Tech

Despite memory shortages, a lagged AI strategy, and tariff threats, Apple defied market expectations, particularly in China, with a 23% iPhone sales surge in early 2026. This success stems from strategic pricing, securing long-term memory contracts, and benefiting from supplier scale. Apple also enhanced its AI capabilities through a strategic partnership with Google. The company’s resilience against geopolitical challenges and its strong product ecosystem reinforce a robust investment outlook.

Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Swiss robotics company specializing in autonomous doorstep delivery. This strategic move enhances Amazon’s last-mile logistics capabilities, aiming to improve safety and customer experience. Rivr’s technology, including a four-legged robotic platform, will be integrated to assist delivery associates. This acquisition aligns with Amazon’s ongoing investment in automation and robotics across its operations.

U.S. prosecutors have charged associates of a server manufacturer with illegally diverting billions in Nvidia-powered servers to China. The scheme allegedly involved fraudulent documentation and shell companies to bypass export controls, impacting national security and the AI race. Super Micro Computer placed two employees on leave and terminated a contractor following the indictment. The case highlights the ongoing efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced AI hardware.

Crypto.com is reducing its workforce by 12% to accelerate enterprise-wide AI integration. CEO Kris Marszalek stated this pivot is essential for survival, aligning roles with AI-driven operational efficiency. This mirrors broader tech trends where companies like Block, Meta, and Atlassian are also implementing layoffs to leverage AI for greater productivity and cost savings. Crypto.com’s recent acquisition of AI.com signifies its strong commitment to AI innovation.

OpenAI is acquiring Astral, a startup specializing in open-source software development tools, to enhance its AI coding assistant, Codex. This strategic move aims to bolster OpenAI’s position in the AI coding assistance market, which is experiencing rapid growth and intense competition. Astral’s team will integrate into OpenAI, contributing to Codex’s further development and expansion. This acquisition follows a series of strategic M&A activities by OpenAI, demonstrating its commitment to expanding its AI capabilities and market reach.

NHTSA has launched an engineering analysis into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software due to safety concerns. The investigation focuses on FSD’s performance and potential defects in degraded visibility conditions, such as fog or glare. This expanded probe covers approximately 3.2 million Tesla vehicles and follows an increase in collision complaints where FSD was active. The agency is examining whether the system adequately detects and warns drivers in such scenarios.

Meta is shifting to an AI-driven content enforcement strategy over several years. This initiative aims to improve detection of policy violations like scams and illegal media, while reducing reliance on third-party vendors. AI will augment, not replace, human oversight. Human experts will remain crucial for complex decisions and AI system development. Meta is also launching a new AI digital support assistant for users. This move supports Meta’s significant AI investments and addresses competitive pressures and platform safety concerns.

Thursday’s market saw oil spike to $119, fueling inflation fears and pushing the S&P 500 below its 200-day moving average. Despite promising diabetes drug data from Eli Lilly, shares remained subdued, awaiting a more impactful GLP-1 oral pill. Nvidia’s AI dominance relies on ecosystem health, with suppliers like Sandisk acting as key indicators for data center demand. Investors navigate these complex trends, with healthcare stocks offering a defensive, albeit challenging, play.

Surging demand for AI tools in China, particularly the OpenClaw agent, is driving up prices for pre-owned Apple Macs. This is because users need powerful devices to run computationally intensive AI tasks. The trend is causing a significant uptick in the used electronics market, with dealers adjusting pricing strategies to meet demand. Experts anticipate this trend to continue, highlighting the growing integration of AI into daily life and its impact on hardware ecosystems.

Uber plans to invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian to deploy up to 50,000 robotaxis globally by 2031. The deal includes procuring 10,000 autonomous Rivian R2 vehicles, with an option for an additional 40,000. This strategic partnership, with an initial $300 million investment, aims to accelerate robotaxi adoption, with initial city launches planned for 2028.