05/25, 1:17pm
Intent of Israeli expansion still unclear
Apple has started hiring for two new chip engineering jobs in Israel, notes AppleInsider. The company is looking for two "SoC Backend Physical Design Engineers," to be based in the Haifa and Herzliya Pituah regions of the country. People hired for the jobs will be required to handle "physical implementation of a complete SoC [system-on-chip] from net list to tape-out," including aspects like clock and power distribution, and power and noise analysis. The openings join five others in Israel, all involving engineering. Most of these are situated in Herzliya Pituah.
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04/30, 10:30am
Some hiring already underway
Apple is preparing to engage in a major hiring spree for its upcoming Israeli research and development facility, local reports claim. The campaign will allegedly involve posting ads for "dozens" of positions at the facility, to be based in Haifa's Scientific Industries Center. Toward the end of March Apple was already running four ads for engineering jobs, but the intensity of recruitment is said to be picking up.
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01/27, 8:50pm
Israel joins Australia with national fiber
Israel has followed Australian footsteps in planning its own national broadband network. The country's Israel Electric Corporation plans a purely fiber-based network that will supply many of the country's homes with at least 100Mbps speeds. They picked fiber with the intention to scale and could theoretically hit 1Gbps in time.
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01/24, 7:40pm
Cook takes dig at competitors
Apple has finally shed more light on its recent acquisition of the flash memory specialist Anobit. As part of the conference call following Apple's fiscal fist quarter financial disclosure, chief executive Tim Cook explained that Anobit would be integrated into the company's primary hardware engineering unit.
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01/12, 4:30pm
Offshore cash growing dramatically,
Apple's buyout of Anobit was worth about $390 million, according to Bloomberg sources said to be familiar with the acquisition. Negotiations reportedly continued for about two weeks after December 20th, when the deal was originally claimed to have been forged. Two anonymous Anobit shareholders specifically say that an agreement was signed on January 6th.
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01/11, 10:45am
Details still left ambiguous
Apple has officially acknowledged last month's acquisition of Anobit, according to Bloomberg. The statement was made through Apple spokesman Steve Dowling. He has declined, however, to provide any other information. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," he is quoted as saying in a phone interview.
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12/24, 1:30am
Hynix and Micron worried Anobit no longer a choice
Hynix and Micron are purportedly looking to alternatives for flash memory controllers in the wake of Apple's purchase of Anobit. The two are believed by Digitimes to be talking to Phison, Silicon Motion Technology, and Skymedi for alternatives to the longevity- and speed-boosting chips Anobit has been supplying. The two are thought by tipsters to be worried that Apple will either wield all the bargaining power or make Anobit an exclusive.
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12/21, 10:00am
Susquehanna raises separate FY2012 iPhone target
Apple considers ownership of flash controller technology -- in the form of its acquisition of Anobit -- to be essential in gaining an advantage in mobile devices, claims Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. The information is said to come from "checks with industry sources," and point to Apple wanting "increased speed, improved battery life, and potentially even a cost advantage." Wu notes that Apple has managed something similar by using its own A-series chips in iOS devices. The approach of buying companies like Anobit may also have the benefit of lessening dependence on suppliers like Samsung.
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12/20, 9:00am
Apple deal for Anobit said sealed
Apple's rumored deal to buy Anobit appeared to have been confirmed on Tuesday. Along with a new claim from Israeli news outlet Calcalist, the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Apple to the country following the apparent acquisition. Terms of the deal weren't made public, but were said to be the equivalent of $400 to $500 million.
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