Intel to invest $25 bn in new Israel plant: government

JERUSALEM — US chip giant Intel will spend $25 billion on a new plant in Israel, officials said, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it the country's single largest foreign investment.

The "agreement in principle" would see the semiconductor firm build the facility in southern city Kiryat Gat that would open by 2027 and operate at least until 2035, Israel's finance ministry said.

As part of the deal, Intel's taxes to Israel would rise from 5 to 7.5 percent, the finance ministry said in a statement.

Intel in return would receive a grant of 12.8 percent of its outlay, the ministry said, in line with Israel's capital investment encouragement law.

Netanyahu said the new plant would constitute "the largest investment in Israel".

"This is a great show of confidence in Israel's economy, and shows the strength of the free economy we built here and the technological economy developing here," the Israeli leader said.

The two sides would begin finalizing the deal in a process expected to take a number of weeks, according to the ministry.

A spokesman for Intel in Israel had no immediate comment.

Intel has been operating in Israel since the 1970s with development centers and a production site that employ some 12,000 people out of the company's global workforce of 130,000, the finance ministry said.

In 2017, Intel acquired Israel-based Mobileye, which makes technology for automated driving systems in vehicles, for just over 15 billion dollars.

Agence France-Presse

Apple poised for strong earnings despite supply constraints, Omicron

Apple Inc navigated pandemic-related supply chain issues better than rivals at the end of 2021, likely helping the iPhone maker surpass Wall Street revenue growth targets of 6 percent, some analysts estimate.

Apple, which is set to post quarterly earnings on Thursday, was buoyed by strong iPhone 13 sales globally, sales in China and continued growth in Mac shipments, several analysts told Reuters.

The market is closely watching earnings at Apple, Tesla and other tech companies to see if they quell the sell-off that has wiped out nearly $3 trillion in value from the Nasdaq 100. Investors are dumping tech stocks on fears that the Fed will hike interest rates fairly aggressively and erode the value of their future earnings. Some are concerned that the surge of pandemic at-home tech buying will not last as conditions improve.

"We expect Apple to reach its highest market share in China since Apple entered the market in 2008," said analyst Nicole Peng of Canalys.

Investment firm Wedbush Securities forecasts record iPhone sales of more than 40 million units during the holiday period from Black Friday to Christmas. Morgan Stanley estimates total holiday quarter iPhone shipments at 83 million, representing a 4 percent increase from the previous year.

Wall Street analysts expect Apple to post about $118.7 billion in revenue, representing 6.48 percent year-over-year growth, and quarterly earnings per share of $1.89, according to Eikon data as of Tuesday.

Apple posted a rare revenue miss in the fiscal quarter ended Sept. 25, which Chief Executive Tim Cook attributed to pandemic-related supply constraints and manufacturing disruptions that together cost the company an estimated $6 billion in sales.

Cook at the time forecast an even bigger drag in the holiday quarter, but analysts expect strong growth compared to competitors in the just-ended quarter, which began days after Apple started shipping the iPhone 13.

"Since Apple has many customized components going into the iPhones, Macs, Apple Watch and others and the scale (volume and price) at which it procures, Apple has been able to lock-in suppliers’ capacities to timely produce those parts with lesser delays," said Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research.

Shah added that Apple is seeing the highest demand for iPhones since the 2015 "supercycle."

Smaller rivals are struggling to keep up with production, leading to Apple market share gains in regions such as China, said Angelo Zino of CFRA Research in a research note.

Apple has said it expects iPads to be its only product with lower sales compared with a year ago due to supply constraints. Analysts say Apple likely prioritized iPhone units for components.

Preliminary holiday quarter data from IDC indicates almost 9 percent growth in Mac shipments, compared with a 1 percent rise in the PC market as a whole. 

Analysts played down concerns about the impacts of the Omicron variant surge, saying closings of some retail stores did not likely have a big impact on Apple's online-heavy business. Analysts also are watching for signs that rising Omicron cases in China could impact Apple's production.

Apple, the first company worth $3 trillion, has been losing value along with the broader stock market. Apple stock has fallen 10 percent this month and the S&P 500 index has dropped 9 percent.

Analysts may also ask Apple management about App Store payment rules, after regulators in the Netherlands found that the US company had abused its market dominance by requiring dating app developers to exclusively use Apple's in-app payment system.

-reuters-

Nintendo hikes annual profit forecast despite gaming boom slowdown

Nintendo upgraded its full-year net profit forecast on Thursday despite a weaker performance in the first half as the coronavirus lockdown-fueled global gaming boom slowed.

The Japanese gaming giant now projects net profit at 350 billion yen ($3.1 billion) for the year to March 2022, up from an earlier estimate of 340 billion yen.

It also hiked its software sales forecast for this fiscal year ahead of releases including three titles in the popular Pokemon franchise.

The Kyoto-based firm's more optimistic outlook follows the October release of an upgraded model of its Switch console.

However, Nintendo lowered its annual target for Switch sales as Japanese media reported that production would be hit by the global chip shortage.

For the six months to September, Nintendo's net profit dropped 19.4 percent to 171.8 billion yen -- still well up from 62 billion yen in April-September 2019.

The extraordinary demand experienced by gaming hardware makers during pandemic lockdowns is slowing as life returns to normal in many countries.

Nintendo had posted its highest ever annual profit in 2020-21, boosted by the runaway popularity of the Switch console and the family-friendly game "Animal Crossing".

It lowered its annual Switch sales target to 24 million units for the current fiscal year from the 25.5 million forecast earlier.

The Nikkei business daily this week reported that annual Switch production was expected to fall by some 20 percent from its target for the current fiscal year due to the chip crunch.

Agence France-Presse

Tech firms skipping Barcelona mobile fair over virus fears

MADRID - Major tech companies are skipping the Mobile World Congress this year because of fears over the coronavirus, though Chinese groups and other big names still plan to attend the top industry event.

Amazon and Sony said Monday they would stay away from the world's biggest mobile tech fair in Barcelona, joining Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson and South Korean giant LG.

NTT DoCoMo, the biggest Japanese telecommunications operator and one of the biggest in Asia, said it too would be absent for reasons of "security" stemming from the virus.

The annual gathering is scheduled for Feb. 24 to 27 this year.

"Due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020," a Spanish-language statement said.

A Sony statement said: "As we place the utmost importance on the safety and well-being of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona."

LG, which normally has one of the biggest stands, said last week that its decision "removes the risk of exposing hundreds of LG employees to international travel which has already become more restrictive as the virus continues to spread across borders."

Like Sony, LG plans separate events to unveil its new mobile products.

Other trade shows have also been hit by the virus, with the biennial Singapore Airshow reporting the loss of more than 70 participants, including US group Lockheed Martin and Bombardier of Canada.

The MWC is a major date on tech company calendars and normally draws more than 100,000 people from all over the world to see the latest innovations and gadgets.

The mobile trade association GSMA that organizes the congress said Sunday it was taking drastic precautions this year to ease fears that it could become a hub for the virus to spread.

To date, more than 40,000 people have been infected and more than 900 have died in the outbreak that began in China's Wuhan city. Most deaths have been in China.

The Barcelona congress will be off limits to anyone from the Chinese province of Hubei, where the virus first broke out, and visitors from other parts of China will have to show they have been outside the country for two weeks before arriving in Spain.

Shenzhen-based ZTE, which makes smartphones and wireless networking equipment, and Huawei have said they still plan to attend, along with compatriots Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi.

Finnish phone maker Nokia and the South Korean giant Samsung are also still expected.

"We remain more than 2,800 exhibitors strong," a GSMA statement said.

Daily disinfection

ZTE's exhibition stand and equipment will be disinfected daily and its booth exhibition staff will come from countries outside China, mainly from Europe, it said.

Senior executives taking part in "high-level meetings" at the gathering "will self-isolate themselves in Europe for at least two weeks prior to the MWC," a ZTE statement said.

The company plans to showcase new 5G devices this year.

Huawei staff, including executives, have also arrived two weeks early and shut themselves up in their hotels, a company spokesman told AFP.

GSMA said: "We are grateful for the preventative measures our Chinese exhibitors have put in place, notably ZTE and Huawei."

Meanwhile, personnel will be on hand to take visitors' temperatures and exhibitors will be advised on how best to disinfect their stands.

Spain has not declared a health emergency and only two cases of coronavirus have been detected in the country so far, one in the Canary Islands and another on the Mediterranean island of Majorca.

"Everything will be done to ensure the participant's peace of mind," Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni told Antena 3 television.

But an association of Barcelona hotel operators acknowledged they had recorded cancellations for the period, which represents one of the Catalan city's most important events.

Agence France-Presse

Record tech spending expected in US, show organizers say

LAS VEGAS -- Consumer technology spending is getting a boost from wearables, smart devices and streaming media services and should hit record levels in the United States this year, organizers of a major tech gathering said Sunday.

Kicking off the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, organizers said they expect $422 billion in sales of some 300 kinds of consumer tech products and services in the US market, a gain of 4 percent from last year.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which organizes the annual gathering, said popularity of streaming services and wireless earbuds and the promise of new devices using super fast 5G connectivity and artificial intelligence is driving consumer interest.

"More and more consumers are embracing the faster connectivity, advanced intelligence and seemingly infinite content that technology offers today -- pushing consumer technology industry revenues toward another record-setting year in 2020," said Gary Shapiro, the association's president and chief executive.

"We'll see advancements in 5G connectivity and AI play out across the CES 2020 show floor this week -- from digital health to self-driving vehicles and smart homes -- vital technologies that are changing our lives for the better."

The show opens Tuesday against the backdrop of mounting concerns on how data gathered from connected devices can be exploited by marketers, governments and hackers.

There has also been a wave of attacks from politicians and activists against dominant tech platforms, as well as intense trade frictions between the world's economic and technology powers, the United States and China.

CTA's forecast shows strong consumer interest in a number of sectors including digital health -- a broad category including smartwatches, fitness trackers and connected health monitoring devices -- with sales of around $10 billion. 

For streaming -- including video, music and gaming -- the group expects 11 percent growth in spending to $81 billion.

CTA said it is seeing consumer interest in new kinds of wireless earbuds, led by those from Apple and Samsung, with expected sales of 67 million units worth $8.2 billion in revenue.

The forecast suggests smartphone sales will break out of their torpor with a 2 percent increase in sales, helped by new 5G handsets.

But 5G handset growth is likely to be slow at first, and it will be 2020 before the faster technology accounts for two-thirds of US handset sales, according to Lesley Rohrbaugh, director of market research at the association.

Rorhbaugh said however that new chip technology is making possible many more kinds of devices, such as those for the home, infused with artificial intelligence using object detection and voice recognition.

"Voice is going into everything. And it's not just our mobile devices. It's not just our speakers, it's every product and like those smart appliances," she said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nintendo supplier to shift game console production from China to Cambodia

TOKYO - Japanese electronic device maker MinebeaMitsumi Inc. will shift part of its video game console production operation to Cambodia from China, a company spokesman told NNA on Tuesday, with the outcome of the United States-China trade row remaining uncertain.

The move by MinebeaMitsumi, a supplier to video game giant Nintendo Co., comes after the United States canceled last week its planned punitive tariffs on video game consoles, among other products, shipped from China.

MinebeaMitsumi will introduce upgrades to its plant located in a special economic zone in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, planning to have the assembly of video game consoles for export at full capacity from 2020.

Production has partially started already, the spokesman said, while declining to disclose the amount of investment or planned output capacity.

He said they plan to beef up production in Cambodia overall, where they currently make products such as ball bearings and LED backlights under its local arm, Minebea (Cambodia) Co., and expand the number of workers to 20,000 from 7,000 in the next few years.

Nintendo, which made up 16.4 percent of MinebeaMitsumi's sales in the fiscal year through March 2019, revealed in July its plan to shift part of its Switch console production from China to Vietnam.

It said the decision to move production of the popular video game console was made to avoid future uncertainty, after opposing the U.S. tariffs in a joint statement released in June. (NNA/Kyodo)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Samsung to launch foldable smartphone after major delay

SEOUL - Tech giant Samsung has said it would launch its hotly anticipated first foldable smartphone on Friday, months after faulty screens forced an embarrassing delay of its release.

The world's largest smartphone maker spent nearly 8 years developing the Galaxy Fold, but had to hold its launch in April after reviewers reported screen problems within days of use.

It was a major setback for the firm, which was hoping to spark demand for its high-end phones with the launch of the $2,000 device, with profits plunging in recent quarters in the face of a weakened market and strong competition from Chinese rivals.

After months of "refining" the Galaxy Fold -- which is ready for use on high-speed 5G networks -- Samsung said it would release the smartphone in South Korea on Friday, followed by select countries including the United States, Germany and France.

The Galaxy Fold has been widely promoted as the "world's first foldable smartphone," while rivals such as China's Huawei have been racing to bring similar devices to market.

Samsung has a history of humiliating setbacks with major products, most notably a worldwide recall of its Galaxy Note 7 devices in 2016 over exploding batteries, which hammered its reputation.

The firm has also been caught up in the intensifying trade war between Japan and South Korea stemming from World War II disputes.

The row saw Tokyo impose tough restrictions on exports crucial to South Korean tech giants in July, and Samsung vice chairman Lee Jae-yong -- who called the situation a "crisis" -- has visited Tokyo to secure materials.

Lee is currently facing a retrial over his role in a massive corruption scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye.

He was initially jailed for 5 years in 2017 on multiple convictions including bribery, which was reduced to a suspended sentence on appeal, only for the Supreme Court to order a retrial earlier this month.

Analysts say the ruling could pose a serious challenge for Samsung.

source: news-abs-cbn.com

Huawei says impact of US trade restrictions less than feared

HONG KONG - Chinese smartphone maker Huawei Technologies said on Friday its business has been less affected by US trade restrictions than the company had initially feared and it is "fully prepared" to live and work with US sanctions.

Huawei's $100-billion business has been hit hard since mid-May after Washington put the world's second-largest smartphone maker in a so-called Entity List that threatens to cut off its access to essential US components and technology.

In its first assessment of the impact of the ban, Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said in June US trade restrictions would hit revenue by $30 billion this year.

"It seems it's going to be a little less than that. But you have to wait till our results in March," Eric Xu, Huawei's deputy chairman, said at a news conference to introduce new artificial intelligence chips at its headquarters in Shenzhen.

Washington said this week that it would extend by 90 days a reprieve that permits Huawei to buy from US firms in order to supply existing customers, but it also moved to add more than 40 of Huawei's units to its economic blacklist.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Huawei confirms lawsuit against US government as tensions escalate

HONG KONG - Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on Thursday said it is suing the US government over a section of a defense bill passed into law last year that restricted its business in the United States.

Huawei in a statement said it has filed a complaint in a US district court in Texas challenging its addition to the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The firm claims the restrictions targeting Huawei are "unconstitutional."

"The US Congress has repeatedly failed to produce any evidence to support its restrictions on Huawei products," said Huawei's Rotating Chairman Guo Ping in the statement.

The move comes as Washington tries to persuade allies to ban Huawei from business alleging espionage risks. Huawei has repeatedly denied the claims.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Japanese electronics firms look to re-engineer their design mojo

TOKYO, Japan -- Akihiro Adachi, a 31-year-old audiovisual equipment designer at Panasonic Corp, longed for some personal space during his lengthy train rides from Osaka to Tokyo. So when his company set out to encourage innovation, he joined with some colleagues and came up with “Wear Space,” a headset that limits noise and peripheral vision.

Many at Panasonic were puzzled.

“Someone said the office full of people wearing this would look weird,” said Kang Hwayoung, another member of the 10-person design team.

But the prototype unexpectedly won a global design award and received positive feedback from unexpected quarters, such as sake tasters who wanted to limit sensory input.

The project is among a range of efforts in the Japanese electronics industry to reinvigorate industrial design. After years of losing ground to design-first rivals such as Apple and Dyson, Japanese companies are now trying to recover the processes and creative flair that produced iconic products such as the Walkman.

Panasonic, Sony and Mitsubishi Electric are among those implementing practices that have been routine at many US and European companies, such as engaging designers at every step and treating packaging as part of the product.

“We used to have designers involved only in final stages of our product development process, just for an aesthetic fix,” Yoshiyuki Miyabe, Panasonic’s technology and manufacturing chief, told reporters. “We are revamping the process so that designers can join us from the planning phase.”

The Japanese government is promoting the efforts: a report in May urged corporate executives to pursue “design-driven management, whereby a company leverages design as a primary driver of competitiveness.”

It also called for tax incentives for design-related investments and new laws to better protect intellectual property. The government is set to revise such laws next year.

“Of course, we had an argument over how much the government can do and should do with private-sector issues like this,” said Daisuke Kubota, director at the government’s design registration system planning office, who was involved in the panel.

“But a lot of design experts asked us for government initiatives, saying that this is really the last chance and Japan would never be able to catch up with global rivals if this opportunity is missed.”

Another member of the panel, Kinya Tagawa, visiting professor at the Royal College of Art and co-founder of design firm Takram, says there has been a sharp increase in major companies’ requesting design lectures for their executives.

“I’m seeing a sign of change,” he said.

THE ROAD AHEAD

All agree there is a long way to go. C-suite designers remain a rarity at most electronics companies while technologists reign supreme, company officials and industrial designers say.

Japan last year received 31,961 applications for design registrations, only a fraction of China’s 628,658 and half of South Korea’s 67,374. In the heyday of the Japanese electronics industry in the early 1980s, Japan had nearly 60,000 applications every year.

Tagawa said the root of today’s problems was the failure of Japanese firms to absorb lessons from the software revolution, which showed the importance of user-centered design principles and easy-to-use products such as Apple’s iPhone. Instead, they remained fixated on engineering.

Ryuichi Oya, who retired as design chief of Sharp Corp last month, says he saw that attitude up close when he moved to Sharp four years ago after a long stint at automaker Mazda Motor.

“Designers at home electronics companies have little say compared to engineers,” he said. “When engineers dismiss design proposals as too costly or difficult from an engineering point of view, designers easily succumb.”

Oya said he found it particularly hard to convince management of the need for a design vision.

“It’s not about whether you like this color or that shape,” he said. “There have to be design principles unique to Sharp and consistent across its product line.”

COMPETITION

Japanese designers cite the contrast with South Korea’s Samsung Group, where its patriarch, Lee Kun-hee, said in 1996 that design was a core management resource “imperative for a company’s survival in the 21st century.” He sharply boosted both the number and status of designers.

At Sony, insiders say design began its return to the forefront after chairman Kaz Hirai took over in 2012. Change has been slow as the company went through a painful restructuring, but the results can be seen its approach to the revival of Aibo, a robot dog.

Designers worked to craft a holistic user experience, starting from the moment a customer opened the box, tapping into a community of Aibo owners, Sony design chief Yutaka Hasegawa said.

“We had intense discussions over how Aibo should be packaged, to make it look closer to a living creature. It’s important because opening the container box marks the customer’s first encounter with the dog.”

They decided to lay Aibo sideways with its head tilting to the left, a more expensive option than placing it face down because the interior packaging must be asymmetrical.

The result was a buzz among Aibo owners, with some posting on the Internet videos showing a “ceremony for opening the Aibo container.”

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Samsung gives first glimpse of foldable phone

SAN FRANCISCO -- Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its much-anticipated foldable phone in San Francisco on Wednesday, urging Android developers to start writing apps for it.

Samsung needs to get the foldable phone right to reverse steep declines in profit for its mobile division and restore some of the cachet its brand has lost to Apple Inc.

Foldable phones promise the screen of a small tablet in a pocket-sized device.

Justin Denison, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics America's Mobile Product Strategy and Marketing, showed a prototype with a screen he said measured 7.3 inches diagonally.

Folded in two it appeared to resemble a thick phone, but Samsung did not give media or developers a chance to touch or see the device up close.

Dave Burke, vice president of engineering for Google's Android software platform, told a Google conference in California that Samsung planned to introduce a new Android-based device early next year.

"We expect to see foldable products from several Android manufacturers," he said.

Samsung said it would be ready for mass production in the coming months.

Analyst Bob O’Donnell with Technalysis Research said that while the bendable screen provided a wow factor, shoppers may not like the thickness of the folded phone or its price tag.

"They'll have to prove that it's more than just a gimmick," said O'Donnell. "But it’s smart to open it up to developers early to do different types of experiences."

Maribel Lopez, an analyst at Lopez Research, said that the product would likely be relatively expensive in the near term.

"We're talking about brand new materials that have been made for this and also a new manufacturing process," said Lopez.

The South Korean tech company is among a handful of developers working on foldable phones.

China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has said it is planning to launch a 5G smartphone with a foldable screen in mid-2019.

Samsung and Huawei, however, have been beaten to the market by Royole, a Chinese display making start-up, which last week unveiled a foldable Android phone with a 7.8 inch screen, priced from around $1,300. Royole said it would start filling orders in late December.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nokia vs Apple: US to probe patent complaint

WASHINGTON - The US International Trade Commission said on Tuesday it would investigate a complaint by Nokia Technologies alleging that Apple Inc. has imported smart phones, tablet computers and other electronics that infringe upon its patents.

The USITC said in a statement it had not yet made any decision on the merits of the case by the Finland-based Nokia Corp. unit, which is seeking a cease and desist order and a limited exclusion order in the case.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Google takes on Apple, Amazon with new hardware push

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google on Tuesday announced a new "Pixel" smartphone and a suite of new consumer electronics products for the home, planting itself firmly in the hardware business and challenging Apple Inc's iPhone at the high end of the $400 billion global smartphone market.

The string of announcements - including the $649 Pixel, a smart speaker for the living room dubbed "Home," a virtual reality headset, and a new Wi-Fi router - is the clearest sign yet that Google intends to compete head-to-head with Apple, Amazon.com Inc. and even manufacturers of phones using its own Android mobile operating system.

Company executives, echoing Apple's longstanding philosophy, said they were striving for tighter integration of hardware and software.

"The thinking is that if we can work on hardware and software together, we can innovate much better," Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh said in an interview with Reuters, citing a recent reorganization that united once-disparate hardware teams.

Under the new structure, the company has begun to take a much more integrated approach to things like supply chain management and design, added Mario Queiroz, a vice president of product management.

"The learnings from one product are benefiting another product," he said.

Unlike earlier Google phone efforts under the Nexus brand, the Pixel devices are designed and developed by Google from the start, although Taiwan's HTC Corp will serve as the contract manufacturer.

SWIPE AT APPLE

Taking another page from the Apple playbook, Google said it would work exclusively with a single carrier in the United States, Verizon Communications Inc, on the Pixel, emulating Apple's agreement to launch the original iPhone with AT&T Inc. That deal gave Apple unprecedented control over the look of the phone and how it worked.

Shares of Alphabet closed up 0.3 percent, while Verizon fell 1.2 percent.

The phone comes in two sizes, and its high-end camera is one of few distinguishing features, analysts said. The phones come in black, blue and silver and will be able to get up to a seven-hour charge in 15 minutes. Pre-orders begin on Tuesday.

"Aside from the camera, the new Google Pixels are pretty undifferentiated compared to Samsung and iPhone seventh generation phones," industry analyst Patrick Moorhead said.

While the new phones are clearly aimed at competing with the iPhone - Google executives took several swipes at Apple in their on-stage remarks - analysts said Android rivals like Samsung Electronics could be the biggest victim if the Pixel takes off.

Google's strategy of licensing Android for free and profiting from embedded services such as search and maps made Android the dominant mobile operating system with some 89 percent of the global market, according to IDC.

But Apple still rules the high end of the market, and Google has long been frustrated by the emergence of many variations of Android and the inconsistent experience that has produced. Pushing its own hardware will likely complicate its relationship with Android licensees, analysts said.

ALL-PURPOSE ASSISTANT

Google kicked off the event Tuesday by touting the Google Assistant, the company's voice-activated artificial intelligence system and its answer to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. The presenter showed how a customers could make a restaurant reservation with a few phrases spoken into the phone.

The assistant will be embedded into the Pixel and Home products and is being positioned as the central feature in a family of integrated hardware and software products.

It is one of a handful of similar assistants that are vying for supremacy as more people search the web and make purchases online using voice commands, which may eventually supplant keyboards and touchscreens as the primary means of controlling digital devices.

While Google is often cited as the leader in artificial intelligence, Amazon stole a march on the company with its Alexa-powered Echo home speaker system, a surprise hit. The Home device and the Echo have many of the same features.

Google's "Daydream View" virtual reality headset, meanwhile, puts the company in competition with Facebook Inc, owner of Oculus. The device, which works with an Android phone, is far cheaper and simpler. It will be available in November for $79, in time for the end-of-year shopping season.

Home will also be available in November for $129, including a six-month trial of ad-free YouTube.

Google also unveiled a new version of its Chromecast digital media player and a router dubbed Google Wifi, both boasting the same sleek, minimalist design as the Home product.

"These look like products from a single company," said Queiroz, the Google executive.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Huawei filed new patent suit against Samsung: China court

HONG KONG/SEOUL - Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. has filed another patent lawsuit against smartphone rival Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in China, adding to the legal battle between the two Asian electronics giants.

Quanzhou intermediate people's court spokesman Wang Zhiwei told Reuters the court accepted the case recently but did not provide further details, including what infringements Huawei is claiming in the lawsuit and when the suit was filed.

Last May, Huawei said it sued Samsung in the United States and China, seeking compensation for what the Chinese firm said was unlicensed use of fourth-generation cellular communications technology, operating systems and user interface software in Samsung phones.

That marked a reversal of roles in China, as phone makers there have often been on the receiving end of such lawsuits.

Last year Xiaomi Inc. was forced to briefly halt sales of handsets in India after a patent infringement complaint from telecom equipment maker Ericsson.

A Samsung spokeswoman said the South Korean company would "thoroughly review the complaint" and take appropriate action to defend its interests. Huawei could not be immediately reached for comment.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Asus unveils robot Zenbo at Computex

TAIPEI -- Computex, the largest tech expo in Asia, is a stage for some of the biggest product launches and unveilings by Asian electronics companies.

This year’s Computex did not disappoint, with Taiwanese giant Asus announcing a major foray into robotics with the unveiling of a personal robot, dubbed the Zenbo.

Zenbo’s launch was a big deal. Every tech journalist at Computex was expecting new phones, tablets, wearables and VR kits. But the a robot like Zenbo? No one saw that coming.

Zenbo kinda looks like something from a Pixar design factory. If Wall-E and Eve decided to have kids, Zenbo would probably look like one of the offspring. It’s small, it’s cute, it rolls on wheels, and has got that non-threatening interface that old folks and little kids would love.

Asus dubs the Zenbo as a smart assistant. You communicate with the Zenbo using voice commands instead of a remote. According to the short demo, Zenbo can help out in the kitchen with a recipe, help your kids with their homework, and even dial an emergency number if an accident happens inside your home.

It can also read a bedtime story to your kids, play music, take photos and video, and even control your smart home and smart appliances.


You could think of it as a personal butler like, or an electronic yaya. While it’s not exactly on the same level yet of the positronic Andrew in Robin William’s film “Bicentennial Man,” the Zenbo presents a huge leap in the direction of smart robotic assistants. Why? Because you don’t have to sell your kidney to buy one.

Asus chairman Jonney Shih said that their goal was to enable robotic computing for every household. With a target price of US$599, or roughly around P28,000, Asus may have just found the sweet spot for personal robots. If Asus manages to meet this target price, this will put Zenbo’s cost lower than a Samsung Galaxy S7 or an iPhone 6S Plus. It’s not hard to imagine Zenbos appearing in the homes of many gadget aficionados based on that price point.

I am actually a bit skeptical about that target price, as similar robots cost much much more. Softbank’s Pepper robot sells for around US$1,900. But if there’s one company that can develop and sell affordable robots, it’s probably Asus.

Asus created an entirely new category of computers when it introduced the EeePC way back in 2007. This little laptop ushered in the world of cheap portable computers called netbooks. The Taiwanese company did this again in 2011 when it launched the Eeepad Transformer, which created a category of affordable laptop-tablet hybrids.

Hopefully, Asus can leverage its manufacturing and engineering expertise and make the Zenbo a truly affordable home robot.

Gadget geeks who want to get their hands on the Zenbo, however, will have to wait a little longer. Asus has not yet announced a launch date for the Zenbo.

From the demo I saw at Computex, it was also pretty obvious that Zenbo wasn’t ready for primetime. But if you’re a developer, you’re in luck because Asus welcomes developers who want to create new apps and capabilities for their home robot.

Will Zenbo usher in a new era of home robots? Many gadget aficionados certainly hope so.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pitch perfect: mobile makers, telcos drawn to hi-res audio

SINGAPORE - Mostly young, male audiophiles throng a Singapore hotel ballroom, intently assessing headphones, earbuds and in-ear monitors - priced from $50 to as much as $10,000.

Alongside are banks of dedicated digital audio players (DAPs), with an entire wall of the expo showcasing the king of DAPs: iriver.

Less than five years ago, the South Korean firm was staring at bankruptcy, its low-end MP3 players no match for Apple's iPod and the rise of the music-playing smartphone.

But, after some missteps and a name change, Astell & Kern has created a small but lucrative market for those wanting to hear music as it sounds in the studio or concert hall.

This is the world of high resolution (hi-res) audio (HRA), a niche that smartphone makers, music companies and even telecoms carriers hope will, if not move to the mainstream, at least sprinkle some of its fat margins on their bottom lines.

"Now, people are interested in $3,000 players," says James Lee, Astell & Kern's vice president. "Before, they would think $300 players were crazy. Now, $1,000 is the average price."

And that's a snip compared to the $55,000 price tag on a pair of Sennheiser Orpheus HE 1 electrostatic headphones resting on a marble-mounted amplifier on show for selected guests in a room on the hotel's 34th floor.

Consumer demand for HRA is being fed in part by lifestyle shifts. We commute longer, live in smaller apartments and use smarter phones and streaming services, like Spotify. Americans spend 24 hours a week listening to music, says market consultancy Nielsen.

Also, there are fewer constraints on audio quality. A decade ago, a 'lossy' MP3 format - where file compression meant reduced quality - made sense when $30 would buy enough space for only about 500 songs. Now, the same price would get you enough flash drive for 32,000 songs.

AUDIO ADD-ONS

The growth in listening to music is having a knock-on impact on Bluetooth speakers, headphones and other audio accessories. Last year, Americans spent more on headphones for the first time than they did on physical music, such as CDs.

This has stirred hardware makers. Apple's purchase of headphones and music streaming company Beats for $3 billion in 2014 has overshadowed efforts by other manufacturers to offer audio accessories and features.

A year earlier, Sony dusted off its Walkman brand as a high-end audio range, and has since added portable speakers and headphones. Samsung Electronics has its Level series of headphones and speakers, while LG Electronics last month launched its LG phone with an optional Hi-Fi module, made in partnership with Bang & Olufsen.

Others, too, hope clearer, richer audio will help them differentiate, adding separate audio processors to improve the playback of music on their phones.

They are helped by specialist chip makers like ESS Technology Inc, whose digital audio converters are in phones made by Xiaomi, Lenovo, Meizu, LeTV and Vivo.

Telecoms carriers are also taking note, hoping to lock in users or boost revenues: Singapore Telecommunications launched a service in February offering four separate streaming apps, including Spotify.

When iriver's owners decided to sell the company in 2014, it was South Korean carrier SK Telecom which offered the most compelling bid, said Lee, adding: "Telcos think this market will grow."

ASIA LEADS

Much of the surge in interest in HRA is in Asia.

Onkyo, a Japanese music download service, has offered hi-res music since 2004. The country accounted for more than a fifth of all spending on HRA, including home hi-fi, last year, according to GfK, a research company.

China, too, is growing fast, and overtook Japan as iriver's main market last October.

Tianjin-based Hifiman, a maker of headphones costing up to $3,000, is seeing its margins squeezed by pretenders. "Customers and distributors tell me that users get a little bit confused," said Riccardo Yeh, Hifiman's international sales director.


The HRA market still has an early-stage, almost amateur feel. The dozens of companies making headphones, from Vietnam to Romania, are usually home-spun, crowdfunded or self-financed, and rarely employ more than a few staff, says Jude Mansilla, who runs a website and organized the Singapore expo.

"The industry is very keen," says Peter Cooney, an analyst who follows the HRA space. "But for the mass market, the question is: is the demand there?"

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Foxconn agrees to buy Sharp after slashing original offer

TOKYO/TAIPEI - Taiwan's Foxconn agreed to acquire Sharp Corp at a big discount to its original offer after a month of wrangling that sowed more doubts over whether the two companies can work well together and fend off fierce competition from smartphone display rivals.

Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, will pay about $3.5 billion for a two-thirds stake, nearly $900 million less than its initial offer, the companies said.

The deal marks the largest acquisition by a foreign company in Japan's insular tech industry and the end of independence for a 100-year-old company that started out making belt buckles and mechanical pencils.

It would also give Foxconn control of Sharp's advanced screen technology and help strengthen its pricing power with major client Apple Inc.

Highlighting Sharp's dire finances, the ailing display maker estimated an operating loss of around 170 billion yen ($1.5 billion) for the year through Thursday in contrast to its earlier profit forecast of 10 billion yen.

Foxconn said it will buy Sharp's shares at 88 yen per share, a 35 percent discount to their close on Wednesday.

The two companies had been on the verge of finalizing a deal last month but Foxconn postponed at the last minute following the emergence of previously undisclosed contingent liabilities at Sharp.

The hitch revived ill will from four years ago, when Foxconn agreed to take a stake in Sharp as part of a broader partnership. Sharp then warned of losses and Foxconn walked away as the shares sank.

Analysts said that even without the history of distrust, there was little assurance the combined company will be able to deflect pricing pressure in LCDs or beat rivals in OLED, a new screen technology which Apple is expected to adopt for its iPhones by 2018.

"If you are talking about two years, it will be difficult. Three years, there is potential. Five years, then definitely,” said Kylie Huang, analyst with Daiwa-Cathay Capital Markets in Taipei.

She added that Samsung Electronics' display unit and LG Display will for some time likely remain the preferred choice for OLED or organic light-emitting diode screens which are thinner, lighter and more flexible than other displays.

Shares in Sharp rose 4 percent on Wednesday ahead of the announcement. The Taiwan Stock Exchange suspended trading in Foxconn shares for the Wednesday session.

Although the Japanese firm became a highly-profitable manufacturer of premium TVs, massive investments in advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) plants failed to pay off as more nimble Asian rivals slashed prices. Two bank bailouts since 2012 have failed to help turn its business around.

The Yomiuri newspaper reported on Wednesday that the Taiwanese company was planning to overhaul Sharp's management including replacing its CEO.

Sharp has said Foxconn is set to pick a majority of its board. But investors had expected it to leave much of management in place for some time. Sources had said earlier this year that Foxconn Chief Executive Terry Gou offered to keep most members of top management in place, and to not fire employees.

Foxconn executives in Taipei declined to comment on plans for CEO Kozo Takahashi, saying more details would be available at a signing event and news conference on Saturday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Could mobile devices raise skin cancer risk?

Devices like tablets, smartphones and laptops can reflect ultraviolet light from the sun and may indirectly increase users' exposure to the cancer-causing wavelengths, according to a new study.

“These devices are generally used for communication or entertainment, so it can be easy to overlook their reflective properties unless you happen to catch the glare off a screen,” said Mary E. Logue of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, who coauthored the research with Dr. Barrett J. Zlotoff.

They wondered whether, like those old-fashioned tanning reflectors, personal electronics could also pose skin health risks, Logue told Reuters Health by email.

In a small observational study conducted on a grassy field in Albuquerque, the researchers set up a mannequin head wearing a UVA/B light meter and faced it toward a standard musician’s sheet stand. Then they placed various mobile devices on the stand.

In two trials, the researchers recorded UV readings for an hour of exposure, from 11 AM to noon, using a magazine, an iPhone5, various iPad models, two Macbook laptops and a Kindle e-reader.

In the first trial the devices were 16.5 inches from the UV sensor. For the second, they were secured 12.25 inches away. The devices and the UV sensor were angled to mimic an adult looking down at the handheld device.

The study team measured UVA/B dose exposure from light reflected by the devices in Joules per square centimeter over one hour and compared that to the UV readings with an empty sheet stand.

In the first trial, when the devices were further away from the mannequin, an open magazine increased UV dosage exposure by 46 percent compared to the sheet stand alone, an iPad2 increased exposure by about 85 percent and an 11-inch Macbook increased UV exposure by 75 percent.

Only the second trial, with devices held closer to the mannequin's “face,” included the iPhone5, which increased UV exposure by 36 percent, as the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“The harmful effects of UVA and UVB rays have been well documented, and limiting exposure is the single most effective preventive measure an individual can take,” Logue said. “Significant levels of UV exposure, such as those found in this study, increase cumulative lifetime UV dosage.”

Given the increase in UV exposure, there needs to be further research to see if skin cancer risks are affected, she said.

“While the best course of action is to limit smart device usage to the indoors, this is obviously impractical for most people,” Logue said. “We recommend covering the shoulders, wearing sunglasses and wearing sunscreen, especially on the exposed areas of the neck and face.”

The devices themselves could be redesigned to be less reflective, or to include UV sensor technology so their users could track their exposure, she said.

Dr. Robert Dellavalle, chief of the Dermatology Service at the Denver VA Medical Center, who was not part of the new study, said that while the research did not involve real people using the devices, it still raised a practical point. In real world use, it may be hard to see phone or tablet screens in full sun, and using them may actually encourage shade-seeking behavior, he noted.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Sony is lagging behind rivals

TOKYO - Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. has been lagging behind its rivals with huge losses as it struggles to restructure its money-losing electronics business, which has faced fierce international competition.

Analysts warn the prospects for the current business year remain dim as its sales forecast for electronics appliances seems too optimistic, raising doubt about its business plans.

The Tokyo-based manufacturer of the PlayStation 4 home gaming console and Bravia TVs, reported last week a group net loss of 128.37 billion yen in fiscal 2013 ended in March, mainly due to the huge costs to withdraw from its flagging Vaio personal computer business.

Its performance also deteriorated due to an impairment loss for its overseas disc manufacturing business as demand for blu-ray discs and DVDs contracted quicker than it had anticipated amid an increase in webcast contents.

For the current year through March 2015, it forecasts it will remain in the red for the second consecutive year, the sixth annual loss in seven years, raising concern among investors and leading its shares to lose more than 10 percent in five trading days following the announcement.

While Sony has had poor earnings, performances for peers Panasonic Corp. and Sharp Corp. are recovering due to the effects of their restructuring efforts and the yen's depreciation versus other major currencies.

Both Panasonic and Sharp returned to the black for the first time in three years in the year ended in March with a consolidated net profit of 120.44 billion yen and 11.56 billion yen respectively. They expect to post a group net profit of 140 billion yen and 30 billion yen in the current year.

One of the reasons that made Sony a distinct loser among Japanese electronics makers has been its failure to drastically and quickly reform its businesses by ending unprofitable operations, according to the analysts.

Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida admitted that in a recent press conference in Tokyo, saying, "The measures to adjust our cost structure in line with the changes in the business environment were either insufficient or slow."

As part of such measures, the company finally decided in February to sell its PC business to Tokyo-based investment fund Japan Industrial Partners Inc. in July and spin off the television operation into a wholly owned unit, while cutting 5,000 jobs both at home and abroad by next March.

The restructuring-related costs totaled 177 billion yen in the past business year and are expected to mount to 135 billion yen in the current year. As a result, 100 billion yen costs per year are expected to be cut from fiscal 2015.

With such measures, Sony President Kazuo Hirai vowed Thursday to complete structural reform of the electronics business this year, saying, "We can aim at an operating profit of about 400 billion yen in fiscal 2015," with the combined effects of cost cuts from the restructuring and stable profits from its entertainment and financial businesses.

However, after three rounds of downward revision in its earnings forecasts for the past year, market participants and consumers are skeptical about whether the company can actually start seeing solid profits, especially in the electronics business such as the TV operation.

The TV business remained in the red for the 10th straight year in fiscal 2013 with accumulated loss of about 790 billion yen.

Yasuo Nakane, senior analyst at Deutsche Securities Inc., said he recognizes as positive Sony's restructuring efforts to end the PC business and sales of some assets, but added, "The problem is that their main businesses are not generating profits as expected. And their response as well as sales plans are too optimistic."

For instance, Sony expects to sell 50 million smartphones in fiscal 2014, up about 28 percent from a year earlier, and 16 million liquid crystal televisions, up some 19 percent.

Nakane said the sales targets are higher than anticipated market growth. "There's a big risk the company will fail to achieve the goals," he said, noting it is possible that the firm will slash the sales projections.

To turn around its overall performance, Hirai said the company will continue to focus on the game, imaging, mobile, entertainment and financial sectors, which have seen relatively solid earnings.

As part of such efforts, Sony aims to further increase sales of its PlayStation 4 game consoles and retain the No. 1 position in the home console market this year as well as introduce its new flagship Xperia handsets models in a timely manner.

But it remains uncertain to what extent the earnings will improve without an absolute big hit product that can boost the performance of the whole company, according to some analysts.

Hirai and about 40 top executives will return bonuses related to the business performance for fiscal 2013, but if the company fails to improve earnings, it could cast doubt over the leadership of Hirai, who took the helm about two years ago, the analysts said.

"If the problem lies in the unrealistic plans of the operational divisions, that needs to be changed. But if management isn't able to make proper decisions, it should be replaced (to improve the performance)," said Nakane.

"More drastic structural reform such as organizational change would also be necessary (to further reduce costs) unlike stopgap measures they have taken before," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Toshiba unveils disease-detecting breathalyzer

TOKYO - Japan's Toshiba on Tuesday unveiled a breathalyzer which it says can detect a wide range of diseases just 30 seconds after users blow into the machine.

The device, about the size of a small dishwasher, has a nozzle in which users blow several times.

It then analyses the puffs for traces of several gases which can signal the presence of several health problems including diabetes, stomach ailments and even the ordinary hangover.

"A breath exhaled into the machine is irradiated with an infrared laser, and then trace gases are detected" the company said in a statement.

The gases include acetaldehyde, methane and acetone, all of which can point to the presence of various health problems.

Toshiba said it would expand the number of gases -- and diseases -- that its machine can detect, with an eye to starting commercial production next year.

The healthcare segment is a key unit for Toshiba, which is best known for its consumer electronics.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com