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High School Student Arrested for Using Device to Disable Nearby iPhones

Oğuz Çakır — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 13:18:00 +0000

The bond between the new generation and technology is stronger than ever before. While we often witness this mainly through smartphone and social media addiction, unexpected incidents also exist. For example, a student in Washington state recently surprised everyone. According to police reports, the student in question that attending Liberty High School caused all iPhones nearby to shut down using an unknown device. Here are the details…

High School Student Arrested for Shutting Down iPhones

f someone were able to remotely shut down your phone it would likely drive you crazy. Now imagine this happening in a high school filled with teenagers. Unfortunately, the Washington Police Department doesn’t need to imagine because they recently dealt with it. They received a complaint from Liberty High School about a mysterious problem causing phones to unexpectedly shut down.

Authorities investigating the incident at the school found that a student and his device were responsible. The public police reports didn’t reveal the student’s identity or how the device worked. However, it caught attention as it was described as a device that caused iPhones within a certain range to shut down.

Right now, there are a few unknown details here. For example, how the device affected iPhones rather than Androids. Although this is theoretically possible, there may be a much simpler explanation. The smartphone market in the US has long been dominated by Apple, with many people using iPhones over the other Android models. Therefore, the police officer who wrote the report might have just mentioned ‘iPhone’ instead of ‘smartphone.’ Yet, there’s still a chance that the device might truly not affect Androids.

This brings us to our second question: How could a high school student obtain such a device? We’re not talking about something technologically impossible. There are devices that using powerful radio waves that could disrupt an iPhone’s power source. However, we’re talking about a piece of equipment at a military level, not something you’d find on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. While the answers to these questions remain uncertain for now, we anticipate that the details will become clearer in the future.

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Secret Surveillance Program Allowed AT&T and US Government to Track Americans’ Calls

Oğuz Çakır — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 21:40:01 +0000

Keeping our personal information private is very important to many of us. But in today’s digital world, it’s hard to say we’re doing a great job of it. All of our information is online, either because we put it there or not. Of course, this information isn’t in immediate danger. After all, the companies that have our information and the government are supposed to protect it, right? Well, it seems that’s not always the case. An investigation shows that AT&T and the US government have been spying on millions of Americans for years. Here are the details…

Investigation reveals AT&T and US government have been spying on millions of Americans for years

In the pursuit of crime prevention and culprit identification, would you be bothered by phone tapping? After all, you haven’t committed any crimes, right? So, there’s nothing to worry about. This reasoning is often used by individuals and countries worldwide to justify civilian surveillance when it comes to fighting crime. It appears that the U.S. government is no exception, and it’s even partnering with AT&T, the country’s largest telecommunications provider, for this purpose.

The government’s partnership with AT&T has resulted in the Data Analytical Services or DAS, a telecommunications surveillance program. This program allows federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to access information from Americans’ phone calls. DAS is the largest telephone record collection program known to date, gathering over a trillion call records annually.

The DAS program receives funding from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, with over $6.1 million allocated since 2013. Notably, the program has faced scrutiny from Senator Ron Wyden and privacy advocates, who claim it infringes on Americans’ privacy rights and lacks legal authorization. Despite these challenges, the White House contends that the program is crucial for law enforcement efforts to investigate and prevent crime.

The program’s future is uncertain, with Senator Wyden introducing legislation to shut it down, though passage remains uncertain. The Biden administration is currently reviewing the program, and a decision about its continuation is pending. In the words of a memorable line from the TV series “Person of Interest,” it’s certain that, “you are being watched.”

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China Gains Access to Advanced Semiconductor Technology as US Waives Export Controls

Oğuz Çakır — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:28:07 +0000

The US government has agreed to waive export controls that would have required Samsung and SK hynix to obtain additional licenses to supply equipment to their Chinese factories. The decision, which was announced by the South Korean presidential office on Tuesday, is a major victory for the two South Korean chipmakers, which have invested billions of dollars in China. Here are the details…

US Agrees to Let Samsung and SK Hynix Supply Equipment to Chinese Plants

The US government imposed the export controls in October 2022 in an effort to prevent China from gaining access to advanced semiconductor technology. However, the controls were met with strong opposition from the South Korean government and businesses, which argued that they would harm the global semiconductor supply chain and damage relations between the US and its allies.

Under the new agreement, Samsung and SK hynix will be able to import equipment for their Chinese factories without having to apply for additional licenses from the US government. The agreement is effective immediately. “We are grateful to the US government for its decision, which will allow us to continue to invest in our Chinese factories and meet the growing demand for semiconductors in the Chinese market,” said a Samsung spokesperson.

SK hynix also welcomed the decision, saying it “will help us to strengthen our competitiveness in the Chinese market and contribute to the local economy.” The decision is a major step forward for Samsung and SK hynix, which have been seeking to expand their presence in China.

The two companies are major suppliers of memory chips, which are used in a wide range of electronic devices, including smartphones, computers, and servers. The decision is also a win for the South Korean government, which has been lobbying the US to ease the export controls. The government has argued that the controls would harm the South Korean economy, which is heavily reliant on the semiconductor industry.

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US Chip Export Controls Could Cost Nvidia Billions in China Revenue

Oğuz Çakır — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 19:28:56 +0000

The trade war between the US and China is still going on. Both countries are working to control trade around the world and gain an economic edge over each other. Unfortunately, this is also causing problems in the tech industry. For example, Huawei got hit with US sanctions because of this tension and lost a lot of its share in the global smartphone market. Now, Nvidia faces a similar risk. The company has warned that it could lose a “permanent” business opportunity in China if the US government tightens export controls on chips. Here are the details…

Nvidia Sees ‘Permanent Loss’ of Business Opportunity in China if US Tightens Chip Export Controls

Nvidia has warned that it could lose a “permanent” business opportunity in China if the US government tightens export controls on chips. The company said that it is already prohibited from exporting its high-end artificial intelligence chips to China, but that it could also be prevented from selling less powerful chips that are used in data centers and other applications.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that the company has “strong demand” for its products worldwide, but that the loss of the Chinese market would be a “major setback” for its business. “If we are not able to sell our products in China, it will be a permanent loss of opportunity for us,” Huang said. “China is a major market for our products, and it is important for us to be able to compete there.”

The US government is considering tightening chip export controls to China in an effort to prevent the country from developing its own advanced chip industry. The Biden administration has said that the measures are necessary to protect national security, but critics have argued that they could harm the US economy and hurt American companies that do business in China.

Nvidia is not the only US company that is concerned about the potential loss of business in China. Other companies that could be affected include Intel, Qualcomm, and Apple. The US government is expected to make a decision on whether to tighten chip export controls to China in the coming weeks. The outcome of the decision could have a significant impact on the global chip industry.

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Telly launches a dual-screen 4K HDR TV and is offering it for free to customers

Jeet — Tue, 16 May 2023 01:32:21 +0000

Telly, a new startup led by the co-founder of Pluto TV, has launched its first TV set in the market, which is available for free under a new unique business model.

The TV comes with a dual-screen setup and a soundbar where the main screen is for watching TV while the smaller screen displays advertisements, news, weather updates, sports scores, and more.

Telly

The main screen of the TV is a 55-inch 4K HDR display, while the smaller screen at the bottom has a 10-inch display. There’s also a built-in premium sound bar for an immersive audio experience. It has three HDMI inputs, two USB ports, and a tuner to watch over-the-air broadcasts.

In the software department, it runs the company’s own TellyOS, which currently doesn’t support third-party applications like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. But, the company includes a free 4K Android TV dongle, allowing users to access whatever streaming service they want. Apart from that, the TV is also said to be compatible with Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Apple TV.

Commenting about it, Pluto TV CEO Ilya Pozin said that the Telly is designed to be a more engaging and informative way to watch TV. The company is aiming to change the way people watch TV.

As of now, the company hasn’t revealed the full specifications of Telly, but the company is estimating that it will retail for around $1,000. Currently, the company is offering this new TV set free of cost for the first 500,000 units. Pre-orders are now open in the United States, and Telly is expected to start shipping in the summer.

While those concerned about privacy may not prefer Telly even after the company offers it for free, it is definitely a unique business model. It will be interesting to see if it manages to make its mark in the highly competitive Smart TV market.

China’s Strategic Advancements in the Trade War with the US: YMTC’s Aim for Self-Sufficiency in Semiconductor

Oğuz Çakır — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 16:52:42 +0000

The trade war between China and the US continues at full speed. The technology sector, as always, is the one most affected by the tensions between the two countries. The US government bans the sale of high value-added technology products to some Chinese companies due to security concerns, while the Asian country retaliates with difficulties in supplying critical raw materials. However, both countries are not solely focusing on aggressive tactics.

For instance, US companies are seeking alternative raw materials for batteries and other technologies, while Chinese companies strive to develop the technologies that are not being sold to them. Recently, China’s leading memory chip manufacturer, YMTC, has made advancements in producing advanced 3D NAND products using locally sourced equipment. Here are the details…

China’s YMTC Advancing Self-Sufficiency in 3D NAND Flash Chip Production with Local Equipment

According to the latest reports, China’s leading memory chip maker, Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC), is reportedly making progress in producing advanced 3D NAND flash chip products using only domestically sourced equipment. The top-secret project, named Wudangshan, has placed significant orders with Chinese suppliers such as Naura Technology Group. YMTC’s aim is to help China become self-sufficient in semiconductor production, which has been hindered by restrictions on the export of advanced chip-making tools by the US, citing concerns about technology falling into the hands of the Chinese military.

However, the “choke points” in China’s chip manufacturing supply chain, where domestic alternatives are not yet available, remain a challenge for YMTC. These include metrology tools from US equipment maker KLA and lithography systems from Dutch company ASML and Japanese vendors Nikon and Canon. Despite the challenges, YMTC has received fresh funding from state-backed investors, including the “Big Fund”, which is positive news for the company after being placed on a US trade blacklist last year.

If successful, the Wudangshan project would be a breakthrough for China’s semiconductor industry, as it could help the country compete with other advanced chip manufacturers like Samsung. However, it remains to be seen how YMTC will overcome the choke points in its chip manufacturing supply chain.

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Apple Pay Later service is now finally available in the United States

Jeet — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 06:19:15 +0000

Last year, Apple announced its buy now, pay later service called Apple Pay Later following the popularity of services like Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna, among others in the US.

Now, the company has finally launched the Apple Pay Later service in the United States, which will allow users to split the payment into four installments over the course of six weeks.

With this new financing service, the Cupertino-based technology giant is promising a seamless and secure way to split the cost of a purchase without paying any interest on it. The user will be able to apply for Apple Pay Later loans of $50 to $1,000 for online and in-app purchases on the iPhone or iPad through Apple Pay.

Commenting about this, Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said, “Apple Pay Later was designed with our users’ financial health in mind, so it has no fees and no interest, and can be used and managed within Wallet, making it easier for consumers to make informed and responsible borrowing decisions.”

Currently, the service will be available only to randomly selected users who will get early access to a prerelease version. The company adds that it is planning to offer this feature to all eligible users in the coming months.

GPT-4 Now Available on ChatGPT Plus, Khan Academy, Duolingo and for Morgan Stanley clients

Leo Wong De Quan — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:09:21 +0000

OpenAI officially released its revolutionary industry-leading GPT-4 multimodal artificial intelligence today. Besides users joining Microsoft’s Bing to try out GPT-4, GPT-4 is now available on ChatGPT Plus, Khan Academy, Duolingo and more.

ChatGPT Plus

ChatGPT Plus is a subscription service provided by OpenAI to allow users to chat with OpenAI’s chatbot service, ChatGPT more effectively. It costs 20 USD a month, and besides gaining access to the latest GPT-4, Plus subscribers also enjoy benefits such as:

General access to ChatGPT, even during peak times
Faster response times, and
Priority access to new features and improvements.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy, the online education non-profit organisation launched Khanmigo – its GPT-4 powered AI learning that functions as both a virtual tutor for students and a classroom assistant for teachers. Khanmigo is set to be revolutionary in the self-learning space because Khanmigo can mimic a writing coach by giving prompts and suggestions to move students forward as they write, debate, and collaborate in exciting new ways. In addition, Khanmigo’s interactive experiences and real-time feedback will help learners hone their computer science skills.

The nonprofit began testing the newest version of OpenAI’s language model in 2022 and will initially make the Khanmigo pilot program available to a limited number of participants, though the public is invited to join the waitlist.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a free language-learning app available on Android, iOS and on its official desktop site. However, today the company is introducing a new paid subscription service called Duolingo Max. Launched today, Duolingo Max is available for 29.99 USD per month, and is now on the iOS version of the Duolingo app in the following regions: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States.

Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, Duolingo Max gives learners two new AI-powered features. These new features are what Duolingo calls Explain My Answer and Roleplay. Explain My Answer offers learners to get a simple explanation of why their answer was right or wrong, and learners can ask for examples or further clarification.

Roleplay allows learners to practice real-world conversation skills with world characters in the app. Duolingo states that although learners aren’t actually talking to a live human, the AI behind this feature is responsive and interactive, meaning no two conversations will be exactly alike! After the interaction, learners get AI-powered feedback from Duo on the accuracy and complexity of their responses, as well as tips for future conversations.

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is an American-based investment bank that specialises in Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management. It is the 6th largest bank in the US, with 1.555 trillion USD in assets alone.

With the help of OpenAI’s GPT-4, Morgan Stanley announced it is changing how its wealth management personnel locate relevant information. In a form of a chatbot, Morgan Stanley wealth management deploys GPT-4 to organize its vast knowledge base.

Morgan Stanley states that the company maintains a content library with hundreds of thousands of pages of knowledge and insights spanning investment strategies, market research and commentary, and analyst insights. This vast amount of information is housed across many internal sites, largely in PDF form, requiring advisors to scan through a great deal of information to find answers to specific questions. Such searches can be time-consuming and cumbersome.

But now with GPT-4, the upgraded AI can perform a comprehensive search of wealth management content within minutes and “effectively unlocks the cumulative knowledge of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management”, says the company. The move is said to improve efficiency within the company, alongside its financial advisors and clients will be able to gather insights to take action more swiftly in the coming future.

OpenAI also announced that Stripe and the Icelandic government is currently implementing GPT-4 into their day-to-day operations as well, and to learn more about how powerful GPT-4 is, you can read our previous article here.

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Biden Holds Emergency Announcement Tomorrow to Address US Banking Crisis

Leo Wong De Quan — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 02:09:11 +0000

After experiencing both the 2nd and 3rd largest US bank failures in history, the President of the United States, Joe Biden will hold an emergency announcement tomorrow morning (Washington Time) to address the current US banking crisis.

Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank Banking Crisis

As per Reuters, the news comes after the US government announced that it is taking actions to shore up deposits in the country and stem any broader financial fallout from the sudden collapse of both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

The past 3 days saw 2 of the largest US bank failures in history – Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Signature Bank (SBNY) ranks 3rd in the list of largest US bank failures in history with $118 billion USD in assets at the time of failure in 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) ranks 2nd with $209 billion in assets in 2023, and Washington Mutual ranks 1st with $307 billion in assets in 2008.

The White House has issued a press statement stating that over the weekend, the US government has been working diligently with the country’s banking regulators to address problems at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. And a prompt solution of providing all depositors at these banks back their deposits, both insured and uninsured, will commence on Monday. It was mentioned that the solution also ensures that US taxpayer dollars are not put at risk.

And with all the concerns and complaints of the crisis ongoing, Joe Biden stated that he is “firmly committed to holding those responsible for this mess fully accountable and to continuing our efforts to strengthen oversight and regulation of larger banks so that we are not in this position again.”

On a closing note, the US President will deliver remarks on how the country will maintain a resilient banking system to protect its historic economic recovery tomorrow morning.

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Signature Bank Shut Down by US Authorities, 3rd Largest Bank Failure in History

Leo Wong De Quan — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:21:10 +0000

USA financial authorities were busy behind the scenes for the weekend, as it was announced today that New York regulators have shut down Signature Bank (SBNY) in the country. 118 billion USD of the bank’s assets was seized by the country’s Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) this morning, making it the third largest bank failure in US history, right behind the Silicon Valley Bank and Washington Mutual bank failure.

In a joint statement by the US Treasury, Federal Reserve, and FDIC, New York-based Signature Bank was closed due to systemic risks in the current economic climate. The bank is the 3rd US bank to be shut down this week, after the Silvergate and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse.

Investors and the general US public sentiment on the bank shut downs this week are very concerning, as Etsy sellers were receiving notices of delay of their payments, and US companies such as Roku and Silicon Valley tech startups were concerned about employee payrolls due to the unavailability of cash due to the collapse of the banks.

However, the joint statement announced that US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has approved exceptions to both Signature Bank (SBNY) and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) today that allow the banks’ depositors to receive more than the 250,000 USD insured amount promised by FDIC on Monday.

The statement announces that depositors will have access to all of their money, including the uninsured amounts above the 250k limit, starting Monday, March 13 in the country. It was also highlighted that no losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by US taxpayers’ money.

It should be noted that the banks’ shareholders and certain unsecured debtholders will not be protected. Senior management of both banks has also been removed. Any losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund to support uninsured depositors will be recovered by a special assessment on banks, as required by US federal law.

On a closing note, the US government has announced that “the U.S. banking system remains resilient and on a solid foundation, in large part due to reforms that were made after the financial crisis that ensured better safeguards for the banking industry.”

Signature Bank (SBNY) ranks 3rd in the list of largest US bank failures in history with $118 billion USD in assets at the time of failure in 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) ranks 2nd with $209 billion in assets in 2023, and Washington Mutual ranks 1st with $307 billion in assets in 2008.

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Vox, Roblox, Unity, Roku and More American Corps Affected by SVB Bank Collapse

Leo Wong De Quan — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 23:13:31 +0000

Besides Etsy sellers affected by the sudden shut down of Silicon Valley Bank(SVB), many more American companies and businesses have revealed recently that they were affected by the collapse of SVB. Amongst those banking with SVB, the most notable are Vox Media, Roblox, Roku and Circle.

Affected American businesses by Silicon Valley Bank

Vox Media

Let’s start with the most famous one in tech circles, Vox Media. Vox Media is the parent company of The Verge – the popular online technology news outlet based in the United States, Vox – the viral American news and opinion website, and Polygon – the entertainment news website that covers news from the video game industry, as well as movies, comics, television and books.

The New York Times reported that Vox Media had a substantial amount of its operational cash in Silicon Valley Bank. The Vox Media personnel who was familiar with New York Times also told that Vox Media’s credit cards, which Silicon Valley Bank issued, had stopped working on Friday.

The personnel also claimed the company does not expect any disruption to its business yet, including payroll to its employees. Penske Media, Vox Media’s largest shareholder, said in a statement that it was ready if the company required additional capital but added that it didn’t foresee any issues for the time being.

Roblox

Roblox, the 21st century viral online game platform and game creation system, has also been affected by Silicon Valley Bank’s shutdown by regulators. According to Forbes, Roblox Corporation held 5% of its $3 billion in cash (150 million USD) at the bank. However, according to a filing, the video game company said SVB’s collapse will “have no impact” on its day-to-day operations.

Unity

Unity Technologies, the American video-game technology maker widely known for its video game engine, Unity, disclosed to authorities in the country today that the company held less than 5% of its cash and cash equivalents at Silicon Valley Bank and expects “minimal impact” from the bank’s collapse.

Unity Video Game Engine Logo

However, Unity Technologies has swiftly informed its video game publishers using Unity via email to swiftly update their payout institution from SVB to other banks before March 20, 2023 to avoid delays in payments.

Roku

Roku is an American corporation that offers Roku TV, its hardware digital media players, and a service of releasing streaming media content on its TV players.

Roku showed much concern in its SEC filing. The company reports that 487 million USD of its cash was within SVB, which is 26% of the company’s assets. What is more worrying is that Roku’s deposits with Silicon Valley Bank are largely uninsured. At this time, Roku does not know to what extent the company will be able to recover its cash on deposit at SVB.

Circle

American Cryptocurrency firm Circle, the owner of stablecoin USDC, had a massive 3.3 billion USD invested with Silicon Valley Bank, the company revealed in a tweet. That’s around 8 per cent of the company’s total $40 billion, which is held elsewhere.

Circle, stated in a statement, “Like other customers and depositors who relied on SVB for banking services, Circle joins calls for continuity of this important bank in the U.S. economy and will follow guidance provided by the state and Federal regulators.”

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Etsy Struggles to Pay Sellers On Time on Its Platform After SVB Collapse

Leo Wong De Quan — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 22:00:02 +0000

Etsy, the American e-commerce platform famous for DIY handmade or vintage items and craft supplies, is reportedly struggling to pay its sellers on time after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank(SVB) yesterday.

Sellers on the Etsy platforms reported on Reddit and Twitter today that payments that were due to be credited to their bank accounts yesterday have not been credited by Etsy. In turn, Etsy has sent out an immediate email informing affected sellers, there is a delay in issuing payments to its sellers of the platforms, and the company is currently working with its other payment partners to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

No concrete day or date was mentioned for how long the delay would last, so it is assumed that Etsy sellers’ funds they earned from selling their products on the website have been withheld by Etsy indefinitely. Thus, this is the first major effect of the SVB bank collapse that has impacted the general American consumer market.

Upon receiving the email, sellers were expressing their concern and anger on social media. Some sellers also went out to report the Etsy payment delays to news outlets such as NBC News, claiming that the Etsy delays will have a “catastrophic effect” on their business.

NBC quotes American small business owner, Owen McKinney, who runs Kentucky Country Home laser engraving business, that he relies on Etsy’s deposits to pay for items like shipping costs and materials. Because of the Etsy delay, he had already reached out to one of his suppliers to delay an order for materials that he needed for next week.

As per official info online until 31 December 2022, Etsy had over 100 million items in its marketplace and the online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods connected 7.5 million sellers with 95.1 million buyers. In the fiscal year of 2022, Etsy garnered revenue of US$2.6 billion and registered a net loss of US$694 million, as a blitz scaled tech startup.

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Silicon Valley Bank Liquidated, Biggest Bank Failure Since 2008 Global Financial Crisis

Leo Wong De Quan — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 20:18:35 +0000

US banking regulators on Friday issued an immediate notice on Friday, stating that Silicon Valley Bank, one of the country’s largest banks, has its operations shut down by Californian authorities, and the bank’s assets have been seized and taken over by the country’s Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Image Source: Reuters

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was a commercial bank headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The bank’s customers and depositors are mostly consisted of technology workers in the US, tech startups in Silicon Valley and venture capital-backed companies. The bank used to operate from 29 offices in the United States and from offices in India, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Denmark, and Sweden.

As reported by CNBC, the Silicon Valley Bank bank run is the largest US bank failure since the 2008 global financial crisis that happened more than a decade ago. The interference from regulators comes shortly after the shares of SVB were halted on Friday after tumbling as much as 66% in premarket trading.

FDIC, the organisation tasked to handle the bank’s closure, has stated that it has created the Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara, which now holds the insured deposits from SVB. The press release also mentions SVB’s official cheques will continue to clear. The main office in Santa Clara and all branches of Silicon Valley Bank will reopen on March 13 Monday and all insured depositors will have full access to their insured deposits no later than Monday morning.

For context, the FDIC’s standard insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, for each account ownership category. It is unclear exactly how larger accounts or credit lines for companies will be impacted by the closure.

The FDIC said it would seek to liquidate SVB’s assets and that future dividend payments may be made to uninsured depositors. Uninsured depositors will be receiving an advanced dividend within the next week, with potential additional dividend payments as the regulator gradually sells SVB’s assets.

CNBC reports that the closure of SVB would impact not only the deposits but also credit facilities and other forms of financing. The FDIC said loan customers of SVB should continue to make their payments as normal.

United States of America Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday morning that she was “monitoring very carefully” developments at a few banks in the country. Yellen made her comments before the FDIC took over SVB.

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US Reviews Huawei Export License Policy Amidst Congressional Scrutiny of China

Oğuz Çakır — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:56:09 +0000

The United States government is reviewing its policy on exporting certain products to Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications giant, as it faces scrutiny from the Congress amid concerns about the company’s potential ties to the Chinese government. The Commerce Department is conducting a “top-to-bottom review” of its export control policies related to China, including the policy that permits some US exports to Huawei. Here are the details…

US is reviewing Huawei export license policy amid rising congressional scrutiny of China

Huawei was placed on the Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2019, which prohibits US companies from trading specified items with entities named on the list unless they obtain a license to do so. The move was made due to concerns that Huawei’s 5G wireless networking gear could be used by the Chinese government for espionage. Huawei has denied the allegations, and its founder has said that the company would resist any Chinese government efforts to obtain its data.

However, according to Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul, the Commerce Department approved over $23 billion in license applications to trade with Chinese-affiliated companies on the Entity List between January and March of 2022. McCaul questioned the department’s decision to approve these licenses while the US government was trying to sideline Huawei and other similar companies.

Alan Estevez, a Commerce Department official, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, saying that the licensing rule for Huawei was “under assessment.” Estevez added that Entity List restrictions do not provide for a “blanket embargo” on exports but rather reflect specific rules about particular exports.

In 2020, the Commerce Department also moved to prevent Huawei’s suppliers from selling the company semiconductor chips made by US-built software and equipment, unless those suppliers also obtained a license. Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission has prohibited US wireless carriers from using federal funding to purchase Huawei networking gear and banned future approvals of Huawei equipment for sale in the United States.

The US government’s scrutiny of Huawei is part of a larger trend of increasing tensions between the United States and China, particularly in the realm of technology. The US government has been wary of Chinese companies’ potential ties to the Chinese government and has taken steps to limit their access to US technology. Meanwhile, China has accused the US of unfairly targeting its companies and has taken steps to develop its own technology to reduce its reliance on US imports.

The outcome of the Commerce Department’s review of its policy on exporting products to Huawei remains to be seen. However, the review reflects the ongoing tensions between the United States and China and highlights the importance of technology in this geopolitical competition.

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The Future of Huawei Under Threat as US Considers Export Ban

Oğuz Çakır — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 13:19:01 +0000

Huawei is losing ground in the smartphone market. The company lost access to Google services due to the US embargo and subsequently abandoned Android, opting to use its own operating system called HarmonyOS. However, this plan has caused the company to struggle in markets outside of China. Although Huawei is searching for solutions in alternative areas, it seems that the USA will continue to pose a challenge for the Chinese tech giant with ban threat. Here are the details….

US government warns of total export ban for Huawei

Huawei has been aggressively pivoting away from smartphone business towards cloud technology and other business solutions. However, this strategy is now facing a new threat with the U.S. export ban being extended to all products from the company. The U.S. Commerce Department first imposed export controls against Huawei in 2019 citing national security risks. This decision has banned the export of semiconductors produced with U.S. technology in 2020.

This move drastically impacted Huawei’s mobile operations, cutting off its access to high-performance semiconductors needed for smartphones. Consequently, Huawei’s annual revenue peaked in 2020 and began to decline, with the consumer products segment, including smartphones, contributing to more than half of total sales. As a result, Huawei focused its resources on business products and broadened its cloud service offerings.

It organized business-to-business units into internal “corps” and recruited experts from various sectors to develop digitization solutions for corporate clients. This reorganization has allowed Huawei to halt the drop in revenue, with sales appearing to have stood at 636.9 billion yuan ($92.1 billion) last year, largely unchanged from 2021.

However, the U.S. is preparing to impose another round of sanctions that could block all exports to Huawei. The Commerce Department has added Huawei to the Entity List, allowing it to import off-the-shelf products on a case-by-case basis. The Biden administration is also considering a rule that would prohibit exports to companies in third countries that supply Huawei, potentially canceling permits granted to U.S. companies Intel and Qualcomm to sell certain products to Huawei.

If new sanctions are imposed, they would hit Huawei’s non-smartphone consumer devices such as televisions, personal computers, and smartwatches. While the impact on cloud and other services is expected to be more limited, new sanctions could severely disrupt the maintenance of base stations, which accounted for over 40% of the group revenue in 2021.

Despite the challenges, Huawei remains the global leader in base stations, holding a 30% market share, and has partnered with telecoms worldwide in providing 5G services. Huawei’s organizational revamp has allowed the company to stay afloat, but the future remains uncertain as the U.S. tightens its grip on the company.

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US Export Controls Could Cause Long-Term Harm to Global Semiconductor Industry: CSIA Warns

Oğuz Çakır — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 14:11:21 +0000

The China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) has issued a statement expressing its opposition to the new export controls on Chinese chip manufacturing that are being imposed by the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands. The CSIA has warned that these restrictions could cause long-term harm to the interests of global consumers and would disturb global trade liberalization, breaking the balance between supply and demand. Here are the details…

China Semiconductor Industry Association says US sanctions could “destroy” industry

The industry association called on the global semiconductor industry and international academia to safeguard the globalization of the semiconductor industry and maintain cooperation to create widespread benefits. The semiconductor industry is a vital component of the global digital infrastructure that supports modern society. It is a highly innovative and collaborative industry that has prospered through global market access and collaborative innovation. The CSIA argues that inappropriate intervention by governments and authorities could cause disruption to the industry, and cooperation and collaboration are the best options to create value and promote progress.

The CSIA’s statement emphasizes the importance of the globalization of the semiconductor industry and the need for collaboration and innovation to continue to create benefits for the industry and society. It calls on the Chinese government and relevant agencies to establish rules to maintain the healthy development of the global semiconductor industry ecology and support foreign enterprises that defend the concept of globalization and the value of the global semiconductor industry in the Chinese market.

The CSIA has been a member of the World Semiconductor Council since 2006, demonstrating China’s determination to integrate itself into the global semiconductor industry and develop it in collaboration with its counterparts and colleagues from other parts of the world. The association believes that China’s market can create great economic value and promote global scientific and technological progress.

The CSIA’s statement is a reflection of the increasing tensions in the global semiconductor industry. The industry is highly competitive and dependent on innovation and cooperation, and any disruption to the supply chain or export controls could cause significant harm to the industry and the global economy. The CSIA’s call for collaboration and innovation is a reminder that the globalization of the semiconductor industry is essential for continued progress and development.

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LG CineBeam PF510Q Smart Portable Projector Now Available In The US For $599

Jeet — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:57:29 +0000

LG has unveiled a portable projector that offers better image quality and more features but compromises on the battery life, dubbed LG CineBeam PF510Q Smart Portable Projector.

The device measures 5.8 inches across and weighs 997 grams, making it small enough to be handled one-handed and light enough to be easily carried around.

LG CineBeam PF510Q Smart Portable Projector

The LG CineBeam PF510Q Smart Portable Projector offers 1080p Full HD picture output on the wall with sizes ranging from 30 inches to 120 inches. The company has also compromised on the brightness as it maxes out at 450 lumens.

It offers 150,000:1 contrast ratio and the 30,000-hour light source life ensure longer run or usage before the costly replacement. There’s a built-in 5W mono speaker in case you don’t want to connect your our own audio setup. It also has automatic keystone correction to save time with vertical angle adjustments.

As it comes with webOS operating system, there’s no need to connect any external device. It offers access to the usual set of streaming applications along with support for AirPlay 2 and Screenshare for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Anroid users to cast content on the big screen.

The device supports connecting two Bluetooh devices, which can be used to share listening or to connect multiple wireless speakers. It can be easily controlled using the Simple Remote that comes when you purchase the device.

LG CineBeam PF510Q Smart Portable Projector is priced at $599 and is now available for purchase in the United States.

China Maintains Leadership in 6G Race Against USA

Oğuz Çakır — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 15:09:41 +0000

Although the use of 5G technology is increasing rapidly, it is still not widespread in many countries. However, this is not an obstacle to the development of technology. Technologically developed countries such as China and ADB have already started working on 6G. So who will win this nascent rivalry between the two countries? According to the latest reports, China maintains its lead in 6G, but the US has two secret weapons.

China continues to lead in the 6G race

Chinese ZTE and the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) conducted a sample test of some technologies that will be important for the creation of 6G. ZTE provided some of the staff and equipment used in the tests. The five tests that ZTE took part in included:

6G distributed autonomous network and digital twin network concept sample
6G computing power network key tech concept sample
6G terahertz key tech concept sample
6G communication perception integration key tech concept sample
6G intelligent metasurface tech concept sample

All reports of ZTE’s tests with the government have been positive, but that doesn’t mean we will start using 6G technology soon. We are still years away from talking about this technology in a way that would allow us to compare its potential to 5G. However, As we said, China is not the only country investing in 6G, research is continuing in the U.S. and Europe.

Last year, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) claimed that out of approximately 38,000 patents related to 6G worldwide, 13,449, or 35% came from China. The U.S. was second with 18% of the 6G patents. The difference is quite large, but the USA intends to close it.

Huawei and ZTE are banned so the U.S. is turning to Ericsson and Nokia. Ericsson is reportedly following a ten-year plan that would lead to a commercial launch of 6G service sometime in 2030. The company will soon release a strategy on how it plans to develop 6G. CEO Katherine Ainley said, “We will establish a team of 20 high-level researchers in the U.K., and will also provide funding for students. The initial focus will be on 6G network and hardware security.”

(via)

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ASUS ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro now up for pre-order in the United States

Jeet — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 03:12:20 +0000

A couple of months back, ASUS launched its latest flagship smartphones, dubbed ASUS ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro. Now, the premium flagship devices from the brand are finally being made available for purchase in the United States.

The company has started taking pre-orders for the ASUS ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro smartphones with a starting price of $999, but the shipment date suggested is towards the end of next month. So, those who pre-order the device will have to wait for a few weeks before they can get their hands on the phone.

Coming to the specifications, the smartphones feature a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, 720Hz touch sampling rate, and an in-display fingerprint scanner for security. There’s also 111% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, HDR10+ support, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

Under the hood, the devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor. The standard model packs up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, while the Pro model offers up to 18GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

In the camera department, both the phones feature a triple-camera setup on the back that consists of a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary sensor, which is paired with a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 5-megapixel macro camera. On the front side, there’s a 12-megapixel Sony IMX663 sensor for taking selfies and video calling.

The smartphones come with dual front-facing speakers, triple microphones, Dirac Virtuo spatial audio, and a headphone jack. The devices run the Android 12-based ROG UI and offer IPX4 water resistance. They are powered by a dual cell unit with a total capacity of 6,000mAh and have support for 65W fast charging.

ASUS Zenfone 9 compact flagship is now available for pre-order in the US for $699

Jeet — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 03:07:35 +0000

Last month, ASUS launched its latest Zenfone series smartphone in the form of the ASUS Zenfone 9 as the successor to the last year’s Zenfone 8. Now, the company has started taking pre-orders for the ASUS Zenfone 9 in the United States.

The phone is priced at $699 and is now up for pre-order on Amazon. To make the deal better, the company is also offering all early buyers of the phone a complimentary pair of ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds, which costs $99.

Coming to the specifications, the ASUS Zenfone 9 features a 5.9-inch SAMOLED display with a Full HD+ screen resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate with 445PPI pixel density, HDR10+ support, and a 112-percent DCI-P3 color gamut.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, coupled with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. It runs the Android 12 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own custom UI.

In the camera department, there’s a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary sensor coupled with a 2-megapixel Sony IMX363 ultra-wide sensor with 113 degrees field of view. On the front side, there’s a 12-megapixel Sony IMX663 snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The IP68-rated water and dust-resistant smartphone is powered by a 4,300mAh battery and has 30W fast charging support. The company claims that the battery can be charged from zero to 50 percent in under 30 minutes.

The company recently announced the Android 13 beta program for the ASUS Zenfone 9 smartphone, and the new software is now already being rolled out to those who are enrolled in the beta program. This means that the stable version of the new Android 13 should be available in the coming months.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G smartphone goes official in the US for the price of $299

Jeet — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 04:54:21 +0000

Last month, Samsung had unveiled the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G smartphone as a successor to the Galaxy A22 5G. It is also a 5G variant of a 4G phone that was launched earlier this year.

Now, the budget smartphone Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is available for purchase in the United States, and the company has set the recommended price at $299.99.

Coming to the specifications, the Galaxy A23 5G features a 6.6-inch Full HD+ display with an Infinity-V notch, 2400 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It also has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security.

In the camera department, there’s a quad-camera setup on the back that includes a 50MP primary camera sensor with OIS support, a 5MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. On the front side, the phone comes with an 8MP snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The smartphone runs the Android 12 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own One UI 4.1 custom interface on top. The device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging.

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is now available for purchase through AT&T and T-Mobile for the price of $299.99 and $312, respectively.

Yamaha TW-E7B flagship true wireless earbuds launched in the US for $275

Jeet — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 04:59:51 +0000

Yamaha launched its flagship TW-E7B true wireless earbuds a few months back, and now the company has officially launched the wearable audio device in the United States. The Yamaha TW-E7B are now available for purchase in the US for the price of $275.95.

They are the first wireless earbuds from Yamaha to come with support for the company’s proprietary active-noise cancellation algorithm, which it claims doesn’t “color” audio the saw some other implementations do.

Another interesting feature available on the earphones is the internal microphone, which monitors the space of the user’s ear and its effect on the audio output so that it can be adjusted to deliver a better sound.

It packs 10mm drivers and comes with support for Ambient Mode, which basically allows users to hear the ambient sound and blocks all other noises in the background. There’s also support for Google‘s Fast Pair to connect the device with an Android smartphone quickly.

The earphones also come with dedicated volume buttons, which are not usually found on wireless earbuds. There’s also a low-latency mode for gamers which can be easily activated just by tiple-tapping the volume down button on the right earbud. As for the Bluetooth codec support, there’s AAC and aptX adaptive.

As for the battery on the device, the Yamaha TW-E7B wireless earbuds are promised to offer up to six hours of battery life on a single charge and the charging case increases battery life to 22 hours. It is available in four colors — Black, Dark Blue, Beige, and White.

TCL 30 LE budget smartphone now available in the US for the price of $104

Jeet — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 04:08:12 +0000

TCL is known for making TVs but the company also has a lineup of smartphones that mostly fall in the entry-level or budget category. The company previously launched the TCL 30 series phones and now has added a new phone to the series — TCL 30 LE.

The TCL 30 LE smartphone was first announced a couple of months ago, but it has now made its way to the United States. This new entry-level smartphone from the company is now available for the price of $104.

The smartphone features a 6.1-inch HD+ display that offers a screen resolution of 1560 x 720 pixels. The display, which is powered by NXTVISION, comes with a notch for housing the front-facing camera.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the MediaTek Helio A22 processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot, allowing users to expand the storage up to 512GB.

There’s a 13-megapixel camera sensor on the back of the phone, placed in the top-left corner. The smartphone also features an 8-megapixel camera sensor on the front side for taking selfies and video calling.

It runs the Android 12 operating system out-of-the-box, but there is no information available about the possibility of the phone receiving any major updates. The device is powered by a 3,000mAh battery and offers 24 hours of usage on a single charge.

The TCL 30 LE smartphone, which is priced at $104, is available in the United States exclusively through Verizon and Walmart.

Amazon Luna cloud gaming service officially launched in the United States

Jeet — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 06:40:14 +0000

Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service, which was first announced in 2020 and has been available as an early access project for a limited number of customers through an invite-only “early access” program. Now, it has been officially launched in the United States.

The cloud gaming service has formally launched in the mainland US and is available for users of Android, iOS, Chrome OS, macOS, and Windows.

The Luna+ service, which is a core offering from the company, is priced at $10 per month and gives access to more than 100 games. There are also kid-friendly Family Channel and Ubisoft+ Channels costing $6 and $18 per month respectively.

However, those who subscribe to the service in the month of March will get the Luna+ service for a discounted price of $6 per month and the Family channel for $3 a month. Those who are already subscribed to the service will have their current pricing locked.

Unlike other cloud gaming services like Google Stadia where users can purchase individual games for playing, the Amazon Luna works differently as users have to subscribe to channels that come with their own bundles of games.

Apart from the Luna+ and Ubisoft+ channels, the company is also offering Prime Gaming Channel that offers Amazon Prime members a selection of free games to play. There’s also a Retro Channel with classic games. The company also has a Jackbox Games Channel and is debuting a new “Luna Couch” feature that lets other people join in playing even if they don’t subscribe to Luna themselves. Both the Retro Channel and Jackbox Games Channel have been priced at $4.99 per month.

Amazon is also debuting a new feature for Luna in which it is leveraging Twitch by adding native support for one-click broadcasting. Just by a simple press of a button on Luna, users can instantly live stream the game with a camera feed overlay.

TCL 30 XE 5G to be available for purchase in the US from this week for $198

Jeet — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 04:41:00 +0000

Earlier this year, TCL had launched two new budget smartphones at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 — TCL 30 XE and TCL 30 V.

While the TCL 30 V smartphone has been available in the United States through Verizon, the company is bringing the TCL 30 XE 5G smartphone to the US for the price of $198.

The TCL 30 XE 5G will be available for purchase in the United States later this week, starting from Friday thorugh T-Mobile and and its prepaid subsidiary Metro by T-Mobile.

As for the specifications, the device features a 6.52-inch display with 1600 x 720 pixels screen resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, and 180Hz touch sampling rate. Under the hood, it is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor.

It packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot with support for expandable storage of up to 512GB.

In the camera department, the phone features a triple-camera setup that includes a 13-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The smartphone is running the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box but the company has promised that it will get the Android 12 update. It is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging technology.

TCL temporarily pulls back Google TV models from stores due to performance issues

Jeet — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 04:53:16 +0000

TCL is one of the well-known companies when it comes to TVs and most of the models from the brand come running the Roku operating system. However, the company has been expanding the options for its users and has added models with Android TV as well.

In line with that, earlier this year, the company announced its plan of selling TVs running the Google TV operating system. The devices were recently made available for purchase through Best Buy but now they are being pulled out.

TCL has now pulled all the four models — 50-inch (50S546), 55-inch (55S546), 65-inch (65S546), and 75inch (75S546) from the stores because of the performance and software related issues on the devices.

In a statement, the company said: “TCL is committed to delivering premium products with world-class experiences and the new product featuring Google TV is certainly no different. However, it has come to our attention that some are facing challenges with the stability of the user interface featured on TCL sets with Google TV. Our high-performance TVs are constantly evolving and recent software updates have allowed us to make significant progress, but we are continuing to refine our products featuring Google TV. Our customers will see marked improvements in the weeks to come and their patience is appreciated.”

For the existing users of these TV models, TCL says that the users can install the latest available updates and the process has been explained on the support page.

Apart from the software issues, the Google TV-powered models have been quite good and most of the reviews are also good, except for the software issues. We can just hope that TCL fixes the issues as soon as possible so that those who have already bought these models can start having a good experience when using them.

Nokia T20 tablet goes on sale in the United States earlier than its planned release date

Jeet — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 02:28:29 +0000

Recently, just a couple of weeks back, Nokia launched its latest tablet in the market, dubbed as Nokia T20. Now, the company has started selling the product in the United States that too ahead of its planned shipping date.

HMD Global, the company behind new Nokia devices, had revealed that it will start selling the Nokia T20 tablet in the market from 17th November. But now, the tablet is in stock and ready to be shipped to the customers.

Currently, the device is priced at $249.99 in the United States and comes in just one color option — Ocean Blue. It is also available in just a single memory version that packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

The Nokia T20 features a 10.4-inch display with 1200 x 2000 pixels (2K) screen resolution and a 5:3 aspect ratio. The company says that the display is protected by toughened glass but it has not revealed which one.

Under the hood, the device comes powered by the Unisoc T610 processor which is an octa-core offering that includes two Cortex-A75 cores clocked at 1.8GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. As noted, the device comes packed with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There’s also a microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity up to 512GB.

In the camera department, the device features an 8-megapixel snapper on the back of the phone with an LED flash. On the front side, the device has a 5-megapixel snapper that sits at the top of the display in landscape mode.

There’s no fingerprint scanner on the device but the tablet supports Face Unlock. It runs the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with Google Kids Space and Google Entertainment Space. The company has promised two years of OS upgrades which means it should get upgraded to Android 12 and Android 13. It will also receive 3 years of monthly security updates while the enterprise edition will get 4 years of security updates.

The Nokia T20 is powered by an 8,200mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. This should be enough for up to 10 hours of movies or 15 hours of web surfing. However, the charger bundled with the device supports only 10W charging.

Google TV could soon start offering free TV channels

Jeet — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 04:14:57 +0000

Google TV, the smart TV platform from the search engine giant which is based on the Android operating system and is powering devices like Chromecast as Smart TVs, could soon get support for free TV channels.

As per the report coming from Protocol, Google is in talks with free and ad-supported streaming television providers about the possibility of adding those channels to its smart TV platform. It will have a similar feel to the traditional TV with commercial breaks.

Google TV

It is being speculated that the free streaming channels could get launched on Google TV in the coming weeks or months, but the company may wait to announce the initiative with its Smart TV partners sometime early next year.

As for the usage, it’s likely that the users will be getting a dedicated live TV menu to browse through the channels. On smart TVs, the streaming channels are expected to be presented alongside over-the-air programming that can be accessed with an antenna.

What Google is trying to do isn’t something new. Smart TV platform Roku has already launched a similar platform that boasts around 10,000 TV episodes and films. It also has more than 200 free channels. Even TV makers like Samsung and LG have also integrated free streaming channels on their platforms.

Google first forayed into the free TV streaming category when it unveiled the Android TV platform in 2014. It had a live channels framework for aggregating live programming from streaming apps and over-the-air broadcasters, but it never gained much traction.

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Apple to face lawsuit that alleges Siri listening to users’ private conversations

Jeet — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 08:20:08 +0000

Almost every major smartphone manufacturer has its own voice assistant. With advancements in technology, companies want to put a smart device in the user’s pocket and home, raising questions about privacy.

In line with that, a lawsuit was filed against Apple alleging that the company’s voice assistant, called Siri, has improperly recorded private conversations. In a ruling related to that case, the judge ruled that the company will have to face the lawsuit, reports Reuters.

Apple had requested to dismiss the lawsuit, and Judge Jeffrey S. White of the federal district court in Oakland did dismiss one piece of the lawsuit that involved users’ economic harm. But he ruled that the plaintiffs, who are trying to make it a class-action lawsuit, could continue pursuing claims about violating user privacy.

The judge said the plaintiffs may pursue claims that Apple violated the federal Wiretap Act and California privacy law and committed a breach of contract. However, he dismissed an unfair competition claim. The case claims that Siri turned on unprompted and recorded conversations that it shouldn’t have and passed the data along to third parties.

One Siri user said his private discussions with his doctor about a “brand name surgical treatment” caused him to receive targeted ads for that treatment, while two others said their discussions about Air Jordan sneakers, Pit Viper sunglasses, and “Olive Garden” caused them to receive ads for those products.

Apple isn’t the only one facing a lawsuit for this, but its competitors Google and Amazon, are also facing allegations of violating user privacy by voice assistants. The companies deny that they are listening to conversations for any purpose other than the intended ones.

Apple self-driving cars were involved in two accidents last month in California

Jeet — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 01:20:08 +0000

Apple has been working on its self-driving car technology and the Cupertino-based tech giant was recently in the news related to efforts in forming partnerships with automakers for the Apple Car, but nothing has been materialized yet.

Now, we are hearing news about two incidents where Apple Cars with self-driving technology were involved in an accident, according to the report from MacRumors based on the data from California DMV.

Both the reported incidents happened last month, i.e. in the month of August 2021. The first incident occurred in San Diego, California in the Hillcrest area on August 19th. The Lexus RX 450h was stopped in traffic and was hit by a Hyundai. The accident was described as minor with no injuries.

The second accident happened on August 23 in Cupertino, California, near the Apple Park campus. The vehicle with Apple’s self-driving equipment was in manual mode and it was stopped in traffic when it was rear-ended by a Subaru Outback.

It’s noteworthy that in both of these incidents, Apple Car with the self-driving technology or the person operating the vehicle was not at fault. The technology has been in testing mode since 2017 and this is the first time since 2019 that we are hearing about Apple Car being involved in an accident and interestingly, both the incidents happened last month.

According to the report from California DMV, Apple’s Lexus SUVs that are equipped with self-driving technology, have traversed more than 18,000 miles in 2020, which represents a steep increase compared to previous years.

As noted above, Apple has been testing its self-driving software since early 2017, using the Lexus RX 450h vehicles. Autonomous driving technology is one of the long-term projects for the tech giant and based on the rumors, Apple is expected to launch its first vehicle with self-driving technology in a few years.

Chinese apps could face subpoenas or bans in the United States under Biden order

Jeet — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 05:44:02 +0000

India has already banned hundreds of Chinese applications in the country, including TikTok, Aliexpress, and PUBG Mobile and now it seems that the United States could also go down the same path.

A new report from Reuters, citing people aware of the matter, claims that US President Joe Biden could sign an executive order aimed at safeguarding Americans’ sensitive data by forcing Chinese apps to take tougher measures to protect private information if they want to remain in the U.S. market.

It is said that the goal of such an order is to keep foreign adversaries like China and Russia from gaining access to large amounts of personal and proprietary business information.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Commerce may issue subpoenas to collect information about certain smartphone, tablet, and desktop computer software applications. The agency may negotiate conditions for their use in the United States or ban the apps.

While the new order has not named any companies, it could end up capturing more apps than the Trump administrator’s bans and hold up better if it is challenged in court. The government is concerned about China’s ability to track locations of government employees, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will decide which apps to target for U.S. action, but they must meet certain criteria. The apps must be owned, controlled, or managed by a person or entity that supports the military or intelligence activities of a foreign adversary such as China or Russia.

After the app has been tagged by the Commerce Secretary as “posing an unacceptable risk”, it will be notified and then the company will have 30 days to object or propose measures to secure data.

Apps from China are most likely to find themselves in the Commerce Department’s crosshairs given escalating tensions between both the countries as well as the Chinese government’s ability to exert control over companies.

As per the people aware of the matter, the order will apply to business apps, including those used in banking and telecommunications, as well as consumer apps. Apps linked to other adversaries such as Iran or Venezuela are already blocked under broader sanctions.

Fake Apple AirPods worth $7.16 million seized by US Customs and Border Protection

Jeet — Mon, 17 May 2021 07:07:57 +0000

U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati have seized three large shipments from China that contained fake Apple AirPods which are estimated to be worth around $7.16 million.

A total of 36,000 fake AirPods have been seized, each shipment containing 12,000 units. Although each package had a declared value of $5,280, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for all the AirPods would have been $7.16 million had they been genuine.

In the official statement released by the US CBP, it says that after consulting with an import specialist from CBP’s Center of Excellence and Expertise, the items were found to be in violation of CBP trademark and copyright codes and were seized on May 11 and 13.

It goes on to explain that Apple has configuration trademarks on their AirPods and has recorded those trademarks with CBP. It also adds that a company does not have to put the “Apple” wordmark or design on their products to violate these trademarks. In this instance, further inspection of the earbuds revealed that their shape and design replicated the protected Apple configuration.

Apple AirPods is one of the bestselling products from the tech giant with shipments of about 114 million units in 2020. The company has a dedicated anti-counterfeit team working which is tasked with the removal of knock-off Apple products. Last year, the team managed to take down more than a million product listings for fake Apple goods.

Xiaomi gets court injunction stopping US blacklisting

Jeet — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 08:06:34 +0000

A few weeks ago, the Defence Depart of the United States under the Donald Trump administration had tagged Xiaomi as a company with ties to the Chinese military, putting financial restrictions on the Chinese firm, which were scheduled to go into effect next week.

However, before the restrictions could go into effect, a U.S. District Jude has put a temporary halt on the ban. The judge sided with Xiaomi in a lawsuit that argues that the move by the United States government was “arbitrary and capricious” and deprives the company of its due process rights.

In mid-January, Xiaomi and eight other Chinese companies were added to a list by the Defence Department that requires Americans to sell their interests in the firms. Soon after that, Xiaomi filed a complaint in a Washington court seeking to be removed from the list, calling its inclusion “unlawful and unconstitutional” and arguing it was not controlled by the People’s Liberation Army.

Xiaomi is the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer by volume. The company is likely to win a full reversal of the ban as the litigation unfolds. After the ban was announced, the company faced the prospect of being delisted from U.S. exchanges and deleted from global benchmark indexes.

In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., said that the court “concludes that defendants have not made the case that the national security interests at stake here are compelling.”

In a statement, a Xiaomi spokesperson welcomed the ruling and said that the designation of Xiaomi as a Chinese military company “arbitrary and capricious.” It also indicates that Xiaomi plans to continue to request that the court declare the designation unlawful and to permanently remove the designation.

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LG to invest $4.5 billion over four years for its battery business in the U.S.

Jeet — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 05:45:18 +0000

LG Energy Solution has announced that the company will be investing more than $4.5 billion by the end of 2025 into its own U.S. business to further expand the production capacity of batteries.

Further, the company says that this new investment will create more than 10,000 jobs for LG employees and subcontractors and will also secure an additional 70GWh in just the United States alone, in addition to the current and past investments.

Additionally, LG Energy Solution and GM are currently discussing plans to build a second joint venture plant in the United States, which will even further increase its cell production capacity. This second JV plant is expected to have a production capacity scale similar to the two companies’ first plant and is set to manufacture the next-generation EV cells based on advanced technology.

The company had established its first U.S. research facility in 2000 and invested 600 million dollars to secure a production capacity of 5GWh at its first Michigan plant built in the year 2012. In 2019, the company entered into a joint venture with General Motors (GM) to construct a 2.3 billion dollar battery plant in Ohio, which is slated for completion in 2022 to create an annual capacity of 35GWh. The latest Green Field Project will give the company a total production capacity of over 110GWh in the U.S.

Within the first half of 2021, LG Energy Solution will select at least two location candidates for its factory intended to manufacture various types of batteries in the U.S. The new LG Energy Solution facility will produce pouch cell batteries to be used in EVs and energy storage systems (ESS), as well as cylindrical cell EV batteries that are currently rapidly increasing in demand.

United States mulls $30 billion funding to boost local chipset manufacturing

Jeet — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 08:08:21 +0000

It has been more than a year since US-China trade war escalated and the one of the most affected sectors is technology-related and the most impacted among the companies is Chinese giant Huawei because of the sanctions imposed by the U.S.

With the escalation in the trade war, many companies are facing production and supply chain issues, forcing those companies to move out from China or diversity their production facilities into more regions.

One of the sector where the United States severely lags behind China is chip manufacturing. However, the U.S. government has been working on new ways to boost the sector and encourage local manufacturing.

In line with that, the U.S. Senate is reportedly considering to include a new bill to boost competitiveness against China for previously-approved measures to supercharge the country’s chipmaking industry.

The $30 billion funding package would include elements to boost the U.S. technology sector and the bill is expected to be up for a full vote in April. However, the legislation has not been finalized and thus, more details are not yet available.

The source of the report, who remains unnamed, says that the package is likely to have provisions to curb China’s access to U.S. capital markets. Last year, a legislature was proposed to provide funding of $100 billion to boost research in key technology areas, from artificial intelligence to quantum computing and semiconductors.

The semiconductor industry has also been pushing for an investment tax credit for spending on semiconductor tools, which can cost billions of dollars for new factories and typically far outstrip the cost of buildings.

TikTok agrees to settle data privacy lawsuit in the US for $92 million

Jeet — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 02:09:45 +0000

ByteDance, the parent company behind the popular short video social media platform TikTok has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $92 million, reports Reuters. The lawsuit is related to the data privacy claims from some users in the United States.

Confirming this development, the company said in a statement: “While we disagree with the assertions, rather than go through lengthy litigation, we’d like to focus our efforts on building a safe and joyful experience for the TikTok community.”

Do note that the settlement still requires court approval. It combines 21 proposed class action lawsuits against TikTok over alleged privacy violations. The lawsuit makes some substantial claims, from allegations that the company analyzed users’ faces to determine ethnicity, gender, and age to alleged violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act over its transmission of private data.

Apart from $92 million, the company has also agreed to avoid several behaviors that could compromise user privacy unless it specifically discloses those behaviors in its privacy policy. It includes storing biometric information, collecting GPS or clipboard data, and sending or storing US users’ data outside the country.

Earlier, in 2019, TikTok had settled a lawsuit over alleged children’s privacy allegations. In the same year, it had paid $5.7 million to the Federal Trade Commission over accusations that its predecessor, Musical.ly didn’t gain parental approval for young users.

Baidu gets permission to test self-drivings cars in California

Jeet — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 05:20:47 +0000

Chinese technology giant Baidu, which is better known for its search engine, has a diversified portfolio of products and services. The company is now moving a step closer with its smart car in the United States.

Baidu has received permission to test its fully autonomous vehicles without a safety driver in California. With this, the company has become the sixth one to receive permission to test driverless cars.

The Chinese company had first received permission to test autonomous vehicles, with safety drivers, in 2016. With this new permission, the company can now test three driverless vehicles in Sunnyvale, located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

It now plans to start testing its autonomous vehicles — Lincoln MKZ and Chrysler Pacifica, day and night within Sunnyvale. However, the company has not yet revealed a timeframe about when it will actually start testing.

In China, Baidu has been testing autonomous vehicles without a safety driver in Beijing and Changsha since last year. Last year, AutoX, another Chinese company, was given permission to start testing driverless cars in California.

Baidu has been focusing a lot on its automotive business. Recently, the company partnered with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which is China’s largest private automotive group, to make electric cars in China.

Semiconductor association urges US government to ease export restrictions

Jeet — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 08:47:02 +0000

A semiconductor industry group named Semiconductor Industry Association (SEMI) has urged the United States Department of Commerce to reaccess export restrictions imposed last year aimed at China.

It argues that the restrictive policies were implemented without public participation and adds that it will harm the American companies in the long-term as they will be left behind in global competitiveness.

Ajit Manocha, CEO of SEMI, has asked the Department of Commerce to prioritize reviewing rules that block companies from supplying chipsets made using American technology to Huawei. He has also requested them to quickly process a backlog of requests for trade licenses and adds that the procedure acts as a “de facto denial.”

He has also blasted former President Donald Trump’s administrator for using a “highly unusual process” for implementing “board, ambiguous unilateral controls on semiconductor-related items.” It is asking for a multinational approach for trade policies to ensure a “level playing field.”

In the letter, he also reiterated what many others have said previously — the restrictions imposed by the government harms the American companies and could “stifle innovation in the United States” and it forces them to reduce R&D budgets and shifting production and research activity overseas.

Several major companies are listed as members of SEMI, including Broadcom, Intel, Micron Technology, NXP Semiconductors, and Samsung Electronics.

US President Donald Trump orders security risk assessment of Chinese drones

Jeet — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:10:18 +0000

In his final hours as the President of the United States, Donald Trump is trying to do whatever he can do to hurt the Chinese companies. In the latest move related to the US-China trade war, Donald Trump has signed an executive order.

As per the report from Reuters, the newly issued executive order signed by the President of the United States asks for agencies to assess security risks from Chinese-made drones in American government fleets and to prioritize removing them.

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Donald Trump has directed all agencies in the U.S. to outline the security risks posed to the existing government drone fleet from drones built by Chinese companies or by other countries deemed as foreign adversaries

A few weeks ago, the Commerce Department in the United States had blacklisted DJI Technologies, the world’s leading company in making drones. Last year, the Interior Department had grounded over 800 Chinese-made drones.

Prior to that, in May 2019, the Department of Homeland Security warned American firms of the risks to company data from Chinese-made drones. In a notice, DHS said U.S. officials have strong concerns about American data falling into the hands of an authoritarian state.

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USA revokes licenses of Intel and others to supply chips to Huawei

Jeet — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 06:18:12 +0000

Just when it seemed that things are finally lining up for Huawei, the company has been dealt with another major blow by the Trump administration in the United States. As per the report from Reuters, the Trump administration has notified the Chinese giant that it is revoking certain licenses granted to its suppliers, including Intel.

It doesn’t stop just there. On top of that, it has also informed Huawei that the administration is planning to reject dozens of applications for licenses to supply components and services to Huawei.

This is yet another attempt by the United States to weaken the world’s largest telecommunication equipment maker which it sees as a national security threat because of its origin and base in China.

In an email to Reuters, Semiconductor Industry Association said that the Commerce Department had issued “intents to deny a significant number of license requests for exports to Huawei and a revocation of at least one previously issued license.”

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However, sources aware of the development claims that as many as eight licenses from four companies have been revoked by the United States. It is also said that along with Intel, Japan-based flash memory chip maker Kioxia Corp’s license has also been yanked.

It seems that companies that received the “intent to deny” notices have 20 days to respond, and the Commerce Department has 45 days to advise them of any change in a decision, otherwise it becomes final. After that, Companies would have another 45 days window to appeal that decision.

After more than a year of restrictions, the United States had finally started issuing licenses to companies for commencing supplies to Huawei as long as the components were not related to the development of 5G technology. And now just months after that, the U.S. government is backing out from that as well, incurring hundreds of billions of losses for companies tied-up between this trade war.

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