Intel Corp.'s poor performance in the last three months of 2005 turned out to be good news for rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc., (AMD) which on Wednesday reported better-than-expected financial results for the period. With sales of AMD's microprocessor division increasing nearly 80 percent from the previous year, the company reported revenue of US$1.84 billion.

While rumors of Google Inc. buying Opera Software ASA haven't proved true, the pair have extended their relationship. Opera will include a Google search item on the opening pages of Opera Mini and Opera Mobile, the browsers designed for handheld devices. Opera filed a short statement regarding the one-year contract to the Oslo stock exchange on Thursday.