BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)

TECHNOLOGY

National Semi sees lower Q2 sales

The chipmaker fell as much as 4% intraday on the warning, but rallied with the market to close higher. National Semiconductor expects Q2 sales to be flat to down 5% vs. Q1 vs. earlier forecasts for a rise. The chipmaker met Q1 views with a 1-cent profit vs. last year's 31-cent loss.

Chipmakers wary on '03 recovery

Memory chip firms Infineon Technologies and Micron said companies are putting tech spending on hold amid volatile stock markets and U.S. threats of action against Iraq. That's pressuring chip prices, which could crimp chipmakers' profits at least until early '03. Infineon expects corporate demand to improve in '03.

TI aims for single cell phone chip

The chipmaker plans to put four basic mobile phone functions on a chip by '04, possibly beating rivals to market by several years. Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm and others have said they plan to develop a single chip. Intel doesn't expect to have such a chip before '07. Texas Instruments sees Q3 profit and sales in line with views. TI rose ...