TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Teradyne to Take Pretax Charge, Cut 300 Jobs: The Boston-based maker of automatic test equipment and connection systems for the electronics and telecommunications industries said it will take a pretax charge of as much as $12 million in the second half of the year to eliminate 300 jobs, because of slower sales in the semiconductor industry. Teradyne Inc. said the charge, which will pay for an extended benefits package, will range from $10 million to $12 million, or 7 cents to 8 cents a share. The company did not provide an after-tax amount. Teradyne’s customers are computer chip makers, who reported in July that demand for their products fell, according to an index from the Semiconductor Industry Assn.