Intel secures a massive $7.9 billion for U.S. chip manufacturing, aiming to enhance supply chains. Threads adapts to competition with Bluesky by letting users choose their feed. Huawei shakes up the market with its new Mate 70 smartphone, while Apple faces backlash for pushing iPhone designs to extreme thinness—could we lose the SIM card slot? Plus, the drama unfolds as Drake calls out UMG and Spotify over alleged music manipulation, adding fuel to the fire of hip-hop rivalries!
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Quick takeaways
Intel receives up to $7.9 billion from the U.S. government to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and reduce reliance on Asian production.
Threads is enhancing user engagement by allowing customization of default feeds in response to competition from rival platform Bluesky.
Deep dives
Intel Receives Funding Under the CHIPS Act
Intel has secured up to $7.865 billion from the U.S. government under the CHIPS Act, aimed at bolstering domestic semiconductor manufacturing. This funding will be allocated for new factories and expansion projects across several states, including Arizona and New Mexico, in response to supply chain challenges highlighted during the COVID era. The financial support is viewed as a move to diminish the reliance on Asian chip production, as the U.S. currently holds only about 12% of the global semiconductor market. Intel's agreement includes a prohibition on stock buybacks for five years, emphasizing a commitment to reinvestment in U.S. manufacturing capabilities.
Threads Enhances User Experience Amid Competition
Threads has begun testing a new feature that allows users to set their preferred default feed, a response to mounting pressure from rival platform Blue Sky. After over a year of limiting user choice, the platform is now offering users the ability to customize their feeds, which Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced through social media. This change follows increased competition prompting Threads to update its algorithm, prioritizing content from accounts that users actually follow rather than reliant suggestions. Other improvements, including a revamped search feature and the introduction of landscape video support, aim to enhance overall user engagement and satisfaction with the app.
Huawei's Mate 70 Series Launches Amid Challenges
Huawei has unveiled its Mate 70 series, positioning it as the smartest smartphone in the Mate lineup despite ongoing U.S. chip restrictions. The new series integrates advanced features leveraging Harmony OS Next, such as enhanced AI capabilities for photography and live translations, with a starting price exceeding $760 aimed at competing with Apple's offerings. The smartphone market in China has seen a resurgence for Huawei, particularly after the success of the Mate 60 Pro, which showcased a domestically produced chip technology. However, the company's future success hinges on its ability to secure an adequate supply of advanced chips from Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), given the geopolitical tensions affecting technology transfers.
Intel does get its money. Threads continues to feel the heat from Bluesky, and responds by… giving people what they want. The new Mate 70 flagship smartphone from Huawei. Is Apple trying to make the iPhone so thin it can’t put a sim card in it? And yes, the whole Drake/Kendrick Lamar beef.