IF / News

Chipsets

Alibaba has announced that it is creating a chip subsidiary which will be focused on developing artificial intelligence inference chips. The goal is to introduce such processors in 2H19 for the autonomous driving, smart cities, and logistics categories. (Neowin, Reuters, FT Chinese, Sina)

Touch Display

Huawei chairman Ken Hu has announced it will launch its first 5G phone in the middle of 2019 and it will have a foldable screen. (GizChina, WCCFTech, BGR, Telcoms, Forbes, IT Home)

Samsung foldable smartphone, dubbed Galaxy F, may not have Corning Gorilla Glass protection due to technological limitations. Samsung will thus use a transparent polyimide supplied by Sumitomo Chemical of Japan. (GizChina, Gizmo China, Sam Mobile, IT Home, CN Beta)

Camera

Samsung is allegedly ready to start mass-producing its first quadruple-camera smartphone, having just finalized the list of imaging sensor suppliers for its seminal device. The cameras will be manufactured by Samsung Electro-Mechanics, as well as modules made by MCNEX. In practice, all four cameras will work simultaneously. (Android Headlines, ET News, iFeng, CNMO)

Apple’s Senior Director Camera Hardware Graham Townsend has confirmed that the iPhone XR will use algorithm to achieve the bokeh-like effects that the iPhone Xs and Xs Max achieve with its dual camera setup. (Ubergizmo, Medium, Yesky, Sohu)

Phone

Google has announced that it has paid out more than USD3M through its Android and Play Security Rewards programs. The money goes out to researchers who help Google find bugs which makes the whole ecosystem that much more secure.  (Neowin, Google, CN Beta)

iVoomi iPro Android Go smartphone with Shatterproof Display launched in India – 4.95” 960×480 FWVGA+ FullView, MediaTek MT6737, rear 5MP + front 5MP, 1+8GB, Android Go (Oreo Edition), 2000mAh, INR3,999. (Gizmo China, NDTV)

Samsung is launching 2 new J series in India: Galaxy J6+ – 6” 720×1480 HD+ IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, rear dual 13MP-5MP + front 8MP, 4+64GB, Android 8.1, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, 3300mAh, INR15,990. Galaxy J4+ – 6” 720×1480 HD+ IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, rear 13MP + front 5MP, 2+32GB, Android 8.1, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, 3300mAh, INR10,990. (GizChina, Sammy Hub, Phone Arena, Samsung)

Home

Amazon unveils a series of new products: Echo Show 2nd Gen, Echo Dot 3rd Gen, Echo Input, Echo Sub, Echo Link, Echo Link Amp, Echo Plus 2nd Gen, Fire TV Recast, Smart Plug, Basics Microwave, Echo Wall Clock, and Ring Stick Up Cam. (Android Authority, Digital Trends, Digital Trends)

Augmented / Virtual Reality

NextVR provides access to immersive sports and entertainment broadcasts for a number of virtual reality headsets. The platform has rolled out support for the Oculus Rift and its standalone Oculus Go.  (Engadget, Oculus, VRRB, Sina)

Magic Leap is allegedly pushing to land a contract with the U.S. Army to build augmented reality (AR) devices for soldiers to use on combat missions. The contract, which could eventually lead to the military purchasing over 100K headsets as part of a program whose total cost could exceed USD500M.  (CN Beta, Telegraph, Bloomberg)

Extending its engagement in VR/AR applications, Sennheiser has partnered with spatial computing leader Magic Leap and joined the “Works with Magic Leap” certification program. This partnership consolidates Sennheiser’s presence and thought leadership in spatial audio as it continues to develop innovative audio tools for spatial audio visionaries and content creators. (The Verge, Sennheiser, Sohu, Baijiaohao)

WayRay, a Zurich-based developer of holographic augmented reality technology and hardware — used in head-up displays that project images into a driver’s field of vision — has raised USD80M of funding, a Series C led by Porsche, with Hyundai Motor, previous investor Alibaba Group, China Merchants Capital, JVCKENWOOD, and several sovereign wealth funds also participating. (CN Beta, PR Newswire, TechCrunch, VentureBeat)

Microsoft is bringing artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality (MR) to Dynamics 365. With the new Dynamics 365 Remote Assist and Dynamics 365 Layout, employees can use HoloLens for remote collaboration and assistance, connecting users with remote experts in virtual reality. (CN Beta, Tech Republic, CW, Reuters, Microsoft)

Google has announced that it is adding the ability to open any smartphone Android app on a Daydream VR device. This will allow users to open their favourite apps and games in virtual reality. Google describes this new feature as “experimental” and it is meant to be tested by developers.  (Ubergizmo, Google, 163)

Automotive

Convoy Incorporated, a provider of digital freight booking service, has secured USD185M in its latest financing round led by CapitalG, Alphabet’s growth equity investment arm. The series C funding round puts the startup’s market value at over USD1B, with Convoy now having accumulated more than USD265M in raised capital. Convoy helps customers to connect with local and regional carriers and book freight trucks for shipping goods.  (CN Beta, Neowin, WSJ, Convoy)

To promote the sales of its new electric cars, Volvo’s subsidiary Polestar will let customers choose from an all-inclusive subscription model that combines automotive costs such as insurance and maintenance into a single monthly payment. Polestar Performance AB is the performance luxury brand of Volvo Cars, owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The company launched a hybrid-electric, Polestar 1, in 2017 and plans to debut an all-electric, the Polestar 2, in 2019. (TechCrunch, LA Times, Motor1, Inside EVs)

Porsche’s chief executive Oliver Blume says the sports car maker will not produce any new diesel models in the wake of parent company Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal. (CN Beta, The Verge, DW, CNBC)