Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments is a successful developer and manufacturer of semiconductors and computers, and is often referred to by its initials, TI. In January 2009, Texas Instruments announced the layoff of 3,400 employees because of a drop in profit and global financial concerns. The layoff represents 12% of the company's total workforce.MarketWatch: Texas Instruments reports a big profit loss... (January 27, 2009)

It has developed many important technologies, including the integrated circuit and the transistor radio, as well as modern technologies including DLP hardware and its line of TI Graphing Calculators. It is a manufacturer of semiconductors, calculators, and DLP technologies.

• December 6, 1941: Four investors purchase Geophysical Service Incorporated (GSI), a seismic exploration firm focusing on the petroleum industry that shifted to producing electronics during World War II

• 1951: GSI continues to produce electronics, and changes its name to Texas Instruments (TI)

• 1954: Develops the first transistor radio

• 1950s: The integrated circuit is independently developed between Jack Kilby of TI and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor

• 1967: Invents the hand-held calculator

• 1971: Invents the single-chip microcomputer

• 1973: Assigned the first patent for a single-chip microprocessor

• 1988: Sells its GSI interests to Halliburton

• Google Blog Search: Texas Instruments

• Engadget: Hands-on with Texas Instruments' Cellphone Projector (Sep. 20 2007)

• Engadget: Texas Instruments demos first 720p playback from a mobile phone (Feb. 13 2007)

• ticalc.org: TI Calculator Information Archive

• Datamath Calculator Museum: Calculators Builts by Texas Instruments