ups

Computing November 18, 2022

MediaTek ups its mobile game with Dimensity 9200 SoC By Techagents

MediaTek’s brand is often associated with affordable, budget, Android phones. However, the company has made incremental inroads into more premium, high-performance models. The launch of the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chipset is a powerful step in that direction.

Like all smartphone chips, the Dimensity 9200 is a system on a chip (SoC), meaning it has integrated functionality in a single solution for wireless and cellular connectivity, graphics and system performance, among other capabilities.

Similar to Apple silicon or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon offerings, this integrated approach facilitates the smaller form factor designs that have always been important in mobile devices, longer battery life and increased power efficiency without compromising speed.

MediaTek is promoting this mobile chip to be the first in the industry to use the Armv9 Gen 2 architecture, which requires new cores. A so-called “big” Cortex-X3 core handles the toughest tasks with the help of three Cortex-A715 performance cores.

In addition, the 9200 includes four Cortex-A510 “low-power” cores to optimize battery life. This combination facilitates performance improvements of up to 10% to 12% compared to the legacy Dimension 9000, but is believed to reduce power consumption by a meaningful 25%.

I spoke with MediaTek GM/Corporate Marketing Finbar Moynihan about the Dimensity 9200 at its launch last week. The following video clip highlights that conversation.

better graphics performance

The attractive element of the Dimensity 9200 is the improvement in graphics performance. The solution is one of the first chips in the industry to take advantage of Arm’s new Immortalis-G715 GPU, which provides hardware raytability, one of the most popular gaming technologies in the PC and laptop arena. According to MediaTek, the Dimensity 9200’s implementation is 32% faster than the Dimensity 9200’s CPU while using a remarkable 41% less power.

Given MediaTek’s legacy strengths in Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity, it’s not surprising that the Dimensity 9200 shows improvements in those areas. Unlike previous generations of its mobile chips, the Dimensity 9200 includes both millimeter wave 5G and sub-6GHz connectivity, which will benefit consumers who look for faster cellular data in more parts of the world.

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The Dimensity 9200 also offers Wi-Fi 7 support. With Wi-Fi 6 and 6e still trending in routers, smart home devices, and smartphones, MediaTek should be commended for future-proofing the Dimensity 9200 with Wi-Fi 7 capability as it delivers potentially game-changing latency and performance. Provides wireless speed advantages.

Another interesting feature of the Dimensity 9200 is that the chip’s Image 890 signal processor is the first to fully support RGBW camera sensors. These sensors not only provide more brightness and detail in images than native RGB, but they can also blur background images in real-time video. A demo showing this capability was one of the highlights of the announcement event.

analyst comments

During its recent analyst event in Sonoma, California, where it launched the Dimensity 9200 among other announcements, the company took great pains to underline that MediaTek is “more than mobile”. This claim isn’t surprising, as the smartphone market has slowed down dramatically over the past few years. After all, the company has a strong presence in the router, smart TV, IoT, and other device categories.

MediaTek isn’t usually a company to talk about in the US smartphone market, given that Apple and Qualcomm dominate the space with their respective silicon and Snapdragon solutions. But this may change soon as MediaTek is increasing its presence in mid and low-end handsets.

Furthermore, if the US economy slips into a recession in 2023, as many economists predict, the high-end segment of the market is likely to come under tremendous pressure. MediaTek’s strategy to push bleeding-edge technology into the more affordable mid-range segment of the market could pay big dividends as consumers find it challenging to pay $1,500 or more for the highest-end Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. looks like.

Leader in Smartphone Chip Shipments

There are definite signs that this strategy is working. MediaTek has been the No. 1 global smartphone chip shipment provider for the past two years. Industry reports indicate that MediaTek accounts for 37% of global smartphone chips, compared to Qualcomm’s 28%.

Of course, MediaTek’s chips don’t appear in the sexier mobile devices people are used to. Nevertheless, they offer the right mix of performance, innovation, and affordability that increasingly appeals to “mainstream” consumers.

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To be clear, MediaTek doesn’t want to walk away from the mobile phone space – and shouldn’t. The “More than mobile” moniker is an effective marketing slogan because it correctly suggests that the company is into more products than casual users beyond smartphones. However, it also allows the company to remind people that it is focusing on future markets, such as VR, automotive, Wi-Fi 7 and 5G.

Apple and Qualcomm get much of the media attention when they release a new chip, but with its Dimensity 9200, MediaTek shows it can play with the big boys. Even if it doesn’t grab all the industry headlines, MediaTek appears to be successful – and the company’s leadership team likes it.

Internet November 9, 2022

Mozilla ups $35M to save the high-tech soul By Techagents

Mozilla believes the high-tech industry has lost its soul by putting profits before the people and is going to try to do something about it. It has announced Mozilla Ventures, a US$35 million venture capital fund to finance early-stage startups producing products and technologies that advance values such as privacy, inclusion, transparency and human dignity.

“Many say the tech industry has lost its soul. Some even say it is impossible to improve. My response: We won’t know until we try together,” said Mozilla executive Director Mark Surman said in a blog post.

“Mozilla Ventures is all about promoting companies and products that put people before profits,” he continued. “And it’s about fueling enough of these companies and products that we can finally move the Internet in a better direction.”

According to Mozilla, its enterprise arm will initially invest in companies that protect privacy, decentralize digital power, build more trustworthy AI, and have great potential for business success. Companies that received initial investment from venture funds include:

Secure AI Labs (SAIL), which uses advanced security and AI technology to protect patient data and advance medical collaboration. It aims to advance bioinformatics research and innovation with a platform that allows faster, more secure access to data.
Block Party, a social media safety app designed to address the realities of online harassment. It allows individuals who regularly experience harassment to safely engage in public conversations on social media by setting their own content limits.
Heylogin, a ‘swipe-to-login’ password management solution designed for businesses. Aimed primarily at SMEs, the app charges a per-user fee and allows businesses to share passwords and manage personal accounts.

Is Rome burning?

While Mozilla cites some lofty goals for its new venture, how it meets those goals may require closer scrutiny, said Mark N. Venna, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research in San Jose, Calif. Maintained.

“While this effort can be at a high level, I am always skeptical about initiatives like this to fund ‘responsible’ startups, as those who define ‘responsible’ mean may have an agenda. is or may not really be objective,” Vena told TechNewsWorld.

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“The reporting I’ve seen doesn’t share much about what the process is and who specifically will be part of the selection process,” he said, “but I worry it will be too agenda-driven.” ‘Responsible’ as that word requirement is ambiguous and means different things to different individuals.”

“I think the comment that ‘the tech industry has lost its soul’ is an exaggeration,” he said.

“Sure, there are serious dealings in social media and a select few tech companies, but I’m not sure that such over-the-top statements help the situation and come across to many individuals in a non-supportive ‘Rome is burning’ way.” Huh. .”

A question for insiders

Has the tech industry lost its soul? “The cynical in me wants to answer, ‘Which spirit?’ But Realist says that even if the soul of the industry is not destroyed, the spirit of today’s users and what they expect from their experiences needs to be taken seriously,” said Liz Miller, vice president and head of Constellation Research said analyst. technology research and advisory firm in Cupertino, Calif.

“For Mozilla, from the outset, their spirit has been associated with equal access to privacy, identity and opportunities balanced by the ethical use of technology,” Miller told TechNewsWorld. “Their stand has always been that the smaller player deserves as much stake in the digital opportunity as anyone else.”

“So from that vantage point,” she continued, “the soul of individual sovereignty and respected identity may very well be seen as having been lost.”

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Whether the tech industry has lost its spirit is one of the questions that inside observers tend to think about, said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research, a consumer technology consulting firm in New York City.

“Most consumers focus on usability and whether something does something better than anything else,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“TikTok became wildly popular because it was a more fun entertainment experience than Instagram,” he explained. “Firefox, on the other hand, has a better privacy protection message than its competitors, but that’s not enough to overcome its competitors’ pre-bundling.”

too little too late?

In the past, the open-source community focused on what felt appropriate and left those online mining customers alone for information and money. “But that has changed,” observed Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at Enderle Group, an advisory services firm in Bend, Ore.

“Mozilla is using its limited funds to help run Counter-Revolution,” Enderle told TechNewsworld. “I hope it’s too little and too late.”

“Thirty-five million dollars isn’t a lot of money,” he said, “and if they spread it as little as they likely would, it might just be a waste of money.”

“Mozilla is not set up to be a VC,” he argued. “The organization lacks the business basic skills that make good VCs successful.”

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He said Mozilla isn’t the only one focusing on online privacy concerns.

“PC and consumer companies, including Apple and Samsung, have been successfully focusing on those messages for some time, as have some social media alternatives,” Enderle said.

“Hardware companies have had some success, but paid social media company efforts haven’t had as much success,” he continued. “People think free is better than private.”

imagine a better net

To lead its venture operations, Mozilla has named Mohammed Nanabhai, who has held leadership positions at Al Jazeera and the Media Development Investment Fund.

“Many of us cannot imagine life without internet. But are we ready to imagine life with a better internet for all?” Nanabhay asked in a statement.

“That’s why we are starting Mozilla Ventures – to build an ecosystem of entrepreneurs from around the world who are building companies that build a better internet,” he continued.

“We want to support the founders who are working on the many challenges we face online – from misinformation to censorship, from security to privacy, and the potential to cause immediate and massive harm,” he said. “These issues are too important to leave for any one institution to resolve.”

Mozilla Ventures is expected to officially launch in early 2023.

Information Technology October 17, 2022

Schneider Electric ups the Ante on Smart Energy Management By Techagents

Significant scientific research recognizes that climate has affected humans and animals over the past decades. Reasonable people can, and should, argue about the severity effect level. But it is also logical to ask what the world can do to reduce the impact of climate change in a practical, cost-friendly and measurable way.

Schneider Electric is arguably the undisputed leader in the digital transformation of energy management. Equally important, few companies have a technology legacy, global credibility and authoritative reputation in energy and sustainability.

The 186-year-old company has stood firm in its view that access to energy and digital technology is a fundamental human right. To implement that vision, Schneider Electric offers a wide range of energy and automation digital products that help individuals, homeowners and businesses become more efficient and sustainable.

From a practical standpoint, Schneider Electric solutions – often integrated from a hardware, software and services standpoint – often appear in homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure (such as airports) and industrial entities.

event on time

Last week, the company used its annual customer and partner event in Las Vegas, called the Innovation Summit, to announce several new offerings to its energy management business.

Interestingly, its timing could not be more surprising given the complexity of the current instability of the energy environment, which has sent raw material and energy prices to four-decade highs.

Schneider Electric’s energy-as-a-service solution on display at Innovation Summit 2022 (Image credit: SmartTech Research)

Ultimately, the goal should be to remove significant sources of energy waste and emissions. The focus on smart grid deployment and simplifying building energy management, a historic Schneider Electric strength, are all decisive steps that could help take the environmental football to the field.

new eco-friendly solutions

With this as a backdrop, Schneider Electric used Innovation World to announce four new solutions that will help companies strategize, digitize and decarbonize their daily operations, accelerate sustainability goals, and address the current energy disaster. To provide necessary help and support. These capabilities seek to eliminate many of the world’s most potent greenhouse gases from energy-based infrastructure.

SM Airset

On the emissions front, the company announced the SM AirSat, a green, digital solution powered by air purifiers.

SM AirSat targets utilities and industries to reduce their environmental footprint and optimize their operation and maintenance.

EcoStruxure for Renewable Energy

Renewing its focus on the energy grid, the company is updating the legacy strategy of its Grid of the Future, Schneider Electric, to enhance the promise of clean, renewable energy.

The company’s new solution, Ecostructure for Renewables, is attractive as it pools new technologies and 21st century digital twin integrations to help renewable agriculture operators bring renewables to market faster.

It is innovative and reflects the much needed urgency in the market. This new capability utilizes digital continuity by combining hybrid power sources into the operations of farm operators.

Schneider Electric was one of the first companies committed to the belief that the world should reach a net-zero carbon emissions currency as soon as possible.

Ecostructure Energy Hub

The company’s new EcoStructure Energy Hub allows businesses to embrace their net-zero goals by facilitating energy awareness, compliance, optimization and performance.

Essentially, this solution is an easy-to-use and highly secure IoT SaaS (Software as a Service) offering that creates visibility into the energy and emissions profiles of installations and streamlines the management of building energy systems.

The solution was initially launched in the United States, but will be released in select countries during the remainder of 2022, with global availability in 2023.

ecocare

Finally, the Schneider Electric EcoCare program can be compared to a premium credit card-like concierge service for energy organizations. The offering aims to help customers leverage their energy and internal resources by accessing Schneider Electric’s expertise in electrical and industrial equipment, sustainability, mission-critical power, and digital and analytics competencies.

Furthermore, EcoCare is designed as an integrated, IoT-enabled bundle of professional 24/7 support, with a focus on deep insight into asset status and understanding efficiency and potential sustainability enhancements.

Analyst Tech

Before we finish, take a quick look at several demos at Schneider Electric’s Innovation Summit:

There is no doubt that the global economy is facing unprecedented changes in the energy sector. While climate change and decarbonization targets are the main drivers of this change, energy security and independence concerns also play a powerful role.

With these announcements, Schneider deserves credit for playing the key role behind the goal of making electric energy more electric and perhaps more importantly digital. Often described as the power 4.0 phase in the energy sector, the digitization component of Schneider Electric’s strategy is a challenge for the industry as a whole.

However, the Innovation Summit was not just about innovative and much-needed solutions. Perhaps what struck me most during the event were the eloquence, humility, and common-sense commentary from Jean-Pascal Tricoire, CEO and President of Schneider Electric, and Amir Paul (pictured above), the company’s North America was the chairman of.

The two officials spoke passionately about the urgency needed to confront the world’s current “triple” crises – energy, economic and climate – facing global governments.

Jean-Pascal Trichoir, CEO of Schneider Electric, speaking at the Innovation Summit 2022 (Image credit: SmartTech Research)

Refreshingly, the company also believes that the investment costs needed to pivot the world to more sustainable and energy-efficient sources must be affordable. This need is extremely important and cannot be dismissed. After all, the energy sector includes many legacy companies with aggressive bottom lines where transformation costs play a significant role in how quickly they move.

Ultimately, governments need to hit the accelerator by removing, or at least dramatically reducing, the bureaucracy involved from regulatory perspectives so that these new technologies and solutions can be implemented friction-free, a The general theme that pervades many keynote presentations.

This was a common theme that pervaded the main presentations during the event. My recent experience installing EV chargers in my multi-residential condo building, while a single case, tells me that local governments have a long way to go.

closing thoughts

Schneider Electric propelled itself with enthusiasm, vision and passion during its Innovation Summit. The company has set a high benchmark for what the world needs to do to transform itself into a more sustainable and energy-efficient entity. The remaining question is whether the world’s economies are up to the challenge.

Internet October 17, 2022

Schneider Electric ups the Ante on Smart Energy Management By Techagents

Significant scientific research recognizes that climate has affected humans and animals over the past decades. Reasonable people can, and should, argue about the severity effect level. But it is also logical to ask what the world can do to reduce the impact of climate change in a practical, cost-friendly and measurable way.

Schneider Electric is arguably the undisputed leader in the digital transformation of energy management. Equally important, few companies have a technology legacy, global credibility and authoritative reputation in energy and sustainability.

The 186-year-old company has stood firm in its view that access to energy and digital technology is a fundamental human right. To implement that vision, Schneider Electric offers a wide range of energy and automation digital products that help individuals, homeowners and businesses become more efficient and sustainable.

From a practical standpoint, Schneider Electric solutions – often integrated from a hardware, software and services standpoint – often appear in homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure (such as airports) and industrial entities.