Business Articles

The Sharp NEC NC603L Laser Projector has been revealed, following the recent announcement of the NC1503L. Both of the new models have been designed for movie theatres, with the NC603L offering up to 6,000 lumens brightness. Features include automatic brightness adjustment, an internal cooling system, and motorized focus and zoom.

Following the recent rescue of VanMoof, another e-bike company is now in financial trouble. Danish brand Mate Bike is currently taking steps to try to avoid bankruptcy and continue trading. Various factors appear to have contributed to the problem, including a drop in demand and supply chain issues.

Toyota claims it is nearing production on solid-state battery technology, predicting that it will start shipping production EVs with solid-state batteries as early as 2027, although initial volumes will be low. The company is working with Idemitsu Kosan energy group on developing a sulphide solid electrolyte, which should increase battery durability.

Fisker has dropped the price of the Ocean Extreme SUV by US$7,500 to US$61,449, putting it well below the standard Dual Motor AWD Tesla Model X and much closer to the US$52,490 Model Y Performance. Fisker customers who have already ordered or purchased an Ocean Extreme will receive a US$7,500 price adjustment.

DS Automobiles has announced that some European customers can now use ChatGPT in their DS 3, DS 4, DS 7 and DS 9 vehicles. The AI model is offered with the DS IRIS SYSTEM, creating an intelligent voice assistant. Suggested uses include generating stories and quizzes to provided entertainment on the road.

The dealer markups that have plagued the automotive world of late have struck again, this time laying claim to the Chevrolet Blazer EV, which is supposed to have an MSRP of under US$60,000. Some dealers appear to be adding “market adjustments” of up to US$10,000 on top of that MSRP.

Toyota has provided a sneak peek at what to expect from the Japan Mobility Show, but the highlights of the show are sure to be the electric Land Cruiser and EPU pickup truck concepts. The Land Cruiser, however, changes significantly from its rugged roots, taking shape as a seven-seater crossover instead of a hardcore off-roader.

Swappable batteries promise low down-time for commercial delivery companies, effectively extending range where swap stations are available. The MEV-Van concept is based on the compact Honda N-Van e: that debuted earlier this year, and will be trialled by Japanese delivery company Yamato Transport.

The HoloLens virtual reality headset, which Microsoft manufactures for the US military, has met with widespread rejection by soldiers because it can cause various physical ailments. There are now also fears that hacker attacks on the VR/MR headset could jeopardize mission security and the health of soldiers.

AMD is confident that its new Threadripper PRO series has it all for use-cases ranging from "world-class" creation to "generative" design in manufacturing - a new top-end variant with double the cores and threads of the outgoing 5995WX flagship included. The 7000WX line-up also introduces PCIe 5.0 support, an increased top clock and a larger TDP, yet is touted to do so with "industry-leading efficiency" as well as potentially unprecedented speed and bandwidth.

Threadripper for the desktop is officially back today (October 19, 2023) with the launch of the new 7000X-series processors. They are rated for a selection of the main I/O support upgrades of their PRO counterparts, not to mention their improved TDP. AMD backs them to beat comparator Intel platforms in use-cases ranging from software development to industrial design on high-end PCs.

Tesla has confirmed that despite “enormous challenges in reaching volume production,” the Cybertruck will start reaching customers before the end of November 2023. The company also claims that it has capacity to produce over 125,000 units per year.

Qualcomm and Google has announced that RISC-V-based wearables with all the benefits of Wear OS might be on the cards in the near future. The two OEMs are currently collaborating on such a new platform with the emerging alternative to ARM and software support for the same. This new version of Snapdragon Wear might be just the tip of the iceberg for the wider integration of RISC-V throughout the entirety of Android devices.

Tesla has silently made the Model 3 Highland available for order in the United Kingdom after an EU release earlier this year. The new Model 3 is available in two trims for the time being, and the base Model 3 RWD starts at £39,990.

Stellantis has announced the Citroën ë-C3 for the European market. The new EV is built on Stelantis's Smart Car Platform. While it will only feature 199 miles (320.26 km) of WLTP range, the new EV will also only cost €23,300, with a €19,990 coming in 2025.

The latest version of RTX VSR, NVIDIA's AI-powered pixel processing tool rated to crush artifacts in streamed content, has been released to Turing-based cards (the RTX 20-series included) as part of the OEM's latest crop of software upgrades. It also unleashes TensorRT-LLM for RTX, rated to boost performance on Windows-based large language models (LLMs) by up to 400%.

Although it was thought that the barely unveiled HyperOS would replace MIUI in all markets, it looks like the future of Xiaomi's software environment is different. HyperOS will be only present in China, while other markets will still receive MIUI. They will use the same core, but HyperOS users will get some exclusive features.

A Sony patent filing describes a shutter button that features haptic feedback in the form of vibration when certain actions take place. Sony provided little indication of what it plans to do with the feature in the patent documents, but it could prove quite useful for both photography and videography if sufficient customisation is enabled.

Oukitel has reportedly showcased its latest smartphone as the first of its line to debut with the same ultra-fast-charging technology as some much higher-end Android devices. The WP30 Pro is also touted to sport a rear-mounted display as well as its main 120Hz screen, and to have a primary camera with a resolution that is also in triple figures.

Samsung is now slated to have a new option in the mid-range Android smartphone market for 2024 or possibly even late 2023: the Galaxy M44. It has been identified as a 5G device in a new tip, which also confirms its model number and Bluetooth specs. Based on the latter alone, it is shaping up to be an affordable enough new handset on its release.

The first thing the owner of a brand new iPhone might have to do after unboxing is download and install a software update, especially if they, for example want the latest iOS 17.0.3 version. However, that might not be the case in the future, as Apple is now said to have new technology that allows its staff members to update a retail unit without even taking it out of its packaging.

Qualcomm has revealed that it will cut over 1,200 jobs, or those of about 2.5% of its current employees, later in 2023. All of the affected staff members are located in the same region, although they will be obliged to leave their posts in two different facilities within it. Nevertheless, the OEM has announced its intention to keep investing in different business areas at around the same time.

The GSM Association's latest study on mobile internet use worldwide has concluded that over half of the global population now has at least one smartphone. Four billion of those people are estimated to use mobile data on those devices, although hundreds of millions still use alternative mobile devices. The number of people without access to mobile connectivity has also been found to have dropped precipitously since 2015.

An all-electric BMW M car with a dual-motor rear-wheel-drive drivetrain could be on the cards for the German carmaker. This quirky drive-train arrangement could act as a sort of electronic limited-slip differential, give drivers more control over their vehicles, and allow BMW to implement its Drift Analyser feature for extra fun.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G4 is available with both AMD and Intel CPUs. In terms of multicore performance and GPU power, the Intel model with Raptor Lake U is inferior - at least, the Intel ThinkPad has the single core performance as a strength.

Volkswagen has refreshed the ID.4 and ID.5 with a range of upgrades, the option of an enlarged cockpit display included. The electric cars' Pro models are also touted to come with improved range, torque and power, while their GTX versions are backed to get from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under six seconds.

The Tesla Cybertruck has been spotted in Mexico during a photo shoot, with spy shots revealing a spacious frunk, comfortably seating a grown human man, and a much-improved bed design sans aggressively-slanted sides.

Tesla is expanding its wrap offerings beyond the Chinese market, where they have been available for some time. This new offering all but confirms that Tesla will offer first-party wraps for the Cybertruck, which has been spotted wearing all sorts of exciting and comedic vinyl in test runs.

Sharp/NEC Displays has unveiled the NC1503 projector, a model designed for portable and small booth cinemas. The gadget uses an RB laser light source to generate images up to 17 m (~56 ft) wide with up to 14,000 lumens brightness. Other features include a DCI 2K native resolution, various USB ports and less than 50 dB of fan noise.

Xiaomi's upcoming first-gen car, is widely thought to land as a purely battery-powered electric vehicle (or BEV). However, according to the latest reports, it might also be possible to buy it as an extended-range EV (or E-REV). This kind of car integrates a small internal combustion engine (ICE) intended to help it run on electric power for longer.

OPPO has set the stage for the launch of the next major software upgrade for its Android smartphones during its Developers Conference of 2023. The event will also introduce the OEM's connected smart device ecosystem, not to mention its own generative AI model and latest development in health technology.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max upgraded to the latest A17 Pro chipset from Apple, whereas the 15 and 15 Plus were left to make do with the same A16 Bionic from the 14 Pro series. However, according to new analysis, the 2 cheaper models do have the same new external Snapdragon modem for 5G as their higher-end siblings. That means all four new iPhones have the same marquee wireless comms features, Roadside Assistance via Satellite included.

Last week's agreement between Lenovo and Esper brings the latter's enterprise-grade Android and device management to a wide range of devices. The first one to run the custom Android-based OS is the third-generation Lenovo ThinkCentre M70a desktop, to be followed by a few others before the end of 2023.

The Displace TV is touted as the world's first smart screen that works without cables of any kind, and also without a conventional wall-mount of any kind. Now, its OEM has gone into more detail on the "vacuum suction system" that keeps it up instead, and what happens if it or the integrity of the wall behind it were to fail. This involves the "ingenious" safeguards inside the TV rated to let it abseil down gently rather than shatter on the floor.

Sustainability has been one of the mega-trends of the economy in the last few years. In tech, one way to achieve this goal is by making devices repairable. Lenovo, currently the biggest PC manufacturer, has now predicted that the vast majority of its devices will be repairable by 2025.

Sharge (formerly Shargeek) has made its name on accessories designed to appeal to the tech enthusiast with a transparent designs that pack advanced charging capabilities. Unfortunately, they often prove kind of expensive - until now. Their latest Prime Day sale takes 59% off their original prices, leaving even the highest-capacity Sharge 100 up for grabs at under US$200 off.

Tesla's biggest EV competitor in the US market, The Hyundai Motor Group, will be joining the Supercharger bandwagon in 2024, with NACS becoming the default plug for Hyundai and Kia in 2025. Genesis has yet to make an announcement, but one is likely imminent, given the shared vehicle platforms.

Samsung is a little late to the party when it comes to foldable laptops at this stage. Nevertheless, the South Korean giant is said to join in, albeit possibly not until 2024 at the earliest. That event might see the launch of a markedly thin flexible-display device thanks to hinge technology already at work in the Galaxy Z Fold5 or Flip5 smartphones. Then again, there might be some drawbacks to its use in a full PC.

Kia has announced that it will unveil two new concept vehicles at its EV Day event this October. The concept EVs are expected to be the EV3 crossover and the EV4 saloon. The company will also use the event, expected to become an annual tradition, to provide more details on the recently revealed EV5.

The Poly Voyager Surround 85 UC are new Bluetooth headphones that the user can charge simply by placing them on their custom stand. It is powered by NuCurrent NuSync technology to power up via a "unique" near-field communication (NFC) system. The Surround 85 UC headset also supports adaptive ANC and is rated for up to 21 hours of use.

Acer Chromebooks have gone Plus for the first time with the series' latest 514 and 515 variants. The former has a 14-inch WUXGA display driven by a Ryzen 5 7000-series platform, whereas the latter has either 12th- or 13th-gen Intel processors for the potential to 2x the average Chrome OS productivity experience. The OEM asserts that they will deliver a workload capacity enhanced with "AI-powered Google and Adobe features".

CheckMag The titanium credit card Apple launched in 2019 was set to conquer the world, according to easy-to-excite types. The hype was so abundant that Samsung followed suit shortly out of fear of missing out. It's Q4 2023 and Apple Card's future looks bleak, as if the company has somehow forgotten about this little project.

The purveyor of Unreal Engine and Fortnite has apparently just realized that it is "spending too much money", and has decided to take steps to address this situation. Epic Games will cut SuperAwesome loose, and rid itself of Bandcamp, in order to achieve its goals. Nevertheless, it has managed to prepare severance packages for the ~900 employees also laid off as a result of its determination.

Honda appears to be entering the electric SUV space with an SUV that will slot in next to the Honda Passport. The Prologue will start in the “upper US$40,000s,” and it will be available with 21-inch wheels and an AWD drive train with 288 hp.

Next-gen devices with shiny new, cutting-edge 3 nanometer (nm) chipsets are now thought to meet with less consumer enthusiasm or FOMO than one might think as they start to emerge in late 2023 or early 2024. That, according to a respected industry analyst, has already prompted Apple not to splash out on the upgrade as much as it might have, while Qualcomm has already taken one major blow to its hopes for 3nm sales.

Qualcomm has introduced a first-gen Snapdragon AR1 Platform alongside its Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, the former of which is specifically intended for the smart glasses and other augmented reality (AR) hardware of the near future. The latter, on the other hand, will power more virtual reality (VR) -focused headsets such as the Meta Quest 3.