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Tag: Smartphones

  • Foxconn says it’s restoring production at the world’s largest iPhone factory | CNN Business

    Foxconn says it’s restoring production at the world’s largest iPhone factory | CNN Business

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    Hong Kong
    CNN Business
     — 

    Apple supplier Foxconn says it is “gradually” restoring production capacity at its sprawling campus in central China, which has been hit by Covid-19 restrictions and worker protests since October.

    The “epidemic situation” at the facility, known as iPhone City and normally home to hundreds of thousands of workers, has been brought under control, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer said in a statement on Monday.

    “We have also started to recruit new employees, and are gradually moving toward the direction of restoring production capacity to normal,” it said, adding that the outlook for the fourth quarter was expected to be in line with market consensus.

    Foxconn did not provide further details. Its executives were quoted as telling Reuters that full production would resume between late December and early January.

    The ongoing supply disruptions at Foxconn’s campus in the city of Zhengzhou were costing Apple roughly $1 billion a week in lost iPhone sales, Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, had told CNN Business. He estimates that Apple is short of between 10 million and 15 million iPhones in the vital holiday shopping season.

    The troubles started in October when workers left the campus because of concerns about working conditions and shortages of food. Short on staff, bonuses were offered to workers to return.

    But protests broke out last month when newly-hired staff said management had reneged on their promises. Workers clashed with security officers, before the company eventually offered them cash to quit and leave.

    Analysts said the production woes at iPhone City would speed up the pace of Apple’s supply chain diversification away from China.

    In recent weeks, according to The Wall Street Journal, Apple

    (AAPL)     has accelerated plans to shift some of its production outside China. It was reportedly telling suppliers to plan more actively for assembling Apple

    (AAPL)     products elsewhere in Asia, particularly India and Vietnam.

    Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    “The shift out of China will not be easy and come with clear logistical, engineering, and infrastructure hurdles as the aggressive move to India and Vietnam now begins with the Apple ecosystem alerted,” Ives wrote in a research report on Sunday.

    If Apple moves aggressively, more than 50% of iPhone production could come from India and Vietnam by the 2025/2026 fiscal year, versus the single-digit percentage currently, he added.

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  • China’s Zhengzhou, home to world’s largest iPhone factory, ends Covid lockdown | CNN Business

    China’s Zhengzhou, home to world’s largest iPhone factory, ends Covid lockdown | CNN Business

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    Hong Kong
    CNN Business
     — 

    The central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, has lifted a five-day Covid lockdown, in a move that analysts have called a much-needed relief for Apple and its main supplier Foxconn.

    Zhengzhou is the site of “iPhone City,” a sprawling manufacturing campus owned by Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn that normally houses about 200,000 workers churning out products for Apple

    (AAPL)    , including the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Last Friday, the city locked down its urban districts for five days as Covid-19 cases surged there.

    Foxconn’s massive facility is not part of the city’s urban districts. However, analysts say the lockdown would have been detrimental to efforts to restore lost production at the campus, the site of a violent workers’ revolt last week.

    “This is some good news in a dark storm for Cupertino,” Daniel Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, told CNN Business, referring to the California city where Apple is based. “There is a lot of heavy lifting ahead for Apple to ramp back up the factories.”

    Ives estimates the ongoing supply disruptions at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou campus were costing Apple roughly $1 billion a week in lost iPhone sales. The troubles started in October when workers left the campus in Zhengzhou, the capital of the central province of Henan, due to Covid-related fears. Short on staff, bonuses were offered to workers to return.

    But protests broke out last week when the newly hired staff said management had reneged on their promises. The workers, who clashed with security officers, were eventually offered cash to quit and leave.

    Analysts said Foxconn’s production woes will speed up the pace of supply chain diversification away from China to countries like India.

    Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, wrote on social media that he estimated iPhone shipments could be 20% lower than expected in the current October-to-December quarter. The average capacity utilization rate of the Zhengzhou plant was only about 20% in November, he said, and was expected to improve to 30% to 40% in December.

    Total iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max shipments in the current quarter would be 15 million to 20 million units less than previously anticipated, according to Kuo. Due to the high price of the iPhone 14 Pro series, Apple’s overall iPhone revenue in the current holiday quarter could be 20% to 30% lower than investors’ expectations, he added.

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  • Elon Musk claims Apple has ‘threatened to withhold’ Twitter from its app store | CNN Business

    Elon Musk claims Apple has ‘threatened to withhold’ Twitter from its app store | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN Business
     — 

    Elon Musk on Monday claimed that Apple has “threatened” to pull Twitter from its iOS app store, a move that could be devastating to the company Musk just acquired for $44 billion.

    “Apple

    (AAPL)     has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Musk said in one of several tweets Monday taking aim at Apple

    (AAPL)     and its CEO for alleged moves that could undermine Twitter’s business.

    In another tweet, Musk claimed that Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. “Do they hate free speech in America,” he said, in an apparent reference to his oft-stated desire to bolster his idea of free speech on the platform. “What’s going on here [Apple CEO Tim Cook]?” Musk added in a follow-up tweet. He also criticized Apple’s size, claimed it engages in “censorship,” and called out the 30% transaction fee Apple charges large app developers to be listed in its app store.

    The tweetstorm highlights the tenuous relationship between Musk and Apple, which along with Google serves as the major gatekeepers for mobile applications. Long before taking over Twitter, the Tesla CEO said that when the car company was struggling, he considered selling the company to Apple, but that Cook refused to take a meeting with him.

    Removal from Apple’s app store, or that of Google, would be detrimental to Twitter’s business, which is already struggling with a loss of advertisers following Musk’s takeover and a rocky initial attempt at expanding its subscription business.

    Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Musk’s tweets. The company has previously shown it’s willing to remove apps from its app store over concerns about their ability to moderate harmful content or if they attempt to circumvent the cut Apple takes from in-app purchases and subscriptions.

    In January 2021, Apple removed Parler, an app popular with conservatives, including some members of the far right, from its app store following the US Capitol attack over concerns about the platform’s ability to detect and moderate hate speech and incitement. Parler was returned to Apple’s app store three months later after updating its content moderation practices.

    In its official app store review guidelines, Apple lists various safety parameters that apps must adhere to in order to be included in the store, including an ability to prevent “content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy” such as hate speech, pornography and terrorism. “If you’re looking to shock and offend people, the App Store isn’t the right place for your app,” the guidelines state.

    Various civil society groups, researchers and other industry watchers have raised concerns about Twitter’s ability to effectively moderate harmful content and maintain the platform’s safety following widespread layoffs and mass employee exits at the company. Musk has also claimed he wants to amplify “free speech” on the platform and has begun to restore some accounts that were previously banned or suspended for repeatedly violating Twitter’s rules. Musk himself has shared a conspiracy theory and several other controversial tweets since taking over as Twitter’s owner.

    Musk, long a prolific and antagonistic tweeter, has not let up at all since taking over the company. And what it may have lost in revenue, he has claimed it has made up for in engagement. Part of the strategy appears to be relentlessly taking aim at enemies, either of him personally or of “free speech.”

    In an interview with CBS earlier this month, Cook was asked whether there are any ways in which Twitter could change that would cause Apple to remove it from the app store. “They say that they’re going to continue to moderate and so … I count on them to do that,” Cook responded. “Because I don’t think that anybody really wants hate speech on their platform. So I’m counting on them to continue to do that.”

    In an op-ed published in the New York Times last week, Twitter’s former head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, who left the company earlier this month, suggested that Twitter had already begun to receive calls from app store operators following Musk’s takeover. Roth said the company’s failure to adhere to Google and Apple’s app store rules could be “catastrophic.”

    And last weekend, the head of Apple’s app store, Phil Schiller, deleted his Twitter account.

    While the state of Apple and Twitter’s relationship is unclear, the iPhone maker was running Black Friday ads on the platform as recently as last Thursday, according to posts viewed by CNN.

    Many companies have pulled back on digital ad spending in recent months as the economy declined, and Twitter has likely always only been a small portion of Apple’s ad budget. Apple’s impact on Twitter, however, could be much more significant, including if Musk succeeds in shifting its core business to being more reliant on subscription revenue, and potentially has to pay a 30% cut to Apple.

    In one tweet Monday, Musk asked his nearly 120 million followers if they know “Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store?” In another tweet, he posted a picture of a highway exit: one lane headed toward “pay 30%,” the other pointed toward “go to war.” An old car labeled “Elon” skidded toward the latter.

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  • The biggest security risks of using fitness trackers and apps to monitor your health

    The biggest security risks of using fitness trackers and apps to monitor your health

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    Fitness trackers, which help keep tabs on sleep quality, heart rate and other biological metrics, are a popular way to help Americans improve their health and well-being. 

    There are many types of trackers on the market, including those from well-known brands such as Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and Oura. While these devices are growing in popularity — and have legitimate uses — consumers don’t always understand the extent to which their information could be available to or intercepted by third parties. This is especially important because people can’t simply change their DNA sequencing or heart rhythms as they could a credit card or bank account number. 

    “Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, you can’t get it back,” said Steve Grobman, senior vice president and chief technology officer of computer security company McAfee.

    The holiday season is a popular time to purchase consumer health devices. Here’s what you should know about the security risks tied to fitness trackers and personal health data.

    Stick to a name brand, even though they are hacked

    Fitness devices can be expensive, even without taking inflation into account, but don’t be tempted to skimp on security to save a few dollars. While a less-known company may offer more bells and whistles at a better price, a well-established provider that is breached is more likely to care about its reputation and do things to help consumers, said Kevin Roundy, senior technical director at cybersecurity company Gen Digital.

    To be sure, data compromise issues, from criminal hacks to unintended sharing of sensitive user information, can — and have — hit well-known players, including Fitbit, which Google bought in 2021, and Strava. But even so, security professionals say it’s better to buy from a reputable manufacturer that knows how to design secure devices and has a reputation to upkeep. 

    “A smaller company might just go bankrupt,” Roundy said. 

    Fitness app data is not protected like health information

    There can be other concerns beyond having a person’s sensitive information exposed in a data breach. For example, fitness trackers generally connect to a user’s phone via Bluetooth, leaving personal data susceptible to hacking.  

    What’s more, the information that fitness trackers collect isn’t considered “health information” under the federal HIPAA standard or state laws like California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act. This means that personally revealing data can potentially be used in ways a consumer might never expect. For instance, the personal information could be shared with or sold to third parties such as data brokers or law enforcement, said Emory Roane, policy counsel at Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer privacy, advocacy and education organization. 

    Some fitness trackers may use consumers’ health and wellness data to derive revenue from ads, so if that’s a concern, you’ll want to make sure there’s a way to opt out. Review the provider’s terms of service to understand the its policies before you buy the fitness tracker, Roundy said.

    Default social, location settings may need to be changed

    A fitness tracker’s default settings may not offer the most stringent security controls. To boost protection, look at what settings can be adjusted, such as those related to social networking, location and other sharable information, said Dan Demeter, security researcher at cybersecurity provider Kaspersky Lab.

    Depending on the state, consumers can also opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information to third parties, and in some cases, these rights are being expanded, according to Roane.

    Certainly, device users should be careful about what they post publicly about their location and activities, or what they allow to become public by default. This data could be searchable online and used by bad actors. Even if they aren’t acting maliciously, third parties such as insurers and employers could get access to this type of public information.

    “Users expect their data to be their data and use it how they want it to be used,” Roane said, but that’s not necessarily the case. 

    “It’s not only about present data, but also about past data,” Demeter said. For instance, a bad actor could see all the times the person goes running — what days and hours — and where, and use it to their advantage. 

    There are also a number of digital scams where criminals can use information about your location to make an opportunity seem more plausible. They can claim things like, “I know you lost your wallet at so and so place, which lends credibility to the scammer’s story,” Grobman said. 

    Location data can prove problematic in other ways as well. Roane offers the example of a women seeking reproductive health care in a state where abortion is illegal. A fitness tracker with geolocation services enabled could collect information that could be subpoenaed by law enforcement or be purchased by data brokers and sold to law enforcement, he said.

    Use strong password, two-factor authentication, and never share credentials

    Be sure to secure your account by using a strong password that you don’t use with another account and enabling two-factor authentication for the associated app. And don’t share credentials. That’s never a good idea, but it can have especially devastating consequences in certain circumstances. For example, a domestic violence victim could be tracked by her abuser, assuming he had access to her account credentials, Roane said.

    Also be sure to keep the device and the app up-to-date with security fixes.

    While nothing is foolproof, the goal is to be as secure as possible. “If somebody tries to profit from our personal information, we just make their lives harder so it’s not that easy to hack us,” Demeter said.

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  • Apple has a huge problem with its supplier’s iPhone factory in China | CNN Business

    Apple has a huge problem with its supplier’s iPhone factory in China | CNN Business

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    Hong Kong
    CNN Business
     — 

    A violent workers’ revolt at the world’s largest iPhone factory this week in central China is further scrambling Apple’s strained supply and highlighting how the country’s stringent zero-Covid policy is hurting global technology firms.

    The troubles started last month when workers left the factory campus in Zhengzhou, the capital of the central province of Henan, due to Covid fears. Short on staff, bonuses were offered to workers to return.

    But protests broke out this week when the newly hired staff said management had reneged on their promises. The workers, who clashed with security officers wearing hazmat suits, were eventually offered cash to quit and leave.

    Analysts said the woes facing Taiwan contract manufacturing firm Foxconn, a top Apple supplier which owns the facility, will also speed up the pace of diversification away from China to countries like India.

    Daniel Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, told CNN Business that the ongoing production shutdown in Foxconn’s sprawling campus in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou was an “albatross” for Apple.

    “Every week of this shutdown and unrest we estimate is costing Apple roughly $1 billion a week in lost iPhone sales. Now roughly 5% of iPhone 14 sales are likely off the table due to these brutal shutdowns in China,” he said.

    Demand for iPhone 14 units during the Black Friday holiday weekend was much higher than supply and could cause major shortages leading into Christmas, Ives said, adding that the disruptions at Foxconn, which started in October, have been a major “gut punch” to Apple this quarter.

    In a note Friday, Ives said Black Friday store checks show major iPhone shortages across the board.

    “Based on our analysis, we believe iPhone 14 Pro shortages have gotten much worse over the last week with very low inventories,” he wrote. “We believe many Apple Stores now have iPhone 14 Pro shortages … of up to 25%-30% below normal heading into a typical December.”

    Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, wrote on Twitter that more than 10% of global iPhone production capacity was affected by the situation at the Zhengzhou campus.

    Earlier this month, Apple said shipments of its latest lineup of iPhones would be “temporarily impacted” by Covid restrictions in China. It said its assembly facility in Zhengzhou, which normally houses some 200,000 workers, was “currently operating at significantly reduced capacity,” due to Covid curbs.

    The Zhengzhou campus has been grappling with a Covid outbreak since mid-October that caused panic among its workers. Videos of people leaving Zhengzhou on foot went viral on Chinese social media in early November, forcing Foxconn to step up measures to get its staff back.

    To entice workers, the company said it had quadrupled daily bonuses for workers at the plant this month. A week ago, state media reported that 100,000 people had been successfully recruited to fill the vacant positions.

    But on Tuesday night, hundreds of workers, mostly new hires, began to protest against the terms of the payment packages offered to them and also about their living conditions. Scenes turned increasingly violent into the next day as workers clashed with a large number of security forces.

    By Wednesday evening, the crowds had quieted, with protesters returning to their dormitories on the Foxconn campus after the company offered to pay the newly recruited workers 10,000 yuan ($1,400), or roughly two months of wages, to quit and leave the site altogether.

    In a statement sent to CNN Business on Thursday after the protests had wound down, Apple said it had a team on the ground at the Zhengzhou facility working closely with Foxconn to ensure employees’ concerns were addressed.

    Even before this week’s demonstrations, Apple had started making the iPhone 14 in India, as it sought to diversify its supply chain away from China.

    The announcement in late September marked a major change in its strategy and came at a time when US tech companies were looking for alternatives to China, the world’s factory for decades.

    The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that the company was looking to boost production in countries such as Vietnam and India, citing China’s strict Covid policy as one of the reasons.

    Kuo said on Twitter that he believed Foxconn would speed up the expansion of iPhone production capacity in India as a result of Zhengzhou lockdowns and resulting protests.

    The production of iPhones by Foxconn in India will grow by at least 150% in 2023 compared to 2022, he predicted, and the longer term goal would be to ship between 40% and 45% of such phones from India, compared to less than 4% now.

    — Chris Isidore contributed to this report.

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  • Workers at the world’s largest iPhone factory in China clash with police, videos show | CNN Business

    Workers at the world’s largest iPhone factory in China clash with police, videos show | CNN Business

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    Beijing/Hong Kong
    CNN Business
     — 

    Workers at China’s largest iPhone assembly factory were seen confronting police, some in riot gear, on Wednesday, according to videos shared over social media.

    The videos show hundreds of workers facing off with law enforcement officers, many in white hazmat suits, on the Foxconn campus in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou. In the footage, now blocked, some of the protesters could be heard complaining about their pay and sanitary conditions.

    The scenes come days after Chinese state media reported that more than 100,000 people had signed up to fill positions advertised as part of a massive recruitment drive held for Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant.

    Apple

    (AAPL)     has been facing significant supply chain constraints at the assembly facility and expects iPhone 14 shipments to be hit just as the key holiday shopping season begins. CNN has contacted the company for comment on the situation at the plant.

    A Covid outbreak last month had forced the site to lock down, leading some anxious factory workers to reportedly flee.

    Videos of many people leaving Zhengzhou on foot had gone viral on Chinese social media earlier in November, forcing Foxconn to step up measures to get its staff back. To try to limit the fallout, the company said it had quadrupled daily bonuses for workers at the plant this month.

    On Wednesday, workers were heard in the video saying that Foxconn failed to honor their promise of an attractive bonus and pay package after they arrived to work at the plant. Numerous complaints have also been posted anonymously on social media platforms — accusing Foxconn of having changed the salary packages previously advertised.

    In a statement in English, Foxconn said Wednesday that “the allowance has always been fulfilled based on contractual obligation” after some new hires at the Foxconn campus in Zhengzhou appealed to the company regarding the work allowance on Tuesday.

    Workers were also heard in the videos complaining about insufficient anti-Covid measures, saying workers who tested positive were not being separated from the rest of the workforce.

    Foxconn said in the English statement that speculation online about employees who are Covid positive living in the dormitories of the Foxconn campus in Zhengzhou is “patently untrue.”

    “Before new hires move in, the dormitory environment undergoes standard procedures for disinfection, and it is only after the premise passes government check, that the new employees are allowed to move in,” Foxconn said.

    Searches for the term “Foxconn” on Chinese social media now yield few results, an indication of heavy censorship.

    “Regarding violent behaviors, the company will continue to communicate with employees and the government to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Foxconn said in a statement in Chinese.

    The Zhengzhou facility is the world’s largest iPhone assembly site. It typically accounts for approximately 50% to 60% of Foxconn’s global iPhone assembly capacity, according to Mirko Woitzik, global director of intelligence solutions at Everstream, a provider of supply chain risk analytics.

    Apple warned earlier this month of the disruption to its supply chain, saying that customers will feel an impact.

    “We now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated,” the tech giant said in a statement. “Customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products.”

    As of last week, the wait time for those models had reached 34 days in the United States, according to a report from UBS.

    Public frustration has been mounting under China’s unrelenting zero-Covid policy, which continues to involve strict lockdowns and travel restrictions nearly three years into the pandemic.

    Last week, that sentiment was on display as social media footage showed residents under lockdown in Guangzhou tearing down barriers meant to confine them to their homes and taking to the streets in defiance of strictly enforced local orders.

    — Michelle Toh, Simone McCarthy, Wayne Chang, Juliana Liu, and Kathleen Magramo contributed to this report.

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  • How BlackBerry moved from iconic cellphones to cybersecurity

    How BlackBerry moved from iconic cellphones to cybersecurity

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    BlackBerry was once at the top of the smartphone market in the U.S. In 2010, almost half of smartphone subscribers in the U.S. used BlackBerrys, according to Comscore. 

    The phones were well-known for having a tactile keyboard and for BlackBerry’s advanced cybersecurity — often favored among businesses and governments.

    But after its phones fell out of favor with users, BlackBerry altered its course, taking some of the cornerstones of the business with it.

    “After a few years, we realized that we would never get the volume up — and it’s a volume game,” said John Chen, CEO of BlackBerry. “And so we made that pivotal shift to a software-only company and focus on security and cyber and things of that sort.”

    While it stopped manufacturing phones, it didn’t go far from the industry.

    “Currently, BlackBerry has two main business units, a cybersecurity business unit and an IoT business unit within the cybersecurity business unit,” said Charles Eagen, chief technology officer of BlackBerry.

    Its cybersecurity unit focuses on securing things such as smartphone applications and mobile banking websites. Its internet of things unit focuses on the communication of technology within connected and autonomous cars.

    “We now have the lion’s share of embedded software in most of the cars,” Chen said.

    BlackBerry’s technology is in roughly 215 million cars and this side of BlackBerry is continuing to grow, according to the company.

    “If we look at the industry opportunity itself, it’s our expectation that the auto software industry is going to roughly triple in size from 2020 through 2030,” said Luke Junk, senior analyst at Baird.

    However, BlackBerry does face competition in the cybersecurity industry, and in 2021 its revenue from cybersecurity was $500 million.

    “I think that the company can reach likely a lower peak than we’ve seen in the past but a more sustainable growth trajectory and potentially more profitable future as well on a margin percentage basis,” Junk said.

    CNBC visited BlackBerry’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Center and interviewed Chen to find out what’s next for the company.

    Watch the video to learn more.

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  • Good luck finding an iPhone 14 Pro before Christmas | CNN Business

    Good luck finding an iPhone 14 Pro before Christmas | CNN Business

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    CNN Business
     — 

    If you haven’t ordered one of the higher-end iPhone 14 models by now, it may be harder than usual to get one before the holidays.

    The wait time for the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max in the United States is now 34 days, up from seven days last week and 19 days as of three weeks ago, according to a new report from UBS, which tracked iPhone availability in 30 countries.

    In a series of checks conducted on Apple.com by CNN for several cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago and Miami, most iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models in varying storage and color options had delivery dates of December 28 or later. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max were also unavailable for pickup in most locations.

    The wait times, which a UBS analyst called “extreme,” come as Apple

    (AAPL)     confronts supply chain constraints and increased Covid-19 restrictions at its main assembly facility in Zhengzhou, China, which the company previously said is operating at a significantly reduced capacity.

    Earlier this month, Apple released a statement that noted it is experiencing “strong demand” for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models but it expects lower shipments than anticipated. “Customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products,” the company said.

    Apple told CNN on Thursday that Apple Stores get regular shipments and customers can continue to check for in-store pickup options at their local retail location. The company also sometimes ships products ahead of the stated delivery date, and it’s possible some retailers and wireless carriers have more in stock than Apple.

    While it’s unclear whether the higher-end iPhone 14 models will be available in time, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max showed availability in many locations for same-day pickup in CNN’s test on Thursday. UBS said it initially expected consumers to purchase a lower-priced iPhone 14 instead of an iPhone 14 Pro model, but the wait times did not increase for the less expensive devices last week.

    Apart from being a potential headache for consumers, the uncertainty around iPhone availability could add to Apple’s challenges for the all-important holiday quarter. Apple CFO Luca Maestri previously said the company expects year-over-year revenue growth to decelerate in the December quarter compared to the prior quarter, citing the strength of the US dollar and ongoing macroeconomic weakness.

    Apple released its new smartphone lineup in September, including the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus model and an updated iPhone 14 Pro that rethinks the much-maligned notch. In typical Apple fashion, the devices also offer better battery life and camera features than the year prior.

    The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus start at $799 and $899, respectively, while the iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1099.

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  • Screen Time May Help Concussion Recovery

    Screen Time May Help Concussion Recovery

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    Nov. 17, 2022 – Experts recommend that children and adolescents who have had a concussion rest for a day or 2 before returning to light physical activity. Slowly getting back to normal helps young patients recover faster than strict rest, research shows. 

    Now a new study suggests that getting back on TikTok and Snapchat may help, too. 

    After surveying 700 patients ages 8 to 16 following an injury, researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of Calgary, in Canada, found that children and adolescents who had a concussion recovered faster if they engaged in a moderate amount of screen time. 

    A “moderate” amount was between 2 and 7 hours per day on various screens. “That includes their phones, computers, and televisions,” says Molly Cairncross, PhD, an assistant professor at Simon Fraser University who did the research. 

    People in the study who reported either less or more screen time than that in the 7 to 10 days after injury also reported more symptoms, such as headaches and fatigue, during the first month. After that month, all the participants reported similar symptoms, regardless of their early screen use – suggesting that screen time makes little difference long-term in pediatric concussion recovery. 

    The findings differ from a 2021 study by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School that found screen time slowed recovery. Why the clashing results? “I think what it comes down to are differences in study design,” says Cairncross. While the earlier study measured screen use in the first 48 hours, and recovery over 10 days, “we focused on screen time use over the first 7 to 10 days, and tracked recovery over 6 months,” she says. 

    “Taken together, the studies suggest a need to find balance — not too little and not too much time on screens for kids and teens following a concussion,” Cairncross says. 

    Ultimately, the findings support moderation rather than blanket restrictions on screen time as the best way to manage pediatric concussion, especially after the first 48 hours. 

    “It’s actually unsurprising,” says Sarah Brittain, a speech-language pathologist and founder of Colorado Brain Recovery in Wheat Ridge, CO, who was not involved in the study. “An early return to both cognitive and physical activity in a controlled fashion is really important. Sitting in a dark room and resting is not the answer and has been disproven in the literature.”

    Old advice involved lying in a quiet, dark room for days, but recent evidence reveals that such “cocoon therapy” may actually prolong symptoms. 

    “With time, we have found this can negatively impact quality of life and depression scores, especially in teenagers,” says Katherine Labiner, MD, a child neurologist at Pediatrix Child Neurology Consultants of Austin, TX, who was not involved in the study. 

    So, how might screens help? Labiner, Brittain, and Cairncross all point to the importance of connection – not the internet kind, but the social kind. Children and teens use smartphones and computers to stay connected with peers, so banning screen time could have a negative impact on mental health by leading to loneliness, separation, and lack of social support.

    “Depression can prolong the course of recovery,” says Brittain.

    It’s worth noting that screen time could trigger visual symptoms in some patients, she says. “If someone feels worse within 2 minutes of being on a screen, that’s a good indicator that screens aren’t working for them,” Brittain says. “If being on a screen makes them dizzy or wiped out, or the words on the screen look like they’re moving when they’re not, that means it’s time to back off.”

    She advises parents to watch for behavior changes like increased crankiness, impatience, and/or fatigue, which could mean that the child has returned to screen time — or any activity — too soon and should scale back until symptoms subside. 

    “The most important thing to stress with concussion is full recovery before complete return to activity,” Labiner says.

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  • Apple invested $450 million in a satellite-powered SOS system. We tested it out | CNN Business

    Apple invested $450 million in a satellite-powered SOS system. We tested it out | CNN Business

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    CNN Business
     — 

    When Apple announced at its closely-watched September product launch event that it would soon introduce an Emergency SOS feature powered by a network of satellites orbiting above Earth, Brooklyn probably wasn’t the secluded location most had in mind for using it.

    But on a rainy afternoon last week, I found myself trying to stay connected to one of the satellites from Prospect Park as part of a demo of the upcoming feature. I stepped out from under a giant oak tree and the rain started to come down harder. Then I moved my device slightly to the right and quickly regained access to the signal and continued messaging with an emergency dispatcher.

    The rain wasn’t the issue; it was the foliage limiting my phone’s view of the sky.

    On Tuesday, Apple

    (AAPL)     will launch the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature for those with an iPhone 14 in the United States and Canada, with plans to roll it out in the UK, France, Germany and Ireland next month. The free feature promises to let iPhone users contact dedicated dispatchers in emergency situations via satellites when a cell phone network is unavailable.

    Hikers, emergency responders and intrepid travelers may be well versed in the existing world of satellite phones, which provide voice, SMS, and data services anywhere on Earth. Now Apple is attempting to do the same with its iPhones, as part of a broader pitch this year to consumers that its devices don’t just help them live better, but also live safer. In the process, it could make its pricey products seem a bit more indispensable in an uncertain economic environment that has some rethinking expenses.

    Apple recently invested $450 million in Globalstar, a global satellite service, and other providers to support the development of 24 low-orbit satellites flying 16,000 mph at a higher altitude than the International Space Station. The investment is part of Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which has previously been used for glass production with Corning and laser technology for facial recognition.

    During my test with an iPhone 14 provided by Apple, I attempted to call 911 but was automatically redirected to Emergency SOS via Satellite dispatchers for the purposes of the demo. When the device was unable to connect to cellular service, a small green icon appeared at the bottom right of the call screen to initiate a text conversation with emergency services.

    I was prompted to fill out a questionnaire and tapped through a handful of short multiple choice questions; I noted I was lost but not injured. Nearly 20 seconds later, I received confirmation that my geo-location coordinates were sent to a dispatcher, along with my medical ID, emergency contact information and the answers to my questions. I was told to keep responses short, likely to cut down on the amount of data needed to transfer to the satellite and back down to a dispatcher. I was also asked to identify nearby landmarks and where I entered the park. My total exchange lasted about four minutes.

    Apple said the size of messages was greatly condensed so the satellite can more efficiently route them to ground stations located all over the world. Once received, texts are sent to local emergency services or a relay center with Apple-trained emergency specialists who can send help.

    But even in a city, I lost access to the satellite several times when I wasn’t in clear view of the sky. A grayscale circle with a green signal image showed up when connected but turned yellow when conditions were poor and red when connectivity was lost. I walked about 200 feet away from my original location to find a satellite. Once there, I held the device naturally in my hand; Apple said there’s no need to raise or wave it around.

    When it works, the lifesaving potential for such a feature is obvious. But there are some caveats. To start, it’s text only; users will need to physically have the device in their hands to start an exchange, which may not always be possible if injured. The tool does, however, work with the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch’s crash detection feature, so it could automatically dial emergency services or send coordinates to a dispatcher when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone.

    For now, Emergency SOS via satellite only works in English, Spanish, and French, although the dispatchers have professional interpretation services available for many more languages. Apple said it also may not work in all areas, such as in places above 62° latitude, including northern parts of Canada and Alaska.

    For iPhone 14 users who want to see how the tool works, and test out the process for searching for a satellite, a demo is now available in Settings under “Emergency SOS via satellite.” Apple said the feature is available for free for two years and then it will reevaluate the offering based on what it’s learned about usage during that time.

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  • iPhone factory workers in China offered bonuses to return to work | CNN Business

    iPhone factory workers in China offered bonuses to return to work | CNN Business

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    New Delhi
    CNN Business
     — 

    One of Apple’s largest suppliers is trying to strike a delicate balance in China.

    Foxconn

    (HNHPF)     has to comply with some of the harshest Covid rules in the world while ensuring that Apple’s

    (AAPL)     shipments are not severely disrupted just before the key holiday season begins.

    The Taiwanese company, which has been racing to control a Covid outbreak at its vast campus in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, has started recruiting for the facility once again and is offering bonuses for staff who had recently left, according to a statement posted on one of the company’s WeChat accounts.

    Foxconn’s statement came just a day after Apple said it expects iPhone 14 shipments to be hit by China’s Covid curbs, which have “significantly reduced capacity” at the Zhengzhou facility, the world’s biggest iPhone factory.

    “The epidemic has disrupted our work and life, but… the company has achieved milestone results in the current epidemic prevention measures,” Foxconn said on its Zhengzhou recruitment WeChat account on Monday.

    “The production and living order of the park has been restored to normal gradually,” the statement added.

    Anxious workers had reportedly fled the locked-down facility. Videos of many people leaving Zhengzhou on foot have gone viral on Chinese social media in recent days. Foxconn is now stepping up measures to get its staff back.

    If they return, staff who left between October 10 and November 5 will receive a one-off bonus of 500 yuan ($69), according to the company. New workers will be offered a salary of 30 yuan ($4) per hour, according to the post.

    Last Wednesday, Chinese authorities imposed a seven-day lockdown on the manufacturing zone that houses the Foxconn plant.

    Workers will be able to start their work as soon as the “district-level lockdown is lifted,” Foxconn said in the WeChat post, at which point employees will be collected and driven to the factory for a closed-loop system — where staff will work and live on site.

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  • Why Apple may be working on a ‘hey Siri’ change | CNN Business

    Why Apple may be working on a ‘hey Siri’ change | CNN Business

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    CNN Business
     — 

    Apple reportedly wants to put an end to “Hey.”

    The company is said to be training its voice assistant Siri to pick up on commands without needing the first half of the prompt phrase “Hey Siri.” The trigger phrase is used to launch Siri on various products, including the iPhone, iPad, HomePod and Apple Watch.

    Bloomberg, which first reported the news, said the change could come next year or in 2024. Apple did not respond to a request for comment from CNN Business.

    Although the update would be seemingly minor, experts say it may signal broader changes are coming and could require extensive artificial intelligence training. Lian Jye Su, a research director at ABI Research, said having two trigger words allows the system to more accurately recognize requests, so the move to one word would lean on a more advanced AI system.

    “During the recognition phase, the system compares the voice command to the user-trained model,” Su said. “‘Siri’ is much shorter than ‘Hey Siri,’ giving the system potentially less comparison points and higher error rate in an echo-y, large room and noisy environments,” such as in the car or when wind is present.

    The move would allow Apple to catch up to Amazon’s “Alexa” prompt that doesn’t require a first wake word for its voice assistant. Microsoft shifted away from “Hey Cortana” in 2018, now allowing users to only say “Cortana” on smart speakers. However, “OK Google” is still required for most Google product requests.

    The move away from “Hey Siri” would also come at a time when Apple, Amazon and Google are collaborating on the Matter automation standard, which will allow automation and Internet of Things devices from different vendors to interoperate.

    With this in mind, James Sanders, a principal analyst at market research firm CCS Insight, said “redoubling efforts on improving Siri functionality is likely a priority at Apple.”

    Siri launched in February 2010 as a standalone iOS app in the Apple App Store before it was acquired by the tech giant two months later. The company then integrated Siri into the iPhone 4S, which was released the following year, and introduced the ability to say “Hey Siri” without physically touching a button in 2014.

    Siri has gotten smarter over the years, thanks to integration with third-party developers, such as ride hailing and payment apps, and supporting follow-up questions, more languages and different accents. However, it still has issues with not understanding users and responding incorrectly.

    “While the ‘Hey Siri’ change requires a considerable amount of work, it would be surprising if Apple announced only this change to Siri,” Sanders said. “Considering the rumored timing, I would anticipate this change to be bundled with other new or improved functionality for Siri, perhaps alongside a new model of HomePod and integrations with other smart home products via Matter, as a reintroduction to Apple’s voice assistant.”

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  • Why Apple raised the price of the iPhone, but not in the U.S. and China

    Why Apple raised the price of the iPhone, but not in the U.S. and China

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    Customer inspects iPhone 14 Pro Max inside an Apple store in Marunouchi, Tokyo.

    Stanislav Kogiku | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

    Apple‘s newest iPhones, the series 14 models, come with better displays, cameras, and satellite messaging, among other features and updates. But depending on where you live, they also may come with a higher price tag.

    While some analysts projected that Apple might increase the price of its latest iPhones across the board due to continued supply chain challenges and inflation, potential buyers in the U.S. and China saw no increases compared to the series 13 models.

    But for consumers in markets like the U.K., Japan, Germany, and Australia, the newest models also came with significant price increases.

    For example, the base iPhone 14 model starts at $799 in the U.S., the same price that the company charged for the iPhone 13 at its release last year.

    In the U.K., the base iPhone 14 costs £849, or roughly $975. The base iPhone 13 was priced at £779, an increase of £70 or roughly $80.

    That price difference only increases with the more enhanced models. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro Max in the U.K. is £150 more expensive than the equivalent last year’s model.

    The reason Apple took the step to increase the price of phones in those markets has to do with currency fluctuations.

    “Essentially every currency around the world has weakened against the dollar,” Apple CFO Luca Maestri said on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call with analysts last week. “The strong dollar makes it difficult in a number of areas. Obviously, our pricing in emerging markets makes it difficult, and the translation of that revenue back into dollars is affected.”

    While Apple reported that its revenue increased 8% in the quarter to $90.15 billion, Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC last week that the company would have grown “double-digits” if not for the strong dollar.

    “The foreign exchange headwinds were over 600 basis points for the quarter,” Cook told CNBC’s Steve Kovach. “So it was significant. We would have grown in double digits without the foreign exchange headwinds.” 

    Foreign currency exchange is “a very significant factor that is affecting our results, both revenue and gross margin,” Maestri said. Apple does hedge against its currency exposures “in as many places as possible around the world,” he said, but those sorts of protections do start to reduce as the company needs to continue to buy new contracts.

    But Apple also examines the foreign exchange landscape when it launches new products, Maestri said, which led to these most recent price increases.

    “In some cases, for example, customers in international markets had to … they saw some price increases when we launched the new products, which is not something that, for example, U.S. customers have seen,” he said. “And that’s unfortunately the situation that we’re in right now with the strong dollar.”

    While recent currency fluctuations versus the U.S. dollar are causing some international buyers to pay more for an iPhone, there have been instances where Apple instead absorbed those costs.

    In 2019, when the U.S. dollar also saw a rise in value compared to other currencies, Apple adjusted foreign prices in some markets and reset them to near or the same as they had been in local currencies a year prior.

    However, the reason Apple did that was due to a decline in sales as a result of the price increase. For example, in Turkey, where the local lira had fallen 33% against the dollar in 2019, Apple’s sales were down $700 million.

    “We’ve decided to go back to [iPhone prices] more commensurate with what our local prices were a year ago, in hopes of helping the sales in those areas,” Cook told Reuters in an interview at the time.

    But in 2022, Apple says it has not seen any drop off in demand in those markets. Maestri noted that it saw double-digit growth in India, Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam, and other countries even in their respective reported currencies.

    “It’s important for us to look at how these markets perform in local currency because it really gives us a good sense for the customer response to our products, the engagement with our ecosystem, and in general, the strength of the brand,” Maestri said on the earnings call. “And I have to say, in that respect, we feel very, very good about the progress that we’re making in a lot of markets around the world.”

    The U.S dollar has also risen steadily against the Chinese yuan over the six months, but there have been some signs that demand for the new Apple iPhones in the country might be weakening. While Maestri said Apple saw new September quarter records in Greater China, a recent report from Jeffries said that China sales of the four new iPhone 14 models over their first 38 days of being sold are down by 28% compared to the iPhone 13 models over the same period of time.

    Here are some other comparisons of the prices of the base iPhone model between the 14 and 13 series:

    Australia:

    • iPhone 13: 1,349 Australian dollars
    • iPhone 14: 1,399 Australian dollars

    Japan:

    • iPhone 13: 98,800 Japanese yen
    • iPhone 14: 119,800 Japanese yen

    Germany:

    • iPhone 13: 899 euros
    • iPhone 14: 999 euros

    Companies feeling impact of strong dollar

    Apple isn’t the only company acknowledging the impact that currency headwinds are having on its business and pricing decisions.

    McDonald’s reported that currency dragged down its revenue by 7 percentage points, accounting for its 5% year-over-year decline in sales – which would have increased by 2% without the currency impact. With 60% of its sales coming from outside of the U.S., “Obviously, we’re translating those sales back into less U.S. dollars,” CFO Ian Borden said on the company’s earnings call last week.

    At P&G, the currency hit keeps getting bigger. The consumer products company reported a 6% decline in net sales due to “unfavorable foreign exchange,” which followed 3% and 4% negative currency impacts in each of its previous two quarters. The company had to raise its forecast for the exchange rate impact this year to $1.3 billion, with CFO Andre Schulten saying on the company’s earnings call last week, “Foreign exchange has continued its strong move against us.”

    James Quincey, CEO of Coca-Cola, which makes approximately 80% of its earnings outside the U.S., said the dollar has been a high single-digit headwind this year. “It’s likely to be a big headwind like that next year,” Quincey said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” last week.

    Coca-Cola, like Apple, has looked to offset some of the currency headwinds by raising prices, something it said it expects to continue to do as the U.S. dollar shows little signs of waning. “We are expecting pricing to be ahead of normal next year on top of what’s happened this year,” Quincey said.

    So far, Coca-Cola has not reported demand dropping as a result of the higher prices, but Quincey did say there are some potential consumer concerns on the horizon.

    “We do see our consumers are beginning to respond in a traditional way they would in a recession; delaying discretionary and high-ticket discretionary items and perhaps going to more private label or discount dollar channels,” Quincey said, noting “some effects of reduction of purchasing power out there in the marketplace.”

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  • Workers flee China’s biggest iPhone factory over Covid outbreak | CNN Business

    Workers flee China’s biggest iPhone factory over Covid outbreak | CNN Business

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    New Delhi
    CNN Business
     — 

    Foxconn, one of Apple’s largest suppliers, is wrestling with major disruption at its biggest iPhone assembly factory in China, as anxious workers reportedly flee the locked-down facility, according to social media videos.

    The Taiwanese company is racing to control a Covid outbreak at its campus in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou.

    The exodus is putting a tremendous strain on Foxconn just before the key holiday shopping season begins and highlights how the country’s stringent zero-Covid policy is hurting international business.

    “[We] fully understand your eagerness to go back home,” Foxconn told its employees over the weekend, according to a post on Zhengzhou government’s official WeChat account.

    “For employees who voluntarily stay in the company’s factory area, the port government and the company will jointly ensure everyone’s…health and safety,” it added.

    Analysts said the chaos at Zhengzhou could jeopardize Apple and Foxconn’s output in the coming weeks. Ivan Lam, senior research analyst at Counterpoint, estimated that between 10% and 30% of iPhone 14 production could be affected in the near term if the situation did not stabilize.

    The Zhengzhou campus is the world’s biggest iPhone factory and typically accounts for as much as 85% of iPhone assembly capacity, according to Lam’s estimates.

    A Foxconn spokesperson told Chinese state media that the company is trying to boost production at other sites.

    “At present, because now is the peak production season… [there is] a large demand for workers,” a Foxconn spokesperson told Henan Daily on Monday, adding that the company was “also coordinating back-up production capacity at other sites.”

    Foxconn and Apple did not respond to a request for comment from CNN.

    Shares in Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, fell 2.6% on Tuesday.

    Videos of many people leaving Zhengzhou on foot have gone viral on Chinese social media in recent days. The city, which has a population of more than 12 million, imposed sweeping lockdown measures earlier last month after identifying dozens of Covid-19 cases.

    State media has said that many Foxconn workers are among those walking miles to escape the city. Calling it a “helpless move for some employees,” a Foxconn manager told media outlet Yicai that workers are panicking over the spread of the virus at the factory and lack of access to official information.

    Foxconn said it was organizing vehicles for employees wishing to return home, according to a post on Zhengzhou government’s official WeChat account over the weekend.

    The company has also quadrupled daily bonuses for workers at the plant this month, it said in a post on its official WeChat account on Tuesday.

    While these disruptions will impact iPhone production in the near term, analysts say it may not dent Apple’s iPhone shipments in the key holiday season.

    “I think in one to two weeks, things will get back to normal, given the current status,” Lam said.

    “They still have a lot of alternative production sites,” he said, adding that Foxconn had already begun shifting production to other facilities in China, such as in the southern province of Guangdong. “Things are under control now.”

    And, as Beijing shows few signs of moving away from its rigid Covid policies, Apple has started to boost production in other countries, including India, to reduce its dependence on China.

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  • Best mesh Wi-Fi routers of 2022 | CNN Underscored

    Best mesh Wi-Fi routers of 2022 | CNN Underscored

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    With more and more devices in our homes — phones, tablets, TVs, computers, game consoles, smart appliances and more — demanding Wi-Fi bandwidth, a reliable, speedy network is more important than ever. And if your home has a challenging layout, or you live in an older building with impenetrable walls, a single router might not cut it, leaving you with poor connectivity or dropouts. The answer is a mesh system, which in place of a single router uses multiple miniature units you can place throughout your home to effectively eliminate dead zones and improve wireless internet speeds.

    After months of testing mesh routers to find the best of the best, we found one that rises to the top.

    Best mesh Wi-Fi router

    Eero continues to master making Wi-Fi easier and better for the masses with a streamlined setup, wide-ranging coverage, high speeds and affordability combined with easy-to-manage parental controls, ad blocking, and network security.

    EERO

    The Eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi system is our new top pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system, replacing the very similar Eero 6. The two systems are similar, with the 6+ gaining critical features such as more bandwidth, which improved the overall experience in our testing. On top of new capabilities, the Eero 6+ is currently priced lower than the Eero 6 (which remains on the market for now), at $194 for a three-pack, compared to $199 for an Eero 6 router and two extenders.

    As was the case with the earlier version, initial setup of the Eero 6+ is streamlined, with the iPhone or Android app making the process easy enough for even the non-tech savvy to upgrade from a traditional Wi-Fi router to a mesh system with multiple access points.

    You’ll need access to your internet service provider’s modem in order to connect one of the Eero access points directly to it. Unlike the Eero 6 which had a dedicated base station meant to serve as the router access point, the 6+ units are interchangeable and you can use any of them as your main access point.

    The app will walk you through giving your wireless network a name, adding any additional Eero access points, and starting your 30-day free trial of Eero Plus, the company’s subscription service that adds additional features to the Eero offering, such as ad blocking, advanced security, content filtering (including parental controls) and access to the password managing app 1Password, VPN service Encrypt.me, antivirus software Malwarebytes, and a DDNS service as a means to access your home network from anywhere.

    Formerly Eero Secure+, an Eero Plus subscription costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year after your trial expires. There’s no longer a basic tier without apps as there was in earlier versions, and there have been some understandable complaints about this from users. Still, for $100 a year, you’re gaining access to plenty of handy features on your home Wi-Fi network, in addition to apps that collectively cost more than the Eero Plus subscription. For comparison, TP-Link’s Deco HomeCare Pro subscription is bit better deal at $55 a year for similar features, without any third-party app access. To get the same level of functionality from Netgear, you need two different subscriptions (parental controls and security features) for its Orbi systems, totaling $170 a year. But all things considered, $99.99 a year for Eero Plus isn’t the worst deal in the mesh networking landscape.

    With an active subscription, you’ll have the ability to block certain websites, apps or services for specific user profiles. For instance, you can create a profile for your kids’ devices and set time limits, and schedules for bedtime or dinner to pause internet access, and track data usage.

    Also part of Eero Plus is the option to block ads as you browse the internet. The ad-blocking feature isn’t quite as good as running a homemade PiHole server, but it does a good job at blocking a lot of ads, in turn speeding up website load times and preventing tracking.

    As for security features, which are also part of the subscription, you can turn on Advanced Security to allow Eero to prevent anyone on your network from accessing harmful sites that may contain viruses or be phishing attempts.

    The software experience is a big part of any mesh Wi-Fi system’s story, but not the entire story. For the Eero 6+, you’re getting a kit with powerful hardware that’s sure to provide fast internet access to your home and the devices inside it for years to come. The Eero 6 had a top speed of 500Mbps. The Eero 6+ doubles that to 1Gbps. Of course, your internet service provider will need to provide that type of speed to your home in order for you to see those speeds in real-world use.

    Over the course of a few weeks, we tested a three-pack of the Eero 6+, one unit in the basement of a ranch-style home. A second unit was placed upstairs on the opposite end of the house, with the third unit in a detached garage.

    During testing, we consistently saw speeds around 700 Mbps on our smartphones using the Speedtest.net app. The speed results would drop the further away we got from an access point, but that’s to be expected.

    Often times there would be two to three gaming PCs connected and actively playing games — think Fortnite, Roblox, and Call of Duty — while Netflix or Hulu were streaming 4K content on a TV.

    Outside of having to adjust a Wi-Fi antenna that had been moved on a gaming PC, there weren’t any instances of lagging while gaming or buffering while streaming content, even when everyone was connected and active, including countless smart home connected devices such as Ring cameras, smart locks, a video doorbell, light switches and random light bulbs.

    Alternatively, you can use the Ethernet ports to connect a gadget that’s near the access point to boost its Wi-Fi connectivity. So, if you have an older PC that lacks Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, you can connect the PC to the Ethernet port on the back of the Eero 6+ and it’s now getting faster internet without having to upgrade any components on the PC. `

    You can get the Eero 6+ in three different configurations. A single pack is $139, a two-pack is $155 (normally $239) and a three-pack is $194, marked down from its typical price of $299.

    The core features remain the same, regardless if you have a single access point or three. You get dual-band 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, which translates to multiple radios inside the access points to carry your data transitions back and forth at higher speeds. On the back of each Eero 6+ unit, you’ll find two Ethernet ports, which allow you to connect a secondary unit to Ethernet (if your house is wired for it) as a hardwired system, which can help boost performance.

    The Eero 6+ is very much a set-it-and-forget-it system. Once turned on and devices started connecting to them, there wasn’t a whole lot of management or worry on our part. We could get as granular as we wanted within the Eero app about usage, setting up profiles and what to block, or we could just let the network run and forget about having to manage a thing.

    We crafted our testing pool based on current Wi-Fi standards, top-rated mesh routers and our own expertise with products on the market. We then designed testing categories that would make for a fair comparison across all routers.

    Once each router arrived, we began our analysis by examining everything from the packaging and labeling of the hardware to the included instructions. We also paid close attention to what interface we had to use for setup, determining if it was a web page to visit, a desktop app or a purely mobile experience. When it came to placing the router, we noted if the onboarding process helped by suggesting where the router and each node should be placed and tested the connection strength afterward.

    After we set up the network, we took a look at the included features. For instance, are parental controls available out of the box, or did we need to sign up for a monthly plan? What type of security protocols and protections were in place from the get-go?

    We then conducted a number of speed tests and benchmarks to test connectivity in a quantitative format. After those benchmarks, we measured the performance in a qualitative manner with our everyday workflows on a plethora of devices. We also stress-tested with more than 100 devices on the network at any given time. In the realm of smart home, we looked at what extra connectivity was included inside the router.

    Without a doubt, the ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is the most advanced mesh networking system we tested in our first round. And Asus has taken the kitchen sink approach here — it’s a tri-band system with a single lane for 2.4 GHz and two lanes for 5 GHz. You can opt to broadcast a single network, combining all three bands, or split them up if you want to decide which network a device connects to. Additionally, the XT8 offers a built-in VPN that will keep your coffee shop Wi-Fi sessions safe and allow you to access your home network. It also works with Amazon’s Alexa platform, or you can create automations with the website If This Then That (IFTTT).

    The XT8 will block malicious sites, allows for parental controls and will even let you designate which device or content types should be prioritized across your home network. Each access point supports an external hard drive for network access, which, if combined with VPN features, will put your files at your fingertips no matter where you are.

    Our lone complaint about the XT8 has nothing to do with performance but rather the overall interface for managing the network. There are so many options; this system is clearly designed for someone who is comfortable with managing a network, and even then it’s still somewhat intimidating.

    Asus sells the XT8 in two-packs for $449, making it the most expensive setup we tested.

    In terms of its feature set, the Eero, originally known as the “all-new Eero” (in 2019), is pretty similar to the Eero 6. It has a slightly bulkier design, lacks the Zigbee antenna for easy smart home connectivity and, most importantly, is missing Wi-Fi 6 support. At only $80 more for a three-pack, it makes sense to spend the extra for the latest-generation router.

    Eero 6 and two extenders

    With its foolproof setup process, nearly unrivaled speeds and coverage areas, Eero 6 was our favorite mesh system before the introduction of the Eero 6+, which we recommend at this point (the systems will set you back the same amount, so there’s no reason to sacrifice the bandwidth gains you’ll get from the newer version. If prices drop on the old version and your needs are modest, it could be worth a look.

    The Eero Pro 6 is the step-up model from the Eero 6, now supplanted by the newer Eero Pro 6E (which is a better deal, and provides better performance). Aside from a shorter and wider design, it has a few other pro features. Notably, this supports gigabit speeds (aka 1,000 Mbps) on upload and download in a mesh configuration. If you’re paying for those speeds, like with Fios Gigabit, it makes sense to pay the extra and opt for the Pro 6.

    It also has a bit more room for devices to connect with a tri-band setup. That means it has a three-lane highway versus a two-lane setup on a dual-band router. In total, the Eero Pro 6 features a single 2.4 GHz band and two 5 GHz bands. It’s a noticeable difference if you have more than 100 data-heavy devices connected all at once.

    $699 $419 at Amazon

    Eero’s Pro 6E system has all of the bells and whistles as our top pick the Eero 6+ such as Eero Plus, parental controls, easy setup and an easy-to-use

    What makes the Pro 6E so special, and more expensive, is that it supports the latest connectivity standard Wi-Fi 6E, which increases overall throughput and speeds and the number of devices your network can handle at the same time. More specifically, the Eero Pro 6E can support up to 2.3Gbps, over 100 devices and covers 2,000 square feet per access point.

    Google’s Nest Wi-Fi mesh networking system used to be the gold standard of mesh systems: It’s incredibly simple to set up and manage, with everything done directly in the Google Home app. You can bundle devices into groups and set access schedules, or pause Wi-Fi access on demand through the app or by telling Google Assistant.

    You can also use those same groups to block access to inappropriate websites. From the initial setup process to more advanced controls, using Nest Wi-Fi is very easy and meant for those who aren’t all that tech-savvy. It’s truly a set-it-and-forget-it mesh networking system.

    Each Nest Wi-Fi access point acts as a Google Home device, meaning you can use the wake phrase of “OK/Hey Google” to ask questions and control your smart home devices.

    The Velop MX4200 is Linksys’ original Wi-Fi 6 mesh networking system, with useful features such as supporting network hard drives, support for up to 2,404 Mbps on Wi-Fi 6 and three gigabit LAN ports on each access point.

    You can tell the system to prioritize a device if you need to ensure you don’t break up during a video call, for example, or if you want to be certain your gaming session is getting all the bandwidth it needs. You can also set up basic parental controls, like pausing internet access on a specific device, setting a schedule or blocking specific websites.

    The Linksys Atlas Max 6E hits all of the marks for a Wi-Fi 6E system — a wide 9,000 square foot coverage area, support for over 195 devices at the same time, and speeds up to 8.4 Mpbs. Our testing showed the system can indeed put out impressive speeds (though we don’t have the capabilities to test its full potential), and coverage was slightly above average. Although, we did have to adjust our normal testing placement to bring two of the access points closer together, which isn’t something we have to often do. Furthermore, the app for controlling the system doesn’t provide an option to group devices for parental controls, for instance, if your kids are like ours, they have multiple devices and having to manually adjust individual devices all the time gets tiresome.

    Plume’s $159 SuperPods with Wi-Fi 6 are incredibly easy to set up and start getting better Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home. You could opt to use a single SuperPod as a traditional router or pair it with additional pods for a full mesh system. Either way, Plume’s $99 per year HomePass subscription service takes care of optimizing the network, blocking malware and ads, and gives you access to parental controls. In addition to managing your network for you, HomePass also doubles as a home security system; the Pods have built-in motion sensors that can alert you if something or someone is moving in your home — and it’ll even include the name of the room where the movement has been detected. It’s really cool and all of this aims to let you forget about your network setup.

    In our test setup, we used five SuperPods to cover a two-story home and a detached office. Each Pod also features two Ethernet ports, which is handy if you prefer a hardwired connection, say for a smart TV or computer or gaming console.

    One potential downside to Plume’s offering is that without the yearly HomePass subscription, the pods won’t include many of the advanced features such as guest modes, content filets and parental controls. For this reason, for most people, we’d recommend our top pick of the Eero 6 whether you want to use it as a traditional router or in a mesh setup. But if you don’t mind paying extra for a reliable mesh Wi-Fi network with some added smarts, then the Plume SuperPods are worth looking at.

    The Netgear Orbi AX600 supports the current Wi-Fi 6 standards and features some smart home connectivity. But you’re paying a lot of money for the AX600: $999 for a two-pack.

    For that price, it’s a tri-band experience and 6 Gbps-capable router (which translates to 6,000 Mbps in total). But you’ll need a really fast connection from your service provider to deliver that. Given this router’s high price point, you’re much better off opting for an Eero 6E system.

    $199.99 at B&H Photo Video

    The entry-level Orbi AX1200 from Netgear is a bare-bones mesh system that features a neat geometric design pattern on small square routers. Like the Eero 6, it’s a dual-band system that can cover 4,500 square feet of space, slightly less than what our top pick can deliver. In our testing, it was about 50 Mbps to 75 Mbps behind the other routers we tested, and it doesn’t feature Wi-Fi 6 support.

    Like the Eero and SmartThings Wi-Fi, there’s a companion Orbi app that hides a majority of security and parental control features behind a monthly plan. Netgear has partnered with Circle for parental controls here. The combination of subscriptions ends up being pricier than Eero’s, so given the balance of price and performance we’d recommended going with that system instead.

    The biggest — and really, only — problem we have with the Netgear Orbi AXW11000 is its price. At $1,500, you’d better be really sure you have to have this system. That said, its specification sheet does begin to explain its high price tag. The AXW11000 supports up to 10.8Gbps speeds, 9,000 square feet of coverage, and 200 devices on the same network. On top of that, the Orbi app isn’t as intuitive as Eero’s for common tasks like parental controls. And more advanced tasks require you to use a dedicated admin portal via your web browser.

    That said, this system is fast and powerful and definitely something we’d urge you to consider if it wasn’t so expensive, or if you have the budget and need for its ultra-high performance.

    Samsung’s SmartThings Wi-Fi launched in late 2018 and hasn’t received a hardware update since. The real highlight of the SmartThings Wi-Fi system, outside of its mesh networking capabilities with support of up to 32 different hubs (yes, you read that right, 32) is that it doubles as a smart home hub for the SmartThings platform.

    That means you can use it to connect to and control any product or service that works with SmartThings, such as the recently added Nest product line, along with countless other accessories and devices. SmartThings Wi-Fi has support for Zigbee and Z-Wave protocols, allowing compatible devices to connect directly to the hub, adding to its feature set.

    As for its Wi-Fi capabilities, you get free access to the Plume app, which provides access to more advanced Wi-Fi controls and mesh networking features. But despite the capabilities of Plume’s networking features, it’s also a drawback of SmartThings Wi-Fi because you’re forced to use two different applications to manage your home network, with each one offering different settings.

    We hope that Samsung updates SmartThings Wi-Fi with modern features and connection speeds, because its smart home features and platform are some of the best for a mesh networking system.

    On paper, the TP-Link Deco XE75 checks all of the boxes. It supports Wi-Fi 6E, up to 200 devices, 7,200 square feet and speeds of up to 5,400mbps. But we struggled with interference issues, which often lead to troubleshooting in the Deco app for network interference — of which, there was a lot — and that’s not something we experienced with other systems we tested in the same environment. When the Deco XE75 was working properly, the speeds were slightly lower than the Eero 6+, and the parental controls felt well thought out and streamlined for anyone to put to use.

    The Deco X55 is an affordable Wi-Fi 6 mesh system, with a three-pack priced at $219. For that, you get three access points with coverage of 6,500 total square feet, a max speed of 2,400Mbps, and the same Deco app for parental controls and managing your network. However, the X55 was also impacted by interference issues in our testing. Again, that’s not something we experienced with other systems that we tested. When it was working, speeds weren’t as impressive as the competition. This is not a system we’d recommend — it’s better to step up to the Eero 6+, especially when its available at a comparable price.

    A three-pack of Vilo’s mesh Wi-Fi system is priced incredibly low at $80 and does a good job of covering your space in Wi-Fi. It’s a system designed for basic internet use and streaming, and not for a household with multiple online gamers or 4K streams. The Vilo app is basic and frustrating at times, but once your system is set up, you shouldn’t have to spend too much time using the app. If you need a bare-bones network and don’t want to spend a ton, Vilo surely gets the job done.

    Read more from CNN Underscored’s hands-on testing:

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  • Apple to launch a foldable iPad rather than iPhone in 2024, analyst predicts

    Apple to launch a foldable iPad rather than iPhone in 2024, analyst predicts

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    Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at an event at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 7, 2022. At a presentation dubbed Far Out, Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 14 line, a fresh slate of smartwatches and new AirPods.

    Nic Coury | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    Apple will likely launch an iPad with a folding screen in 2024, analyst firm CCS Insight said on Tuesday, forecasting the U.S. technology giant will begin experimenting with foldable technology soon.

    CCS Insight published its annual predictions report on Tuesday in which the group’ analysts make forecasts about future products and trends.

    In the latest report, CCS Insight predicted Apple would launch a foldable iPad in two years’ time rather than start with a foldable iPhone.

    This is contrary to other smartphone makers like Samsung which have launched foldable smartphones rather than tablets.

    “Right now it doesn’t make sense for Apple to make a foldable iPhone. We think they will shun that trend and probably dip a toe in the water with a foldable iPad,” Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC in an interview.

    “A folding iPhone will be super high risk for Apple. Firstly, it would have to be incredibly expensive in order to not cannibalize the existing iPhones,” Wood added.

    Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro

    The analyst said that a foldable iPhone would likely need to cost around $2,500. Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max with the largest storage, which is the most expensive model currently, costs around $1,599.

    Wood also said that if Apple had any technical issues with the foldable phone, then it would be a “feeding frenzy” with critics attacking Apple for the problems.

    Still, Apple has “no option but to react because the trend toward foldables is gathering momentum,” Wood said, hence the company will begin with an iPad.

    He said it would give Apple a chance to learn how to implement and scale foldable screen technology as well as “breathe new life” into the iPad range.

    Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

    There have been a number of rumblings about Apple’s intentions with foldable screen products. Earlier this year, market research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants said Apple is unlikely to enter the foldable smartphone market until 2025 at the earliest. However, the company said that Apple is exploring foldable technology for displays of around 20 inches in size. That could be focused on a new foldable notebook product, the market research company said.

    Predictions about a foldable iPhone meanwhile have been around for at least four years. Last year, Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, a prominent Apple analyst known for his credible predictions, said the company could release an iPhone with a folding screen in 2024.

    Apple to combine 5G and processor in chip

    CCS Insight also predicts that Apple will continue investing in its own chip design.

    Currently, the Cupertino giant designs its own custom chips for iPhone and iPad. It relies on U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm for modems that allow these devices to connect to mobile internet networks for 5G connectivity.

    However, CCS Insight said that Apple is likely to integrate its own 5G modem into the A series of processor for a “single-chip” solution for iPhones in 2025.

    Apple acquired Intel’s modem business in 2019. That led to speculation that the tech giant would very quickly ditch Qualcomm and use its own modems in its devices. However, that hasn’t happened yet.

    Kuo of TF International Securities said in June he expects the company to continue to use Qualcomm chips for iPhones released in 2023.

    Wood said that Apple has been “ramping up in-house capabilities” so it can use its own modems in iPhones.

    “They (Apple) have been shooting for this target for years. They acquired the assets from Intel of the modem unit, they have been working hard to ramp that up, they are very keen to make sure they keep growing their control points they have,” Wood said.

    “They don’t want to have to keep paying a third party supplier for their technology.”

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  • With product innovation lagging, Silicon Valley bets on a fresh coat of paint | CNN Business

    With product innovation lagging, Silicon Valley bets on a fresh coat of paint | CNN Business

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    CNN Business
     — 

    When Google unveiled its new Pixel 7 smartphone lineup earlier this month, the devices looked largely the same as the year prior. But there was at least one subtle change: the colors.

    Whereas the Pixel 6 had come in sorta seafoam (a light blue) and kinda coral (a pale pink), the Pixel 7 now comes in lemongrass (a green) and snow (off-white). Google has also swapped the stormy black (a stormy black) option on the Pixel 6 for obsidian (still black) on the Pixel 7.

    The emphasis on a new color palette for devices isn’t unique to Google. As tech companies showed off their latest smartphones, tablets and laptops at splashy press events over the last two months, many of the products had only limited changes on the outside but boasted elaborately named color options.

    Microsoft launched its Surface Pro 9 tablet in shades such as sapphire (blue) and forest (green), and its Surface Laptop 5 comes in metal (silver), sage (green) and sandstone (tan). Apple’s new iPhone 14 lineup comes in Starlight (a champagne color) and midnight (black), and the company has previously unveiled two shades of green (“green” and “alpine green”) and purple (“purple” and “deep purple”).

    Purple, in particular, has been having a moment in tech. Earlier this summer, Samsung unveiled a “bora purple” color for its flagship Galaxy S22 smartphone — the word “bora” in Korean translates to “purple,” effectively dubbing the color “purple purple.”

    At a time when many of the biggest upgrades to smartphones and other gadgets are under the hood, drumming up consumer interest with a fresh coat of paint may be easier in some ways than getting people excited about faster processors.

    “The quality of all phones is so high, it’s getting difficult for consumers to even notice what ‘better’ is anymore,” said Kelly Goldsmith, professor of marketing at Vanderbilt University. “As a result, tech brands need to adopt new strategies. Introducing different, niche colors is just one way to do it.”

    For consumers, there can be a real value to a broader range of colors. “Devices — whether they’re smartphones, wearables, PCs, or tablets — are an extension of the user’s persona, both in terms of who they are and who they aspire to be,” said Ramon Llamas, an analyst at IDC Research. “Introducing a different color is a way for devices and their owners to distinguish themselves.”

    But just as basic black, white, gray and silver are the top colors in the automobile industry, these colors tend to resonate most with smartphone owners, according to Peggy Van Allen, a color anthropologist for the Color Marketing Group. Still, she noted, a shift has been underway toward stronger colors.

    The Pixel 7 comes in obsidian, snow and lemongrass. The Pixel 7 Pro is available in obsidian, snow and hazel.

    Apple famously brought “Bondi Blue” to its Mac line in the late 1990s after Steve Jobs’ return to the company (it was a huge success). More recently, it created a splash with the introduction of the rose gold iPhone in 2015.

    “Warm metallics went away and then came back in style, and rose gold really reached mass appeal,” Van Allen said. “It peaked at a time when social media influencers were gobbling it up, and the popularity of Millennial Pink also helped to usher it in.”

    Both pinks lasted longer than most forecasters would have predicted, she said. “It was carried along by other trends of the time that enforced the desire for personalization and female empowerment.”

    The names of more recent colors have become increasingly esoteric in the last year or so. This is also likely a strategic play, according to Barbara Kahn, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

    “Color names that are descriptive but odd can spark positive reactions because the consumer likes being able to ‘solve the puzzle,’” she said. “Color names that are ambiguous also spark attention and customers work to figure out what the meaning might be.”

    But for all the varied colors out there, it’s important to remember customers still overwhelmingly keep their phones in a case, essentially covering up the color that once helped entice them to upgrade.

    “There are some transparent cases available from both first and third parties,” said Eric Abbruzzese, research director at market research firm ABI Research, “but at least anecdotally, they don’t seem as popular as regular cases.”

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  • Corsair Apologizes After Rep Calls YouTuber’s Review Comments ‘Bullshit’

    Corsair Apologizes After Rep Calls YouTuber’s Review Comments ‘Bullshit’

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    Gamer's Nexus

    Screenshot: YouTube

    Corsair has publicly apologised after a “member of staff” was found last week to have called sections of reviews of the latest RTX 4090 graphics card—made by both Gamers Nexus and Guru3D—”total bullshit”.

    The drama arose last week when the hugely-popular hardware channel Gamers Nexus posted a review (and some benchmarks) of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition. In that video, they say plugging in only three of the card’s four cables (in case your PSU for whatever reason only had room for three 8-pin connections) would lock you to 100% performance, and that only by plugging in all four would you be allowed to overclock the card. Guru3D’s review says much the same thing.

    Not long after, Discord comments left by a Corsair staffer went viral. They called both Gamers Nexus and Guru3D’s claims “total bullshit” and “misinformation”, while also saying both users and “the press” were both “confused” about the card’s power and overclocking claims. The full comments, as shared by Gamers Nexus, read:

    QUESTION: Has anyone else seen the misinformation about the sense pins and the magical 600W unlock from anyone other than GamersNexus and Guru3D or is it just those two sites? I need to throw Nvidia a couple links showing them how confused user… and the press… are about their smart sense pins.

    Total bullshit and they don’t even realize it. Yes. The adapter has two sense wires. Yes. The card works with only one sense wire attached. It’s because it’s a 450W card. It’s not because it has the ability to be ‘unlocked’ requiring the second sense wire.

    The card simply doesn’t know. It’s not intelligent in that way. It only looks for one sense pin.

    In a follow-up video, Gamers Nexus addresses those “bullshit” claims:

    EVGA Left At the Right Time: NVIDIA RTX 4090 Founders Deep-Dive (Schlieren, 12-Pin, & Pressure)

    While the staffer’s comments weren’t exactly professional, a company rep talking shit in private about members of the media is, as we’d all wager, nothing new. What got Corsair to publicly have to walk this one back, however, was the fact that…Gamers Nexus and Guru3D were right. To a point—their claims only apply to Nvidia’s own 4090 cables, not those made by third parties like ASUS or Corsair, which may explain the confusion here—but technically correct is still correct.

    Prompting Corsair to issue an official apology on the company’s social media, which goes so far as to call the staffer’s comments an “outburst”:

    It has come to our attention that a member of Corsair staff recently made inflammatory and incorrect comments regarding Gamers Nexus and Guru3D’s understanding of the Nvidia RTX 4090 power connector.

    These comments do not represent Corsair as a company, and we regret both the form and content of the individual’s outburst.

    We’ve worked with both Gamers Nexus and Guru3D for many years and hold both in high regard in terms of their professional conduct and technical abilities.

    We apologize unreservedly for the improper conduct of our employee and will be taking steps internally to remind our team of the high standards we have for them when interacting with the media and end-users.

    For their part, Gamers Nexus have accepted the apology, and are ready to “move forward”:

    While Guru3D’s EIC Hilbert Hagedoorn says “Guys, it’s the web; everybody has opinions. He was wrong, apologizes for that, and for me, that’s the end of this story.”

    It’s very funny to me that these companies keep taking shots at Gamers Nexus when their videos keep turning out to be entirely accurate! If you’re more technically-minded and would like a more detailed explanation for what exactly led to all this—it really is a small detail in the grander scheme of things—the best run-down I’ve found is here.

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    Luke Plunkett

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  • Taiwan chipmaker TSMC says quarterly profit $8.8 billion

    Taiwan chipmaker TSMC says quarterly profit $8.8 billion

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    TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the biggest contract manufacturer of processor chips for smartphones and other products, said Thursday that its quarterly profit rose 79.7% over a year earlier to $8.8 billion amid surging demand.

    Quarterly revenue rose 47.9% over a year ago to $19.2 billion, the company reported.

    TSMC, headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, makes processor chips for brands including Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. Many of their products are assembled by factories in China, which has exposed TSMC to the possible impact of U.S.-Chinese tension over technology and security.

    TSMC’s U.S.-traded shares fell 14% in value after Washington on Friday tightened restrictions on Chinese access to advanced computer chips. Those controls are based on limiting the ability of TSMC and other suppliers to use U.S. chip or manufacturing technology for Chinese customers.

    The American Embassy in Beijing didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether TSMC had received an exemption that might allow normal supplies to Chinese factories to continue.

    TSMC’s chip supplies to China already were restricted under a 2020 order by then-President Donald Trump that prohibits vendors from using U.S. technology to manufacture for Huawei Technologies Ltd., a maker of network switching gear and smartphones. Washington says Huawei is a security risk and might facilitate Chinese spying, which the company denies.

    Chipmakers are benefiting for demand for next-generation telecoms, high-performance computing and chips for use in products from cars to medical devices.

    TSMC announced plans last year to invest $100 billion over the next three years in manufacturing and research and development.

    Most semiconductors used in smartphones, medical equipment, computers and other products are made in Taiwan, South Korea and China.

    That has prompted concern among American officials about reliance on supplies that might be disrupted by conflict between China and Taiwan. They are lobbying TSMC and other chipmakers to set up factories in the United States.

    TSMC announced plans last year to build its first chip factory in Japan. The company and Sony Corp. later said they would jointly invest $7 billion in the facility.

    TSMC operates a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility in Camas, Washington, and design centers in San Jose, California, and Austin, Texas.

    The company has announced plans for a second U.S. production site in Arizona.

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  • Google unveils new Pixel 7 smartphones and first-ever Pixel smartwatch | CNN Business

    Google unveils new Pixel 7 smartphones and first-ever Pixel smartwatch | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    Google on Thursday unveiled its new Pixel 7 smartphone lineup and its first-ever Pixel smartwatch, packed with tracking and health features from its subsidiary Fitbit.

    At a press event in New York City, Google showed off the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro devices, which largely look the same as the year prior but with new camera features, an improved screen and battery, and an updated Google Tensor processor.

    While many of the updates are iterative, the lineup will likely appeal to tech enthusiasts who want the latest version of Android and an alternative to Apple or Samsung smartphones, as well as those who haven’t upgraded their Pixel device in a few years.

    The 6.3-inch Pixel 7 features a glass back, aluminum frame and a sleek band on the back with black cutouts for the camera system. Its always-on OLED display allows for quick checking of widgets that highlight useful information, such as baggage claim details at the airport or when packages are arriving (not unlike what’s been recently made available on the new iPhone 14 line with the lockscreen).

    Google

    (GOOG)     said the Pixel 7’s screen is now 25% brighter for visibility indoors, and the device can go a full day on a single charge (or 72 hours when on extreme battery saver mode). It comes in three colors – obsidian, snow and lemongrass – and starts at $599, or $200 less than a baseline iPhone 14 with the same amount of storage.

    “We want people to give Pixel a try, so while phones in this tier typically start at $799, we’re starting the price at $599,” Brian Rakowski, Google vice president of product management, said on stage during the event.

    The larger 6.7-inch Pixel Pro – which comes in a matte aluminum finish – features an always-on display, the same long-lasting battery as the Pixel 7 and a new triple rear camera system, which includes a 5x telephoto lens, 30x super resolution zoom and an upgraded ultrawide lens. The ultrawide lens comes with autofocus capabilities to support new features including Macro Focus that picks up on fine details.

    Both models run on Google’s new Tensor G2 processor, which powers the device’s machine learning and speech recognition capabilities, and several camera features. With Night Sight, for example, the camera now processes photos twice as fast. The tech also drives Cinematic Blur, a new dramatic blurring effect for videos.

    A new accessibility feature called Guided Frame helps visually impaired users take better selfies by vocally instructing them to move the device in specific directions. Google also announced updates to making calls, including cutting down on background noise and the ability to transcribe audio messages into text messages.

    The Pro model, which comes in obsidian, snow and hazel, starts at $899. Pre-orders start on Thursday for both models and the devices hit shelves on Thursday, October 13.

    Google’s Pixel line remains a niche product. Its global market share for smartphones has never surpassed 1% on an annual basis, according to data from IDC Research. Google also limits sales to only a handful of countries, so keeping the volume low has been strategic as Google remains predominantly a software company with many partners running Android. (Google said the Pixel 7 line, however, will launch in sevral new countries, including India, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.)

    Google won’t likely take much market share away from Apple with these Pixel updates, as iPhone owners are known to be brand-loyal. Other Android smartphone makers, however, such as Samsung or smaller Chinese manufacturers may feel the pressure from consumer interest in Google hardware, according to Ben Wood, an analyst with CC Insight. “But given the incremental updates, it’s possible there will be less excitement than there has been in the past,” he said.

    At the event, Google also teased another early look at its upcoming Pixel tablet, which will feature the Tensor G2 processor, and is expected to launch in 2023.

    But one area where Google could make a greater impact this year is with the introduction of the Pixel watch. It is Google’s first wearable that plays up Fitbit’s strengths in health, fitness and wellness since closing its $2.1 billion acquisition of the smartwatch company early last year. Until now, Google had been quiet about how the Fitbit brand would integrate with its Wear OS software.

    The Google Pixel Watch

    The new 41 mm Google Pixel Watch features a circular, domed-shaped Gorilla Glass display that’s scratch- and water-resistant. It promises up to 24 hours of battery life and is compatible with Android 8 and newer devices. Built with Fitbit’s tracking capabilities, the Pixel Watch can monitor a user’s heart rate and sleep quality, offers 40 workout modes, and learns user behavior over time.

    The device also assists with emergency SOS and supports a handful of Google services, including Google Wallet, Gmail and calendar updates, as well as sending messages and talking over 4G. The Pixel Watch comes in black, gold and silver finishes. It will cost $349 for Bluetooth and $399 for 4G LTE.

    “Pixel Watch poses zero threat to the Apple Watch, but it has an important role to play in raising the awareness of smartwatches for Android smartphone owners,” Wood said. “Given the success of the Apple Watch, there has to be a bigger market for smartwatches in the Android segment and together with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, the new Pixel Watch should be a key driver for growth.”

    It may take the Pixel Watch a few generations to catch up to the Apple Watch in terms of usability, however, as Apple’s smartwatch is now in its ninth iteration. But coupled with the Fitbit acquisition and the formation of Wear OS in collaboration with Samsung, Google is showing its greater commitment to the smartwatch market and perhaps hoping the time may finally be right for it.

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