By Technology and Society Committee Luncheon
Steven M. Block is scheduled to speak on “Living Nightmares: Facing the Growing Threat of Biological Weapons” at the Technology and Society Committee luncheon, 11:45 a.m., Oct. 2, at the Golden Wok Restaurant, 895 Villa St. in Mountain View.
Block is a biophysicist who holds a joint appointment in the biological sciences and applied physics departments at Stanford University and a senior fellow at Stanford’s Institute for International Studies. He will discuss the increasing threat of bioweapons, brought about by recent advances in medicine and biology, and the limited progress towards international treaties seeking to ban their development. Lunch is $7.50 for members, $8.50 for nonmembers. For information, call Bob Kirby, 969-7215.
Rambus signs pact with Intel
On Sept. 17, Los Altos-based Rambus and Intel Corporation signed a $200 million, 5-year licensing compact that supersedes a prior agreement between the two companies. Under the new agreement, Intel will pay fixed quarterly payments of $10 million for complete patent coverage for Rambus patents.
Rambus designs, develops and licenses high-bandwidth chip connection technology. Its technology and intellectual property are licensed to leading semiconductor suppliers for use in computers, consumer products and networking systems. Intel is the leading manufacturer of computer chips.
According to a joint press release, both companies expect the pact to affect Rambus’ financial picture positively during the fourth quarter. During the past year, other chip manufacturers filed numerous patent lawsuits involving memory design against Rambus. Competing companies charged Rambus with concealing patent applications during meetings to adopt industrywide standards. As a result, Rambus stock dropped as low as $4.86 a share in recent months after peaking at $116 a share in June of last year. At the end of trading Friday, Rambus was $7.79 a share.
Estate planning
seminar scheduled
The new tax bill creates enhanced opportunities for estate planning. El Camino Hospital presents a free seminar titled “Estate Planning after the 2001 Tax Act” at 7-8:30 tonight, at the Park Pavilion, Room N, YMCA, 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View. To register, call (800) 216-5556.
