5-6: Qualcomm security flaw impacts Android devices; China Broadcast Network becomes China’s fourth telecom operator; UITC launches 337 investigations (patent infringement) on various electronics companies; etc.
Qualcomm security flaw impacts Android devices; China Broadcast Network becomes China’s fourth telecom operator; UITC launches 337 investigations (patent infringement) on various electronics companies; China-based vendors shipped 128.6 million smartphones globally in 1Q16; Indian government is reportedly still mulling over Apple’s application of selling refurbished iPhone in the country; etc.
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Chipset |
| Qualcomm security flaw impacts Android devices, project APIs. The issue can result in information leaks and local privilege escalation and it may be impossible to patch all vulnerable devices. (ZDNet, Ars Technica, Fire Eye, CN Beta) |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has recently begun to tape out the design for Apple A11 processor built on a 10nm FinFET process. (Digitimes, press, EE World) |
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Display |
| The SkinTrack system from Future Interfaces Group, a research lab within Carnegie Mellon University, combines sensors in the watch itself with a special ring worn on the other hand, emitting a harmless high-frequency electrical signal through your fingers. Detecting that signal lets the watch track finger position, which it can do with acceptable accuracy. (Phone Arena, The Verge, CN Beta)
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| Samsung Electronics’ president and TV chief Kim Hyun-seok has said that the company has no immediate plans to start using the OLED technology for TV but Samsung would instead be prioritizing quantum dot technology. (CN Beta, MyCE, TechRadar, Korea Herald, Fudzilla) |
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Sensors |
| Researchers from Microsoft, USC and the University of Waterloo have discovered how they can use haptic retargeting and world warping to enable the illusion of building Minecraft constructions in virtual reality. (Engadget, Microsoft, Geeky Gadgets, Winbuzzer, The Next Web, 17173)
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| Disney Research has created a scanner that can pick out a gadget from a pile by scanning their electromagnetic fields. According to their tests of 40 devices, their USD10 scanner managed to perfectly identify 30 of them. (Ubergizmo, Engadget, Disney Research, Yesky)
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Battery |
| Researchers at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) in Michigan have discovered that magnesium could lead to batteries that are smaller and cheaper to produce than lithium-ion units found in most electric cars sold today but with superior range. (CN Beta, Motor Authority)
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Connectivity |
| State-owned China Broadcast Network (CBN) has been approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to become China’s fourth telecom operator. The new license allows CBN to provide domestic Internet data transmission and telecommunication infrastructure service. (CN Beta, Xinhuanet, ZOL, People)
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| Based on data published today, it appears that the FCC will have plenty of 600MHz spectrum to offer to satiate the desires of T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon. (Phone Arena, Fierce Wireless, SRRC) |
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Smartphones |
| China-based vendors shipped 128.6 million smartphones globally in 1Q16, decreasing 20.2% on quarter but increasing 33.3% on year and accounting for 41.5% of the global total, according to Digitimes Research. Of the shipments, 45.6 million units were shipped in overseas markets, slipping 40.7% on quarter but growing 27.3% on year. (Digitimes, press)
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| Indian government is reportedly still mulling over Apple’s application of selling refurbished iPhone in the country. Several ministers are looking over Apple‘s request including India’s minister for environment. (WSJ, Phone Arena, Sina) |
| LeEco has set up its own e-commerce portal LeMall in India, and has started to sell accessories directly to consumers in the country. (Android Central, LeMall) |
| A recent job listing shared by Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan suggests a Razer smartphone or tablet could be in the works. (Phone Arena, Liliputing, Techno Buffalo, Technews) |
| The U.S. International Trade Commission has voted to institute an investigation of “section 337” (patent infringement) of certain portable electronic devices and components thereof on ZTE, Lenovo, Sony, Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC and BlackBerry. (CN Beta, 163, IT Home, USITC, IP Frontline)
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| Kyocera DuraForce XD is T-Mobile first rugged smartphone – 5.7” HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 8MP + 2MP cameras, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, Android 5.1, IP68-certified, 14mm thick, 3700mAh battery, USD449.99. (Phone Arena, Business Wire)
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Wearables |
| Avery Dennison and Information Solutions (RBIS) announce the world’s largest IoT deal to ‘switch on’ the apparel and footwear industry. They are working together to enable a minimum of 10 billion apparel and footwear products for some of the world’s largest fashion and performance brands to be ‘born’ with unique digital identities and data profiles in the cloud over the next 3 years |
| Robbie Bach, former Microsoft Chief XBOX Officer says, none of AR or VR is about the technology, it is all about the experience. So if the experience is spend a lot of money, look goofy, have 15 cool moments and not have anything after that it is going to be a cool hot fad and things will not go anywhere. (CN Beta, WinBeta, Games Industry) |
| Cher Wang, one of the cofounders and the current CEO of HTC, has reportedly set up a new company that will handle the development of HTC’s VR business. (Digitimes, Slash Gear, Android Authority, IT Home, TechWeb) |
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Internet of Things |
| Apple, Google parent company Alphabet and a number of established car makers are reportedly on the hunt for prime real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area to serve their respective autonomous vehicle projects, with Apple in particular said to be looking at an 800,000-square-foot plot, according to Hudson Pacific Properties. (CN Beta, Apple Insider, WSJ, Mac Rumors)
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| It seems the ping pong table sales could reflect the startup funding status in Silicon Valley. In 1Q16, Billiard Wholesale table sales to companies fell 50% from the prior quarter. In that period, U.S. startup funding dropped 25%, says Dow Jones VentureSource, which tracks venture financing. (CN Beta, WSJ, Deal Breaker)
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Samsung announces smart refrigerator Family Hub – 21.5” FHD LCD touchscreen as the fridge’s digital command center, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to connect with smartphone, with built-in camera to check the content of the fridge via the phone, priced at USD5799. (CN Beta, Redmond Pie, Beta News) |
| Samsung announces Flex Duo smart oven with dual-door and Wi-Fi connectivity, which enables remotely monitor the cooktop and oven functions on smartphone using a simple app. The smartphone can receive real-time alerts on oven temperatures and turn the oven off. (CN Beta, Business Wire, The Verge)
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| The first Tesla Model 3 deliveries are penciled in for the end of 2017, but according to CEO Elon Musk today, right now Tesla is looking at its entire production for 2018 being reserved too. (CN Beta, Slash Gear) |
| Google and Honeywell announced that they have reached a long-term patent cross-license agreement reflecting the respective strength of the companies’ patent portfolios. (CN Beta, The Verge, PR Newswire) |
