HYTE, a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals, announced today its continued partnership with ATLUS for its latest HYTE Collection with Metaphor: ReFantazio. Starting today, fans can pre-order a Y70 computer case themed after the game, accompanying keycaps, desk pads, and more—all with an aesthetic that is fit for aspirant royalty! To learn more, and to pre-order these items, head over here. As part of this latest project, HYTE worked closely with the Metaphor: ReFantazio team on the case, keycaps, and desk pad's design to ensure a high-quality product that is authentic to the game's environment and themes. The Metaphor: ReFantazio Y70 case lovingly displays the game's incredible artwork on its glass panels. Fans can also expect in-game elements thoughtfully integrated across the Y70's metal paneling, a custom metal plate that calls back to the game, and a deep mahogany colorway made for this collaboration.

Fans can also pre-order the Metaphor: ReFantazio Keycap Set, which comes with 152 individual keycaps that are fully compatible with ANSI / ISO / JIS WW keyboards. Like with the Y70, in-game elements, typography, and design inspired by the game, along with the deep mahogany colorway, have also been integrated into the keycaps. As part of this lineup, HYTE is also launching three 900 mm x 400 mm Desk Pads, a 60 cm x 45 cm Wall Scroll, and a Metaphor: ReFantazio keychain with a special glowing effect that lets natural backlight shine through - all of which feature the game's impeccable artwork in stunning detail.

While we initially set out to self-publish Battle Train, our goal is to make the best game possible. We've had many opportunities cross our paths, and one such opportunity felt too good to pass up. That said, we're proud to announce that we're now working with Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. to bring Battle Train to more folks in a couple of exciting ways. You've probably heard of Bandai Namco Entertainment. They've been around about as long as our entire industry and are known as the publishers behind everything from PAC-MAN to Elden Ring to Katamari Damacy (AKA, the silliest game with the best game soundtrack ever made).

Look, we know Battle Train is good. Our friends and family know Battle Train is good. But getting word to the general gaming community has been an uphill battle for us, so having Bandai Namco Entertainment on board to help increase our visibility is awesome… but while marketing is crucial, this news is about more than just marketing. With Bandai Namco Entertainment's support, we were able to extend development and add more to the game, polish the heck out of it, and really make this game sing. We're really pleased with the results. We've added extra cards, extra trains, extra trinkets, and extra time making sure Battle Train is an amazing gaming experience. ALSO, we're not just releasing on PC!!! We'll be bringing the ludicrous action of Battle Train to the Nintendo Switch as well! Surprise!!!

Dear Rally Community, every great journey eventually finds its finish line, and today, we announce that we've reached the end of the road working on WRC. After releasing EA SPORTS WRC in 2023, the 2024 season, including the recently released Hard Chargers Content pack, will be our last expansion. For now, we are pausing development plans on future rally titles. Rest assured, EA SPORTS WRC will continue to be available for existing and new players. We hope it remains a source of joy, excitement, and the thrill of rally racing. We've poured our hearts into making it for fans, and we know you'll keep the passion alive.

Our WRC partnership was a culmination of sorts for our Codemasters journey with off-road racing, spanning decades through titles like Colin McRae Rally, and DiRT. We've provided a home for every rally enthusiast, striving tirelessly to push the boundaries and deliver the exhilarating thrill of driving on the ragged edge. We've brought together incredibly talented racing developers, worked with some of the sport's icons, and had the opportunity to share our love of rallying. Thank you to all the fans who have and continue to be part of our rally journey.

• The Codemasters WRC Team

The Trump administration is preparing substantial changes to the Biden-era Framework for AI Diffusion controlling advanced semiconductor exports. Sources close to the Reuters indicate officials will replace the current three-tier country classification with a unified government-to-government licensing system requiring bilateral approval for US chip acquisitions. The existing framework, implemented in January 2025, permits unrestricted exports to 17 allied nations plus Taiwan, imposes volume caps on roughly 120 countries and blocks shipments to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Current regulations exempt orders below 1,700 NVIDIA H100 equivalent units from full licensing requirements, needing only a notification.

Former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, acting as an informal adviser, verified that bilateral government agreements are under review. Officials are also considering reducing the notification threshold from 1,700 to approximately 500 H100 equivalents to address circumvention concerns. The proposal has drawn criticism from industry figures, including Oracle Executive VP Ken Glueck and a coalition of seven Republican senators who have urged Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to withdraw the existing framework entirely. The administration faces pressure to finalize regulations before the May 15 compliance deadline, balancing security objectives with trade considerations. An announcement is expected before the month's end.

Rumors about the recent cancelation of an unannounced Blade Runner project; following the alleged completion of a pre-production phase at Supermassive Games. Insider Gaming's "exclusive" article proposes that the UK-based computer game development studio had started work on a "character focused, cinematic, action adventure" around September 2024. An inside source disclosed a "Blade Runner: Time To Live" title, and a futuristic "New Zurich" setting—in 2065. The online publication has acquired "internal company documents" that apparently outlined a 10-12 hour single player campaign experience and a "compelling story blending the philosophical themes of Blade Runner, with kinetic action-adventure gameplay." Veteran members of Supermassive's "The Quarry" core dev team were reportedly involved in the IP's early-stage production cycle.

Insider Gaming outlined a surprising mix of internal details—sourced from their industry mole—suggesting that this project is/was not related to Alcon Interactive Group and Annapurna Interactive's still in-progress Blade Runner title. The report described some of Supermassive's key goals: "a full release was planned for September 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and the 'Gen 10' Xbox and PlayStation systems. It was set to have a full development budget of roughly $45 million with $9 million of it being used for external performance capture and acting talent. What wasn't included in the budget, however, was original music production, image rights and usage fees for performers, QA and game testing, localization, and any future DLC. As with any budget, the amount was subject to change as development got underway and costs rose or fell." The British company is still working on Directive 8020, an original premise sci-fi interactive adventure—presumably, nearing the end of full-blown production within the coming months.

AMD revealed today that it anticipates charges of up to $800 million following the Trump administration's latest crackdown on exports of advanced processors to China. The company confirmed that these new rules affect its MI308 product line. The U.S. Commerce Department declared on Tuesday that it was putting in place new licensing requirements impacting several high-performance chips, including NVIDIA's H20, AMD's MI308, and similar products. This regulatory move comes at a high price for AMD, as China stands as its second-biggest market in 2024 with about $6.23 billion in revenue, over 24% of the company's total sales.

AMD's regulatory filing reveals that the company faces $800 million in charges due to inventory issues, purchase commitments, and needed reserves. AMD "expects to apply for licenses but there is no assurance that licenses will be granted,". This uncertainty grows when we consider what Jefferies analysts pointed out on Tuesday: the U.S. has never agreed on licenses for graphics processor unit shipments to China. This news comes right after NVIDIA's announcement that it would take $5.5 billion in charges because of the same export rules. As a result, AMD and NVIDIA stocks were dropping by more than 5%.

A consortium of over 50 Chinese companies, including names like Huawei, Hisense, and TCL, has unveiled a domestic alternative to HDMI that offers up to 192 Gbps bandwidth and 480 W of power delivery. This new standard, the General Purpose Media Interface (GPMI), supports next-generation multimedia devices, meeting the growing demands of 8K resolution, higher refresh rates, and simplified connectivity. There are two variants available: a smaller Type-C model providing 96 Gbps and 240 W and a larger Type-B model delivering the full 192 Gbps and 480 W. Developed as a third-generation audio and video interface, GPMI addresses the limitations of older standards such as DVI and VGA while vastly outperforming HDMI 2.1's 48 Gbps and DisplayPort 2.1's 80 Gbps in data throughput. Its design enables bidirectional communication, seamlessly transmitting video, audio, data, and power over a single cable.

The standard's architecture includes a primary data link that can be split into various configurations—such as 6+2 or 1+7 channels—to adapt to different usage scenarios. In addition to its high-bandwidth data channels, GPMI features auxiliary links for device management, cable information, and a limited USB 2.0 connection. The Type-C variant, which has received approval from the USB Association, ensures compatibility with the USB-C ecosystem, helping with the integration for smart TVs and other connected devices. Primarily developed for the domestic market, GPMI also aims to reduce China's dependence on Western-controlled standards and licensing regimes.

Square Enix's long-running Front Mission franchise was set to expand with an all-new entry—Front Mission 2089: Borderscape—first revealed back in April 2022. The Japanese multinational publisher announced BlackJack Studio as their chosen development partner on this fledgling project, destined for launch on mobile platforms (Android and iOS). Months later, this collaboration was terminated. Video game news outlets have picked up on a new-ish lawsuit; filed on March 13 in a Seattle, Washington court. Contained information indicates that Square Enix ended a licensing agreement and canceled development in October 2022. The 26-page legal document alleges that HK Ten Tree Limited (aka BlackJack Studio) had produced a "Front Mission-style" game that reuses assets from the shelved "2089: Borderscape" title.

BlackJack's Mecharashi IP is advertised on Steam as a: "mecha-themed tactical turn-based game. The game adopts a Front Mission-style combat system, where you can assemble mechas however you want, equip a wide selection of weapons, and choose your favorite pilots to engage in battle." According to the latest reports, Mecharashi/Metal Storm has already launched in China and Japan—a Western release is "coming soon." Square Enix seems intent on preventing the game from reaching a wider audience. According to Polygon, the Japanese video game giant has: "sent multiple DMCA takedown notices to get the game removed from storefronts; it was removed from Steam, but is back after a counter-claim was submitted. Square Enix said it also filed a lawsuit in Japanese court." Additionally, Square is seeking "maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each copyright infringed." The Front Mission IP lives on in the shape of remakes—under license, Forever Entertainment S. A. developed and published Front Mission 1st: Remake (2022). Front Mission 2: Remake arrived roughly a year later, with Storm Trident S.A. taking care of development duties. Front Mission 3: Remake was unveiled last year at the Tokyo Game Show 2024.

TrendForce reveals that the combined revenue of the world's top 10 IC design houses reached approximately US$249.8 billion in 2024, marking a 49% YoY increase. The booming AI industry has fueled growth across the semiconductor sector, with NVIDIA leading the charge, posting an astonishing 125% revenue growth, widening its lead over competitors, and solidifying its dominance in the IC industry.

Looking ahead to 2025, advancements in semiconductor manufacturing will further enhance AI computing power, with LLMs continuing to emerge. Open-source models like DeepSeek could lower AI adoption costs, accelerating AI penetration from servers to personal devices. This shift positions edge AI devices as the next major growth driver for the semiconductor industry.

After more than two decades, a team of industry veterans has united to bring back one of gaming's most iconic brands. Acclaim, the legendary video game publisher known for its groundbreaking titles in the '80s and '90s, is officially returning with a bold vision aimed at revitalizing the gaming landscape.

Originally founded in 1987, the relaunch marks an exciting new chapter for the publisher, as it seeks to support indie developers and reignite classic franchises. Acclaim will provide much-needed resources such as funding, marketing and PR support, giving independent studios the opportunity to bring their creative visions to a broad audience.

VeriSilicon today announced the launch of its latest AI-based AI-NR and AI-SR series of image processing IPs, including the AINR1000 and AINR2000 for intelligent noise reduction, and the AISR1000 and AISR2000 for advanced super resolution. These series IPs provide cost-effective, highly efficient, and PPA (performance, power efficiency, area) optimized implementations with high flexibility and scalability, making them ideal for a wide range of applications, including automotive, surveillance, cloud gaming, consumer electronics, and more.

VeriSilicon's AI-NR and AI-SR series IPs leverage the company's proprietary AI pixel processing algorithms to deliver advanced image processing capabilities. The AINR1000 and AINR2000 IPs effectively suppress noise while preserving intricate details and color accuracy, delivering exceptional performance in low-light or complex lighting conditions. These IPs effectively reduce noise in both static and dynamic scenes, ensuring consistently clear and smooth visuals. The AINR1000 supports a resolution of 2560x1440 at 30 FPS, making it well-suited for low-resolution, cost-sensitive applications such as entry-level Internet Protocol Cameras (IPCs), while the AINR2000 delivers superior performance with a higher resolution of 5600x4208 at 60 FPS, catering to high-end applications such as advanced surveillance systems and sports cameras.

Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm's Chief Executive Officer, made a major announcement during a recent company earnings call. Since late last year, technology news outlets have kept a collective eye trained on legal wranglings involving the mobile processor specialist and Arm Holdings. Qualcomm won a partial victory in December—a Delaware jury unanimously found that the: "use of Oryon cores in its Snapdragon X processors for client PCs did not violate its licensing agreements with Arm." However, said jury did not deliver a unanimous verdict on the trial's other lines of query—soon after concluding, Arm filed a motion for a new session.

According to a relatively new Reuters follow-up report, Arm has terminated one of its pursuits. During Wednesday's (February 5) meeting with industry analysts, the Qualcomm boss declared: "Arm recently notified us that it was withdrawing its October 22, 2024 notice of breach, and indicated that it has no current plan to terminate the Qualcomm architecture license agreement." Amon and his colleagues are likely celebrating this development, as well as claimed "positive growth" for Snapdragon X Elite-powered devices. Industry watchdogs believe that Arm could file for a retrial in the near future. According to The Register, the two companies are due to face-off again—albeit under different circumstances: "Qualcomm continues to pursue another case against Arm, alleging the UK outfit didn't honor some of its contractual obligations. Arm reckons that matter will reach the courts in the first half of 2026."

According to a recent investigative report, UK-based Imagination Technologies faces allegations of transferring sensitive GPU intellectual property to Chinese companies with potential military connections. The UK-China Transparency organization claims that following its 2020 acquisition by China-controlled investment firm Canyon Bridge, Imagination provided complete access to its GPU IP to Chinese entities with military connections. The report suggests this included sharing detailed architectural documentation typically reserved for premier clients like Apple. At the center of the controversy are Chinese firms Moore Threads and Biren Technology, which have emerged as significant players in China's AI and GPU sectors. The report indicates Moore Threads maintains connections with military GPU suppliers, while Biren Technology has received partial Russian investment.

The organization argues that Canyon Bridge, which has ties to the state-owned China Reform enterprise, helped these technological transfers to benefit China's military-industrial complex. Imagination Technologies has defended its actions, maintaining that all licensing agreements comply with industry standards. The allegations have sparked renewed debate about foreign ownership of strategic technology assets and the effectiveness of current export controls. When Canyon Bridge acquired Imagination in 2020, security experts raised concerns about potential military applications of the firm's technology. UKCT plans to release additional findings, including information from legal disputes involving Imagination's previous management. Rising concerns over technology transfers have prompted governments to reassess export controls and corporate oversight in the semiconductor industry, as nations struggle to balance international commerce with national security priorities. We are yet to see official government response to this situation.

A high-stakes trial between technology giants Arm and Qualcomm has revealed deeper tensions in the semiconductor industry, as Arm seeks the destruction of chip designs from Qualcomm's $1.4 billion Nuvia acquisition. The case, being heard in Delaware federal court, centers on a licensing dispute that could impact the future of AI-powered Windows PCs. Arm CEO Rene Haas took the stand Monday, adding allegations that Qualcomm violated licensing agreements following its 2021 acquisition of chip startup Nuvia. The issue is whether Qualcomm should pay Nuvia's higher royalty rates for using Arm's intellectual property rather than its own lower rates. Internal documents revealed Nuvia's rates were "many multiples" higher than Qualcomm's, with the acquisition potentially reducing Arm's revenue by $50 million.

During cross-examination, Qualcomm's legal team challenged Arm's motives, suggesting the dispute is part of a broader strategy to confront a customer increasingly viewed as a competitor. When presented with documents outlining potential plans for Arm to design its own chips, Haas downplayed these ambitions, emphasizing that Arm has never entered chip manufacturing. Allegedly, Arm sent letters to Qualcomm's customers, including Samsung, warning about possible disruption if Nuvia's IP design before acquisition in 2021 must be destroyed. Haas defended these communications, citing frequent inquiries from industry partners.

RISC-V is an industry standard instruction set architecture (ISA) born in UC Berkeley. RISC-V is the fifth iteration in the lineage of historic RISC processors. The core value of the RISC-V ISA is the freedom of usage it offers. Any organization can leverage the ISA to design the best possible core for their specific needs, with no regional restrictions or licensing costs. It attracts a massive ecosystem of developers and companies building systems using the RISC-V ISA. To support these efforts and grow the ecosystem, the brains behind RISC decided to form RISC-V International—a non-profit foundation that governs the ISA and guides the ecosystem.

We had the privilege of talking with Andrea Gallo, Vice President of Technology at RISC-V International. Andrea oversees the technological advancement of RISC-V, collaborating with vendors and institutions to overcome challenges and expand its global presence. Andrea's career in technology spans several influential roles at major companies. Before joining RISC-V International, he worked at Linaro, where he pioneered Arm data center engineering initiatives, later overseeing diverse technological sectors as Vice President of Segment Groups, and ultimately managing crucial business development activities as executive Vice President. During his earlier tenure as a Fellow at ST-Ericsson, he focused on smartphone and application processor technology, and at STMicroelectronics he optimized hardware-software architectures and established international development teams.

According to Bloomberg, Arm Holding PLC, the holding company behind the Arm instruction set and Arm chip designs, just issued a 60-day notice period of license retirement to Qualcomm, its long-time partner. The UK-based ISA provider has notified Qualcomm that it will cancel the Arm ISA architectural license agreement after the contract-mandated 60-day notice. The issues between the two arose in 2022, just a year after Qualcomm acquired Nuvia and its IP. Arm filed a lawsuit claiming that the reason was "Qualcomm attempted to transfer Nuvia licenses without Arm's consent, which is a standard restriction under Arm's license agreements." To transfer Nuvia core licensing, Qualcomm would need to ask Arm first and create a new licensing deal.

The licensing reworking came just in time when Qualcomm experienced its biggest expansion. The new Snapdragon 8 Elite is being used in the mobile sector, the Snapdragon X Elite/Plus is being used in Copilot+ PCs, and the automotive sector is also getting the new Snapdragon Cockpit/Ride Elite chipsets. Most of that is centered around Nuvia Oryon core IP, a high-performance, low-power design. Arm's representatives declined to comment on this move for Bloomberg, while a Qualcomm spokesman noted that the British company was trying to "strong-arm a longtime partner."

The Netherlands government announced additional export controls on advanced chipmaking equipment on Friday. This decision, which specifically targets ASML's DUV immersion lithography tools, has drawn sharp criticism from Beijing. The new regulations, aligning with similar restrictions imposed by the US last year, will require additional licensing for the export of ASML's 1970i and 1980i models. China's Commerce Ministry swiftly responded to the announcement, expressing dissatisfaction with what it perceives as unwarranted restrictions on trade. In a statement released Sunday, the ministry accused the United States of leveraging its global influence to pressure allies into tightening export controls, describing it as an attempt to maintain "global hegemony" in the semiconductor industry.

The Chinese government urged the Netherlands to reconsider its position, calling for a balance between security concerns and the preservation of mutually beneficial economic ties. Beijing emphasized the importance of safeguarding the "common interests" of businesses in both countries and warned against potential damage to Sino-Dutch cooperation in the semiconductor sector. Dutch Trade Minister Reinette Klever defended the decision, stating it was made "for our safety." However, this move could have significant implications for ASML, which has already faced restrictions on exporting its most advanced systems to China. ASML receives as much as 49% of its revenue from China, meaning that additional export regulations could significantly reduce revenues if licenses aren't approved.

After nearly 15 years of legal disputes, Infineon Technologies and Qimonda's insolvency administrator have reached a final settlement, with Infineon agreeing to pay €800 million. The conflict centered on the valuation of memory business assets that Infineon spun off in 2006 to create Qimonda, once a global leader in memory chip manufacturing with 13,500 employees worldwide.

Qimonda's journey was short-lived. It debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2006 but filed for insolvency by January 2009. Legal proceedings initiated in 2010 focused on claims that Qimonda's balance sheet was underfunded during the spin-off. The insolvency administrator alleged that the transferred memory business was undervalued, leading to a lawsuit for reimbursement of the share value discrepancy.

Microsoft has agreed to pay €20 million to settle an antitrust complaint filed by Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), a European cloud providers association. The deal aims to address concerns about Microsoft's cloud product licensing practices, also, Microsoft will develop Azure Stack HCI for European cloud providers and compensate CISPE members for recent licensing costs. On the other side, CISPE will withdraw its EU complaint, cease supporting similar global complaints, and establish an independent European Cloud Observatory to monitor the product's development.

The settlement excludes major providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and AliCloud. While CISPE hails this as a victory, critics argue it's insufficient. AWS spokesperson Alia Ilyas said that Microsoft was only making "limited concessions for some CISPE members that demonstrate there are no technical barriers preventing it from doing what's right for every cloud customer". Google Cloud suggests more action is needed against anti-competitive behavior, and UK-based cloud company Civo's CEO Mark Boost questions the deal's long-term impact on the industry. Boost stated, "However they position it, we cannot shy away from what this deal appears to be: a global powerful company paying for the silence of a trade body, and avoiding having to make fundamental changes to their software licensing practices on a global basis". Despite resolving the CISPE complaint, Microsoft faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny worldwide. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority launched a cloud computing market investigation in October 2023 while the US Federal Trade Commission is conducting two separate probes involving Microsoft. The first FTC investigation, initiated in January 2024, examines AI services and partnerships of major tech companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Anthropic, and OpenAI. The second focuses specifically on Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia, assessing their impact and behavior in the AI sector.

To bring cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities to its flagship product, Apple is said to be finalizing a deal with OpenAI to integrate the ChatGPT technology into the upcoming iOS 18 for iPhones. According to Bloomberg, multiple sources report that after months of negotiations, the two tech giants are putting the finishing touches on a partnership that would be an important moment for consumer AI. However, OpenAI may not be Apple's only AI ally. The company has also reportedly been in talks with Google over licensing the Gemini chatbot, though no known agreement has been reached yet. The rare team-up between the fiercely competitive firms underscores the intense focus on AI integration across the industry.

Apple's strategic moves are a clear indication of its recognition of the transformative potential of advanced AI capabilities for the iPhone experience. The integration of OpenAI's language model could empower Siri to understand and respond to complex voice queries with deep contextual awareness. This could revolutionize the way Apple's customers interact with devices, offering hope for a more intuitive and advanced iPhone experience. Potential Gemini integration opens up another realm of possibilities around Google's image and multimodal AI capabilities. Future iPhones may be able to analyze and describe visual scenes, annotate images, generate custom imagery from natural language prompts, and even synthesize audio using AI vocals - all within a conversational interface. As the AI arms race intensifies, Apple wants to position itself at the forefront through these partnerships.

Lenovo (United States) Inc., part of the global technology corporation, Lenovo Group, filed a patent infringement action on November 15th with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) against ASUSTeK Computer Inc. and ASUS Computer International (ASUS) for infringement of a variety of Lenovo's patents related to software, hardware, and connectivity across multiple ASUS products. The action is in response to ASUS's August 2023 filings in the Regional Court of Munich related to cellular technologies, where Lenovo had offered a cross-licensing deal as a solution.

Lenovo is a strong proponent of cross-licensing agreements, open and transparent negotiations, and licensing within the industry on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. This is evidenced by the Group's ongoing litigation with InterDigital, where it advocated for greater transparency and less discrimination in licensing negotiations and was proven by the UK Court to be a willing licensee. The action against ASUSTeK reflects the Group's commitment to protecting its significant contributions to technology innovation and industry "firsts" over the past 39 years, building a portfolio of over 28,000 patents with a further 14,000 applications pending.

SCUF Gaming, creator of the high-performance gaming controller category, has announced a collaboration with Avenged Sevenfold to celebrate the band's new album, "Life Is But A Dream..." Together, they've created new limited-edition SCUF Instinct Pro and SCUF Reflex FPS controller bundles decked out with the album's instantly recognizable imagery and artwork from renowned artist Wes Lang.

To commemorate "Life Is But A Dream…", Avenged Sevenfold has partnered with SCUF Gaming to drop a pair of exclusive controller bundles. Each jam-packed bundle comes with your choice of a SCUF Instinct Pro or SCUF Reflex FPS controller, an exclusive signed Avenged Sevenfold seven-inch vinyl record, a certificate of authenticity, and passionately crafted packaging, all clad in the band's iconic sepia-toned ink-sketch Wes Lang-painted album artwork. Now, hardcore Avenged Sevenfold fans can rock out in style as they play on a uniquely designed controller that's unmistakably A7X.

British semiconductor specialist firm, Arm Ltd., has has confirmed that it will be offering its clients the option to license "SoC solutions," as opposed to the usual model of paying for intellectual properties. A new Bloomberg article reaffirms previous claims that Arm's engineering department was beavering away on reference chip designs. An IPO filing, registered with the SEC, reveals that various system-on-chip designs are in the pipeline—likely targeting fast-growing tech markets.

An Arm statement explained: "More recently, we have invested in a holistic, solution-focused approach to design, expanding beyond individual design IP elements to providing a more complete system. By delivering SoC solutions optimized for specific use cases, we can ensure that the entire system works together seamlessly to provide maximum performance and efficiency. At the same time, by designing an increasingly greater portion of the overall chip design, we are further reducing incremental development investment and risk borne by our customers while also enabling us to capture more value per device." Arm is probably keen to boost its profit margins, and become more attractive in the eyes of potential investors—lately their designs have been implemented in more expensive product segments, namely automotive, client PCs, and cloud data center solutions.

Rocksmith+ has announced a new partnership with Warner Music Group, to bring even more popular artists to the music-learning service, such as Linkin Park, The Cure, Sepultura, Twisted Sister, and more. "Rocksmith+ has always been about empowering people to learn guitar with their favorite songs," said Jay Cohen, Vice President of Executive Publishing at Ubisoft. "For beginners, guitar players, and music fans this is a great step forward. The large library of songs for learners and players to pick up and play on Rocksmith+ continues to expand every month.

This new partnership with Warner Music Group will help bring both new and established artists to a new and growing audience. We appreciate the progressive approach of our colleagues at WMG, and we look forward to everything we will do together to deliver on the promise of a new music distribution model for all those who make music and the people who love to jam along to it."

China has sharply increased imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in recent months, customs data reveals. The country's purchases of chip production tools surged to record highs of nearly $5 billion in June and July, a 70% increase versus the same period last year, which amounted to $2.9 billion. The spike comes right before export restrictions on advanced chipmaking equipment are implemented by the U.S. and its allies. The moves aim to slow China's technological advancement, but Chinese chipmakers are stockpiling to avoid disruptions. Much of the equipment comes from the Netherlands and Japan, which have imposed licensing requirements on certain tool exports. While it's unclear how many are affected, the rush suggests China wants to expand production capacity and buffer against supply chain issues.

Chinese firms like SMIC and YMTC rely heavily on U.S., Dutch, and Japanese suppliers for cutting-edge manufacturing equipment. They are utilizing imported tools to boost the output of mature chips not subject to controls, particularly for electric vehicles, renewable energy, and industrial applications. Significantly, imports from the Netherlands doubled as lithography machines were delivered to Chinese foundries. Purchases from Japan also rose as companies procured etching tools and wafer coaters after 2020 U.S. restrictions. Newly established foundries backed by local governments contributed as Beijing pushed chip production expansions. Despite export control challenges, China aims to keep advancing its semiconductor capabilities. The import spike highlights intensified efforts to build self-sufficiency using older technology not covered by current limits.