Brian Hall, CEO of National Semiconductor packed out a press conference on the eve of electronica and he was in a chipper mood as any first time grandfather has every right to be, showing the assembled hacks pictures of Mr & Mrs Halla cuddling their twin grandchildren - a doubling of yield as he remarked.
He was in less chipper mood before and after a recent visit to Washington DC accompanied by Intel CEO Craig Barrett to meet his nation's politicians. Leaving California at 4am had something to do with his temper, so he suggested to Barrett "instead of kissing up to the politicians why don't we let them have it with both barrels."
"What have you ever done for the semiconductor industry" was the gist of the question. Their response echoed at a later meeting with US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated the semiconductor industry had dropped to fifth or sixth in industry priorities.
The response and I'm writing this while Halla is still speaking is to use semiconductors to address the world's quality of life. So renewable energy, using semiconductors to lower the cost of healthcare and improve personal and home security are all on the agenda.
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