An increasing number of tech stocks have begun paying significant dividends, allowing income-oriented investors to benefit from these exciting changes, asserts Harry Domash, editor of Dividend Detective.

Technology is driving massive changes in the way we live. With that in mind, we’re inaugurating a new Industry portfolio called High Tech-High Dividends.

Chipmakers have been in slow- or no-growth mode for some time. But now, things are looking up. Here are three reasons why:

#1: The automobile that you buy today, with its advanced safety features and sophisticated entertainment and communications systems, is already using many more semiconductors than the one that it’s replacing.

But there’s much more to come. Self-driving cars will be here sooner than anyone expects, and when that happens, they will be packed with even more computer chips.

#2: Surprisingly, at least to me, no matter whether you’re talking about Hong Kong or Pittsburgh, advanced factory automation systems are just starting to come into wide use which translates to another promising growth sector for semiconductor chips.

#3: The same arguments apply to the “Internet of Things,” which more or less refers to automation and entertainment products for home and small business use.

We’re adding two semiconductor chipmakers that, in our view, are uniquely positioned to prosper from these trends.

Founded in 1982, Cypress Semiconductor (CY) — an analog, digital, and memory chipmaker — recently appointed a new CEO.

He has prioritized bringing advanced chips for automotive, factory automation, and ‘Internet of Things’ applications to market faster than the competition. Cypress is paying a 4.4% dividend yield.

Qualcomm (QCOM) licenses rights to use its designs to produce wireless communications products, and manufactures semiconductors used in communications and networking products.

Already a player in the three semiconductor growth markets highlighted above, Qualcomm recently agreed to acquire Netherlands-based NXP Semiconductors, the leading maker of chips for advanced automotive systems, and other sophisticated applications.

Qualcomm is paying a 3.1% yield and has been hiking its payout more than 10% annually since 2003 (except 2009 when it only raised it 6%).

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By Harry Domash, Editor of Dividend Detective