TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Texas Instruments Promises New Chips: The Dallas-based company said it has developed a set of chips called Rio Grande that will let portable personal computers be smaller and lighter. The chips will be available for manufacturers to use in laptop and portable PCs late this fall. They will make such machines capable of faster processing for less money, Texas Instruments Inc. said. Functions that previously required six chips or components have been incorporated into a three-chip set, the company said. Since they were designed to work together, the three chips use power more efficiently, resulting in a battery life of four to eight hours.