US technology firm NVIDIA rolled out high-performance `personal supercomputers` Tuesday that let desktop workstations handle mind-boggling tasks once far beyond their capabilities.

US technology firm NVIDIA rolled out high-performance `personal supercomputers` Tuesday that let desktop workstations handle mind-boggling tasks once far beyond their capabilities.

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Sony Corp said Thursday that it had agreed to sell its production facilities for the powerful computer chip at the heart of its struggling PlayStation 3 game console to rival Toshiba Corp.

The deal, reportedly worth over one billion dollars, is part of Sony's efforts to refocus on its core electronics business and staunch losses from the PS3 in the face of fierce competition from Nintendo's Wii.

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Sony Corp said Thursday that it had agreed to sell its production lines for the powerful computer chip at the heart of its struggling PlayStation 3 game console to rival Toshiba Corp.

The deal, reportedly worth over one billion dollars, is part of Sony's efforts to recoup its huge investment in the PS3 and stem losses at its game unit in the face of fierce competition from rival Nintendo's Wii.

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Sony Corp said Thursday that it had agreed to sell to rival Toshiba Corp its production lines for high-performance computer chips, including the technology at the heart of the PlayStation 3.

The two companies will set up a joint venture to produce high-performance semiconductors and to operate the production lines in western Japan under the basic deal, which they hope to finalise by March next year.

Sony said it hoped the move would generate further growth in the PlayStation business.

TAIPEI, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Taiwanese contract microchip makers announced a sharp rise in sales on Tuesday which met market expectations on the back of strong demand from the consumer electronics sector.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and peer United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) enjoyed solid year-on-year gains.

'Third-quarter revenues of the two companies are in principle in line with our expectations,' Blue Chung, vice president of Capital Securities, told AFP.

TAIPEI, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - United Microelectronics Corporation said Tuesday its parent sales in September rose to 10.54 billion Taiwan dollars (323.3 million US), up from 10.43 billion of the previous month.

The September sales figures marked a rise of 14.17 percent year-on-year.

Parent sales for the first nine months of the year amounted to 79.15 billion, up 1.49 percent from the year-earlier period, said the world's second-largest wafer foundry.

In the third quarter to September alone, parent sales rose 23.64 percent sequentially to 31.03 billion dollars.

TAIPEI, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company said Tuesday its consolidated sales in September dropped to 29.45 billion Taiwan dollars (903.4 million US), down from 30.02 billion of the previous month.

Parent sales for the month came in at 28.50 billion dollars, down from 29.20 billion registered in August but up 6.1 percent from a year earlier, said the world's largest contract maker of semiconductor chips.

Cumulative consolidated sales in the first nine months of the year fell 5.6 percent year-on-year to 228.77 billion dollars, it said.

TAIPEI, Sept 7, 2007 (AFP) - Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) said Friday its sales rose 3.78 percent in August to 10.43 billion Taiwan dollars (316 million US) from 10.05 billion dollars in July.

The August sales were up 10.8 percent year-on-year, the world's second largest contract microchip manufacturer said.

It said sales for the first eight months of the year amounted to 68.61 billion dollars, down 0.21 percent from the year-earlier period, UMC said.

TAIPEI, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - Taiwanese prosecutors are seeking a two year jail term for Robert Tsao, former chief of the world's second largest wafer foundry United Microelectronics Corp (UMC).

Tsao has been indicted for breach of trust and violation of accounting rules for his role in UMC's investment in China-based chipmaker Hejian Technology, said Lin Lih-yng, chief prosecutor in the Hsinchu prosecutors' office.