TSMC is sitting on $1 billion worth of finished iPhone chips with nowhere to go
Ripple effect: In the run-up to the launch of the foldable iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18, and iPhone 18 Pro, Apple and its assemblers are working to secure enough mobile DRAM. Apple leans heavily on Micron for these chips and also buys from SK Hynix and Samsung. People involved say they still expect to meet initial demand, but they worry online wait times could stretch and store inventory could run out quickly if the shortage continues.
What just happened? Video game giant Electronic Arts is now officially owned by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF). The group is also made up of investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the latter founded by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The famously secretive processor technology goes to RosaicLabs, and nobody knows why
Does It matter?: Intel is providing a startup with significant access to its chip design schematics as part of a rare licensing deal involving the x86 instruction set architecture. RosaicLabs could now theoretically build its own x86 CPU, although speculation points to more cutting-edge applications such as robotics and AI.
Apple closes out Tim Cook's era with a record quarter
Bottom line: Apple's last quarterly earnings report under CEO Tim Cook showed gains across nearly every category, led by iPhone and Mac sales. The budget MacBook Neo appears to have been a major contributor to that growth. But as the Cupertino company prepares to hand the reins to a new CEO, rising prices could complicate the road ahead. Apple has already begun responding with a new leasing program.