SiliconBeat

Facebook has topped Google’s Orkut to become the top social network in Brazil, the world’s fifth largest country and Internet market, comScore will announce later today. That’s a huge win for Facebook, because Brazil for years has been a stronghold of Google’s Orkut social network.

The switch reflects Facebook’s rapid growth in much of the developing world, particularly in South America and Asia, countries that are now providing the lion’s share of Facebook’s growth, with membership approaching the saturation point in countries like the U.S. and Britain.

Here’s my story on that topic:  http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_19723521

comScores said that in December 2011, Facebook.com attracted 36.1 million visitors, a 192 percent jump in traffic over the previous  twelve months, meaning it passed Orkut, even though  – to surpass Orkut as the leading social networking destination in the market.

In an early view of the release later today, comScore said:

“Facebook’s rapid ascent in the Brazilian market has certainly been one of the most interesting stories to develop during the course of 2011,” said Alex Banks, comScore managing director for Brazil. “Brazil has always been a particularly social market and currently owns the fifth largest social networking population in the world. But despite the cultural affinity for social media, Facebook adoption had traditionally lagged in the market. That has all changed in the past year, during which the site has tripled in audience size as engagement has grown sevenfold to assume the leadership position in the market.”

- Mike Swift

After gobbling up several software companies recently, Intel announced in June that it was plunking down $884 million for the Alameda software firm Wind River Systems.

But that hardly satisfied the Santa Clara chip giant’s software appetite.

So over the past few weeks, Intel has picked up two more software businesses - Rapidmind of Waterloo, Ontario and Cilk of Lexington, MA, according to information posted on an Intel blog.

The two latest acquisitions bring Intel skill in the arcane art of parallel programming, which involves writing software for so-called multiple-core chips featuring more than one central processing unit.

Socket Mobile, which reported June 30 to its lender, Silicon Valley Bank, that it was out of compliance for a second month in a row with covenants of its loan, announced today the second amendment to the agreement since it was first drawn up Dec. 31.

The most recent changes included an agreement by the bank to Read the rest of this entry »

The $1.4 billion deal that Foster-City based Gilead Science’s announced March 12 to buy CV Therapeutics of Palo Alto has triggered a class-action shareholder lawsuit.

The legal action, which CV Therapeutics disclosed today in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was filed March 19 in Santa Clara County Superior Court by a group called Superior Partners. It accuses CV Therapeutics and its board of failing in their fiduciary duty to stockholders.

Among other claims, the suit alleges that CV Therapeutics’ board limited the number of potential buyers for the company and had a conflict of interest  because they will receive monetary compensation from the sale.

CV Therapeutics denied the claims.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the integrated circuit, the National Inventors Hall of Fame will honor 16 people who helped pioneer computer-chip technology during a ceremony Saturday, May 2 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.

Andy Grove, who formerly served as Santa Clara chip-maker Intel’s chief executive and chairman, will be given a lifetime achievement award. In addition, 15 other chip innovators will be recognized for their contributions to the industry.

But you wouldn’t want us to spoil the surprise by telling you who they all are and what they did, would you? Of course not. So if you’re curious, go here.

Sunrise Telecom, the San Jose maker of test and measurement gear for the telecommunications, cable and wireless industries, is “exploring its strategic alternatives in order to enhance stockholder value,” according to a filing it made with the SEC Friday.

Alternatives being considered include a Read the rest of this entry »

Versant, the Redwood City developer of data management software, has a new investor who thinks the company’s shares “do not adequately reflect the potential value of the Company’s underlying business and assets.”

Discovery Group, a merchant banker based in Chicago, disclosed having acquired 203,382 shares of Versant, for which it paid Read the rest of this entry »

The personal computer industry suffered its worst growth rate since 2002 in the final quarter of last year. Shipments increased 1.1 percent to 78.1 million units, according to Gartner, an information-technology research firm.

“The United States experienced steeper than expected shipment declines due to the recession. The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region was also affected by the economic slow down across key countries,” said Mika Kitagawa, principal analyst for Gartner’s Client Computing Markets group. “Asia/Pacific recorded the worst shipment growth since Read the rest of this entry »

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Sirf Technology Holdings said that last week it approved a “corporate cost reduction and restructuring plan that will include a reduction in force,” which, together with the recent spin off of its Swedish subsidiary to its managers and employees, will result in a drop in “headcount” for the company of approximately 25 percent. The moves are being made “in view of continued economic uncertainties and expected continuing consumer demand weakness in 2009.

It is the third round of layoffs the maker of GPS-related semiconductors has announced this year. In March, it Read the rest of this entry »

The Russell 3000 Index, one of the broadest indexes for U.S. stocks, will institute annual changes after the markets close Friday, according to a press release put out by Tacoma-based Russell Investments, which maintains the list. Being added, or deleted, may have an affect on a stock’s price as those who use the list for investment decisions move in or out of shares based on their listing in the index. Read the rest of this entry »