Breaking Up Intel
Wednesday, February 19th, 2025
World Events — Australians Prepare For a Harsher, Lonier World
The Economists
Australia's long-standing sense of insecurity, despite its prosperity and enviable position, has intensified in recent years. The country now faces significant challenges as two pillars of its modern success—its defense alliance with the United States and its trade relationship with China—are experiencing instability. This heightened anxiety, however, may provide Australia with a strategic advantage. The nation's historical concerns about abandonment and its geographical position have led to a proactive approach in foreign policy and defense strategy. Australia has been actively working to strengthen its alliances, particularly through initiatives like AUKUS, which aims to counter Chinese naval power in the Indo-Pacific. However, uncertainties surrounding the Trump administration and potential changes in U.S. foreign policy have led to a cautious reassessment of Australia's position. Economically, while China remains a crucial trading partner, Australia is also preparing for potential shifts in demand and exploring ways to diversify its economic relationships. This forward-thinking approach, born out of long-standing anxieties, may indeed give Australia a head start in navigating the complex geopolitical landscape of the coming years.
Tech — X. AI Driving Nvidia’s Resurgence
Bloomberg
Nvidia's stock has rebounded significantly, surpassing its pre-DeepSeek selloff levels, marking the end of the "Great DeepSeek Panic" from January 2025. This recovery was bolstered by the launch of Elon Musk's Grok-3 chatbot, which heavily relies on Nvidia's chips. Grok-3's development utilized 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, demonstrating the continued dominance of Nvidia in the AI hardware market. Despite initial concerns about DeepSeek's efficiency breakthrough, major tech companies have not scaled back their AI spending plans. The incident highlights the volatility of Nvidia's stock due to investor sensitivity to AI developments. While challenges remain, such as potential export restrictions to China and the transition to newer Blackwell chips, Nvidia's position as a leader in AI hardware and software platforms remains strong. The episode underscores that even if AI is overhyped, the demand for Nvidia chips is likely to persist as the industry continues to explore AI's potential.
Business — Breaking Up Intel?
Bloomberg
Intel shares surged 16% on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, marking the company's largest single-day gain since March 2020, amid speculation of a potential breakup involving Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Broadcom Inc. The stock closed at $27.39, driven by reports that TSMC is considering operating Intel's U.S. factories with a controlling stake, while Broadcom has held informal talks about bidding for Intel's chip-design and marketing business. Additionally, Silver Lake Management is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Altera, Intel's programmable chip unit. This rally comes as Intel, once the dominant force in the chip industry, has been struggling to regain its technological edge and market share in recent years, particularly in the AI accelerator market now led by Nvidia. Despite the day's gains, Intel's stock remains down nearly 40% over the past 12 months, reflecting ongoing challenges and the recent ouster of CEO Pat Gelsinger.
Health — Junk Journalling
After a month dedicated to junk journaling, I've found it to be a surprisingly valuable addition to my self-care routine. Initially, I was hesitant, feeling stuck despite my excitement to start. Watching junk journal flip-throughs on YouTube only amplified my anxiety. However, reminding myself that there are no rules was freeing. I set aside expert tips and started gluing scraps without worrying about the final result. Though it wasn't pretty, I enjoyed the process immensely. By the second week, ideas flowed more naturally, and I found myself engrossed for over three hours. When I lacked paper junk in week three, I turned to unusual scraps like withered leaves and dried tea, creating a nature-themed collage. Even when I came down with a cold in week four, I looked forward to journaling. I began to feel more present during ordinary tasks, turning them into a "treasure hunt" for journal materials, bringing joy to even the most routine tasks. I also noticed that creating spreads kept me so engaged that I spent way less time doomscrolling. The lack of rigid rules was liberating, particularly for a recovering perfectionist, because there's no "wrong" way to junk journal, which quells any fear of making mistakes. The sense of accomplishment from creating something tangible from scratch was a mood booster.
Smoothie Bar — Beet Smoothie
I often dream of us all gathering in my kitchen! Imagine tasting these recipes together in real life. That's especially true when I'm making daring claims – like insisting this Beet Smoothie is utterly delicious, even for beet skeptics. I wish you could all be here to try it!
Well Plated
Song Rec — Thinking About Me (Morgan Wallen)
Quote of the Day
“But such was his state of mind that two bottles were not enough to extinguish his thoughts; so he remained, too drunk to fetch any more wine, not drunk enough to forget, seated in front of his two empty bottles, with his elbows on a rickety table, watching all the specters that Hoffman scattered across manuscripts moist with punch, dancing like a cloud of fantastic black dust in the shadows thrown by his long-wicked candle.” — Alexander Dumas