ASML’s near monopoly feels the heat
AI’s favourite chip etcher hit by delays, tariffs and shaky demand
ASML might hold a near-monopoly on the machines that make advanced chips, but even kings can wobble.
Samsung braces for worst quarter
US chip curbs and HBM3E delays dent profit forecast
Samsung Electronics stunned markets by forecasting a 56 per cent plunge in second‑quarter operating profit to Won 4.6 trn (€3.3 bn, which is its weakest performance in six quarters.
Intel’s Arrow Lake Refresh arrives soon
New chips try to plug the gap until Nova Lake shows up
Troubled Chipzilla is preparing to flog an ‘Arrow Lake Refresh’ update in the second half of this year, offering a mild clock boost and a swapped-out neural processing unit in a bid to stay relevant in a desktop market that’s increasingly swinging red.
CPU-Z 2.16 update brings in RDNA 4, RTX 50 series and Zen 5
Hardware tool plays catch-up as GPU and CPU launches pile up
CPU-Z has rolled out version 2.16 of its well-worn hardware tool, and this one lands with support for a host of newly released GPUs and CPUs.
China uses cut-price AI to break the US tech chokehold
DeepSeek and Alibaba muscle into markets as Western firms squabble over premiums
The Wall Street Journal reckons China is building an AI ecosystem that dodges US influence and the rest of the world seems happy to go along with it.
TSMC throws cash at US plants while Japan is left waiting
Chipmaker races Trump tariffs as Samsung’s fab stands idle
While Samsung’s much-hyped Texas fab is still sitting around looking pretty, struggling to find buyers, TSMC is bulldozing ahead with its American chip-building binge.
DRAM prices spike as OEMs bail on DDR4 and rush to AI
Old kit gets dearer as production pivots to high-end memory
DRAM prices are surging as major memory makers pull production from legacy tech to focus on high-end and AI-driven products, according to beancounters at TrendForce.
Oracle flings cloud discount at Trump government
Ellison cuddles up to federal wallets
Oracle is slashing prices for its software and cloud services to please the Trump administration, offering what it calls a “substantial” discount on its cloudy wares and 75 per cent off on licence-based database and analytics products.
Asus touts GX10 AI arrival on 22 July
Tiny mini‑pc, massive AI
Asus is set to unveil its Ascend GX10 mini‑PC powered by Nvidia’s GB10 Grace Blackwell platform on 22 July.
Nintendo Switch 2 overheating
Users report fan-melting crashes
Early adopters of the Nintendo Switch 2 are starting to notice their shiny new handhelds are getting a bit too hot under the collar.
