In this debut column for the Ojo-Yoshida Report, Clive Maxfield saunters through time, reviewing decades-old technological innovations only to realize that today, ‘we are surrounded by technologies that would have blown the mind and boggled the brain of 1970s me.’
In the post-truth era, there was nothing surprising about Tesla’s “We, Robot” event last week. Tesla’s CEO perpetuated the fantasy of an autonomous car in which “you could fall asleep and wake up at your destination.” I wonder if the investors and fans who initially declared themselves “blown away” by Telsa humanoids dancing and serving drinks were “shocked, shocked” when they learned they were talking to humanoids remotely controlled byTesla employees behind the scenes.
All par for the Tesla course.
Except in a few media outlets, I haven’t seen much outrage among Tesla fans against Elon Musk’s latest not-so-subtle deceptions.
Of course, in the age of post-truth politics, I know that objective facts take a back seat to personal emotion and devotion. But since when, is it okay to lie about science and technology?
Read More »Tesla’s Game Plan From EV to SDV and AV
What’s at stake:
Intel is way late to the global automotive market. But Intel Auto’s leader is seeking a foothold by worming into China – the world’s fastest growing auto market. Intel’s edge is its ability to design and manufacture chiplets. Is this Intel’s chance to finally crack a non-PC market, or is it just another “best-laid plan”?
When Jack Weast, Intel Fellow, was newly appointed to lead Intel’s relaunched Automotive unit and moved to China this year, I wasn’t the only one surprised.
So were Intel’s competitors and Chinese OEMs.
At first blush, this is a Hail Mary, Intel trying at the last minute to score a sliver of the growing global automotive market. In particular, Intel Auto is targeting Chinese EV makers who have been advancing their technologies at a break-neck speed, These developments in China, Intel firmly believes, will inevitably influence the auto industry everywhere.
Uncharacteristically, Intel is proceeding with a sense of urgency and an almost startup-like mentality.
Of course, there are pundits with misgivings. They wonder if the Santa Clara, Calif.-based giant jumped the gun, with little regard to the worsening tensions between the United States and China.
Read More »Intel Chasing China with Chiplets
If the name of the game is saving lives on public roads, should we keep our hopes up by leaning on Waymo to achieve that goal?
Marvell’s co-founder remained a hands-on engineer at heart while running the enterprise and devised a new interconnect technology called MoChi, a building block of what we now know as “chiplets.”
By Bolaji Ojo
The United States wants a semiconductor foundry that can rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), the world’s No. 1 contract chipmaker.
Many industry executives have lined up behind this objective, considering it a worthy pursuit during a time of rapidly evolving geo-political changes and supply chain turmoil. We agree.
However, after reviewing events of the last several years, the editors of the Ojo-Yoshida Report are convinced that America must go back to the drawing board – and to Intel Corp. – if the creation of America’s world-class foundry is to become more than a wishful thinking.
Read More »Out of Intel, America’s Dream Foundry: Here’s How
By Bolaji Ojo
Three years ago, Patrick Gelsinger rode in on a charger to save Intel Corp. He should have been on a fighter jet.
The battlefield and combatants had changed since Gelsinger left Intel 10 years earlier in 2009. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) were on his radar, but the main threat was coming from a different source. While Gelsinger was focusing on process technology leadership, Nvidia Corp. with its GPU-CPU combo had invaded and taken over Intel’s lucrative server business.
Gelsinger meant well, but in aiming to restore Intel’s old “glory” with new fabs and billions of dollars in fresh capital expenditure spending, he made a classic mistake that turnaround specialists know well to avoid: attempting the restoration of a storied enterprise is a recipe for further disaster.
Read More »Intel’s Crisis Was Predictable. Its Future Isn’t a Mystery, Either
By Peter Clarke
What’s at stake:
The break-up of the decades-long leader of the semiconductor industry would likely cause dramatic shifts in the semiconductor landscape. It would not only dent U.S. pride but could also undermine certain aspects of the American government’s technology policy and its CHIPS and Science Act.
The signs are mounting up that chip giant Intel Corp. is not long for this world – at least not in the form familiar to most industry observers.
Intel is now considering its strategic options, including splitting its product and chip manufacturing businesses, a potential sell-off, and whether certain factory projects might need to be delayed or cancelled, according to a Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter.”
Read More »Intel: The Beginning of the End?
In the advent of electronic “software defined vehicles” and ultimately robocars, we’re witnessing the demotion of the senses.
Semiconductors are now ubiquitous in the global economy. Their role will only expand, which means it is time to take seriously discussions about the business of semiconductor.
