#tense relations

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia Corp., addressed the growing customer frustration and heightened tensions stemming from the high demand for the company's products at a Goldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco. Huang acknowledged the intense competition for Nvidia’s limited supplies, stating, "The demand is extremely high, and everyone wants to be first and secure the most. We probably have more frustrated customers now, which is only natural. It’s a tense environment, but we’re doing our best to manage it."

Huang highlighted that Nvidia’s latest chip generation, known as Blackwell, is experiencing significant demand. The company outsources the manufacturing of its physical hardware, and Huang noted that its vendors are working hard to catch up with the demand.

Nvidia’s chips are vital for data centers involved in developing and running artificial intelligence models. This surge in demand for AI services has led to a substantial increase in both sales and stock prices. Nvidia’s stock price has more than doubled this year, following a 239% rise in 2023. On Wednesday, the stock saw its largest single-day increase in six weeks, rising by 8.1% to $116.91 in New York.

Despite this growth, Nvidia relies heavily on a small number of customers, such as Microsoft Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc., for a significant portion of its revenue. Huang was asked about the return on investment for companies investing heavily in AI, a topic of concern amid the industry's AI boom. He responded by emphasizing the necessity of “accelerated computing,” noting that Nvidia’s technology not only speeds up traditional data processing tasks but also handles AI workloads that older technologies cannot manage.

Huang also discussed Nvidia’s reliance on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) for producing its most critical chips. He praised TSMC for its exceptional performance but acknowledged the geopolitical risks associated with TSMC’s location. China’s claims over Taiwan could potentially disrupt Nvidia’s supply chain. Huang reassured that while Nvidia could shift orders to other suppliers if necessary, such a transition might lead to a decline in chip quality.

“TSMC’s agility and ability to respond to our needs is truly remarkable,” Huang stated. “We depend on them due to their exceptional performance, but, if necessary, we can always switch to other suppliers.”

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/features/2014/02/18/singapore-bans-indonesian-navy-ship/

Singapore bans Indonesian navy ship

SINGAPORE

Singapore said on Tuesday it will ban from its ports and naval bases an Indonesian navy ship named after two marines who bombed an office complex in the city-state during a period of tense relations in the 1960s.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the ship will be barred in an ongoing dispute over the Indonesian navy’s decision to name a refurbished frigate after the two marines, Usman Haji Mohamed Ali and Harun Said.

The two were convicted and executed in Singapore, for the bombing of the downtown MacDonald House in March 1965.

The attack killed three people and injured 33 others.

It was part of an effort by then Indonesian president Sukarno to stage an armed confrontation against the newly formed federation of Malaysia, which included Singapore.

“Singapore will not allow this military ship named Usman Harun to call at our ports and naval bases,” Ng said in Parliament on Tuesday.

“It will not be possible for the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) as protectors of this nation to sail alongside or exercise with this ship.”

In an emotionally charged speech, Ng said the Defence Ministry and the SAF were “disappointed and dismayed at this inexplicable move”.

“Even without ill intent, how can the naming of the ship after two bombers build good ties or enhance mutual respect and regard with both our countries,” he said.

The two marines were members of Indonesia’s special Operations Corps Command, now the Marine Corps, who had been ordered to infiltrate Singapore.

Ng said the Indonesian vessel’s presence in the high seas would be a “constant reminder of the military aggression and atrocious crimes committed by the Indonesian marines who killed or irreparably damaged the lives of innocent civilians and their families in Singapore”.

He added, however, Singapore would not “overread and jump at shadows” over Indonesia’s move and would look to rebuild good bilateral military ties with its larger neighbour.

In a separate statement also in Parliament, Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said the city-state had sent Jakarta a formal protest note over the issue.

He said Singapore would take Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa at his word “that there was no ill-will and there was no malice and that it (the naming of the ship) was a decision taken at a professional level”.

Both Singapore and Indonesia are key members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Indonesia is Singapore’s third largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade reaching Sg$79.4 billion (RM206 billion) in 2012.

Relations between the two countries hit a low point in the late 1990s after the fall of former dictator Suharto, and his successor B.J. Habibie famously referred to the tiny city-state as a “little red dot” on the map.