Tech Trends: Jan 18 (5 stories)

Here is your Daily summary for Technology across the world for Sun 18th January 2026

Micron Technology is set to acquire a chip fabrication site in Taiwan for $1.8 billion, aiming to bolster its memory chip production capabilities amid ongoing global semiconductor demand. This move highlights Micron's commitment to expanding its manufacturing footprint in a critical region.

Meanwhile, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warned that South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers could face up to 100% tariffs unless they invest in U.S. production. This statement underscores the increasing pressure on foreign firms to localize operations in response to geopolitical tensions.

In the data analytics sector, ClickHouse has achieved a $15 billion valuation following a $400 million funding round, positioning itself as a formidable competitor to established players like Snowflake and Databricks. This growth reflects the rising demand for efficient data processing solutions.

On the regulatory front, Google is appealing a U.S. court ruling that deemed it an illegal monopoly in search, a move that could delay significant changes to its business practices. Additionally, Elon Musk's platform X experienced outages for the second time this week, raising concerns about its reliability.