Business Articles

For the second time, Open AI has been reminded of its poor choice of name for its chatbot. Despite the argument that the general meaning of ‘GPT’ was too esoteric for the general public, the US PTO was quick to deny Open AI's trademark application.

Apple asserts that its inaugural Vision Pro will be to "spatial computing" as the iPhone was to personal mobile device use. However, if the Cupertino giant was hoping for universal acceptance of its new headset, it seems it is not getting it, as the device is reportly being returned in noticeable numbers.

There are clear indications that Resident Evil publisher Capcom will follow in the footsteps of its industry colleagues and permanently raise its game prices to a base level of 70 US dollars.

An agreement has been reached between Epson and Dangbei following a complaint relating to the brightness measurement provided for the Mars Pro projector. As part of the settlement, Dangbei has said it will adjust the figure provided for this model and adhere to international standards in the future.

OpenAI has inked a deal with venture capital firm Thrive Capital that has boosted its valuation to $80 billion or more, marking a nearly threefold increase in value from just nine months ago. The agreement allows employees to cash out their shares.

Spy photos claim to reveal the Rivian R2 platform, but the R1S-like proportions of the new model are causing confusion among fans of the EV brand. Rivian's new R2 platform is said to cost around $40,000–$60,000 and be significantly smaller than the R1S that precedes it.

Palworld's surprising rise that seemed unstoppable was not enough to push it higher than PUBG, and now this title has problems keeping up with Counter-Strike 2. Palworld's player base has pushed it in the third place on February 12 and it looks like it might soon have to fight to remain in Steam's top 5.

Shortly after Ford stopped producing the sub-compact Fiesta in Europe, CEO Jim Farley has said that he has tasked his team with coming up with a plan to develop a small, affordable EV to make the company's EV business more profitable.

Huawei's tablet, which is said to resemble a 10-inch iPad when unfolded and fits inside your pocket when double folded, is scheduled to go into mass production sometime in the first half of this year, according to a report. Samsung is also likely to have a similar product in the works for 2024, as new rumors suggest. In addition, Oppo and Vivo are apparently planning a withdrawal from the foldable market.

PFN has been collaborating with TSMC since 2016, yet it decided to produce its next gen AI chips on Samsung's 2 nm nodes. While TSMC currently has more 2 nm clients, PFN's switch could signal a reversal in Samsung's favor, since the Japanese company has close ties with Intel and Nvidia.

A new business projector has been revealed by BenQ, the LW650. The model is similar to the recently released LH650, though it has a WUXGA rather than a 1080p native resolution, which should make it cheaper than its predecessor. Other features include up to 4,000 ANSI lumens brightness, support for HDR10+ and 1.3X zoom.

Blizzard is currently offering a bundle with cosmetic content for Diabolo 4 that costs just as much as the actual game. The community seems to be less enthusiastic about this.

Tesla has today increased the price of the new Model 3 Long Range variant in the US to $47,490, a $1,500 jump from the launch price last month. This makes it practically the same price as the Model Y Long Range, which is available for $47,990, and $7,000 more expensive when factoring in federal tax credits. The RWD standard range model’s price remains unchanged.

MonoCab is a self-driving train cab that can be ordered like a taxi via an app and does not require a driver. With its sustainable design and ability to run two cabs on one track, this innovative transport offers a promising alternative to driving, especially in rural areas.

On sale for $675, the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 with an AMD CPU is one of the more affordable choices for fans of durable business laptops who need a decent amount of memory and don't want to opt for one of the older ThinkPad models that can often be found in this price range.

Virtual power plants are intelligent systems that network decentralised energy sources such as solar panels, EV chargers and battery storage. The innovative technology optimises energy generation and distribution in real time to avoid grid overload, reduce costs and cut CO2 emissions.

It is not only the end of the online functions for NBA 2K 22 that has caused a stir with GTA publisher Take-Two, but also the debate about the whereabouts of the virtual currency, which has led to a legal dispute between the company and the players. The outcome of the lawsuit could have far-reaching consequences for the gaming industry.

On Monday, February 12, the stock price of Arm soared by 93% since the British chip designer and developer released the quarterly financial data on February 8. What's more interesting is that the shares saw a significant 29% surge on Monday alone.

The Starlink for Aviation business tier comes with a rather high $150,000 hardware cost and the monthly subscription rate is $25,000. Despite those price tags, one major airline will be offering free in-flight Starlink Internet.

There have been some claims made that Starlink terminals have made their way into Russian hands and are being used, specifically in parts of occupied Ukraine. Both Elon Musk and SpaceX have made statements on X asserting that no direct or indirect sales of Starlink equipment have been made to Russia.

Wild claims about climate change are piling up on social media sites such as YouTube, and the platform is making a fortune out of disinformation campaigns. Now, in a major study, scientists have found that the old views of "climate deniers" have changed drastically, and they see a worrying trend.

Ethiopia has decided that only electric cars may be imported into the country. The move is a major step towards sustainable mobility and is ahead of the European Union's plans to ban internal combustion engines from 2035.

Nvidia, the leading global designer and supplier of AI chips, is setting up a new business unit to focus on creating custom chips for cloud computing companies and other businesses. The move aims to carve out a piece of the rapidly expanding custom AI chip industry.

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos has sold approximately 12 million shares of the company, netting around $2 billion. This move comes shortly after Bezos announced a plan to sell his shares over the next year.

Three new laser projector models are available from PFU America, a company owned by Ricoh. The line-up includes short throw, compact, and higher-end gadgets, with up to 6,000 lumens brightness. Other features include keystone correction, automatic angle adjustment and a built-in speaker.

Disney has spent 1.5 billion US dollars to acquire shares in Fortnite publisher Epic Games. The goal: a whole new gaming and entertainment universe.

Google has renamed its AI chatbot Bard to Google Gemini and also added new functions and improvements to its most powerful artificial intelligence: 40 languages supported, Gemini app for Android and iPhone (in the Google app for iOS) is available in the USA.

A new Fujifilm X100VI rumour claims that the upcoming compact rangefinder-style camera will start arriving in the hands of buyers shortly after the February 20 announcement. The implications of this short pre-order window are good news for anyone looking to buy the camera at MSRP.

Although salaries remain confidential, internal leaked documents reveal that Tesla now pays its US factory workers between $22 and $39 an hour while dividing them into seven levels. The changes became effective last month, after being finalized in December 2023. Last year, the industry average was $28 an hour.

GoPro has announced that it has rebranded its current subscription to Premium, which has also now sprouted a new Plus variant. The latter offers all of the same features as the former, with an added 'pro-grade' video stabilization tool and extra added cloud storage. The action-cam OEM's Quik for Macs has finally been released alongside it.

A new three row battery electric SUV for the US market is on the way from Toyota. The company noted the model in an announcement about further investment in its Kentucky facility, which will be shared across several EV projects. Rumors about the seven-seater and other SUVs from Toyota Motor Corporation-owned brands began last year.

The world's first plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel from ethanol has been commissioned by pioneers in Illinois, USA. With an investment volume of $200 million, the plant is intended to help decarbonise the aviation industry and at the same time reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Additional facilities will follow in the UK by 2025.

Rocket Homes and Wayfair have announced that they see the Vision Pro's (astronomical) value as the ideal new platform for their respective sales apps. Accordingly, those with Apple's first-gen headset can now view their next dream home in virtual and/or augmented reality (VR/AR) with Real Estate Search, then make it their own with the Decorify app.

A US judge has ruled in favor of Apple on an antitrust lawsuit filed by AliveCor. The complaint relates to ECG technology from the two companies and dates back to 2015. While Apple has welcomed the ruling, AliveCor indicated it would appeal the decision and noted several other patent infringement cases.

As Nintendo announced in an official announcement, almost all online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will be discontinued in April of this year.

After weeks of rumours about popular Xbox exclusive titles being brought over to PlayStation and Nintendo, it seems Microsoft will finally be sharing its multi-platform plans next week in a “business update event”. Games rumoured to be made multi-platform include Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves and Starfield.

Snap Inc., the parent company of the popular social media app Snapchat, will be reducing its workforce by 10%. With this, Snap has become the latest tech company to initiate lay offs due to a dip in ad revenue, and other reasons.

LG has announced that its smart displays come with complimentary access to Apple's TV Plus (or TV+) content for a limited time. The offer is open to all new and existing owners of eligible 4K or 8K TVs released over the past seven years, as well as the StanbyME series of "lifestyle screens".

OLED gaming monitors are becoming increasingly popular, with dozens of new examples having been showcased last month at CES 2024. While WOLED and QD-OLED panels feature various technical advantages over their IPS and VA counterparts, two major gaming monitor manufacturers have now increased their respective warranties and guarantees for OLED panels, including if OLED burn-in occurs.

According to Nintendo's recently published financial reports, the Nintendo Switch is continuing to sell like hot cakes. The total number of Switch units (across all models) hit 139.36 million as of the end of December 2023. However, console sales have declined by roughly 7.8% year-over-year.

Other highlights for this configuration include a 5 MP webcam with IR sensor, fingerprint reader integrated in the power button, 2x USB4 ports and a total weight of only 2.51 lbs.

SpaceX is finally releasing its new, more powerful Starlink Residential tier hardware, and is making it available for purchase at places like Best Buy. The new Starlink Standard Kit comes with a larger antenna.

The launch date of the Rivian R2 has been officially announced following a recent leak. The unveiling event is expected to take place in Laguna Beach at the new Rivian Theatre. Plus, the brand has topped a recent Consumer Reports survey with the highest customer satisfaction score.

With more than 2 million unique users last year, the AI-powered video creation service Pictory is now available as a powerful feature for ChatGPT users. Only available to Plus subscribers, it can quickly turn simple ideas into videos. Later this year, Pictory will also reshape PowerPoint presentations into professional videos.

$2.6 billion is being invested in a Norwegian carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. The aim is to store the carbon dioxide emitted by European industry in a pristine reservoir of saline groundwater beneath the ocean floor. The European Union is backing the controversial experiment.

The Kia America team has announced an increase in sales volume in January 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The company calls out the EV9 electric SUV as a critical element of the growth, and the EV6 also had a decent month. Plus, the EV9 has recently been nominated as the best car of its kind by a US jury.

Nokia has announced the signing of its sixth patent cross-license agreement in the last thirteen months, this time with Vivo. The mobile device OEM will make royalty payments in return to access to 5G intellectual property (IP). It may stand to gain greater access to global markets for smartphones such as the premium X100 series as a result.

By 2023, China will not only have installed more solar panels than the US in its entire history, but more than any other country in the world. According to BloombergNEF, the rapid growth of renewable energy has seen China install 58 % of the world's solar systems last year.

Conceived with corporations and municipal governments in mind, Nissan's upcoming Energy Share service focuses on providing the best energy management solution for EV fleets. Set to launch in Japan on March 1st, it will deliver a complete, one-stop service experience, from planning to maintenance.