TikTok is testing a feature designed to make all posts shoppable as it goes all-in on creating what the company hopes will be a multi-billion-dollar U.S. e-commerce business. The new technology uses machine learning to identify objects in a video then prompts viewers to “find similar items on TikTok Shop” using links and in-app search. The ByteDance-owned social platform is also reportedly planning to launch multiple live-streaming studios in cities including Los Angeles where creators can go to stream shopping-themed content. The facilities are expected to be able to host multiple studios servicing dozens of creators per day. Continue reading TikTok Tests a Feature That Tags Videos with Shopping Details

Canon is gearing up to begin shipping its new nanoimprint lithography chipmaking machines, possibly this year. The equipment — which uses a stamping process Canon says will be cheaper and more energy-efficient than ASML’s light-based extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology — could be a disruptor in a market dominated by the Dutch company. Such machines, essential in manufacturing semiconductors, imprint circuitry onto silicon wafers in patterns that can be thousands of times thinner than the width of a human hair. Foundries TSMC, Samsung Semiconductor and Intel rely on ASML’s EUV machines in the manufacture of high-end chips. Continue reading Canon Could Begin Shipping Chip Stamping Machine in 2024

Further insights into OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s global fundraising effort for a multi-billion dollar computer chip venture now appears to be toward a goal establishing a network of semiconductor plants to manufacture AI chips, according to media reports. The plan would see the 38-year-old entering a hotly competitive yet underserved field, dominated by Nvidia and increasingly Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. Apparently, he feels the existing players aren’t set up to produce the amount of chips required to meet the goals of OpenAI and others through 2030, now that many businesses incorporate AI into workflows and consumer products. Continue reading Altman Is Seeking Billions in Global Funding for AI Chip Plants

The RayNeo X2 Lite 3D AR glasses were demonstrated for the first time at CES 2024 in Las Vegas last week. Weighing just 60 grams (2.1 ounces), the sleek eyewear was lauded for its microLED optical waveguide display and standalone form factor, which does not require tethering to a computer or smartphone. The RayNeo X2 Lite, releasing in Q3 2024, and the Ray Neo X2, which had a limited launch in China but has not yet been released to the rest of the world, are anticipated as the first microLED display augmented reality glasses which will be available in the United States. Continue reading CES: TCL Demos RayNeo X2 Lite Augmented Reality Glasses

CTA Senior Manager of Government Affairs John Mitchell led a discussion at CES on the use of blockchain as the basis of a new economic ecosystem. Coinbase Head of U.S. Policy Kara Calvert, FinClusive CEO Amit Sharma, and Paradigm Policy Director Justin Slaughter expressed enthusiasm about the potential for financial inclusion and digital identity as well as frustration over U.S. legislators’ approach to regulation. “Here, blockchain is positioned as a problem to address, not an opportunity to be seized,” suggested Slaughter. Meanwhile, they note, Switzerland, China and other countries are taking the lead. Continue reading CES: Leaders Urge Regulation to Unleash Blockchain’s Power

The FCC’s Brendan Carr, the senior Republican Commissioner, in conversation with Consumer Technology Association Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs Rachel Nemeth, addressed the fact that the FCC’s spectrum auction authority has expired. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and her fellow Commissioners have called for its renewal. Nemeth asked Carr to comment on how the end of spectrum auctions would impact technologies such as voice recognition and IoT devices that are “on the cusp” of coming together to be “more seamless and practical for the consumer.” His answer was that spectrum is vital for connectivity and “our geopolitical leadership.” Continue reading CES: FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr Addresses Spectrum

Xreal, the Chinese XR company formerly known as Nreal, debuted its Air 2 Ultra AR glasses at CES 2024 this week in Las Vegas, with the $699 item scheduled to ship to U.S. buyers in March, crowding the February 2 release date Apple just announced for its $3,500 Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Though currently aimed at developers, who can preorder now, the Air 2 Ultra will be available for purchase online from Xreal to anyone in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the UK, in addition to China and the United States. Continue reading CES: Xreal Offers Spatial Computing with Air 2 Ultra for $699

Xgimi wants to bring the IMAX experience to your living room. The China-based company has unveiled what it says is the first long-throw home projector to earn certification as IMAX Enhanced, a designation previously limited to premium units. Xgimi’s Horizon Max projector is intended for mass market viewing enthusiasts. The IMAX Enhanced specifications include Dolby Vision and DTS:X sound. The Horizon Max promises 3,100 ISO lumens brightness and a contrast ratio of 2,000:1. Pricing was not disclosed at the CES 2024 product announcement, but the projector is expected to ship in the second half of this year. Continue reading CES: Xgimi Announces First IMAX Enhanced Home Projector

Teenagers in the U.S. are finding it hard to tear themselves away from YouTube and TikTok, according to a new study of 13- to 17-year-olds by the Pew Research Center. Pew found that “nearly 1 in 5 saying they use the video-streaming apps ‘almost constantly.’” YouTube topped the chart for the second consecutive year, with 93 percent, “roughly 9 in 10 teens” saying they regularly use YouTube. That far outstrips TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, which manage to creep to about 70 percent among a subset of teens 15 to 17. Among the total teen sample, that falls to 63 percent for TikTok, 60 percent for Snapchat and 59 percent for Instagram, according to Pew. Continue reading Pew: U.S. Teens Fixated on Video Apps YouTube and TikTok

Nvidia logged another record quarter, with Q3 revenue of $18.12 billion, up 206 percent from a year ago and a 34 percent increase from Q2 that exceeded both its own and analyst projections. The surge, attributed to increasing demand for the chips that drive artificial intelligence, logged primarily under Nvidia’s data center results a record $14.51 billion, up 279 percent from the prior year and 41 percent from Q2. Profits swelled to $9.2 billion, a stunning 1,259 percent increase from 2022’s $680 million. The results for Nvidia’s Q3 were for the three-month period ending October 31. Continue reading Nvidia Sales Surge as Rivals Circle and China Sanctions Loom

Aurora, built by Intel and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is the latest supercomputer to come online at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory outside of Chicago and is among a new breed of exascale supercomputers that draws on artificial intelligence. When fully operational in 2024, Aurora is expected to be the first such computer that will be able to achieve two quintillion operations per second. Brain analytics and the design of batteries that last longer and charge faster are among the vast potential uses of exascale machines. Continue reading Aurora Supercomputer Targets 2 Quintillion Ops per Second

Apple posted fiscal Q4 earnings of $89.5 billion, down one percent year-over-year. CEO Tim Cook put the quarter’s best facts forward: “a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record in Services,” and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.46, up 13 percent. While net income of just below $23 billion exceeded Wall Street expectations, Q4 capped a fiscal year in which Apple revenue fell 2.8 percent, impacted by a decline in iPhone sales in China. Following the report, shares fell 3 percent in extended trading based on the prospect that the company may not rebound to growth in the important holiday sales season. Continue reading Despite China Market, iPhone Sales Still Reach $43.8 Billion

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris warned global leaders that the existential threats posed by artificial intelligence are very real and urgently need to be addressed. Harris’ remarks, delivered in a speech at the U.S. Embassy in Britain, summarized the prevailing view of world governments participating in the first global AI Safety Summit. The two-day event kicked off Wednesday with news that 27 nations — including the U.S., European Union member states and China — signed the Bletchley Declaration on AI, committing to voluntary guidelines to work as a group toward responsible and ethical AI. Continue reading Nations Sign the Bletchley Declaration in Support of Ethical AI

The UK government plans to invest at least £225 million (about $273 million) in AI supercomputing with the aim of bringing Great Britain into closer parity with AI leaders the U.S. and China. Among the new machines coming online is Dawn, which was built by the University of Cambridge Research Computing Services, Intel and Dell and is being hosted by the Cambridge Open Zettascale Lab. “Dawn Phase 1 represents a huge step forward in AI and simulation capability for the UK, deployed and ready to use now,” said Dr. Paul Calleja, director of Research Computing at Cambridge. Continue reading United Kingdom Investing $273 Million in AI Supercomputing

President Biden has signed a far-ranging executive order establishing guardrails for artificial intelligence. Companies are now required to report to the federal government on risks related to their AI systems should they fall into the hands of terrorists or be used for weapons of mass destruction. The order also attempts to mitigate the dangers of deepfakes that could be used to manipulate elections or defraud consumers. “Deepfakes use AI-generated audio and video to smear reputations, spread fake news and commit fraud,” Biden said as he signed the order at the White House. Continue reading President Biden Signs Executive Order to Contain Risks of AI