The global chip shortage that's kept automobiles, iPads and game consoles in short supply is nothing compared to what could happen if the global economy's key maker of high-end microchips, based in Taiwan, is jeopardized.
Why it matters: Till now, Washington's focus on the semiconductor shortage has centered on keeping products on shelves and car dealership lots stocked — but U.S.-China tensions, along with the threat of natural disasters, provide a recipe for an even broader economic crisis.
Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer describes his company’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard as personally “daunting,” but downplays the influence it would give his team over the gaming industry.
Why it matters: The proposed $69 billion purchase would be the largest consolidation of gaming companies in history.
Meta's record-shattering Thursday stock drop — the company formerly known as Facebook lost a quarter of its market value, or more than $200 billion, in a flash — capped a crazy tech earnings season that left two seemingly contradictory takeaways: Tech firms now sit at the economy's core, yet they also can still be risky bets.
Why it matters: The first two years of the pandemic served to further accelerate the tech giants' climb after a decade of unprecedented growth. But we all know what they say about "what goes up."
