CALIFORNIA : BRIEFLY : TECHNOLOGY

* National Semiconductor Corp. said improved sales of its chips for mobile phones helped it narrow operating losses in its fiscal first quarter by a far better margin than analysts predicted. The Santa Clara-based company reported an operating loss of $1.3 million, or 1 cent a share, compared with a loss of $104.8 million, or 63 cents, a year earlier. Sales rose 2.6% to $481.8 million. Analysts expected a loss of 14 cents, the average of estimates from First Call Corp. The latest results exclude a gain of $48.4 million from the sale of Fairchild Semiconductor stock. Losses on microprocessors for personal computers hurt National during the quarter. National Semi said its orders, a barometer of future sales, rose 12% in the quarter. Excluding the Cyrix chip unit, orders rose 38%. The results were announced after the close of trading. National Semi closed off 13 cents at $32 on the NYSE.