technology
Chinese YouTuber creates world’s first foldable iPhone
- Chinese- language YouTube channel 科技美学 (Technological Aesthetics) recently uploaded a video of an engineer using custom parts to create the first foldable and functional iPhone.
- The clip, which has been viewed over 480,000 times, shows an engineer testing different parts and configurations to build a working prototype they dubbed as the “iPhone V.”
- The engineer managed to modify the iPhone screen to be flexible enough to bend while retaining the most functionality possible.
- He then used the casing of a Motorola Razr, which has a hinge that works with the iPhone’s components.
- To complete the prototype, the engineer added 3D-printed parts and a custom 1000mAh battery but had to remove one speaker as well as the wireless charging and MagSafe components.
- Despite the limitations of the final prototype, the effort earned praise from commenters.
A Chinese YouTube channel has managed to create the first functioning, foldable iPhone in the world.
YouTube channel 科技美学 (Technological Aesthetics) recently uploaded a video of an engineer using custom parts to create a working foldable iPhone.
Japan’s Minister of Digital Affairs declares ‘war’ on obsolete floppy disks
- Japan’s newly appointed Minister of Digital Affairs, Taro Kono, declared ‘war’ on outdated storage mediums, such as floppy disks and CDs, in a tweet on Wednesday.
- “There are about 1900 government procedures that requires business community to use discs, i.e. floppy disc, CD, MD, etc to submit applications and other forms,” Kono wrote. “Digital Agency is to change those regulations so you can use online.”
- He noted that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has offered his full support.
- Kono has previously tried to stop the use of fax machines.
Taro Kono, Japan’s newly appointed Minister of Digital Affairs, has received the full support of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his declaration of ‘war’ against outdated storage mediums plaguing Japanese government offices.
Kono declared his ‘war’ on obsolete technology in a tweet on Wednesday, naming outdated storage mediums such as floppy disks and CDs.
Congress passes bipartisan $280 billion bill aimed at challenging China’s dominance in chip manufacturing
- Both chambers of the United States Congress have passed the “Chips and Science Bill,” a $280 billion measure which aims to boost the country’s technological competitiveness against China.
- The measure would provide $52 billion of subsidies and grants for the domestic chip manufacturing industry and over $100 billion in technology and sciences investments.
- On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the bill in a 243-187-1 vote, a day after the Senate cleared it in a bipartisan 64-33 vote.
- “This Chips and Science bill will create millions of good-paying jobs and it will help lower costs and help protect America’s national security interests,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during the senate deliberations on Wednesday.
- The bill now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden, who said that it is “exactly what we need to be doing to grow our economy right now.”
A bill authorizing $280 billion to boost the country’s manufacturing and technological competitiveness against China is one step closer to becoming a law.
The legislation, called CHIPS and Science Act, would provide $52 billion in subsidies and grants for the domestic chip manufacturing industry and over $100 billion for technology and sciences investments, including $81 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF). It will also establish a 25 percent tax credit for investment in semiconductor manufacturing.
Chinese smartphone brand Honor copies iPhone features, sees sales double
- Chinese smartphone brand Honor saw its sales double in the second quarter (Q2) of 2022 by incorporating some features of Apple’s iPhone, such as facial recognition and a 120 Hz screen refresh rate.
- Honor saw a growth of 103% amid the decline of smartphone sales in the Chinese market, which decreased by 14.2% year-on-year (YoY) in Q2 2022.
- Other brands such as Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and Huawei saw a drop in sales by 26.5%, 30%, 23.3% and 37.9% YoY, respectively.
- Counterpoint research analyst Mengmeng Zhang noted that Honor also worked on “expanding its offline presence,” adding, “With the lockdowns hitting major cities, HONOR’s coverage in lower-tier cities, which saw fewer lockdowns, helped the brand steer through the turbulence in Q2 2022.”
By copying some features of Apple’s iPhone, Chinese smartphone brand Honor has doubled its sales despite a downward trend in smartphone sales in China for the second quarter (Q2) of 2022.
In a press release on Wednesday, Counterpoint’s Market Pulse reported that smartphone sales in China decreased by 14.2% year-on-year (YoY) in Q2 2022. The recent data showed that the volume of sales during that quarter was 12.6% lower than that of Q1 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the market.
Donald Trump repeatedly asked if China could shoot hurricanes at US, reveal former officials
- Former senior officials of the Trump administration revealed that President Donald Trump would repeatedly ask his aides if China had a secret technology that could create large hurricanes to launch at the U.S.
- Trump would then allegedly follow up with questions about whether this would constitute an act of war, inciting a U.S. military retaliation.
- Trump also reportedly suggested on multiple occasions that the U.S. bomb hurricanes with nuclear weapons, based on the assumption that a huge explosion could destroy tropical storms.
- Former press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who resigned from the Trump administration on bad terms after the Capital riot, said she did not overhear the conversation about hurricanes, but it would not have surprised her.
Former senior officials of the Trump administration revealed that former President Donald Trump would repeatedly ask his aides if China had a secret technology that could create large hurricanes to launch at the U.S.
Trump would then allegedly follow up with questions as to whether this would constitute an act of war, inciting a U.S. military retaliation.
Chinese inventor builds 27,000,000mAH power bank capable of charging 5,000 smartphones
- Handy Geng, an inventor and YouTuber, created the world’s largest power bank with a capacity equaling approximately 900 power banks.
- The mega power bank contains a 27,000,000-mAh battery and includes up to 60 charging ports.
- A video showing how he made the power bank has garnered over 387,000 views since being uploaded on Jan. 29.
Chinese inventor and YouTuber Handy Geng created the world’s largest power bank with the capacity to charge 5,000 phones.
Geng uploaded a video documenting how he made a 27,000,000-mAh portable charger to his official YouTube channel on Jan. 29.
Japanese scientist develops TV screen that viewers can lick to taste displayed foods
- A Japanese professor at Meiji University in Tokyo developed an interactive lickable screen allowing viewers to taste what they see on TV.
- The “Taste the TV” prototype contains flavor canisters that spray across the surface of the screen, recreating the specific taste profile.
- A video demonstration shows how the device recreates a range of flavors, including sweet chocolate, wine and ramen.
Professor Homei Miyashita of Meiji University in Tokyo has developed a prototype lickable screen that allows users to taste what’s on their screen.
Miyashita and a team of 30 students developed the “Taste the TV” (TTTV) project over the course of the past year.
China develops AI ‘prosecutor’ that can charge citizens with crimes with ‘97% accuracy’
China has developed an artificial intelligence capable of charging people with more than 97% accuracy, replacing prosecutors “to a certain extent,” according to its researchers.
How it works: The machine, built and tested by the Shanghai Pudong People’s Procuratorate — China’s largest district prosecution office — can file a charge based only on verbal description, according to the South China Morning Post. The program runs on a desktop computer.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg rebrands company name to Meta to focus on VR/AR
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the company is changing its corporate name to Meta in a rebrand that focuses on virtual and augmented reality.
“Metaverse”: The company’s stock ticker symbol will change from FB to MVRS on Dec. 1, but the Facebook app’s name — as well as Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger — are here to stay.
Japanese robotics company solves empty stadium dilemma with 100-humanoid-robot cheerleading squad
The official Instagram account of Guinness World Records has posted a video of 100 humanoid robots performing a synchronized cheerleading routine at a baseball game in Japan.
Robot cheer team: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world are not permitted to enter stadiums for sports events. Because athletes are missing the adrenaline rush of applauding audiences, a Japanese robotics company created an artificial cheer team of robots, reported Asianet News.
Meet Artist Drue Kataoka, the First Asian American Woman to Be the Face of Clubhouse
Clubhouse, the pioneering audio-focused social networking platform, has selected acclaimed artist, technologist and activist Drue Kataoka as its newest “icon.” This marks the eighth time the San Francisco-based company has chosen a face to represent its app, which has drawn 13 million users on iOS to date.
Kataoka — a Tokyo-born, West Coast-raised artist — is the first Asian American woman and first visual artist to occupy the role, which will last for several weeks in time for the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Her selection also comes at an important time of reckoning in the U.S. for the treatment of Asian Americans, who have been targets of violence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Digital Bank Cheese Aims to Fix ‘Inequality’ Asian Americans Face, Donates $100K to Asian Communities
A digital bank aimed at serving the Asian American community recently launched on Wednesday.
Cheese provides its own debit Mastercard (issued by the Coastal Community Bank) and is available to anyone, even those without a credit history.
