Business Articles

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.

Games as a service is a successful concept that has long been commonplace in mobile gaming. According to a recent survey, there will also be significantly more games with a live service for PC and consoles in the future.

CAKE, the Swedish electric motorcycle startup known for its functional, minimalist designs, has filed for bankruptcy. The company had struggled lately with decreased demand and a few product recalls, and the withdrawal of an investor during its latest funding round proved to be the last straw. It is the latest of several e-mobility companies that have gone under in the last few months.

Nvidia Corporation's market capitalization soared to record highs in January, marking the largest monthly increase in the company's history. The surge was driven by a combination of factors, including growing optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI).

Large car rental agencies such as Sixt and Hertz are planning to rid themselves of EVs from Tesla. There are several reasons for this: low residual value and demand, as well as high repair costs than comparable combustion cars. Sixt has therefore announced a mega deal with Stellantis, which will see Sixt purchase up to 250,000 cars from Stellantis by 2026.

Advertised as the first Alzheimer's drug capable to treat the cognitive decline coming with this infamous disease, Biogen's Aduhelm has just been withdrawn from the market. The only treatment for this brain disorder approved in the US remains Leqembi, co-manufactured by Biogen and Japanese company Eisai.

Samsung is preparing to improve the visual clarity of its 27-inch QD-OLED panel offering. Currently limited to 1440p with a 360 Hz refresh rate, the company's next-generation option will jump to 4K, although not until next year.

Reportedly, Samsung Display has confirmed plans to start producing a new QD-OLED panel in time for a release later this year. Seemingly unofficially debuting last month at CES 2024 in the ASRock Phantom Gaming PGO34QRT2A and Gigabyte AORUS MO34WQC, the probable Gen 3 QD-OLED panel will combine a 1440p resolution with a 240 Hz refresh rate across a 34-inch ultra-wide canvas.

According to various sources, LG Display is already in a position to show off its next-generation MLA-OLED panel technology. Due to be arriving next year, presumably during CES 2025 in Las Vegas, the new panels are said to be over 20% brighter than those that underpin the LG OLED G4 that will begin shipping this year.

Starting yesterday, Copilot for Sales and Copilot for Service are available to those in need of adding enterprise-grade AI capabilities to their Microsoft 365 applications. Copilot's power can also be seamlessly integrated into CRM solutions and contact center systems for sales and support professionals.

Tesla may be altering Ford's controversial method when it comes to making Chinese LFP batteries on US soil in order to avoid regulatory scrutiny. A section of its Nevada Gigafactory will be dedicated to making iron phosphate cells with equipment from China and still score federal tax credits.

According to recent reports, Kia is delaying the launch of its EV4 electric sedan. The company’s Vice President supposedly made the announcement in a conference call. The EV4 was unveiled at the brand’s EV Day event last year alongside other electric vehicles like the EV3.

The CEO of Electronic Arts, Andrew Wilson, was asked by an analyst to comment about the Switch 2 in a recent earnings call. The executive was careful not to offer up any substantial details about the rumored Nintendo Switch 2 console, but he did offer the statement that “new platforms are good for us”, especially for some of EA’s major titles.

According to a reliable analyst, Apple is bracing itself for a slowdown in iPhone sales throughout 2024, particularly in the second half of the year. Principally, the lack of changes between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 could are being blamed, with even fewer planned than Apple offered between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.

The Stellantis STLA Large platform for battery electric vehicles has been unveiled. The company announced that it will be used in eight upcoming vehicles, including the recently unveiled Jeep Wagoneer S. Plus, the platform’s integrated battery capacity could make the EVs strong competition for other brands like Kia, Tesla and Ford.

For the first time since 1999, Sony made more money than Samsung. The South Korean juggernaut expects a memory price recovery this year, but last year's slump led to a 34% drop in Q4 operating profit.

The powerful Core i7 configuration of the ThinkPad T14 from 2022 has turned into a business laptop bargain as a well-known electronics retailer currently grants a massive 61 percent discount on Lenovo's robust 14-inch workhorse.

As Warcraft will celebrate its 30th anniversary late this year, it's not surprising to see Blizzard bring back the two games alongside another classic, namely Diablo. These titles are now available on Battle.net for $9.99 (Diablo and Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness) and $5.99 (Warcraft: Orcs & Humans).

Stellantis has announced plans to pause the production of the Fiat 500e for several weeks across February and March. This is not the first action taken by the company, which has cited lower-than-expected sales as a reason for the temporary closure, laying some of the blame on the Italian government.

Tesla's Cybertruck purchase agreement forbids owners from selling their electric pickup trucks for one year after delivery. An influencer took a Cybertruck they had on loan to a CarMax to get it appraised, with the used car buyer presenting a surprisingly low offer.