Business Articles

Sony touts custom gridlines as a solution for photographers working in places like cruise ships, amusement parks, schools, and ID photo studios. (Image source: Sony)

US$149 Sony A7 IV firmware licence unlocks 4 custom PNG grid lines for professional photographers

Sony's latest firmware announcement for the Alpha 7 IV mirrorless cameras adds support for up to four custom grid lines that can be imported as PNGs — for US$149. This is useful for non-standard shoots where repeated framing is ne...

Julian van der Merwe, 28 Nov 2023 19:26

A "P70" render. (Source: Ark Click via Weibo)

Huawei P70 series to outdo P60 forebears with a periscope zoom and return of Kirin SoCs

New Huawei flagship smartphones are on the way and will outsell their 2023 forebears, according to a leading industry analyst. Ming-Chi Kuo asserts that they will do "significantly" better than the P60 series thanks to camera upgr...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 28 Nov 2023 19:24

LG will reimagine its future at CES 2024. (Source: LG)

LG announces CES 2024 keynote speech time and date

LG has announced that it will showcase new tech rated to help "Reinvent your Future" at CES 2024. The company will also reinvent itself as more of an AI-focused "Smart Life Solution Company" during the upcoming trade expo in earne...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 28 Nov 2023 18:26

GM had previously partnered with TEI for producing its Cadillac CELESTIQ luxury EV (Image Source: Cadillac)

BMW, GM invest in 3D printing tech for sand casting to maximise production efficiency

GM has recently announced the acquisition of TEI, a major player in developing the gigacasting technology used by Tesla, whereby large structural components can be cast in a single piece instead of being assembled from hundreds of...

Vishal Bhardwaj, 28 Nov 2023 15:24

The "Xperia 1 VI". (Source: Science and Knowledge via YouTube)

Sony Xperia 1 VI slated to launch with in-camera authenticity tech out of the box

The Xperia 1 VI (and 5 VI) are reportedly on the way as new flagship and sub-flagship Android smartphones respectively with the latest camera tweaks from Sony. They are said to go beyond hardware and into the "in-camera digital si...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 26 Nov 2023 17:50

Virtual reality gloves for gaming, medicine, robotics and more (Image: Fluid Reality)

New VR glove with breakthrough touch technology, significantly cheaper than haptic Metaverse product

Virtual reality is set to become even more immersive thanks to a new VR glove from Fluid Reality. This rival to Mark Zuckerberg's Meta smart glove utilizes groundbreaking technology that promises to not only make the device more c...

Nicole Dominikowski, 24 Nov 2023 20:54

Image source: Nataliya Vaitkevich/Pexels

Smartphone sales surge after two years of decline

The global smartphone market expanded by 5% in October over the previous year, following a 27-month decline. Among other things, the growth was driven by the recovery in emerging markets, Huawei's return to China, and the Septembe...

Robert Gelo, 24 Nov 2023 19:40

Virtual reality evolution: lucid dream worlds of The Prophetic (symbolic image: Bing AI)

Virtual reality researchers aim to induce lucid dreaming with new wearable device

Virtual reality could be redefined by targeted lucid dreaming. Scientists are developing a new wearable device, similar to VR glasses, that aims to induce lucid dreams. This technology could have a wide range of applications, from...

Nicole Dominikowski, 24 Nov 2023 13:00

The original Tesla Roadster is set to be replaced soon, although the Roadster 2.0 has suffered major delays. (Image source: Tesla)

Tesla Roadster goes 'Fully Open Source' in rare repair-friendly move

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, this week announced that the engineering and plans for the original Roadster have been made open source. Accompanying the announcement, Tesla published a webpage of PDF documents, including complete service d...

Julian van der Merwe, 24 Nov 2023 07:35

Honor intends to go public, three years after the spin-off from Huawei. (Image: Honor)

Honor announces plans for IPO, surpasses market shares of Xiaomi, Apple and Huawei in China

Three years ago, Huawei was practically forced by US sanctions to sell its Honor subsidiary. Honor is now the market leader in China and is also rapidly gaining market share in Europe. Buoyed by this success, Honor is now planning...

Hannes Brecher, 23 Nov 2023 23:25

Sam Altman agrees to return to OpenAI as Microsoft reportedly aims to bolster influence by securing seat on new board

OpenAI and Sam Altman have come to an agreement that will see the ex-CEO return to his position alongside a new preliminary board. The agreement comes after days of uncertainty and turmoil which, at one point, came close to destro...

Fawad Murtaza, 23 Nov 2023 11:12

Xiaomi revenues reach nearly US$10 billion in third quarter of 2023

Xiaomi has announced that it took in over 70 billion yuan (well over US$9 billion) over its latest quarter, which ended on September 30, 2023. The OEM's smartphones accounted for over half of that revenue, although its smart home,...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 22 Nov 2023 19:44

Northvolt's Na-ion battery tech is cleaner, denser, and cheaper than competing chemistries. (Image source: Northvolt)

Northvolt sodium-ion battery breakthrough offers LFP-beating density, low cost, and improved safety for future compact EVs

Northvolt claims it has reached a breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology, allowing it to reach up to 160 Wh/kg energy density. This means Northvolt's Na-ion chemistry is starting to overtake existing LFP cells for affordabi...

Julian van der Merwe, 21 Nov 2023 21:52

Apple expands personal shopping and support with augmented reality (symbolic image: Bing AI)

Apple could enhance the use of AR for personal shopping and support - with product demos in your living room

Using devices like Apple's Vision Pro, the tech giant aims to provide its customers with a more personalized, interactive and informative shopping and support experience. Recently obtained patents reveal Apple's plans to broaden i...

Nicole Dominikowski, 21 Nov 2023 18:39

Sonos is likely to add wireless headphones and earbuds to its lineup in 2024 (Image Source: Sonos, rawpixel.com - edited)

Sonos rumoured to add headphones to its lineup next year

Sonos has announced that it will be entering a new multi-billion dollar product category in 2024, which will “complement current Sonos devices” and will “delight customers and drive immediate revenue.” It is believed the new categ...

Vishal Bhardwaj, 21 Nov 2023 12:00

OpenAI on brink of collapse as Elon Musk demands answers if company is "doing something potentially dangerous to humanity"

More than 730 employees out of 770 have now threatened to leave OpenAI if the current directors don’t resign and ex-CEO Sam Altman isn’t reinstated as CEO. The development follows a volatile few days where the OpenAI board strange...

Fawad Murtaza, 21 Nov 2023 11:15

Meta no longer has a Responsible AI team. (Source: Meta)

Meta sheds dedicated Responsible AI team in human resources re-shuffle

Meta had asserted its "commitment" to responsibility in developing its machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) products, with a dedicated team within the company to fulfil that promise - but no longer. Its members s...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 20 Nov 2023 21:59

Artificial intelligence has made Jensen Huang 3x richer (image source: Nvidia)

Nvidia stock soars spectacularly thanks to surging AI demand

As a result of the burgeoning demand for artificial intelligence (AI), the stock of graphics chip maker NVIDIA has surged over 240% YOY, making its CEO Jensen Huang one of the richest people in the world.

Robert Gelo, 20 Nov 2023 18:40

Oura alleges that Ultrahuman has copied its smart ring design and functionality. (Image source: Oura)

Oura sues Ultrahuman in US as smart ring competition heats up

Ultrahuman, the company behind the Ring AIR, is being sued in the US by its competitor, Oura. The brand claims that Ultrahuman’s smart ring has copied the design and functionality of the Oura Ring, including the app UI. Plus, Oura...

Polly Allcock, 20 Nov 2023 12:52

Even after 15 months of reoccurring issues and lost time, the Rivian owner still recommends the R1T to other buyers. (Image source: Rivian)

Rivian buys back nightmare R1T after harrowing year of issues

Despite the owner driving the electric pickup for over a year and more than 24,000 miles (38,624 km), Rivian is buying an owner's R1T at full retail price. While using the pickup truck as a work truck, the owner has faced myriad i...

Julian van der Merwe, 20 Nov 2023 05:50

Donald Trump faces big losses. (Image source: History in HD on Unsplash - edited)

Donald Trump’s Truth Social burns millions according to regulatory filing

Truth Social, the social network founded by former President Trump as a rival to major social media platforms, has reportedly lost US$73 million since its launch last year.

Robert Gelo, 19 Nov 2023 17:44

The Kia EV6 is a strong performer for Kia, leading electric sales for October 2023. (Image source: Kia)

Hyundai, Kia see bright EV future as sales 'double year-over-year' while Tesla slows despite ongoing price war

As other traditional carmakers start to get cold feet on EVs thanks to reduced demand, both Hyundai and Kia reiterated their successes in electrification and their commitment to continued expansion in the sector. The executives we...

Julian van der Merwe, 18 Nov 2023 22:58

Signal: How much it costs to run a messenger app

Under the headline "Privacy is Priceless, but Signal is Expensive", non-commercial messenger Signal provides interesting insights into the infrastructure of a messenger app and its costs.

Christian Hintze, 18 Nov 2023 22:57

Elon Musk threatens "thermonuclear" lawsuit as advertisers flee from latest X controversy

Elon Musk is facing criticism for sharing a tweet that falsely accused Jewish people of inciting anti-white sentiment. He also threatened to file a lawsuit against media watchdog Media Matters amidst advertisers leaving X.

Robert Gelo, 18 Nov 2023 22:04

The Exynos 2400 might have a new trick. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung Exynos 2400 tipped for mass production with cutting-edge semiconductor technology

The Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus are thought to launch with what Samsung might call the best and most powerful chipset it has ever made in the Exynos 2400. The SoC's projected bragging rights are also now believed to include production...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 18 Nov 2023 17:48

The new Starlink Standard Kit for satellite Internet (image: SpaceX)

SpaceX outs larger Starlink antenna to replace Dishy McFlatface as it launches 45 V2 satellites in back-to-back mission

While SpaceX's Starship just exploded over the ocean, its Falcon rocket is on a back-to-back mission to launch 45 new Starlink V2 satellites over the weekend. A new, more powerful Starlink antenna for standard residential users is...

Daniel Zlatev, 18 Nov 2023 16:22

Sam Altman has been fired as CEO of OpenAI. (Source: Korea Metro)

Sam Altman fired as CEO of OpenAI

Sam Altman has been fired from his position as CEO of OpenAI. A co-founder of the company, Altman was dismissed by the board after it lost confidence in his ability to continue in the role.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 17 Nov 2023 23:46

The world is addicted to the Internet (MS Bing/DALL-E 3)

Study claims US$43 billion would be lost per day in global Internet outage

A new study has highlighted the crucial importance of the Internet in the contemporary world and the possible ramifications of even short-term outages. The United States and China alone would account for US$21 billion in damages, ...

Robert Gelo, 17 Nov 2023 19:29

Leaked Reddit pics allegedly show 2024 Lenovo ThinkPad flagship X1 Carbon G12

Four pictures have appeared on Reddit that allegedly show the next-gen version of the most prestigious Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12. The new model appears to feature a revamped design and a haptic trackpad...

Benjamin Herzig, 17 Nov 2023 19:28

Even before the rumoured Apple Car turns up, Apple and the EV industry share a number of worrying similarities (Image Source: Vanarama)

3 unfortunate similarities between Apple and the electric car industry

CheckMag Even before rumours started circulating about Apple creating its own electric vehicle, some of Apple's business practices shared a lot in common with electric vehicle manufacturers. While not uncommon in the tech industry, they se...

David Devey, 17 Nov 2023 19:16

AMD is diversifying its production venues (Image Source: Samsung)

Samsung secures orders for AMD's 4 nm Zen 5c cores

The exclusive collaboration with TSMC seems to be coming to an end as AMD is now reportedly collaborating with Samsung for the upcoming Zen 5 Prometheus processors. TSCM would still handle the production of the advanced cores on t...

Bogdan Solca, 17 Nov 2023 18:28

Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16 (image source: Notebookcheck)

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16 is the best budget gaming laptop that can double as an office laptop

CheckMag Most gaming laptops have extravagant and eye-catching designs, something that isn't necessarily welcome in the workplace. If you want one single laptop for gaming and taking to the office, the 16-inch Lenovo Legion Pro 5 might jus...

Stephanie Chamberlain, 16 Nov 2023 23:56

Mercedes-Benz is taking the fight to Tesla's Supercharger network, but it has a long battle ahead. (Image source: Mercedes-Benz)

Mercedes-Benz kicks off EV charging network with luxurious, open charging hub at US headquarters

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the first of 400 planned EV charging hubs. The charging hub features 400 kW chargers from ChargePoint, and there is a bay designed for wheelchair-accessible cars, vans, and vehicles with trailers. There ...

Julian van der Merwe, 16 Nov 2023 21:16

The FURY Renegade SSD. (Source: Kingston)

Kingston comes out on top of 2022 SSD market in new study

TrendForce's research on the third-party SSD space has found that Kingston was its #1 brand in 2022. The company had weathered the supply storm of 2021 to remain a market leader. It attributes its success to the ability to offer b...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 16 Nov 2023 21:05

Microsoft's custom Cobalt 100 ARM CPU features 128 cores. (Image Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft debuts custom silicon for AI and cloud: 128-core ARM Cobalt 100 and 5 nm Maia 100 aim to power next gen AI training and inference needs

Microsoft has finally unveiled its own custom silicon. The Maia 100 is Microsoft's AI accelerator designed for the Azure stack to train OpenAI's complex LLMs. The Cobalt 100 is an ARM-based chip with 128 cores aimed at optimizing ...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 16 Nov 2023 15:22

Data centres are a vital part of Google’s business (Source: Google)

Russia fines Google 15 million rubles for data storage violations

Even after leaving Russia, tech companies like Google, Wikipedia and Apple are still facing fines from the courts. They are charged with disseminating misleading information or disregarding data localization regulations.

Robert Gelo, 15 Nov 2023 22:04

BMW's Munich plant will produce new electric vehicles based on the Neue Klasse architecture. (Image source: BMW)

BMW goes EV-only for German powertrains — no end in sight for ICE cars

BMW is shifting focus to electric vehicles at its Munich plant, putting the full brunt of its main R&D centre behind the new tech. The brand will, however, continue to make internal combustion engines — just not in Germany. The Mu...

Julian van der Merwe, 15 Nov 2023 18:26

The ViewSonic LDP216-251 costs nearly €150,000, even at a discount. (Image source: ViewSonic)

ViewSonic LDP216-251: New 216-inch monitor launches with over 500 kg weight and impressive colour accuracy

ViewSonic has brought the LDP216-251 to market, a 216-inch monitor intended to be used in offices. The ViewSonic LDP216-251 delivers 600 nits peak brightness, weighs in at 500 kg and consumes 4,000 W of power.

Alex Alderson, 15 Nov 2023 17:09

SK hynix LPDDR5T 16 GB memory package (Source: SK hynix)

SK hynix begins shipping LPDDR5T memory for smartphones

Unveiled earlier this year and currently the fastest solution available for smartphones and tablets, the LPDDR5T memory from SK hynix is now shipping to corporate customers. Such a client is Vivo, a brand that announced two MediaT...

Codrut Nistor, 15 Nov 2023 16:56

Tesla may allow first-year resale of the Cybetrtruck, after all. (Image source:Tesla - edited)

Tesla quietly deletes Cybertruck anti-scalping clause from sales contract

Tesla has removed language from its Cybertruck sales agreement that required buyers to grant Tesla first right of refusal should the buyer of the Cybertruck decide to sell it within the first year of ownership. It's unclear why Te...

Julian van der Merwe, 15 Nov 2023 00:01

Zoom has formally announced the release of Zoom Clips - source: Zoom News

Zoom Clips may eliminate pointless emails and meetings

To help with asynchronous work, Zoom has added a new feature that allows users to record, edit, and share videos. It seeks to eliminate the need for unnecessary emails or meetings.

Robert Gelo, 14 Nov 2023 21:02

Google will begin deleting inactive accounts soon. (Source: MS Bing/DALL-E 3)

Google will begin deleting inactive accounts on December 1

Google will delete inactive accounts and their associated content starting Dec 1, 2023 (no sign-in for 2+ years). Inactive accounts increase hack risk and use up storage space. Users should sign in or delete unused accounts to avo...

Robert Gelo, 14 Nov 2023 15:41

Fast, lightweight, well-equipped business notebook.

Premium performance at a premium price: Asus ExpertBook review finds no weaknesses

Weighing just 1 kg, an OLED display with 5 million pixels and a CPU that exploits its full potential despite its slim design: the outstanding final score of the Asus ExpertBook is hardly surprising. Only one aspect should be viewe...

Mario Petzold, 14 Nov 2023 01:09

Volvo has presented its first fully electric van, the EM90.

Volvo EM90 electric van comes as a 6-seater with 116 kWh battery and bidirectional charging (V2G)

Volvo recently presented its first fully electric van, the EM90. Based on the Geely Zeekr 009, the Volvo EM90 is therefore a luxuriously equipped electric MPV with plenty of space and comfort as well as high safety standards thank...

Ronald Matta, 13 Nov 2023 22:39

AMD Radeon PRO W7700 promises AI-grade workstation graphics performance for under US$1,000

AMD has now unleashed the latest variant of its Radeon PRO series of graphics cards for workstation-type PCs. The W7700 is a medium-power example of its new generation, yet is touted to help achieve enterprise-grade AI and CAD res...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 13 Nov 2023 17:20

Amogy unveils the world's first zero-emission truck powered by ammonia (Image: Amogy)

New fuel made from ammonia to drive decarbonization of transportation sector

Scientist Young Suk Jo has created a new technology that aims to use ammonia as a cheaper and lower-emission fuel in the transportation industry. Ammonia offers a higher energy density compared to hydrogen, making it a significant...

Nicole Dominikowski, 13 Nov 2023 17:13

iPhone 15 series rejuvenates US smartphone market in latest quarter

The US smartphone market grew by just over 20% in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the second, according to the latest industry research. This up-tick was attributed to the launch of the latest iPhone 15 series, which account...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 12 Nov 2023 18:17

BMW will let drivers watch videos on their infotainment screens while using Level 3 self-driving features. (Image source: BMW)

BMW Personal Pilot L3 aims to beat Tesla FSD Beta in 2024

BMW is launching what it calls “highly automated driving” features in Germany. While Germany gets the SAE Level 3 Personal Pilot L3 system, the current Highway Assistant suite is limited to Level 2 in the US and Canada. BMW's Leve...

Julian van der Merwe, 12 Nov 2023 00:50

The new Mini Cooper SE will eventually be released as a John Cooper Works version, which promises more performance, fun, and styling changes. (Image source: Mini - edited)

Mini rejects ludicrous acceleration to keep "go-kart fun" for upcoming JCW performance EV — promises light weight and fun driving

Mini aims to bring the John Cooper Works brand into the modern era with its new electric drivetrain, but the brand will continue to focus on the fun side of driving in its performance EVs. Mini Coopers are known for their nimble h...

Julian van der Merwe, 11 Nov 2023 22:22

The Galaxy M44 is here...sort of. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy M44 5G makes debut as new mid-range smartphone with former flagship features

Samsung's latest product for the South Korean market is pitched as a business device - however, a closer look reveals that it is not just any work smartphone, but one with some of the same specs as the Galaxy S21. This ex-flagship...

Deirdre O'Donnell, 11 Nov 2023 15:47