Welcome boost for chancellor with unexpected rise put down to rapid growth of AI in services sector outweighing Iran war fallout

The UK economy grew in July as the rapid expansion of AI appeared to outweigh the economic damage from the Iran war, in a welcome boost for John Healey.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a surprise 0.4% increase in gross domestic product (GDP), compared with 0.3% growth in June. City economists had forecast zero growth.

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The UK government opposed a proposal to make air traffic control provider NATS reimburse airlines for passenger compensation arising from its failures, weeks before a massive tech glitch led to 2,000 flight cancellations. During a House of Commons debate, Liberal Democrat MP Luke Taylor pointed out that the government had opposed the amendment in the months before this week's computer outage, which disrupted travel for around 330,000 passengers. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told affected passengers: "We consider that disruption caused by the NATS outage is likely to be considered the result of 'extraordinary circumstances' under passenger rights rules. "This means that although passengers should be looked after by airlines, they are unlikely to be entitled to compensation for delays or cancellations that were directly caused by the incident." NATS is a public-private partnership in which the government owns 49 percent and a consortium of airlines holds 42 percent. Computer outages have hit the organization three times in three years, beginning with an August 2023 failure that disrupted hundreds of thousands of passengers. NATS said it had fixed the latest technical problem, but warned that the resulting disruption could continue for several days. Taylor told MPs that after earlier NATS computer problems, the government said it had been assured that "NATS took the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of those particular circumstances." He explained that while the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill was passing through the House of Lords, Lord Young of Cookham had proposed an amendment that would require NATS to reimburse airlines for compensation paid to passengers following cancellations caused by its failures. The government opposed the amendment, which Lord Young subsequently withdrew. Taylor quoted the government's earlier response that it had been "able to place considerable pressure on" NATS. Taylor told MPs: "Following the third major failure of our airspace management in the past three years, it is imperative that this Bill is amended to include measures to stop that happening again. NATS is quite clearly not fit for purpose. We cannot suffer a major air traffic outage once a year." Also speaking in the debate, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said she had asked the CAA to conduct an independent review into the cause of the failure and report within six months. NATS was also ordered to give the CAA an initial account of the failure within a week. The minister told MPs that she did "not believe this issue was unavoidable." In a statement yesterday, NATS said: "Our operations are stable and we continue to work closely with airlines and airports to support their recovery from the ongoing disruption to their operations. We would also like to reiterate our apology to all those affected – passengers, airlines and airports – by our system issue. While our immediate focus is on safely managing today's flights, a full investigation will be conducted to establish what happened and identify any further action needed." Ryanair, meanwhile, called for NATS CEO Martin Rolfe to resign after "yet another UK ATC system failure caused widespread delays and cancellations across UK airspace… disrupting over 65,000 Ryanair passengers and cancelling over 50 scheduled flights." Wizz Air said in a statement that it was "extremely disappointed that another NATS technical failure has caused widespread disruption across the UK aviation network. Passengers are once again facing delays and cancellations because of a failure entirely outside airlines' control." It added: "This is not the first time NATS has failed during a peak summer period, and here we go again. A critical national infrastructure provider should not repeatedly bring the aviation system to a standstill." ®

Endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting an estimated one in ten women of reproductive age, has long frustrated clinicians with its stubborn tendency to recur despite surgery and hormone therapy. A new review published in Reproductive Sciences argues that the answer to this therapeutic failure may lie in a single transcription factor: ZEB1, or Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 1. Written by Gaurav Doshi and Sanket Shirodkar of SVKM’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy in Mumbai, the review synthesises evidence from across the field to position ZEB1 as a master molecular integrator—converging hormonal, inflammatory and epigenetic signals into a single programme that drives lesion establishment, invasiveness and drug resistance.

The biological centrepiece of the review is epithelial–mesenchymal transition, or EMT, the process by which epithelial cells lose their adhesive, stationary character and acquire the migratory, invasive traits of mesenchymal cells. In endometriosis, EMT is thought to be essential for the survival of endometrial cells that reflux into the pelvic cavity during menstruation and subsequently implant on peritoneal surfaces, ovaries and other ectopic sites. ZEB1 sits at the apex of this programme. It suppresses CDH1, the gene encoding E-cadherin, the principal adhesion molecule holding epithelial sheets together, and in doing so dismantles the cell–cell junctions that would otherwise keep ectopic cells anchored and vulnerable. The review details how ZEB1 accomplishes this repression by recruiting chromatin-remodelling machinery, notably the SWI/SNF ATPase subunit BRG1, to the E-cadherin promoter, effectively silencing it epigenetically. The result is a stabilised mesenchymal differentiation that permits attachment, invasion and, ultimately, the vascularisation required for a lesion to persist.

Crucially, the authors argue that ZEB1 is not merely one EMT factor among many, such as SNAI1, SNAI2 or its paralog ZEB2, but a systems-level hub. Immunohistochemical and molecular studies have repeatedly shown selective upregulation of ZEB1 in ectopic endometriotic lesions compared with matched eutopic endometrium, and its expression is particularly pronounced in deep infiltrating disease. One frequently cited clinical study found ZEB1 expression to be a potential indicator of invasive endometriosis, while a pilot investigation of different disease phenotypes has extended these observations across superficial, ovarian and deep infiltrating subtypes. Measurable ZEB levels have even been detected in plasma and peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis and infertility, raising the prospect of ZEB-family proteins as circulating biomarkers.

Perhaps the most consequential section of the review concerns the bidirectional crosstalk between ZEB1 and sex steroid signalling. Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent disease, and its defining therapeutic problem is progesterone resistance: lesions fail to respond to the progestational drugs used to suppress them. The review marshals evidence that oestrogen, specifically 17β-estradiol, induces ZEB1 expression, and that ZEB1 in turn suppresses progesterone receptor pathways. This creates a self-reinforcing circuit in which the oestrogen-ZEB1 axis dismantles the molecular machinery that progesterone therapy depends upon. Experimental work has demonstrated that high ZEB1 expression accompanies 17β-estradiol-induced EMT in endometriotic cells, and parallel findings from other hormone-driven diseases reinforce the mechanism: in breast cancer, ZEB1 induces oestrogen receptor-α promoter hypermethylation and confers antiestrogen resistance, and ZEB-family members have been shown to regulate endocrine therapy sensitivity through both canonical and non-canonical routes. In endometriosis, EMT itself has been shown to contribute to the downregulation of progesterone receptor expression in lesions, and the near-uniform loss of progesterone receptor isoform B in ectopic tissue is a long-standing observation that the ZEB1 framework now helps to explain mechanistically.

The review also devotes substantial attention to the non-coding RNA dimension of ZEB1 regulation, describing a multilayered feedback architecture that locks the mesenchymal state in place. The miR-200 family of microRNAs normally targets the 3′ untranslated regions of ZEB1 and ZEB2 transcripts, holding EMT in check. In ectopic lesions, this double-negative feedback loop is subverted: ZEB1 represses miR-200 transcription, and the resulting loss of miR-200 pressure allows ZEB1 protein to accumulate. Long non-coding RNAs add another tier. The lncRNA AFAP1-AS1, for example, promotes EMT in endometriosis in a ZEB1-correlated manner, and the metastasis-associated transcript MALAT1 has been implicated in the same circuitry, with miR-200c suppressing endometriotic progression in vitro and in vivo by targeting it. Circular RNAs complete the picture. The circRNA circZFPM2 has been shown to promote EMT by sponging miR-205-5p and thereby releasing ZEB1 from repression, while hsa_circ_0063526 acts through the miR-141-5p/EMT axis and circATRNL1 acts upstream by upregulating the EMT cofactor YAP1. Together these competing endogenous RNA networks—a concept also validated in metastatic cancer by J Clin Invest work—build a ceRNA web that perpetuates ZEB1 expression long after the initial pro-EMT stimulus has passed.

The authors then connect ZEB1 to the two great downstream consequences of endometriotic lesions: chronic inflammation and fibrosis. Through interactions with the TGF-β pathway—upstream signals such as TGF-β1 activate SMAD2/3, which cooperate with ZEB1 to drive the mesenchymal programme—ZEB1-linked cells reshape the lesion microenvironment. Fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation, marked by α-smooth muscle actin expression, generates the dense extracellular matrix characteristic of endometriotic implants, and analogous MRTF-A–ZEB1–IRF9 axes have been documented in renal fibrosis. Inflammation completes the loop: pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10, and peritoneal fluid cytokine profiles that differ across endometriosis subphenotypes, feed back into EMT signalling through MAPK, ERK, PI3K/AKT and NF-κB pathways, while immune evasion mechanisms—including indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-mediated suppression of natural killer cell cytotoxicity—shield ectopic tissue from immune clearance. ZEB1’s own roles in immune cell biology and in macrophage efferocytosis and mitochondrial dynamics add further dimensions to this immunological interplay.

A distinctive strength of the review is its engagement with modern genomics and the heterogeneity it has revealed. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses of endometriosis, published in Nature Genetics and the Journal of Pathology, have identified distinct hormonal, immunologic and inflammatory signatures among the cell populations constituting lesions, and spatial transcriptomics is beginning to map how intermediate fibroblast and myeloid cell distributions shape lesion architecture. ZEB1 expression, the authors note, is not uniform: it varies by lesion subtype, anatomical site and microenvironmental context, which helps explain why superficial peritoneal, ovarian endometrioma and deep infiltrating disease behave so differently and respond so unevenly to therapy. This heterogeneity argues strongly against a one-size-fits-all anti-ZEB1 strategy and supports the emerging precision-medicine framing of the oestrogen-ZEB1-TGF-β axis as the central therapeutic target.

The review is refreshingly candid about the translational paradox at the heart of any ZEB1-directed therapy. Far from being a purely pathological molecule, ZEB1 has indispensable physiological functions in the female reproductive tract. In vitro studies show that ZEB1 modulates endometrial receptivity through EMT in endometrial epithelial cells, and work in mice demonstrates that it promotes EMT of endometrial epithelium and plays a critical role in embryo implantation. ZEB1 is also detected in granulosa cells of women undergoing IVF, regulates wound angiogenesis and closure, participates in corneal homeostasis, and contributes to endometrial repair during menstruation through epithelial migration and mesenchymal–epithelial transition. Blanking ZEB1 systemically, therefore, risks impairing fertility, tissue regeneration and wound healing—the very outcomes clinicians are trying to protect. Any therapeutic strategy would need to be lesion-specific, temporally controlled and carefully titrated, perhaps by targeting upstream oestrogen-driven induction, the TGF-β/ALK5 arm, the non-coding RNA sponges, or post-translational stabilisation mechanisms such as ZEB1 acetylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitin-proteasome turnover via regulators like USP51 and SIAH1/2.

The authors also stress the need for better experimental models to establish causal rather than merely correlative relevance. shRNA- and siRNA-based knockdown of ZEB1 in endometriotic cells, three-dimensional patient-derived endometriosis models for drug evaluation, and multi-omics approaches that integrate transcriptomic, epigenomic and proteomic data—including recent ubiquitination-focused studies of endometriosis fibrosis—are all highlighted as tools that could convert the ZEB1 hypothesis into testable interventions. Biomarker development is another avenue: ZEB-family levels in plasma and peritoneal fluid, in combination with existing miRNA signatures, could one day support non-invasive diagnosis, a long-standing unmet need given that current detection still relies on laparoscopy.

Ultimately, the review’s central claim is that the oestrogen–ZEB1–TGF-β axis functions as a signalling hub through which the hormonal, inflammatory and epigenetic drivers of endometriosis converge and perpetuate one another. By identifying ZEB1 as the point of integration, the authors provide a mechanistic scaffold that could explain progesterone resistance, fibrotic progression and recurrence within a single framework, and they chart a cautious but concrete path toward mechanism-based, lesion-specific precision therapies. For a disease that has historically been managed with blunt hormonal and surgical instruments, the prospect of intervening at the level of a single, druggable transcriptional circuit represents one of the more compelling conceptual advances in endometriosis research in recent years.

US government adviser Paul Christiano warns of risks to AI industry as he joins OpenAI’s non-profit foundation

OpenAI is not on track to reduce the risk of “catastrophic” loss of control to an acceptable level, a member of its non-profit board has said, amid spreading public and political concern that super-advanced AIs could one day wipe out humanity.

Paul Christiano, a US government technology adviser, said: “There is a meaningful risk that rapid acceleration in AI capabilities leads to catastrophic and irreversible loss of control in the very near term.”

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© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

In a finding that could reshape the search for new treatments against one of the deadliest gynecologic malignancies, researchers in Shanghai have identified the approved lung cancer drug tepotinib as a potent inhibitor of ovarian cancer growth, acting through an unexpected molecular target known as LY75. The study, published in the Journal of Ovarian Research, combines large-scale computational screening, structural biology, and preclinical testing to make a case for repurposing an existing medicine against a disease that urgently needs new options.

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers affecting women, largely because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and because resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors eventually develops in most patients. High-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common and aggressive subtype, has proven particularly stubborn, and survival rates have improved only marginally over recent decades. Against this backdrop, the idea of finding new uses for drugs that have already passed safety testing in humans, a strategy known as drug repurposing, has gained considerable traction. The new study demonstrates how modern computational tools can accelerate that process dramatically.

The research team, led by Yang Xiao, Wei Xia, and Yanan Song of Pudong Gongli Hospital and the Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, began by focusing on LY75, also known as CD205 or DEC205, a C-type lectin receptor best known for its role in antigen uptake by dendritic cells. Mining data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Human Protein Atlas, the investigators found that LY75 was significantly upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues compared with healthy tissue. More importantly, elevated LY75 expression correlated with shorter progression-free survival, marking the protein as both a potential biomarker of aggressive disease and an attractive therapeutic target.

With the target in hand, the team turned to structure-based virtual screening. Rather than testing thousands of compounds in the laboratory, they used the published crystal structure of the LY75 protein, deposited in the Protein Data Bank under the identifier 8K8H, as a template to computationally dock molecules from the TargetMol compound library. Docking predicts how well a small molecule fits into a binding pocket on a protein, but the researchers went considerably further. They applied MM/GBSA calculations, a method that estimates binding free energy by combining molecular mechanics forces with implicit solvent models, to rescore candidate poses. They also employed protein-ligand interaction fingerprints, or PLIF analysis, to compare the binding patterns of candidates against known interaction motifs, and ran ADMET predictions to filter out compounds likely to fail on absorption, metabolism, or toxicity grounds before any experiment was performed.

From this computational funnel, tepotinib emerged as the leading candidate. Tepotinib is an orally available small molecule approved in several countries for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer harboring MET exon 14 skipping mutations, where it acts as a MET kinase inhibitor. Its appearance as a strong LY75 binder raised an obvious question: was any anti-cancer effect simply a consequence of MET inhibition? The team anticipated this concern and designed their study around it, measuring c-MET expression in their cell models, examining MET–LY75 co-expression patterns, and running parallel pharmacological controls with capmatinib, another selective MET inhibitor, to disentangle the two mechanisms.

The laboratory experiments delivered striking results. Tepotinib preferentially inhibited ovarian cancer cell lines with high LY75 expression, achieving half-maximal inhibitory concentrations, or IC₅₀ values, of 16.31 micromolar in SKOV3 cells and 18.91 micromolar in OVCAR-8 cells. In contrast, the drug showed markedly weaker activity against HO8910 cells, which express low levels of LY75, a dose-response pattern consistent with LY75 serving as the drug’s relevant target rather than an incidental one. To confirm a direct physical interaction, the researchers turned to surface plasmon resonance, a label-free optical technique that measures real-time binding between molecules immobilized on a sensor surface. The experiments confirmed that tepotinib binds LY75 directly, with a kinetic dissociation constant of 2.52 micromolar and a steady-state K_D of 3.74 micromolar, values indicating a specific and measurable interaction.

Perhaps the most intriguing mechanistic finding concerns what tepotinib does to the LY75 protein once bound. Treatment with the drug induced apoptosis in the sensitive cell lines, suppressed their migratory capacity, a process closely tied to metastatic spread, and downregulated LY75 protein levels. When the team probed how this downregulation occurred, they found that tepotinib accelerated LY75 degradation through a pathway that does not depend on the ubiquitin-proteasome system, the cell’s standard machinery for tagging unwanted proteins for destruction. Cycloheximide chase experiments, which block new protein synthesis and allow the decay rate of existing proteins to be measured, supported this conclusion. The identity of the alternative degradation route remains an open question, but the observation suggests tepotinib may engage lysosomal or autophagic pathways, a hypothesis that will require further work to confirm.

The in vivo evidence proved even more compelling. In mouse xenograft models implanted with SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells, oral administration of tepotinib markedly suppressed tumor growth, achieving a tumor inhibition rate of 79.6 percent. Analysis of the excised tumors showed reduced LY75 expression in the treated animals, consistent with the drug engaging its target in living tissue. All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Shanghai Health Medical College and conducted in accordance with the ARRIVE guidelines for reporting animal research.

Crucially, the MET controls strengthened rather than weakened the case for LY75 as the operative target. Capmatinib, a structurally distinct MET inhibitor, failed to reproduce the full anti-tumor activity of tepotinib in the ovarian cancer models, and analyses of c-MET expression and MET–LY75 co-expression in patient datasets suggested that MET inhibition alone could not account for the magnitude of benefit observed. The authors therefore conclude that tepotinib’s effect in ovarian cancer reflects a genuine dual pharmacology, with LY75 binding and subsequent LY75 protein downregulation contributing substantially to its activity.

The implications of the study extend in several directions. First, it elevates LY75 from an immunological curiosity to a candidate therapeutic target in ovarian cancer, a protein whose abundance in tumors and association with poor prognosis make it a marker worth tracking clinically. LY75 has already attracted attention in oncology as a target for antibody-drug conjugates, given its presence on the surface of certain tumor cells and its efficient internalization, and the new findings add a small-molecule dimension to that conversation. Second, the work offers a template for computational drug repurposing: crystal-structure-guided docking, energy-based rescoring, interaction fingerprinting, and ADMET filtering followed by rigorous biochemical and in vivo validation. The approach identifies candidates in silico in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional screening campaigns.

Third, and most immediately, the results argue for clinical exploration of tepotinib in ovarian cancer, particularly in patients whose tumors express high levels of LY75. Because the drug is already approved and its safety profile in humans is documented, the path from laboratory finding to clinical trial is potentially shorter than for a de novo compound. The micromolar potencies observed in cell culture are modest by the standards of modern targeted therapy, and patients would likely require careful dosing studies, biomarker-based selection, and possibly drug combinations to translate the xenograft results into human benefit. Questions also remain about whether the ubiquitin-proteasome-independent degradation mechanism operates identically in human tumors and about the precise structural features of the tepotinib–LY75 interaction that could be optimized in next-generation analogs.

The study is not without limitations, as its authors acknowledge. The work relies on cell lines and xenografts rather than patient-derived models, and the correlation between LY75 expression and drug sensitivity, while suggestive, has been established across only a handful of cell lines. Prospective validation in patient-derived xenografts and organoids, ideally stratified by LY75 expression, would sharpen the biomarker hypothesis considerably. Nonetheless, the convergence of computational prediction, biochemical confirmation, mechanistic insight, and animal efficacy data makes this one of the more complete preclinical repurposing cases published for ovarian cancer in recent memory.

For a disease in which the therapeutic arsenal has expanded slowly and resistance is nearly universal, the prospect that a drug already sitting on pharmacy shelves could be redirected against a newly validated molecular target is the kind of story that resonates far beyond the laboratory. If follow-up studies and early-phase trials bear out these findings, tepotinib’s second act may prove more consequential than its first, and LY75 may take its place among the actionable targets of precision oncology.

Qualcomm has signed a second agreement with a large-scale data center operator, or hyperscaler, to jointly design and produce artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators. The deal marks tangible progress in AI for Qualcomm, which has historically relied on smartphone chips for most of its revenue.

Akash Palkhiwala, Qualcomm’s chief financial officer (CFO), said at the Goldman Sachs Technology Conference 2026 on Sept. 8 that the company is working with another global hyperscaler in addition to Amazon. He said the custom silicon Qualcomm is developing with hyperscalers is intended not for auxiliary workloads but as primary AI accelerators in data centers.

The remarks indicate that Qualcomm is developing AI accelerators optimized for the customer’s data centers and services. Palkhiwala did not identify the hyperscaler. Major hyperscalers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Google, Meta, Oracle and IBM. Qualcomm is already working with Amazon and Meta.

The agreement with the undisclosed hyperscaler is expected to be similar in structure to Qualcomm’s Amazon deal. Qualcomm and Amazon recently announced a collaboration on customized silicon for data center AI acceleration and high-performance optical connectivity solutions.

Qualcomm will supply the products to Amazon over the next 10 years. The agreement is valued at a total of $60 billion, or about 80.514 trillion won. Amazon will also receive warrants that vest in proportion to its purchases. The structure is intended to strengthen and extend the companies’ long-term partnership. Qualcomm has begun chip production, while Amazon has secured 15% of the warrants.

“The Amazon agreement is very large, but it is only the beginning,” Palkhiwala said. He added that Qualcomm’s technology collaboration with another hyperscaler is taking a similar form and is making strong progress.

Qualcomm has also agreed to supply data center central processing units (CPUs) to Meta. Its Dragonfly C1000 is planned for Meta’s next-generation server fleet. Dragonfly is Qualcomm’s data center product portfolio. Qualcomm is targeting more than twice the performance per watt of existing competing server CPUs with the C1000. A server fleet refers to a group of servers operating together to perform the same function.

Qualcomm expects its agreements with Amazon, Meta and the undisclosed hyperscaler to help push data center product revenue above 20 trillion won in three years. “We have already made significant progress toward our fiscal 2029 target of $15 billion, or about 20.07 trillion won,” Palkhiwala said. “We are at a point where we don’t need that many additional business elements.”

Qualcomm has recently been focusing its experience in advanced-node chip design and high-volume manufacturing on its custom silicon business. It is also developing Dragonfly commercial AI accelerators that are not customized for individual customers: the AI250 and AI300. The AI250 is scheduled for mid-2027, followed by the AI300 in 2028. Both products will incorporate Qualcomm High Bandwidth Compute (HBC) memory technology.

Global Technologies aims to generate 169.5 billion won in revenue by 2029 by expanding its light-emitting diode (LED) driver IC, transparent display, micro LED and automotive system semiconductor businesses.

Kim Min-sun, chief executive officer of Global Technologies, said at a press briefing at the CCMM Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on Sept. 10 that the company plans to expand its LED driver IC technology from TVs to monitors and automobiles, while developing micro LED and automotive system semiconductors as new growth engines.

Global Technologies is a fabless chipmaker that designs LED driver ICs (LDIs) controlling the current and brightness of backlight LEDs. The TV market currently accounts for about 70% of its revenue. The company secured a purchase order from a Taiwanese display customer in July. It plans to begin mass production of monitor LDIs in December and is developing automotive products with a target of mass production in the second half of next year.

The company is also developing a red-green-blue (RGB) backlight module combining driver ICs, LED packages and lenses. The key technology is time-division driving, which alternately controls three light sources through a single output channel. Conventional designs use a separate channel for each light source. By sharing the control circuitry, the technology can reduce the number of driver ICs required to as little as one-third of the conventional level.

Global Technologies plans to use the reduced chip count to counter price competition from Chinese suppliers. TV makers can lower overall component costs without cutting the price of individual chips. The company aims to improve profitability by charging higher prices for chips incorporating the technology while increasing shipment volumes as customers expand their adoption of RGB LED models. A TV-set customer will evaluate the technology this month, with mass production targeted for early next year.

In transparent LED displays, the company is targeting commercial signage and automotive glass. The products combine driver ICs with ultra-small LED packages, allowing users to see through the display. Global Technologies has supplied commercial products to customers including Yangju City Hall in Gyeonggi Province and is developing products for vehicle rear windows and roofs.

In micro LEDs, the company is jointly developing pixel driver ICs, packages and modules. A 24-pixel driver IC for TVs is targeted for mass production early next year. The company is also developing modules for automotive center information displays (CIDs). It invested 5 billion won to establish a pilot line in Pyeongtaek for prototype production and process validation.

Global Technologies is developing lighting and communications products for its automotive system semiconductor business. It operates a joint research center with an automotive parts supplier and is developing about 10 products. Its smart ambient lighting (SAL) IC, which controls vehicle interior lighting, has secured an initial order for 3 million units, with deliveries scheduled to begin early next year. The company also plans to commercialize controller area network (CAN) communication chips used to exchange data among vehicle electronic systems.

The company posted first-half revenue of 28.8 billion won and operating profit of 1.155 billion won this year. It generated revenue equivalent to 97% of last year's full-year total in the first half and returned to an operating profit. Global Technologies plans to increase revenue from mass-produced products and raise its operating margin from a target of 7.7% this year to 21.8% in 2029.

Global Technologies is scheduled to list on the KOSDAQ on Sept. 29. It is offering 4 million shares at an indicative price range of 13,000 won to 15,000 won each, for an offering size of 52 billion won to 60 billion won. The company is conducting bookbuilding for institutional investors through Sept. 11 and will accept retail subscriptions on Sept. 16 and 17. Korea Investment & Securities is the lead underwriter.

The company plans to invest a combined 78.7 billion won through 2029 using IPO proceeds, operating cash flow and government funding. Of the total, 23.5 billion won will be allocated to research and development, 7.7 billion won to facility expansion and 47.5 billion won to working capital, including securing foundry capacity.

SK hynix plans to save a cumulative 600 million tons of water at its Korean operations by 2030.

The company said it is presenting its water conservation achievements and targets at Korea International Water Week 2026, held at EXCO in Daegu from Sept. 9 to 11. Its exhibition booth highlights major water conservation, recycling and ecosystem preservation activities through videos and graphics.

SK hynix has operated a water and wastewater reduction task force since 2018, reducing water consumption and expanding reuse in semiconductor manufacturing. As a result, its Korean operations saved an average 170,000 tons of water per day last year, equivalent to the daily household water consumption of about 550,000 people.

Cumulative water savings reached 303.37 million tons by the end of last year, exceeding the company’s target of 264 million tons. SK hynix aims to increase the total to 329 million tons this year. Water reuse rose about 54% to 73.59 million tons last year from 47.88 million tons in 2022.

SK hynix’s Icheon site produces 94,400 tons of recycled water per day through its wastewater reuse facilities. The recycled water is supplied to facilities including air pollution control systems. Its Cheongju site became the first in Korea’s semiconductor industry to introduce externally treated reclaimed wastewater in 2023, recycling it for industrial use.

The company is also strengthening water management across the entire cycle from intake and use to recycling and discharge. Its wastewater treatment processes include ozone oxidation, activated carbon and multistage coagulation and sedimentation systems. SK hynix continues to develop and invest in additional technologies to reduce pollutants.

SK hynix also carries out activities to monitor local communities and ecosystems. It operates the ECOSEE citizen science program around Anseong Stream to track ecological changes before and after development of the Yongin semiconductor cluster. Citizens participate directly in surveys of plants, birds and aquatic organisms and in collecting data.

“We will continue to advance our water management system to use less water, which is essential to semiconductor production, and reuse as much of it as possible,” SK hynix said. “We will also steadily expand investments in process improvements and related technologies and facilities.”

SK hynix management and its labor union reached a revised tentative agreement on Sept. 9 that sets the basic performance bonus payment ratio at 50% cash and 50% stock. The union will hold a temporary delegates' meeting on Sept. 10, followed by a membership vote from Sept. 15 to 16.

The revised agreement retains the broad framework of a tentative deal reached last month while reducing the proportion of bonuses paid in stock. The previous agreement called for profit-sharing (PS) bonuses to be paid 40% in cash and 60% in stock. The revised plan sets both at 50%.

Employees can choose to increase the stock portion in increments of 10 percentage points, up to 100%.

Deferred portions of performance bonuses calculated based on last year's results, which had been scheduled for payment next year and the following year, will also be paid earlier. The measure is intended to reduce confusion as the bonus system shifts from primarily cash payments to a combination of cash and stock.

The company also revised part of its housing loan support program. Additional support beyond the basic program had been limited to married households, but the revised proposal extends eligibility to single-parent families.

SK hynix's Icheon and Cheongju full-time employee unions previously held a membership vote last month on a tentative agreement that included a 6.3% wage increase and changes to the PS payment structure. The proposal was rejected by 7,535 votes, or 50.08%, against and 7,510 votes, or 49.92%, in favor — a difference of just 25 votes.

Portable power stations have moved beyond simply charging phones and laptops. As more people look for backup power for home appliances, RVs, outdoor equipment and emergency situations, the useful question is no longer just how many USB ports a power station has. It is whether the system has enough capacity, output power and charging flexibility to handle demanding equipment without becoming impractical to move.

The SolarPlay Q3600 is designed around that idea. It combines a 3,840Wh LiFePO4 battery with up to 3,600W of AC output, 2,000W solar input and multiple charging interfaces. The result is a large-format power station aimed at users who need considerably more than a conventional portable battery can provide.

A 3,840Wh Battery Changes What a Portable Power Station Can Do

The Q3600’s biggest selling point is its 3,840Wh battery capacity.

That amount of stored energy gives the unit a very different role from smaller power banks or compact camping batteries. Instead of being primarily a device for keeping phones and laptops alive, the Q3600 is intended to support a wider range of equipment, including household appliances, workshop tools, RV equipment and other higher-power loads.

SolarPlay uses a LiFePO4 battery architecture for the Q3600. The manufacturer’s specifications list more than 4,000 charge cycles while retaining 80% of the original capacity, although real-world battery longevity will naturally depend on charging habits, temperature and load conditions.

For users considering a power station as an emergency backup, this distinction matters. A large capacity does not automatically mean unlimited runtime, because actual operating time depends heavily on the wattage of the connected equipment. A 3,840Wh battery can therefore be thought of as a substantial energy reserve rather than a guarantee of a specific number of hours.

3,600W of AC Output Makes It Suitable for More Demanding Loads

The Q3600 is rated for 3,600W continuous AC output and uses a pure sine wave inverter. The European version provides 220–240V AC output at 50Hz/60Hz.

This is one of the areas where the Q3600 separates itself from smaller portable power stations.

A 3,600W output ceiling gives users considerably more room for equipment with higher power requirements. That can be useful for appliances and tools that would simply be outside the practical range of a compact 1,000W-class station.

However, the sensible approach is still to check the rated and startup power of each appliance before connecting it. Motors, compressors and heating appliances can behave differently from their advertised average consumption, so the station’s maximum output should not be treated as a universal guarantee for every device.

Solar Charging Is One of the Q3600’s Most Interesting Features

The Q3600 is not limited to wall charging. Its solar input can accept up to 2,000W, giving the system a much stronger off-grid charging capability than many smaller portable power stations.

SolarPlay states that the Q3600 can reach a full charge in approximately 1.5 hours when AC and solar charging are combined, rather than implying that a 3,840Wh battery can always be fully recharged from solar alone in that time.

The European model also provides adjustable AC charging levels of 400W, 800W, 1,200W, 1,600W and 2,200W. This gives users more control over charging speed and power demand depending on the situation.

That flexibility could be particularly useful during longer outdoor trips. Instead of treating the battery as a one-time energy source, users can recharge it during the day and use the stored energy later when solar production falls.

Multiple Output Types Make It More Versatile

Another strength of the Q3600 is the range of connection options.

The specification includes AC outlets alongside a 12V cigarette-lighter output, an XT60 port, DC outputs, USB-A ports and several USB-C connections. One USB-C port supports up to 100W PD output, making it suitable for higher-powered compatible devices such as laptops.

The Banggood listing describes the product as having 17 outputs, while SolarPlay’s current product page lists 15 output ports. Because the two sources present the port count differently, buyers should check the exact configuration of the package and regional version before ordering.

More importantly, the variety of outputs means the Q3600 can serve several types of equipment at the same time rather than functioning as a single-purpose AC battery.

UPS Support Adds a Practical Home-Backup Role

The Q3600 also supports a UPS function, which makes it more interesting for use around the home.

According to the listed specifications, the system can switch to battery power in less than 20 milliseconds under its specified UPS conditions. This is intended to reduce interruption when mains power disappears.

That feature can be useful for equipment that needs a more consistent power source, such as networking hardware, computers or selected electronic devices.

It should not, however, be confused with a dedicated enterprise-grade UPS system. Users with particularly sensitive equipment should check the manufacturer’s UPS specifications and the equipment’s own power requirements before relying on the Q3600 as their only backup solution.

Large Capacity Comes With a Real Weight Trade-Off

The Q3600 is portable, but it is not lightweight.

The listed bare-device weight is approximately 42.2kg, with dimensions of about 608 × 289 × 456mm.

That makes the built-in wheels and telescopic handle particularly important. The Q3600 is better understood as a movable power station rather than something most users will casually carry by hand over a long distance.

For an RV, garage, workshop, campsite or home backup location, this design makes sense. Users can position the unit where it is needed and roll it into place instead of repeatedly lifting the entire 42kg system.

Designed for Home Backup, RVs and Off-Grid Use

The Q3600’s specifications suggest several practical use cases.

For home backup, the large battery and high AC output provide a way to keep selected appliances and electronics operating during outages.

For RV use, the combination of AC, 12V and other DC outputs can reduce the need to carry separate power solutions for different types of equipment.

For off-grid applications, the 2,000W solar input becomes especially important because it allows the Q3600 to function as part of a rechargeable solar-based power system rather than relying entirely on the electrical grid.

Outdoor users should still consider the unit’s 42.2kg weight and physical size when planning transportation. Its wheels make movement easier, but this is not a lightweight backpacking power station.

What About Noise and Protection?

SolarPlay lists the Q3600 with multiple battery-management protections covering conditions such as overcharging, over-discharging, over-current and short circuits. The Banggood specifications also list a working temperature range of approximately -10°C to 45°C for the Q3600.

The product is also listed with safety and transport-related certifications including CE, FCC, RoHS, PSE, UN38.3 and MSDS documentation.

These features do not eliminate the need to use the power station within its operating limits, but they show that the Q3600 is designed as a substantial energy-storage system rather than simply a large battery pack.

SolarPlay Q3600 Specifications

Specification	SolarPlay Q3600
Battery capacity	3,840Wh
Battery type	LiFePO4 / LFP
AC output	3,600W
AC voltage	220–240V
AC waveform	Pure sine wave
Solar input	Up to 2,000W
AC charging	Up to 2,200W
UPS	Less than 20ms under specified conditions
USB-C	Up to 100W on dedicated PD port
DC output	12V options
Weight	About 42.2kg
Dimensions	About 608 × 289 × 456mm
Operating temperature	Approximately -10°C to 45°C

Specifications can vary by regional version or package, so buyers should verify the configuration before purchase.

Is the SolarPlay Q3600 Worth Considering?

SolarPlay Q3600 power station is not trying to win the portability contest by being small and light. Its appeal comes from the opposite direction.

The 3,840Wh battery, 3,600W AC output and 2,000W solar input give it the kind of electrical capacity that makes sense for home backup, RV trips, workshops and longer off-grid use. The multiple output types and UPS function further expand its potential applications.

The biggest compromise is its size and 42.2kg weight. That means the Q3600 works best when it can be rolled into position rather than carried frequently.

For buyers who prioritize large energy storage, high output power and solar recharge capability over lightweight portability, the Q3600 offers a much more capable alternative to smaller portable power stations.

Before purchasing, users should also confirm the exact regional version, output configuration and included accessories, particularly because the current Banggood listing and SolarPlay’s own product page differ in how they describe the number of output ports.

The post SolarPlay Q3600 Brings 3840Wh Capacity and 3600W Output to Portable Backup Power appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

LDRC 1297 PRO takes a different approach to the typical toy-style RC car. Instead of focusing only on speed or aggressive styling, it combines a detailed 1/14-scale Mitsubishi Pajero V24WG replica with a more serious mechanical setup aimed at drivers who want both scale realism and usable off-road performance.

The model is officially licensed as a reproduction of the 1992 Mitsubishi Pajero V24WG, giving it a stronger appeal to collectors and enthusiasts who care about the vehicle being represented. At the same time, its 4WD drivetrain, brushless motor, dual-speed gearbox and upgraded suspension components make it more than a display model.

A Classic Pajero Body With a More Capable Chassis

The most obvious feature of the LDRC 1297 PRO is its classic Pajero-inspired body. At 1/14 scale, the RC car measures approximately 33 × 15 × 15 cm, with a 19.5cm wheelbase and 12.5cm track width.

That size gives the model a useful middle ground. It is large enough to show off the proportions and exterior details of the original Pajero, while remaining compact enough for backyard trails, parks and other outdoor driving areas.

The body uses ABS construction, while the chassis combines ABS, nylon and electronic components. This combination keeps the model practical for regular driving without turning it into an excessively heavy crawler.

The official licensing is also important for collectors. The 1297 PRO is designed to reproduce the appearance of the 1992 Mitsubishi Pajero V24WG rather than simply borrowing the general shape of an off-road SUV.

Brushless Power Meets Four-Wheel Drive

Underneath the scale body, the LDRC 1297 PRO has a 2319 3000KV brushless motor and a 4WD drivetrain.

A brushless motor is a significant step above the basic brushed systems commonly found in entry-level RC vehicles. The main advantage here is not simply a higher top speed. The combination of brushless power and four-wheel drive can give the car a more responsive feel when accelerating over loose or uneven surfaces.

The model is rated for a top speed of around 15 km/h, so the 1297 PRO is not positioned as an all-out racing machine. Instead, its setup makes more sense for controlled trail driving and climbing, where traction, throttle response and drivetrain consistency are often more useful than maximum speed.

This positioning is one of the more interesting aspects of the vehicle: LDRC appears to be targeting drivers who want a scale off-road experience rather than a pure speed run.

Two-Speed Transmission Adds More Control

The dual-speed gearbox is another feature that separates the 1297 PRO from simpler RC cars.

Having two speed ranges allows the drivetrain to be better suited to different driving conditions. A lower-speed setting can be useful when negotiating obstacles or climbing, where smooth throttle control matters more than outright speed. The higher range is better suited to open sections where the car can stretch its legs.

This approach also complements the four-wheel-drive system. Instead of treating the Pajero as a fast RC car with an off-road body, the 1297 PRO is built around the idea of adapting its power delivery to the terrain.

Metal Drivetrain Components and Oil-Filled Shocks

The PRO designation is particularly relevant to the chassis hardware.

LDRC lists metal drive shafts, CNC-machined components, front CVD axles and ball bearings, along with genuine oil-filled shock absorbers. These upgrades are aimed at improving mechanical durability and keeping the suspension more controlled when the vehicle is driven across uneven ground.

Oil-filled shocks are especially useful on an off-road RC platform because the suspension has to deal with repeated changes in terrain. Instead of simply absorbing impacts, properly tuned dampers can help keep the wheels in contact with the ground and reduce excessive bouncing.

The upgraded drivetrain hardware should also be useful for drivers who intend to run the car regularly rather than treating it purely as a collectible.

Proportional Control Makes the Car Easier to Drive Smoothly

The LDRC 1297 PRO uses a 2.4GHz three-channel radio system with a claimed control distance of about 20 meters. It also uses proportional steering and throttle control.

That matters more than it may initially appear. Proportional control allows the driver to make smaller steering and throttle adjustments instead of relying on simple full-left, full-right or full-throttle commands.

For a scale off-road vehicle, this is particularly valuable. Slow climbs, narrow trails and uneven surfaces generally reward precise inputs rather than sudden movements.

The PRO version also uses a dedicated one-to-one pairing system between the transmitter and receiver, according to the product specifications.

Battery Life Is Designed Around Trail Sessions

Power comes from an included 7.4V 1200mAh battery, while the transmitter requires two AA batteries separately.

Banggood lists approximately 20 to 30 minutes of driving time, with a charging time of around three hours.

That runtime is reasonable for a compact brushless RC car, although actual results will depend on driving style, terrain and how frequently the motor is operating under load.

For buyers planning longer outdoor sessions, carrying a second compatible battery would make more sense than expecting one charge to cover an entire afternoon.

LED Headlights Add More Than Just Styling

The controllable headlights help reinforce the Pajero’s scale appearance while also making the vehicle easier to see in lower-light conditions.

This is a relatively small feature compared with the drivetrain, but it contributes to the overall character of the model. The LDRC 1297 PRO is clearly designed to work as both a functional RC vehicle and a scale-inspired model that looks convincing when parked.

That dual-purpose approach is arguably one of its strongest selling points.

Who Is the LDRC 1297 PRO For?

The LDRC 1297 PRO makes the most sense for adult RC enthusiasts, Pajero fans and collectors who want a model that can actually be driven.

It is not the obvious choice for someone whose only priority is maximum speed. Its 15 km/h top speed puts the emphasis on controlled off-road driving rather than racing.

Instead, the combination of a licensed classic SUV body, 4WD, brushless power, two-speed gearing, metal drivetrain components and oil-filled shocks gives it a more balanced personality.

For collectors, the 1992 Pajero styling provides the visual appeal. For hobbyists, the upgraded mechanical package provides a reason to take the model outside and use it.

LDRC 1297 PRO Specifications

Feature	Details
Model	LDRC 1297 PRO / LD1297Pro
Scale	1:14
Vehicle	Mitsubishi Pajero V24WG (1992)
Drive	4WD
Motor	2319 3000KV brushless
ESC	20A two-in-one ESC
Transmission	Dual-speed gearbox
Steering Servo	17g
Radio	2.4GHz, 3-channel
Claimed Range	About 20m
Max Speed	About 15 km/h
Battery	7.4V 1200mAh
Claimed Runtime	About 20–30 minutes
Charging Time	About 3 hours
Body Material	ABS
Dimensions	About 33 × 15 × 15cm
Wheelbase	19.5cm
Track Width	12.5cm

The specifications above are based on the current Banggood product listing.

Final Thoughts

LDRC 1297 PRO rc truck is interesting because it does not try to win attention with a huge speed number. Instead, it combines the appeal of a classic Mitsubishi Pajero model with hardware that is better suited to actual off-road driving.

The brushless 4WD system provides the power, the two-speed gearbox adds flexibility, while the metal drivetrain components, CVD axles and oil-filled shocks address the mechanical demands of uneven terrain. Meanwhile, proportional controls and the scale-focused body keep the driving experience closer to a hobby-grade model than a basic RC toy.

For anyone looking for a 1/14 Mitsubishi Pajero RC car that balances scale detail with practical off-road hardware, the LDRC 1297 PRO is a model worth considering.

The post LDRC 1297 PRO Brings a Brushless 4WD Setup to a 1/14 Mitsubishi Pajero RC Car appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

El enterovirus D68 es un virus respiratorio que emergió en 2014 y, desde entonces, hay brotes aproximadamente cada dos años en todo el mundo. Se le ha llamado “el nuevo poliovirus” porque causa una parálisis infantil similar a la poliomielitis. Sin embargo, su epidemiología cambió en el último brote ocurrido en España en 2024. Investigadores del Laboratorio Nacional de Polio y Enterovirus han identificado una nueva variante que afectó principalmente a población geriátrica, agravando enfermedades previas en algunos pacientes. No parece que los enterovirus vayan a sustituir al virus de la poliomielitis, pero los científicos instan a mantener una monitorización continua de su evolución para anticipar posibles brotes de parálisis infantil.

Startup Zeta Mobility is expanding its 4D radar artificial intelligence sensor-fusion technology, originally developed for autonomous driving, into senior care and healthcare. The company plans to produce tangible results this year through partnerships with a company and a university.

“We signed memorandums of understanding with two companies and institutions last month and began proof-of-concept testing,” Zeta Mobility Vice President Kim Sang-ki said on Sept. 9. The partners are senior care technology company Dolbomdream and Gachon University’s Intelligent Homecare Integrated Support Infrastructure Project Group, or AAL Center. Zeta Mobility aims to commercialize services for vulnerable populations using its technology.

Zeta Mobility is a deep-tech startup developing high-resolution 4D imaging radar and AI sensor-fusion technologies. The company was founded in February 2024 as a startup spun out of a laboratory at KAIST’s Graduate School of Mobility and joined the university’s startup incubator. In October that year, it was selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ Deep Tech TIPS program and Samsung Electronics’ C-Lab Outside startup support program. It was also selected for the ministry’s Super Gap Startup 1000+ program in April last year and received an award from the head of the Small and Medium Business Administration in May.

Radar emits electromagnetic waves, or millimeter waves, and analyzes reflected signals. Unlike conventional 3D radar, which measures distance, direction and speed, 4D imaging radar also captures height data. This allows scattered radar reflections to be converted into high-resolution three-dimensional point-cloud data.

Raw 4D radar data contains signal noise that makes it difficult to interpret. Zeta Mobility addresses this with its proprietary AI algorithm software, Zeta AI Engine. The software removes meaningless reflections and signal noise and extracts the shape of objects. By analyzing continuous time-series data, it can infer human movement, changes in posture and biometric signals such as heart and respiratory rates with more than 90% accuracy.

Zeta Mobility has integrated the technologies into three versions of its ARGUS platform, an intelligent system that detects, understands and transmits radar sensor data. The platform takes the form of a compact, low-power, high-efficiency board for edge AI, which runs AI models directly on devices where data is generated.

ARGUS-A is designed to detect safety conditions and driving environments for autonomous vehicles. ARGUS-C monitors vehicle occupants in real time. ARGUS-H is an indoor care product designed to detect falls among elderly people living alone and monitor biometric signals.

Zeta Mobility initially focused on autonomous driving and in-cabin occupant-detection sensors. But as commercialization and market adoption of autonomous driving progressed more slowly than expected, the company strategically shifted its business focus toward senior healthcare. Its 4D radar AI and sensor-fusion technologies can be applied to indoor residential spaces as well as vehicle interiors.

Partnerships With Dolbomdream, Gachon University to Test ARGUS-H

Zeta Mobility has secured infrastructure to test ARGUS-H through the two recently signed MOUs.

The company will first work with Dolbomdream on joint testing and commercialization of senior care and monitoring services. The companies plan to combine Zeta Mobility’s radar AI sensor technology with Dolbomdream’s wearable sensor-based healthcare technology and jointly pursue government projects and research and development programs. They also plan to expand their collaboration into worker safety management at industrial sites.

Existing senior-care technologies face trade-offs between accuracy, convenience and privacy. Falls among elderly people living alone frequently occur in private spaces such as bathrooms, toilets and bedrooms, where cameras face strong user resistance as well as ethical and legal constraints. Smartwatches and patch-type biosensors require users to wear them continuously and recharge them regularly. Elderly users may forget to wear the devices or take them off, creating monitoring gaps and potentially delaying responses to emergencies such as falls.

Zeta Mobility says its 4D radar AI technology can address those problems. ARGUS-H can be installed on a wall or ceiling to monitor an entire space without requiring the user to wear a device. Because it analyzes radar waveforms rather than visual images, it avoids capturing private visual information. It can also detect a person’s precise location and subtle movements in low-light or steam-filled environments where visibility is poor.

Zeta Mobility will work with Gachon University’s AAL Center to develop and commercialize intelligent homecare services for vulnerable populations. The center has researched a big-data platform for elderly people’s activities of daily living. Zeta Mobility plans to combine the university’s software and data research capabilities with its own technology to build infrastructure for real-time monitoring of elderly users.

The partners will also develop and deploy AI care equipment and personalized service models. They plan to support healthcare programs for elderly people run by local governments and community welfare organizations, while expanding into the senior healthcare and smart-home markets.

“We will use these recent demonstration agreements as a stepping stone to establish technical standards for smart-home senior care and secure our first supply contract with a construction company or healthcare platform within this year,” Kim said.

A MBLM divulgou seu estudo anual mais recente sobre as marcas que tem as “conexões mais íntimas” com seus clientes — avaliando o grau de apego dos consumidores a empresas específicas.

Embora geralmente bem colocada nesse ranking, neste ano a Apple não ficou em uma posição muito prestigiada: a empresa está agora na sétima colocação da lista (e em segundo lugar no ranking do setor).

Com isso, pela primeira vez, ela foi ultrapassada pela sua rival Samsung (que ocupa a terceira posição geral e a primeira em tecnologia).

Na avaliação da MBLM, a Apple tem um quociente de relacionamento de 55,5, sendo que seu arquétipo mais forte é o “ritual”.

A Apple tem 15% dos usuários na fase de compartilhamento, 7% na de vínculo e 4% na de fusão. Dos consumidores que escrevem sobre a Apple, 25,5% têm algum tipo de intimidade com a marca.

A MBLM faz essa medição examinando as conexões emocionais dos usuários com uma marca, incluindo as características de seu vínculo em categorias como nostalgia, indulgência e identidade. O estudo deste ano abrangeu 425 marcas em 23 setores.

via AppleInsider

The UK government has told MPs that Fujitsu has promised not to pursue contracts with new public sector customers through frameworks potentially worth billions of pounds while its voluntary bidding moratorium remains in place. In July, The Register revealed that the Japanese supplier had won a place on a UK government framework worth up to £14.9 billion despite its role in the Post Office Horizon scandal, one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in modern times. The supplier's place on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 (DOS7) framework came after it won spots on two other frameworks, including Technology Services 4, worth up to £19.08 billion, and Transport Technology worth around £2.3 billion. In January 2024, Fujitsu voluntarily committed to stop bidding for contracts with new government customers until the public inquiry into the Horizon scandal had concluded. After Fujitsu secured places on the three government frameworks, House of Commons Business and Trade Committee chair Liam Byrne wrote to the government seeking assurance that the company would not use them to pursue work from new public sector customers. He also asked what discussions the government had held with Fujitsu about its participation and compliance with the moratorium. Horizon is an EPOS and back-end finance system that was first implemented in the 1990s by ICL, a UK tech firm majority-owned by Fujitsu at the time and fully acquired in 1998. It has since undergone two upgrades. Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted 700 subpostmasters in cases in which Horizon evidence may have featured, while almost 300 more cases were brought by other bodies. Hundreds were wrongfully convicted, devastating lives in the process. A statutory inquiry into the scandal was launched in 2021 and remains ongoing. The inquiry's first report said the families of at least 13 people believed their deaths by suicide were linked to their experiences with Horizon and the Post Office. Fujitsu has apologized for its role in the scandal. Frameworks are procurement vehicles that let public bodies buy from pre-approved suppliers under agreed terms, although a place on one does not guarantee any work. The Government Commercial Agency (GCA) – which replaced the Crown Commercial Service – is the Cabinet Office agency that manages the framework and receives a 1 percent levy on sales made through it. In a letter published this week, Cabinet Office Parliamentary Secretary Mark Ferguson said: "While appointment to a GCA framework, such as DOS7, places a supplier on a list of approved providers, Fujitsu has assured the GCA that its voluntary moratorium fully applies to call-off contract opportunities that arise via its participation on GCA frameworks. Consequently, inclusion on a framework does not override Fujitsu's commitment not to seek work with new public sector customers." He added that the GCA monitors Fujitsu's compliance with its self-imposed bidding restrictions and that agency officials were in regular contact with the company to oversee its framework activity. "To date, GCA can confirm that Fujitsu have kept to these self-imposed restrictions," Ferguson wrote. In April 2025, The Register revealed that Fujitsu had won a £125 million contract to build Northern Ireland's new land registry system for the Department of Finance, a new government customer, more than a year after its voluntary moratorium came into effect. At the time, a spokesperson for Fujitsu told The Register: "Fujitsu was named preferred bidder for this contract in 2023, before the voluntary restrictions came into place." Fujitsu's 2024 letter said the company would assess its continued involvement in procurements that were already underway when the moratorium began. However, it also said Fujitsu would bid for work with a new government customer only if asked to do so. Fujitsu said it had been named preferred bidder for the Northern Ireland contract before introducing the restrictions. The Northern Ireland government subsequently confirmed to The Register that it had not asked the company to continue bidding. Ferguson's letter does not explain how that award was reconciled with Fujitsu's undertaking. The Register has asked the Cabinet Office for clarification. ®

El nuevo Kia XCeed nace en plena transición tecnológica: mantiene motores de gasolina y opciones mild-hybrid, pero comparte fábrica con eléctricos puros. Su evolución muestra cómo un coche convencional puede adaptarse a una industria que cambia cada vez más deprisa.

SK keyfoundry said Sept. 9 it signed a long-term agreement to provide 130-nanometer foundry services to automotive semiconductor company Elmos Semiconductor.

SK keyfoundry recently held a signing ceremony in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and will provide foundry capacity to Elmos through 2037. Elmos has used SK keyfoundry’s 350-nanometer process technology for the past 18 years.

“Elmos is an outstanding company in the automotive semiconductor market,” an SK keyfoundry official said. “Securing a long-term supply agreement is meaningful not only in terms of revenue but also for our technological growth.”

Wafer supply prices may be adjusted under the agreement. The 200-millimeter wafers supplied by SK keyfoundry are experiencing a global shortage as major chipmakers including TSMC and Samsung Electronics reduce 200-millimeter capacity and shift toward 300-millimeter production.

SK keyfoundry and Elmos will jointly develop the E550.01 Smart 4-Channel eFuse Controller. The chip controls the supply of power inside a vehicle across four separate paths and cuts power to protect electrical systems when abnormalities such as overcurrent occur. Mass production is targeted for 2027.

SK keyfoundry will also provide Elmos with deep trench isolation (DTI) capability. The company said the technology enables highly integrated, high-voltage designs with low substrate current.

“SK keyfoundry has been a trusted partner for many years,” Elmos Chief Executive Officer Arne Schneider said. “It will support our continued growth.”

“We will accelerate our automotive semiconductor supply, starting with Elmos,” SK keyfoundry CEO Lee Dong-jae said.

DB HiTek is in the final stages of preparing for mass production of its 8-inch silicon carbide (SiC) wafer foundry business.

DB HiTek said Sept. 9 that it had completed reliability verification of a 1,200-volt SiC MOSFET. The company plans to provide customers with its third-generation process design kit (PDK) in November as it moves to launch its foundry business.

The third-generation PDK targets specific on-resistance of 2.3 mΩ·cm² at an 18-volt gate voltage, down from 2.5 mΩ·cm² for the second generation. It is also designed to allow the device to withstand a sudden short circuit for 2.5 microseconds without damage. DB HiTek said the third-generation PDK could shorten semiconductor design time by more than a year.

“We have secured the core technology and mass-production foundation for what will be the world’s first 8-inch SiC foundry service,” DB HiTek said. “We will prepare for mass production as planned and move to establish an early lead in the market.”

Mass production is targeted for the first half of next year. Rival SK keyfoundry is also expected to begin mass production of 8-inch SiC foundry products in the first half of next year. SiC foundry operations require production lines to be developed and established jointly with customers, meaning both companies have effectively secured customers ahead of mass production. Samsung Electronics also has an 8-inch SiC production line, but does not offer it to external foundry customers.

The SiC semiconductor market currently centers on 150-millimeter wafers, while mass production using 200-millimeter wafers remains rare globally. SiC semiconductors use specially processed wafers that differ from conventional silicon (Si) wafers. Due to the technology’s lower maturity, production yields for 200-millimeter SiC wafers are lower than for 150-millimeter wafers, resulting in lower output.

DB HiTek will operate its SiC foundry at its Sangwoo Campus in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, converting the current development line into a mass-production line. Initial capacity will be relatively small at 800 wafers a month, about 1.3% of the Sangwoo facility’s total monthly capacity of 63,000 wafers. The company has established an integrated process covering design, manufacturing, characterization, reliability verification and epiwafer supply.

For now, DB HiTek is operating the development line primarily for customers it has already secured. It plans to add customers after establishing the mass-production system and gradually expand capacity in line with market demand.

Qualcomm has announced a semiconductor partnership with Amazon for artificial intelligence data centers, tied to warrants and a potential deal worth up to $60 billion.

Qualcomm said Sept. 8 it began a product collaboration with Amazon to build next-generation AI data center infrastructure. The partnership aims to supply cost-efficient custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for large-scale AI inference workloads on Amazon Web Services (AWS). ASICs are dedicated chips optimized for specific computing tasks or services.

"As AI demand accelerates, data center infrastructure will require advances in both computing and connectivity to deliver greater performance with more efficiency," Qualcomm Chief Executive Officer Cristiano Amon said. "Qualcomm is pleased to work with AWS on customized silicon and connectivity solutions, bringing decades of leadership in advanced processing and power-efficient compute, to deliver breakthrough performance and enable the next generation of AI infrastructure."

The companies will also jointly design high-performance optical connectivity solutions to address rising data traffic and bandwidth requirements in data centers. The solutions will target transmission speeds of up to 1.6 terabits per second (Tbps), using Qualcomm's high-speed serializer/deserializer (SerDes) and optical digital signal processor (DSP) technologies.

SerDes chips convert slower parallel signals inside semiconductors into a single high-speed serial data stream for transmission. Optical DSPs precisely compensate for signal distortion and loss as optical data travels through fiber.

Qualcomm Chief Financial Officer Akash Palkhiwala said the Amazon collaboration could generate a potential revenue opportunity of as much as $60 billion. He added that Amazon's selection validates Qualcomm's data center technology, strategy and ability to supply products at scale.

Up to $60 Billion Over 10 Years

The potential revenue cited by Palkhiwala is linked to Qualcomm's issuance of warrants, which give Amazon the right to purchase shares at a specified price in the future. Qualcomm plans to vest the warrants in stages based on Amazon's purchases of its data center ASICs and optical connectivity solutions. Amazon's maximum contracted purchase amount is $60 billion, with the agreement running for 10 years.

Amazon has already secured 15% of the warrants after committing to purchase Qualcomm products at the initial stage of the agreement. The product volume is estimated at about $9 billion.

Qualcomm has also received purchase orders (POs) from Amazon and begun chip production. Revenue from the chips is expected to be recognized starting in December. That makes Qualcomm's previously announced fiscal 2027 data center revenue forecast of about $5 billion increasingly likely to be achieved.

Qualcomm also plans to expand its use of Amazon's AI platform to shorten semiconductor design cycles. The company will increase the use of services including Amazon Bedrock in electronic design automation (EDA) workloads.

EDA involves using software to design semiconductor circuits and verify their performance. Amazon Bedrock is a fully managed generative AI service that allows developers to use pretrained generative AI models in cloud environments for their specific workflows and applications.

Qualcomm's data center ASICs are part of its Dragonfly portfolio. In addition to custom silicon, Dragonfly includes the C1000 central processing unit (CPU), AI300 AI inference accelerator and connectivity products.

Meta and Panmnesia have proposed a next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data center architecture designed to make an entire data center operate like a single chip. The approach could address latency problems that emerge as AI models grow larger.

Panmnesia said Sept. 8 that it and Meta introduced technology in a Nature Reviews journal that connects central processing units (CPUs), accelerators and memory through Compute Express Link (CXL) and scales the architecture across a data center. Researchers from Meta and Panmnesia co-authored the paper.

The approach uses CXL to reduce variations in latency between racks, allowing a data center to operate predictably like a single chip. CXL is a high-speed interface that connects different devices including CPUs, graphics processing units (GPUs) and memory.

Racks, the building blocks of AI infrastructure, exchange data rapidly within each rack using high-speed link technologies. Standard interfaces such as Ethernet and InfiniBand are used to connect one rack to another.

The problem is that as AI models expand to trillions of parameters, latency with conventional interfaces increases sharply. AI companies have increased the number of CPUs and GPUs to train on massive datasets, inevitably resulting in higher latency.

Meta and Panmnesia addressed latency variation by connecting racks through CXL. They added three types of hardware: high-fanout switches, fabric controllers and link acceleration units. They also proposed optical CXL to reduce the physical distance over which signals must travel.

The number of accelerators that a single CPU can manage increased from two to 16, while up to 960 connected domains can be managed. Latency was reduced by as much as 90%. Panmnesia said the CXL-based technology demonstrated that models larger than today's AI models can be trained without interruption.

"CXL presents a direction for next-generation AI infrastructure in which a data center operates as a single computing system," Panmnesia CEO Jung Myoungsoo said.