Intel To Produce Taiwanese Company MediaTek's Chips (reuters.com) 25
U.S. chipmaker Intel said on Monday it will produce chips for Taiwan's MediaTek, one of the world's largest chip design firms. From a report: The manufacturing arrangement is one of the most significant deals Intel has announced since it launched its so-called foundry business early last year.
So-called (Score:2)
...since it launched its so-called foundry business early last year
It's not really a foundry business then? They're only pretending?
Journalism at its finest.
Re:So-called (Score:5, Insightful)
...since it launched its so-called foundry business early last year
It's not really a foundry business then? They're only pretending?
Journalism at its finest.
Came to say exactly that, thinking that maybe even the editors are trolling us now. But then I glanced at TFA and read: "TechInsights’ chip economist Dan Hutcheson said there were doubts in the industry on whether Intel could pull off the foundry business, but the deal with MediaTek shows it’s on the right path...". I think the pejorative phrase "so-called" was off-base, but I can see where it came from.
As an aside, I'm kinda surprised there were "doubts in the industry". Bringing foundries online in North America is probably an uphill battle. But with the trend toward de-globalization, and the need to be less vulnerable to supply-chain disruptions, it's going to happen sooner or later. Given Intel's history and deep pockets, I would bet on them succeeding.
Re: (Score:2)
But even the "launched ... early last year" part is BS. For example, Intel Foundry was producing chips for Altera as early as 2013 before Intel bought Altera in 2015.
Re: (Score:2)
Consider this:
https://www.hpcwire.com/2021/0... [hpcwire.com]
Intel’s Foundry Service (IFS) business, launched in March, has its first publicly named customers: AWS and Qualcomm. AWS is the first customer to use IFS packaging solutions, while Qualcomm will be a partner on the future 20A process technology. “Both Intel and Qualcomm believe strongly in the advanced development of mobile compute platforms, and ushering in a new era in semiconductors,” said Gelsinger.
The CEO added that Intel has over 100 cus
non-native speaker here (Score:1)
What would be a better term?
The literal German translation has the same sarcastic connotation that you're implying here but is also often used as "what they call".
I.e." since it launched its what they call "foundry business" "
Would this be a better wording? Or is there shorter version without the sarcastic subtext?
Re: (Score:2)
The phrase is only used as sarcasm in English.
Tit for tat (Score:2)
Yes please send us the plans for your chips so that we can steal the technology instead of the other way around.
Re: (Score:3)
Mediatek SoCs are mostly reference ARM designs with (maybe) some AMD graphics IP. What exactly is Intel going to steal?
Re: Tit for tat (Score:2)
Re: Tit for tat (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The punctuation is fine.
It's Apple that's broken, not the site.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Nope. No "code page" has the characters that Apple sends.
You can fix it by going to: Settings > General > Keyboard > Smart Punctuation.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
...says somebody who doesn't even know what a "code page" is.
For the GPL violator? (Score:4, Interesting)
I certainly hope this enables groups like the FSF throw a wrench in their chip production since MediaTek violates the GPL on a regular basis. Frankly, I'm disappointed that they haven't taken steps to prevent the sale of phones that contain GPL violating software.
Quite correct (Score:3)
Indeed, the GPL says that if I hand the binary to Bob, I must also offer the sources to Bob.
If a company sells you a phone that includes a GPL binary, they are the ones that must also offer you the sources.
Things get a little complicated when a retailer like Walmart is involved, who resells the product with no modification and no control over what's in the product. Lawyers could argue over whether Walmart is distributing the software and must therefore comply with the license.
* and not under NDA (Score:2)
I should add they have to offer the source to whomever they offer the binary to AND that source of offered under GPL, not under NDA.
If they sell a programmed chip or a binary driver to ABC Inc, they can't stop ABC Inc from further distributing the source.
Re: (Score:2)
I certainly hope this enables groups like the FSF throw a wrench in their chip production since MediaTek violates the GPL on a regular basis. Frankly, I'm disappointed that they haven't taken steps to prevent the sale of phones that contain GPL violating software.
They could sue them for damages for the license violation, but there's absolutely nothing they could do to stop production of the chips.
Re: (Score:2)
They could sue them for damages for the license violation, but there's absolutely nothing they could do to stop production of the chips.
If it's just the FSF, then yeah. However, if an AG got involved and charged them with a crime (e.g. conspiracy to defraud) then it could be possible to get an injunction that would halt their chip production.
Full circle (Score:2)
So now (the Republic of) China is outsourcing to USA?
Show pony for Intel (Score:3)
Mediatek isn't going to be producing any of their Dimensity SoCs on a process like "Intel 16". "Intel 16" is likely a rebrand (or modified rebrand) of Intel 22FFL:
https://fuse.wikichip.org/news... [wikichip.org]
(note that Intel rebranded a bunch of nodes not too long ago: 10ESF -> Intel 7, 7nm -> Intel 4, 5nm -> Intel 3)
22FFL was introduced for ISF/Foundry 1.0 customers back in 2017.
In any case, it's an old node intended for low power stuff. Not really a huge foundry win. But it does give them a scant bit of credibility with those who read headlines without really understanding them, like politicians in Washington. If Intel is going to bill itself as a foundry business with its hand out for CHIPs money, they must keep up appearances.