Technologies

Nvidia’s takeover of chipmaker Arm will be subject of full UK government investigation

The UK is worried that Nvidia’s proposed acquisition of the British chipmaker could pose a national security threat.

The UK government will conduct an in-depth investigation into Nvidia’s proposed takeover of British chipmaker Arm, it announced on Tuesday. The investigation, which is set to take around six months, will look at whether Nvidia’s acquisition of the company would pose a risk to the UK on either competition or national security grounds.

Japanese tech giant SoftBank agreed to sell Arm to Nvidia in September 2020 as part of a $40 billion deal, the chip industry’s largest. Arm isn’t as well known as mega chip companies such as Qualcomm and Intel, but its work lies behind the processors inside many of the world’s mobile phones. It’s also one of the UK’s biggest tech success stories, which is why the government is paying such close attention to its takeover.

The UK’s digital secretary, Nadine Dorries, has tasked the Competition Markets Authority, the UK’s regulator, with conducting the investigation following an initial inquiry launched in April. A report following the initial investigation found that Nvidia’s takeover of Arm poses a risk to competition across four market segments — data centers, gaming, automotive and internet of things. Evidence uncovered in the first probe means that further investigation into whether the acquisition would be a national security threat is also warranted, the government said.

«Arm has a unique place in the global technology supply chain and we must make sure the implications of this transaction are fully considered,» said Dorries in a statement. «The CMA will now report to me on competition and national security grounds and provide advice on the next steps.»

Nvidia didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Fit a Massive 130-Inch Screen in Your Pocket With These $299 Xreal AR Glasses

The Air 2s feature USB-C connectivity and a built-in sound system, and you can grab them at a record-low price right now.

Enjoying your favorite movies, shows and games on the go just got a whole lot easier. These Xreal Air 2 AR glasses allow you to fit a massive 130-inch display in your pocket, and right now you can snag yourself a pair at an all-time low price. Amazon now has them on sale for $299, which is a $60 discount. There’s no telling how long this deal will last, so you may want to get your order in soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

These augmented reality glasses have some pretty impressive specs and features considering they weigh in at just 72 grams. They’re come with 0.55-inch micro OLED panels, which allows you to enjoy your content on a massive 130-inch spatial display. They boast 1080p HD resolution, 500 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth performance, making them a solid option for gaming. Plus, they’re easy to connect to your phone, laptop or game console with a USB-C video input. You can also connect them to devices with an HDMI port, but you’ll need a separate adapter. They’re also equipped with built-in speakers so you can be fully immersed.

Why this deal matters

VR and AR devices are getting more affordable every day, but they still aren’t exactly cheap. Deals on cutting-edge tech like these Xreal Air 2 glasses don’t come around very often, so a chance to grab yourself a pair at a record-low price is a bargain you’ll want to jump on while you can.

Technologies

Here’s an Image of the Asteroid Everyone Was Worried About

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured a glimpse of the asteroid that had a chance of impacting Earth three months ago.

It’s not every day that an asteroid causes as much buzz as 2024 YR4. At one point, the asteroid had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth, creating plenty of headlines about its potential impact. The threat is all but gone, but now we have pictures of the once-worrisome asteroid.

The imagery was captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and posted by the European Space Agency on Wednesday. The JWST captured the asteroid with two of its cameras, including the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-Infrared Instrument. The former measures reflected light, while the latter shows thermal energy.

The pictures demonstrate a couple of fun facts about the asteroid. It is the smallest object ever targeted by JWST’s instruments to date, and it’s one of the smallest objects ever directly measured. Estimates initially put the asteroid at around 40 to 90 meters. The actual size turned out to be 60 meters or around 180 feet.

«These measurements indicate that this asteroid does not share properties observed in larger asteroids,» the ESA said in its blog post. «This is likely a combination of its fast spin and lack of fine-grained sand on its surface. Further research is needed, however, this is considered consistent with a surface dominated by rocks that are roughly fist-sized or larger.»

Per NASA, the asteroid will only be visible from Earth for a little longer. The asteroid’s orbit is currently taking it away from Earth, and the agency estimates that it’ll disappear from even the strongest instruments by late April or early May. It won’t be visible again until 2028 when its orbit brings it back toward Earth.

The moon, on the other hand…

The 2024 YR4 asteroid caused quite a stir when astronomers first reported it via the Minor Planet Center in December 2024. Based on the data collected on its trajectory at that point, the asteroid had a 1.3% chance of hitting Earth.

The percentage fluctuated over the next few months, reaching as high as 3.1%. After further research, the odds dropped dramatically to 0.28%. Per NASA’s Sentry tool — which monitors asteroids that may impact Earth — the threat now sits at 0.00078%.

The moon may not be so lucky. Per NASA, the odds of the asteroid impacting the moon are somewhere around 3.8%, which is even higher odds than the asteroid ever had of impacting Earth. Scientists are gathering data before the asteroid disappears, but it’s likely we won’t know more until the asteroid comes back into view in 2028.