Latest news with #MayumiNegishi
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Taiwan Arrests Six in Probe of TSMC Chip Technology Leak
(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan prosecutors arrested six people suspected of stealing trade secrets from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., opening an investigation into a potential breach of national security involving a global tech industry linchpin. The chipmaker to Nvidia Corp. reported a number of former and current staff to authorities on suspicion they illegally obtained core technology. A total of six people were arrested, with two posting bail and one released afterwards, said Taiwan High Prosecutors Office spokesman John Nieh. Prosecutors searched the homes of some staff between July 25 and July 28, the agency said in a statement. It's now trying to find out if data had been leaked to other parties. TSMC is the world's most advanced maker of semiconductors, from Nvidia AI accelerators to Apple Inc. iPhone processors. The case coincides with a quickening race by the likes of Meta Platforms Inc. and DeepSeek to develop artificial intelligence in the post-ChatGPT era, which requires billions of dollars in servers and datacenters. On Tuesday, the Nikkei reported that TSMC fired several employees suspected of trying to obtain critical information on 2-nanometer chip development. That next-generation semiconductor process is entering mass production in the second half of this year. Local investigators also searched the Taiwanese premises of Japanese supplier Tokyo Electron Ltd., the Financial Times reported. Company representatives declined to comment. TSMC has taken disciplinary action against personnel involved and initiated legal proceedings, the company said in a statement without elaborating. It conducted an internal investigation and identified the issue 'early,' the firm added in its statement. The case shines a spotlight on TSMC, one of the companies at the heart of the global infrastructure boom. Investment in chipmaking development is at an all-time high, as TSMC and closest rival Samsung Electronics Co. set aside more than $30 billion in annual capital expenditures, while US and Chinese companies vie to develop the most advanced technology. China's progress has stalled several generations behind TSMC, with Huawei Technologies Co. and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. now fabricating silicon at 7nm. In the US, Intel Corp. is at a more advanced stage. --With assistance from Mayumi Negishi, Peter Elstrom and Takashi Mochizuki. More stories like this are available on
Bloomberg
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
From Demons to Downloads: Sony's Anime Music Goes Mainstream
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter about the business of tech from Bloomberg's journalists around the world. Today, Mayumi Negishi and Sohee Kim look at Sony's push to make anime anthems go platinum. Copilot on the web: Microsoft is embedding its AI assistant deeper into its browser, combining Copilot and Edge search in a single text box that can read information across browser tabs.
Mint
02-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
SoftBank's Ampere Deal Now Faces a More In-Depth Review by FTC
(Bloomberg) -- SoftBank Group Corp.'s acquisition of semiconductor designer Ampere Computing LLC is facing a potentially lengthy probe by the US government. The Federal Trade Commission, one of two regulators charged with reviewing deals, has opened an in-depth investigation of the takeover, known formally as a second request for information about the transaction, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because it wasn't public yet. Only a small portion of deals face such follow-up requests. In some instances investigations can last for a year or more and are a precursor to a lawsuit to block the deal. A representative for Ampere declined to comment. A SoftBank spokesperson was unable to immediately comment, while a representative for the FTC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. SoftBank's all-cash transaction valuing Ampere at $6.5 billion was announced in March and represents another step in the Japanese company's push to add artificial intelligence infrastructure capabilities. Ampere makes server processors that are one of the main components of data center computers. SoftBank is already the majority owner of Arm Holdings Plc, whose technology is used across the electronics industry and increasingly as the basis of server chips. Ampere is a customer that licenses Arm's fundamental technology. When the deal was announced, SoftBank and Arm said they intended to close the transaction in the second half of 2025. Their plan called for Ampere to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank, retaining both its name and its headquarters in Santa Clara, California. SoftBank and Arm have previously faced antitrust scrutiny. SoftBank's 2020 plan to sell Arm to Nvidia Corp. was investigated by agencies around the world and ultimately abandoned after being challenged in the US and the UK. Arm is also embroiled in a global licensing dispute with Qualcomm Inc., which lodged antitrust complaints with the European Commission, the FTC and South Korea's antitrust regulator late last year, Bloomberg News has reported. Qualcomm alleges that Arm is hurting competition by restricting access to its technology after operating an open network for more than 20 years. --With assistance from Josh Sisco and Mayumi Negishi. More stories like this are available on
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Switch 2 Resellers Drive Thriving Market in Japan Despite Crackdown
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter with reporting and analysis about the business of tech from Bloomberg's journalists around the world. Today, Mayumi Negishi reports on the backlash against scalpers who are finding ways to obtain and sell the new Switch 2 game console outside the authorized retail outlets. Help us improve Bloomberg's newsletters: Take a quick survey to share your thoughts on your signup experience and what you'd like to see in the future.
Bloomberg
15-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Japan's NTT Has Become an Under-the-Radar AI Powerhouse
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter with reporting and analysis about the business of tech from Bloomberg's journalists around the world. Today, Mayumi Negishi revisits a Japanese AI pioneer hiding in plain sight. Meta goes to Washington: The US Federal Trade Commission's antitrust trial against Meta began on Monday, with Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg testifying on day one. The proceedings are set to last about two months, during which time former executive Sheryl Sandberg is also expected to testify.
