The next-generation iMac that’s in the works could be called the “iMac Pro,” according to leaker Dylandkt. The device will feature the same M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that Apple introduced with the MacBook Pro models, and there could possibly be “an added configuration.”
Apple is said to be using the “Pro” naming to differentiate the upcoming iMac from the 24-inch iMac that was released earlier this year. As it will use the M1 Pro and Max chips, Apple considers it a “Pro” device and is calling it the iMac Pro internally, according to Dylandkt
iMac (Pro) Promotion and Mini Led Base model 16gb Ram 512gb Storage M1 Pro and Max Dark bezels HDMI, SD Card, Usb C Similar design to iMac 24 and Pro Display XDR Starting price at or over 2000 dollars Ethernet on brick standard Face ID was tested (Not confirmed) 1H 2022
— Dylan (@dylandkt) October 30, 2021
The leaker claims that the iMac will feature a 27-inch mini-LED display with ProMotion technology, though some prior rumors have indicated that the next-generation iMac will have a larger display. Unlike the 24-inch iMac, the “iMac Pro” will feature dark bezels, and bezel size could be slimmed down.
Design wise, it could look similar to the 24-inch iMac and the Pro Display XDR, and Apple has apparently tested Face ID for the machine, but this is not a confirmed feature.
The base model iMac will feature 16GB memory and 512GB of storage, and all models will be equipped with an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and several USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, similar to the MacBook Pro. Apple is also said to be including an Ethernet port on the power adapter.
Dylandkt says that the iMac will have a starting price at or over $2,000, and it will be launching in the first half of 2022. The upcoming “iMac Pro” will replace the current Intel-based 27-inch iMac models.
We haven’t heard much about Apple’s larger iMac, but Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has confirmed that such a machine is in the works. Apple reportedly paused work on the bigger iMac to work on the 24-inch model, but now that the 24-inch iMac is out, development can resume.
Display analyst Ross Young has also said that Apple is working on a new 27-inch iMac with a mini-LED display and ProMotion display technology.
Oppo is developing its own high-end chips for flagship mobile phones, according to a report in Nikkei. Two people who spoke to the newspaper said that the plan was to release custom SoCs in 2023 or 2024 “depending on the speed of development.” Oppo reportedly wants to use TSMC’s advanced 3nm process technology for the chips.
If plans come to pass, Oppo would be the latest major smartphone manufacturer to take control of its own SoC design. Yesterday Google launched the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, its first phones with a custom SoC called Tensor. Apple and Samsung also design their own smartphone chips, as did Huawei before US sanctions decimated its mobile business.
Oppo currently uses chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek, like all other Chinese smartphone vendors since the crackdown on Huawei. Xiaomi designed and released a low-end SoC called the Surge S1 for its budget Mi 5C phone in 2017, but since then its chip design efforts have been limited to secondary components like image signal processors.
As Qualcomm laid bare in a salty Google subtweet last week, it would stand to lose out if major companies like Oppo were to take on SoC design themselves. Oppo is the fourth largest smartphone maker in the world by shipments, according to IDC, and given it shares a supply chain and ownership with Vivo, Realme and OnePlus, Oppo-developed chips could quickly find their way into phones from multiple brands.
With the new 14-and 16-inch MacBook Pro models introduced by Apple on Monday, the entire MacBook laptop line has shifted to Apple’s own M-series chips, and away from Intel. This shift means more options for new MacBook buyers to consider, as well as additional considerations about ports, screens, webcams and power — especially graphics power.
The MacBook Pro started life in 2006, as a successor to Apple’s PowerBook line of laptops, and part of the first wave of Intel-powered Macs. The Intel/Apple partnership lasted 15 years, and now we’re down to the last couple of available Intel Macs, an older Mac Mini and the 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs. I doubt we’ll see any more, as the Mac line continues to go all-in on Apple’s own chips, allowing the company to control the design of the hardware, the OS and the CPU.
The new models are available to preorder now, and should be in stores Oct. 26, although some configurations already show long wait times before shipping.
Apple
Last year’s initial wave of M1 Macs made for some confusing buying choices. The less expensive MacBook Air and more expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro used almost identical M1 chips (with a single extra GPU core in the Pro), despite a $300 difference in their starting prices. The $699 Mac Mini? Same chip! The upshot at the time was that the MacBook Air remained the most universally useful choice for most people.
The new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops represent a much wider gap between the Air and Pro models. It’s also a way Apple can lure in higher-end creative pros who need the graphics power — previously only available in select Intel Macs — for video editing, content creation and 3D work. Before now, the M1 Macs were not always powerful enough for more complex workloads.
By adding the M1 Pro and M1 Max system-on-chip parts (sometimes called an SOC, or more casually referred to as the MacBook’s “chip”), these really become pro-level machines, and will do a better job of attracting professional buyers, who are used to spending many, many thousands on their mission-critical work rigs.
Let’s look at the current lineup and see how the new announcements have changed the buying calculations:
Current MacBooks compared
14-inch MacBook Pro
16-inch MacBook Pro
MacBook Air (13-inch, M1)
13-inch MacBook Pro (M1)
CPU
M1 Pro or M1 Max
M1 Pro or M1 Max
M1
M1
No. of GPU cores
14 (up to 32)
16 (up to 32)
7
8
Screen size
14.2 inches
16.2 inches
13.3 inches
13.3 inches
Screen resolution
3,024×1,964 pixels
3,456×2,234 pixels
2,560×1,600 pixels
2,560×1,600 pixels
Starting storage
512GB
512GB
256GB
256GB
Starting RAM
16GB
16GB
8GB
8GB
Webcam
1080p
1080p
720p
720p
Networking
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Connections
Thunderbolt USB-C x3, HDMI, SDXC card, MagSafe 3
Thunderbolt USB-C x3, HDMI, SDXC card, MagSafe 3
Thunderbolt USB-C x2
Thunderbolt USB-C x2
Weight
3.5 lbs
4.7 lbs
2.8 lbs
3.0 lbs
US starting price
$1,699
$2,499
$999
$1,299
The new models
14-inch MacBook Pro
This is the first brand-new screen size for a MacBook since the 15-inch Pro went to 16 inches in 2019 (the iMac added a 24-inch version this past summer). Along with that, it actually gets both thicker and heavier. The trade-off is that the thicker body allows for all those extras, like the resurrected HDMI and SD card ports.
The bigger screen covers even more of the top panel, with thinner bezels. So thin, in fact, that the webcam has been reduced to a notch, cutting into the display itself, much like on an iPhone. So far, I’ve heard mixed reactions to that, but I think the better 1080p-resolution webcam more than makes up for it. I’ve used the 1080p webcams in the 27-inch iMac and newer 24-inch iMac, and it makes a huge difference in video meetings.
Keep in mind these shopping notes are based on the on-paper specs for the new MacBooks, plus my long experience testing and reviewing MacBooks, which goes back to the very first MacBook Pro in 2006 and the first MacBook Air in 2008. I’m sure to have additional notes once I get to try these systems out in person, and I’m especially interested in whether the increased size and weight will feel like a burden.
If you’re more about portability than the big screen, especially if you output to a larger display, the 14-inch feels (on paper) like the sweet spot for portability and power. Read more about the 14-inch MacBook Pro here.
Apple
16-inch MacBook Pro
Just about everything I said about the 14-inch MacBook Pro applies here as well. The two devices are remarkably similar, and you get both with either the M1 Pro or the M1 Max. Both also share the same heat pipe cooling system. New ports? The same. Notch-based 1080 camera? Same. No more Touch Bar? Same. The main difference, spec-wise, is that the 14-inch starts with some less powerful M1 options, with a base of eight CPU and 14 GPU cores. The 16-inch starts with 10 CPU and 16 GPU cores in its version of the M1 Pro. Both support up to the 10 CPU and 32 GPU cores version of the M1 Max chip.
To spec out a 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the closest matching specs, you end up with that M1 Pro 10 CPU/16 GPU chip, plus 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. On the 14-inch version, that will cost $2,299. In the 16-inch, it’s $2,499. So you basically pay a $200 premium for a 2-inch-larger screen. (The 16-inch maxes out at over $6,000.)
And it could certainly be worth that. The previous 16-inch MacBook Pro was pretty impressive to look at. As opposed to the power-plus-portability pitch of the 14-inch Pro, the 16-inch feels like it’s for people who want a bit of the feel of a big-screen desktop, without actually having a desktop. Read more about the 16-inch MacBook Pro here.
The existing models
MacBook Air (13-inch, M1)
At first, I was somewhat wary of jumping into an M1 MacBook Air. I was worried about compatibility issues with things like Adobe software and about overall performance compared to the trusted old Intel MacBook Air.
But after nearly a year, I can say the Intel-to-M1 transition has been relatively smooth. The best thing I can say about the M1 chip is that it’s largely transparent to the everyday MacBook Air user, which is exactly what you want from a big under-the-hood change like this.
Apple’s Rosetta emulation, for software not yet optimized for the M1, still runs most programs just as well as it did under Intel chips. Key Adobe software and other creative apps were updated for native M1 support, with more on the way. I’ve run into occasional problems with gaming apps or some drivers, and support apps for things like a label printer and some 3D-printing software.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
13-inch MacBook Pro (M1)
The first M1 MacBook Pro was a tougher sell than the Air. There was nothing wrong with it, but the line between the Pro and Air wasn’t as distinct as it might have been. The main things that stood out about the 13-inch M1 Pro versus the M1 MacBook Air are the Touch Bar, a slightly brighter screen and better cooling (it had a fan).
With the new Pro models, the 13-inch feels even further out to sea, unlikely to be updated ever again. The good news is, if you were going to buy a 13-inch Pro, the MacBook Air is pretty much just as good and can be configured with more RAM and storage to suit your needs. The bad news is, if you want to shift from 13-inch Pro to 14-inch Pro, the starting price jumps up by $600.
My default advice remains the same, at least for now. Most mainstream laptop shoppers should start with the MacBook Air and see if that’s enough laptop for them. If the ports, better camera or graphics power of the M1 Pro and M1 Max laptops feels like something you need, the decision comes down to portability versus screen size. And if you’re the one Touch Bar die-hard out there, you’d better pick up the 13-inch MacBook Pro while you still can.
We hope to review the new MacBooks soon; they go on sale Oct. 26.
Stocks opened mostly higher Wednesday, as key inflation data weighed on early trade. Software and chip stocks kicked higher, with Workday and ASML Holdings making strong early moves. Infosys and BlackRock climbed on earnings news. And on the Dow Jones today, JPMorgan lost ground after kicking off the Q3 reporting season for big banks.
X
The Nasdaq Composite popped 0.6% in the stock market today, as Workday (WDAY) led the Nasdaq 100. The S&P 500 backed away from its early gain and slipped 0.2%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped narrowly below its breakeven line. The Nasdaq is moving to snap a three-day decline. The Dow and S&P 500 are angling toward their fourth-straight losses.
Workday stock rallied 4% after D.A. Davidson initiated coverage with a buy rating and a 300 price target. Workday shares are rising toward a 278.33 entry in a cup-with-handle base.
Qualcomm (QCOM) rallied 2%, helping to boost early trade among chip stocks. With shares down almost 27% from a January high, the company’s board of directors late Tuesday announced a $10 billion share buyback initiative.
ASML Holdings (ASML) jumped 2.6%. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) added 0.4% in early action.
Among IBD 50 stocks, InMode (INMD) and TaskUs (TASK) and Upstart Holdings (UPST) flexed some early muscle, rising more than 5% apiece. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) led among Leaderboard stocks, with a 3.2% gain.
Dow Jones Today: JPMorgan Earnings, Apple Cuts iPhone Output
Microsoft (MSFT) led the Dow Jones today, trading up 0.7% – just enough to boost shares back above their 50-day moving average. The IBD Leaderboard stock is climbing the right side of an eight-week flat base, with a buy point at 305.94.
JPMorgan (JPM) reversed premarket gains and shed 0.7%, as investors dug into its third-quarter earnings report. Earnings beat expectations, while a 1% revenue slip met analysts targets. CEO Jamie Dimon said the bank released credit reserves of $2.1 billion, reflecting confidence in a strengthening economy, and giving earnings per share a 52-cent boost.
JPMorgan shares had dropped back to test their 21-day exponential moving average, just above a cup-with-handle base buy point a 163.83.
Apple (AAPL) slumped 0.8% in opening trade. Bloomberg News reported the company plans to cut 2021 iPhone production goals of 90 million handsets by up to 10 million handsets due to extended chip shortages. Apple stock has become something of a bellwether for the market’s correction and attempted rally, pulling toward a fourth straight loss. Shares are a little more than 1% above their low from Oct. 4.
Inflation Data Rises; Oil Prices, Bond Yields, Bitcoin
The Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% for September. That was above August’s 0.3% rise, and narrowly above forecasts for another 0.3% increase. Year over year, the CPI jumped 5.4%, vs. views for a 5.3% gain.
Minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s Sept. 22 meeting are set for release at 2 p.m. ET.
Oil prices dipped 1.1%, sending West Texas Intermediate futures below $80 a barrel. Bond yields swung up and down, with the 10-year Treasury yield hovering around 1.57%. Bitcoin slumped almost 4%, to below $55,000, after trading as high as $57,444 overnight, according to CoinDesk.
Earnings: Infosys, Delta Air, BlackRock
India-based software and systems engineer Infosys (INFY) jumped 4%, after beating fiscal second-quarter revenue expectations, and raising full-year revenue guidance. Premarket action suggested the stock could open trade Wednesday in a test of resistance at its 50-day line.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) was down 2.1% early, after scoring above-forecast third-quarter results, but the company warned that fuel costs could hurt fourth quarter profit.
BlackRock (BLK) jumped 3.1%. The asset manager reported strong third-quarter beats on its revenue and earnings lines, as well as a 21% increase in assets under management. BlackRock stock is attempting to rebound from support at its 200-day moving average.
Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Dow Jones Today
The market’s correction is now eight days old. And the Dow Jones today is tilting toward its sixth weekly close below its 10-week moving average. That is its longest sojourn below that line of support since the eight-week bear market dive at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The Dow closed 3.5% off its Aug. 16 record, and 1.5% below its 50-day/10-week line on Tuesday. Which direction upcoming earnings will move the Dow, as well as the market’s other big benchmarks, remains to be seen.
The Nasdaq is in its third week below the 10-week level. A three-day decline left the index still well above the Oct. 4 low which initiated a rally attempt. That means the attempt is still in play and a follow through could occur at any time.
For more detailed analysis of the current stock market and its status, study the Big Picture.
However, the Nasdaq remains 2.7% below its 50-day level. Potential resistance at that technical level would pose a challenge to a new uptrend. The Nasdaq is 6.1% off its Sept. 7 record high.
The S&P 500 is 4.3% off its record high, and is also tacking toward its third weekly close below its 10-week line. At 1.9% below its 50-day moving average, it has a better chance than the Nasdaq to break resistance with a follow-through session.
This week’s action flashed several positive indicators amid the ongoing correction. For now, investors should remain patient, continue building watchlists, and monitor the Big Picture and Market Pulse for a shift in market status.
Please follow Alan R. Elliott on Twitter@IBD_Aelliott
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average was struggling for momentum amid broad weakness. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hinted at changes as she moved to push ahead with mooted spending bills. Snap (SNAP) passed a buy point as growth stocks outperformed again. Tesla (TSLA) got a lift as CEO Elon Musk made bullish noises on chips.
X
Nike (NKE) was the biggest blue chip laggard amid supply chain woes. This had a knock-on effect on Deckers Outdoor (DECK), causing it to flash multiple sell signals. Bitcoin plunged as China vowed a crackdown.
Indexes had tried to rally even as the Evergrande Group crisis deepened, and they remained off session lows. Evergrande, China’s biggest property developer, missed a Thursday deadline on an $83.5 million bond payment. It now has a 30-day grace period on this payment to global investors before a default can be called.
Pelosi Hints At Spending Bill Changes
Pelosi said Friday she is looking to pass both the infrastructure bill and the controversial Build Back Better Act next week. But there may be tweaks, she says.
“As negotiations continue, there may be changes,” Pelosi told Democratic colleagues in a letter Friday. The Democrat leader told reporters that a vote on the $1.2 billion bipartisan infrastructure package will be held Monday.
The exact time frame for the more lavish $3.5 trillion social spending package is not clear. Democrats aim to pass this spending bill through the reconciliation process, which would sidestep a Senate filibuster.
Nasdaq Fights As Growth Stocks Lead
The Nasdaq was the worst-performing major index, slipping 0.2%. Match.com (MTCH) was faring best, turning in a gain of almost 4%.
The S&P 500 fared better, posting a minor gain of 0.1%. Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) was one of the top performers, rising more than 3%.
U.S. Stock Market Today Overview
Index
Symbol
Price
Gain/Loss
% Change
Dow Jones
(0DJIA)
34783.06
+18.24
+0.05
S&P 500
(0S&P5)
4452.01
+3.03
+0.07
Nasdaq
(0NDQC )
15025.17
-27.07
-0.18
Russell 2000
(IWM)
223.56
-1.25
-0.56
IBD 50
(FFTY)
51.60
-0.74
-1.41
Last Update: 2:54 PM ET 9/24/2021
The S&P sectors were mixed, with energy and financials leading again. Health and real estate were the worst laggards.
Small caps were struggling, with the Russell 2000 dipping 0.3%.
But growth stocks were having the toughest time, with the Innovator IBD 50 ETF (FFTY) giving up 1.4%.
Dow Jones Today: Nike Stock Dives On Supply Chain Woes
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was just about positive, though it was up less than 0.1%.
Nike was the clear laggard, dropping 7% on Friday. The athletic shoe and apparel giant reported mixed fiscal Q1 results late Thursday. The firm’s sales missed targets amid supply-chain struggles. Analysts expected earnings of $1.12 a share on sales of $12.47 billion, according to FactSet. Nike earned $1.16 on sales of $12.2 billion.
Nike stock is now trading 15% below a 174.48 buy point of a flat base. If it falls further, the flat-base pattern will no longer qualify. Shares pulled back after hitting a high of 174.38 on Aug. 6. The stock slipped below its 50-day line on Sept. 2 and has been trading below it since.
Deckers Outdoor stock fell in sympathy, triggering the 7%-8% loss-cutting sell rule, causing Deckers to exit from IBD’s Leaderboard.
Salesforce.com (CRM) was once again the best stock on the Dow Jones. It was up more than 2%, following through on a breakout.
Coinbase Stock, GBTC Dip As China Vows Bitcoin Crackdown
Bitcoin got spanked after the People’s Bank of China said all cryptocurrency-related activities are illegal.
Officials said that China’s only intention is to protect individuals from the risks of crypto trading and to secure social stability.
Bitcoin’s price dipped more than 4%, sitting just above the $42,000 mark, according to Coindesk.
IPO stock Coinbase Global (COIN) dipped around 2%, losing further ground on its 50-day moving average. It has fallen almost 46% from its record high of 429.54, which it reached April 14.
Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, which generally moves in line with the price of Bitcoin, fell about 6%. It is trading below its 50-day line, and is down by more than 40% from its February all-time high of 58.22.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk Bullish On Chips
Tesla stock climbed after Musk made bullish noises on chips amid a broad shortage.
Musk said the shortage, which is hampering car production is “short term,” and capacity will be adequate by next year.
“There’s a lot of chip fabrication plants that are being built,” Musk said. “I think we will have good capacity for providing chips by next year.”
Tesla gained 2%, with a move past a 730 handle entry gaining traction. This saw exposure to the EV stock boosted on the IBD Leaderboard list of top growth stocks Friday.
Snap Stock Leads Names Passing Buy Points
Snap is in a buy zone after passing a flat base buy point of 80.95, according to MarketSmith analysis.
The stock has been moving well, as rival Facebook (FB) struggles, and formed a base-on-base pattern. History has shown these bases can engineer strong price moves.
Chip stock Brooks Automation (BRKS) also made a positive move. It passed a cup base entry of 108.82.
This is a second-stage base, which is a positive. The stock boasts a heady mixture of price and fundamental performance. Earnings have grown an average of 124% over the past three quarters, which is well in excess of CAN SLIM requirements.
Please follow Michael Larkin on Twitter at @IBD_MLarkin for more on growth stocks and analysis.
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Chip supply to remain tight well into 2022 -executives
Situation tougher than expected in Q3 -Renault CEO
BMW: situation to remain tight for next 6-12 months
MUNICH, Sept 6 (Reuters) – As carmakers gathered in Munich on Monday to launch almost exclusively zero- or low-emission vehicles, an ongoing semiconductor shortage cast a long shadow over the first major car show since before the pandemic began.
Forced to shut down plants last year, carmakers now face increasing competition from the consumer electronics industry for chip deliveries. That problem has been compounded by a series of supply chain disruptions during the pandemic.
Cars have become increasingly dependent on chips – for everything from computer management of engines for better fuel economy to driver-assistance features such as emergency braking.
Speaking during the launch of a couple of electric vehicles (EVs) on Sunday evening, Ola Källenius, CEO at premium German carmaker Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE), said that while the company is hopeful its own supply will improve in the fourth quarter, soaring demand for chips means the industry could struggle to source enough of them into 2023 – though the shortage should be less severe by then.
“Several chip suppliers have been referring to structural problems with demand,” Källenius said. “This could influence 2022 and (the situation) may be more relaxed in 2023.”
Joerg Burzer, head of supply chain at Daimler’s carmaking unit Mercedes-Benz, said he was hoping the situation would stabilise in the fourth quarter. “Relaxation will come later.”
The IAA Mobility show in Munich is the first major motor industry event worldwide since the global coronavirus pandemic.
Visitors stand at Mercedes booth ahead of the Munich Motor Show IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 6, 2021. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
Despite the ongoing shortage, Daimler board member Britta Seeger said the carmaker does not believe its long-term electric vehicle goals will be affected.
Automakers from U.S. group General Motors (GM.N) to India’s Mahindra (MAHM.NS) and Japan’s Toyota (7203.T) have slashed output and sales forecasts due to scarce chip supplies, made worse by a COVID-19 resurgence in key Asian semiconductor production hubs.
Just last week, Chinese EV maker Nio Inc (NIO.N) cut its delivery forecast for the third quarter due to uncertain and volatile semiconductor supplies.
Renault (RENA.PA) CEO Luca De Meo said on Monday the chip shortage had been tougher than expected during the current third quarter, but said the situation should improve in the fourth quarter.
Major auto supplier Bosch (ROBG.UL) said it expects the shortage will ease somewhat in the coming months, but supplies will remain constrained into next year.
BMW (BMWG.DE) CEO Oliver Zipse said the premium carmaker expects supply chains to remain tight well into 2022.
“I expect that the general tightness of the supply chains will continue in the next 6 to 12 months,” he said.
Additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Christina Amann, Gilles Guillaume and Victoria Waldersee; editing by Jason Neely
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai talks about the company’s third-generation artificial intelligence chips.
Source: YouTube screenshot
Not content with relying on standard chips that are in high demand, some of the world’s biggest tech firms are developing their own semiconductors.
Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Tesla and Baidu are all shunning established chip firms and bringing certain aspects of chip development in-house, according to company announcements and media reports.
“Increasingly, these companies want custom-made chips fitting their applications’ specific requirements rather than use the same generic chips as their competitors,” Syed Alam, global semiconductor lead at Accenture, told CNBC.
“This gives them more control over the integration of software and hardware while differentiating them from their competition,” Alam added.
Russ Shaw, a former non-executive director at U.K.-based Dialog Semiconductor, told CNBC that custom-designed chips can perform better and work out cheaper.
“These specifically designed chips can help to reduce energy consumption for devices and products from the specific tech company, whether it relates to smartphones or cloud services,” Shaw said.
The ongoing global chip shortage is another reason why big tech firms are thinking twice about where they get their chips from, Glenn O’Donnell, research director at analyst firm Forrester, told CNBC. “The pandemic threw a big wrench in these supply chains, which accelerated efforts to do their own chips.”
“Many already felt limited in their innovation pace being locked into chipmaker timelines,” O’Donnell said.
A.I. chips and more
At present, barely a month goes by without a Big Tech company announcing a new chip project.
Perhaps the most notable example came in November 2020 when Apple announced it was moving away from Intel’s x86 architecture to make its own M1 processor, which now sits in its new iMacs and iPads.
More recently, Tesla announced that it is building a “Dojo” chip to train artificial intelligence networks in data centers. The automaker in 2019 started producing cars with its custom AI chips that help on-board software make decisions in response to what’s happening on the road.
Baidu last month launched an AI chip that’s designed to help devices process huge amounts of data and boost computing power. Baidu said the “Kunlun 2” chip can be used in areas such as autonomous driving and that it has entered mass production.
Some of the tech giants have chosen to keep certain semiconductor projects under wraps.
Google is reportedly edging closer to rolling out its own central processing units, or CPUs, for its Chromebook laptops. The search giant plans to use its CPUs in Chromebooks and tablets that run on the company’s Chrome operating system from around 2023, according to a report from Nikkei Asia on Sep. 1. Google did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
Amazon, which operates the world’s largest cloud service, is developing its own networking chip to power hardware switches that move data around networks. If it works, it would reduce Amazon’s reliance on Broadcom. Amazon, which already designs a number of other chips, did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
Facebook’s chief AI scientist told Bloomberg in 2019 that the company is working on a new class of semiconductor that would work “very differently” than most of the existing designs. Facebook did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
Designing but not manufacturing
At this stage, none of the tech giants are looking to do all the chip development themselves.
“It is all about the design and performance of the chip,” Shaw said. “At this stage, it is not about the manufacturing and foundries, which is very costly.”
Setting up an advanced chip factory, or foundry, like TSMC’s in Taiwan, costs around $10 billion and takes several years.
“Even Google and Apple are reticent to build these,” O’Donnell said. “They’ll go to TSMC or even Intel to build their chips.”
O’Donnell said there’s a shortage of people in Silicon Valley with the skills required to design high end-processors. “Silicon Valley put so much emphasis on software over the past few decades that hardware engineering was seen as a bit of an anachronism,” he said.
“It became ‘uncool’ to do hardware,” O’Donnell said. “Despite its name, Silicon Valley now employs relatively few real silicon engineers.”
Apple and Intel are reportedly testing chip designs with TSMC’s 3-nanometer process and could be first to market with the technology, according to Nikkei. Intel may be planning to use the chips in next-gen notebooks and data centers, while Apple could be first to market with a 3-nanometer processor in future iPad models. Taiwan-based TSMC will reportedly start manufacturing processors for both companies as early as next year.
TSMC is currently manufacturing 5-nanometer chips for Apple’s iPhone 12, and in 2022 will build next-gen AMD Zen 4 chips. It has targeted 3-nanometer volume production for the second half of 2022 with products likely coming along in 2023.
TSMC expects the new tech to deliver 10-15 percent greater performance at the same power levels, or reduce power 25 to 30 percent at the same transistor speeds over 5-nanometer tech. The company also has a 4-nanometer N4 process set to arrive in 2022, offering an evolution over 5-nanometer with minimal changes required by chip designers.
Apple’s iPad will reportedly be the first devices powered by 3-nanometer chips, according to Nikkei‘s sources. The next generation of iPhones rolling out next year will supposedly use 4-nanometer tech for scheduling reasons.
Currently the chip volume planned for Intel is more than that for Apple’s iPad using the 3-nanometer process.
The situation with Intel is perhaps more interesting. Intel confirmed to Nikkei that it would work with TSMC for its 2023 product lineup and has previously said that it would subcontract some chip manufacturing out to the Taiwan-based company, though it didn’t say which technology it would use.
As it stands now, Intel has only just started rolling out its 10-nanometer chips (which are broadly equivalent to chips made with TSMC’s 7-nanometer process), and has delayed 7-nanometer production until 2023.
According to Nikkei, TSMC will produce more chips for Intel than Apple. “Currently the chip volume planned for Intel is more than that for Apple’s iPad using the 3-nanometer process,” a source said. Intel plans to use TSMC to build processors for notebook and data servers “in an attempt to regain market share it has lost to Advanced Micro Devices and NVIDIA over the past few years,” the story reads.
If the rumors prove accurate, Intel could possibly beat AMD to 3-nanometer tech, as AMD plans to use 5-nanometer chips for its next-gen Zen 4 processors. AMD now relies on TSMC for its processor and GPU chips, as its previous supplier GlobalFoundries decided not to manufacture 7-nanometer or smaller chips back in 2018.
TSMC is building a $12 billion chip fab plant in Arizona and plans to use its current 5-nanometer manufacturing technology. Intel, meanwhile, plans to invest $20 billion in two Arizona factories.
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Ex-McDonald’s employee reveals his simple ‘life hack’ to stop chips from going soggy and keep them crispy every time
Ex-McDonald’s worker reveals ‘life hack’ to prevent crispy fries from going soggy
Bruno Bouchet, from Sydney, worked as a crew trainer between ages of 14 and 17
The 35-year-old shared his trick that would help solve a ‘super common problem’
He said a huge mistake most people make is closing the top of the paper bag
Keeping the bag airtight actually ‘steams’ the chips, causing them to go soggy
By Cindy Tran for Daily Mail Australia
Published: | Updated:
A former McDonald’s employee has revealed his ultimate ‘life hack’ to prevent crispy fries from going soggy every time.
Bruno Bouchet, from Sydney, worked as a crew trainer at a McDonald’s Brisbane outlet while in high school from 2000 to 2003 between the ages of 14 and 17.
The now-35-year-old radio personality said there’s one ‘life hack’ he has been holding on to until now that would help solve a ‘super common problem’ most customers face: ‘How do you stop your chips from going soggy?’
‘When you’re in drive-thru, you get given your chips, they end up getting soggy. So I’m going to tell you… the error everyone makes is closing the top of the bag that contains the chips,’ Bruno told KIISFM radio duo Kyle and Jackie O.
‘Because you’d think if I make it nice and airtight, the heat will keep the chips warm – wrong, what it actually does is it steams the potatoes so you’re left with sloppy chips. So you’re actually steaming them when you close the bag.’
Ex-McDonald’s employee Bruno Bouchet (pictured at age 14 in 2000) worked as a crew trainer at a McDonald’s store while in high school from 2000 to 2003 between the ages of 14 and 17
The now-35-year-old radio personality said there’s one ‘life hack’ he has been holding on to until now that would help solve a ‘super common problem’ most customers face: ‘How do you stop your chips from going soggy?’
However, Bruno said there’s a simple way to get around the dilemma.
‘So the hack is simple, you need the heat to escape,’ he explained.
‘First things first, bag open. Secondly, you know how the chips are placed upwards in the bag? Put the chips horizontally because that would slow the rate of the heat escaping – it would go out one side rather than straight from the top.
‘Finally stack the bags so they’re horizontally at the bottom – and you put the burgers on top of the chips to keep them warm.
‘Let me recap, chips at the bottom, tip them horizontally, burgers on top, let the bag breathe – you’ll never have soggy chips ever again in your life, I guarantee it.’
His life hack comes just one year after he shared his insider knowledge after working for the fast food chain for three years.
Bruno said there’s a simple way to get around the dilemma. He said you should always open the bag, then place the chips horizontally so it slows down the heat from escaping (file image)
For three years, the then-teenager worked in every area of the store, from the kitchen, drive-thru and front counter to McCafe and even kids’ birthday parties
Bruno said the biggest secret item on the menu when he was working was the Bacon McFlurry.
‘You’d mix in bacon bits and caramel sauce into a McFlurry – it was incredible. Think of it as the McFlurry version of Canadian Pancakes,’ Bruno told Daily Mail Australia.
‘This was such a highly guarded secret that even some managers had never heard of it before. The secret was only ever circulated amongst back area staff who had worked there for ages.
‘To order it at a McDonald’s you didn’t have a hook up at, you’d ask to speak to the oldest looking guy in the kitchen and pray to god he knew what you were talking about when you mentioned the “Bacon McFlurry”.’
During his time there, Bruno claimed the ‘back area staff’ had a pickle juice bowl which was used for employees to treat cuts and burns.
‘When I started at McDonald’s, an older guy taught me this “life hack” that involved the giant pickle buckets we’d have in the kitchen,’ he said.
‘He explained that if you ever cut or burnt yourself, you simply dip your hand into the pickle brine for 30 seconds and everything would be fine. I tried it a few times and was blown away by how the bleeding would stop almost immediately.’
GUANGZHOU, China — China is looking to boost research into what it calls “frontier technology” including quantum computing and semiconductors, as it competes with the U.S. for supremacy in the latest innovations.
In its five-year development plan, the 14th of its kind, Beijing said it would make “science and technology self-reliance and self-improvement a strategic pillar for national development,” according to a CNBC translation.
Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that China would increase research and development spending by more than 7% per year between 2021 and 2025, in pursuit of “major breakthroughs” in technology.
China’s technology champions such as Huawei and SMIC have been targeted by U.S. sanctions as tensions between Beijing and Washington have ramped up in the past few years.
As such, China has concentrated on boosting its domestic expertise in areas it sees as strategically important, such as semiconductors. And now it has laid out seven “frontier technologies” that it will prioritize not just for the next five years, but beyond too.
1) Artificial intelligence (AI)
China plans to focus on specialized chip development for AI applications and developing so-called open source algorithms. Open source technology is usually developed by one entity and licensed by other companies.
There will also be an emphasis on machine learning in areas such as decision making. Machine learning is the development of AI programs trained on vast amounts of data. The program “learns” as it is fed more data.
AI has been a key field for Chinese companies and the central government over the last few years. Major companies such as Alibaba and Baidu have been investing in the technology.
China and the U.S. are competing for AI dominance. A group of experts chaired by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said China could soon replace the U.S. as the world’s “AI superpower.”
2) Quantum information
3) Integrated circuits or semiconductors
Semiconductors are a critical area for China and one it has invested a lot in over the past few years but the country has struggled to catch up to the U.S., Taiwan and South Korea.
The problem is the complexity of the semiconductor supply chain. Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung are the two most advanced chip manufacturers but they rely on tools from the U.S. and Europe.
Washington has put SMIC, China’s biggest chip manufacturer, on an export blacklist called the Entity List. SMIC cannot get its hands on American technology. And the U.S. has reportedly pushed to stop Dutch company ASML from shipping a key tool that could help SMIC catch up to rivals.
Since China doesn’t have the companies that can design and make the tools that its chip manufacturers require, it relies on companies from other countries. This is something China wants to change.
In its five-year plan, China says it will focus on research and development in integrated circuit design tools, key equipment and key materials.
Chips are incredibly important because they go into many of the devices we use such as smartphones but are also important for other industries.
4) Brain science
China plans to research areas such as how to stop diseases of the brain.
But it also says that it plans to look into “brain-inspired computing” as well as “brain-computer fusion technology,” according to a CNBC translation. The five-year plan did not elaborate on what that could look like.
China laid out seven “frontier” technologies in its 14th Five Year Plan. These are areas that China will focus research on and include semiconductors and brain-computer fusion.
Yuichiro Chino | Moment | Getty Images
However, such work is already underway in the U.S. at Elon Musk’s company Neuralink. Musk is working on implantable brain-chip interfaces to connect humans and computers.
5) Genomics and biotechnology
With the outbreak of the coronavirus last year, biotechnology has grown in importance.
China says it will focus on “innovative vaccines” and “research on biological security.”
6) Clinical medicine and health
China’s research will concentrate on understanding the progression of cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic diseases.
The government also says that it will research some “cutting-edge” treatment technologies such as regenerative medicine. This involves medicine that can regrow or repair damaged cells, tissues and organs.
China says it will also be looking at key technologies in the prevention and treatment of major transmissible diseases.
7) Deep space, deep earth, deep sea and polar research
Space exploration has been a top priority for China recently. Beijing said it will focus on research into the “origin and evolution of the universe,” exploration of Mars as well as deep sea and polar research.
In December, a Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth carrying rocks from the moon. It was the first time China has launched a spacecraft from an extraterrestrial body and the first time it has collected moon samples.
And in July, China launched a mission to Mars called Tianwen -1.
