"Quad-core" chips faster, save energy

Advanced Micro Devices today is unveiling powerful microchips that feature four cores, or processing brains, on one piece of silicon.

Known as "quad-core," the technology boosts the speed of computer servers and workstations and uses energy more efficiently.

AMD plans to incorporate the processor into its Opteron line of chips for data centers. Filmmaker George Lucas' production company, Lucasfilm, is among the first customers.

The processor's arrival marks a pivotal point in AMD's struggle to win customers from Intel in the lucrative market for chips that power servers and workstations.

But analysts say the debut today is nearly a year after Intel introduced a quad-core version of its Xeon processor. Intel sells 20 quad-core processors and last week announced new versions.

AMD expects to launch Phenom, a quad-core processor for desktop computers, in December.

Gasoline

Pump prices rise more than 6 cents

The average retail price of a gallon of gasoline was about 6.5 cents more last week, rising for the first time since early July on the back of higher crude-oil prices, industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday.

The national average for self-serve regular was about $2.813 a gallon Friday, up from $2.748 two weeks earlier, according to the nationwide Lundberg survey of about 7,000 gas stations.

The highest average was $3.27 in Chicago; the lowest was $2.52 in Newark, N.J.

Per-gallon gas prices are up about 15 cents from a year ago but remain about 37 cents below the all-time average high of $3.18 on May 18, Lundberg said.

The most recent increase was due to a rise in crude-oil prices ahead of this week's OPEC meeting, but prices will likely remain steady because there is still ample supply, Lundberg said.

OPEC

Oil cartel unlikely to up production

OPEC is almost certain to maintain its current production target when it meets Tuesday in Vienna, but analysts say the cartel could be forced into action if rising crude-oil prices start hurting the global economy.

With the summer driving season over and demand for gas slackening, the 12-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is feeling little pressure to raise its official output quota of 25.8 million barrels a day.

Ministers from six of the 12 member nations have said they see no reason to raise the quota.

All that could change quickly if markets clamor for more crude and prices already hovering near $75 a barrel edge much higher.

Energy analyst John Kingston said the cartel, which produces about 40 percent of the world's crude oil, must balance projections of a tight market in the next few months against worries "that a significant slowdown in demand could be around the corner."

eBay

L'Oreal alleges fake goods sold

L'Oreal said Sunday it had filed complaints last month in five European countries against eBay over the sale of alleged counterfeit goods under the cosmetics giant's name.

The complaints were filed in Germany, the U.K., France, Spain and Belgium.

The complaints were filed after the two companies spent three months trying to reach an agreement, eBay spokeswoman Esther Ohayon said.

Compiled from the Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Bloomberg News and The Associated Press