Business Articles

Lenovo has not yet announced most of their 2022 ThinkPad lineup. At CES, only the premium models of the ThinkPad X1 line and the new ThinkPad Z series were unveiled. In an unprecedented move, Lenovo has revealed some information about unannounced models - notably, the new Lenovo ThinkPad T16.

Sony's stock has fallen by US$20 billion following the news of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This is the sharpest drop in Sony's shares since 2008, demonstrating the impact of Microsoft's deal on the gaming industry. It will be interesting to see how Sony responds to Microsoft and the Xbox Game Pass service.

Desktop graphics card availability remains scarce, with almost all RTX 3000 and Radeon RX 6000 series cards still hard to come by. Amazon has started selling loot boxes in Japan, but people have a far greater chance of winning a GeForce GTX 700 series card than anything from the last five years.

Microsoft has announced that its latest flagship 2-in-1, the Surface Pro 8, is now available for Indian customers to pre-order. It has been joined in this new market by its 7+ counterpart, which also has Tiger Lake silicon but lacks a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the models of either available to non-business customers are limited.

Advertised by AMD as capable of delivering an optimal 1080p gaming experience "with the fastest clocks on a gaming card in the world's first 6nm discrete GPU," the Radeon RX 6500 XT has a starting price of US$199.99. Unfortunately, finding in stock these cards, and even most custom versions with prices below US$250 seems impossible.

Nvidia is looking to try its hand at more CPU designs in the future, despite the setback caused by the ARM acquisition hurdles. The new CPU division will help with the growth of the Israeli R&D centers that is already focusing on high-speed networking, HPC, Data Processing Units and AI applications.

MediaTek has confirmed that it is working to support the roll-out of Wi-Fi 7 already. These products are projected to incorporate new and upgraded specs for improved speeds and bandwidths compared to Wi-Fi 6 or 6E. MediaTek aims to have its first examples of its new chipsets and components on the market by 2023.

Samsung is still trailing behind TSMC, but the South Korean foundries already managed to surpass Intel as far as 2021 revenues are concerned. 70% of the yearly revenue is invested by Samsung in improved production capacity, while TSMC only invests 50%, so the South Korean giant is confident that it can catch up and eventually overtake its main competitor by 2030.

Huawei is now on its own version of Google Mobile Services, which means its smartphones sold in markets such as Europe can't do most "normal Android" things, contactless payments included. Now, the OEM has announced that they might be back soon due to a Curve app that can use the NFC chip on Huawei phones.

Humble Choice has suspended its support for Mac and Linux systems as the company develops a new launcher for its subscription. The launcher will only be available for Windows PCs on February 1. Subscribers on Mac and Linux have until the end of the month to download DRM-free games from the Trove collection that are still supported, as some of these indie games will no longer be available in Mac and Linux versions.

In the largest deal in gaming history, Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for a record US$68.7 billion. The purchase, which was made entirely with cash, will cement Microsoft as the third-largest gaming company in the world. The deal is targeting 2023 for a closing date.

Subaru Tecnica International, the motorsports focused arm of Subaru, has revealed a new concept car. The all-electric STI E-RA has four motors which can deliver up to 1,073 hp.

Netflix has introduced higher costs for its streaming service for customers in the US and Canada. Netflix explained that the price hikes are necessary to compete in a crowded streaming market and is spending billions of dollars in content programming. The company has still managed to see growth in the number of subscribers even though monthly rates were increased in the past.

Mazout is a new start-up targeting the growing electric 2-wheeler market in India. However, the company asserts that its upcoming motorcycle will be the country's first example of the "cruiser" variety. A prototype of its flagship has been previewed at events such as the EV India Expo 2021 thus far.

Xiaomi has revealed new data on Redmi Note series sales figures. Purportedly, the sales figures apply globally, but they do not include any units sold this year. Xiaomi is yet to release the Redmi Note 11 series worldwide, too.

A report by Counterpoint Research has now provided a look at sales of Apple's iPhone 13 range in China. The iPhone 13 dominates as expected but the iPhone 13 Mini comes in last by quite the distance, further buttressing rumors of Apple axing the iPhone 14 Mini.

Recent reports excited Samsung fans in Europe with the idea of the Galaxy S22 Ultra being shipped with the Snapdragon Gen 1 across all regions. New information might just have put paid to those thoughts, however, as it now appears that the Galaxy S22 series will ship with the Exynos 2200 in Europe.

The Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro look set to make the journey over to the global market after they debuted in China a few weeks ago. Both phones have now stopped over at Indonesia's SPDDI for certification. The Xiaomi 12X, however, looks to be absent.

Although no Tesla cars can be purchased using DOGE yet, the official Tesla online store is currently selling the Cyberquad for Kids (none in stock right now, apparently) and accepts this meme coin as (the only?) payment method. Other products available for DOGE are the Cyberwhistle and the Giga Texas Belt Buckle.

Hyundai Motors plans to release no less than seven electric vehicles in the U.S. this year among all of its brands like Kia or Genesis, starting with the base Ioniq 5 model. The existing factories in Alabama and Georgia may be retrofitted for expanding EV production in America according to Hyundai's US$7.4 billion manufacturing plan, but President Biden's pending subsidies for carmakers registered with the United Auto Workers Union may tip the scales in the Tennessee plant's favor.

After an initial jump of over 15 percent that came after the new rumors regarding a listing on Robinhood, Shiba Inu is now down nearly 7 percent compared to yesterday. Although the meme coin will probably hit Robinhood sooner or later, it looks like it will take some time until it even gets near to the ATH value.

An analysis from Goldman Sachs has revealed that Apple has largely met demand for the iPhone 13 series of smartphones. On the other hand, the supply for the 14-inch and the 16-inch MacBook Pros still lags behind the demand. Unlike the iPhone 13, the MacBook Pro supply situation has worsened.

The partnership between TSMC and Intel is solidified through the transformation of the Fab 12 P8 / P9 center in Baoshan into a fully fledged production site with an independent team serving Intel. TSMC thus ensures that the Intel and Apple production lines stay separate and designs remain confidential.

Gap has released NFTs, which were designed using hoodie art, as part of a digital experience to engage customers in line with modern culture. This customer experience consists of multiple tiers, with the Epic tier created via a partnership with Brandon Sines. The digital art was developed using Tezos blockchain, which Gap endorsed for its environmental friendliness.

Tesla scrubbed all Cybertruck 2022 production references from its website recently and threw those who hit the preorder button in a state of confusion. It turns out that Elon Musk may simply be preparing for a grand 2022 Tesla product roadmap unveiling during the next quarterly conference call where the top Cybertruck electric pickup trim and its pricing will be revealed.

Take-Two interactive has announced that it will be purchasing Zynga for US$12.7 billion dollars in an effort to boost its stance in the mobile gaming sector as well as incorporate Zynga's popular games to establish itself as a leading mobile developer. The move will aid Take-Two Interactive in broadening its scope and reach new audiences across the globe.

While chip shortages should gradually ease each quarter this year, laptop integrators are currently unable to secure enough PCIe 3.0 SSD controllers and possibly certain Intel Alder Lake processors. Smartphone integrators, on the other hand, are still confronting with low supplies for 4G SoCs, OLED DDIC / Touch IC, PMIC and A+G sensors.

AmazeVR, a virtual reality concert platform, has recently raised US$15 million in funding. The company’s first VR show with Megan Thee Stallion will be available in theaters in the US this year.

A new report from Bloomberg states that Sony plans on manufacturing up to a million PS4 consoles in 2022. It will serve as a low-cost alternative to those who are unwilling/unable to get their hands on a PS5, which will be short in supply for the foreseeable future.

Now that 2022 is in full swing, Apple has released a summary of its services and how they have "enriched" lives during the previous year. This includes claims that the developers who make apps for its systems made about US$60 billion in revenue over the 12 months just gone. The Cupertino giant was more cagey about what it made itself, besides hinting at record takings over the winter holiday and New Year.

The Galaxy S22 series is expected to debut in a few weeks and a new leak has now provided the first look yet at pricing for the trio of flagship phones in the US. Prices see a US$100 jump versus the Galaxy S21 series across the board, sadly.

The Galaxy Tab S8 series is expected to make its debut shortly. A new leak has now provided pricing details for the trio, the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+, and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, for the European market. Pricing will begin at around €700 and go all the way north of €1200.

EVGA's truckload of RTX 30 series GPUs has surfaced in Vietnam, over two months after they were swiped in the US. An official retailer had been selling them, reputedly without knowledge that they were stolen.

Over the past few months, both Samsung and Omnivision have debuted 200 MP CMOS sensors. While no smartphone on the market is equipped with either of those sensors yet, a new leak speculates that Xiaomi could lead the line with the Xiaomi Note 11.

The integrated light isn't very bright and so it serves as a more supplementary role. Video quality is otherwise bright and clear with the handy built-in tripod connector and 6 ft USB cable.

Answering the question who is currently the richest person in crypto, the net worth of the Binance exchange founder and CEO has been estimated for the first time. Bloomberg's Billionaire Index immediately shot him before the alleged inventor of Bitcoin Satoshi Nakamoto's riches. While Satoshi is supposedly the owner of 1.1 million bitcoins sloshing around with dubious access privileges, the Binance CEO net worth is tangible and now pegged at US$96 billion, making him the richest man in crypto.

Mozilla, the Firefox browser creator, has paused its policy to enable donations using cryptocurrencies after meeting harsh criticisms from the community. The environmental impact of cryptomining was one of the main concerns voiced. The foundation promised transparency as it deliberated the policy's alignment with the climate goals of the organisation.

OnwardMobility, owner of the BlackBerry brand, has now reiterated its commitment to delivering a 5G BlackBerry smartphone with a physical keyboard. "Contrary to popular belief, we are not dead," the company stated.

PayPal has indicated to the media that it is currently "exploring" the prospect of its very own stablecoin (a form of cryptocurrency pegged to the value of fiat or a commodity standard). This announcement follows the discovery of code to this effect allegedly discovered by a developer in one of the major payment service's mobile apps.

OnePlus and Xiaomi phones look to be walking the path of flames enthusiastically in India. After multiple incidents of OnePlus Nord 2 units exploding, the latest case has a OnePlus Nord CE also combusting spontaneously.

TCL has brought its latest and highest-end TVs to CES 2022, its 98-inch Class XL model included. This QLED device is joined at the show by examples of the OEM's proprietary OD Zero mini-LED such as the X925 PRO. This 4K flagship is rated to be less than 10mm thick, despite its 85-inch size.

The BMW iX Flow concept car has been demonstrated at CES 2022. The vehicle can change color thanks to a coat of paint which includes E Ink, the same technology used in e-readers.

HP has introduced new Chromebooks to its Elite Dragonfly series. The Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and Dragonfly Chromebook Enterprise offer advanced video collaboration features and a haptic touchpad along with Intel Alder Lake vPro processor options.

During its CES 2022 keynote, Intel detailed some of the changes coming to the Evo 3 specification. Intel Evo 3 builds on the previous spec and now focuses on more immersive collaborative experiences such as AI-based background noise cancelation and an improved 720p or FHD webcam. Intel is also extending Project Athena to desktops, and Evo 3 to H-series laptops with Arc dGPUs, accessories and foldable laptops.

With the ThinkPad X1 Nano, the smallest and most lightweight ThinkPad laptop of the 2021 generation, Lenovo produced a successful newcomer to the ThinkPad X1 line. The ThinkPad X1 Nano G2 is supposed to continue the success-story with much faster processors.

Lenovo is updating its well-known line of X1 ThinkPad laptops. The 14 inch models ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 and ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 build upon existing designs - the new releases include OLED screen options, a 1080p webcam and Intel Alder-Lake U15 or P28.

The second generation ThinkBook 13X business notebooks from Lenovo feature the latest Intel i7 Alder Lake-P processors integrating Iris Xe graphics, up to 32 GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 1 TB of PCIe 4 NVMe SSD storage and a best-in-class display with 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS panel. Lenovo also includes premium AI-powered business software for meetings.

The 27-inch Lenovo Q27h-20 is a high-end edgeless 27-inch QHD monitor with a stylish design, Eyesafe-certified low blue light technology, as well as an integrated USB-C one-cable docking solution that provides up to 90 W of charging power. It will hit the US market in May with a starting price of US$349.99.