Top 3 tech, startup and sustainability stories of the week

1-Google to manufacture Google Pixel 8 in India

My first story is coming from Google and India. And Google will start to manufacture Pixel 8 smartphones in India. The production will start in 2024, according to Google for India annual tech event.

Google will partner with local and global suppliers to put together its first India-made handsets, hardware chief Rick Osterloh announced at the event. The move from the company responsible for Android, adds to a string of successes by India’s government in enticing international device makers to build locally. In addition to US device makers, Samsung also manufactures its Galaxy handsets in India and Chinese Android vendors have set up partnerships with local assemblers.

2-FTC to hire child psychologists

My second story is about Federal Trade Commission, in short, FTC. As you know FTC is the regulatory authority of competition and consumer protection in US. And FTC plans to hire at least one child psychologist who can guide its work on internet regulation. I saw this story at CNBC and FTC Chair Lina Khan supports the plan and it can become a reality by next fall. Those experts could bring important insights that can link a cause to an alleged harm and inform the appropriate damages the agency seeks. Child psychologists could help the FTC evaluate allegations of how social media may affect mental health, as well as assess the effect of dark patterns or other deceptive features, according to FTC.

3-TSMC posted Q3 23 financial results, profit down

My third and final story is coming from TSMC and the company posted the third quarter financial results of 2023. TSMC’s profit was $6.69 billion and this has been the largest profit decline since the first quarter of 2019. The reason for the decline was weak demand for consumer?electronics persists. But the world’s largest contract chipmaker has beaten ?analysts’ expectations and TSMC’s revenue was $17.28 billion for this quarter. The chip giant said that revenue increased 13.7% in the third quarter as compared to the second quarter. (As a side note, this is not an investment advice, please ask assistance from your investment advisors).

ONE MORE THING ?

FOCUS

This week I’ll mention about a hot off the press book, Focus.

This book is unfolding the story of ASML, the Dutch company behind today’s chip industry. Marc Hijink, tech reporter at Dutch daily NRC, has been tracing ASML for decades, but more than three years, he dug the company. He spoke with hundreds of people, inside and outside ASML. Marc tells the story of 40 years of ASML, its people, the machines, the industry, the strategy and the geopolitics, according to Sander Hofman, Creative Content Strategist at ASML.

At the moment Focus is only in Dutch but the English version will be out soon. The publisher of the book is Balans, as a side note.

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