Podcasts about taiwan semiconductor manufacturing co

In this episode! The Economy Cathie Woods buys up chips! No I'm not talking Ruffles....I'm an Idiot....Cathie Wood's funds made their biggest purchase of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. shares in nearly a year, underscoring a change in stance from being mostly sellers of the chipmaker since the third quarter of last year. Article Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-20/cathie-wood-buys-most-tsmc-depositary-receipts-in-nearly-a-year New In Social So.... I did not know What's App had updates.... I am using it now as part of my whole shorts strategy. Also, you can access Channels through Updates, and Communities are moving to Chat! Today's Main Topic: You're Not Stuck-- You Just Stopped Practicing Over the last year I have refocused on the things that are important to me. It has also made me see how some of the processes in my life weren't what I thought they were, and I needed to make them better. This has also made me take a long hard look at how I am developing my crafts, and I have realized that I am not. Or at least not how I would like to be developing them. So, this episode is all about honing your craft! Enjoy! Join the Age of Radio Discord | ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/EeamD8WcjN⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Goodpods ⁠⁠⁠https://goodpods.app.link/usUyBZzhuNb⁠⁠⁠ Free Financial Consultation: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/B6nNZ2FbxbhESCHg9⁠⁠⁠ Red Wizard Gaming Society: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/9D43EszdUB⁠⁠⁠   DM if you are interested in Life Insurance! If you or someone you know has been struggling or in crisis please call or text 988 or chat ⁠⁠⁠988lifeline.org⁠⁠⁠  

Touted as the world’s leader in the production of advanced semiconductors used for AI and smartphones, it’s no surprise that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has come between the geopolitical crosshairs of the US and China. And while it has been successful in beating earnings, analysts are starting to question the potential impact of Trump' s tariffs on its future performance. Join Dan Koh and Ryan Huang as they learn what analysts are saying about the implications of the global trade war on the semiconductor supply chain and the outlook of TSMC’s performance in the foreseeable future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 228-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 18,773 on turnover of 11-billion N-T. Taiwan stocks finished up 9.25 percent Thursday, surging more than 1,600 points at the market's opening after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on his steep "reciprocal" tariffs on most countries. Three heavyweight stocks -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Hon Hai (Foxconn) and MediaTek -- hit their limit-up prices. The market subsequently (隨後) flattened out, with many stocks hitting their daily 10 percent limit-up prices, which also kept turnover relatively low. Taiwan and Cambodia in talks over sending of 179 fraud suspects to China Criminal Investigation Bureau says Taiwan is continuing talks with Cambodia to prevent 179 Taiwan fraud suspects from being deported to China. According to a member of bureau's liaison officer in Ho Chi Minh City, negotiations are on going in order that the suspects are sent to Taiwan instead to face legal consequences. The statement comes after media reports out of Cambodia haven suggesting that the Taiwan suspects were to be handed over to China as a goodwill (善意) gesture to Beijing. The Taiwanese suspects were all arrested on March 31 during raids of an online telecommunication fraud center in Phnom Penh. Reports say they are currently scheduled to be deported to China on Sunday along with over 300 Chinese nationals. Israel Frees 10 Palestinian Prisoners Israel has freed 10 Palestinians detained from Gaza, the latest in periodic releases from the thousands of people troops have seized during the military campaign in the territory. The men returned to the Gaza Strip and said they had suffered frequent abuse while imprisoned, including beatings. They were welcomed by family members at a hospital in central Gaza. There was no immediate comment by the military. Israeli officials have said that they abide by (遵守) the letter of the law in the treatment of prisoners and investigate violations. But there have been widespread reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees in military prison camps and civilian prisons. US Stocks Fall as Trump Confirms 145Percent China Tariffs U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as President Trump clarified that he had raised tariffs on Chinese goods by a total of 145 percent. It comes as new inflation data shows that U.S. inflation eased more than expected in March but economists suggest this is likely to be a temporary reprieve (暫時緩解) before tariffs take effect. Kate Fisher reports from Washington Canada Mounties Bust BC Drug Labs Canadian police have dismantled three drug labs in the Pacific-coast province of British Columbia. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also arrested two suspects, including someone described as a “chemist,” but no charges have yet been laid as the police probe continues. The Mounties say they executed “numerous (許多的)” search warrants in late March and found the three labs, which were equipped with sophisticated equipment that is also used in “academic and professional research facilities.” Police say two of the illicit drug labs are believed to have been used to produce fentanyl, but the purpose of the third lab remains “undetermined.” That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ ✨宏匯廣場 歡慶璀璨女王節✨

Ben Rains explores two great technology stocks—Celestica Inc. (CLS) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM)—to buy for impressive value and long-term artificial intelligence growth. 

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu details Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) $100bn investment and reaffirmed commitment to supporting US-based semiconductor production. Next, we explore the latest initiative from the House of Representatives that takes aim at Chinese student visas and the current imbalance in US-China international education exchange. Lastly, Miles examines the latest rhetorical exchange between Taipei and Beijing, and the significance of Taiwan's resilience against the CCP's United Front.China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute's China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world's future.

On this week's episode of THE FINANCIAL COMMUTE, host Chris Galeski and Wealth Advisor Beau Wirick discuss tariffs, their effect on the market, and how to prepare for the future as a consumer/investor. Chris notes that we filmed this episode on the morning of March 10th in case anything changes by the time this is released. At the time of filming, the S&P 500 was down 8%. Markets typically do not respond well to uncertainty, which Beau says is the only way to describe these policies since there is a new change every day.The U.S. has relied on globalization for cheaper goods, but tariffs aim to bring manufacturing back to our country.According to Beau, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) will increase U.S. production to avoid tariffs. However, he says this could've been achieved by implementing targeted tariffs instead of broad tariffs.While tariffs may protect U.S. jobs, specifically in manufacturing, they can also raise consumer prices. This can disproportionately affect lower-income households.The ideal outcome is job growth and a stronger middle class, but many economists argue tariffs don't guarantee this and can hurt economic growth. Higher prices from tariffs, combined with rising household debt and economic uncertainty, could push the U.S. toward a recession.Chris says even if the Trump administration does away with tariffs after a few months, prices probably won't come down to what they used to be - at least not for a long time. Individuals should create a spending plan, track expenses to see where they can save, and build an emergency fund to protect against economic downturns. Morton Wealth has taken proactive steps to reduce stock exposure and diversify client investments to minimize risk from market volatility.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is investing another $100 billion in U.S. chip production, bringing its total commitment to $165 billion. This move strengthens the U.S. as a global AI leader and could reshape real estate markets in tech hubs like Phoenix and Sherman, TX. Kathy Fettke explores how this massive investment, along with President Trump's AI infrastructure deal with Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank, could drive property values, job growth, and demand for commercial space. Could this be the next big tech-driven real estate boom? Tune in to find out. 00:00 US Chip Production Investment 00:51 TSMC 01:13 President Trump's Announcement 01:45 AI and US Technology 02:04 Real Estate Impact  LINKS JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/ SYNDICATIONS: Wild Pine San Antoniohttps://realwealth.com/wildpine FOLLOW OUR PODCASTS Real Wealth Show: Real Estate Investing Podcast https://link.chtbl.com/RWS Real Estate News: Real Estate Investing Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/REN Sources: 1. https://www.connectcre.com/stories/breaking-news-tsmc-to-invest-100b-more-in-u-s-chip-manufacturing/ 2. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/21/trump-ai-openai-oracle-softbank.html 

The Low-Carbon Stocks for Sustainable Investors includes Corporate Knights company rankings (by sustainable revenues), top natural food stocks, and more! By Ron Robins, MBA Transcript & Links, Episode 149, March 7, 2025 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 149, published March 7, 2025, titled “The Low-Carbon Stocks for Sustainable Investors.” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don't receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the articles and more company and stock information. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Low-Carbon Stocks for Sustainable Investors (1) I'm beginning this podcast with my just-released annual favorite sustainable company ranking: Corporate Knights 2025 Clean200 List. Here are some quotes from an article by CK staff introducing the 2025 ranking. “California-based shareholder advocates As You Sow and Corporate Knights (Canada) today released the new cohort of the Carbon Clean200, a global list of 200 publicly traded companies leading the sustainable clean energy economy… It shows sustainable companies on path to dominate global economy. Key findings include: The top 10 companies on the list by revenue include Apple (AAPL), Contemporary Amperex Technology (300750.SZ), Microsoft (MSFT), Tesla (TSLA), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM) and Volkswagen (VOW3.DE). Thirty-five countries are represented in the Clean200, including the United States (41), China (21), Japan (18), Germany (14), and France and Canada (11 each). Clean200 companies earned more than $2.5 trillion in sustainable revenue in 2023 (the most recent year for which full-year results are available). Clean200 companies generated a total return of 190.9% on a sustainable-revenue-weighted basis, outperforming the MSCI ACWI index (162.0%) and the MSCI ACWI/Energy Index of fossil fuel companies (76.7%) on Total Return Gross – USD Basis from the Clean200 inception of July 1, 2016, to January 29, 2025. $10,000 invested in the Clean200 on July 1, 2016, would have grown to $29,090 by January 29, 2025, versus $17,670 for the MSCI ACWI/Energy benchmark for fossil fuel. The industrial sector accounts for 52 companies on the list, followed by information technology (32), and consumer discretionary and materials (29 each). IT companies had the highest total sustainable revenue, a cumulative total of more than US$687 billion. Background ‘It is telling that clean energy stocks generated more than double the returns of fossil fuel stocks since 2016, despite political headwinds, underlining that stock markets care more about economic materiality of the parabolic growth in clean energy than the political leanings of the day,' says Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights and co-author of the report. The Clean200 utilizes the Corporate Knights Sustainable Revenue database, which tracks the percentage of revenue companies earn from sustainable economy themes ranging from green power to electric vehicles to plant protein and smart buildings. The list excludes companies that are flagged on Corporate Knights' list of ‘red flag' companies and As You Sow's Invest Your Values suite of mutual-fund transparency tools that identify companies involved in fossil fuels, deforestation, the prison industrial complex, weapons and tobacco, as well as the exclusionary screens that form part of the Corporate Knights Global 100 methodology.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Low-Carbon Stocks for Sustainable Investors (2) The next article is about a sector that appeals to many ethical and sustainable investors. However, few invest in it directly. The article is titled 3 Natural Foods Stocks Positioned for Success in 2025. It's by Sumit Singh and is on zacks.com. Here are some quotes from the article. “Companies like The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (HAIN) and Vital Farms, Inc. (VITL) are responding to the rising demand for organic, clean-label and ethically sourced foods… However, this article focuses on these 3 Natural Foods Stocks to Watch. Quote. 1. United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) stands as a prominent player in the natural foods sector, serving as one of the largest distributors of organic and natural products in North America. Through its extensive network, United Natural Foods supplies a vast array of products, including fresh produce, pantry staples, dairy alternatives and plant-based foods. With its diverse portfolio, the company caters to both retail giants and independent natural food stores… This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company is increasingly focusing on innovation and sustainability within the natural foods space. The company has committed to enhancing its supply-chain practices, reducing waste and supporting regenerative agriculture initiatives. United Natural Foods is also working closely with suppliers to accelerate food innovation. Through its supplier go-to-market program, the company has simplified the process of bringing new natural and organic products to store shelves. This initiative has enabled suppliers to reintroduce thousands of SKUs that were previously discontinued, expanding consumer access to diverse and healthier food options. 2. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM) has been at the forefront of the natural and organic food movement, catering to health-conscious consumers seeking fresh, high-quality and ethically sourced products. The company's commitment to fresh, organic and attribute-driven products sets it apart. With nearly 46% of total produce sales now coming from organic products, Sprouts Farmers Market continues to expand its assortment, ensuring accessibility to high-quality, responsibly sourced food… This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company continues to strengthen its connection with customers through tailored marketing and engagement efforts, such as social media campaigns and in-store discovery events like Sprouts Brand Discovery Days. These initiatives showcase the company's differentiated offerings while attracting a younger demographic and increasing foot traffic. 3. Beyond Meat, Inc. (BYND) is transforming plant-based food by using cleaner, healthier ingredients. The company's latest Beyond 4 products, including the Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, are made from a blend of yellow peas, brown rice, red lentils and fava beans. These ingredients provide 21 grams of protein per serving while cutting saturated fat by 75% compared to traditional beef burgers, thanks to the use of avocado oil. This commitment to nutrition has earned recognition from the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, reinforcing Beyond Meat's focus on making plant-based options both tasty and healthy… This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company's commitment to food innovation extends beyond retail into food service partnerships. The reintroduction of Beyond The Original Orange Chicken at Panda Express and the expansion of Beyond Nuggets at McDonald's locations in Europe underscore its ability to integrate healthier, plant-based options into mainstream dining. At the same time, Beyond Meat is working to educate consumers on its clean-label approach, challenging misconceptions about plant-based food processing.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Low-Carbon Stocks for Sustainable Investors (3) This next article is by an analyst who frequently appears on this podcast: Matt DiLallo. He is also writing about one of his favourite stock picks. His article is titled This Infrastructure Stock Could Be the Best Investment of the Decade. It can be seen on fool.com. Now, here are some quotes by Mr. DiLallo on his recommendation. “Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC) (BIP) has an embarrassment of riches. The leading global infrastructure company is capitalizing on not one but three massive global megatrends: decarbonization, deglobalization, and digitalization. Those catalysts help drive the company's view that the world needs to invest an astounding $100 trillion over the next 15 years to maintain, upgrade, and build infrastructure. Given its leadership in the sector, it could be one of the best investments over the next decade as it capitalizes on massive opportunities to invest in infrastructure. Multiple growth drivers Brookfield Infrastructure believes that a trio of organic drivers will grow its funds from operations (FFO) by 6% to 9% per share each year. They are: Inflation indexation: Brookfield's infrastructure businesses produce very stable cash flow backed by long-term contracts and government-regulated rate structures, many of which link rates to inflation. Those escalators should boost its funds from operations per share by 3% to 4% per year. GDP growth Reinvested cash flow: Brookfield pays out 60% to 70% of its stable cash flows via dividends. It retains the rest to fund high-return organic expansion projects, which should drive another 2%-3% (in) annual funds from operations per-share growth… A trio of value enhancers Brookfield Infrastructure's megatrend-powered catalysts position it to grow its earnings at a more than 10% annual rate for many years to come. On top of that, it pays a more than 4%-yielding dividend that should continue growing at a healthy rate. Those factors alone position the company to deliver total returns of around 15% per year. Meanwhile, there's additional upside potential from an expansion in its valuation multiple. This high total return potential could make Brookfield one of the best investments over the next decade, especially when factoring in its much lower risk profile.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Low-Carbon Stocks for Sustainable Investors (4) Now, my final article is by another analyst on fool.com. Her name is Robin Hartill, and the article is titled How to Buy Constellation Energy Stock (CEG). Here's some of what Ms. Hartill says of her pick. “Constellation Energy (CEG) is the largest provider of carbon-free energy in the U.S., supplying about 10% of the nation's zero-carbon electricity. The Baltimore-based company's nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar generation facilities power about 16 million homes in the U.S. The company was established in 1999 as a part of Constellation Energy Group but later merged with Exelon Group (EXC) in 2012. Constellation Energy then spun off to become its own publicly traded company in 2022, focusing primarily on nuclear and renewable energy. In January 2025, Constellation Energy announced plans to acquire Calpine, a privately held company that's the leading generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources in the U.S., for a net purchase price of $26.6 billion. The merger will create the largest provider of clean energy in the U.S. Last year, the company also made headlines when it inked a deal with Microsoft (MSFT) to restart a Three Mile Island nuclear power plant and power its artificial intelligence (AI) data center. If you want to invest in the transition to clean energy, buying Constellation Energy stock could be a smart move… Is Constellation Energy stock profitable? Constellation Energy stock is profitable. The company reported generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net income of $11.89 per share and adjusted operating earnings of $8.67 per share for fiscal 2024, easily beating the top end of its twice-revised guidance range of $8 to $8.40 per share. In the fourth quarter of 2024, it posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.44, well above the analyst consensus of $2.19. The company's Q4 and full-year earnings report contained several other pieces of good news for investors. Constellation Energy said it completed $1 billion worth of share repurchases in 2024 and grew its dividend by 25%. It also received a credit ratings upgrade from Moody's, which could make it cheaper for the company to borrow money for projects that will power its growth. Constellation Energy pays annual dividends of $1.41, which works out to a dividend yield of 0.44% based on its share price as of mid-February 2025. That may not be the kind of dividend yield that excites income investors, considering that many utility stocks have yields well north of 3%. But the stock could be worth snatching up if you're looking for dividend growth. Since becoming its own publicly traded company in 2022, Constellation Energy has increased its dividend every year. The company said in its 2024 annual report that it expects to hike its dividend by another 10% in 2025.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Additional article links 1. Title: Lenovo Honored With Prestigious Corporate Governance on 3blmedia.com. By press release. 2. Title: TOV ETF: A Unique Blend Of Financial Growth And Ethical Investing on pradeshtak.com. By Ankit puri. One article from the UK Title: Two funds for investing in ‘most attractive' developed market on .ii.co.uk. By Morningstar. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast. Please click the like and subscribe buttons wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. I'll talk to you next on March 21st. Bye for now.   © 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will invest $100 billion in the United States and open an additional manufacturing factory in Arizona. Semiconductors are vital for operating smartphones and artificial intelligence, and Taiwan has long dominated the industry. Their chip superiority is perhaps the main reason China and its leader, Xi Jinping, want Taiwan back under China's control. Former Trump deputy national security advisor Victoria Coates explains the national security significance of President Trump's deal with TSMC, the world's biggest semiconductor company, and how it and the potential Ukraine rare mineral deal shows the Trump administration's approach to creating global influence. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will invest $100 billion in the United States and open an additional manufacturing factory in Arizona. Semiconductors are vital for operating smartphones and artificial intelligence, and Taiwan has long dominated the industry. Their chip superiority is perhaps the main reason China and its leader, Xi Jinping, want Taiwan back under China's control. Former Trump deputy national security advisor Victoria Coates explains the national security significance of President Trump's deal with TSMC, the world's biggest semiconductor company, and how it and the potential Ukraine rare mineral deal shows the Trump administration's approach to creating global influence. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will invest $100 billion in the United States and open an additional manufacturing factory in Arizona. Semiconductors are vital for operating smartphones and artificial intelligence, and Taiwan has long dominated the industry. Their chip superiority is perhaps the main reason China and its leader, Xi Jinping, want Taiwan back under China's control. Former Trump deputy national security advisor Victoria Coates explains the national security significance of President Trump's deal with TSMC, the world's biggest semiconductor company, and how it and the potential Ukraine rare mineral deal shows the Trump administration's approach to creating global influence. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US State Department has reportedly removed a statement on its website that it does not support Taiwan independence. The factsheet retains Washington's opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own. but dropped the phrase "we do not support Taiwan independence". And not too long ago, two US Navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, drawing an angry reaction from China. This comes just after Taiwan's signing of a new missile deal with Washington to bolster the defence of Taipei. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co - or TSMC for short - also just held its first board of directors meeting in the US, but did not unveil any new US investments despite mounting tariff threats from Trump. On this episode of Morning Shot, Ross Feingold, Research Director at Caerus Consulting shares his insights. Presented by: Audrey SiekProduced by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)Photo credits: AFPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 40-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 22,757 on turnover of $3.9-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan staged a technical rebound, rising about 300 points Tuesday, following a slump the previous session, as the bellwether electronics sector led the gains ahead of an investor conference by contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.. The momentum continued as TSMC saw buying accelerate, in particular in the late trading session, helping the Taiex return to the 120-day moving average of 22,565 points at the end of the session. Taichung Police Destroy Drugs Worth Over NT$100 Million Taichung police have incinerated illegal drugs and paraphernalia (用具) worth over 100 million NT at the Houli Refuse Incineration Plant. The haul included 140 kilograms of Category 3 and 4 substances like ketamine and mephedrone, along with drug-use equipment. Officers said the destruction follows strict inventory checks and demonstrates their commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics. Taiwan to Launch First Satellite for Air Pollution Monitoring Taiwan plans to launch its first satellite to monitor (監測) air pollution and greenhouse gases within three years. The Ministry of Environment is working with the National Space Organization on the project, which has a 61-billion NT budget. The satellite will track cross-border pollution from China and Southeast Asia, monitor fine particulate matter like PM2.5, and measure greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Equipped with advanced sensors, it will improve the accuracy of environmental monitoring. Officials say the project includes four satellites to provide multi-timeframe data. The first satellite is expected to launch by 2027. This effort builds on recent experiments, such as a 3D air quality study in southern Taiwan, and aims to strengthen pollution control strategies using cutting-edge technology. California Threat of New Wildfires Looms Officials in California are concerned about the growing threat of new wildfires, with strong winds expected to worsen conditions across the state. The fires have already claimed at least 24 lives and displaced (流離失所的) more than 100,000 people. Mitch McCann reports: Congo Chinese Citizens Sentenced for Exploiting Mineral Resources Three Chinese citizens have been sentenced to 7 years in prison and ordered to pay $600,000 in fines for illegally exploiting mineral resources in Congo, according to court filings. The ruling marks the first time foreign mineral brokers have been convicted for unauthorized mineral exploitation in the DRC without authorization from Congolese authorities. The defendants were also found guilty of fraud, money laundering and looting (搶劫), after being arrested earlier this month with 10 gold bars and $400-thosuand in cash. It is unclear if they will remain in the eastern city of Bukavu, where they are held, or if they will be transferred elsewhere. Lawyers for the defendants say they intend to appeal, claiming the judgment is unjustified. UK Princess of Wales Reveals Cancer in Remission Britain's Princess of Wales says that her cancer is in remission ((疾病的）緩解期) following a visit to the hospital where she received treatment. In a statement on social media, the princess offered her heartfelt thanks to those who helped her and her husband Prince William. Tuesday's announcement marked the first official update on her condition since September, when Kate said she had completed chemotherapy. The princess still hasn't revealed what type of cancer she was treated for. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 美股開外掛，股價屢屢創新高，好想跟一波，還來得及嗎？ 馬上搜尋009800、中信NASDAQ，美國那斯達克經典濃縮款，產業龍頭All in One！009801、中信美國創新科技，重壓美國科技巨擘，可望駕馭美股多頭！ 哇，太棒了！想讓投資再次偉大，千萬不能錯過！ 10元起步，投資美國頂尖企業，1/13~1/17速洽全台各大證券商。 https://bit.ly/4gMfIti -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 0.6-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,407 on turnover of $6.3-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan closed lower Wednesday as the bellwether electronics sector came under pressure in the wake of heavy losses suffered by tech stocks in the United States overnight. The market opened down as electronics heavyweights, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., slid following a 1.89 percent fall in the tech-heavy Nasdaq index overnight. That weakness continued to the end of the session as last ditch selling sent TSMC to the day's low. iRent Faces Scrutiny Over Data Collection Practices iRent car rental service is under fire for allegedly collecting excessive personal data, including spousal (配偶的) information, and sharing it with affiliated companies. The Highway Bureau has demanded corrections following complaints from the Consumers' Foundation. While iRent says users agreed to share their data, officials found its necessity unclear. The company has promised to stop sharing data within its group for marketing and will revise (修訂) its privacy policy, letting users opt in for data sharing. Inspectors are reviewing if iRent's practices comply with data protection laws. The company must submit evidence by January 17th for further investigation. US LA Battles Wildfires Wildfires are continuing to rage through Los Angeles, with tens of thousands of residents forced to evacuate. At least five people have died so far, with the fires spreading at an unprecedented (史無前例) pace. It's now the largest fire in the city's history. Ira Spitzer reports from LA. Israel Recovers Body of at Least One Hostage Israel's military says troops have recovered the body of another hostage from Gaza. The military said on Wednesday that Yosef AlZayadni's body was recovered in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza. It said it was examining whether a second body was that of another hostage. The men were taken captive (俘虜) during Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel and Hamas have been considering a ceasefire deal that would free the remaining 100 or so hostages and would halt the fighting in Gaza. Israel believes a third of the remaining hostages are dead. However, AlZayadni was believed to still be alive before Wednesday's announcement. Canada Finance Minister on Trump 51st State Comments Canada's finance minister says U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's comments that Canada should become the 51st state are now counter productive. He says Trump was smiling when he made the comment at dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in late November, but the joke is over. Trump has repeatedly floated the idea that Canada should join the United States as the 51st state, saying Tuesday he would not use military force to invade the country, which is home to more than 40 million people and is a founding NATO partner. Instead, Trump said he would rely on “economic force” as he erroneously cast the U.S. trade deficit with Canada as a subsidy (補貼). The U.S. relies on Canada for approximately 60% of its crude oil imports. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states, and is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 好消息！台中東區恊園好宅招租囉！ 1月2號到2月8號開放申請， 歡迎年滿18歲設籍台中，或在台中就業就學的民眾多多申請。 房型多元，有1房、2房、3房， 地點位於進化路與精武路交叉路口。 https://bit.ly/4gKzE00 以上廣告由台中市政府住宅發展工程處提供。 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 86.9-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 22,894 on turnover of $8.4-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan took a beating Tuesday as the bellwether electronics sector came under heavy pressure amid growing angst over United States-China trade ties after Donald Trump becomes U.S. president in January. Contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. led the downturn as investors feared Trump will impose more restrictions on chip shipments to China, sending the Taiex below the 23,000-point mark by the end of the trading session. Celebrity anti-fraud ambassador questioned in fraud investigation A Taiwanese singer who served as an anti-fraud ambassador for the Criminal Investigation Bureau was recently questioned in a fraud investigation, though police have said she is not a suspect. Singer Shara Lin revealed in a video on social media that she had been summoned (被召喚) for questioning by the Chiayi City Police Department, where the alleged fraud victim lived. Chiayi police say Lin was summoned because illicit cash flows from the alleged fraud were connected to her bank account. Lin says the case involved a suspect who had defrauded a victim of tens of thousands of dollars, and then transferred the illicit money into several different accounts, one of which belonged to her friend. Lin did not explain why her friend had received money from the alleged fraudster, but she urged viewers to be aware of potential scams and to use the government's 165 hotline if they have any questions. US Prohibits Airlines from Flying to Haiti The Federal Aviation Administration is prohibiting U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days after gangs shot two planes. The United Nations also said Tuesday that it temporarily (暫時地) suspended flights to the capital, limiting humanitarian aid coming into the country. Bullets hit a Spirit plane when it was about to land Monday in the country's capital, injuring a flight attendant and forcing the airport to shut down. JetBlue and American Airlines said that their planes had also been shot while leaving the airport. The shootings were part of a wave of violence that erupted in Haiti as the country swore in its new prime minister after a politically tumultuous (混亂的) process. US Northeast Fire Warnings A fire warning for much of America's northeast is back in effect, as a major wildfire burns across the border of New York state, and New Jersey. Rainfall has brought little relief (緩和) amid drought-like conditions and high winds. Mitch McCann reports: British Writer Samantha Harvey Wins Booker Prize British writer Samantha Harvey has won the Booker Prize for fiction with “Orbital,” a short novel set aboard the International Space Station. Harvey was awarded the $64-thousand US dollar prize for what she has called a “space pastoral” about six astronauts circling the Earth, which she began writing during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Harvey has written four previous novels and a memoir about insomnia. She is the first British writer since 2020 to win the Booker. Harvey beat five other finalists (入圍者) from Canada, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands, chosen from among 156 novels submitted by publishers. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 高雄美術特區2-4房全新落成，《惟美術》輕軌C22站散步即到家，近鄰青海商圈，卡位明星學區，徜徉萬坪綠海。 住近美術館，擁抱優雅日常，盡現驕傲風範！美術東四路X青海路 07-553-3838

The U.S. government has ordered Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to stop shipping advanced AI chips to Chinese customers to curb China's technological advancements. This move follows the discovery of TSMC chips in Huawei AI processors, raising concerns about export control violations. The decision has significant implications for the global semiconductor industry, affecting supply chains, market dynamics, and international trade relations.

Marketbuzz Podcast with Hormaz Fatakia: Nifty at precarious levels amidst earnings heavy session Welcome to CNBC-TV18's Marketbuzz Podcast, here are top developments ahead of the trading session of October 18 -Until the start of this week, there was a struggle for the Nifty to cross the upper end of this 500-point range of 24,700 - 25,250 that it found itself in. As the week draws to a close on Friday, the Nifty bulls are now struggling to defend the lower end of this range, having closed at the lows it had made on September 9. -The Nifty fell for the third day in a row during its weekly options expiry on Thursday and has now declined in four out of the last five trading sessions. With Thursday's drop, the October 7 low of 24,694 now comes into the picture again and defending that will be the first task for the bulls when the markets open on Friday. - The IT run-up will be tested on Friday after Infosys' results, which did not have any positive surprises either. Besides Infosys, shares of Wipro, LTIMindtree, Polycab, Tata Chemicals and others will also be reacting to their quarterly results that were reported after market hours on Thursday. -Foreign institutions were heavy sellers in the cash market on Thursday and their selling intensity also picked up after tapering off for a few sessions. -Asian equities rose, aided by sharp gains in the shares of AI chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Treasuries steadied after heavy selling on Thursday, when new signs of vigor in the US economy led traders to trim expectations for rate cuts.Shares in Japan climbed, helped along by a weaker yen. Those in China fluctuated while stocks in Australia fell. TSMC jumped as much as 6.3% in opening trade, following a sharp rally Thursday for its US-listed shares driven by strong earnings and an upward revision of its 2024 revenue target. -Stocks to watch: Infosys, Wipro, Axis Bank, LTIMindtree, Polycab, Tata Chemicals, Zomato, Indraprastha Gas -GIFT Nifty was trading at discount of nearly 100 pts from Nifty Futures Thursday close, indicating a gap-down start for the Indian market. Tune in to Marketbuzz Podcast for more cues

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) reports a 54% increase in Q3 net profit. The company estimated its capital spending in the current quarte would more than double to around $11.5 billion and that the budget was likely to increase further next year, as it expects healthy demand for its products.In the closing weeks of the US election, we hear from business-owners...Also, we find out why announced Hong Kong government announced new regulations to phase out subdivided flats smaller than eight square metres.And clocks about to change for many of us - but is there an economic case for ditching daylight saving time?You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

Новости на радио «Русские Эмираты» в Дубае: - Ведущие мировые чипмейкеры Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. и Samsung Electronics Co. рассматривают возможность строительства крупных заводов в Объединенных Арабских Эмиратах, чтобы удовлетворить будущий спрос на чипы для технологий искусственного интеллекта. - В последнее время жители ОАЭ все чаще сталкиваются с необеспеченными банковскими чеками. Одной из причин отказа банка в обработке чека является несоответствие подписи лица, выдавшего чек.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 5.01 points at 22,240.11 Tuesday on turnover of NT$2.54 billion. A rally in the home stretch of Monday's session led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) pulled the Taiex up from the day's low. The financial sector attracted interest on rumors that the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) will agree to a tender offer proposed by CTBC Financial Holding Co. to acquire Shin Kong Financial Holding Co. Taiwan may continue to drift today, with U-S markets closed for the Labor Day weekend. SEMICON Taiwan 2024 opens Wednesday with CEO summit, tech forums More than 20 international forums on leading-edge semiconductor technologies will be held at this year's SEMICON Taiwan, which is expected to draw some 85,000 overseas visitors from 56 countries. Organizers say a round of international forums kick off before the formal opening of the expo, will include the "most eye-catching CEO Summit" that features talks by major figures in the semiconductor industry, Another highlight… an "AI chip talk of the century" among major figures from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, ASE Technology, Samsung Electronics, and Google tomorrow afternoon. This year's expo will feature 16 main themes, including advanced manufacturing, heterogeneous integration, green manufacturing, and semiconductor cybersecurity (網路安全). But the exhibit will also feature be some new areas "such as artificial intelligence (AI), smart mobility, silicon photonics, and precision machinery. Taiwanese firms in Japan to benefit from 'one-stop' service center: Minister Taiwan's economics minister says the government is planning to set up a one-stop service center in Kyushu, Japan to assist Taiwanese companies that are expanding there. Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei says the government-funded service will be "like a science park" that will facilitate the needs of Taiwanese companies on Kyushu island and help them with the logistics (後勤) of establishing businesses there. Kuo did not specify the exact location of the planned office but said it will not be in Kumamoto, the Kyushu prefecture in which Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has a fab and is preparing to build another one. The minister says Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kitakyushu are some of the Kyushu prefectures that have expressed interest in welcoming Taiwanese companies. Britain to suspend sales of some weapons to Israel The U.K. government says it's suspending exports of some weapons to Israel because they could be used to break international law. Here's Foreign Secretary David Lammy Lammy told lawmakers the decision related to about 30 of 350 export licenses to Israel and wasn't an arms embargo (禁令，禁運). The United Kingdom is among a number of Israel's longstanding allies whose governments are under growing pressure to halt weapons exports because of the toll of the nearly 11-month-old war in Gaza. Biden: Netanyahu not doing enough to secure hostage deal Meanwhile… US President Joe Biden says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure (獲得) a hostage deal. It comes after Hamas' killed six hostages, including an American citizen. Nick Harper reports from Washington. < [CLIP] Slug: > Philippines Tropical Storm Yagi A fierce storm is blowing out of the northern Philippines after leaving at least 14 people dead in landslides, floods and swollen waterways. Tropical Storm Yagi swept past Paoay town in Ilocos Norte province into the South China Sea with sustained winds of up to 75 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 125 kph. It was forecast to strengthen into a typhoon as it barrels (飛馳) northwestward over the sea toward southern China. Storm warnings remained in most northern Philippine provinces, where residents were warned of the lingering danger of landslides in rain-soaked mountain villages and floodings in the farming lowlands of the Philippines' most populous region. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

US equity markets rallied following the release of a fresh batch of economic data that eased concerns about the health of the economy and some further robust corporate earnings releases - Dow gained +555-points or +1.39%, rising for the fifth time in six sessions. Cisco Systems Inc jumped +6.8% to be the leading performer in the 30-stock index after the software and networking company posted better-than-expected adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter and outlined a restructuring plan that will see its worldwide workforce shrink by ~7% after the closing bell of the previous session. Intel Corp rose +3.87% despite the Financial Times (FT) reporting that talks with Japan's Softbank Group Corp (+2.16%) to manufacture chips rivalling those made by Nvidia Corp (+4.05%) fell apart in recent months. SoftBank blamed Intel for the collapse of the talks due to its inability to meet demands for volume and speed, and has now held talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (down -0.53%), according to the FT. Boeing Co rose +4.69% after El Al Israel Airlines confirmed a US$2.5B deal to buy up to 31 of the aerospace giant's 737 Max planes. Nike Inc gained +5.07% after Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed a new stake in the company. A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing recorded that the hedge fund investor bought just over 3M shares in the athletic apparel major.The broader S&P500 rallied +1.61% to 5,543.22 and now sits +0.34% higher for August after booking its worst start to a month in eight years. The index also settled ~2.1% below its record closing high of 5,667.2 recorded on 16 July. Consumer Discretionary climbed +3.38% to lead nine of the eleven primary sectors higher following stronger-than-expected retail sales figures for July and strong earnings from sector bellwether Walmart. Ulta Beauty Inc soared +11.17%, with a regulatory filing from Warren Buffett's investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway Inc (up +0.61%) recording that the firm had acquired an ~US$266M stake in the cosmetics retailer. Lithium producer Albemarle Inc rebounded +8.63% after being the worst performer in the broader index on both Monday (August) and Wednesday (August) of this week. Paramount Global jumped +7.14% following multiple reports that media executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. is set to make a bid for the entertainment giant. Last month, Paramount agreed to the terms of a merger with production company Skydance Media after prolonged talks.

• US equity markets rallied following the release of a fresh batch of economic data that eased concerns about the health of the economy and some further robust corporate earnings releases - Dow gained +555-points or +1.39%, rising for the fifth time in six sessions. Cisco Systems Inc jumped +6.8% to be the leading performer in the 30-stock index after the software and networking company posted better-than-expected adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter and outlined a restructuring plan that will see its worldwide workforce shrink by ~7% after the closing bell of the previous session. Intel Corp rose +3.87% despite the Financial Times (FT) reporting that talks with Japan's Softbank Group Corp (+2.16%) to manufacture chips rivalling those made by Nvidia Corp (+4.05%) fell apart in recent months. SoftBank blamed Intel for the collapse of the talks due to its inability to meet demands for volume and speed, and has now held talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (down -0.53%), according to the FT. Boeing Co rose +4.69% after El Al Israel Airlines confirmed a US$2.5B deal to buy up to 31 of the aerospace giant's 737 Max planes. Nike Inc gained +5.07% after Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed a new stake in the company. A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing recorded that the hedge fund investor bought just over 3M shares in the athletic apparel major.

Ben Rains explores where the stock market stands to start Q2 earnings season. The episode then digs into Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM) and Netflix (NFLX) stock ahead of their Q2 earnings releases on July 18 to see if investors should consider buying these two great tech stocks now or wait until the stocks pull back. (0:30) - Stock Market Update: Will The Fed Accomplish A Soft Landing? (3:10) - Should You Buy Taiwan Semiconductor Ahead of Earnings? (10:25) - Will Netflix Continue To Expand Amid Streaming Competition?               Podcast@Zacks.com

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.'Worst floods in decades' hit Kazakhstan and RussiaSummary: Worse than usual seasonal flooding in parts of northern Kazakhstan have led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, and similarly outsized flooding across the border in Russia has halted the operations of an oil refinery in Orsk.Context: This part of the continent often experiences flooding this time of year, but higher than usual volumes of melting snow have amplified these floods so that existing systems and infrastructure that help locals cope with them are insufficient to the task, and officials in both countries are warning that things could get worse in the coming days—more evacuations necessary and more damage caused—though they expect water levels to stabilize sometime around or shortly after April 20.—BBC NewsOne Sentence News is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.TSMC gets $11.6 billion in US grants and loans for three chip fabsSummary: The world's largest computer chip manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, or TSMC, is set to receive about $6.6 billion in grants and up to $5 billion in loans to build three chip fabrication facilities in Arizona, supporting a planned investment of more than $65 billion by TSMC in the region.Context: This is part of a larger collection of grants and loans being divvied out by the US government for chip-related infrastructure, most of which has thus far gone to US-chipmaker Intel, but TSMC is a vital component of the global chip industry, and the majority of its manufacturing capacity is currently located in Taiwan, which has become perceptually precarious of late, due to China's insistence that it will recapture what it perceives to be a portion of its territory in rebellion; there's a political component to this, too, as Arizona is one of the swing states President Biden hopes to secure before this November's election, but this sort of investment is also fundamental to the current US government priority of bringing manufacturing capacity back to the States, rather than relying on China (and other nations) to make all the things US companies design and sell.—BloombergSwiss women win landmark climate case at Europe top human rights courtSummary: The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in favor of a group of Swiss women who alleged the Swiss government had failed to do enough to combat climate change, failing to meet its own emissions-cutting targets, and had thus violated the human rights of its citizens.Context: This group of more than 2,000 Swiss women, all over the age of 64, intended to set a precedent with this case, which very well may happen, though this same court recently rejected two other, similar cases on procedural grounds, so while this could make future, similar cases across the EU easier—including six others with this court that were put on hold, pending this case's ruling—those dismissed cases suggest that this probably won't become a free-for-all, and likely doesn't represent a sure-fire way to achieve climate-related outcomes outside the typical, political path for such things.—ReutersAccording to polls, wealthier, less-populated portions of India are less likely to support Prime Minister Modi than the more densely populated, impoverished north—a portion of the country where his Hindu nationalist messaging seems to be more reliably landing with voters.—Bloomberg80 to 116Acceptable tempo range (in beats per minute) for music, according to a new law established by the Russian republic of Chechnya.This law, according to Chechnya's Minister of Culture, is meant to ensure music conforms to “the Chechen mentality,” and is intended to keep perceptually “Western” music out, as part of a larger, tradition-focused cultural agenda.—SemaforTrust Click Get full access to One Sentence News at onesentencenews.substack.com/subscribe

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has announced its plan to establish a second manufacturing facility in Japan, a move that reflects a significant investment in the country's semiconductor industry, with major backing from Sony and Toyota. This decision is part of a larger strategy to strengthen Japan's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, in response to global demands and geopolitical pressures. TSMC, the world's leading contract chipmaker, is extending its global footprint with this new plant, which, combined with an earlier announced facility, will push its total investment in Japan beyond $20 billion.

A reminder for new readers. That Was The Week collects the best writing on critical issues in tech, startups, and venture capital. I selected the articles because they are of interest. The selections often include things I entirely disagree with. But they express common opinions, or they provoke me to think. The articles are only snippets. Click on the headline to go to the original. I express my point of view in the editorial and the weekly video below.Thanks To This Week's Contributors: @TEDchris, @LilyWhitsitt, @RocketToLulu, @saeedtaji, @geneteare, @EricNewcomer, @jeffbeckervc, @jasonlk, @elonmusk, @benshapiro, @StevenLevy, @apple, @bheater, @bmw, @Growcoot, @illscience, @venturetwins, @omooretweets, @conniechanContents* Editorial: Civility and Civilization* Essays of the Week* US Seed Investment Actually Held Up Pretty Well For The Past 2 Years. Here's What That Means For 2024* Lower Valuations, Higher Bar: What It's Like To Raise A Seed Round In 2024 * Unicorns & Inevitabilities* Sequoia, Founders Fund, USV, Elad Gil & Benchmark Top Venture Manager Survey* Why 2024 May Be Tougher on Venture Capital Than 2023* Video of the Week* The Mac at 40* AI of the Week* BMW will deploy Figure's humanoid robot at South Carolina plant* Google's New AI Video Generator Looks Incredible* OpenAI's Sam Altman seeks funds for AI chip factories as demands surge* The Future of Prosumer: The Rise of “AI Native” Workflows* Andreessen Horowitz's Connie Chan to Leave as Consumer Focus Shifts to AI* OpenAI Is a (Relative) Steal* News Of the Week* Ted fellows resign from organisation after Bill Ackman named as speaker* Tesla's Slowdown Disqualifies It From ‘Magnificent Seven' Group* TikTok's Testing 30 Minute Uploads as It Looks To Expand Its Content Options* Instagram to scan under-18s' messages to protect against ‘inappropriate images'* Tiger Global Investor Relations Staff Depart After Fundraising Challenges* Worldcoin hints at new Orb for a friendlier iris-scanning experience* Startup of the Week* Loyalty Startup Bilt Rewards Hits $3.1B Valuation After $200M Round* X of the Week* Elon Musk visits Auschwitz with Ben ShapiroEditorialThere is a lot to digest in this week's newsletter. Gené Teare's two essays on Seed investing head up the Essays of the Week, along with Jeff Becker talking about unicorns and inevitabilities, Eric Newcomer on who are the top investors and Jason Lemkin on the reasons 2024 might be harder for Venture Capital than 2023.But my attention was distracted from venture capital by a Guardian article announcing (triumphantly, I might add) that several TED fellows had resigned from the organization due to an invite to Bill Ackman to speak at this year's TED event in Vancouver.“Lucianne Walkowicz and Saeed Taji Farouky accuse Ted of taking anti-Palestinian stand over controversial billionaire's inclusion”It seems Ackman is not alone. They also object to Bari Weiss being invited. The leavers are also not alone; up to 30 others have signed a “solidarity” letter.The accusations echo much of the discussion around the medieval assassination of Jews on 7 October and Israel's efforts to defeat Hamas in the aftermath. Because these speakers are against anti-Semitism and so supportive of Israel's war against Hamas, they are accused of the ridiculous claim of supporting “Genocide” against Palestinians.“We refuse for our work and identities to be exploited to promote the Ted brand while the organisation and its speakers generate income and advance their careers through dehumanising Palestinians and justifying their genocide,” the pair said.It probably will not surprise readers of this newsletter that I applaud TED curators Chris Anderson and Lily James Olds for not backing down on the invitations. Whatever one believes about the current conflict in Israel, it is clear that banning opponents of anti-Semitism because of their stance is not a solution to anything. I believe the cause of fighting anti-Semitism should be close to the heart of any progressive person. It is not anti-Palestinian to support Jews against being slaughtered in the street, to oppose anti-Semitism, or to condemn Hamas as anti-Jewish murderers. Supporting Jews against slaughter by Hamas is not incompatible with supporting Palestinians. The Guardian reported that Ackman responded to the resignations with a statement:“I stand unapologetically with Israel and against antisemitism and terrorism, while strongly supporting the Palestinian people. Attempts to cancel speech and eliminate the free and respectful exchange of ideas among people with differing views are driving much of the divisiveness that plagues our nation. Truth, wisdom and ultimately peace are the result of the free exchange of ideas and debate, precisely what Ted is all about. It is sad that this is not more widely understood,”Unsurprisingly, one of the resigners, Farouky, told the Guardian he did not regard the issue as freedom of speech. It clearly IS about freedom of speech. Speech only needs protecting when opinions are wide apart and strongly held.For example, here are my views on the actual issues:These are trying times. Over 25,000 deaths in Gaza are hard to comprehend. And I certainly cannot. But I can understand that Jews have to defend themselves. And I can understand that progressive thinkers MUST stand up to anti-Semitism, whatever form it takes.In case there is doubt about my support for Muslim victims of racism, my book Under Seige is about the attacks on Muslims in the UK between 1961 and 1981. It starts with recognizing that racism targets differences and that Jews and Muslims are both targets. Indeed, the very ghettoes that Pakistani and Bengali immigrants were being attacked in had earlier, in the 1930s, been inhabited by Jewish settlers fleeing pogroms. I am not Jewish, and I am not Muslim. But I will always be on both of their sides when they are attacked for their ethnic and racial origin.In Israel, Jews were killed for being Jews. Palestinians are being killed because Hamas is hiding in their cities and buildings. I do not consider Israel's response to be racist against Palestinians. I consider it reasonable in the context of 7 October. I consider that Hamas has done this to Palestinians and probably wanted that outcome. I am sad that Hamas has done this for the Palestinian victims. But I do not doubt that Hamas is to blame.My views may anger you. But do you want me banned or silenced?My title this week is Civility and Civilization. The TED events bring both to the fore. Like those I write here, opinions are there to be disagreed with, debated, and interrogated. Civilized behavior requires dialogue and civility within the dialogue. I certainly understand opinions I disagree with, and far from banning them or walking away so that I do not have to hear them, I want to hear them. We all should.This is a different editorial than usual. I hope the humanity of refusing to forget 7 October and the determination to preserve the view that fighting anti-Semitism is a non-negotiable minimum requirement of civilization are grasped. By the same token, Islamaphobia must be fought. But in Israel, there is no Islamophobia at work. Jews are simply reacting to an atrocity. They are right to blame Hamas.Essays of the WeekUS Seed Investment Actually Held Up Pretty Well For The Past 2 Years. Here's What That Means For 2024Gené Teare, January 24, 2024, @geneteareEditor's note: This is the first in a two-part series on the state of seed startup investing at the start of 2024. Check back tomorrow for Part 2.Despite a broad pullback in global startup investment over the past two years, investors say the U.S. seed funding environment was the most vibrant compared to other funding stages during the downturn.In fact, U.S. seed funding in 2022 grew by close to 10% in terms of dollars invested, in contrast to a downturn at all other funding stages. In 2023, U.S. seed funding fell 31% — a significant proportion — but still less than other funding stages year over year, an analysis of Crunchbase data shows. (It's also worth noting that those other stages had already experienced year-over-year declines in 2022.)In the current startup funding market, “we're seeing a lot more great talent excited about starting things,” said Renata Quintini, co-founder of Renegade Partners, a Bay Area-based investment firm that focuses on Series A companies and is therefore close to the seed ecosystem.Other investors share that enthusiasm. “Valuations are coming down, more talent is available in the market,” said Michael Cardamone of New York-based seed investor Forum Ventures. “A lot of these companies at seed and Series A are going to scale into what will likely be the next bull market.”Seed trends over the decadeSeed as an asset class, not surprisingly, has grown in the U.S. over the past decade. In 2014 less than $5 billion was invested at seed. At the market peak in 2022, seed investment was more than $16 billion, although it fell to $11.5 billion in 2023.Despite the downturn, seed funding in 2023 was still $2 billion to $3 billion higher in the U.S. than in the pre-pandemic years of 2019 and 2020.Higher bar, pricier rounds, better valuedBut in a tougher market, seed investors are being more selective about which companies they fund.“We're being far more disciplined and patient knowing how hard it is for these companies to get to Series A and beyond,” said Jenny Lefcourt, a general partner at Bay Area-based seed investor Freestyle Capital. “Our bar for conviction is higher than it had been in the heyday where everything was getting funded.”In the slower funding environment, the firm has been investing later at the seed stage, “gravitating toward ‘seed plus' or ‘A minus' — pick your favorite term for it — because I feel like I get to see more risk mitigated. I get to see more data,” she said.Freestyle seeks to have ownership of around 12% to 15% in the companies it backs. “The reason is because of our model,” Lefcourt said. “We are low-volume, high-conviction investors.”And because the firm invests in companies that are pre-Series A, “our reality has been that our valuations have actually been higher in this market, which is not what we would have predicted.“But the data we've seen is, we're not alone in that,” she said.…MoreLower Valuations, Higher Bar: What It's Like To Raise A Seed Round In 2024 Gené Teare, January 25, 2024, @geneteareEditor's note: This is the second in a two-part series on the state of seed startup investing at the start of 2024. Read Part 1, which looked at seed funding trends over the past decade and the median time period between seed and Series A funding, here.Seed funding to startups has grown into its own asset class over the past decade, with round sizes trending larger, and a bigger pool of investors backing these nascent startups. But in the aftermath of 2021's venture funding heyday and subsequent pullback, investors say that while seed funding has held up better than other startup investment stages, these very young startups will see lower valuations and must now clear a much higher bar to get backing.More companies raised seed funding above $1 million in 2021. Those companies — which raised during a record-smashing year for venture funding — are saddled with valuations that could be too high for this current market — even at seed. Many of those startups have been forced to cut costs to extend their runways, and face a tougher sales environment.“You could then be sacrificing growth, which is one of the main levers that Series A investors are looking for,” said Michael Cardamone of New York-based seed investor Forum Ventures.2021 after effectsIn 2021 it was “grow, grow, grow, grow,” said Jenny Lefcourt, a general partner at Bay Area-based seed investor Freestyle Capital. “It's embarrassing to look back on, but that was the game being played.”Investors got sloppy during the boom times, she said. “I think a lot of VCs were thrilled to back you, and then say, ‘we'll figure it out.' ”“The reality is that almost anything that was done then — call it 2021 — was the wrong price,” she said.This led to down rounds, even at seed, though those are generally not viewed negatively like they were in the past, she said.In fact, “when our companies get their down rounds done, it's a sign of it's a good business. It just had the wrong price on it,” she said.While the bar is higher to raise funding these days, “I think it's so much better for a company who gets to start in this environment,” Lefcourt said.Down rounds can actually be a sign of conviction, she said. “None of us would do all the heavy lifting to not only give the company more capital, but recap it, which takes a lot. It's a heavy lift — none of us would do that if we weren't super jazzed about the company. The lazier approach, the easier approach, is to just put it on the note, keep it flat, and be done,” she said.Renata Quintini, co-founder of Renegade Partners, a Bay Area-based investment firm that focuses on Series A companies, is hearing of “more ‘pay-to-play' these days and it's starting to get ugly.” This happens when new investors wipe out the prior investors, and anyone seeking equity needs to pony up into the new funding round.Median and averages climbNonetheless, “seed round valuations haven't dropped a ton from even the peak,” according to Forum Ventures' Cardamone. But, “the bar to raise a seed [round] is a lot higher.”“Most first-time founders especially, and the vast majority of founders generally — they have to get significant traction to be able to raise that same round they used to be able to raise. And a lot fewer of those rounds are happening,” he said.“A priced seed round of $3 million at $15 million [pre-money] is still happening, but you might have to be at $500,000 ARR, to raise that round now. Whereas in 2021, it was the norm to raise that round pre-revenue,” he said.Series A fundings have gotten harder as “companies are going out and raising three seed rounds,” said Cardamone.Based on an analysis of Crunchbase data, median and average seed round sizes in the U.S. have climbed through the past decade.In 2023, median and average raises are not far from the peak of 2022, Crunchbase data shows, and were well above pre-pandemic levels. (However, this will shift downward somewhat as the long tail of seed fundings are retroactively added to the Crunchbase database.)Seed rounds got larger“If I have conviction, we may need them to have more money, cause we know it's going to take them longer to reach the milestones that are now higher,” said Lefcourt.Per an analysis of Crunchbase data, larger seed rounds — those $1 million and above — have increased through the decade.The amount of funding to seed-stage companies below $1 million hasn't budged much, and is a fraction of what it was earlier in the decade.Seed below $1 million in 2014 represented around 25% of all seed funding.That has come down as a proportion every year since then.And as of 2021 that proportion has dipped below 10% for the first time, ranging from 5% to 7% of all seed dollars invested in the U.S. since then.Earlier in the past decade, the number of seed deals in rounds below $1 million outpaced those rounds at $1 million and above significantly.But 2021 was once again a pivotal year. That's when $1 million and above seed rounds outpaced smaller seed for the first time.In 2023, they are neck and neck in count. (That might shift as the long tail of seed rounds are added to the Crunchbase database long after they close.)What this all shows is that seed has become an increasingly significant and elongated phase in a company's early life cycle, where companies are raising multiple million-dollar seed rounds. And as of late, more companies than ever before are wading in the seed pool.What does this mean for the seed funding market in 2024?…MoreUnicorns & InevitabilitiesUp and to the right, or not so much?JEFF BECKER, JAN 22, 2024TLDR: Go read Aileen Lee's update to the Unicorn Club… and a few inevitabilities.Did anyone catch Aileen Lee & Allegra Simon's Welcome Back to the Unicorn Club, 10 Years Later?If not, go read it. That's your MMM.If you did read it, you can't help but wonder if the tech sector isn't going to resemble the public markets over time. Ups and downs, but consistently up and to the right over a long enough period.After all, we are creating leverage in ways we've never seen before.And for unicorns, that meant 14X growth over a 10-year period.Could you imagine another 14 or even 10X from here? That would be stratospheric, from ~500 to ~5,000 unicorns? What if the exit sizes did too? $5B, $10B, $50B?Crazy to think, but hardly impossible. After all, we've already seen near-centicorns like Uber's IPO at $75B in 2019.The interesting part about that thought exercise though is not the crazy zero interest rate IPO's, but the fact that entry valuations didn't and don't move nearly as fast as top end outcomes because of the time horizon to realizing them.For example, Airbnb raised $20K from Y Combinator for 6%, then they took another $600K for 20% in their seed.That was 2009. The idea of an IPO for $47B just 11 years later in 2020 probably wasn't even a consideration. Paul Graham and the YC team would've had to believe Airbnb's IPO could compete with AT&T, General Motors, and Visa.Insane.Fast forward, that $333,333 valuation at YC has moved to $1.78m (125K for 7%), and they'll stack another 2.6% ownership on average from their $375K MFN with the average YC company raising seed at a $14.4m cap instead of Airbnb's $3m.That's a ~5X increase in valuation at pre-seed & seed for a 47X increase in IPO size if you were modeling $1B outcomes into your VC fund model in 2009.I'm not saying that will continue. There are counterforces of course.* Margins are way too high. The fact that software margins have persisted at 80% or more is just craziness. Companies will start to use price more aggressively to compete for market share as cheap AI tools enter the market and try to unseat them. This compression will change the value of discounted cash flow models.* Pricing models need to change. One way to reduce sticker price and maintain some semblance of healthy long-term margins is to pay a smaller implementation fee, but incur ongoing services & upgrade costs. This is a more traditional pricing model, and creative economics that leverage this kind of thinking run rampant in the titans of tech. It's a game of deeper roots, higher switching costs, and long-term contracts. With API calls and data usage more prevalent, we'll also see more pay-per-use models, the same way we buy copiers. We'll also see more pay-for-performance models with attributable ROI, akin to Amazon's ACoS model or Rakuten's affiliate marketing model. Customers will prefer it too, placing a higher emphasis customer value. This will also drive margins to condense.* AI, AI, AI. AI will cut OpEx costs dramatically. SDR teams, gone. Copywriters at agencies, you don't need as many. Data scientists? Just run a query against your data lakes. The list goes on. Costs of running these companies is going to get shellacked. Good for margins for sure, but also a compelling opportunity for newcomers to undercut and unseat incumbents too.* More hardware. With software margins condensing, hardware margins will start to feel more attractive too, the maintenance and upgrade fees will resemble what we see in SaaS, and the software that powers these machines will be incredible. Skynet for autonomous off-road vehicles, absolutely.* Less dilution, earlier exits, and stratification. We already see it in the S&P 500 with the top end accounting for an outsized share of total value. With that kind of cash on balance sheets, bigger companies will just buy the smaller ones. Think about how Broadcom rolls up companies. If you've built the business more efficiently, you've also raised less, incurred less dilution, and that $100m exit when you still own 50% is looking pretty prett-ty good compared to the same outcome 5-10 grueling years later to own 5% of $1B.* Massive founder salaries, less emphasis on growth. If you've built a company that's profitable from day one, and you have complete control of your board, what's your incentive to keep the pedal down on growth, or stay on the VC treadmill? World domination? Why not pay yourself 10X, stop fundraising, and continue to tighten the core business until someone acquires you? It's better for the founding team and employees for sure, and it's probably better for customers in most instances too.These are just some of things I think we'll see over the next five years until we approach ZIRPy-dirpy times again and massive growth becomes irresistible.But there are also a whole slew of things I think are inevitabilities that will benefit from these dynamics because we will not only have new technologies, with more attractive pricing, but we will be tackling new opportunities that were created by the prior evolutions across adjacent industries.For example…* Cost of energy is going to zero with nuclear fusion* Longevity is starting to work; check out Loyal for Dogs* Batteries & cameras continue to improve; medical devices, for one, will be more personal & affordable* Disintermediation of big ad networks with new global distribution channels; check out Benjamin* Massive cost reductions driven by AI* Software will be built by software* An aging population is retiring (10,000 per day); wealth transfer & SMB's with no exit paths* Climate change* …and so on and so on and so onThe list is long. Much longer than this. If you want the rest, just reply or comment so that I know, and I'll go deeper next week.Net of all of it, I think we're going to see a tale of two cities. Stronger, more profitable businesses, with smaller, but better founder founder exits in the near term, and a continued growth both in number of total unicorns, and what that top-end outcomes look like in the longer-term.And like I said, go read Aileen's post.Sequoia, Founders Fund, USV, Elad Gil & Benchmark Top Venture Manager SurveyI got my hands on a VC scorecard circulating among top founders & VCsERIC NEWCOMERJAN 25, 2024Before we get started, I want to be clear — this isn't the end-all, be-all list of the top venture capital firms or the most promising startups.But I got my hands on a survey of 91 people at 69 different venture capital firms conducted by a well-respected investor in venture capital firms.The survey results are spreading hand-to-hand in Silicon Valley. The results of the survey rank the most desirable venture capital firms and companies, according to VCs themselves. When I was out in San Francisco last week for The Information's 10th anniversary gala, sources kept bringing it up.My sources tell me that the survey was conducted by Ed Hutchinson, managing partner at Golden Bell Partners. Hutchinson is ignoring my emails.Which firms and companies would top VCs themselves put their money into? It's a question everyone wants to know the answer to.I've got my hands on their list of favorites:Firms* (1) Sequoia* (2) Founders Fund* (3) Union Square* (4) Elad Gil* (5) Benchmark…Much More (but only for subscribers)Why 2024 May Be Tougher on Venture Capital Than 2023by Jason Lemkin | Blog Posts, Fundraising, ScaleSo I thought the toughest times for venture would be behind us now.  In 2022, we were in free fall, with public market caps falling like a knife, and the IPO markets frozen.  And 2023 was the year of the Work Out in venture.  Bridge rounds slowed down, and VCs acknowledged a lot of portfolio companies just weren't going to make it.  It got real in 2023, and that realness got normalized.  The drama mostly was behind us.  And public SaaS stocks in many cases did really, really well in 2023.  So shouldn't 2024 at least be better for venture?So I thought.But the reality is I'm a bit more worried the venture drama in 2024 will be bigger than 2023.  Why?  Four core reasons:#1:  Now We Have to Deal With the Reality of the Stumbling Unicorns.The ones that are doing $100m+ ARR, still growing, but there just isn't going to be any more money coming.  This is going to burn up a ton of energy in VC funds.  Even tougher, the reality is while many VC funds marked down their unicorns to lower valuations in 2023, they often didn't mark them down enough.#2.  The Chase for AI Unicorns and Decacorns is All-consuming.  It's Still 2021 There.The one place where paper money seems easy to come by is Hot AI Startups.   And that's probably not you.  It's just consuming all the oxygen in venture, trying to get into the next Imaging AI startup worth $1B in 10 months.  In AI, 2021 never went away.  In AI, it's still 2021.#3.  A Lot of Seasoned VCs are Discouraged. This Doesn't Help Founders.A lot of VCs who have been around for a while are quietly discouraged.  They just don't see a great path to making a ton of money in venture these days.  We're in Year 3 of a venture downturn, and that weighs of most of us.  At a practical level, for founders, it makes it harder to lean it.#4.  More Valuation Markdowns Are Still to ComeRelated to the first point, but more markdowns are like mutliple rounds of layoffs.  They're just tough.  LPs lose confidence.  Coworkers lose confidence.  We should have gotten through a lot of this in 2023, but we didn't.  Personally, I've got several investments for example that I marked down. 70%-80% or more — that my co-investors didn't mark down at all.#5.  VCs Have Run out of ReservesVCs used what extra “reserve” capital they had for bridge rounds in 2022 and 2023.  Now it's gone.  That's adds to the stress as companies struggle.  You don't have a play anymore.The bottom line is there likely is at least another full year of working through the excesses of 2021.  That will weigh across venture.  No matter what some AI headlines suggest.Video of the WeekThe Mac at 40Apple Shares the Secret of Why the 40-Year-Old Mac Still RulesThe pioneering PC revolutionized how people interact with computers. As the Mac enters its fifth decade, Apple says it will continue to evolve.STEVEN LEVY, Jan 19, 2024 10:00 AMON JANUARY 24, Apple's Macintosh computer turns 40. Normally that number is an inexorable milestone of middle age. Indeed, in the last reported sales year, Macintosh sales dipped below $30 billion, more than a 25 percent drop from the previous year's $40 billion. But unlike an aging person, Macs now are slimmer, faster, and last much longer before having to recharge.My own relationship with the computer dates back to its beginnings, when I got a prelaunch peek some weeks before its January 1984 launch. I even wrote a book about the Mac—Insanely Great—in which I described it as “the computer that changed everything.” Unlike every other nonfiction subtitle, the hyperbole was justified. The Mac introduced the way all computers would one day work, and the break from controlling a machine with typed commands ushered us into an era that extends to our mobile interactions. It also heralded a focus on design that transformed our devices.That legacy has been long-lasting. For the first half of its existence, the Mac occupied only a slice of the market, even as it inspired so many rivals; now it's a substantial chunk of PC sales. Even within the Apple juggernaut, $30 billion isn't chicken feed! What's more, when people think of PCs these days, many will envision a Macintosh. More often than not, the open laptops populating coffee shops and tech company workstations beam out glowing Apples from their covers. Apple claims that its Macbook Air is the world's best-selling computer model. One 2019 survey reported that more than two-thirds of all college students prefer a Mac. And Apple has relentlessly improved the product, whether with the increasingly slim profile of the iMac or the 22-hour battery life of the Macbook Pro. Moreover, the Mac is still a thing. Chromebooks and Surface PCs come and go, but Apple's creation remains the pinnacle of PC-dom. “It's not a story of nostalgia, or history passing us by,” says Greg “Joz” Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, in a rare on-the-record interview with five Apple executives involved in its Macintosh operation. “The fact we did this for 40 years is unbelievable.”…Much MoreAI of the WeekBMW will deploy Figure's humanoid robot at South Carolina plantBrian Heater @bheater / 3:00 AM PST•January 18, 2024Image Credits: FigureFigure today announced a “commercial agreement” that will bring its first humanoid robot to a BMW manufacturing facility in South Carolina. The Spartanburg plant is BMW's only in the United States. As of 2019, the 8 million-square-foot campus boasted the highest yield among the German manufacturer's factories anywhere in the world.BMW has not disclosed how many Figure 01 models it will deploy initially. Nor do we know precisely what jobs the robot will be tasked with when it starts work. Figure did, however, confirm with TechCrunch that it is beginning with an initial five tasks, which will be rolled out one at a time.While folks in the space have been cavalierly tossing out the term “general purpose” to describe these sorts of systems, it's important to temper expectations and point out that they will all arrive as single- or multi-purpose systems, growing their skillset over time. Figure CEO Brett Adcock likens the approach to an app store — something that Boston Dynamics currently offers with its Spot robot via SDK.Likely initial applications include standard manufacturing tasks such as box moving, pick and place and pallet unloading and loading — basically the sort of repetitive tasks for which factory owners claim to have difficulty retaining human workers. Adcock says that Figure expects to ship its first commercial robot within a year, an ambitious timeline even for a company that prides itself on quick turnaround times.The initial batch of applications will be largely determined by Figure's early partners like BMW. The system will, for instance, likely be working with sheet metal to start. Adcock adds that the company has signed up additional clients, but declined to disclose their names. It seems likely Figure will instead opt to announce each individually to keep the news cycle spinning in the intervening 12 months.Unlike some other humanoid designers (including Agility), Figure is focused on creating a dexterous, human like hand for manipulation. The thinking behind such an end effector is the same that's driving many toward the humanoid form factor in the first place: Namely, we've designed our workspaces with us in mind. Adcock alludes to Figure 01 being tasked with an initial set of jobs that require high dexterity.As for the importance of legs, the executive suggests that their importance for maneuvering during certain tasks is as — or more — important than things like walking up stairs and over uneven terrain, which tend to get most of the love during these conversations.…MoreGoogle's New AI Video Generator Looks IncredibleJAN 25, 2024MATT GROWCOOTGoogle has announced Lumiere: an AI video generator that looks to be one of the most advanced text-to-video models yet.The name Lumiere is seemingly a nod to the Lumiere brothers who are credited with putting on the first ever cinema showing in 1895. Just as motion picture was cutting-edge technology at the end of the 19th century, the Lumiere name is once more being associated with something new and original.The demo of Lumiere that Google put out focuses firmly on animals. The model can generate a scene using just text; much the same way AI image generators work, the user can dream up any scenario they would like to see a short video clip of.However, the user can also use an image as a prompt. Google provided multiple examples: including some that are real photos such as Joe Rosenthal's iconic Raising the Flag photo; “Soldiers raising the united states flag on a windy day” saw one of the 20th-centuries most recognizable photos suddently come to life as the soliders struggle with the flag that's being affected by gusts.Also in Lumiere is a “Video Stylization” setting which allows users to upload a source video and then ask the generative AI model for various element changes. For example, a person running may be suddenly turned into a toy made of colorful bricks.Another feature Google showed off is “Cinemagraphs”, where just a section of an image is animated while the rest stays still. “Video Inpainting” is included too which involves masking part of the image so that section can be changed to the user's desire.Space-Time Diffusion ModelLumiere is powered by “Space-Time U-Net architecture that generates the entire temporal duration of the video at once, through a single pass in the model.”This difficult-to-understand concept is apparently in contrast to existing video models which “synthesize distant keyframes followed by temporal super-resolution — an approach that inherently makes global temporal consistency difficult to achieve.”…Much MoreOpenAI's Sam Altman seeks funds for AI chip factories as demands surgeOpenAI CEO Sam Altman has opened discussions with global investors over the possibility of funding a network of artificial intelligence (AI) chip factories to keep pace with soaring demand.Altman is seeking around $8 billion to $10 billion worth of funds to set up several AI chip fabrication plants around the globe, an endeavor that will require synergy between leading chip manufacturers backed by investment giants.Altman is reportedly in talks with Japanese-based financial giant SoftBank Group (NASDAQ: SFTBF) and Abu Dhabi's G42 over funding plans, but details remain sparse. The discussions with G42 have been underway since 2023, with Altman describing a potential chip partnership as laying the foundation “for equitable advancements in generative AI across the globe.”Aside from SoftBank and G42, insiders say that Altman is still pursuing collaborations with other industry players to set up a network of chip fabrication plants. Although exact entities were not namechecked, industry experts are noting Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), Samsung Electronics, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NASDAQ: TSM) as potential partners.Altman's approach to raising funds hinges on concerns that the chip supply will not be able to meet global demands for AI offerings by 2030. The OpenAI's CEO argues that the ideal solution will be a collaborative effort to set up chip manufacturing plants rather than build in silos.OpenAI has had its fair share of chip scarcity, rolling back a number of its offerings over a steady chip supply. To meet the rising demand, the company is reportedly mulling several options, including the prospect of building its chips from scratch and joining ranks with Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) to explore an in-house solution.Given the costs associated with an in-house approach, OpenAI may pursue the acquisition of a chip manufacturer as a short-term solution or expand its collaboration with existing partners. However, a potential acquisition opens its own can of worms, including an inquiry by antitrust regulators.Governments are also involvedIn 2023, Altman urged the South Korean government to double their investments in AI chip manufacturing as a veritable strategy to play a leading role in the nascent ecosystem. Currently, South Korea ranks behind the U.S., China, and Japan in chip manufacturing, but a concerted government involvement could see the country climb up the charts.The OpenAI boss disclosed during his visit to South Korea that his firm will back local entities building chips for AI and other emerging technologies, with Samsung rumored to be in top position.“We are exploring how to increase our investment in Korean startups,” said Altman. “We are excited to meet as many as we can here today. I think this type of collaboration is essential to our work.”..MoreThe Future of Prosumer: The Rise of “AI Native” WorkflowsAnish Acharya, Justine Moore, and Olivia MoorePosted January 25, 2024Few people love the software they use to get things done. And it's no surprise why. Whether it's a slide deck builder, a video editor, or a photo enhancer, today's work tools were conceived decades ago — and it shows! Even best-in-class products often feel either too inflexible and unsophisticated to do real work, or have steep, inaccessible learning curves (we're looking at you, Adobe InDesign). Generative AI offers founders an opportunity to completely reinvent workflows — and will spawn a new cohort of companies that are not just AI-augmented, but fully AI-native. These companies will start from scratch with the technology we have now, and build new products around the generation, editing, and composition capabilities that are uniquely possible due to AI. On the most surface level, we believe AI will help users do their existing work more efficiently. AI-native platforms will “up level” user interactions with software, allowing them to delegate lower skill tasks to an AI assistant and spend their time on higher-level thinking. This applies not only to traditional office workers, but to small business owners, freelancers, creators, and artists — who arguably have even more complex demands on their time. But AI will also help users unlock completely new skill sets, on both a technical and an aesthetic level. We've already seen this with products like Midjourney and ChatGPT's Code Interpreter. Everyone can now be a programmer, a producer, a designer, or a musician, shrinking the gap between creativity and craft. With access to professional-grade yet consumer-friendly products with AI-powered workflows, everyone can be a part of a new generation of “prosumers.”In this piece, we aim to highlight the features of today's — and tomorrow's — most successful Gen AI-native workflows, as well as hypothesize about how we see these products evolving.What Will GenAI Native Prosumer Products Look Like?All products with Gen AI-native workflows will share one crucial trait: translating cutting-edge models into an accessible, effective UI.Users of workflow tools typically don't care what infrastructure is behind a product; they care about how it helps them! While the technological leaps we've made with Generative AI are amazing, successful products will importantly still start from a deep understanding of the user and their pain points. What can be abstracted away with AI? Where are the key “decision points” that need approval, if any? And where are the highest points of leverage? There are a few key features we believe products in this category will have: * Generation tools that kill the “blank page” problem. The earliest and most obvious consumer AI use cases have come from translating a natural language prompt into a media output — e.g., image, video, and text generators. The same will be true in prosumer. These tools might help transform true “blank pages” (e.g., a text prompt to slide deck), or take incremental assets (e.g., a sketch or an outline) and turn them into a more fleshed-out product.Some companies will do this via a proprietary model, while others may mix or stitch together multiple models (open source, proprietary, or via API) behind the scenes. One example here is Vizcom's rendering tool. Users can input a text prompt, sketch, or 3D model, and instantly get a photorealistic rendering to further iterate on.Another example is Durable's website builder product, which the company says has been used to generate more than 6 million sites so far. Users input their company name, segment, and location, and Durable will spit out a site for them to customize. As LLMs get more powerful, we expect to see products like Durable pull real information about your business from elsewhere on the internet and social media — the history, team, reviews, logos, etc. — and generate an even more sophisticated output from just one generation. * Multimodal (and multimedia!) combinations. Many creative projects require more than one type of content. For example, you may want to combine an image with text, music with video, or an animation with a voiceover. As of now, there isn't one model that can generate all of these asset types. This creates an opportunity for workflow products which allow users to generate, refine, and stitch different content types in one place.…MoreAndreessen Horowitz's Connie Chan to Leave as Consumer Focus Shifts to AIBy Kate Clark, Erin Woo and Cory WeinbergJan 23, 2024, 7:22am PSTFor years, partners at Andreessen Horowitz proclaimed they would scour the startup world for the next big consumer marketplace like Airbnb or the next hit consumer app out of China, areas in which the firm had unique expertise. Now, it's shifting toward an area more en vogue across venture capital: consumer apps powered by artificial intelligence.Those changes are happening amid an overhaul of its consumer team. Connie Chan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz who formerly led a team of consumer investors and was known for spotting internet trends coming from China, said she is leaving the firm.  She may raise her own fund, a person familiar with the matter said. Anish Acharya, a general partner at the firm who invested in enterprise-focused and financial technology businesses, now leads the consumer team, said people familiar with the change.Chan's move also follows a distancing by U.S. VC firms from investments in China tech, once a hotbed for U.S.  investors. In recent months, Chan has privately said it's becoming more difficult for her to work at Andreessen Horowitz because the partners have been increasingly disinterested in anything China related, another person said.The Takeaway• Fintech-focused GP Anish Acharya leading consumer deals• Consumer GP Connie Chan is leaving the firm• Consumer partner Anne Lee Skates left to start own fundThe changes are part of a broader personnel shakeup, including the decision by senior consumer investor and Airbnb board member Jeff Jordan to step back from making new investments last year. Of the four general partners that led the firm through a consumer deal blitz, none remain on the consumer team.Meanwhile, Anne Lee Skates, a consumer partner who worked on the firm's investment in live shopping app WhatNot, left in the fall to raise her own fund, according to two people familiar with the matter. Axios first reported that Chan was leaving the firm.The Andreessen Horowitz changes are emblematic of a broader VC industry gravitation toward AI and away from once-hot sectors like consumer marketplaces and financial technology, as a spike in interest rates undercut the growth aspirations of startups trying to elbow out incumbent social platforms and banking institutions.“We've gotten into this cycle now where, generally speaking, investors are less interested in consumer,” said Ben Lerer, managing partner at Lerer Hippeau. Known for its consumer investments in Warby Parker and Allbirds, the firm has invested 70% of its latest fund in enterprise companies, he said. “And AI feels like this very hopeful, very exciting, fresh thing.”Founders of some consumer startups have noticed the shift at Andreessen Horowitz. One founder of a consumer startup in the firm's portfolio said they had heard little from investment partners over the last year, a contrast to a steady drumbeat of emails the founder got in prior years from Andreessen staff who support portfolio companies with marketing and operations advice.Andreessen Horowitz's consumer investing team has been perhaps most well known for its focus on backing digital marketplaces, from peer-to-peer self-storage to real estate investment marketplaces, that could turn into the next Airbnb. Every year, it releases a ranking of top marketplace startups. “We are obsessed with marketplaces and have been since our inception,” Chan, who led investments in  social fashion startup Cider for the firm in 2021.But some of those startups backed by the firm, such as self-storage startup Neighbor, have struggled to take off in recent years. And like other venture firms, Andreessen Horowitz has also stepped back from investing in Chinese startups, an area of focus for Chan. She had championed the idea that the next wave of breakout U.S. consumer startups will model themselves after China's internet success stories, like all-in-one app WeChat.With $53 billion in assets under management, Andreessen Horowitz is one of the largest of traditional Silicon Valley firms and closely watched among other VC firms as a trend setter. And its track record of sniffing out hitmakers primed its partners to find the next trendy consumer app.The number of consumer deals Andreessen Horowitz has led dropped to 13 last year from 30 in 2021, a record for the firm, according to PitchBook data. It's possible the firm completed more consumer deals and that those investments haven't been announced. Its investments in AI companies have jumped to 23 from nine over the same years, including leading a $415 million investment in Mistral, the French developer of an open-source large language model.The firm has beefed up this team of investors primarily focused on enterprise, software infrastructure and AI startups. Led by Martin Casado, a close confidante to the firm's founders Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, it is raising its first standalone fund and has brought on two new general partners, Anjney Midha and Zane Lackey, since 2022, as well as a number of junior partners.As the infrastructure team gained power, the consumer team's profile shrank. The firm in 2023 combined its consumer and fintech teams and created a new group, called apps, led by general partner Alex Rampell, who previously co-founded installment lender Affirm, The Information reported last year. Under Rampell's leadership, the newly formed apps team will also soon launch a dedicated apps fund, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The consolidated team has been encouraged to pursue AI deals.Within Rampell's apps group, Acharya now leads the consumer sub-group. His portfolio of companies includes payroll company Deel and Silo, a provider of supply chain automation software. He's also an investor in Titan, a consumer investment application.Fueling the firm's shift away from consumer apps are likely disappointing returns. The startups that captivated consumers during the pandemic shutdowns have failed to retain their attention. Growth at companies the consumer team bet on, like Clubhouse, which Andreessen Horowitz backed three times in one year, and photo-sharing app BeReal, which it backed in 2021, has stalled.…MoreOpenAI Is a (Relative) StealBy Stephanie PalazzoloJan 22, 2024, 7:35am PSTOver the past year, we've seen billions in funding thrown at AI startups at eye-popping valuations. More important than the absolute valuation figures, though, is how they stack up to those startups' revenue numbers.In the chart above, we've tracked the valuations of eight AI startups that have recently raised funding, calculated against their projected revenue. On average, these companies raised money at a price that is 83 times their projected sales for the next twelve months. That's a big multiple by any measure, reflecting the rocket ship nature of these startups. But what makes the comparison noteworthy is that OpenAI has one of the lowest multiples, even though its business has the most traction.Venture capitalists tend to value early-stage startups at a premium based on their growth rates. OpenAI's business is far bigger and more mature—if we can use that word for a company growing as fast as OpenAI—than other generative AI companies. So, as fast as its revenue pace is growing—more than 20% in just two months most recently—newer firms are growing even faster.For instance, AI-powered search engine Perplexity AI doubled its annual recurring revenue from $3 million to $6 million from October to January. VCs were likely taking that expected growth into account at the time of investment, as the company would have garnered a much lower 75-times forward revenue multiple if it had raised at the same price just a few months later. Similarly, even though OpenAI rival Anthropic was likely generating around $200 million in annualized revenue at the end of last year (according to its October estimates), its projection that it would reach $850 million in annualized revenue by the end of this year surely made its mind-boggling valuation more palatable to investors.When you see the details of these AI startup funding rounds, it can sometimes feel like investors are throwing darts at nine-figure numbers on a wall. The chart suggests there's a method to the madness. Typically, startups selling to companies are valued based on the sector in which they operate. The lowest valuation multiples are accorded to startups offering industry-specific applications, while those offering more generalized applications draw a premium. The most highly valued firms are often infrastructure startups, which create the tools that developers use to build these apps. This order stems from how big the target market of these startups are, ranging from a specific industry (like healthcare or education) to all developers. We can see that general order reflected in burgeoning AI startups. For instance, Harvey, which sells an AI application for lawyers, has one of the lower multiples, while broader-reaching companies like Glean and VAST Data land higher multiples.It seems like investors aren't quite sure yet where model developers like OpenAI and Anthropic fall on this spectrum. Their costs are very different from a typical software startup due to how much computing power they need, and many investors are still worried that closed-source model developers may be overtaken by their cheaper, open-source counterparts.…MoreNews Of the WeekTed fellows resign from organisation after Bill Ackman named as speakerLucianne Walkowicz and Saeed Taji Farouky accuse Ted of taking anti-Palestinian stand over controversial billionaire's inclusionChris McGrealThe Ted organisation has been hit with resignations and criticisms after naming the controversial activist billionaire Bill Ackman, who was instrumental in forcing out Harvard's president over antisemitism allegations, among its main speakers at this year's conference.Four Ted fellows, led by the astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz and the filmmaker Saeed Taji Farouky, resigned from the group on Wednesday, accusing it of taking an anti-Palestinian stand and aligning itself “with enablers and supporters of genocide” in Gaza.“2024 main stage speaker Bill Ackman has defended Israel's genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people and has cynically weaponised antisemitism in his programme to purge American universities of Pro-Palestinian freedom of speech,” the pair wrote to Chris Anderson, who leads Ted, and Lily James Olds, director of the fellows programme.“We've become increasingly concerned about the fundamental values and moral compass of the organisation over the years, but with this year's speaker selection, it is clear Ted has crossed a red line.”The conference will be held in Vancouver, Canada, in April, under the banner The Brave and the Brilliant”. The theme of Ackman's talk has not been revealed but his selection was announced last week after he was accused of using his money and influence to help force Claudine Gay's resignation as Harvard's president following her disastrous appearance before Congress in December when she was questioned about on-campus antisemitism during the Israel-Gaza war.Ackman has taken stridently pro-Israel positions, including justifying the scale of the attacks on Gaza in which more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, and the forced removal of about 2 million Palestinians from their homes. He has described criticism of Israel as antisemitism and called for the blacklisting from employment of American students who signed petitions denouncing the offensive in Gaza in the wake of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.Farouky and Walkowicz's resignation letter noted that other speakers announced by Ted include the journalist Bari Weiss, who they describe as having “a long, sordid, and well-documented history of anti-Palestinian speech”, but that there are no Palestinians in the line-up.“We refuse for our work and identities to be exploited to promote the Ted brand while the organisation and its speakers generate income and advance their careers through dehumanising Palestinians and justifying their genocide,” the pair said.After the resignation letter was published, two other fellows – the entrepreneur Ayah Bdeir and cosmologist Renée Hlozek – also quit. Nearly 30 others added their names “in solidarity” without leaving Ted.…MoreTesla's Slowdown Disqualifies It From ‘Magnificent Seven' GroupBy Martin Peers, Jan 24, 2024, 5:00pm PSTStock market pundits may want to come up with a new name for the big tech stocks driving the overall market. The “magnificent seven” descriptor—referring to Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Nvidia and Tesla—no longer seems to make much sense. I'd like to suggest that's because none of the company CEOs look like cowboy gunslingers from the 1960 movie that made the phrase famous. It's hard to imagine Steve McQueen playing Tim Cook or Andy Jassy, for instance (although Yul Brynner admittedly could have filled the role of horseback-riding Jeff Bezos).The real reason the moniker no longer works, however, is that at least one member of the group, Tesla, has had anything but a magnificent 2024 so far, and its fourth-quarter earnings report, released Wednesday, only made things worse. Before Tesla reported earnings tonight, its stock had fallen 16% so far this year, and it tumbled another 3% after hours to around $200 a share. This isn't a reaction to CEO Elon Musk's antics, which include asking for a bunch more stock, although that surely doesn't help. The stock decline reflects the slowdown in sales suffered by Tesla, which observers attribute to increased competition and a loss of government incentives. Automotive revenues, which make up the bulk of Tesla's top line, grew just 1% in the fourth quarter—down from 18% in the first quarter.In its outlook for this year issued today, the company said its growth in the volume of car sales would be lower than in 2023, and noted that its team is working on its “next-generation vehicle.” Meantime, expenses have been skyrocketing, eroding its profit margin. But our less-than-rigorous takedown of the magnificent seven branding isn't just about Tesla. If you look at the year-to-date performance of big tech stocks, or even their 2023 performance, you can see that just two tech stocks have roared this year. One is Nvidia, which is in a class of its own: up 27% since Jan. 1, thanks to its stranglehold on the specialized chips used in artificial intelligence. The other is Meta Platforms, which is up nearly 13%, reflecting confidence in its ad business.  In comparison, Microsoft and Alphabet are each up around 8%, likely thanks to expectations that AI will lift their businesses, while Apple and Amazon lag behind with year-to-date stock price rises of less than 5% each. Instead of the magnificent seven, it might be more appropriate to refer to the group as Nvidia, Meta and the humble five.… MoreTikTok's Testing 30 Minute Uploads as It Looks To Expand Its Content OptionsBy Andrew Hutchinson Content and Social Media ManagerThe next stage of TikTok is coming, with some users now seeing the option to upload 30 minute long videos in the app.As you can see in this example, shared by social media expert Matt Navarra, TikTok's currently testing the new 30 minute upload option in the beta version of the app.Which, if you've been paying attention, is not really any big surprise.TikTok has been steadily increasing its maximum post limit for years, with the platform originally starting at 15 seconds per clip, which was then extended to 60 seconds, then 3 minutes, then 5 minutes, before rising to 10 minutes in 2022.Last October, TikTok began experimenting with 15 minute uploads, so the trend towards longer clips isn't new.Though 30 minutes is likely the upper limit, based on the Chinese version of the app. Douyin, which is TikTok in China, expanded its upload limit to 30 minutes per clip in 2022, and it hasn't gone any further as yet.And presumably, Douyin has also seen good response to this longer time limit, which is why TikTok is now looking to implement the same, though it does seem like a long time to be watching a TikTok clip in-stream.Will users really warm to TV show length clips in the app?…MoreInstagram to scan under-18s' messages to protect against ‘inappropriate images'Feature will work even on encrypted messages, suggesting platform plans to implement client-side scanningAlex Hern and Dan MilmoInstagram will begin scanning messages sent to and from under-18s to protect them from “inappropriate images”, Meta has announced.The feature, being kept under wraps until later this year, would work even on encrypted messages, a spokesperson said, suggesting the company intends to implement a so-called client-side scanning service for the first time.But the update will not meet controversial demands for inappropriate messages to be reported back to Instagram servers.Instead, only a user's personal device will ever know whether or not a message has been filtered out, leading to criticism of the promise as another example of the company “grading its own homework”.“We're planning to launch a new feature designed to help protect teens from seeing unwanted and potentially inappropriate images in their messages from people they're already connected to,” the company said in a blogpost, “and to discourage them from sending these types of images themselves. We'll have more to share on this feature, which will also work in encrypted chats, later this year.”…Much MoreTiger Global Investor Relations Staff Depart After Fundraising ChallengesBy Francesca Friday and Maria HeeterJan 24, 2024, 4:46pm PSTSeveral Tiger Global Management employees focused on raising capital for the New York firm's venture funds have taken buyout offers, according to a person familiar with the matter. The departures of the staff, who worked with prospective investors, come as the firm has struggled to raise money for its latest venture capital fund after a collapse in startup valuations soured its paper returns for earlier funds.As of the second quarter of 2023, a $12.7 billion fund that Tiger started making investments from in October 2021 had a paper loss of 18%, calculated as an annualized return net of management fees, according to internal data distributed to investors in the fund. That's a slight improvement from six months earlier, when the 2021 fund showed a loss of 20%. The fund's performance is in the bottom quartile of funds started that year, the document said, and has also lagged the S&P 500's annualized net return in the same period.The Takeaway• Tiger employee buyouts are the latest example of VC cost-cutting• Tiger's $12.7 billion had lost 18% on paper as of June* Tiger could soon show a $350 million gain from OpenAI stakeAs of June 30, 2023, the $12.7 billion fund hadn't returned any cash to investors, which isn't unusual for such a young fund. But the paper losses are closely guarded secrets that reflect the kind of write-downs other venture firms have been making over the past two years as tech valuations have fallen.It isn't clear how big Tiger's investor relations team is, but the departures are the latest example of belt-tightening across the venture industry. Firms are raising smaller funds and striking fewer deals, reducing the need for sprawling support staff—including those who help firms raise money from pension funds and endowments...MoreWorldcoin hints at new Orb for a friendlier iris-scanning experienceby Vivian NguyenThe next-gen device will feature various colors and shapes to enhance its visual appeal.Worldcoin, an iris biometric crypto project, is set to launch a new Orb that aims to offer a more user-friendly iris-scanning experience, said Alex Blania, CEO and co-founder of Tools for Humanity, the developer behind the project, in an exclusive interview with TechCrunch today.“The next Orb will roll out in the first half of this year and will feature alternative colors and form factors in an effort to look ‘much more friendly,'” Blania explained. “Overall, it is going to look way more tuned down and similar to an Apple product.”Blania acknowledges that the initial design of the Orb predated his time at the company. “The new orb is coming and the next iterations will look quite different,” he remarked during a fireside chat at a recent StrictlyVC event, signaling a departure from the current, more controversial design.The goal of Worldcoin, as described by Blania, is to reach billions of users as fast as possible.“The thesis is very simple. We race toward billions of users as fast as we possibly can,” said Blania.Founded by Blania, Sam Altman, and Max Novendstern, Tools for Humanity has raised around $250 million from prominent investors like a16z and Bain Capital Crypto, among others. The project is famous for its unique Orb device designed to scan people's irises and assign them a “World ID,” granting access to Worldcoin's application and a digital passport. Worldcoin's vision is to authenticate individual identities and prevent the creation of multiple accounts.The current design of the Orb has been a topic of much debate due to its intimidating look, similar to a prop from a sci-fi movie, according to Blania. The company has also faced criticism for its beta testing approaches in developing economies and concerns over privacy and data security.Despite some skepticism, the Orb has seen practical use. At the StrictlyVC event in downtown San Francisco, a Tools for Humanity employee reported that a “couple dozen” attendees scanned their iris to receive a World ID. There has also been “field testing” of the new Orb design.…MoreStartup of the WeekLoyalty Startup Bilt Rewards Hits $3.1B Valuation After $200M RoundChris MetinkoJanuary 24, 2024Bilt Rewards, a loyalty rewards startup, raised a $200 million round led by General Catalyst at a $3.1 billion valuation — more than double the number after its last fundraising in 2022.The round also included participation from Eldridge Industries, Left Lane Capital, Camber Creek and Prosus Ventures.The New York-based startup allows consumers to earn rewards on the rent they pay. Bilt plans to use some of the proceeds to expand its network to include local dining, grocery stores, ridesharing and other retail purchases.“We're not just building a loyalty program; we're creating a community-centric ecosystem that benefits everyone from renters to local businesses,” said founder and CEO Ankur Jain.The company also appointed some big names to roles in the company. Bilt named Ken Chenault, former chairman and CEO of American Express, as its chairman, and Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, as an independent director.Big moneyThe company reported its annualized member spend is nearing $20 billion. It also became profitable on an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization basis last year.Those metrics must have impressed investors, as Bilt has seen its valuation shoot up after raising a $150 million Series B at a pre-money valuation of $1.4 billion in October 2022. Founded in 2021, the company has raised a total of $413 million, per Crunchbase.Last year was a slow go for loyalty startups. Such companies raised only $74 million, per Crunchbase data. However in 2022, loyalty startups raised more than a half-billion dollars thanks to big raises that included Bilt's Series B and Madison, Wisconsin-based Fetch's $240 million Series E.With this fundraise, things are looking up for loyalty startups again.X of the Week This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatwastheweek.substack.com/subscribe

Magnificent 7 & Tech Stocks – Wealth for Life AZ TRT S05 EP03 (218) 1-21-2024   What We Learned This Week: Magnificent 7 - new hottest tech stocks all should own: FB, APPL, AMZN, NVDA, TSLA, MSFT, GOOG FAANG Stocks - *past hot list: FB, Apple, Amazon, Netflix & Google Top Tech Stocks were 30% of the S&P Index Weighted Average Tech Stocks - AI, Cloud, Chips Zombie Co‘s - too much debt service, no growth Interest Rates - how this affects stock prices   Co-Host: Denver Nowicz, President - Wealth For Life   https://wealthforlife.net/brt/ https://twitter.com/denvernowicz  Denver is an advisor with nearly 20 years experience working with clients in investments and insurance, designing retirement plans with a combo of both. He takes us through different strategies for clients to get the best allocations for their money over the long term. It is the Combo Strategy of both Offense and Defense, the synergy of the mix, not ‘All or Nothing'.         Notes: Here are some reference notes for the topics about the market being discussed in this podcast.   Indexes – over the last year Dow - 38K, up from 33K Jan. 2023 – up 12% S&P - 4900, up from 4000 Jan. 2023 – up 18%+ NASDAQ – 17.5K, up from 11.9K Jan. 2023 – up 30%+     Top 25 Components by Market Cap by Investopedia Because the exact weightings of the top 25 components are not available from S&P directly, the weightings below are from the SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (SPY). SPY is the oldest exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the S&P 500 and holds $406.6 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of Sept. 20, 2023, and is highly traded.9 As a result, the SPY's portfolio weightings provide a good proxy for investing in the underlying S&P 500 index, although the two may not be exactly the same. As of Sept. 21, 2023, the following are the 25 largest S&P 500 index constituents by weight: Top10 = est. 30% of S&P Apple (AAPL): 7.05% Microsoft (MSFT): 6.54% Amazon (AMZN): 3.24% NVIDIA (NVDA): 2.79% Alphabet Class A (GOOGL): 2.13% Tesla (TSLA): 1.95% Alphabet Class C (GOOG): 1.83% Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B): 1.83% Meta (META), formerly Facebook, Class A: 1.81% UnitedHealth Group (UNH): 1.28%   Magnificent Seven Stocks Performance – from Investors.com Company Name Symbol 2023 YTD Performance Alphabet (GOOGL) +50% Amazon (AMZN) +79% Apple (AAPL) +52% Meta Platforms (META) +178% Microsoft (MSFT) +55% Nvidia (NVDA) +235% Tesla (TSLA) +106% Dubbed the Magnificent Seven stocks, Apple, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Amazon.com, Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Tesla lived up to their name in 2023 with big gains. The Magnificent Seven stocks are among the best stocks to buy and watch in the stock market today.s Ali Coram Justin Niel Due to their outsized market capitalizations, Magnificent Seven stocks hold a disproportionate influence on the market-cap weighted Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 indexes.     What are FAANG Stocks? – from Corporate Finance Institute FAANG stocks are the publicly traded stocks of U.S. technology giants Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google. They are among the best-performing technology and most well-known companies in the world. Currently, the combined market value of FAANG exceeds $3 trillion. It accounts for almost 10% of the U.S. stock market's total market capitalization of $31 trillion. The price movement of FAANG stocks impacts the entire market, affecting even investors who do not own FAANG stocks. All the companies are traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market. In addition, the FAANG stocks are part of the S&P 500 Index, which includes the 500 largest publicly-traded companies by market capitalization traded on the NYSE or NASDAQ.   Tech Stock examples by field –   AI Stocks Nvidia - NVDA Cisco - CSCO Arista Networks - ANET Google - GOOG Microsoft - MFST Amazon - AMZN Cloudfare NET Broadcom - AVGO Palantir - PLTR     Chip – Semi Stocks (from money.usnes.com) SEMICONDUCTOR STOCK IMPLIED UPSIDE AS OF JAN. 9 CLOSING PRICE NXP Semiconductors NV (NXPI) 22.8% Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) 14.4% Monolithic Power Systems Inc. (MPWR) 26.3% Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM) 9.9% Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) 21.7% ON Semiconductor Corp. (ON) 42.8% Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) 8.5%     Cybersecurity Stocks - via Investors.com HACK – ETF of Cybersecurity Stocks Crowdstrike - CRWD Palo Alto - PANW Fortinet - FTNT Zscaler - ZS Checkpoint - CHKP Cisco - CSCO   More from Investors.com: HERE     'Zombie' Companies already make up 11.5% of U.S. listed stocks Provided by Morningstart via Dow Jones Oct 31, 2023  By Joy Wiltermuth   Investors should brace for more bankruptcies About 11.5% of listed U.S. stocks already belong to a large network of "zombie" companies that have consistently earned less than they owe in interest costs, according to a tally from Glenmede. While that might not sound ideal, higher bond yields or a recession could make a potentially ugly situation for investors even worse. "The combination of rising borrowing costs and heightened recession risks could begin to tip zombie companies into bankruptcy," a team led by Jason Pride, chief of investment strategy and research at Glenmede, wrote in a Tuesday client note. Stocks, unlike bonds, often are at risk of seeing their entire value wiped out if a company files for bankruptcy. Recessions also tend to shake out smaller and weaker companies with high debt loads, in part because funding from Wall Street can dry up. The Glenmede strategy team arrived at their zombie figure by looking at the share of companies in the Russell 3000 index RUA whose earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization didn't meet their interest costs in the past three years. While off peak levels in the wake of the pandemic, the chart suggests an elevated risk of public U.S. companies vulnerable to collapse.       Dogs of the Dow – from NASDAQ.com The 2024 Dogs of the Dow STOCK DIVIDEND YIELD RANK IN 2023 Walgreens 7.21% 4 Verizon 7.13% 1 3M 5.52% 5 Dow Inc. 5.03% 2 IBM 4.06% 6 Chevron 3.98% 9 Amgen 3.14% 7 Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) 3.13% - Cisco Systems 3.09% 8 Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) 3.04% -   Data source: DogsoftheDow.com   The basics of the Dogs of the Dow strategy Many investors love the Dogs of the Dow because it's so easy to follow. All you have to do is look which 10 stocks among the 30 Dow Jones Industrials components have the highest dividend yield on the last day of the year. Then, invest an equal amount in each of those 10 top-yielding stocks, and hold those investments through the end of the subsequent year. When the end of the year comes, you can either abandon the Dogs of the Dow strategy entirely, or you can repeat it for the following year. If you choose to stick with the Dogs of the Dow, you'll just need to rebalance to account for relative performance of the 10 stocks, along with replacing any stocks whose yields have fallen below the threshold for Dogs of the Dow eligibility with those whose yields have risen sufficiently to take their place.         More Info on WFL and Tax Free Matching: HERE   Wealth For Life Topic:  HERE   Link to Taxes Show on 10/31/2021 w/ Denver: Here Link to Offense / Defense Show on 6/6/2021 w/ Denver: Here Link to Shows, Denver was a Guest: Here   Investing Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/investing   Tech Topic: HERE   ‘Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT      Thanks for Listening. Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.     AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.  AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.  Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…    AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/ ‘Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here Podcast on Google: Click Here Podcast on Spotify: Click Here                    More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/ KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/     Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.  

Upbeat earnings projection from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. lifted shares of other tech stocks. Plus: Macy's shares rise 0.4% after the retail chain said it plans to lay off 13% of its staff. J.R. Whalen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

１８日、決算説明会に出席する台湾積体電路製造の劉徳音会長【台北時事】半導体受託製造最大手の台湾積体電路製造は１８日、熊本県の工場で２０２４年１０～１２月期中に量産を開始すると発表した。 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said Thursday that the world's leading chip foundry will start mass production at its factory in Kumamoto Prefecture between October and December this year.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said Thursday that the world's leading chip foundry will start mass production at its factory in Kumamoto Prefecture between October and December this year.

Follow along with all my trades and journal your own here -  https://savvytrader.com/Dailystockpick/2023-trading-portfolio I love Webull - Sign up here and get FREE STOCKS I bought $NFLX at $435 - I like it there, but we may still have downside so I'll keep an eye on it. Chamath convinced me to buy $TSLA as it's an $AAPL iPhone moment I'll expand some charts in the newsletter so be sure to subscribe.  FREE NEWSLETTER WITH CHARTS - subscribe at dailystockpick.substack.com  SPONSORED BY VISIBLE - Check out this page: https://www.visible.com/get/?3MFGCRG  $20 off your first month - only $5 for the first month Use code DSP25 for 25% off Trendspider's platform - https://trendspider.com/?_go=gary93 Sign up for Webull and get free stocks like I did - https://a.webull.com/yNyte9iTQnfaDYFHdv Social Links and more - https://linktr.ee/dailystockpick  NOTES S&P heat map 7 of 11 sectors closed green. Utilities (+1.83%) led, and consumer discretionary (-3.42%) lagged https://finviz.com/published_map.ashx?t=sec&st=d1&f=072023&i=sec_d1_183185383 $dpst mtd chart  $BOIL up big $TSM down because of their first quarterly decrease in profit in 4 years. AI is driving chips but the other chips in electronics is lagging - and that's a LARGE portion of $TSM business so the increase in AI can't cover the decrease in the PC/handset/server market.  A hiccup in TSMC's Arizona factory plans. Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is delaying production at its new Arizona-based chip plant until 2025 due to a shortage of skilled labor. Executives say they're working to send trained technicians from Taiwan to train local workers and help accelerate equipment installation. The issue highlights a significant challenge the U.S. and other countries will have as they onshore industry and diversify away from Asia-based supply chains Sam from FB - $SDGR  From what I can tell they are an AI provider of sorts for pharmaceutical companies. Nick from Canada - $META Hello my friend, we are 6 days out from earning on $Meta and it was a rough day. What are your thoughts as we approach earnings day…..is this an opportunity or is this reason for concern. Ps - $SMCI took a dive

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

That's the question The Economist cover asked in January 2013. Today, we have the opposite worries: Namely, that AI and other latest inventions will change our lives in unimaginable ways. Watch our monthly Global Market Perspective contributor Mark Galasiewski explain the common error conventional thinkers make -- and show the advantage Elliott waves give you. (In focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., TSM).

Welcome to Safe Dividend Investing's Podcast # 104, on February 23rd of 2023.  Today, I will be answering 6 interesting investment questions.  The first three relate to the 10 changes made in Warren Buffett's$686 Billion dollar Berkshire Hathaway hedge fund in the last quarter of 2022. .QUESTION (1)Why would Buffett sell Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd (stock symbol TSM)?QUESTION (2)In 4th Quarter of 2022 what is one of the 3 stocks that Buffet bought and what reasons might he have had for buying it? QUESTION (3)Why has Buffett sold almost all his shares in U.S. Bancorp (stock symbol USB)?  QUESTION (4)When the stock market drops for three weeks straight, what happens?  QUESTION (5)Is the stock market a "random walk? If it isn't, then how can you model it mathematically? QUESTION (6)As an 18-year-old working full time and saving $400 every week, should I invest this money in different stocks and bonds?For more insights into investing and stock scoring go to:www.saferbetterdividendinvesting.com.Ian's Five Investment booksNew York Stock Exchange's 106 Best High Dividend Stocks ( scored and analyzed)American High Dividend Handbook - ( 3.5% + dividend stocks on the NYSE & NASDAQ)Canadian High Dividend Handbook - ( 3.5% + dividend stocks on the TSX)Safer Better Dividend Investing  - ( US & Canada high dividend stocks scored)Income and Wealth from Self-Directed Investing - (trials of a new investor)All five investment books are available from amazon.com as e-books or in print. Those purchasing an investment book can request the IDM stock scoring software at no additional charge.Ian's three novels at amazon.com  Beware the Abandoned - (a capitalist sect exploiting poverty)Using Drought USA - (solving the South West drought)Duel - (Repercussions of a Chinese military base in the Caribbean)Ian Duncan MacDonaldAuthor, Artist, Commercial Risk Consultant,President of Informus Inc 2 Vista Humber Drive Toronto, Ontario Canada, M9P 3R7 Toronto Telephone - 416-245-4994 New York Telephone - 929-800-2397 imacd@informus.ca

OpenAI, das in San Francisco ansässige Labor hinter KI-Systemen wie GPT-3 und DALL-E 2, hat heute ein neues Programm gestartet, um KI-Startups in der Frühphase mit Kapital und Zugang zu OpenAI-Technologie und -Ressourcen zu versorgen. https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/02/openai-will-give-roughly-ten-ai-startups-1m-each-and-early-access-to-its-systems/ Das Online-Kreditsoftwareunternehmen Zest hat in seiner jüngsten Wachstumsrunde unter der gemeinsamen Leitung von Insight Partners und CMFG Ventures mehr als 50 Millionen US-Dollar aufgebracht, gab das Unternehmen am Dienstag bekannt. https://www.americanbanker.com/news/online-lending-software-company-zest-raises-50-million Nicht lange nachdem Elon Musk im vergangenen März Pläne zur Übernahme von Twitter angekündigt hatte, grübelte er über Open Source „den Algorithmus“, der bestimmt, wie Tweets in Benutzer-Feeds auftauchen, damit er auf Voreingenommenheit untersucht werden kann. https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-ethical-ai-team/ Kroeger, der im Vorstand des Elektro-Pickup-Unternehmens Rivian (RIVN.O) sitzt, wird dem Vorstand von SiMa.ai beitreten, dem die Top-Führungskräfte der Chipindustrie, Moshe Gavrielov, ein Vorstandsmitglied der Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (2330.TW), und Lip‑Bu Tan, Vorstandsmitglied von Intel (INTC.O). https://www.reuters.com/technology/ai-chip-startup-simaai-launches-auto-business-with-former-bosch-mercedes-2022-11-03/ Das französische Start-up PhotoRoom hat eine Serie-A-Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von 19 Millionen US-Dollar eingeworben. https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/07/after-40-million-app-downloads-photoroom-raises-19-million/ Visit www.integratedaisolutions.com

OpenAI, the San Francisco-based lab behind AI systems like GPT-3 and DALL-E 2, today launched a new program to provide early-stage AI startups with capital and access to OpenAI technology and resources. https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/02/openai-will-give-roughly-ten-ai-startups-1m-each-and-early-access-to-its-systems/ Online lending software company Zest has raised more than $50 million in its latest growth round co-led by Insight Partners and CMFG Ventures, the company announced Tuesday. https://www.americanbanker.com/news/online-lending-software-company-zest-raises-50-million Not long after Elon Musk announced plans to acquire Twitter last March, he was mulling over open source "the algorithm" that determines how tweets appear in user feeds so that it can be scrutinized for bias. https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-ethical-ai-team/ Kroeger, who sits on the board of electric pickup company Rivian (RIVN.O), will join the board of SiMa.ai, which includes top chip industry executives Moshe Gavrielov, a board member of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (2330. https://www.reuters.com/technology/ai-chip-startup-simaai-launches-auto-business-with-former-bosch-mercedes-2022-11-03/ French startup PhotoRoom has raised $19 million in Series A funding. https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/07/after-40-million-app-downloads-photoroom-raises-19-million/ Visit www.integratedaisolutions.com

The Biden administration stuck a deal with Russia to free WNBA star Brittney Griner.  In exchange for her freedom, the U.S. released arms dealer Vitkor Bout, who is known as the “Merchant of Death.”  This caps a 10 month ordeal for Griner after she was arrested for possession hash oil cartridges in Russia.  Alex Ward, national security reporter at Politico, joins us for what to know about her release and what happens to Paul Whelan another American in Russian custody for espionage chargers.   Next, the chip manufacturing boom in the U.S. is just beginning.  This week President Biden toured a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant in Arizona that is tripling its investments to build new semiconductor chips.  As the relationship between China, Taiwan, and the U.S. continues to be strained, we are rushing to build our own local supply.  Matt Phillips, markets correspondent at Axios, joins us for how the U.S. semiconductor industry is just starting.   Finally, more businesses are getting rid of their customer service reps you can reach by phone and increasingly offering options such as chat boxes to resolve issues.  For many companies, it is cost prohibitive to maintain staff just to answer calls and the result is they are making their numbers harder to find or getting rid of them all together.  Rachel Wolfe, consumer trends reporter at the WSJ, joins us for why connecting with a human is almost impossible.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly all the price action in markets last week came in a burst of euphoric demand following the publication of relatively benign American inflation data. US inflation fell from 8.2% in September to 7.7% in October, with the details revealing that inflationary pressures were easing across the board: the pace of inflation decelerated in the property and service sectors between September and October, and there were outright declines in the cost of used cars, rent, clothing and household furnishings. One data-point does not constitute definitive evidence and, more broadly, current economic data confirms that a slowdown is underway but, nevertheless, this was enough to send markets into an epic rally. Expectations for interest rate rises in the US dropped like a stone, along with the safe-haven US dollar. US government bonds surged across the board, and five-year bonds enjoyed their biggest one-day gain in a decade. The S&P 500 stock market index had one of its best days since the start of the pandemic, rising by 5.5%. The technology-heavy Nasdaq index, which had been beaten down by the fear of rate rises, rocketed by over 7%. European stock markets surged in sympathy: the Euro Stoxx 50 index had gained over 3% by the end of the day and the UK-orientated FTSE 250 gained nearly 4%...Stocks featured:ASML Holding, Burberry, Disney, Hermes International, LVMH, Richemont and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.To find out more about the investment management services offered by Walker Crips, please visit our website:https://www.walkercrips.co.uk/This podcast is intended to be Walker Crips Investment Management's own commentary on markets. It is not investment research and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or trade in any of the investments, sectors or asset classes mentioned. The value of any investment and the income arising from it is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise, so that you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Movements in exchange rates can have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of any non-sterling denominated investment. Nothing in this podcast constitutes advice to undertake a transaction, and if you require professional advice you should contact your financial adviser or your usual contact at Walker Crips. Walker Crips Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc said it had bought stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co worth more than $4.1 billion. The company owns 60.1 million American depositary shares in the world's largest contract chipmaker, which posted an 80 percent profit increase in its third quarter due to demand from Apple Inc. — The Daily Morning Note is a round-up of local and global business headlines that you need to know to get ahead of your day. This programme is brought to you by PYTCH Media, a creative studio powered by PhillipCapital — investing made simple and educational. Subscribe and follow PYTCH Media: LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/YTLinkedIn Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/YTanchor Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/twitterYT Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/FaceBYT Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/InstaYT Website: https://tinyurl.com/PYTCHWebYT Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/PYTCHYoutube Also available on: Telegram: https://t.me/GlobalInvestmentsPhillip Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/YTanchor PhillipCapital Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/PhillipCaptialFBYT #PhillipCapital #YourPartnerinFinance #Servingyousince1975 #PYTCH #PYTCHMedia #DailyMorningNote #DailyNews #FinanceNews

US equity markets staged a huge intrasession rebound to settle sharply higher despite another hit inflation report - Dow soared +828-points or +2.83% to 30,038.72, logging the largest one day percentage gain since 9 November, 2020 after recovering from an earlier decline of as much as -550-points. It marked the first time on record that the Dow has risen at least 800 points in the same trading day that it was down at least 500 points at its low, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan rose +3.98% and +5.56%, respectively. The broader S&P500 +2.60%, with Financials (up +4.14%) and Energy (+4.08%) both rising over >4% to lead all eleven primary sectors higher. The index recorded its widest trading range since March 2020 and fifth largest intra-day reversal in its history. The Nasdaq +2.23%. Netflix Inc gained +5.27% after the streaming company said it will charge US$6.99 for its ad-supported subscriptions. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co injected some much needed optimism into the chip sector after the company not only reported that net income nearly doubled from a year ago, as revenue surged nearly 50%, but also forecast a “flattish” outlook that still exceeded the Street consensus at the time. The news lifted the PHLX Semiconductor Index SPX +2.60%, with Advanced Micro Devices Inc up +1.88%, Intel Corp +4.30%, and Nvidia Corp +4.00%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rallied +2.41%.

US equity markets staged a huge intrasession rebound to settle sharply higher despite another hit inflation report - Dow soared +828-points or +2.83% to 30,038.72, logging the largest one day percentage gain since 9 November, 2020 after recovering from an earlier decline of as much as -550-points. It marked the first time on record that the Dow has risen at least 800 points in the same trading day that it was down at least 500 points at its low, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan rose +3.98% and +5.56%, respectively. The broader S&P500 +2.60%, with Financials (up +4.14%) and Energy (+4.08%) both rising over >4% to lead all eleven primary sectors higher. The index recorded its widest trading range since March 2020 and fifth largest intra-day reversal in its history. The Nasdaq +2.23%. Netflix Inc gained +5.27% after the streaming company said it will charge US$6.99 for its ad-supported subscriptions. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co injected some much needed optimism into the chip sector after the company not only reported that net income nearly doubled from a year ago, as revenue surged nearly 50%, but also forecast a “flattish” outlook that still exceeded the Street consensus at the time. The news lifted the PHLX Semiconductor Index SPX +2.60%, with Advanced Micro Devices Inc up +1.88%, Intel Corp +4.30%, and Nvidia Corp +4.00%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rallied +2.41%.

The 107th State of the Fleet Industry video produced by Automotive Fleet offers insights into the state of the fleet market as presented by AF Editor Mike Antich. Today's topics include: The fact that more than half of the global production of microprocessor chips are concentrated in two countries — Taiwan and South Korea —which is a growing concern because people fear that a future China-Taiwan conflict could lead to a catastrophic worldwide semiconductor shortage. A U.S. Army War College paper recommends a “scorched earth” strategy that calls for the U.S and Taiwan to threaten to destroy the facilities of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. if China threatens to invade Taiwan. For the first half of calendar-year 2022, the microchip shortage did improve but it didn't improve as much as the auto industry expected. Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel, expects the shortage of semiconductors to continue until calendar-year 2024, which puts us into the 2025 model-year. Make sure you're signed up for the AF newsletter so you don't miss another State of the Fleet Industry video.

On Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent talks about a new report that Samsung Electronics has begun mass producing chips with 3-nanometre technology to compete against rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and lure potential clients to its side. For more, check out Tech News Weekly: https://twit.tv/tnw/241 Host: Mikah Sargent You can find more about TWiT and subscribe to our podcasts at https://podcasts.twit.tv/

On Tech News Weekly, Mikah Sargent talks about a new report that Samsung Electronics has begun mass producing chips with 3-nanometre technology to compete against rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and lure potential clients to its side. For more, check out Tech News Weekly: https://twit.tv/tnw/241 Host: Mikah Sargent You can find more about TWiT and subscribe to our podcasts at https://podcasts.twit.tv/

A senior Chinese economist at a U.S.-China forum proposed that Beijing take over Taiwan and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) if Washington sanctions Beijing as it has Moscow. “If the United States and the West impose destructive sanctions on China as they treat Russia, we must recover Taiwan,” said China’s economist Chen Wenling on May […]

Asian stocks are poised to drop Friday after a raft of Federal Reserve officials signaled they will combat inflation aggressively and the Nasdaq 100 fell to its lowest level since October. U.S. equity futures edged higher, but Australian equities sank at Friday's open. Futures in Japan, China and Hong Kong declined. American stocks fell Thursday, led by technology companies -- seen as most sensitive to higher rates -- along with crude oil, copper and Bitcoin. Treasuries rose after last week's violent rout. Chipmakers overnight erased gains that were driven by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s growth projections, while Boeing Co. rallied as Bloomberg News reported the 737 Max is set to resume commercial flights in China as soon as this month. #PhillipCapital #YourPartnerinFinance #Servingyousince1975 #fintech #PITCH

Stock markets completed a fairly solid rebound from the initial Omicron sell-off, but it's hard to pay much attention to recent performance with so much uncertainty ahead. Omicron is so infectious that, by the end of the next week, its likely trajectory in some countries should be fairly well-established. Although Omicron cases may be milder than previous variants on average, hospitals may still be overwhelmed if Omicron spreads so quickly that even a low rate of hospitalisation generates large numbers of admissions.Stocks featured:Amazon, Daimler Truck Holding, Evergrande, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and TwitterTo find out more about the investment management services offered by Walker Crips, please visit our website:https://www.walkercrips.co.uk/This podcast is intended to be Walker Crips Investment Management's own commentary on markets. It is not investment research and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or trade in any of the investments, sectors or asset classes mentioned. The value of any investment and the income arising from it is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise, so that you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Movements in exchange rates can have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of any non-sterling denominated investment. Nothing in this podcast constitutes advice to undertake a transaction, and if you require professional advice you should contact your financial adviser or your usual contact at Walker Crips. Walker Crips Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Photo: One of the typical "freight trains" that carry China's home commerce--caravan leaving Peking CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow Huawei stymied. Brendan Carr, FCC commissioner. @GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-15/huawei-recruits-smartphone-partners-to-sidestep-u-s-sanctions https://www.reuters.com/technology/biden-signs-legislation-tighten-us-restrictions-huawei-zte-2021-11-11/ ..  ..  ..   Huawei Recruits Smartphone Partners to Sidestep U.S. Sanctions Bloomberg News November 14, 2021, 10:08 PM EST  It could license designs to third parties to access components  Trump-era sanctions have cut off Huawei from U.S. technology Huawei Technologies Co., whose smartphone business has been devastated by U.S. sanctions, is planning to license its handset designs to third parties as a way to gain access to critical components, people with knowledge of the matter said.  The Shenzhen-based tech giant is considering licensing its designs to a unit of state-owned China Postal and Telecommunications Appliances Co., or PTAC, which will then seek to buy parts barred under the Trump-era blacklisting, said one of the people, asking not to be identified discussing internal matters. The unit, known as Xnova, is already selling Huawei-branded Nova phones on its e-commerce site and the partnership will see it offer self-branded devices based on the larger company's designs.  Chinese telecom equipment maker TD Tech Ltd. will also sell some phones featuring Huawei's designs under its own brand, another person said. The partnerships are subject to change as negotiations are still ongoing.  The move may be Huawei's best chance at salvaging its smartphone business after U.S. sanctions cut off its access to key chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Google's Android apps and Qualcomm Inc.'s 5G wireless modems. Since Huawei first came under fire from the Trump administration, its shrinking consumer business has seen sales fall for four straight quarters.  The company sold its Honor sub-brand to a consortium led by a state-owned company in Shenzhen about a year ago, freeing the business from U.S. sanctions. Honor is now able to buy components from suppliers including Qualcomm, Chief Executive Officer George Zhao has said. The success of that spin-off has encouraged Huawei to seek new partnerships to keep its consumer business alive. Engineers at Huawei have already begun redesigning the circuits of some marquee smartphones previously powered by the company's in-house HiSilicon chips so they can adapt to Qualcomm or MediaTek Inc. processors, said one of the people. Huawei expects the partnerships could bring smartphone shipments -- including inhouse models and those sold by partners -- to more than 30 million units next year, the person added. Huawei declined to comment. PTAC and TD Tech didn't respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment. PTAC is a unit of China General Technology Group Holding Co., a key machinery maker and importer directly controlled by the central government. TD Tech was set up in 2005 with assets from companies such as Siemens AG, though the German multinational said in an email it is no longer a shareholder in the venture. Huawei has been struggling to find a new cash cow to make up for the hole left by its quickly shrinking consumer electronics business, which booked 483 billion yuan ($75.6 billion) in revenue last year, equal to International Business Machines Corp.'s annual sales. The latest arrangement is unlikely to bring in meaningful profit for Huawei, but such partnerships could be essential in helping the company maintain its smartphone development capabilities. The Biden administration has shown no signs of easing off on the sanctions imposed on Huawei, though Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou recently struck a deal that released her from a U.S. extradition request that had kept her under house arrest in Canada for two years. Executives including founder Ren Zhengfei, Meng's father, have vowed to continue making smartphones. — With assistance by Yanping Li, and Yuan Gao

Our investment roundtable brings together various Diamond Hill investment professionals to discuss relevant and timely topics. Today, we're joined by portfolio managers Grady Burkett, CFA, and Henry Song, CFA, as well as research analyst Tim Myers, CFA, to discuss how the pandemic has impacted the consumer and companies that rely on consumers. As of August 31, 2021, Diamond Hill owned shares of Compagnie Financiere Richemont S.A. (Cl A), LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Swatch Group AG, Diageo PLC, Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A./N.V., Compass Group PLC, Tesco PLC, Walt Disney Co., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. View current holdings here.                 As of June 30, 2021, Diamond Hill owned debt in Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A./N.V. and Walt Disney Co.                   The views expressed are those of the speakers as of September 2021 and are subject to change without notice. These opinions are not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, or investment advice. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

US stocks fell Thursday. Plus, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is increasing prices, Barclays is investing $400 million in India, and South Korea raises rates.

Toronto-based #paid raised $18.9 million. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co says the cost of chip prices will go up. And Air Canada is mandating vaccines for employees. The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.

US stocks fell Thursday. Plus, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is increasing prices, Barclays is investing $400 million in India, and South Korea raises rates.

Arizona has rapidly become an epicenter for electric vehicle and self-driving tech, and it's now the site of three big new semiconductor factories as the U.S. struggles to increase production during the global chip shortage. The Arizona Commerce Authority says it helped 634 companies relocate or expand in Arizona between 2015 and 2020. Big names include Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and electric vehicle companies Lucid Motors, ElectraMeccanica, Nikola and Atlis Motor Vehicles. In 2020, Phoenix attracted more residents than any other U.S. city for the fourth year in a row, as highly skilled remote workers flocked to the lower cost of living and wide open spaces of the Grand Canyon State. Get the latest news: https://anchor.fm/world-of-relaxation

We conclude Drought Week with a panel of L.A. Times foreign correspondents who are reporting on droughts in their areas of coverage.In Mexico, a drought in the northern state of Sonora imperils the cattle industry. In Taiwan, water shortages threaten to disrupt the semiconductor industry. And in China, alternating years of drought and floods threaten the nation's infrastructure.After that, stick around to hear from skateboarder Cory Juneau about his path to the Tokyo Olympics and why he never wants a coach.More reading:The current drought is worldwide. Here's how different places are fighting itThe most important company you've never heard of: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.Amid crushing floods in China, officials focus not on climate change but on control

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd Q2 2021 Earnings Call --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/earningspodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/earningspodcast/support

On Thursday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. released its second-quarter earnings. Revenue increased 20% year on year to NT$372.15 billion in the second quarter. The figure was already known because TSMC releases its revenue figures every month. For the quarter ended June 30, TSMC's net profit increased 11% year on year to 134.36 billion Taiwan dollars (US$4.80 billion). This was slightly lower than the NT$135.81 billion estimate of analysts polled by S

Nikkei Asia reported on Friday that Apple Inc and Intel Corp  will be the first to adopt Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's  next-generation chip production technology before its deployment, possibly next year. According to the report, Apple and Intel are testing their chip designs with TSMC's 3-nanometer production technology, citing several sources briefed on the matter. According to Nikkei Asia, commercial production of such chips is expected to begin in the second half of next year.

Show #1103. If you get any value from this podcast please consider supporting my work on Patreon. Plus all Patreon supporters get their own unique ad-free podcast feed. Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Friday 4th June. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to. Thank you to MYEV.com for helping make this show, they’ve built the first marketplace specifically for Electric Vehicles. It’s a totally free marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling process, and help you learn about EVs along the way too. FORD PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC MUSTANG EXCEEDS GAS-POWERED MODELS"Ford Motor Co. surpassed a significant milestone in its conversion to electric vehicles, producing more battery-powered Mustangs so far this year than gasoline-fueled versions of its iconic pony car.  Ford has built 27,816 electric Mustang Mach-E models at a plant in Mexico this year compared to 26,089 copies of the traditional internal combustion engine Mustang at a factory in Michigan, according to production data the automaker released Thursday." reports Bloomberg Hyperdrive: "The Mach-E went on sale late last year and was the top-selling vehicle in Norway last month. In the U.S., where EV adoption is slower, the gas Mustang still outsells the electric version by nearly three-to-one." Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley: "Mach-E has been much stronger than we expected, so we’ve totally run out of stock. Mach-E is going global as we speak, but in the U.S. the wait for a Mach-E is months.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-03/ford-production-of-electric-mustang-exceeds-gas-powered-pony-car CHINA SALES - XPENG AND NIO"Xpeng reports 5,686 electric car deliveries in May, which is 484% more than a year ago and the third-best monthly result ever. The Chinese manufacturer is especially happy about the record sales of its P7 flagship, which noted 3,797 units." says InsideEVs: "The most important factors that drive the sales up are the new P7 Wing edition and the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery-powered G3 and P7 versions. If Xpeng will continue to increase the volume, it might really come close to NIO, the other well-known Chinese electric car startup." NIO delivered 6,711 vehicles in May 2021, representing a solid 95.3% year-over-year growth. The deliveries consisted of 1,412 ES8s, the company’s six-seater and seven-seater flagship premium smart electric SUV, 3,017 ES6s, the company’s five-seater high-performance premium smart electric SUV, and 2,282 EC6s, the company’s five-seater premium smart electric coupe SUV. https://insideevs.com/news/511568/xpeng-ev-sales-may-2021/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=RSS-all-articles NEW GENERATION OF MG ELECTRIC CARS ARE COMING TO EUROPE"MG has been selling the ZS EV in Europe for a while now. The ZS EV belongs to the first generation of MG electric cars and honestly I never payed much attention to it. As most first generation electric cars, the MG ZS EV isn’t very efficient and only gets a WLTP range of 263 km from a CATL 44,5 kWh battery pack. Its front grill makes it look like a gas car and suggests that GM didn’t care much about aerodynamics when designed it." says PushEVs: "MG is about to bring its second generation of all-electric cars to Europe. They will be better looking, more efficient, charge faster and have longer range. Two models are already confirmed. The two electric cars above look great, but there is another one that’ll be way more important in Europe, an electric supermini expected later this year to compete with the Renault ZOE. The new electric supermini could be named MG3 Electric." MG5AC Fast Charging: 3-Phase 11 kWDC Rapid Charging: 30 min to 80 %Vehicle to Load: 2.500 W External Power Supply Marvel RAcceleration: 4,9 s / 0-100 km/hDrive: Tri-Motor – All-wheel driveWLTP range: >400 kmTop speed: 200 km/hAC Fast Charging: 3-Phase 11 kWDC Rapid Charging: 30 min to 80 %External power supply: V2L-System https://pushevs.com/2021/06/02/new-generation-of-mg-electric-cars-are-coming-to-europe/ 7-ELEVEN TO INSTALL 500 FAST CHARGING STATIONS BY THE END OF 2022"The iconic American convenience store chain 7‑Eleven plans to deploy at least 500 DC fast charging stations at 250 selected stores in the US and Canada by the end of 2022. The new charging stations will be owned and operated by 7‑Eleven, which already has 22 charging stations located at 14 stores in 4 states." says ChargedEVs: ". 7‑Eleven is purchasing 100% wind energy for over 800 stores in Texas and over 300 in Illinois. In Virginia, 150 stores are using hydropower, and 300 Florida stores are powered by solar energy." https://chargedevs.com/newswire/7-eleven-to-install-500-fast-charging-stations-by-the-end-of-2022/ TESLA OWNER APOLOGIZES FOR STAGING “BRAKE FAILURE” INCIDENT IN CHINA"A Tesla owner in China issued a public apology on social media and admitted to staging a “brake failure” incident with his Model X. The recent TikTok video was among a recent wave of public apologies in China, as Tesla’s legal team initiates a crackdown on inaccurate reports and false posts that could damage the company." reports Teslarati: "In his apology, the Tesla owner admitted that his Model X never had any issues with regards to its brakes over the three years he owned the vehicle. The EV owner also remarked that the TikTok skit, which was supposed to show a Model X “brake failure” incident, was for entertainment purposes only. Tesla has been improving its customer relations in China over the past months. Following the international coverage of the disgruntled Model 3 owner’s protest at the Shanghai Auto Show, Tesla established a “Special Handling Team” to address special customer concerns." https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-fake-brake-failure-apology-china/ MUSK: PANIC BUYING CHIPS IS LIKE RUSH ON TOILET PAPER"Elon Musk said the chip shortage is wreaking havoc on Tesla Inc.’s supply chain and blamed companies ordering more microcontrollers than they need, much like consumers hoarded toilet paper in the early days of the pandemic." says Automotive News: "Musk, 49, said during Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call in April that the chip shortage was a “huge problem” and one of the most difficult supply chain challenges the company had ever experienced. Last month, the consulting firm AlixPartners estimated automakers will lose about $110 billion of sales this year due to the dearth of semiconductors, almost double an earlier projection. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said last month it plans to increase production of microcontroller units by 60 percent this year to help relieve carmakers. Still, chip companies, auto manufacturers and their parts suppliers have warned chip supplies will remain tight into next year." “Our biggest challenge is supply chain, especially microcontroller chips. Never seen anything like it,” the CEO tweeted Wednesday. “Fear of running out is causing every company to overorder – like the toilet paper shortage, but at epic scale.” https://www.autonews.com/automakers-suppliers/musk-says-panic-buying-chips-rush-toilet-paper  VOLVO IS LAUNCHING THE C40 RECHARGE IN THE NETHERLANDS, NORWAY"Volvo has opened the order books for the C40 Recharge in the first European countries. The second electric model in the Swedish companies’ current range is available to order now in the Netherlands and Norway and from 3 June in Sweden and the UK. Other markets will follow in the coming weeks." says Chris Randall at electrive: "Volvo had introduced the C40 Recharge as a spin-off of the XC40 Recharge in early March. Both vehicles use the same drive system of the CMA platform, i.e. they have 300 kW power and a 78 kWh battery. Volvo has given the C40 some independent elements on the body, for example on the headlights or the rear doors. This is why the C40 Recharge is listed as a separate model and not as the XC40 Recharge Coupé." https://www.electrive.com/2021/06/02/volvo-is-launching-the-c40-recharge-in-the-netherlands-norway/  AUDI Q4 E-TRON TAKES AUTOBAHN ACCELERATION TEST"Audi is a rare example of a premium automaker that knows how to make small cars. And the most significant model right now is the Q4 e-tron that just launched in Germany." reports Auto Evolution: "The small A3 and Q3 compacts have been successful, but as the market is shifting in favor of EVs, Audi needed something special. The Q4 e-tron is that vehicle. The Q4 has twin motors, like the ID.4 GTX, which isn't on sale yet. It produces 302 hp (306 PS) in German spec, about as much as an old Golf R. Naturally, the battery pack makes it much heavier. But the official 0 to 62 mph time of 6.2 seconds was actually beaten by Auditography, which got 5.99 seconds. Meanwhile, Automann-TV got 6.35 seconds on the Autobahn, which is still pretty good." https://www.autoevolution.com/news/audi-q4-e-tron-takes-autobahn-acceleration-test-is-gti-fast-162400.html  QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM What kind of charging do you think workplaces should have? Email me your thoughts and I’ll read them out on Sunday – hello@evnewsdaily.com   It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast. And  if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing. Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I’ll catch you tomorrow and remember…there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid. PREMIUM PARTNERSPHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE BRAD CROSBYPORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATIAUDI CINCINNATI EASTVOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST NATIONALCARCHARGING.COM and ALOHACHARGE.COM DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNELRICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UKEMOBILITYNORWAY.COM/

According to Nikkei Asia, to improve chip manufacturing technologies in Japan, 20 Japanese firms will collaborate with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). The Japanese government will contribute half of the $337 million ($37 billion) cost of a research center. TSMC said in February that it will invest around $178 million in the establishment of a material research subsidiary in Tokyo.

The Nikkan Kogyo newspaper reported on Wednesday that Japan wants Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd and Sony Group to invest $9.2 billion in the country's first 20 nanometre chip plant. The proposed factory would be located near Sony's image sensor plant in southwest Japan. A chip with 20 nanometres is more powerful because it packs more transistors into a smaller space. The report was false, according to TSMC's ministry spokesman, who declined to elaborate.

Cadence Design Systems demonstrated its third-generation 112G long-reach (112G-LR) SerDes IP on the 5-nm process of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (NYSE: TSM). The IP is intended for hyper-scale ASICs, AI/ML accelerators, and switch fabric systems on chip (SoCs) for next-generation cloud data centers. Cadence's expertise in high-performance connectivity IP products for hyper-scale data centers is further cemented by the 112G-LR SerDes solution on TSMC's N5 technology. Customers may also reap the benefits of the TSMC N5 process technology, according to Cadence VP Sanjive Agarwala. On Tuesday, CDNS share price gains 0.9% higher at $127.44, and TSMC 0.53% higher at $114.23.

Today on The Leaders' Brief - Two months after Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, took control of the country's government, its most prominent civilian leader and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been charged under the official secrets act that could jail her for a 14-year period. According to the activist group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the death toll due to a military crackdown has crossed 550 and thousands have been detained. The deteriorating situation in the country presently threatens billions of dollars worth of foreign investments from countries including Singapore, Japan, and the USA. China recently convicted seven of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy campaigners including media tycoon Jimmy Lai and veteran politician Martin Lee, for unlawful assembly. The activists, some of whom face additional charges could face jail terms of up to five years. China has been at loggerheads with Western nations over its Hong Kong policies after Beijing passed the controversial National Securities Law, last year. Last month, China passed a legislation to amend Hong Kong's electoral process under which the Chinese Communist Party will have indirect authority to vet prospective MPs, undermining all possibilities of the existence of an effective opposition in the region. Taiwan based chip maker, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., announced plans to invest $100 billion in the next three years towards expanding its manufacturing capacity. The $100 billion at approximately $33 billion over the next three years represents a roughly 43% increase over last year's $20.7 billion expenditure on manufacturing and research. The investment appears to be critical in meeting rising demand that has accelerated over the past year as the pandemic substantially increased global demand for digitization. About egomonk: Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedInegomonk is a global intelligence platform delivering asymmetric outcomes by bringing organizations closer to the communities they want to serve and the leaders they wish to influence. If you wish to collaborate with us then email us at contact@egomonk.com.

•US equity markets advanced after a choppy session, with investors keeping an eye on fresh stimulus measures and digesting some mixed corporate earnings releases - Dow up +164-points or +0.62%,. Walmart Inc fell -1.36% in extended trading after it was reported that the company has delayed the launch of Walmart+, a subscription service meant to compete with Amazon Prime, for the second time this year, according to a report by Vox. The broader S&P500 gained +0.36%. with Energy (up +2.46%) the clear outperformer and leading nine of the eleven primary sectors higher. Health Care (down -0.45%) and Financials (-0.44%) were the two primary sectors to close in the red. A late rally saw the technology-centric NASDAQ settle with a +0.35% rise, notching a fifth straight day of gains and a fresh record closing high (10,941.17). The so-called FAANG complex was mixed, with Apple Inc up +0.67%, Amazon.com Inc +0.87% and Netflix Inc +2.21%. However, Facebook Inc fell -0.85% and Google parent Alphabet Inc -0.64%. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Inc soared to fresh records, carving out a fresh record closing high (up +9.49% US$85.04) and intra-day peak (US$85.81) after another broker upgrade (who described the lead of AMD and its chip fabricator Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co over Intel Corp as “systemic”). The chipmaker's market capitalisation (US$99.84B) closed in on the US$100B mark. Listed peer Intel Corp settled +1.72% higher at US$49.13 (affording the company a market capitalisation of US$208.95B). In broader stock news, Eastman Kodak Co (down -3.61%) is reportedly under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) around the company's disclosure about being awarded a US$765M loan from the US government to start producing generic drug ingredients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The company's share price soared as much as 570% during trading on 29 July.