Apple is reportedly mulling a new partnership with Intel to manufacture its next-generation Mac chips. Industry insiders suggest that leveraging Intel’s US-based foundry capabilities could bring significant supply chain advantages and renewed strategic innovation to its chip development.
Google Gemini has received a boost with new functionalities including an image annotation feature and integration into the Android Auto ecosystem. In a related upgrade, Google Maps is replacing its legacy Assistant with the enhanced Gemini AI, offering more intuitive real‑time navigation and streamlined voice interactions.
Amid these tech shifts, industry leaders are watching closely as memory and storage prices continue to surge due to tight DRAM and NAND supplies driven by robust demand from both AI data centers and everyday consumers. The surge has prompted companies to ramp up strategic purchasing amid ongoing component shortages.
Funding activity is also heating up. German defense tech firm Quantum Systems secured €180M in a Series C extension, tripling its valuation to over €3B, a move that hints at accelerated dual-use innovations and NATO deployments. Meanwhile, construction tech player Gravis Robotics received multimillion-dollar backing to scale its autonomous excavator platform. In addition, European developments include discussions by EU regulators on potentially designating Apple maps and ads as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, while groundbreaking AI work was noted with DeepSeekMath-V2 matching top industry performances. Lastly, Portuguese investment firm Índico Capital Partners announced a new €125M fund to bolster emerging ventures in Europe.