Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

China Goes All In on U.S. Trade Battle, With Qualcomm in the Crosshairs

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 1d

China’s move against chip giant Qualcomm is the latest in a two-day barrage of actions targeting the U.S.

www.wsj.com/tech/china-g...

Beijing’s move against the San Diego chip giant is the latest in a two-day barrage of actions targeting the U.S.

A Mystery C.E.O. and Billions in Sales: Is China Buying Banned Nvidia Chips?

2 2

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 1d

Diversifying rare earth mining is a short-term fix. The real play is making them obsolete. Fund innovations in advanced materials now to secure our tech future. 🛠️ #RareEarths #Tech #Innovation

2 3

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 1d

A Mystery C.E.O. and Billions in Sales: Is China Buying Banned Nvidia Chips? www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/t...

China Tightens Grip on Rare Earths Ahead of Expected Trump-Xi Meeting

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 2d

China introduced new controls on rare-earth exports on Thursday, requiring foreign entities to obtain government approval before re-exporting products of Chinese origin to other countries

www.wsj.com/economy/trad...

Beijing tightened its control over sectors crucial to making high-tech products including electric vehicles and jet fighters, threatening to reignite trade tensions with the U.S.

European Union Outlines Strategies to Boost AI Adoption, Research

3

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 2d

Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft combined spend more in two days on AI-related capex than the EU aims to mobilize for AI adoption in the bloc.

www.wsj.com/tech/ai/euro...

The move comes amid concerns within the bloc that Europe’s tech sector is lagging behind that of China and the U.S.

Cheer Up, or Else: China Cracks Down on the Haters and Cynics

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 3d

Cheer Up, or Else: China Cracks Down on the Haters and Cynics www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/w...

Cybersecurity AI: Humanoid Robots as Attack Vectors

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 5d

The Unitree G1 Humanoid robot is a covert surveillance node and an active cyber operations platform, according to German researchers. h/t @jackclarksf.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2509.14139

We present a systematic security assessment of the Unitree G1 humanoid showing it operates simultaneously as a covert surveillance node and can be purposed as an active cyber operations platform. Init...

arxiv.org

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 5d

OpenAI and Advanced Micro Devices have announced a multibillion-dollar partnership to collaborate on AI data centers that will run on AMD processors, one of the most direct challenges yet to Nvidia

www.wsj.com/tech/ai/open...

OpenAI, AMD Announce Massive Computing Deal, Marking New Phase of AI Boom

Five-year agreement will challenge Nvidia’s market dominance, as OpenAI plans deployment of AMD’s new MI450 chips.

The transistor was patented 75 years ago today — the age of silicon and software began with a three-electrode circuit element using semiconductor materials

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 5d

The transistor was patented 75 years ago today — the age of silicon and software began with a three-electrode circuit element using semiconductor materials www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...

The trio behind the invention would subsequently win the Nobel Prize in Physics.

www.tomshardware.com

1 2

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 6d

The U.S. has long wooed European startups with a deeper pool of capital and a more risk-tolerant culture. But with AI’s hefty upfront costs, the pull of America is greater than ever.

www.wsj.com/tech/ai/euro...

Europe’s AI Startups Look Stateside for Bigger Checks, Quicker Deals

Founders seeking funding see U.S. investors as a better fit for the fast pace and huge upfront costs of artificial intelligence.

China Pushes Trump to Drop Curbs as It Dangles Investment Pledge

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 6d

The proposals were raised during trade talks in Madrid last month, and the US has not yet ruled out the possibility of accepting China's offer, although questions remain around the size and structure of the potential investment.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

China is pushing the Trump administration to roll back national-security restrictions on Chinese deals in the US, dangling the prospect of a massive investment package as part of a proposal that would...

www.bloomberg.com

The Radical Changes That Are Making Your Smart Home Less Dumb

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 7d

Smart homes are getting smarter, write @nicnguyen and @wjrothman. Alexa and Gemini for Home provide better conversations and automation, and Ring cameras will soon find your lost dog.

www.wsj.com/tech/persona...

Amazon’s Alexa+ and Google’s Gemini for Home provide natural conversations and app-free home automation. Ring cameras will soon find lost dogs.

Exclusive | Delays to Trump’s U.A.E. Chips Deal Frustrate Nvidia’s Jensen Huang

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 8d

National-security concerns about the UAE’s ties to China and potential chip diversion to China’s AI industry have slowed the agreement.

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

The multibillion-dollar deal was announced in May, but Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has since pushed the U.A.E. for certain U.S. investments first.

China curbs use of Nokia and Ericsson in telecoms networks

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 8d

Just a reminder that the objective of keeping China ‘addicted’ to Western tech is hopium, not strategy.

“China is curbing the use of European telecom kit suppliers Nokia and Ericsson…to decouple the country’s critical tech infrastructure from the west.”

www.ft.com/content/7d08...

Beijing’s national security drive hits European groups even as Huawei maintains its business on the continent

www.ft.com

Trump administration targets deals in dozens of industries before midterms

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 8d

In some cases, the administration is offering tariff relief in exchange for concessions, revenue guarantees, or taking equity stakes in troubled companies, among other types of help

4

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 8d

This headlong rush into state capitalism is baffling and disturbing.

“The Trump administration is pursuing deals across up to 30 industries, involving dozens of companies deemed critical to national or economic security.”
www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Eli Lilly was asked to produce more insulin; Pfizer to produce more of its top-selling cancer drug Ibrance and its cholesterol drug Lipitor; and London-based AstraZeneca to consider a new headquarters in the U.S., according to two sources.

www.reuters.com

1 1 8

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 9d

China is curbing the use of European telecom kit suppliers Nokia and Ericsson in its networks as President Xi Jinping pushes to decouple the country’s critical tech infrastructure from the west.

on.ft.com/3VLbhGY China curbs use of Nokia and Ericsson in telecoms networks

China curbs use of Nokia and Ericsson in telecoms networks

Beijing’s national security drive hits European groups even as Huawei maintains its business on the continent

on.ft.com

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 9d

One of my all-time favorite Far Side cartoons. RIP Jane Goodall.

1 1

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 9d

No surprise
www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/ta...

Taiwan says 'will not agree' to making 50% of its chips in US

TAIPEI: Taiwan "will not agree" to making 50 per cent of its semiconductors in the United States, the island's lead tariff negotiator said on Wednesday (Oct 1), as Washington pressures Taipei to produ...

www.channelnewsasia.com

Top A.I. Researchers Leave OpenAI, Google and Meta for New Start-Up

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 10d

Top A.I. Researchers Leave OpenAI, Google and Meta for New Start-Up www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/t...

U.S. to Take Equity Stake in Lithium Americas and Its Nevada Mining Project

1 1

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 10d

The U.S. government is taking a 5% stake in Lithium Americas, a Vancouver, B.C.-based mining company, and a 5% stake in the company’s Nevada mining project, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said

www.wsj.com/business/u-s...

The Thacker Pass project would mine one of the largest known lithium deposits in the U.S.

Trump Targets China’s Tech Sector by Expanding Trade Blacklist

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 12d

Big deal. Closed a major loophole that will impact hundreds of companies.

www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

Under a new rule, subsidiaries of companies that are on a Commerce Department blacklist known as the entity list would also be subject to trade restrictions.

Exclusive | Xi Is Chasing a Huge Concession From Trump: Opposing Taiwan Independence

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 13d

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is planning to press his American counterpart to formally state the U.S. “opposes” Taiwan’s independence

www.wsj.com/world/china/...

The Chinese leader views President Trump’s eagerness for a trade deal as an opportunity to press for his top goal.

Exclusive | U.S. Military Is Struggling to Deploy AI Weapons

1 1

Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 14d

“Those involved in Replicator offer different reasons for the delays, but say the effort has largely been a success.”

www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

A U.S. plan to field thousands of cutting-edge drones for a potential conflict with China has fallen short of its goal, and the Pentagon is moving the effort to a new warfare group.