Carrot, stick and waiver
The US has a number of ways to encourage allies to support its semis restrictions on China. These range the “stick” of enforcement to the “carrot” of waivers and targeted expansion of the restrictions.
Category Archives: Components
Decoupling is Hard to Do
The decoupling train has left the station – with US companies showing clear momentum in reducing or eliminating their reliance on China. China still has a lot to offer, and while the process will take years, there are a growing number of alternatives.
How the Mighty Have Fallen
This downturn in semis is different from past cycles in that each segment seems to be taking a beating at different times. This cycle is serial, not parallel, and we probably need to see all of that play out before the sector starts to recover.
The Android-ification of Cars
The shift to EVs is disrupting the auto supply chain. To name just one example, Foxconn, the company that epitomizes the model which separates electronics design and manufacture is now aggressively promoting its ability to replicate that model for cars.
Mobileye IPO 2.0
Mobileye filed to go public, again. They have a lot going for them, but the market is still in early days, a lot could change. The management team also has a lot going on (sale, integration, IPO, etc.) and we have to wonder if they risk losing focus.
2nd and 3rd Order Consequences
The ban on export of specific US semis products to China marks a major shift in tactics from the US government. Which opens the question what is the long-term goal here, or do they even have one?
A simple exercise on the power of compute
Sometimes, it is important to remember all the benefits of carrying a supercomputer in your pocket. We look at the demise of remote controls in favor of smartphones – which carry actual compute power which would be uneconomical in a remote.
Lucy and the Photonics Football
The optical industry is plagued by manufacturing and packaging obstacles, but may finally be closing in the Holy Grail of Silicon Photonics. This time is totally different….
Is Qualcomm Going Back into the Data Center?
We think Qualcomm is expanding its “ASIC” business, helping hyperscalers in designing their own chips.
Who will end up holding the Semis bag?
The semis cycle is peaking. Unlike past downturns, it looks like the foundries and the semicap companies may be able to weather the downturn fairly well, but that means the fabless companies are likely to bear the brunt.