MediaTek opens US headquarters in Woburn

Taiwanese chip designer MediaTek Inc. has opened its US headquarters in Woburn. It's the culmination of MediaTek's January acquisition of cellphone chip technology from Norwood's Analog Devices Inc. The Woburn facility employs more than 140 workers, most of them engineers who design chipsets for low-cost cellphones. MediaTek is a major designer of chipsets for DVD players and high-definition TVs sold in the United States, but its cellular chips are mainly used in developing countries like China and India. MediaTek chairman Ming-Kai Tsai predicted those markets would remain relatively strong over the next six months, despite the economic downturn. Indeed, MediaTek is hiring more chip engineers for the Woburn facility. (Hiawatha Bray)

Ingersoll-Rand Co., the maker of Thermo King and Hussmann refrigeration equipment, plans to cut "several thousand" jobs and close plants after sales slowed and production capacity added this year was no longer needed. The company added workers under a "growth scenario" for the second half of the year that's "not there," chief executive Herbert Henkel said on a conference call. The moves are part of a $110 million restructuring plan aimed at saving as much as $100 million next year. (Bloomberg)

The government is warning parents about Carter's Inc. baby garments with tagless labels after about 400 babies who wore the clothing developed rashes on their backs. The warning applies to the fall 2007 line, which includes about 110 million garments, said Mary Drayna, a manager for the Atlanta company. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said parents should stop using these garments if children develop a rash, but the agency did not recall the product line. The garments were made in various foreign countries, and they were sold at Carter's retail stores and at department and national chain stores, according to the commission. (AP)

Coca-Cola Co. will place information about calories and servings per container on the front of all packages of beverages sold in the United States. The information is now located on the "nutrition facts" panel. The new label will appear on products next year and is designed to help consumers make appropriate "dietary selections." Last year, the soft-drink maker added caffeine content information. (Bloomberg)

Beginning Nov. 1, Continental Airlines Inc. will reduce the maximum size allowed for carry-ons to 45 linear inches - the sum of the bag's length, width, and height - down from 51 inches. Passengers sometimes book a single ticket that involves travel on Continental and one of its partner airlines, which means currently customers could carry the bag on one leg of a trip but be forced to check it on the next. (AP)

Bank of America Corp. is offering Merrill Lynch brokers in the United States bonuses of as much as 100 percent of the annual revenue of at least $1 million in fees and commissions they bring in, to keep them from defecting after the firms merge, people briefed on the plan said. The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank is offering smaller bonuses to Merrill brokers who produce at least $500,000 and is rolling out a separate retention program for its own brokers. (Bloomberg)