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Meta Platforms is planning to begin large-scale layoffs this week, according to people familiar with the matter, in what could be the largest round in a recent spate of tech job cuts after the industry's rapid growth during the pandemic.
Wall Street Journal
Silicon Labs' exit from any business not related to wireless connectivity and IoT devices marks the beginning of the company's journey to becoming a "pure-play" IoT chip designer, according to Silicon Labs CEO Matt Johnson.
EE Times
Beijing's censors have removed viral videos circulating on Chinese social media showing workers at the Zhengzhou facility in central China asking for supplies. Two workers told the Financial Times that the factory failed to deliver food regularly to staff under quarantine.
The Financial Times
Despite warnings from intelligence agencies, Germany's government is set to approve a Chinese takeover of a German company's microchips production facility.
Politico
Marvell Technology is eliminating some roles in China as part of a realignment of its global research and development investments, the company said on Thursday.
Reuters
The Inflation Reduction Act, as currently written, requires automakers to have 50% of critical minerals used in EV batteries come from North America or U.S. allies by 2024, rising to 80% by the end of 2026. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) Americas Chief Executive Pablo Di Si said the industry cannot move that fast.
Reuters
Chinese cities from Wuhan in central China to Xining in the northwest are doubling down on COVID-19 curbs, sealing up buildings, locking down districts and throwing millions into distress in a scramble to halt widening outbreaks.
Reuters
The U.S. Department of Justice launched the previously undisclosed probe last year following more than a dozen crashes, some of them fatal, involving Tesla's driver assistance system Autopilot, which was activated during the accidents, the people said.
Reuters
Merck does not anticipate that a projected decline in smartphone sales this year will weigh on its semiconductor chemicals business, CEO Belen Garijo told Reuters on Thursday, insisting the market remained attractive.
Reuters
The appointments, which were revealed on Sunday, have raised concerns that Xi has surrounded himself with "yes men" as he leads China through what he called the "choppy waters" of the future, some of which are of his own making. The country is facing domestic economic troubles and worsening global tensions as Xi doubles down on threats to annex Taiwan.
Guardian
Chip-making technology provider Lam Research on Wednesday warned of a $2 billion to $2.5 billion revenue hit in 2023 from US curbs on exports of high-end technology shipments to China.
Reuters
Twitter's workforce is likely to be hit with massive cuts in the coming months, no matter who owns the company, interviews and documents obtained by The Washington Post show, a change likely to have major impact on its ability to control harmful content and prevent data security crises.
Washington Post
The latest US salvo in the chip war against China will set back its domestic chipmakers by generations, while global suppliers of semiconductors and fab tools will incur billions of dollars in lost sales because of a giant dent in demand out of China.
EE Times
Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp has asked American employees in core tech positions to leave, as it rushes to comply with the new U.S export restrictions.
The Financial Times
The pound fell against the dollar on Friday as new figures showed a gloomy picture for the UK economy.
BBC News
Intel is planning on announcing "targeted" layoffs in November, according to a report late Thursday, citing an internal video shared with employees.
MarketWatch
Lead times - the gap between when a chip is ordered and when it is delivered - averaged 26.3 weeks in the period, according to research by Susquehanna Financial Group. That compares with nearly 27 weeks the prior month.
Bloomberg
American workers hold key positions throughout China's domestic chip industry, helping manufacturers develop new chips to catch up with foreign rivals. Now, those workers are in limbo under new US export control rules that prohibit US citizens from supporting China's advanced chip development.
Wall Street Journal
The lockdowns, the mass testing, the health code scanning, the quarantine, the travel restrictions are all here to stay for the foreseeable future.
BBC News
The iPhone manufacturing hub of Zhengzhou locked down one of its most-populated districts to tame a virus flareup, with creeping restrictions throughout China underscoring the constant threat of disruption companies face while the country sticks to Covid Zero.
Bloomberg
US regulators will investigate units of Samsung, Qualcomm and TSMC over certain semiconductor devices and integrated circuits and mobile devices using those components, the U.S. International Trade Commission said on Friday.
Reuters
ASML told its employees in the US to refrain from servicing customers in China following new regulations from the Biden administration, according to an internal email sent to staff.
Bloomberg
US chip toolmaker KLA will cease offering some supplies and services from Wednesday to China-based customers including South Korea's SK Hynix in compliance with recent US regulations, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.
Reuters
Shares in major Asian computer chipmakers have slumped after the US announced tough new measures to restrict sales of technology to China. The US said it will ban American firms from selling certain chips used for supercomputers and artificial intelligence to Chinese firms.
BBC News
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported higher-than-expected quarterly revenue, signaling the chip giant is benefiting from market share gains to weather an industry slowdown.
Bloomberg
The US Department of Commerce (DoC) added limits on exports of chips and related production tools to China, citing national security concerns. Following the announcement, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer noted he is pressing for further restrictions.
EE Times
General Motors Co. outsold Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp in the United States in the third quarter, data on Monday showed, but analysts and investors are fretting that a darkening economic picture will lead to a drop in car sales.
Reuters
Car haulers are pushing the Biden administration and lawmakers to increase truck weight limits on U.S. highways so they can transport more heavy electric vehicles, a move fiercely opposed by the rail industry and safety advocates who say the heavier loads are significantly more dangerous.
Reuters
While Meta funnels billions into CEO Mark Zuckerberg's pitch for the metaverse, Apple CEO Tim Cook thinks most people couldn't even define the metaverse, let alone spend long periods of time living their lives inside of it.
The Verge
"As our production volumes continue to grow, it is becoming increasingly challenging to secure vehicle transportation capacity and at a reasonable cost during these peak logistics weeks," Tesla said in a statement on Sunday.
Reuters
Tesla Total deliveries Q3 2022: 343,000; Tesla Total production Q3 2022: 365,000
CNBC
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is Intel Foundry Services' (IFS's) "No. 1" customer, IFS president Randhir Thakur told EE Times, noting that IFS plans to be part of the DoD state-of-the-art heterogeneous integrated packaging (SHIP) program. That program will necessitate deep knowledge of gate-all-around (GAA) technology facilitating high-transistor-density 3D chips.
EE Times
Seen as the most promising next-generation solar cell, this technology, called perovskite, is exactly what Japanese start-up Enecoat Technologies is trying to develop.
BBC News
Mario Draghi's outgoing government and Intel have picked the town of Vigasio in the northeastern Veneto region as their preferred site for a new multibillion-euro chip factory in Italy, two people familiar with the matter said.
Reuters
Top US lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to put Chinese semiconductor company Yangtze Memory Technologies on a blacklist for allegedly violating export controls by supplying Huawei.
The Financial Times
Prices of the key raw material for EV batteries have started to rise again in a new complication for global supply chains.
Bloomberg
Hyundai Mobis, the parts and tech provider for South Korean automakers Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, and others, revealed its North American EV expansion strategy. As demand for electric vehicles continues growing, the sixth largest global parts supplier says having a strong production capacity will be critical, which is why it's rapidly increasing its capabilities.
Electrek
South Korea's opposition to new rules governing U.S. subsidies for electric vehicles are set to overshadow President Yoon Suk-yeol's first official trip to the United States, disrupting a recent display of alliance strength with Washington.
Reuters
Nvidia reportedly refused to reveal basic pre-launch information about its PC graphics card to partners like EVGA, making it diffcult for them to prepare.
PC Magazine
Interest rate hikes by central banks around the world could trigger a global recession in 2023, the World Bank has said.
BBC News
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