Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Chips Built on 2nm Technology

Apple is making an unusually aggressive push into enterprise artificial intelligence, pitching its newest high-end Macs as an alternative to the expensive cloud infrastructure that has helped Nvidia and Microsoft dominate the AI boom. Apple says businesses can run increasingly sophisticated AI workloads locally on Macs instead of continually paying cloud providers or AI developers for computing capacity measured in tokens, with upgraded Mac mini and Mac Studio systems aimed at tasks including software development and complex business workflows, and some configurations approaching $20,000. At its latest launch event, the company connected four Mac Studios and used them to run a trillion-parameter AI model that identified and fixed a graphics coding problem, a workload that would ordinarily require data-center infrastructure, with the four-machine setup operating from a single wall outlet. Apple believes its unified-memory architecture and focus on power efficiency give Macs an advantage for running large models locally, and the same architecture can allow developers to move workloads across devices ranging from high-end Mac Studios to iPhones and iPads. But Apple is attacking from far behind: IDC estimates Macs hold only about 4.6% of the enterprise desktop market, compared with 91.3% for Microsoft Windows, while Nvidia remains dominant in data-center AI and is working with PC manufacturers to expand AI capabilities on Windows machines.

McDonald's unveiled a long-term growth plan at its Chicago investor day, committing $8.5 billion through 2036 to restaurant technology upgrades, rent relief and capital, with roughly $5 billion of that investment to be delivered by 2030. The plan follows a rocky second quarter in which McDonald's posted 0.8% US same-store sales growth versus Burger King's 8.5% growth. As part of a commitment called "Make it Golden," McDonald's is piloting hand-breaded chicken, targeting a 1.5% gain in market share with chicken and beverages leading the way, and expects to add more US restaurants to the pilot in early 2027. The company is also reintroducing a smaller PlayPlace and rolling out AI technology dubbed ArchIQ for kitchens and drive-throughs, powered by Google Edge, which executives say will contribute to part of a 250 basis point improvement in gross restaurant-level efficiency gains, equivalent to roughly $100,000 in annual cash flow for the average US restaurant. McDonald's shares have declined 18% year to date, compared to a 4.6% gain for Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International and a 13% gain for the S&P 500.

Global AI glasses shipments reached a record 4.2 million units in the first half of 2026, up 127% year-on-year, according to new Omdia data. Meta retained its dominant position, shipping 3.4 million AI glasses to capture an 81.3% market share, while Even Realities climbed from fifth place in 2H25 to second in 1H26 with 102,000 units shipped, a 2.4% share, on demand for its G2 series across North America and Western Europe. While the US remains by far the largest AI glasses market, shipments in Mainland China surged 306% year-on-year in 1H26, though that market remains highly fragmented, with top players Alibaba, INMO, and Xiaomi collectively accounting for just 46.1% of shipments. Omdia Senior Analyst Qiran Ju said growth was driven by Meta's continued market momentum and a wave of new market entrants from China, while Research Director Jason Low said the fragmentation seen in China signals there is no single, one-size-fits-all solution in the AI glasses space. Omdia also warned that intensifying scrutiny of camera-equipped AI glasses will require companies to define exactly what always-on cameras capture, show users how that content is used, and guarantee it never reaches third parties.