Microsoft, Linux and Apple to update operating systems for computers around the world. It is believed to affect chips in millions of computers from the last decade.

Complaints by Chinese smartphone companies over increases in Samsung Electronics semiconductor prices have prompted Chinese government officials to submit an opinion to Samsung, the Chinese economic daily 21st Century Business Herald reported on Dec. 22. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which oversees China's economic policies, has already "invited Samsung for discussions" on the issue after recently taking an interest in the continued rise of semiconductor prices, the newspaper said.

NXP Semiconductors in collaboration with Internet-of-Things (IoT) industry partners: Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Accenture, Au-Zone and ClearBlade, showcase the innovative frontiers and powers of edge computing by giving NXP VIP guests a comprehensive, personalized glimpse into the future of edge-computing and artificial intelligence applications.

Toshiba, Toshiba Memory Corporation (TMC) and Western Digital have entered into a global settlement agreement to resolve their ongoing disputes in litigation and arbitration, strengthen and extend their relationship, and enhance the mutual commitment to their ongoing flash memory collaboration.

Thales and Gemalto have reached an agreement on a recommended all-cash offer for all issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Gemalto, for a price of EUR51 per share cum dividend.

Efinix has received silicon product samples for its first Quantum accelerated programmable product platform built on SMIC's 40nm process. A milestone was achieved with record breaking efficiency, going from product development using SMIC's Physical Design Kit (PDK) to system validation of the samples in less than six months, according to the companies.

Qualcomm has confirmed receipt of Broadcom's nomination of a slate of candidates to replace Qualcomm's existing board of directors at the company's 2018 annual meeting of stockholders.

Shares in Dialog Semiconductor, the publicly listed British firm which supplies power management chips for the iPhone and other Apple products, are plunging after its chief executive admitted that Apple could one day bring iPhone chip design in-house.

Kenji Kano has been named president and CEO of Toshiba America Energy Systems (TAES) effective December 1, 2017. Fumio Otani, chairman of the Board of Directors of TAES, had served as president and CEO on an interim basis since March 1, 2017, and will continue to serve as chairman of the Board of Directors for TAES.

Infineon supplies key components for the Audi A8, the world's first series production car featuring level 3 automated driving.

Qualcomm is seeking to limit sales of the iPhone X in the US with another new round of litigation that accuses Apple of patent infringement.

Samsung Electronics is positively considering rolling out a next-generation DRAM using an early 10 nano process as early as the beginning of 2019 by constructing a dedicated production line with EUV exposure equipment in the Hwasung Semiconductor Factory Complex in Gyeonggi-do. Experts say that this strategy aimed to secure profitability while widening micro-process technology gaps with competitors in the booming DRAM market.

It is heard that Samsung Electronics is looking into receiving sensors, which are major parts of fingerprint recognition function, from a Taiwanese manufacturer while it is planning to place fingerprint recognition sensor on the back of Galaxy S9.

Asian stocks retreated from Friday's record after Morgan Stanley downgraded Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, saying their shares had risen too much.

It is heard that the American manufacturer already agreed up to production of test chips and is making preparations accordingly. Chinese manufacturer is a company that develops SoC for mobile devices and is discussing internally about entrusting Samsung rather than Taiwanese companies with production of 7-nano chips.

The upped offer includes more of Broadcom's own stock, following consultation with several of Qualcomm's top shareholders.

On Thanksgiving 2017 the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a possible foldable iPhone model.

At this year's ARM TechCon, Samsung Electronics re-clarified its ambitions for 7nm technology in 2018, followed up quickly by a move to 6nm, 5nm, and even 4nm by as early as 2020.

According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics brought in managing director Kye Jong-wook from Globalfoundries last month. He is currently working as the head of the design enablement team of its R&D office, which is a key foundry business unit. Earlier, managing director Song Byeong-moo moved from Intel to Samsung, too.

Chipmaker Broadcom is considering raising its offer to buy rival Qualcomm by offering more of its own stock, following consultation with several of Qualcomm's top shareholders, according to people familiar with the matter.

Qualcomm investors want at least US$10 more than the US$70-a-share Broadcom is offering. If history is any guide, they might get partway there.

While Qualcomm currently has a more advanced 5G modem, Apple engineers believe Intel's technology will satisfy its requirements for a future iPhone.

Profits at ARM Holdings have fallen for two quarters in a row as the iPhone microchip designer counts the soaring costs of a hiring spree under its new Japanese owners.

In a product change notice, Intel stated that it will begin assembling Coffee Lake desktop CPUs at its plant located in Chengdu, China.

In another consolidation move in the semiconductor industry, chipmaker Marvell Technology announced it will acquire competitor Cavium for approximately US$6 billion. It's estimated that the combined company will generate about US$3.4 billion in annual revenue.

Applied Materials reported better-than-expected quarterly results and gave a strong current-quarter forecast as the world's largest supplier of tools to make semiconductors enjoys strong demand in its chip and display businesses.

Qualcomm may win European Union approval for its takeover of NXP Semiconductors by the end of the year after striking a final deal with regulators on patent licensing issues, according to people familiar with the review.

Imec has expanded its long-term joint research efforts with Western Digital. Under a new agreement, imec and Western Digital will collaborate in R&D of a broad range of advanced semiconductor technologies.

Globalfoundries has demonstrated the next generation of 112Gbps SerDes capability. GF's High Speed SerDes (HSS) solutions include best-in-class architecture for 112G to 56G, 30G and 16G SerDes IPs to enable connectivity for cloud computing, hyperscale data center, and networking applications.

Samsung will describe a 7nm SRAM made with extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in February. Other ISSCC papers will detail memories, sensors and processors spanning everything from fast DRAMs to location trackers embedded in a boot.

South Korean tech giants said Wednesday no damage has been reported at production plants following the magnitude 5.4 earthquake which struck the southeastern city of Pohang earlier in the day.

Tremors felt across the nation, including Seoul and Busan. No reports of damage to power plants near the affected region.

Chipmaker Infineon Technologies has reported that its fourth-quarter net income was EUR176 million or EUR0.16 per share. In the preceding third quarter, net income was EUR253 million or EUR0.22 per share.

Spurred by Foxconn Technology Group and its plans for a mega-factory in Racine County, state highway planners are studying the possibility of including special lanes for driverless vehicles on I-94.

Toshiba, desperate for cash to avoid a possible delisting, is considering raising about JPY600 billion (US$5.3 billion) by offering new shares in a third-party allotment, a person briefed on the matter said on Friday.

Apple's acquisition of InVisage is very exciting as iPhone cameras are becoming a key feature to keep their smartphones ahead of the pack.

The chip giant could voice its objections as early as November 13, but might take a few days to ready a fuller response.