AMD

Cloud computing keeps on trucking

Preston Feight, chief engineer, uses cloud computing to redesign Kenworth trucks without making huge investments in technology.

Most people don't spend much time thinking about mudflaps - those strips of rubber behind a big rig's wheels that repel grime and maybe show a gun-toting Yosemite Sam, warning "Back off!" But by using sophisticated design technology, engineers at truckmaker Kenworth discovered that the little flaps were also a major source of drag. MORE

Standing by Intel's CEO

Under Otellini, Intel has beaten back competitors and gotten more efficient. Photo: Intel

If you're the CEO of Intel, you don't typically worry about whether the business will make money. In the average day last year, the Silicon Valley giant sold $103 million worth of chips and generated $30 million in cash. Nice work if you can get it, right?

Suddenly, it's not so nice.

Don't look now, but the global economic meltdown MORE

AMD prays for Black Friday surprise

AMD's chips are often found in low-cost PCs, which means executives can't get a true sense of fourth-quarter sales until after Black Friday. Image: AMD

Based on Intel's dramatic sales warning Wednesday, you might expect rival Advanced Micro Devices to just crawl into a hole and die. If the economic mess is tripping up the most powerful chip company on the planet, how could its underdog challenger stand a chance?

Indeed, investors MORE

Intel's dire warning

In a surprise announcement, Intel (INTC) said Wednesday that its gloomy fourth quarter forecast wasn't nearly gloomy enough. Instead of pulling in between $10.1 billion and $10.9 billion in sales, the chip giant expects closer to a dreadful $9 billion. The stock tumbled more than 7 percent after hours.

It's hard to articulate just how bad this news is.

Intel's plan to ride out the recession

Intel sales and marketing chief Sean Maloney says he's confident in Intel's strategy, despite the downturn. Photo: Intel

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Intel stock has fallen by half since its December high, so you'd expect the mood in the executive suite to be less than buoyant these days. But during a chat this week at the chip giant's headquarters, Intel sales and marketing chief Sean Maloney seemed unmistakably upbeat.

"We've been through MORE

All is not swell at Dell

By Scott Moritz

Dell (DELL) is trying unpaid vacations (for starters). 

The No.2 PC maker, already grappling with a massive turnaround strategy, is taking a closer look at expenses and has informed employees of a company-wide cost cutting plan that includes voluntary five-day unpaid leaves for everyone.

According to an internal memo confirmed by a company representative, Dell has frozen its hiring and is considering a range of cost-reduction plans.

In addition to the unpaid MORE

AMD investors look for a Shanghai surprise

Despite the downturn, AMD is hopeful that it can sell its higher-performance server chips; and the early reviews are positive. Image: AMD

Sun Microsystems sells a lot of servers to the financial services industry, which has been hard-hit by the credit crunch. So when Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz recently asked a banking executive how he was doing, he probably wasn't surprised at the response: "I'm curled up in the fetal position."

Investors MORE

Apple's next act: Changing PC buying habits

Nvidia inside: Apple's latest MacBook laptops have an Nvidia graphics processor next to their Intel chips, which puts the spotlight on graphics chips as an important part of today's basic computer system. Image: Apple

Take Our Poll

With all the presidential campaign talk about American exceptionalism, it might be easy to forget that we do a pretty unexceptional job at some things -- like shopping for computers.

No question, we Americans buy a MORE

Rough holiday season ahead for PCs

It's going to be a frightful holiday season for PC sales, no matter what.

That was the hidden message Intel (INTC) executives delivered in an earnings conference call with analysts Tuesday afternoon after reporting better-than-expected quarterly profits but disappointing sales. They also said Intel is better off than competitors because of its streamlined workforce, world-class manufacturing operation, popular new Atom chip and rebounding profit margins. But tucked into that happier talk MORE

Dell, Best Buy outlook darkens

By Scott Moritz

If Dell's (DELL) view is right, the tech spending hiatus that started in July isn't ending anytime soon.

Less than a week after Dell warned that a U.S. slowdown in information technology spending was spreading to Europe and Asia, the No.2 computer maker now says the slump is getting worse.

"We saw some weakness in July, and August is always slow," Dell CFO Brian Gladden said at a Bank of MORE