Taiwanese prosecutors on Monday indicted a former deputy manager at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for allegedly stealing trade secrets involving technologies designated as national core technologies, with the intent to use them in China.

The defendant, identified by the surname Chen, faces charges under Taiwan’s National Security Act and the Trade Secrets Act. Prosecutors are seeking a seven-year prison sentence.

According to the indictment, Chen conspired with a Hong Kong national between 2023 and 2024 to establish CSMAC, a semiconductor materials analysis company in China. He is accused of copying 21 TSMC documents containing national core technologies and other proprietary trade secrets for use in the new venture.

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to companies such as Nvidia and Apple, detected the unauthorized copying through an internal investigation and successfully recovered all duplicated documents. The Hong Kong co-conspirator was not prosecuted because he had died. Chen remains in custody, and Reuters was unable to reach him for comment. TSMC declined to comment on the case.

Prosecutors described this as Taiwan’s first indictment involving the alleged theft of trade secrets related to technologies officially designated as national core technologies for intended use in China.

The case underscores heightened concerns in Taiwan over China’s efforts to recruit Taiwanese semiconductor talent and acquire advanced chip know-how. In response, Taiwan has significantly tightened protections for technologies deemed critical to its economic and national security.

MacDailyNews Take: TSMC clearly plays a central role in the global semiconductor supply chain, making the protection of its intellectual property a matter of strategic importance far beyond Taiwan’s borders.

‎
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

The post Taiwan indicts former TSMC deputy manager for alleged theft of national core technology trade secrets intended for China appeared first on MacDailyNews.

China’s cyberspace regulator has officially registered Apple’s on-device generative AI service, Apple Intelligence, for use in the country. This marks a significant step toward the long-awaited launch of the feature for Chinese consumers.

According to Reuters, “China’s cyberspace regulator said on Wednesday that Apple’s on-device generative AI service, Apple Intelligence, has been registered for use on iPhones in China, paving the way for the long-anticipated rollout of the service in the country.”

China mandates that companies register large language models and generative AI services with regulators before making them available to the public. This approval positions Apple to finally introduce its AI capabilities in one of its most important markets.

The service will integrate local AI expertise. Reuters reports, “Apple Intelligence will incorporate capabilities from AI models developed by Baidu and Alibaba, a source familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.”

Alibaba confirmed its involvement in a statement to Reuters: “Its Qwen model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence across Apple’s iPhone (iOS), iPad (iPadOS), Mac (macOS) and Vision Pro (visionOS) operating systems in China.”

A Baidu spokesperson also noted, “Apple is also working with Baidu to develop Apple Intelligence features for Chinese iPhone users.”

The regulator’s statement provided no specific launch date for Apple Intelligence in China.

This development comes at a crucial time for Apple in China, where the company reported a 24.4% year-on-year increase in shipments in the second quarter. The rollout of Apple Intelligence could further strengthen its competitive position in a market where consumers have eagerly awaited these AI features.

MacDailyNews Take: Clearly good news for Apple and should be for Apple’s – and Alibaba’s – stock prices, too.

‎
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

The post Apple Intelligence gains regulatory approval in China appeared first on MacDailyNews.

In a challenging quarter for the global smartphone industry, Apple has once again demonstrated why the iPhone remains a powerhouse brand. According to recent data from IDC, while overall smartphone shipments tumbled, Apple’s shipments surged—highlighting the company’s strategic resilience in the face of rising costs and weakening demand.

The Broader Market Struggles

The second quarter of 2026 was tough for the smartphone sector. Globally, shipments fell 6.7% year-over-year to approximately 277.5 million units, marking the second consecutive quarter of decline. In China—the world’s largest smartphone market—shipments dropped 4.3% to 66 million units, extending a streak of five straight quarterly declines.

A key culprit? The ongoing memory crisis. DRAM and NAND flash costs have skyrocketed (up nearly 300% in some cases), squeezing manufacturers who rely heavily on low-end devices. Many Android vendors responded by raising prices or trimming budget models, which discouraged consumers from upgrading. Government subsidies that previously propped up demand also began to fade.

This created a polarized market: low-end segments contracted sharply, while premium players with stronger supply chains and brand power pulled ahead.

Apple’s Standout Performance

Against this backdrop, Apple shone brightly. In China, iPhone shipments grew a remarkable 24.4% year-over-year, boosting Apple’s market share to 18.1% (second place behind Huawei). Globally, reports indicate Apple achieved its strongest-ever Q2 for iPhone shipments, with growth in the range of 3-24% depending on the source, pushing its worldwide share toward record highs around 20%.

Why the success? Several factors converged:

• Price Stability: While competitors hiked prices due to component costs, Apple held steady. This gave hesitant buyers a compelling reason to purchase rather than delay.

• Strong Demand for iPhone 17 Series: Early signaling of potential future price increases encouraged preemptive buying. The latest lineup delivered one of Apple’s strongest refresh cycles.

• Premium Positioning: Apple’s focus on high-end devices insulated it from the low-end crunch. Memory costs represent a smaller portion of its bill of materials, and its locked-in supply chain provided an edge.

• Brand Loyalty and Promotions: In China, targeted discounts and promotions (especially ahead of the 618 shopping festival) amplified momentum, even as the overall market softened.

IDC analysts noted that Huawei and Apple were the only major vendors posting growth in China, thanks to holding prices while others raised theirs. Arthur Guo, Senior Analyst at IDC China, highlighted how this dynamic gave buyers a “reason to go ahead and purchase.”

What This Means for the Industry

The memory crisis is accelerating a two-tier market. Premium brands like Apple and Samsung are expanding share by leveraging scale, supply security, and desirable features. Mid- and low-tier vendors face painful adjustments—shifting toward higher-margin models while struggling to convince price-sensitive buyers to pay more.

For Apple, this isn’t just survival, it’s dominance. With iPhone shipments hitting record Q2 levels amid a downturn, the company is well-positioned for the rest of 2026. Analysts project Apple’s full-year market share could reach a historic 22%.
‎
MacDailyNews Take: Challenges remain, of course. Cost pressures could intensify later in the year, and competition (especially from Huawei in China) is fierce. Yet Apple’s ability to thrive where others falter underscores a timeless truth in tech: premium experiences, strong ecosystems, and smart pricing win loyal customers, even in tough times.

As the smartphone market navigates this memory-induced turbulence, Apple’s iPhone success story offers a masterclass in resilience. For investors, fans, and competitors alike, it’s a reminder that not all phones are created equal.

‎
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]

The post Apple’s iPhone defies gravity: record growth in a shrinking smartphone market amid memory crisis appeared first on MacDailyNews.

This week, Chinese equipment brand LiuGong officially launched its battery-electric equipment and material handling asset portfolio in the United States and Canada, making it easier than ever for construction and forestry crews to decarbonize their fleets.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Paleontologists in China have discovered what they say is the earliest confirmed pieces of amber ever found, a fossilized resin roughly 385 million years old (Middle Devonian epoch) that predates the previous record-holder by about 65 million years.

The post 385-Million-Year-Old Amber Found in China appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

China President Xi Jinping (pictured) set out his vision for the country to assume a leadership role in AI, calling for increased international cooperation and promotion of open-source technology while taking aim at the US over attempts to govern the sector.

Xi made the comments in a speech at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, where it was announced China, Brazil, Russia and Indonesia are among 30 countries to have joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation.

Chinese state media describe the new group as an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Shanghai to promote global AI governance.

Of the new group, Xi said AI should not be a “solo performance by one country, but rather a symphony of global cooperation”.

He said the initiative is a response to the call of the Global South to unite the international community in promoting development and governance of AI, “and it will become a major milestone in the history of artificial intelligence development”.

To further support this, Xi said China will provide 5,000 training opportunities in AI-related fields for developing countries, in addition to establishing AI application cooperation centres.  

In his speech, Xi noted that as AI continues to develop at “staggering speed”, there was a greater need for positive direction.

“We must more precisely grasp the scale of oversight and governance, and more promptly refine measures to forestall loss of control.”

Overstretch
While not naming the US directly, Xi said countries should oppose “overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI, or placing one country’s security over that of others”.

The US has notably placed several restrictions on China, impacting companies in the country from accessing high-end technology.

XI continued to state he was committed to promoting cooperation, bridging the digital divide, promoting sustainable development and avoiding “creating new historical injustices in the field of artificial intelligence”.

Finally, he called on the countries to “seize this rare historical opportunity, encourage open source and open collaboration”, in turn upgrading traditional industries and ensure AI can “empower all sectors”.

The post President Xi makes pitch for China to lead global AI race appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Ao longo dos anos a Neuralink de Elon Musk tem partilhado casos de sucesso nos testes dos seus implantes neurais. Mas foi a chinesa Neuracle que aplicou o primeiro chip cerebral comercial.

The post China “finta” os Estados Unidos e implanta o primeiro chip cerebral comercial do mundo appeared first on Tek Notícias.

One week ago, three widely respected European news outlets published the results of an investigation into what they described as a "joint plan" by China and Russia to "defeat Elon Musk's Starlink."

The story was the product of a long-running inquiry by The Insider, Der Spiegel, and Le Monde. Reporters at those publications said they reviewed a cache of documents detailing growing military cooperation between China and Russia. The documents covered discussions between the nuclear powers on integrated air and missile defense systems, autonomous "swarm" loitering munitions, next-generation armored vehicles, and military aviation, the report said.

According to the papers, the investigation found evidence of a partnership between China and Russia in the field of space weapons far deeper than either country has acknowledged. One particular focus for China and Russia has been developing strategies to counter SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband network.

Read full article

Comments

China’s regulators finally cleared Apple Intelligence for launch, paving the way for Apple’s AI platform to debut in the country.

(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

A Bengaluru startup called Vimag Labs just secured its fifth Indian patent for an electric motor that runs without any rare-earth magnets, using software and power electronics to generate its magnetic field instead.

It’s a small, $5-million company taking a swing at a problem that has stumped Tesla, GM, and every major automaker for years: how to build a competitive EV motor that doesn’t depend on China.

HELSINKI — China confirmed a methalox Long March 10C as its commercial workhorse following its first successful booster recovery, while injecting fresh capital into commercial rocket ventures. The China Academy […]

The post China lines up methalox Long March 10C as commercial workhorse after first booster recovery appeared first on SpaceNews.

China's sprawling state-owned rocket developer, maker of the country's Long March rocket family, announced it recovered a reusable orbital-class booster for the first time Friday in the South China Sea.

The milestone mission began with the liftoff of a Long March 10B rocket from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on Hainan Island, China's southernmost province. Powered by seven kerosene-fueled engines, the approximately 209-foot-tall (63.6-meter) rocket took off at 12:15 am EDT (04:15 UTC), or 12:15 pm local time at the seaside spaceport at Wenchang.

About 10 minutes later, the Long March 10B booster descended from space and guided itself into a four-legged frame affixed to an offshore vessel. Tensioned cables stretched over the ship in a grid pattern captured the rocket as it shut down its landing engines, leaving the smoldering booster hanging in midair. The rocket's upper stage continued into orbit and deployed a payload known only as CX-26. Chinese officials hailed the flight as a "complete success."

Read full article

Comments

On July 10, 2026, China’s new Long March 10B rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island. Its upper stage successfully delivered a satellite into the planned orbit, while the first stage returned to Earth just six minutes after separation – not by landing on deployable legs like the Falcon 9, and not […]

The post All About Long March 10B: A Falcon 9 Competitor? appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

Australia just posted its biggest month ever for electric car sales, and for the first time seven different EVs each cleared 1,000 units in a single month.

Every one of them is either Chinese-owned or Chinese-built — and that includes the Tesla Model Y that topped the chart, which rolls off the line in Shanghai.

China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) has put the world’s largest solar PV-plus-concentrated-solar hybrid into commercial trial operation in the Gobi Desert — and its headline trick is delivering power after sunset without a single lithium battery.

The 1-gigawatt Hami project in Xinjiang stores the sun’s energy as heat in molten salt, letting it keep generating for up to eight hours after dark.

Xiaomi has answered the biggest open question about Sky Nomad: it’s a second product series under Xiaomi EV, not the standalone sub-brand that had been rumored for months.

The company also revealed the first clear look at the lineup’s debut model — a rugged, boxy extended-range SUV — in a set of official teaser posters.

Xiaomi officially confirmed “Sky Nomad,” the name of its new extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) effort, after months of rumors. The first model is a full-size SUV expected to deliver over 1,500 km (932 miles) of combined range.

The announcement puts China’s hottest EV newcomer on a collision course with Li Auto and Huawei-backed Aito, which dominate the country’s lucrative family SUV segment.