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Ian King
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 5, 2022
U.S. chip-gear makers told to wait for relief from China curbs
The U.S. is working on a deal that would make firms in the Netherlands and Japan subject to limits on sales of the equipment to China, something that could take six to nine months.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 9, 2022
China says Biden’s new chip technology curbs will harm recovery
The measures, which include restrictions on chips used in artificial intelligence and supercomputing, seek to stop China's drive toward its own chip industry and military advancements.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 4, 2022
Samsung launches five-year plan to tempt U.S. buyers with smaller chips
The company, based in the city of Suwon, South Korea, is the world's largest chipmaker by revenue, but its foundry business is playing catch-up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 15, 2022
SoftBank plans additional London listing for Arm IPO
The company is adjusting plans for an initial public offering of its chip technology division and will likely still list the majority of what it offers for trading on U.S. exchanges.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 14, 2022
China’s chipmaking power grows despite U.S. effort to counter it
Chinese orders for chip-manufacturing equipment from overseas suppliers rose 58% in 2021, making it the biggest market for those products for a second year running.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2022
SoftBank plans to retain controlling stake in Arm after IPO
Softbank's raising of an $8 billion term loan has provided it with enough financial leeway to hold onto a bigger portion of the company, sources say.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2022
SoftBank is seeking at least $60 billion in Arm IPO
Valuing Arm at more than $60 billion is a gambit for SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who acquired the business in 2016 for about $32 billion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2022
Nvidia quietly prepares to abandon $40 billion bid for SoftBank's Arm
The purchase — poised to become the biggest chip deal ever when it was announced in 2020 — has drawn a fierce backlash from regulators and the chip industry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2021
Biden team weighs new clampdown on China’s largest chipmaker
The Biden administration is considering imposing tougher sanctions on China's largest chipmaker, building on an effort to limit the country's access to advanced technology.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 3, 2021
SoftBank poised to lose $74 billion payday if Arm deal is halted
The best alternative may be an IPO for the Arm business — but that is likely to value the company at far less than Nvidia's offer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 20, 2021
SoftBank weighs stake in Ampere, valuing chipmaker at $8 billion
Ampere is a 4-year-old startup run by a former Intel Corp. executive who is trying to break into the market for microprocessors that run servers in data centers, an area dominated by her old company.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 29, 2021
Silicon Valley answer to the EV question calls for less silicon
Semiconductor companies are urging EV-makers to ditch traditional silicon chips and embrace materials that will make cars more efficient.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 11, 2021
SoftBank’s Arm deal gets more enticing, even as it faces major hurdles
An increase in the value of Nvidia stock has since sent the potential payday for SoftBank above $50 billion, but the firm faces a tough challenge getting the deal past regulators.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2021
The chip-shortage recovery will be rocky, as Apple can attest
Even with some supplies getting closer to normal, firms still lack the components needed to complete their complex tech devices.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 29, 2021
Tech giants’ record quarter gives way to growth skepticism
Three of the world’s largest companies — Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. — reported about $57 billion in combined profit in a record-busting quarter, riding a resurgence in consumer and business spending.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 22, 2021
Nvidia hedges against crypto hangover with chips just for miners
Nvidia's extreme action is one result of the rising influence of cryptocurrencies, touching on the retail market, the environment and the worlds of finance and technology.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 28, 2021
Chip crisis forces carmakers to rethink just-in-time ordering
The shortcomings of that system were made starkly clear this year as the automakers confronted a dearth of the chips they need to build advanced functions into their vehicles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2021
Arm's battle with China CEO escalates, complicating SoftBank sale
The China dispute also raises questions about Beijing's willingness to protect foreign investment in the world's second-largest economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 24, 2021
Nintendo to use faster Nvidia chips in new 2021 Switch model
The new version will support Deep Learning Super Sampling, a novel rendering technology that uses AI to deliver higher-fidelity graphics more efficiently.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 2, 2017
Western Digital's battle for Toshiba: A tale of threats and culture clashes
Steve Milligan was ready to declare victory. A statement was drafted and a photographer was getting lined up for a handshake ceremony planned in Tokyo. As the brash Silicon Valley executive prepared to announce the biggest deal of his career, a prominent Japanese newspaper was reporting his consortium...

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