NATO and Google Cloud Sign Multi-Million Dollar Deal for AI-Enabled Sovereign Cloud
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Tag: Nvidia
Trump’s remarkable Middle East tour is all about striking megadeals and outfoxing China
There has never been a US presidential visit to the Middle East like this one.
This week, success will be measured not in conventional diplomacy, peace deals, or arms sales, although Donald Trump did make some news by lifting sanctions on the Syrian leadership, urging Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to join the Abraham Accords by normalizing relations with Israel, and agreeing to a $142 billion weapons package for Riyadh.
Trump’s remarkable Middle East tour is all about striking megadeals and outfoxing China
Abundance or scarcity?
Abundance is a new book that has been attracting attention and debate among mainstream economists and politicians. It aims to explain to Democrat members in the US why their party lost the election to Trump (narrow as that result was). The authors, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, writers at very liberal mainstream The New York Times and The Atlantic, respectively, argue that it was because the Democrats and supporters of ‘liberal democracy’ have lost their ability in government to carry out great projects that could deliver the things and services that working people (called the ‘middle class’ in America) need.
On Tariffs, It’s Good to Be “Tim Apple”
Tariffs are advertised in the name of helping American workers, but what do you know? They turn out to favor the powerful and politically connected. That’s the main message of President Trump’s decision to exempt smartphones and assorted electronic goods from his most onerous tariffs.
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At the time Apple and Cook were applying a charm offensive to persuade then-President Trump to remove tariffs on certain components that came from China. Cook asked Trump if he could meet him in person to make Apple’s case, a gesture the former president found “impressive,” he told Bloomberg. Trump was particularly pleased at the time that Cook reached out, especially considering his acrimonious relationship with other tech CEOs.
[2019] Apple dodges iPhone tariff after Trump confirms trade deal agreement with China
Although the trade deal affects billions of dollars worth of goods, it’s a particular victory for Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has personally worked to keep communication open with the Trump administration. Cook’s charm offensive culminated last month when he gave Trump a tour of a Mac Pro assembly plant in Texas. That computer is assembled in the United States, and Apple was granted tariff waivers for several of its components.
AI going DeepSeek
Most readers will know the news by now. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, released an AI model called R1 that is comparable in ability to the best models from companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta, but was trained at a radically lower cost and using less than state-of-the art GPU chips. DeepSeek also made public enough of the details of the model that others can run it on their own computers without charge.
Previously:
Interview with Deepseek Founder: We’re Done Following. It’s Time to Lead
Interview with Deepseek Founder: We’re Done Following. It’s Time to Lead
Interview with Deepseek Founder: We’re Done Following. It’s Time to Lead
An Yong: After your price cuts, ByteDance was the first to follow, suggesting they felt threatened. How do you view the new competitive landscape between startups and giants?
Liang Wenfeng: To be honest, we don’t really care about it. Lowering prices was just something we did along the way. Providing cloud services isn’t our main goal—achieving AGI is. So far, we haven’t seen any groundbreaking solutions. Giants have users, but their cash cows also shackle them, making them ripe for disruption.
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Intel shares fall 20% on plans to cut 15,000 jobs
Intel on Thursday revealed drastic plans to slash its employee headcount and capital spending in an attempt to put its business back on a stable financial footing, as it suffered the latest setback in its slow-moving turnaround plans.
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US CHIPS Act Funding for Intel
On March 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce and Intel Corporation announced a preliminary memorandum of terms under which Intel will receive approximately $8.5 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. Funding will help advance Intel’s critical semiconductor manufacturing and research and development projects at sites in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon – U.S. locations where the company produces some of the world’s most advanced chips and semiconductor packaging technologies.
Meanwhile, in China:
China’s ‘basic self-sufficiency’ in chip-making tools could come this summer, veteran says
SCS Tension Affecting Entry Of Foreign Investors In Philippines
The heightening tension between the Philippines and China over the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS) could impede the entry of foreign investors into the country.
WPS Tension Affecting Entry Of Foreign Investors In PH
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US, European Companies pour Investments to Neutral Malaysia instead of Western-ally Philippines
2023 Review: China vs US, Who is Winning in Key Tech Domains?
In the List of Critical and Emerging Technologies released by ASPI, a well-known Australian think tank, China takes the lead in 53 categories of cutting-edge technologies. At the same time, the USA claims the remaining 11. Notably, according to the list, China dominates in areas like advanced materials and manufacturing, energy and environment, and advanced information and communication technologies and enjoys a sizable advantage in defense, space, robotics, transportation, and quantum technology.
2023 Review: China vs US, Who is Winning in Key Tech Domains?
In other words, China is eating our lunch! 😉
US tightens rules on AI chip sales to China in blow to Nvidia
US tightens rules on AI chip sales to China in blow to Nvidia
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang told the Financial Times earlier this year that the 2022 controls had left the Silicon Valley company with its “hands tied behind our back” by barring sales of its most advanced chips to China. He has said further restrictions could seriously harm US chipmakers by eating into their ability to finance investment.
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China ups export curbs on key EV battery component, safeguarding graphite amid US tensions
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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