In an effort to meet demand for Apple’s iPod shuffle, Toshiba said it plans to boost spending on semiconductors for the current business year by 13 percent, accelerating plans to expand output of flash memory chips. The company said it would also forward the production schedule at a new flash memory plant owned jointly with SanDisk. “When it comes to the supply-demand balance we are currently unable to satisfy all customer demands,” Toshiba corporate vice president Masashi Muromachi said Monday, noting in particular the launch of iPod shuffle. “Demand created by this new machine is so vast that our current capacity can in no way meet [Apple’s] needs.”
