Five computer chipmakers, including IBM and Intel, plan to create a hub for nanotechnology in New York, committing $4.4 billion over five years for the venture. One part of the project, led by IBM, will spend $3.6 billion to develop two next-generation computer chips that are used in supercomputers and consumer devices. The other part focuses on the silicon wafers used to create microchips. The venture hopes to develop technologies to increase the size of standard wafers, which would double the number of chips cut from wafer and lower prices. For New York, the investment by the companies will result in 6,900 jobs either retained or created.
General Motors’ OnStar vehicle navigation service said it won’t collect data on the driving habits of customers who cancel their subscriptions, reversing a policy that drew protests from three U.S. senators. OnStar, which delivers navigation and security features via a car’s global-positioning system, had previously told its 6 million customers in an e-mail that it would continue collecting information from vehicles of subscribers who drop the service. Customers would have been required to contact OnStar to halt the data collection.
