CNBeta — 2026-07-18#

Top Story#

According to a report on CXMT’s surging capacity, the Chinese memory maker is projected to reach a monthly output of 350,000 to 375,000 wafers by 2026, effectively matching the production scale of US giant Micron. This rapid expansion is fundamentally reshaping the global supply chain, with major PC manufacturers rushing to secure long-term contracts with CXMT to guarantee their DDR5 and LPDDR5X supplies amidst tightening global DRAM availability.

Tech & AI#

OpenAI introduced a unified search history for ChatGPT, allowing users to quickly query their entire four-year backlog of chats, projects, and images. This update transforms the chatbot into a comprehensive personal knowledge base, though it raises fresh privacy concerns regarding the boundaries of user data retention and legal exposure. On the computing front, Anthropic is negotiating to rent compute power from Meta in a proposed two-year deal with a nominal cap of $10 billion, following a massive $45 billion compute agreement with SpaceX. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is tightening controls on AI model releases, actively blocking access to certain frontier models over national security concerns and diminishing the autonomy previously held by AI leaders. Content platforms are also fighting AI-generated spam; Spotify removed 75 million AI-generated songs last year to combat a flood of low-effort tracks uploaded by bots at a rate of 100,000 per day. Similarly, TikTok is testing an opt-in AI deepfake detection tool that uses third-party identity verification to help creators flag unauthorized uses of their likeness.

Consumer & Devices#

A data leak from Tata Electronics suggests that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a variable aperture main camera equipped with a Sony IMX905 sensor. On the pricing side, Apple increased Apple Music subscription rates in the US and simultaneously raised Japanese iPhone prices by up to 11% to offset the depreciating yen. In the software space, Google has open-sourced its 3D emoji library, releasing .OBJ files for the “Noto Emoji 3D” set to encourage integration into VR environments and indie applications. Domestic automotive news highlights a terrifying EV crash in Chengdu that left a vehicle destroyed in a rapid fire, though occupants fortunately escaped without severe injuries. Relatedly, domestic air suspension supplier Konghui Tech strongly denied rumors of mass failures on the Xpeng X9, stating they have had zero batch leakage issues across 1.47 million delivered units.

Gaming#

Despite a high price point, Valve reportedly considers the Steam Machine a success, explicitly denying that Half-Life 3 would ever become a hardware exclusive. Market analysts estimate Steam Machine sales at 12,000 to 15,000 units weekly, tracking toward 750,000 units in its first year. Over at Microsoft, a newly disclosed roadmap confirmed remakes for Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas using Unreal Engine 5, with Fallout 5 officially entering pre-production as Xbox leans heavily on core franchises. Finally, analytics firm Newzoo reports that GTA 6 digital pre-orders hit $260 million globally in its first week, a staggering figure that nevertheless debunks wild social media rumors of a billion-dollar pre-order haul.

Science & Space#

China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe successfully captured high-resolution images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS from 30 million kilometers away, providing rare data on the extra-solar object’s volatile material emissions. On Earth, scientists discovered an Andean leaf-eared mouse living at a staggering 6,700 meters above sea level, shattering previous assumptions about mammalian survival limits thanks to unique metabolic adaptations. Meanwhile, a new study suggests that rising atmospheric CO2 levels may be permanently altering human blood chemistry, causing average serum bicarbonate levels to rise by about 7% since 1999 as a biological compensatory mechanism.

Also Noted#

• India’s Skyroot Aerospace launched the Vikram-1 rocket — the mission marks the country’s first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle flight.
• Jensen Huang’s signed Tom Ford leather jacket auctioned for $960,000 — the final bid vastly exceeded the $60,000 estimate, with proceeds benefiting an innovation non-profit.
• GameStop accumulated a nearly 10% stake in eBay — CEO Ryan Cohen continues his aggressive push for a $56 billion takeover.
• An Android lock screen bug allows Gemini to bypass PIN codes — the flaw enables unauthorized users to send texts and quietly alter app permissions.
• EU regulators are preparing to approve the Saudi PIF’s $55 billion acquisition of EA — the deal would become the second-largest gaming buyout in history if finalized.