CrowdStrike in the Doghouse

CrowdStrike in the Doghouse

The cybersecurity firm [CRWD] said “a significant number” of devices were back online after Friday’s massive IT outage. Microsoft [MSFT] has estimated that some 8.5 million computers around the world were affected. “One mistake has had catastrophic results. This is a great example of how closely tied to IT our modern society is — from coffee shops to hospitals to airports, a mistake like this has massive ramifications,” Nick Hyatt, Director of Threat Intelligence at security firm Blackpoint Cyber, told CNBC.

Nvidia: New China Chip

According to Reuters, Nvidia [NVDA] will launch a version of its flagship artificial intelligence (AI) chips that is tailored to the Chinese market and will not fall foul of US export controls. The chip is provisionally called the B20 and will be distributed with one of Nvidia’s main distributors in China, Inspur, in Q2 2025. Elsewhere, the number of semiconductors illegally shipped through China to Russia fell by more than a fifth in the year through May, US Commerce Department data shows.

Can Musk Be Trusted on Launch Dates?

Tesla [TSLA] will have humanoid robots in “low production” for internal use as of next year, and “hopefully” in high production in 2026, CEO Elon Musk said on X; he had previously said the robot would be available by early next year. The electric vehicle (EV) maker will report Q2 earnings after the market closes today. Attention will be on its autonomous driving technology: the firm’s robotaxi was supposed to be released in August, but Musk recently said he had delayed this over design issues.

EV R&D JV

China’s Xpeng [XPEV] has entered a partnership with Volkswagen [VWAGY] to establish project houses for engineers in China's Guangzhou and Hefei. Engineers from both firms will work together to develop new EV architecture, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Japanese EV makers are “very scared” of Chinese EV development and must change their conservative outlook if they are to compete, Yasuhide Mizuno, Chief Executive of Sony Honda Mobility, Sony [SONY] and Honda’s [HMC] joint venture, told the Financial Times.

More Good News for Ocado

UK-based supermarket tech group Ocado [OCDDY] said Monday that top US client Kroger [KR] had placed an order for a range of new automated technologies — including On-Grid Robotic Pick and Automated Frameload — which it will roll out across the warehouses in its network. This comes on the heels of Japanese partner Aeon [8267:T] committing to build a third robotic warehouse, as well as a bump in Ocado’s fiscal guidance.