Your brief - 24h (11 articles)

The U.S. government has decided not to permit Nvidia to sell its scaled-down Blackwell AI chips to China, according to The Information. This decision comes amid heightened tensions over technology exports and national security concerns. While President Trump previously hinted at allowing limited sales, the White House has reversed course, delivering a significant blow to Nvidia, which has already experienced reduced revenue from Chinese markets this year. Analysts note this move may intensify the ongoing tech decoupling between the U.S. and China, potentially encouraging Beijing to accelerate its domestic chip production efforts. The Information

Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading rideshare and food delivery company, has transitioned from over 200 cloud-hosted Mac Minis to physical Mac machines hosted in a datacenter in Malaysia, reports The Register. This shift is expected to save the company $2.4 million over three years while improving their CI/CD pipeline performance by up to 40%. The trend of cloud repatriation is growing among businesses seeking greater cost control and performance, though it raises questions about the long-term viability of cloud pricing models. The Register

Microsoft has unveiled its Superintelligence Team, led by Mustafa Suleyman, aiming to develop “humanist” AI systems. According to The Register, Microsoft plans to impose limitations on its AI, including avoiding total autonomy or goal-setting by the system. This cautious approach contrasts with other industry players pursuing rapid AI advancements. Analysts suggest this reflects broader concerns about AI safety and regulation, but it remains to be seen whether this vision can strike a balance between innovation and risk mitigation. Source 21

Apple will integrate Google Gemini, a 1.2 trillion-parameter AI model, into its upcoming Siri upgrade, reports MacRumors. Apple is investing $1 billion annually for access to the technology. While this collaboration could significantly enhance Siri’s capabilities, it highlights Apple’s dependency on external AI providers, raising questions about its ability to remain competitive in developing proprietary AI solutions. The Register Source 24

Huawei has introduced two new desktop models, the Qingyun W515y and W585y, equipped with Kirin 9000X processors and running on China-developed Linux systems, according to Tech Radar. This marks a step toward reducing reliance on Western software like Windows. While the hardware aligns with state-driven ambitions for digital independence, the lack of performance details leaves the viability of these systems uncertain. Source 29

Google has proposed an ambitious plan to deploy AI-powered data centers in orbit, named Project Suncatcher, reports Tech Radar. These satellites would operate in sun-synchronous orbits, leveraging continuous solar energy for machine learning tasks. While the project could revolutionize edge computing, challenges such as orbital control, cost efficiency, and long-term reliability remain significant hurdles. Source 36

Amazon has introduced Kindle Translate, an AI-powered translation tool for Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) authors, according to The Verge. Initially supporting translations between English, Spanish, and German, the tool aims to increase the number of multilingual ebooks on the platform. While this innovation could democratize global publishing, concerns about translation accuracy and quality assurance persist. Source 40

The Ironwood TPU v7 by Google, set for imminent availability, is poised to rival Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs, according to The Register. Offering competitive performance and scalable POD architecture, Google’s design could attract large-scale AI developers. However, the debate over topology efficiency and workload suitability continues, leaving the broader implications for the AI hardware market unclear. Source 38

A study published in Scientific American reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated brain aging, even in individuals who did not contract the virus. Researchers analyzed MRI data from nearly 1,000 participants, finding that pandemic-related stressors like isolation and loss likely contributed to these changes. While the findings underscore the pandemic’s broad psychological toll, experts stress that healthy habits can mitigate long-term cognitive effects. Source 27

Lowercarbon Capital, led by Chris Sacca, is raising a second fund to support nuclear fusion startups, reports TechCrunch. The firm’s confidence in fusion technology aligns with recent advancements in the field, though the high costs of reactor development remain a barrier. If successful, such investments could accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources, though commercialization timelines remain uncertain. MacRumors