The big story late last year was the skyrocketing prices of chips. Analysts are predicting that the demand for RAM will cause the entire industry to experience hikes this year. Some users, especially in the PC building scene, are already feeling the burn. PCs won’t be the only victims, though. Xiaomi is already expecting hikes across the board. Now, Samsung is adding its voice to the growing list of warnings about price increases.

During CES 2026, Wonjiun Lee, Samsung’s global marketing chief, confirmed that the memory shortages are, in fact, real (via Bloomberg). Moreover, the company is now evaluating whether more price hikes are needed this year for its products. Though Lee expressed regret over pushing the prices to consumers, the state of the industry might force the company’s hand.

Samsung’s opinion has a lot of weight. While other brands have also voiced out their opinions lately, Samsung itself is a producer of chips. If a chip supplier is already warning users of prices affecting them, the effect will likely cascade even more when it comes to device manufacturers.

The ongoing shortage of chips is a result of the overwhelming demand from companies looking to build and bolster AI-based servers. The business-to-business demand is notably different from how regular consumers, who will soon find it hard to buy their own devices, see it.

At the very least, Samsung has not confirmed any price increases yet. However, all eyes are on the next Galaxy Unpacked, when Samsung will launch its newest Galaxy products. Will prices increase or stay the same?

The year started with a ban. A day before Donald Trump started his second term, TikTok went dark, in anticipation of an impending ban. The platform quickly went back online, leading to an ultimatum that saw TikTok hunt for an American buyer to full stave off a definitive ban in the United States. Now, as the year ends, a buyer is finally here.

Via CNBC, TikTok has reportedly inked a deal to finalize a deal in the United States, as stated in an internal memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew. The memo, which was sent just this week, details a plan that will see the deal close by January 26, 2026.

Fifty percent of TikTok’s newly restructured U.S. arm will be held by a collection of American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Meanwhile, already existing investors of TikTok will hold 30.1 percent. Finally, ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent.

Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm in the United States will be retrained with American data. The American arm will also handle the country’s “data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.” Oracle will be the “trusted security partner” in charge of making sure the company keeps within regulations in the country.

With a deal pushing through, the long-running TikTok saga in the United States might finally come to a close.

SEE ALSO: US, China have supposedly agreed on a TikTok deal

AgiBot has reached a milestone after the Shanghai, China-based robotics company rolled out its 5000th humanoid robot.

The milestone represents a step forward in AgiBot’s ongoing efforts to improve the mass production and practical use of embodied robotics.

AgiBot specializes in the development, mass production, and commercial deployment of such robots which have AI integrated onto them.

These robots are deployed across a wide range of commercial scenarios, including production lines, logistics sorting, security, education, and even entertainment purposes.

To date, the full-size embodied robot AgiBot A-Series has achieved mass production with 1,742 units. Meanwhile, the AgiBot X-Series, an agile half-size robot, has reached 1,846 units.

Lastly, the task-optimized AgiBot G-Series, designed for more complex operations, has reached 1,412 units.

Through widespread adoption across multiple industries, AgiBot is demonstrating the potential of embodied AI to drive industrial upgrades, transform service and production processes, and support broader digitization efforts.

Just recently, AgiBot has successfully deployed its Real-World Reinforcement Learning (RW-RL) system on a pilot production line with Longcheer Technology.

AgiBot’s RW-RL system addresses pain points in production lines such as relying on rigid automation systems. The robots learn and adapt directly on the factory floor.

And in just minutes, robots can acquire new skills, achieve stable deployment, and maintain long-term performance without degradation.

In addition, the system also autonomously compensates for common variations such as part position and tolerance shifts.