Robot vacuum buyers are now facing a new hurdle. In July the Federal Communications Commission banned imports of foreign‑produced humanoid robots on national‑security grounds, a Ven aimed at Chinese models. The ban also coverspacks robot vacuums, which are equipped with LiDAR, tactile, acoustic and thermal sensors that can collect sensitive data. Since most market models are made in China, the FCC labels them a “foreign threat,” squeezing the choice and cost for U.S. consumers.

SpaceX remains the dominant launch provider, but the weak yen gives Japanese competitors an edge. ispace, a Japanese lunar‑exploration start‑up, chose Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H3 rocket for a 2028 lunar landing, after using the company’s Falcon 9 for earlier bundled missions. CEO Takeshi Hakamada cited the depreciated yen and dollar pricing as decisive factors. ispace plans three lunar transport missions a year, with the H3 handling one or two.

Chinese venture capital is again raising fresh funds as investors look to back AI and tech. Firms such as HSG, IDG Capital, Matrix Partners China and Future Capital are marketing new funds, aiming to raise roughly $35 bn for 60 dollar‑denominated vehicles, according to Asante Capital. This is a selective reopening of U.S. dollar fundraising after three years of record‑low levels, says Ricardo Felix.

Memory chip shortages continue to hit PCs and smartphones. HP, Asus, Acer and Apple are now using limited amounts of DRAM from Chang Xin Memory Technologies to meet demand. Meanwhile, SpaceX posted a 92 % year‑on‑year revenue jump, pulling in $14.1 bn in contracted cloud‑service sales, of which $1.6 bn became AI infrastructure revenue, a 247 % rise to $2.6 bn.