By Egil Juliussen
What’s at Stake?
Transportation accounts for much of the world’s CO2 emissions due to the use of petroleum-based fuels. Reducing those emissions is among the keys to slowing climate change. One solution is substituting a carbon-neutral fuel for gasoline, diesel and their variations. The technology for doing so is on the way, but it will take tremendous amounts of renewable and inexpensive electricity to create these carbon-neutral fuels.
What’s at stake?
Autonomous vehicle startups have pushed the narrative that eliminating human drivers, replaced by automation, will save lives. That day might still come, but the focus of many OEMs is rapidly shifting toward a vehicle that “gets” human drivers–warts and all. At stake is whether automakers can collaborate to gather the data necessary to design a vehicle that makes people safer drivers.
By Bolaji Ojo
What’s at stake?
China and the West are sliding deeper into a technology Cold War with communications channels for resolving issues related to military, economic and security concerns closing fast. Failure to shift direction will result in a deeply confrontational, messy and uncertain economic and technology bifurcation.
The path forward for China’s semiconductor sector is filled with uncertainty. Its chipmakers and technology OEMs are facing a squeeze on all sides as Western governments, in aggressive actions coordinated by the United States, curb its access to design innovation and leading-edge IC production equipment as the West shifts from Asian suppliers and toward domestic manufacturing.
Read More »U.S. Puts China in a Semiconductor Chokehold
By Fred Ohwahwa
What’s at stake?
A new report suggests that Africa’s digital economy is poised for a period of rapid growth that will positively impact GDP, job creation and overall economic outlook across the continent.
What’s at stake:
Nvidia is rolling out a 2,000 TOPS central compute engine for highly automated vehicles – something no other chipmaker has offered. Is the new processor overkill? Moreover, is the processing power the main concern for OEMs worried about AV safety?
What’s at stake:
Open systems, lower power, longer-range connectivity and bullet-proof device security will all be required if the much-hyped internet of things is to gain momentum. Silicon Labs is betting the pieces are falling into place and is targeting complete consumer and industrial solutions to achieve IoT dominance. But has it overestimated IoT’s maturity?
It’s time for the automotive and tech industries to rethink whether and why the public actually needs “self-driving cars,” aside from the need to please investors who poured billions into startups working on robotaxis and robotrucks.
After several days last week in Brussels talking to throngs of automotive engineers at AutoSens, I had an epiphany. The whole auto industry might be looking at AVs through the wrong end of the telescope.
Read More »Drive ’Til You Can’t, Then AV Aids Kick In
By Jon Peddie
EVGA came into prominence in 2000 when it developed the first highly efficient cooler for Nvidia’s GeForce 256, affectionally called “the banana” because of its color and shape. The company entered the market with graphics boards targeted at gamers in 2002.
Read More »Taiwan Gamer EVGA Ends Nvidia Relationship
What’s at stake?
Autonomous vehicle company Cruise confirmed it is dumping Nvidia’s GPU and developing its own central compute engine for its AV. Cruise also said it is developing a chip for its radar and for other custom chips. Unclear is whether such an extreme measure – build instead of buy – will eventually help or hurt the fledgling AV company’s prospects.
By Bolaji Ojo
Chipmakers pledging to spend billions of dollars to construct new fabs and related capital equipment are likely to put many of those plans on hold next year, severely cutting back on spending and even mothballing fab shells as the industry braces for a steep downturn in 2023, according to researcher Future Horizons and Ojo-Yoshida Report analysis of spending forecasts.
Read More »Semiconductor Capex Cutback Inevitable as Downturn Looms
