Spansion is in the midst of a crisis. Asked if Spansion would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US as some have speculated, a spokeswoman for the company said: "Legally, this filing (in Japan) does not automatically require a filing in the US Management is committed to working diligently with outside advisors to help guide the company through the restructuring process. We can't comment on speculation beyond (the Japan) announcement."

For quite a while, conventional wisdom had it that Samsung would introduce a phone running Google's Android OS at the Mobile World Congress trade show this week. Samsung's Kim Titus said that the phone isn't delayed - they never planned to show an Android phone at MWC. It's not their fault if we were all jumping to conclusions, basically.

ARM, the company that has designed most of the processors in mobile phones, on Monday announced a new, low-cost processor called "Sparrow" at the Mobile World Congress trade show. The company said it is aiming to conquer the netbook market with its multi-core Cortex A9 architecture.

Swiss chipmaker STMicroelectronics says in a warn letter that a three-year plan to phase out positions as the company moves towards the closing of its Carrollton plant is going forward with a staffing reduction that will impact 36 workers in the near future.

As President Obama prepares to sign the $787 billion stimulus bill, administration officials sought to temper expectations, warning that the economy has not yet reached bottom and that increased economic activity as a result of the legislation would "take time to show up in the statistics."

The latest figures paint a gloomy picture of the US economy. Consumer spending, which makes up two-thirds of the economy, fell for the second quarter in a row, by 3.5%. Most economic forecasters are predicting that the US slowdown will last around two years, with the economy returning to weak growth by 2010.

Japan's economy contracted by 3.3% in the last quarter of last year - its worst showing since the oil crisis of the 1970s, official figures show.

Amkor Technology swung to a net loss of US$623 million in 4Q08, compared to a profit of US$32 million in the previous quarter. The US packaging and testing house has said its 1Q09 sales to drop 30-38% sequentially with gross margin between 5% and negative 2%. Meanwhile, Amkor estimated to see its second straight quarterly loss in 1Q09.

Applied Materials announced that its president and CEO Mike Splinter met with President Obama and CEOs of several of America's largest companies at the White House today to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Splinter focused his remarks on key aspects of the clean technology agenda, including incentives for solar energy adoption as a way to create new jobs as the new administration and both houses of Congress look to reinvigorate and stimulate the US economy.

Using natural butterfly wings as a template, researchers have transferred their light-harvesting structures to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The study shows that some microstructures on the wing surface are effective solar collectors or blocks.

For the troubled memory maker Qimonda things may get even tougher as the company is facing a class-action lawsuit from the former employees of its plant based in Richmond, Virginia.

Commenting on the negotiations with the Taiwanese manufacturers, Elpida's President and CEO Yukio Sakamoto said, "Basically, we would like to form a capital alliance with them. As for DRAM business, it's best if Japan and Taiwan come together."

Elpida Memory will raise about 40 billion yen ($435 million) to 45 billion yen from partners, the Nikkei reported, citing President Yukio Sakamoto.

Germany's economy shrank by 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to the previous quarter, its worst quarterly performance since 1990. This was the third consecutive quarterly drop in Europe's biggest economy, according to the initial data from the Federal Statistics Office.

China's exports fell more than expected in January, down 17.5% from a year earlier, marking the biggest drop in more than 10 years, figures have shown. Analysts say the slowdown could prompt more factory closures and job losses, while some argue that this worsening trend will continue, as the world economy contracts.

Sales at US retailers rebounded in January after six consecutive months of declines, rising 1% as stores cut prices and offered giveaways and three-for-one deals to move inventory after a dismal holiday shopping season, the government reported Thursday. Sales at electronics and appliance stores rose 1.6%.

The largest series of solar installations in history, more than 1,300 megawatts, is planned for the desert outside Los Angeles, according to a new deal between the utility Southern California Edison and solar power plant maker, BrightSource.

Altera Corp will spend US$20-25 million this year on its worldwide operations to grow new technologies and products. The company is also looking to open R&D sites in its Penang plant (Malaysia).

SanDisk and Toshiba has announced the co-development of multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory using 32nm process technology to produce a 32Gb 3-bits-per-cell (X3) memory chip for products ranging from memory cards to solid state drives (SSD).

SanDisk has announced that it will begin mass-production of 4-bits-per-cell (X4) flash memory. Using 43nm process technology, this breakthrough enables 64Gb memory in a single die. The X4 memory chip combines with the X4 controller chip in a multi-chip package (MCP) to provide a complete, integrated and low-cost storage solution.

Infineon Technologies AG CEO Peter Bauer said he will take a 20% pay cut in 2009 as Europe's second-largest maker of semiconductors faces a "difficult year" filled with "many tough challenges."