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Wednesday 6 November 2024
To split or not to split: Intel's dilemma has no clear-cut solution
Intel is grappling with an operational crisis as its IDM 2.0 transformation plan has yet to yield results, casting doubt on when its foundry business might finally become profitable. This raises the question of whether Intel should consider abandoning its IDM model and separating its product design and manufacturing divisions—a move with both potential advantages and drawbacks. Industry leaders, including former board members, are offering advice in hopes of helping Intel find a viable path forward. However, the conflicting nature of their advice highlights the complexity of the company's dilemma
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Sunday 20 July 2025
Intel CEO concedes Nvidia's AI lead: a critical shift for the semiconductor giant
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has openly admitted to global employees that Nvidia has surpassed Intel in the AI chip market. This candid acknowledgment underscores the company's dramatic fall from its former dominance in the semiconductor sector and highlights the scale of Intel's struggles in the AI era
Friday 18 July 2025
Inside Innolux’s retreat from a fading LCD battlefield
With China's domination in the global LCD panel industry, coupled with long-term overcapacity in panel production and the fact that higher-generation fabs are more efficient and cost-effective than older, lower-generation lines, panel players from Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have been continuously closing and selling plants in recent years
Friday 18 July 2025
US greenlights Nvidia, AMD chip sales to China— Is Trump setting up for grand bargain?
Three months after the US abruptly halted shipments of downgraded AI chips to China in April, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang returned to the country in mid-July to announce that Washington had given the green light for the H20—a China-specific version of its AI accelerator. His cheerful demeanor during the visit marked a stark contrast to the more tense and formal appearance he had during his previous trip
Friday 18 July 2025
TSMC shrugs off macro headwinds with bold guidance hike — here's what's driving it
TSMC has shrugged off currency volatility, reciprocal tariff threats, and looming chip trade duties to raise its 2025 US dollar revenue growth forecast from 25% to 30%. Industry sources point to a four-part strategy that's giving the foundry heavyweight the firepower to power through macroeconomic crosscurrents
Friday 18 July 2025
Trump's Nvidia and EDA reversal sparks policy hope for TSMC, ASML, and Apple
In a stunning about-face that has left the tech industry reeling, US President Donald Trump has abruptly lifted export restrictions on H20 AI chips to China—effectively erasing months of stringent semiconductor sanctions overnight
Thursday 17 July 2025
H20 reenters China: lifeline for AI startups, blow to GPU sovereignty
Amid rising doubts over China's AI trajectory, two setbacks have rattled its startup ecosystem: Manus, the buzzed-about AI agent startup, is reportedly exiting the Chinese market, while DeepSeek R2 — a trillion-parameter large language model — is facing a critical GPU shortfall. Just as sentiment soured, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made a high-profile appearance at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, where he announced the lifting of export restrictions on the China-specific H20 chip
Thursday 17 July 2025
Malaysia’s states compete to lead national push in IC design
Malaysia is ramping up efforts to grow its domestic integrated circuit (IC) design industry, as key states such as Selangor, Sarawak, and Penang launch competing initiatives to position themselves as the country's next semiconductor innovation hub
Thursday 17 July 2025
What killed China's rising 5G chip hopeful? The untold collapse of Jian Wen Lu Semiconductor
Founded in 2016 by former Tokyo Seimitsu (Accretech) engineer Sheng Jinghao, Jian Wen Lu (Zhejiang) Semiconductor was once considered a standout contender in China's push for 5G RF chip independence. Its mission: to bypass foreign patent restrictions and develop high-frequency filters, long viewed as a chokepoint in RF front-end design
Wednesday 16 July 2025
Why Nvidia, Samsung, Qualcomm are all knocking on Xiaomi's door
The parade of power players to Lei Jun's door tells a story. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have all made the pilgrimage to meet with Xiaomi's founder and CEO during their China visits. This isn't a coincidence — it's recognition of where the real gravity now lies in China's innovation landscape
Tuesday 15 July 2025
Nvidia regains China access as Trump reverses H20 ban, but at what cost?
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is engaging in a high-stakes diplomatic and commercial push across Washington and Beijing, positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as a defining force for global industries and innovation. And for now, his efforts appear to be yielding results
Tuesday 15 July 2025
GlobalFoundries takes MIPS under its wing; Imagination shoots down SMIC takeover talk
With TSMC commanding the lion's share of foundry orders for data center AI accelerators, second-tier players like UMC, GlobalFoundries (GF), and SMIC are urgently repositioning to tap into the AI market. Each is adopting a unique strategy to stay relevant in a rapidly intensifying competitive field
Monday 14 July 2025
Gogoro's zero monthly rental plan aims to retain customers but sparks debate over hidden fees
On July 8, 2025, Gogoro announced its new zero monthly rental plan, stirring considerable discussion. However, every coin has two sides - what exactly is Gogoro offering with this move
Friday 11 July 2025
Auto giants squeezed as Trump’s trade brinkmanship stirs EU, Japan standoff
The US has unveiled its latest round of reciprocal tariffs, set to take effect on August 1, 2025. Countries that have yet to reach an agreement with President Donald Trump's administration now face the near-certainty of increased tariffs, adding fresh strain to global trade negotiations
Thursday 10 July 2025
Stay or relocate: Taiwan makers weigh exodus amid weak government support
The free trade agreement (FTA) between the US and South Korea has now become irrelevant under Donald Trump's administration. Taiwan's tech products also face the possibility of losing the ITA and ITA 2 tariffs-free benefits granted under the WTO framework. Trump's tariff threat can be understood as a step to force Seoul to share the cost of stationing US troops in South Korea. But what does Trump want from Taiwan in the tariffs game? TSMC is already constructing wafer fabs and an R&D center in the US. Does Trump want AI server makers to set up assembly lines in the US, and for the Taiwan currency to sharply appreciate against the greenback
Wednesday 9 July 2025
Intel halts in-house glass substrate development as Tan avoids 'R&D trap'
Glass substrates are considered one of the key directions for advanced packaging development, especially showing significant potential in high-performance computing (HPC) and data center sectors. Advances in glass substrate technology have also attracted widespread attention across the semiconductor industry. Despite that, recent reports stated that Intel plans to stop self-developing and producing glass substrates, opting instead to use glass substrates supplied by external vendors