SiliconBeat

We here at SiliconBeat always keep our eyes open for uplifting news, so we felt compelled to pass on this item about microchip-maker Rambus.

The Los Altos firm has been awarded the Pathways Hospice Foundation Frances C. Arrillaga Humanitarian Award for 2009, the first time a company has received that distinction.

The award honors Rambus for its leadership in philanthropic efforts, inspiration to the community and the generous support it has given to Pathways, a non-profit organization that offers home health and hospice care.

Rambus is set to get about $349 million from Hynix Semiconductor based on a “final judgement” rendered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Tuesday.

Hynix was also ordered to pay the Los Altos chip designer royalties on Read the rest of this entry »

Rambus, the litigious Los Altos chip designer, is the subject of a New York Times story Monday that begins with the efforts over the last two years of Craig Hampel, the company’s senior engineer, to “design the next leap in memory chip technology,” a way to allow computers to display complex graphics even faster.

However, the bulk of the article, by Laurie Flynn (a former Merc colleague who edited our computing section back in the day) is focused on the company’s efforts to translate patent litigation victories into better returns for its shareholders as well as the ill will generated Read the rest of this entry »

Rambus, the Los Altos chip designer, said it will eliminate 90 jobs between now and the end of the year, leaving it with a workforce of about 340 employees, according to a regulatory filing Thursday.

“This is a difficult but appropriate adjustment that will position us to succeed in our strategic objectives,” said Harold Hughes, president and chief executive officer at Rambus. “These steps will enable us to Read the rest of this entry »

Rambus said it intends to “reduce our current cost structure through actions which may include downsizing our workforce” after reporting a 25 percent drop in sales for its second quarter compared with the year-before quarter, according to its earnings release this afternoon.

The company’s net loss ballooned to Read the rest of this entry »