Bloomberg Nintendo Co. is bringing together the magnetic appeal of Pokemon, smartphones and the Switch console into an interlinked gaming experience. Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee were unveiled by the Kyoto-based video-game maker. They’re designed to capitalise on the blockbuster success of the Pokemon Go smartphone game and a solid year of sales for the Switch ...
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Google won’t renew Pentagon AI drone deal after staff backlash
Bloomberg Google decided not to renew its contract with a Pentagon drone programme once it expires, after extensive protests from employees of the internet giant. Diane Greene, head of the cloud business at Alphabet Inc.’s Google, told staff that the company will let the deal lapse when it runs out in March 2019, according to people familiar with the meeting. ...
Read More »Waymo expands Chrysler self-driving fleet to 62,000
Bloomberg Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo is expanding its partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV by adding tens of thousands of minivans to its fleet of self-driving cars and the two said autonomous vehicles could eventually be sold to the public. The addition of 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivans builds on a commitment announced in January to buy an unspecified number ...
Read More »Apple set to unveil software to help cure iPhone addiction
Bloomberg In recent months, Apple Inc. has been criticised for the addictive nature of its devices. This week, the company plans to unveil software to help cure people of their iPhone habit. On Monday, Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, where it will lay out its software strategy for the next year and tease future ...
Read More »Boeing-backed startup to debut hybrid-electric jet
Bloomberg Boeing Co.-backed startup Zunum Aero plans to deliver its first hybrid-electric plane in 2022 to JetSuite Inc., setting the stage for a new era in regional flying. JetSuite, a small charter airline with plans to expand a commercial operation nationally, eventually will receive as many as 100 aircraft that seat up to 12 passengers each, Zunum co-founder Matt Knapp ...
Read More »TSMC starts making chips for new iPhones
Bloomberg Apple Inc. manufacturing partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has started mass production of next-generation processors for new iPhones launching later this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The processor, likely to be called the A12 chip, will use a 7-nanometer design that can be smaller, faster and more efficient than the 10-nanometer chips in current Apple devices ...
Read More »Uber planning first flying-car lab in Paris
Bloomberg Uber Technologies Inc. will open its first research and development centre outside of the US, and has chosen Paris as its home. The ride-hailing company will invest $23.5 million over the next five years in the lab, which will focus on technologies to support the development of Uber’s flying-car initiative, dubbed Uber Elevate, it said. “With world-class engineers and ...
Read More »Apple to use VW self-driving vans for employees
Bloomberg Apple Inc. and Volkswagen AG struck a deal late last year that let the technology giant equip VW vans with self-driving technology to transport Apple employees between offices within the next year, according to a person familiar with the matter. The agreement is part of an internal Apple programme called Project Titan that started in 2015 as an ambitious ...
Read More »Amazon’s AI facial recognition for police draws ire of ACLU
Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. drew the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) over a facial-recognition system offered to law-enforcement agencies that the advocacy group says can be used to violate civil rights. In marketing materials obtained by the group, Amazon Web Services said its Rekognition system uses artificial intelligence to quickly identify people in photos and videos, enabling law ...
Read More »Wearable tech to drive Asia growth
Bloomberg The technology boom powering Asia’s economies is about to get a reboot. Explosive growth in new-era gadgets such as wearable devices and internet-linked home appliances is tipped to offset cooling sales of smartphones, which has already dinged Asia’s tech manufacturers. “Where demand may be softening in some areas it will be strengthening in others,†Koshy Mathai, a senior official ...
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