Chip

• Nvidia publiceerde op 9 mei 2026 uitstekende kwartaalcijfers, maar de resultaten werden overschaduwd door aanhoudende Amerikaanse exportcontroles die de verkoop van geavanceerde chips aan China beperken. • Het bedrijf stemde in met een deal waarbij 15% van de omzet uit verkopen aan China met de Amerikaanse overheid wordt gedeeld om de controles ongedaan te maken, waardoor de export van bepaalde AI-chips kan worden hervat. • Deze regeling onderstreept de toenemende technologische spanningen tussen de VS en China, wat de groei van Nvidia in zijn grootste overzeese markt beïnvloedt te midden van bredere beperkingen op halfgeleiders.

• On May 7, 2026, NEC Corporation unveiled its first quantum‑inspired AI accelerator chip, the “Q‑Neuron B1,” designed for edge‑computing devices such as industrial robots, drones, and smart‑city sensors. • The chip reportedly delivers a 3.2x improvement in inference latency over prior NEC ASICs while consuming 38% less power, enabling real‑time video analytics at up to 7680×4320 resolution on low‑bandwidth edge nodes. • NEC aims to ship the first commercial batches to Japanese manufacturers and municipal networks by Q3 2026, with plans to license the architecture to South Korean and Taiwanese partners.

• Cerebras, a leading AI chipmaker, announced plans to raise up to $3.5 billion through an initial public offering (IPO). • The fundraising effort signals strong market confidence in specialized AI chip manufacturers as enterprises scale artificial intelligence infrastructure deployments. • Going public positions Cerebras to compete aggressively with established semiconductor giants while investing in next-generation AI computing architecture.

Utz issues voluntary recall for certain varieties of Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips over contamination linked to seasoningSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailUtz has issued a voluntary US recall of two potato chip brands after concerns that they could be contaminated with salmonella, a type of bacteria that can lead to food-borne illness.Certain varieties of Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips may contain contamination linked to the seasoning used on the products, according to the US Food and Drug Administration in a recall issued on Monday. The recall applies to three flavors of Zapp’s chips sold in various bag sizes, along with three flavors of Dirty chips packaged in 2-ounce bags. Continue reading...

• Singaporean semiconductor and electronics firms are accelerating plans to open or expand manufacturing and R&D facilities in the United States, driven by surging global demand for AI chips and US incentives to onshore critical supply chains. • Reports indicate that several Singapore‑listed chip‑assembly and test companies are evaluating sites in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, where state and federal subsidies could cover up to 40% of capital expenditure under the US CHIPS Act framework. • Industry executives told local media that geopolitical pressure on Taiwan and China is prompting customers to diversify production away from high‑risk hubs, turning Singapore‑based firms into key intermediaries in global AI hardware networks.

Shares in Domino’s Pizza, KFC operator Collins Foods and multi-brand food franchise owner Retail Food Group have all suffered double-digit fallsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOnce a symbol of cheap eating, fast food is transforming into a luxury many can no longer afford due to resurgent living costs.This shift is reflected on the ASX, where major pizza, fried chicken and doughnut outlets are seeing significant price drops, raising the question: are consumers so downbeat that they are even giving up on fast food? Continue reading...

• Elon Musk announced that Tesla will utilize Intel's advanced 14A process technology for its Terafab chip manufacturing project at Giga Texas, representing a major partnership between the two companies. • The complex will produce semiconductors for Tesla vehicles, Optimus robots, and AI data centers, with initial research fab construction already underway on the Giga Texas campus. • This initiative signals Tesla's push toward vertical integration in chip production to support its expanding autonomous and AI capabilities.

• Google unveiled a new quantum processor featuring 10,000 qubits on April 19, claiming achievement of quantum advantage for practical optimization problems with error rates reduced by 60% compared to previous generations. • The chip, named Willow, successfully solved complex combinatorial optimization problems approximately one million times faster than classical supercomputers according to Google Quantum AI division testing. • The breakthrough potentially accelerates commercialization of quantum computing for applications including drug discovery, financial modeling, and supply chain optimization, attracting increased competition from IBM and IonQ.