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Apple patents sensor to enable cars to communicate with each other

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Apple has updated one of its patents which outlines the design of a sensor which would enable cars to communicate with each other, according to a report on CNBC. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said the company is developing autonomous systems, but did not say whether it would build a car of its own.

The new sensor could be integrated into Apple’s in-car information and entertainment console, CarPlay, which is already in some new cars on the market.  [Read more…] about Apple patents sensor to enable cars to communicate with each other

Qualcomm and Apple’s legal battle may indicate the future of cars, as Foxconn looks to build driverless tech factory

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The legal battle between Qualcomm and Apple may portend the future direction of car technology.

Qualcomm says Apple manufacturers are not paying the correct amount of money for the chipmaker’s intellectual property the iPhone maker is licensing – basically they’re not paying anything.

The lower, or absent, payments probably account for Qualcomm’s patent licensing business falling 42 per cent this year, according to CNBC.  [Read more…] about Qualcomm and Apple’s legal battle may indicate the future of cars, as Foxconn looks to build driverless tech factory

Apple to build three ‘big, big, big’ manufacturing plants in the US, claims Trump

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President Donald Trump says Apple CEO Tim Cook has committed to building “three big manufacturing plants in the US”, according to a report on the Wall Street Journal website. 

In an interview with the business and investment newspaper, Trump is reported to have said: “I spoke to [Cook], he’s promised me three big plants – big, big, big.

“I said you know, Tim, unless you start building your plants in this country, I won’t consider my administration an economic success. He called me, and he said they are going forward.”  [Read more…] about Apple to build three ‘big, big, big’ manufacturing plants in the US, claims Trump

Foxconn to manufacture ‘95 per cent’ of new Apple iPhone 8

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iphones

Foxconn is to produce 95 per cent of the new Apple iPhone, the eighth incarnation of the device, according to a report on PatentlyApple.com. 

It’s not clear from the story whether any of the production will take place in the US, although that’s unlikely given that Foxconn hasn’t even chosen where in the US to expand its manufacturing operations.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has been considering its options, and Michigan is said to be one of the locations being scouted.  [Read more…] about Foxconn to manufacture ‘95 per cent’ of new Apple iPhone 8

Interview: Fast-moving robotics and automation market prompts updates to forecasts

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The global market for robotics and automation systems is growing so fast that it’s causing seasoned industry analysts to revise their forecasts. 

For example, the Boston Consulting Group released a report into the robotics which it has now updated with new numbers.

The causes of the reviews include the relatively new interest in personal robotics technology for the home, and the burgeoning market in collaborative robots for industry.

Another key development is the launch of the Apple HomePod, which, along with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, looks set to automate a huge number of homes to levels never seen before.

[Read more…] about Interview: Fast-moving robotics and automation market prompts updates to forecasts

Foxconn evaluating US locations for $10 billion expansion plans

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Foxconn, the main manufacturer for Apple’s smartphones and tablet computers, is looking for locations in the US to invest $10 billion into setting up factories, according to a variety of reports in the media. 

The company has already earmarked $7 billion for a display panel factory after buying the Sharp electronics company, although it’s not certain where it will be located.

The Taiwanese company’s newly found interest in the US comes after President Donald Trump made it clear that he prioritises the reinvigoration of the country’s manufacturing base.  [Read more…] about Foxconn evaluating US locations for $10 billion expansion plans

Apple confirms it’s developing autonomous car technology

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By Abdul Montaqim

Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that the tech giant is working on software for self-driving cars, according to Bloomberg. 

Cook calls the development effort “the mother of all AI projects”.

Apple has been rumoured to be working on building a driverless car for some time, but the company has never directly confirmed anything.  [Read more…] about Apple confirms it’s developing autonomous car technology

Apple unveils home automation device and the most expensive desktop computer ever

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apple ceo tim cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomes developers from 75 different countries to WWDC 2017

So the rumours were true about the home automation device. Some of the other rumours ahead of the ongoing Apple Worldwide Developers Conference were also true, but then there have been some surprises as well. 

First, the home automation device. Apple has launched what it calls HomePod – a voice assistant much like Amazon Alexa-enabled Echo and Google Home – within which Siri will live.

The question with such voice devices is always, how good are they at conversation with humans? In general, natural language processing technology is not yet able to understand human speech well enough to make such devices easy to use.  [Read more…] about Apple unveils home automation device and the most expensive desktop computer ever

Microtechnology exhibition to showcase innovations in watchmaking and medicine

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epjh entrance

It’s not one of the most famous exhibitions in the world, and not the biggest, but that’s probably appropriate for EPHJ, because it’s all about small things, or – more accurately – what’s called the “microtechnology” sector. 

Microtechnology includes such things as watchmaking, jewellery making, and precision instrumentation for medicine, all of which are relatively large business sectors in Switzerland, where EPHJ is being held, on 20-23 June 2017 – Geneva, to be exact.

Now in its 16th year, the event is described as “an unmissable event for high-precision manufacturers, with exhibitors from the worlds of watchmaking and jewellery, microtechnology and medtech”.  [Read more…] about Microtechnology exhibition to showcase innovations in watchmaking and medicine

Foxconn considers options for establishing multi-billion-dollar manufacturing facilities in the US

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Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturing giant which makes Apple devices among other things, is considering its locations, incentives and other options for establishing manufacturing facilities in the US. 

Among the locations being discussed are two cities in Oakland County, in the state of Michigan; and the amounts being mentioned range from $4.2 billion to $7 billion.

The Crain’s Detroit website reported that Foxconn’s expansion would create 2,000 to 5,000 jobs in the southeast Michigan area, but the situation is fast moving.  [Read more…] about Foxconn considers options for establishing multi-billion-dollar manufacturing facilities in the US