Internet of Things (IoT)

The Xiaomi M365 electric scooters is popular with ride-sharing companies such as Bird in the US. They can hire out such vehicles online thanks to the ability to remotely lock rental units as and when they need to. The research group Zimperium has claimed to be able to hi-jack this mechanism due to vulnerabilities found in Xiaomi's Bluetooth authentication procedure for the M365.

Google is continuing to ramp up its efforts in the custom silicon space. According to Reuters, the company has just added 16 new staff to its “gChips” team based in Bengaluru India with backgrounds working with chip makers include Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom and Nvidia.

This new dating trend originates from Samsung and shows just how handy the integrated camera in its Family Hub refrigerators can be. Instead of having to swipe through dating profiles plastered with snapchat filter modified photographs; users pick their partners based on the contents of their refrigerators alone.

Jensen Huang, NVIDIA's chief executive officer (CEO), will deliver the keynote speech at this year's GPU Technology Conference (GTC). This event will take place in several locations in San José, California, from March 17 to 21, 2019. Huang will present on his company's recent breakthroughs in AI, robotics and self-driving tech during his speech.

The MXCHIP EMW3060 is a small Wi-Fi board that integrates an ARM processor, which can help developers deliver small IoT projects affordably. The EMW3060 may have less flexibility than its Arduino alternatives though.

The Instagram egg, also known as the world_record_egg, has finally come out of its shell to reveal its purpose to the world. In a clip shown on Super Bowl Sunday and sponsored by the streaming company Hulu, the egg showed it had cracked under the pressure of social media. The video ends by providing a link for Mental Health America.

The Intel Core i9-8950HK represents the top of the line, but users with tighter budgets can opt to get one of the variants sporting Core i5-8300H / i7-8750H / Xeon E-2176M CPUs. All models may be equipped with up to 32 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM and up to 1 TB of NVMe SSD storage, plus there is room for a 2.5-inch HDD as well. With a standard issue CPU cooler, these mini PCs will be anything but quiet.

Artificial Intelligence is getting better, but can humans stay ahead of the machines? Unity thinks so and is offering $100,000 in prizes to any developers that can code an AI to beat Obstacle Tower, a new game designed to specifically test AIs. The game features procedurally generated levels that change with each playthrough, presenting a major challenge for programs that thrive on repetition.

DeepMind Technologies will be celebrating after its AlphaStar AI managed to defeat two human opponents in the popular RTS game StarCraft II. Five versions of AlphaStar were created to compete against each other, with the AI winner taking on highly ranked professional players. DeepMind, which is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has already managed to create a program that beat some of the world’s best players at Go.

The new Intel RealSense Tracking Camera T265 was designed for applications such as robotics, drones, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR). This US$199 piece of hardware uses proprietary visual inertial odometry simultaneous localization and mapping, can be already pre-ordered, and shipments will begin at the end of February.

Spotify, the popular music and podcast streaming service, is planning on releasing its own hardware. The Financial Times reports that the device will be an in-car music player and could cost US$100.

The Orange Pi, an alternative to the Raspberry Pi, has received a RAM upgrade this week. There are four new versions of the single-board computer, which start at US$29.90 plus shipping.

Although Xiaomi is present in most African markets via third-party distributors, the Chinese brand is now ready to take a more direct approach by launching a dedicated department for this part of the world. Xiaomi's African Regional Department will bring official launches and after-sales support in the area, as well as better prices.

Drone maker DJI has discovered an internal racket that has defrauded the company of at least US$150 million. The theft is said to have involved multiple staff and led to their dismissal although the company is still investing the case, which it says is “extensive.”

Xiaomi has surprisingly announced a new 4K MIJIA laser projector. The device can create up to a 150-inch display and will last for over 25,000 hours. The projector will cost 14,999 Yuan, but Xiaomi is currently running a 5,000 Yuan introductory discount.

Google has officially confirmed the discontinuation of the Chromecast Audio device. A quick glance at Google’s online store lists the music-streaming gadget as out of stock, after recently receiving a heavy price cut from US$35 to just US$15. It may be possible to buy the device in some outlets while they still have stock remaining.

The currently crowdfunded Matrix PowerWatch 2 is expected to have almost unlimited battery life and comes with both an LCD display and a GPS module. The device is currently comparatively affordable too.

Sony has announced the LSPX-S2, a successor to its glass bulb speaker the LSPX-S1. The LSPX-S2 has been slightly revised compared to its predecessor and is considerably cheaper too.

Lenovo has introduced a new device to its Smart Home family: The Lenovo Smart Clock. According to the Chinese manufacturer, the Smart Clock can learn the sleeping habits of users and comes with Google Assistant, so it should offer quite a lot more features than just telling the time and waking you up in the morning.

MediaTek has unveiled its new silicon for connectivity at CES 2019. This chipset is compatible with next-generation WiFi (Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax) and also delivers Bluetooth access points. It supports 2x2, 4x4 and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). It is also flexible enough to adapt to any changes in the new WiFi standard before it becomes official later this year.

Intel and Alibaba are now working together on AI-driven athlete tracking solutions for the Olympic Games 2020 and beyond. The technology uses both existing and upcoming Intel hardware and the Alibaba Cloud infrastructure and will improve both the training process and the audience experience during the actual events.

Previously used for a secret satellite internet project and a BlackBerry phone, Athena returns as the name of an innovation program by Intel "that defines and aims to help bring to market a new class of advanced laptops that are purpose-built to help people focus, adapt to life’s roles and always be ready."

The partnership between Microsoft and Kroger, the largest grocery retailer in America comes as a joint effort to bring Retail as a Service to other retailers. The first result of this effort is the pair of connected experience stores that use Kroger Technology products powered by Microsoft Azure.

Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has announced the Lyra Voice device, or 3-in-1 Smart Voice Router. The gadget combines an AC2200 tri-band mesh Wi-Fi router with two 8 W stereo speakers and includes Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant. The device even features network security provided by Trend Micro, and it has an MSRP of US$219.99.

Samsung has announced a new partnership between it and Apple. The frenemies have collaborated to bring a new iTunes app to Samsung’s new 2019 TV range in over 100 markets globally.

Project Soli is a Google initiative that wants to make in-air, screen-less gestures to control technology a reality. In other words, the user should be able to control their devices through certain hand gestures, which are converted into workable commands by innovative little radar sensors. Google has reportedtly secured FCC approval for this form of hardware.

In an interview with The Verge, Amazon’s SVP of devices and services, David Limp, has revealed how many devices have been sold that have Alexa built into them. Apparently, over 100 million speakers, smartphones, gadgets and other pieces of hardware have been sold around the world featuring Amazon’s virtual assistant.

Jenax spoke today at CES 2019 alongside medical companies Philips, Johnson & Johnson, and others, about how their J. Flex flexible battery allows designers to focus on the use-case and comfort of the device, rather than figuring out where to fit a bulky battery.

A recent study by Privacy International found that at least 20 Android apps with install bases in excess of 10 million users automatically send user data to Facebook within one second of opening. This data is sent without user knowledge or user consent and ranges from innocuous to personal. This practice obviously raises some questions of legality, although it is difficult to say who is to blame for the violation of user privacy.

Essential Products has revealed that there are no plans to add “new inventory” to its stock of Essential Phones, which basically means the device is being discontinued. The smartphone was released in August 2017 and was widely commended for its design and performance. It’s believed around 150,000 of the PH-1 devices were sold.

Amazon has revealed in a press release that the company has had a record-breaking holiday season, with products such as the updated Echo Dot and the Fire TV Stick 4K helping drive sales. The press release also described how Alexa has been utilized hundreds of millions of times during the festive period. The major American tech giants have finally had a reprieve at the stock market, making gains as consumer spending turns positive.

Have an hour to kill and want a free copy of Assassin's Creed Odyssey? Google is giving a digital copy of the game to users who demo Project Stream, the search giant's venture into the world of online game streaming services. Project Stream is currently an invite-only program, but its free to sign up. If you can log an hour of gameplay before January 15th, Google will send you a download code for Assassin's Creed Odyssey via Ubisoft's Uplay service.

Asus has announced the resignation of the company’s long-term CEO, Jerry Shen. However, the executive plans to maintain a relationship with the Taiwanese manufacturer in his new position as chief of a start-up called iFast. In a change of marketing strategy, Asus intends to shift its focus on to gamers and power users in regard to future mobile product releases.

New leaks suggest that Huawei is to release its own smart TV product, and that it may be here as early as the first half of 2019. This is based on claims that the company has filed a patent for a "Huawei AI Window". The rumor may make sense, as more and more traditional smartphone OEMs are moving into this new market.

Xiaomi has showcased the fact that 5G is for IoT devices too. This was done via a Tweet by a company spokesperson, containing a video showing how quickly the 5G-enabled variant of the Mi Mix 3 could relay commands to a connected lamp. Therefore, 5G may be an exciting prospect for smart-home fans too.

LG has launched a connected home brewing solution called the HomeBrew. It will adopt a Nespresso-style capsule solution that should make home brewing easier than ever, particularly for millennials keen on craft beers.

Smart fabric is a form of textile containing nano-tech threads that can form circuits and battery connections when woven together. Google has been developing its own take on this new type of electronics, in the form of 'Project Jacquard'. Its first commercial application is a jacket designed in collaboration with Levi's, with touch-sensitive sleeves that interact with a phone as a Bluetooth device might.

Apple has acquired A & R startup Platoon to supplement its Apple Music services for artists. In other Apple news, it has also updated its Beddit Sleep Monitor system to version 3.5.

The Russian Internet-related tech company Yandex has announced its foray into the world of smartphones with the aptly named Yandex.Phone. The 5.65-inch device will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC and features Yandex’s proprietary intelligent assistant, Alice. The smartphone will be released on December 6 at a store in the company’s headquarters in Moscow, and it will be priced at 17,990 rubles (~US$270).

The first noticeable result of the new strategic partnership that involves Xiaomi and IKEA will come forward next month when IKEA's line of smart lighting products will be connected to the IoT platform of the Chinese company. Obviously, more IKEA smart home products should get the Xiaomi treatment in 2019.

Kodi 18 has been in development for two years, and the first release candidate (RC 1) is finally available. Although it is still technically a beta version, RC 1 will be reflective of the final release. There are several new features, including better Android TV support, a 64-bit version for Windows, and a new gaming section with support for emulators.

LG has launched its answer to the Google Home Hub. Dubbed LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9 (yes, you read that right), it focuses on its audio prowess to differentiate itself from the competition, tapping Meridian Audio to deliver high-end sound.

Another industry may soon be replaced by robots - IBM's Watson AI scripted a 60-second commercial for luxury car brand Lexus. Watson was fed 15 years worth of award-winning commercials and was able to outline and script the basis of the commercial. After a bit of editing by IBM researchers, Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald shot the commercial after being convinced by the "melodrama of the story."

The $25 Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ is the latest single-board computer from the venerable Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Model A+ boasts the same CPU and wireless connectivity as its bigger brother, the Model B+, but shaves off some I/O for the sake of thinness. Notably missing are three out of four USB ports and the Ethernet jack.

After this year's earlier AI-related acquisitions that involved Semantic Machines (May), Bonsai (July), and Lobe (September), Microsoft is up for another round. Its latest purchase is XOXCO, a software product design and development studio that has been developing conversational AI and bots so far.

Microsoft has announced that it has resumed rolling out the Windows 10 October 2018 update having fixed and tested last month's file deletion issue. The update is available now on Windows Update for certain devices that Microsoft has determined will have no issues with the feature update.

The first Lenovo Lecoo Unmanned Store is located in Beijing, at the company's tech campus. Its goal is to help Lenovo test its facial recognition, electronic payment, IoT, AI, and AR technologies. The catch is that Lenovo tablets are being used instead of the human staff one would expect to see in a store.

Location intelligence is based on the locational data of consumers gathered through IoT and similar means. Its market is thought to be capable of strong growth for the next 7 years, at which point it may be worth just over US$25 billion.

Casio wants to solve its customer's daylight savings time problems with the latest versions of its EDIFICE line. These motorsport-inspired watches can sync via a smartphone in order to maintain its timekeeping accuracy. On the other hand, this is all the supposed connected devices do.

Google's latest iteration of the reCAPTCHA system, reCAPTCHA v3, is now available to website administrators and webmasters. reCAPTCHA v3 runs in the background, tracking user behavior and assigning a risk score based on that behavior. Administrators can use this score to assign thresholds requiring further authentication if needed, allowing the bot-battling system to run unobtrusively for most users.