Daily Recap: Tech — 18 June 2026

Today’s tech news is really about strain—on supply chains, platforms, roads, and the AI talent market. Apple says consumers should brace for higher prices as memory and storage chip costs surge, a sign that even the world’s most powerful hardware company can’t fully absorb the AI-era semiconductor crunch. At the same time, a reported U.S. manufacturing tie-up between Apple and Intel, floated by President Trump but still lacking public confirmation from either company, underscores the political and strategic urgency around domestic chip production. In the UAE, regulators are taking a harder line on social media’s effects on children, setting a minimum age of 15 and forcing platforms to verify users’ ages. Waymo, meanwhile, is recalling nearly 3,900 robotaxis after vehicles entered closed freeway construction zones. And in AI, Google loses Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer to OpenAI, another sharp signal that the race for top researchers is only intensifying.

Top Tech stories

• Tim Cook says Apple will raise prices as memory and storage chip costs spike (44 sources)
• Trump Says Apple and Intel Agree to Manufacture Chips in the United States (20 sources)
• UAE sets minimum age of 15 for social media use and requires age checks (13 sources)
• Waymo recalls about 3,900 robotaxis after incidents involving closed freeway construction zones (12 sources)
• Google Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer leaves for OpenAI (10 sources)
• Reported iPhone Air 2 set for spring 2027 with dual rear cameras and battery improvements (8 sources)
• New trailer released for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” starring Tom Holland, featuring Hulk (7 sources)
• Joshua Baer, Austin tech investor, dies in small jet crash in Texas (5 sources)

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