Author: GT

A wheel loader takes ore to a crusher at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020.Steve Marcus | ReutersShares of U.S. rare earth miners jumped Friday after President Donald Trump threatened countermeasures against China, accusing Beijing of holding the world “captive” with its strict export controls.”I will be forced, as President of the United States of America, to financially counter their move,” Trump said on his social media plaftorm Truth Social.”One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the…

It takes a lot of computing power to run an AI product — and as the tech industry races to tap the power of AI models, there’s a parallel race underway to build the infrastructure that will power them. On a recent earnings call, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang estimated that between $3 trillion and $4 trillion will be spent on AI infrastructure by the end of the decade — with much of that money coming from AI companies. Along the way, they’re placing immense strain on power grids and pushing the industry’s building capacity to its limit. Below, we’ve laid…

Oil prices were little changed in early Asian trade on Friday after falling more than 1% in the previous session. Chunyip Wong | E+ | Getty ImagesU.S. crude oil fell 4% on Friday, after President Donald Trump threatened China with higher tariffs in retaliation for Beijing imposing stricter export controls rare earth minerals.U.S. crude oil dropped $2.53, or 4.11%, to $58.98 per barrel. Global benchmark Brent was down $2.44, or 3.74%, to $62.78 pre barrel. China-U.S. trade relations were thought to be improving slowly, but this latest setback once again raised concerns higher tariffs may slow the global economy and…

As the race to make ever-faster semiconductors intensifies, China has once again notched up export controls on rare-earth minerals, as well as related mining and refining technology. The country’s Commerce Ministry said on Thursday that it has added five rare-earth elements to its export control list, taking the total to 12, in order to “safeguard national security.” The ministry introduced an export license that foreign producers will have to apply for if they plan to export products that use even slight amounts of Chinese-origin rare-earth minerals, or technology from the country to mine them. The ministry said defense organizations would…

The struggling coal industry’s outlook is improving on growing U.S. power demand in part from artificial intelligence data centers, according to Jefferies. Long viewed as part of the “old economy,” coal is now exacting revenge by taking market share from fuels like natural gas that displaced it, Jefferies analysts told clients in a Thursday note. Thermal coal demand has increased 15% over last year, according to the firm. Jefferies upgraded Core Natural Resources to buy and increased its price target by 40% to $125 per share. The new target suggests 28% upside from Thursday’s close. It also bumped its target…

Artificial intelligence is not just changing how we work — it’s transforming how we move. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27-29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, two industry leaders at the forefront of AI-driven mobility will take the AI Stage to explore the future of intelligent transportation systems: Uber’s Sachin Kansal and Nuro’s Dave Ferguson. Together, Kansal and Ferguson will discuss the evolving relationship between AI and mobility: how predictive models and computer vision are improving road safety, why last-mile delivery is an autonomy proving ground, and what it will take to bring AI-driven transportation to scale. With the…

Music streaming app SoundCloud is evolving into a more social platform with the introduction of new community-oriented features. On Thursday, the company announced features like playlists based on the likes of friends or followed artists, an automated list that compiles all the tracks your friends are enjoying, suggested follows, and more. The features aim to enhance social interaction on the platform as SoundCloud competes with music streaming giants like Spotify. Spotify has been making strides to become more social; it recently launched a direct messaging feature that allows users to share playlists and songs directly with friends.  Image Credits:SoundCloud The…

Apple on Thursday shared how it’s making changes to comply with a Texas state law, SB 2420, which introduces age assurance requirements for app stores and app developers. Although Apple already rolled out its own age assurance technology and tools earlier this year in anticipation of a regulatory crackdown, the tech giant called out the Texas law over privacy concerns. In a developer announcement, Apple explains, “…we are concerned that SB2420 impacts the privacy of users by requiring the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even if a user simply wants to check the weather or…

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s antitrust watchdog on Friday labeled Google a “strategic” player in the online search advertising market, paving the way for regulators to force the company to change its business practices to ensure more competition in that market. The Competition and Markets Authority said its investigation found that the U.S. tech giant has “strategic market status” because it has “substantial and entrenched market power” in general search and search advertising. It marks the first time the watchdog has issued the designation since new U.K. digital rules took effect at the start of the year. The label doesn’t imply…

Microchip and Qualcomm logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this multiple exposure illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on April 10, 2023. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesQualcomm shares fell on Friday after Chinese regulators said it would investigate the American tech giant’s acquisition of chip firm Autotalks, ramping up tensions between the U.S. and China ahead of key meetings between the country’s leaders this month.Shares were last around 3% lower in premarket trading.China’s State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) said that Qualcomm is suspected of violating the country’s anti-monopoly law in regards to its acquisition…