Ars Live: Consumer tech firms stuck scrambling ahead of looming chip tariffs

Samsung Electronics has temporarily reclaimed its spot as South Korea’s top stock, with investors betting the company can close the gap in the AI memory chip race. The optimism hinges on Samsung’s potential to bounce back in a high-stakes market where it’s been lagging behind rivals.

Editor’s Note: For anyone watching the tech or stock markets, this is a big deal—Samsung’s rebound could shake up the AI hardware game. If they deliver, it might mean more competition (and innovation) in the chips powering everything from data centers to your phone’s smart features. Investors are clearly hoping for a comeback story.

Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet service, is back online after a widespread outage that lasted several hours. The company blamed the disruption on a breakdown in critical internal software that keeps the network running. Users worldwide were left without service until engineers fixed the issue.

Editor’s Note: For millions of people—especially those in remote areas relying on Starlink as their main internet connection—this outage was more than just a minor inconvenience. It highlights how dependent we’ve become on satellite internet and how quickly things can go wrong when a single point of failure knocks out a global service. While the fix came relatively fast, it’s a reminder that even cutting-edge tech isn’t bulletproof.

Intel is tightening its belt—slashing jobs and trimming costs—as its new CEO tries to steer the once-dominant chipmaker back to stability. The company’s been struggling to keep pace with rivals, and these cuts are part of a broader effort to streamline operations and refocus on competitiveness.

Editor’s Note: Intel’s been losing ground in the chip industry for years, and these layoffs signal just how tough the turnaround will be. For employees, it’s painful; for investors, it’s a gamble on whether cost-cutting can buy the company time to innovate. Either way, it’s a big moment for a tech giant that used to call the shots.

T-Mobile and SpaceX’s Starlink have teamed up to launch a $10-a-month satellite texting service called T-Satellite, designed to keep you connected even in areas with no cell coverage. The catch? It’s only for texting—no calls or data—but certain T-Mobile customers might get it for free.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve ever been frustrated by dropped signals in the middle of nowhere, this could be a game-changer. While it’s not a full cellular replacement, reliable texting in dead zones is a big step toward staying connected no matter where you are. For adventurers, remote workers, or just anyone who’s been stranded without service, this is worth keeping an eye on.

Intel is slashing 15% of its workforce and scrapping billions in projects as it scrambles to catch up to competitors like Nvidia and TSMC in the red-hot semiconductor market. The cuts signal a major pivot—one that’s painful but aimed at clawing back relevance in an industry where it’s been losing ground.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just another round of tech layoffs. Intel’s move reflects deeper struggles in a sector where falling behind can be existential. The chip wars are brutal, and if Intel can’t streamline fast enough, its role as a titan of Silicon Valley could keep shrinking—with ripple effects for jobs, tech supply chains, and even national competitiveness in chip production.