Greg In The Desert

PC Perspective was able to tour and take pictures of the Intel Micron Flash Technologies (IMFT) flash factory in Lehi, Utah. I found the pictures inside the factory of interest since this is exactly what the factory I work in looks like. Although no ever ever caries around raw wafers, especially completed ones.

Intel just barely made Forbes “100 Best Companies To Work For” list at number 98. I generally don’t think top-whatever lists are very useful and I would hate to think someone chooses their employment based on a list like this. Having worked for other large companies I can only say this: Intel is a huge company are there are plenty of good and bad places to work within it. There were quite a few comments made. There would have probably been more if it didn’t require Facebook.

From Hector Martinez:

I worked for Intel for 13 years and was recently laid off. I state those facts so I won’t be accused of toting the company line. While it is true that Intel expects much of their employees they also provide great opportunities to grow, as long as you are wiliing to work for them. Not everyone is going to like the pressure but this is a cutting edge company that leads their industry and not a place for those that cannot embrace the pace and the chaos the pace sometimes causes. Overall I had a great time there and would go back there if they ever chose to hire me back. Each person has a different experience even though they may be in the same place. In all those 13 years I only knew of a handful of techs or engineers that turned in their badge and walked out. I think that speaks to the ability of the company to keep talent regarless of the unrelenting pace of the factories.

From Pablo Luengas:

Vlad and Stephen are free to express themselves because, just like I, they don’t work there anymore. There is no risk of reprecautions. It’s not the same for people who are currently working there, who cannot say much because their identity in facebook will get them in trouble. Laurel’s experience -and a few others- she probabbly didn’t work directly for the fabs (factories as Intel call them), and her experience may be different for that reason. Unfortunately the great majority of people working for intel are related to the fabs and know what I’m talking about. they can corroborate what I say. When you work for intel, there is no life outside the company. if you are a process engineer, they will call you at 3am -you are not obligated to answer- but your review will reflect the “lack of cooperation” if you don’t. You are “owned” by them 24/7. I was there 87-01. Intel, keep your profit share bonus, I’ll take my life back. For my family and my own well being, I think is a great deal!!!!

Intel had a display system built specifically for CES which they call Infoscape or “the Intel Cube”. It includes two touchscreen glass walls measuring at 7 x 7 feet (1920 x 1920 resolution). The walls are equivalent to two HD displayed stacked on top of each other but they are a single screen. I can’t image who they got to build these custom screens or what they cost.

These screen are there to demonstrate Intel’s 2010 Core i7 processor and Intel HD graphics chips. Many bloggers were impressed including Engadget but says Intel’s not going to make it a product.

Intel confessed that it has absolutely no plans of commercializing something like this itself — but that’s not to say someone else couldn’t grab a Core i7 and run with the idea themselves.

It’s too bad that some other company has to come out with a impressive product like this. Video of the display can be seen at Intel’s page on YouTube.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini announced a new product at CES called Intel Wireless Display, or Wi-Di. It consists as an adapter that plugs into a HD TV set and allows streaming video and audio from a computer. That’s it.

Other than purchasing the adapter, I would expect the only requirement would be that the computer has WiFi. I would be wrong.

Processor ONE of the following: Intel® Core™ i7-620M processor, Intel Core i5-540M processor, Intel Core i5-520M processor, Intel Core i5-430M processor, Intel Core i3-350M processor, Intel Core i5-330M processor

Chipset ONE of the following: Intel® HM57, Intel HM55, Intel QM57, Intel QS57

Graphics Intel® HD Graphics

Wireless ONE of the following: Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200, Intel Centrino Advanced-N +WiMax 6250, Intel Centrino Ultimate N 6300

Software Intel® My WiFi Technology and Intel Wireless Display must be pre-installed and enabled

OS Windows* 7 64-bit, Home Premium, Ultimate or Professional

Not only does it require a computer with the very latest Intel chips, it has to have all Intel chips. I expect completing technologies to come out that do not have technical requirements around a specific brand of chips. Also note: not Mac compatible.

Apparently, Intel sponsors The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien. Here’s part of a segment Conan did (series 1, episode 84) where he interviewed, and subtly advertised for Intel, the co-inventor of USB Ajay Bhatt. I somehow forgot to post this when it aired on 9 October 2009.

Ajay was featured in an Intel “rockstar” commercial which featured a actor, not really Ajay. There are several other Conan and Intel segments but I don’t see they published.

I am sitting here besides myself wondering what the fuck is going on here. Somehow I don’t think it’s real, some sort of advertisement for Larrabee?. Video also available on YouTube.

Hello, I’m Martti Roth from Intel Finland. At Intel, we love trying new things. So, when me and my team decided to create the world’s biggest Intel chime, we used five big cannons, five big tubes and five big heroes with helmets on. Yes, I suppose it was a little bit crazy!

The US Federal Trade Commssion is joining the EU and going after Intel on antitrust charges. Updated: link and text changed to the FTC’s website.

The Federal Trade Commission today sued Intel Corp., the world’s leading computer chip maker, charging that the company has illegally used its dominant market position for a decade to stifle competition and strengthen its monopoly.

In its complaint, the FTC alleges that Intel has waged a systematic campaign to shut out rivals’ competing microchips by cutting off their access to the marketplace. In the process, Intel deprived consumers of choice and innovation in the microchips that comprise the computers’ central processing unit, or CPU. These chips are critical components that often are referred to as the “brains” of a computer.

Intel responds. Updated: Link changed to Intel’s official press release.

“Intel has competed fairly and lawfully. Its actions have benefitted consumers. The highly competitive microprocessor industry, of which Intel is a key part, has kept innovation robust and prices declining at a faster rate than any other industry. The FTC’s case is misguided. It is based largely on claims that the FTC added at the last minute and has not investigated. In addition, it is explicitly not based on existing law but is instead intended to make new rules for regulating business conduct. These new rules would harm consumers by reducing innovation and raising prices.”

AMD isn’t the only one that dislikes Intel. Some Jewish persons don’t like Intel too..

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews have demonstrated at Intel Corp’s new electronic chip plant in Israel in protest against work taking place at the site on the Jewish sabbath.

The protesters said on Saturday it was a desecration of the Sabbath, which runs from Friday night to Saturday night.

They were dispersed by police and a company spokesman said the plant was operating within the law and would continue to do so.

Intel, the world’s biggest chip manufacturer, opened the west Jerusalem plant for installation work before its inauguration on Sunday.

Where these people don’t like Intel for religious reasons, some in Coralles, New Mexico think Intel is poisoning them.

Please understand that the new chemicals that are being used up there are causing illnesses as serious as we had in the 1990s. Vison is blurred, eyes are burning and skin is peeling off the eylids. One breath of the toxic air causes choking, coughing and in Patricia’s case gasping for air. The toxins collect in her west side patio and in her house. With me it settles all around my property and comes in the house. This morning my eyes were swollen shut and inflamed I could hardly see. Each day my vision seems to be getting worse

I should note that the State of New Mexico cleared Intel of making people sick in 2004 but that decision was very controversial.

I was really surprised by an AMD and Intel announcement today.

Intel Corp. is paying Silicon Valley rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. $1.25 billion to squash a legal battle over Intel’s sales tactics, a rift that led to antitrust charges against Intel in several countries and was headed toward a costly and nasty trial next year.

Intel still has to face government charges from the EU and NY State but it AMD will stay out of those and not start any lawsuits of it’s own.

Update: TechCrunch says 1.25 billion is nothing to Intel.

Just to put the size of the settlement in context, last year Intel’s revenues were $38 billion. Last quarter alone, it was making roughly $104 million a day. At that rate, Intel brings in $1.25 billion every 12 days. It can absorb the settlement pretty easily.

I like Intel’s new Sponsors Of Tomorrow commercial campaign, at least more than the dumb dancing people meant to demonstrate the multi-core processors. My favorite so far is the “Our parties aren’t like your parties” if not becasue it’s very close to reality.