February, 2017 - itbusinessdirect

Chinese tech giant Baidu bets on AI and virtual reality

February 16, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Several tech giants and visionaries have been rallying around artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented and virtual realities (AR/VR) as the next big developments in technology. The Chinese online search giant Baidu Inc embarked on this strategy as it announced its first venture capital firm focusing next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality. According to a recent report by China Daily, the new company Baidu Venture, will mainly focus on early-stage AI, AR and VR projects. In an official statement Baidu says that new venture company will…

The Internet of Things has Inspired a New Startup Niche

February 15, 2017March 3, 2017 Staff Writer

The Internet of Things has hugely expanded the number of home security products on the market reports The Entrepreneur. Computers were pretty much the only devices that connected to the internet some years back. These days, that idea is a fairytale. The reality is an incredible number of products are now connected to the web, from refrigerators to watches, clothing, cars, thermostats, light bulbs, and alarm systems. By 2020, an estimated 20-plus billion items will belong to the so-called “Internet of Things” (IoT). The Internet of Things has made possible unprecedented innovations in home…

Google ordered to pay $20M for ripping off anti-malware patents in Chrome

February 15, 2017March 3, 2017

Google has been ordered to pay $20m damages after its Chrome browser was found to have infringed four anti-malware patents. According to The next web, Google is tremendously dedicated to improving its Chrome browser, but it appears the search engine giant might’ve gotten a little carried away in the process – and now it has to pay the piper. A District Court in Texas ordered the tech giant to spew out $20 million in damages for infringing four anti-malware patents in Chrome. The verdict was delivered on Friday following a jury…

Apple granted patent for fingerprint-reading touchscreen

February 15, 2017March 3, 2017 Staff Writer

Apple has been granted a patent for an “interactive display panel with IR diodes” — a method that would let users activate a device through a virtual home button placed within the touchscreen. The technology, described in a filing made public Tuesday by the US Patent and Trade Office, could replace the physical home button that’s traditionally occupied the space below the iPhone’s screen reports The Cnet. The patent says, “Exemplary methods and systems use a micro light emitting diode (LED) in an active matrix display to emit light and…

Apple suspends sales of its new LG 5K monitor

February 14, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Apple has reportedly halted sales of LG’s 5K monitor following well-publicised interference issues with the display, which is affected by being in close proximity to Wi-Fi routers. According to Business Insider, the UltraFine 5K Display is no longer being sold in Apple stores – while the monitor is still on display in the firm’s many shops, if a customer wants to make a purchase, they won’t be sold one. The Business insider reports that the tech giant Store employees were instructed this weekend to continue to display the LG monitors…

21% of British startups plan to open a European office due to Brexit

February 14, 2017March 3, 2017

The vote to leave the EU left some start ups questioning where their future lies, particularly if they’re confronted with issues around employing foreign staff. Currently, One in every five UK start ups intends to open a European office due to Brexit, according to survey results published Tuesday by Silicon Valley Bank. It found that 21% of UK startups are planning to open up a new office in cities such as Berlin, Paris, and Stockholm, which are all trying to take on London’s Tech City. The survey also found that around…

Leveling the playing field for women in tech is vital for emerging industries

February 13, 2017March 3, 2017 Staff Writer

The Technological industry’s playing field is devised and maintained mostly by men leaving women at an inherent disadvantage. This is simply not a fight for equality but a reality that the industry should acknowledge to improve consumer adoption. The bias is hardwired into the very building blocks of the system, making it hard for men, who enjoy the upside of that same bias, to see the problem. Tech Crunch reports that it’s not a conspiracy, but an error on the part of the architects who don’t realize that diversity has…

Microsoft celebrates 20 years of Visual Studio

February 10, 2017March 3, 2017

Microsoft announced that it’s celebrating 20 years of Visual Studio, and in doing so, introduced a launch date for Visual Studio 2017, which will be available on March 7 Neowin reports. According to the Neowin, Visual Studio 97 was the first version of the IDE, and it launched in, you guessed it, 1997. Back then, it was a suite of applications, such as Visual Basic 5.0, Visual C++ 5.0, and more. It was followed by Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0, which included a similar suite, and then .NET was launched. Visual…

Apple’s next iPhone may come with wireless charging

February 10, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reported that Apple is developing wireless charging features for three new iPhones coming in 2017. Apple is reportedly working on over-the-air charging, a function that would allow a device to charge without needing to be directly connected to anything. The company already uses wireless charging for the Apple Watch, but it is still unknown how Apple plans to implement wireless charging in the iPhone. Kuo doesn’t say exactly how Apple plans to implement wireless charging. The company already uses wireless charging for the Apple Watch, so it’s…