Disaster in Japan Batters Suppliers

Last week, chips that store eight gigabytes of data for digital cameras, smartphones and other devices cost as little as $7.30 each on the spot market, where many manufacturers buy components. On Monday, the cost was around $10. That jump in price illustrates how the disaster in Japan has immediately affected the supply of all sorts of components used in myriad consumer electronics and other products. The earthquake and tsunami there have damaged factories and disrupted the countrys power and transportation infrastructure. Factory closures are already creating problems in the tech industry. Toshiba, which produces roughly a third of