Innovation and AI
AI Investment Trends
Based on CB Insights research report on Global AI Investment Trends, startups AI companies raise $26.6 billion in 2019, $22.1 billion in 2018 and $16.8 billion in 2017.
In the $ 26.6 billion investment, healthcare accounted for $4 billion, followed by $ 2.2 billion in finance and insurance and $1.5 billion in retail, sales and cybersecurity industries.
Samsung launches new flagship smartphones Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra
02/11/2022
Galaxy S22 and S22+ and S22 Ultra featuring upgraded artificial intelligence-powered cameras in a bid to grab a bigger slice of the highly competitive smartphone market.
With its new handsets, Samsung opted for subtle updates over flashy features like folding displays.
The S22 and S22+ models both have a three-lens camera system, including a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 50-megapixel main lens and a 10 MP telephoto sensor. The S22 Ultra, meanwhile, features a 108 MP main camera and two 10 MP telephoto lenses for more advanced zooming.
The S22 is the smallest of the pack, sporting a 6.1-inch display. The S22+ has a 6.6-inch screen, while the S22 Ultra is the biggest of the three, coming with a 6.8-inch panel.
The S22 and S22+ will be released in four colors: white, pink, black and green. The S22 Ultra comes in each of those colors, as well as burgundy.
The S22 and S22+ start at a price of $800 and $1,000, respectively, but you’ll have to shell out a cool $1,200 if you want the most advanced model.
Tencent draws a line between WeChat and Weixin
09/07/2021
Tencent is sending notifications to Chinese Weixin users, asking them to switch to overseas WeChat accounts if they use an international phone number
The move comes as China cracks down on the collection and use of domestic user data with a new personal information law.
China target 6G commercialization expected around 2030
06/07/2021
The next-generation mobile communication technology will integrate with advanced computing, big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, according to a white paper issued by the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group that was established in June 2019 under the guidance by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The report said the 6G network will realize the deep integration of the real physical world and the virtual digital one, and build a new world of "intelligent connection of everything and digital twin."
According to the report, the international organization on telecom technologies 3GPP is expected to initiate the research and development (R&D) of the 6G international technical standard by around 2025 before the expected commercialization around 2030.
China granted 5G licenses for commercial use and started 6G R&D in 2019. The country has proposed making forward-looking layout in 6G technology.
China to lead world's AI application
03/16/2022
China is on its way to lead the world in AI applications. AI has become a driving force in China, as seen during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, with robot chefs making burgers and smart beds measuring athletes' vital statistics.
From driverless buses to high-speed rail powered by 5G, advanced Chinese technology was featured front and center.
The growth of digital currency in the country shows China is embracing the latest cutting-edge technology.
China is expected to dominate strategic technologies, including AI, within a decade or two.
Top 10 fastest countries by mobile internet in 2021
12/29/2021 According to Speedtest by Ookla, a web testing and network diagnostics company, global mobile download speeds saw an increase of 59.5 percent to 55.07 Mbps from July 2020 to July 2021.
The United Arab Emirates and South Korea maintained their first and second place rankings in 2021, according to the company's global index that tracks countries' internet speed.
South Korea and the UAE stood out with mobile download speeds that were over 240 percent faster than the global average, and China was about 180 percent faster than the global average, the company's statistics showed.
The top 10 countries for fastest mobile internet speed in 2021:
No 1 United Arab Emirates
No 2 South Korea
No 3 Qatar
No 4 China
No 5 Cyprus
No 6 Norway
No 7 Saudi Arabia
No 8 Kuwait
No 9 Australia
No 10 Bulgaria
The Boston Dynamics robotic dog Spot has recently obtained a new job
Spot will join Aker, a Norwegian oil and gas exploration company. It will be charged with sniffing out hydrocarbon leaks, inspecting ship equipment, taking mechanical readings, generating reports, and completing inspections in areas that might be too dangerous for human workers. Spot will also get a badge and a job number.
Walker, an intelligent humanoid service robot, gives a demonstration at the UB Tech booth during the 2020 CES in Las Vegas, US, Jan 8, 2020.
China adds 654,000 5G base stations in 2021
01/21/2022 China has stepped up its pace of 5G development, adding 654,000 base stations in 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said. So far, nearly 1.43 million 5G base stations have been launched.
The 5G network now covers all prefecture-level cities, more than 98 percent of county-level urban areas and 80 percent of township-level urban areas across the country.
Researchers build hybrid chip able to run autonomous bicycle
On August 1, 2019 Nature Journal published a article, China's Tsinghua University has just developed the world's first hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) chip that accommodates both computer-science-based machine-learning algorithms and neuroscience-oriented schemes. Tianjic chip as a step toward “artificial general intelligence,” a machine that can do anything you and your brain can do.
Toyota plans to offer 16 "human support robots" and about 10 "delivery support robots" at the Tokyo Olympics
"Human Support Robots" height can be adjusted from 105 cm to 140 cm, can be moved in any direction, and can also talk to people. It has a robotic arm that picks up items or delivers items to people.
The "delivery support robot" is paired with a "human support robot" and can be moved in any direction. The upper part is a box that can hold 12 kilograms of goods, which can be used to provide goods to customers. "Human support robots" can be The goods are taken out of the box and handed over to the guest.
Chinese search engine Sogou is creating artificial-intelligence lookalikes to read popular novels in authors' voices
Chinese think tank iiMedia expects the market to more than double between 2016 and 2020, to 7.8bn Chinese yuan (£900m) a year.
It is now a simple process to use text-to-speech technology to quickly generate an audio version of a book, using digitised, synthetic voices. But most people prefer audiobooks that are "professionally narrated" by authors, actors or famous public figures.
And now, advances in machine learning and speech-to-text technologies mean that digitised voices are becoming more lifelike.
-- News source selected from BBC
How a monkey used its brain-computer tech to play Pong?
The nine-year-old macaque had two Neuralink devices put on on each side of his brain about six weeks ago.
The devices are connected to 2,000 tiny wires that observe neural activity in the monkey’s brain.
UK becomes first country to allow ‘self-driving’ cars at low speeds on motorways
04/28/2021
The UK government announce it will regulate the use of self-driving vehicles at slow speeds on motorways, with the first such cars possibly appearing on public roads as soon as this year. The government said the use of Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) would be restricted to motorways, at speeds under 37 miles (60km) per hour.
Britain’s transport ministry said it was working on specific wording to update the country’s highway code for the safe use of self-driving vehicle systems, starting with ALKS - which use sensors and software to keep cars within a lane, allowing them to accelerate and brake without driver input.