Apple to the rescue

[Bloomberg] [Fully Charged]( From [Bloomberg](   [FOLLOW US [Facebook Share]]([Twitter Share]( [SUBSCRIBE [Subscribe]](  Hello, [Reed](mailto:rstevenson15@bloomberg.net?cmpid=BBD041717_TECH&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=170417&utm_campaign=tech)from Tokyo here. We’re going to talk about Toshiba again, the struggling electronics conglomerate that's keeping us very busy these days. The latest twist came just before the Easter holiday—news that Apple is considering a [multibillion-dollar investment]( in the Tokyo-based company’s memory chip unit. Whaat? Why would the maker of iPhones back a fading brand? And for that matter, why should you care? A long, long time ago, in the early 90s, having a Toshiba Satellite laptop (or in Japan, a DynaBook) meant you owned a [cutting-edge]( piece of portable computing technology. Now, Toshiba isn't really much of a household name. Apple’s interest is centered on memory chips. After Samsung Electronics, Toshiba is the world's largest maker of NAND semiconductors. The Japanese company needs to sell off a majority of the business to make up for a massive 716.6 billion yen ($6.6 bilion) writedown in a nuclear energy unit. Toshiba memory is everywhere. It’s the reason why movies can now be stored in smartphones. Laptops are faster and lighter because manufacturers are ditching hard drives with spinning disks and including flash memory. Cloud-computing providers are [embracing flash memory](to accelerate number crunching and data retrieval. With a steady outlook for demand, it makes strategic sense for Apple to ensure that there's a stable supply of flash memory. Plus, $246.1 billion in cash and equivalents are burning a hole in Tim Cook's pocket. Given that Toshiba is selling under pressure, there’s a good chance that Apple won’t have to overpay for a stake in what is by all accounts a [solid, healthy enterprise](. Preliminary bids for the entire unit are coming in at $18 billion to $28 billion, and Apple is reportedly interested in a minority stake. It's in Apple's interest to make sure Toshiba’s memory division remains in friendly hands. That's why Hon Hai, the main assembler of iPhones and a willing buyer of the chips unit, has been raised as a potential deal partner. For consumers, it's worth noting that there’s an important industry shift taking place, to 3D NAND memory, which is denser, faster and cheaper to produce than the NAND memory standard right now. It's the competition between Toshiba, Samsung and other memory makers such as SanDisk and Micron that keeps driving prices lower and performance higher. Artificial intelligence, biotech and other intensive computing technologies are going to thrive on faster memory. The next technological leap will probably erase the barriers between temporary and long-term flash storage, a development that will dramatically speed up computing and software. For those reasons, it's worth keeping Toshiba, and its chips unit, as a [going concern](.  And here's what you need to know in global technology news Ant Financial, the financial-services company controlled by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, sweetened its offer for MoneyGram International amid a bidding war for the provider of money transfers. Ant boosted its offer by [36 percent to $18 a share](in cash in response to a counterbid by Euronet Worldwide. The offer, which values MoneyGram at $1.2 billion, is part of Ant Financial's plan to expand outside China.  Apple's self-driving cars are going to be on Califonia's roads. The iPhone maker was [given the go-ahead]( for trials of the autonomous driving technology on public roads, according to a [notice]( on the DMV's website. It's the first time Apple has received approval for such testing and the clearest, public sign yet that Apple is serious about a nascent field that could, in time, transform mobility and upend the auto industry.  We sent Ian King to investigate killer bots, which for the moment are being used to save lives. [Northrop Grumman Remotec’s machines]( are able to rip open a car, sniff out hazardous chemicals, cut a vest off a suicide bomber, blast an explosive with water to render it safe and fire guns at people. More than 400 police departments in the U.S. have them, and the defense contractor reckons that number will rise as perceived threats increase, creating demand for more powerful and capable robots.  Safra Catz, Oracle's CEO, was in talks about joining Donald Trump's administration. The positions of U.S. Trade Representative and the Director of National Intelligence [came up](, according to people with knowledge of the matter. While Catz, who runs Oracle along with Co-CEO Mark Hurd, didn't take a job she assisted in the run-up to the inauguration.   Sponsor Content by Hewlett Packard Enterprise There’s a revolution happening in the way we live and work, and we want to help businesses like yours thrive. That’s why Hewlett Packard Enterprise is working every day to help businesses transform from what’s now to what’s next. Where your legacy IT may once have forced you to say No, Hybrid IT from HPE can help you say Yes to bigger and better opportunities.   You received this message because you are subscribed to the Bloomberg Technology newsletter Fully Charged. You can tell your friends to [sign up here](.  [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022