Sandisk Corporation today previewed its new corporate branding and creative direction, signaling a bold debut of the company's comeback launch as a standalone Flash and memory technology innovator, planned for early 2025.

Defined by a 'Mindset of Motion', Sandisk's new creative direction represents a future forward philosophy where by creating paths and possibilities for people to go without limits, the company unites the current moment and their aspirations. This mindset brings people closer to their ambitions and creates a circle of collaboration for progress and future growth.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Mozilla's entire advocacy team was caught in a round of layoffs, leading to speculation that Mozilla would be giving up its advocacy entirely, shifting to a more commercial focus. Now, with the announcement of Mozilla's new branding, aside from updating the brand's look, it seems as though the Firefox company wants to reassure users of its software that it is still dedicated to its mission to "keep the internet free, open, and accessible." The new branding strategy includes a new logo, typeface family, new icons, a T. rex mascot, and new colors.

The new branding push from Mozilla sees the brand move an appearance seemingly inspired by both its history and the text-based OS interfaces of the early years of computing. For the rebranding, Mozilla partnered with design firm JKR (Jones Knowles Ritchie), and the new branding features a cutesy DOS-style flag that doubles as a T. rex, hinting to past Mozilla logos. In the announcement of the rebranding, boldly titled "Reclaim the internet: Mozilla's rebrand for the next era of tech," Mozilla emphasizes that the new look is meant to convey the company's intention throughout its whole ecosystem of products. It seems as though Mozilla is trying to remind everyone that it's work towards a more open internet extends beyond just the advocacy team it recently laid off.

TrendForce reports that the global notebook market in 2024 is projected to recover at a moderate pace, hindered by high interest rates and geopolitical uncertainties. Annual shipments are forecast to reach 174 million units, marking a 3.9% YoY increase. Looking ahead to 2025, reduced political uncertainty following the U.S. presidential election and the Federal Reserve's rate cuts in September 2024 are expected to stimulate capital flow. Combined with the end-of-service for Windows 10 and demand for commercial device upgrades, global notebook shipments are predicted to grow by 4.9% to 183 million units in 2025.

TrendForce notes that notebooks remain primarily productivity tools, with shipment growth driven largely by deferred replacement demand. The impact of AI-integrated notebooks on the overall market remains limited for now. However, AI features are expected to naturally integrate into notebook specifications as brands gradually incorporate them, resulting in a steady rise in the penetration rates of AI notebooks.

According to the market research firm Mercury Research, the desktop CPU market has witnessed a remarkable transformation, with AMD seizing a substantial 28.7% market share in Q3 of 2024—a giant leap since the launch of the original Zen architecture in 2017. This 5.7 percentage point surge from the previous quarter is a testament to the company's continuous innovation against the long-standing industry leader, Intel. Their year-over-year growth of nearly ten percentage points, fueled by the success of their Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series processors, starkly contrasts Intel's Raptor Lake processors, which encountered technical hurdles like stability issues. AMD's revenue share soared by 8.5 percentage points, indicating robust performance in premium processor segments. Intel, witnessing a decline in its desktop market share to 71.3%, attributes this shift to inventory adjustments rather than competitive pressure and still holds the majority.

AMD's success story extends beyond desktops, with the company claiming 22.3% of the laptop processor market and 24.2% of the server segment. A significant milestone was reached as AMD's data center division generated $3.549 billion in quarterly revenue, a new record for a company not even present in the data center in any considerable quantity just a decade ago. Stemming from strong EPYC processor sales to hyperscalers and cloud providers, along with Instinct MI300X for AI applications, AMD's acceleration of data center deployments is massive. Despite these shifts, Intel continues to hold its dominant position in client computing, with 76.1% of the overall PC market, held by its strong corporate relationships and extensive manufacturing infrastructure. OEM partners like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others rely heavily on Intel for their CPU choice, equipping institutions like schools, universities, and government agencies.

Today, Micron updated its corporate logo with new symbolism. The redesign comes as Micron celebrates over four decades of technological advancement in the semiconductor industry. The new logo features a distinctive silicon color, paying homage to the wafers at the core of Micron's products. Its curved lettering represents the company's ability to stay ahead of industry trends and adapt to rapid technological changes. The design also incorporates vibrant gradient colors inspired by light reflections on wafers, which are the core of Mircorn's memory and storage products.

This rebranding effort coincides with Micron's expanding role in AI, where memory and storage innovations are increasingly crucial. The company has positioned itself beyond a commodity memory supplier, now offering leadership in solutions for AI data centers, high-performance computing, and AI-enabled devices. The company has come far from its original 64K DRAM in 1981 to HBM3E DRAM today. Micron offers different HBM memory products, graphics memory powering consumer GPUs, CXL memory modules, and DRAM components and modules.

There was a bit of upheaval in the indie gaming space this July, when game publisher, Humble Games, effectively shuttered its doors due to budgeting concerns at its parent company, Ziff Davis. Back then, the entire staff was laid off when the publisher shuttered its doors. Now, the former Humble Games general manager, Alan Patmore, and ex-global publishing VP, Mark Nash, have come together to form Good Games Group—a game publishing group with more or less the same set of values and goals as Humble Games, but without the corporate oversight.

The new team's first order of business is helping Humble Games support indie titles previously launched under the Humble Games—a task that was apparently given over to a third-party game publisher after the 36-person crew of Humble Games was laid off earlier this year. Given that Good Games Group's first step involves Humble Games and projects that would previously have been worked on by the same team, it seems likely that the same developers that published games via Humble Games will continue to work with Good Games Group.

Lenovo Group today announced Q4 and full-year results for fiscal year 2023/24. After resuming growth in Q3, the Group reported year-on-year revenue growth across all business groups in Q4, with Group revenue increasing nearly 10% year-on-year to US$13.8 billion, net income doubling year-on-year to US$248 million, and non-PC revenue mix reaching a historic high of 45%. The Group's Q4 and overall 2nd half performance demonstrates how Lenovo has navigated the past year's industry downturn, captured the tremendous growth opportunities presented by AI, and accelerated momentum across the business. Revenue for the full fiscal year was US$56.9 billion, and net income was US$1 billion. From the second half of the fiscal year, Lenovo achieved year-on-year revenue growth of 6% and net margin recovered from a first half year-on-year decline to flat in the second half.

The Group is leading in an era of unprecedented AI opportunities with its pocket-to-cloud portfolio, strong ecosystem and partnerships, and full-stack AI capabilities. Since announcing its AI strategy in October 2023 at its annual Tech World event, Lenovo has launched its first wave of AI PCs as well as AI capabilities covering other smart devices, smart infrastructure, and smart solutions and services. The Group expects the AI PC - which is defined as equipped with a personal AI agent based on natural interactions, heterogeneous computing, personal knowledge base, connected to an open AI application ecosystem, and with privacy and security protection - to grow from its current premium position to mainstream over the next three years, driving a new refresh cycle for the industry. Hybrid AI is also driving greater demand for AI infrastructure and customers are increasingly asking for customized AI solutions and services, particularly consulting, design, deployment and maintenance of AI.

Audio-Technica U.S. Incorporated, recently announced the formation of a new logistical operations company, Technica Logistics Inc. The announcement was made by Mr. Manabu Aoki, Audio-Technica Director and CEO/President of Audio-Technica U.S. Inc., and underscores A-T's long-term strategic business plan for ongoing growth and expansion in the coming years. "This new company is formed to supply enhanced service to our customers and consumers," stated Aoki. "This change will take advantage of Audio-Technica's past experience and success in warehouse and distribution operations, as well as its unprecedented dedication to customer support and service."

Technica Logistics Inc. will begin operation on April 1, 2024, and Mr. Michael Fuller, who has been with Audio-Technica for over 15 years, has been named as the Managing Director. The company plans to have approximately 40 employees throughout the U.S. and will have its headquarters at the Audio-Technica campus in Stow, Ohio, and the mailing address at 4701 Hudson Drive, Stow, OH.

Denuvo by Irdeto, the leading provider of security solutions for the gaming industry, is excited to announce the launch of its groundbreaking product, TraceMark for Gaming, during the prestigious Game Developers Conference (GDC). This pioneering watermarking solution, part of the Irdeto anti-piracy suite and the first of its kind to be tailored specifically for the gaming industry, leverages the core invisible watermark technology trusted by Hollywood studios, sports leagues, and pay-TV operators.

TraceMark for Gaming uniquely addresses the challenge of content leakage, especially during the sensitive pre-release phase of game development. It introduces a deterrent effect by enabling the precise tracing of leaked content back to its source. This capability makes potential leakers think twice, knowing that any unauthorized distribution can be directly linked to them. As a platform-agnostic tool, TraceMark effortlessly integrates into various stages of the game's lifecycle, providing a consistent layer of protection. Its adaptability ensures that, irrespective of the development phase or platform, TraceMark serves as an effective measure to discourage leaks by holding individuals accountable, thereby contributing to the overall integrity of the content distribution process.

Xbox and Fallout fans, rejoice! Today, we are thrilled to announce a striking collaboration between Xbox and new series on Prime Video "Fallout", premiering on April 11. Introducing the Xbox and Fallout Vault Box—a custom collaboration that combines the rugged essence of the Fallout universe with the unparalleled security of a Fort Knox vault. Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, "Fallout" is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there's almost nothing left to have. Two-hundred years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind—and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.

The series comes from Kilter Films and executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Nolan directed the first three episodes. Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner serve as executive producers, writers and co-showrunners. The series stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Aaron Moten (Emancipation) and Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight). Athena Wickham of Kilter Films also executive produces along with Todd Howard for Bethesda Game Studios and James Altman for Bethesda Softworks. Amazon MGM Studios and Kilter Films produce in association with Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks.

Taiwan's Commercial Times has published coverage of a newly launched TSMC recruitment drive—proceedings kicked off last weekend with company representatives heading to the National Taiwan University campus. On the second of March, TSMC set up an outdoor booth on the grounds of Taipei's public research university—where the national comprehensive institute organized a Talent Recruitment Enterprise Expo. Unsurprisingly, TSMC recruiters are seeking potential "talents with high enthusiasm for semiconductors." Ctee's reporter found out that Taiwan's premier foundry is expecting to: "recruit approximately 6,000 new colleagues in Taiwan in 2024, including engineers and technicians." TSMC is reportedly responding to business growth and technology development demands—so much so, that its native manufacturing plants require a fresh influx of workers.

According to Ctee's report, TSMC's March recruitment tour is due to snake through Taiwan and then head over to mainland China: "Tsinghua University, National Cheng Kung University, National Yang-Ming Jiaotong University, Central China University, Zhongxing University, Zhongshan, National Chung Cheng University, Beijing University of Science and Technology, etc., totaling 19 physical activities and four online talent recruitment briefings." A parallel "2024 DNA Summer Internship Program" has also been rolled out: "inviting interested students to join and use internships to personally experience the environment and culture of TSMC." The company's growing global layout also provides opportunities for new employees to work overseas—the article highlights TSMC's newly opened semiconductor fabrication plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan as the preferred choice for "internal employees." The multinational firm's Arizona facilities did not get a shout out, despite recent good news. Reports from mid-2023 suggest that TSMC's core values are at odds with North American work culture.

Qualcomm Incorporated has announced the appointment of Akash Palkhiwala to the expanded role of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. In addition to his CFO responsibilities, as COO, he will now have oversight for the global go-to-market organization and operations, and IT. Palkhiwala's appointment will be effective immediately and he will continue to report directly to Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. "I'm pleased to expand Akash's CFO role to include that of Chief Operating Officer as Qualcomm executes on its growth and diversification strategy," said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm. "Akash has played a key role in the execution of our business strategy as Qualcomm has expanded into new end markets, and is ideally positioned to further align the company's operations to capture future growth opportunities. I am thrilled to congratulate Akash on this expanded role."

Palkhiwala has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2019. Previously, he was Senior Vice President and finance lead for QCT, Qualcomm's semiconductor business. Palkhiwala joined Qualcomm in 2001, and during this time has held several finance leadership roles including Treasurer, Financial Planning & Analysis, and Corporate Development. Palkhiwala holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from L.D. College of Engineering in India and an M.B.A from the University of Maryland.

Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel Corporation, has outlined future performance expectations for the company's Core range of processors. In a recent fourth quarter 2023 earnings call he declared: "The Core Ultra platform delivers leadership AI performance today with our next-generation platforms launching later this year, Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake tripling our AI performance. In 2025 with Panther Lake, we will grow AI performance up to an additional 2x." Team Blue's Intel Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" mobile processors arrived right at the tail end of last year, as a somewhat delayed answer to AMD's Ryzen 7040 "Phoenix" APU series—both leveraging their own AI-crunching NPU technologies. Gelsinger believes that the launch of Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake Core product lines will bring significant (3x) AI processing improvements over Meteor Lake. He seemed to confident in a delay-free release schedule for the new year and beyond: "We are first in the industry to have incorporated both gate-all-around and backside power delivery in a single process node, the latter unexpected two years ahead of our competition. Arrow Lake, our lead Intel 20A vehicle will launch this year."

He proceeded to gush about their next node advancement: "Intel 18A is expected to achieve manufacturing readiness in second half 2024, completing our five nodes in four year journey and bringing us back to process leadership. I am pleased to say that Clearwater Forest, our first Intel 18A part for servers has already gone into fab and Panther Lake for clients will be heading into Fab shortly." Industry experts posit that Core "Panther Lake" parts could borrow elements from the next generation Xeon "Clearwater Forest" efficiency-focused family—possibly the latter's "Darkmont" E-cores, to accompany "Cougar Cove" P-cores. The Intel CEO is quite excited about the manufacturing outlay for 2025: "I'll just say, hey, we look at this every single day and we're scrutinizing carefully our progress on 18A. And obviously the great news that we just described those Clearwater Forest taping out, that gives us a lot of confidence that 18A is healthy. That's a major product for us. Panther Lake following that shortly."

The corporate world of semiconductor companies has seen some restructuring lately, and today, we learn that Ryan Shrout of Intel is leaving the company. Most recently serving as Senior Director of Client Segment Strategy, CCG at Graphics and AI Group, Ryan Shrout joined Intel over four years ago. Mr. Shrout started at the company as Chief Performance Strategist in 2018, and later, in 2020, he changed his role to Senior Director of Technical and Competitive Client Marketing. After that, he made a switch and was Senior Director of Gaming, Graphics, and HPC Marketing (AXG Marketing). His most recent role was relatively short-lived, only lasting for three months.

Many people in the community may know Mr. Shrout from his time at PC Perspective, which he founded and managed as Editor-in-Chief in 1999. However, today, on his Twitter/X profile, we're learning that he is departing Intel to take on another role. "Fall is a season for change! Yesterday was my last day at Intel. I'm going to take a couple weeks with the family then I'm excited to talk about what's next," the post stated. With such extensive experience in the PC industry, we are eager to see where Mr. Shrout lands next.

Acer Inc. announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2023: consolidated revenues were NT$58.26 billion with 11.1% growth quarter-on-quarter (QoQ); gross profits reached NT$6.26 billion with 10.7% margin; operating income was NT$1.05 billion, up 338.6% QoQ; net income was NT$1.39 billion, up 170.2% QoQ; and earnings per share was NT$0.46 in Q2'23 and NT$0.64 in 1H'23.

The company has weathered the post-pandemic industry stress test. Acer's computer business has bottomed out around May this year, while new graphic cards and connectivity products have reached markets. Acer's computers, displays, and most of the other businesses have all contributed toward revenues and profitability. With 10 public subsidiaries and more to come, Acer is progressively enhancing its corporate resilience.

[Editor's note: NT$1.39 Billion is around US$43.9 million]

Dell Technologies announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Moogsoft, an AI-driven provider of intelligent monitoring solutions that support DevOps and ITOps. This transaction will further enhance Dell's AIOps capabilities, as part of its longstanding approach of embedding AI functionality within its product portfolio and as a critical component of its "multicloud by design" strategy. The transaction is expected to close in Q3. Additional details will be available at that time.

About Moogsoft
Moogsoft is the AI-driven observability leader that provides intelligent monitoring solutions for smart DevOps. Moogsoft delivers the most advanced cloud-native, self-service platform for software engineers, developers, and operators to instantly see everything, know what's wrong and fix things faster. Founded in 2012, Moogsoft has more than 140 customers worldwide including American Airlines, Fannie Mae, Fiserv, HCL Technologies, SAP SuccessFactors, and Verizon Media. It has established strategic partnerships with leading managed service providers and outsourcing organizations including AWS, Cisco, HCL Technologies, TCS and Wipro.

Three leading European generative AI startups joined NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang this week to talk about the new era of computing. More than 500 developers, researchers, entrepreneurs and executives from across Europe and further afield packed into the Spindler and Klatt, a sleek, riverside gathering spot in Berlin. Huang started the reception by touching on the message he delivered Monday at the Berlin Summit for Earth Virtualization Engines (EVE), an international collaboration focused on climate science. He shared details of NVIDIA's Earth-2 initiative and how accelerated computing, AI-augmented simulation and interactive digital twins drive climate science research.

Before sitting down for a fireside chat with the founders of the three startups, Huang introduced some "special guests" to the audience—four of the world's leading climate modeling scientists, who he called the "unsung heroes" of saving the planet. "These scientists have dedicated their careers to advancing climate science," said Huang. "With the vision of EVE, they are the architects of the new era of climate science."