Just some of the more interesting news I came across recently:

1. MS: Revised China humanoid shipments to reach 50,000 in 2026 from 14,000u and 28,000u earlier this year.
2. MS: Probe cards and test sockets likely to be priced hike (precious metal hikes + severe shortage of test pin capacity)
3. Capacitor price hikes: MLCC, aluminum electrolytic, tantalum, polymer aluminum, film, and super capacitors from Yageo.
4. $META Vistara architecture: Older DDR4 Memory with CXL as memory expansion
5. OpenAI achieved inference optimization breakthrough that halves costs and reduces GPU requirements.
6. LTAs are being signed with MLCC after Samsung signed LTA with US big tech customer
7. Grid power bottlenecks triggered 5x increase ($25B) in Brookfield's financing for $BE fuel cells.
8. Taiwan's chip packaging and testing supply chain includes major OSAT providers such as $ASX, Powertech, Winstek Semiconductor, Chipbond, ChipMOS, and ShunSin.
Dedicated testing companies include KYEC, Ardentec, and Sigurd Microelectronics, while testing interface suppliers include WinWay, MPI, Keystone Microtech, Chunghwa Precision, and Hermes Testing Solutions.
Leadframe makers include Jih Lin Tech, SDI, and CWTC, while major IC substrate suppliers include Unimicron, Kinsus, Nan Ya PCB, and Zhen Ding Tech. (Digitimes)
- Taiwan-based OSAT providers are raising prices
- Memory and IC packaging and testing capacity have both become bottlenecks in the semiconductor supply chain