IDC expects shipments of PCs could shrink by up to 9% YoY in 2026 due to global memory shortages, as demand from AI data centers continues to outstrip supply (Zak Killian/Tom's Hardware)
Tom
IDC warns PC market could shrink up to 9% in 2026 due to skyrocketing RAM pricing — even moderate forecast hits 5% drop as AI-driven shortages slam into PC market
Memory shortages are expected to have a serious impact on the PC and smartphone market.
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IDC expects shipments of PCs could shrink by up to 9% YoY in 2026 due to global memory shortages, as demand from AI data centers continues to outstrip supply
By Zak Killian / Tom
Two ex-staffers of cybersecurity incident response companies Sygnia and DigitalMint plead guilty to targeting US companies in 2023's BlackCat ransomware attacks (Sergiu Gatlan/BleepingComputer)
BleepingComputer
US cybersecurity experts plead guilty to BlackCat ransomware attacks
Two former employees of cybersecurity incident response companies Sygnia and DigitalMint have pleaded guilty to targeting U.S. companies in BlackCa...
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Two ex-staffers of cybersecurity incident response companies Sygnia and DigitalMint plead guilty to targeting US companies in 2023
By Sergiu Gatlan / BleepingComputer. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire Tel Aviv-based AI21, which is building its own LLMs, for $2B to $3B; the deal would resemble an acquihire (CTech)
ctech
Nvidia in advanced talks to acquire AI21 in $2-3 billion deal focused on talent | CTech
EXCLUSIVE: The move would mark Nvidia’s fourth major Israeli purchase and signal the limits of Israel’s LLM ambitions.
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Sources: Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire Tel Aviv-based AI21, which is building its own LLMs, for $2B to $3B; the deal would resemble an acquihire
From CTech. View the full context on Techmeme.
Zhipu AI launches a share sale to raise ~$560M in a Hong Kong IPO at a valuation of ~$6.6B, which would make it the first LLM developer listed in Hong Kong (Themis Qi/South China Morning Post)
South China Morning Post
China’s Zhipu AI launches US$560 million share sale amid heated IPO tech race
The company, marketed overseas as Z.ai, eyes US$6.6 billion valuation with Hong Kong’s first large language model listing.
Techmeme
Z.ai launches a share sale to raise ~$560M in a Hong Kong IPO at a valuation of ~$6.6B, which would make it the first LLM developer listed in Hong Kong
By Themis Qi / South China Morning Post. View the full context on Techmeme.
Meta just bought into the enterprise market with its Manus deal, which may eventually help it expand into cloud offerings like those of its Big Tech peers (M.G. Siegler/Spyglass)
Spyglass
Manus: The Hands of AI Fate
Meta acquires an AI business model...
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Meta just bought into the enterprise market with its Manus deal, which may eventually help it expand into cloud offerings like those of its Big Tech peers
By M.G. Siegler / Spyglass. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: SoftBank has completed its $40B investment in OpenAI (Samantha Subin/CNBC)
CNBC
SoftBank has fully funded $40 billion investment in OpenAI, sources tell CNBC
Companies have been spending big on AI infrastructure to support growing compute and connectivity needs.
Techmeme
Sources: SoftBank has completed its $40B investment in OpenAI
By Samantha Subin / CNBC. View the full context on Techmeme.
China's draft AI rules have measures to protect kids, like time limits and parental consent, ban gambling promotion content, and add suicide chats restrictions (Osmond Chia/BBC)
Artificial intelligence: China plans rules to protect children and tackle suicide risks
The draft regulations are aimed to address concerns around chatbots, which have surged in popularity in recent months.
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China
By Osmond Chia / BBC. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: Chinese AI startup MiniMax is seeking to raise $600M+ from its Hong Kong IPO, set for January 2026, and has secured Alibaba and the ADIA as backers (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg.com
Alibaba, Abu Dhabi Set to Invest in MiniMax’s $600 Million IPO
Artificial intelligence startup MiniMax secured backing from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund for its Hong Kong d...
Techmeme
Sources: MiniMax has secured backing from Alibaba and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, among others, for its upcoming Hong Kong IPO in January
From Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: China is requiring chipmakers to use at least 50% domestically made equipment for adding new capacity, in a rule that is not publicly documented (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-mandates-50-domestic-equipment-rule-chipmakers-sources-say-2025-12-30/
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Sources: China is requiring chipmakers to use at least 50% domestically made equipment for adding new capacity, in a rule that is not publicly documented
From Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: Satya Nadella is focused on the increasing AI competition from Amazon and Google; Microsoft Deputy CTO Dee Templeton says Nadella is in "founder mode" (Rafe Rosner-Uddin/Financial Times)
Client Challenge
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Sources: Satya Nadella has overhauled Microsoft
By Rafe Rosner-Uddin / Financial Times. View the full context on Techmeme.