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Google, Tencent Eye Collaboration on New Technologies

The Google logo is seen at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California November 13, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
The Google logo is seen at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California November 13, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
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Google, Tencent Eye Collaboration on New Technologies

The Google logo is seen at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California November 13, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
The Google logo is seen at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California November 13, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

Alphabet Inc's Google and Tencent Holdings Ltd on Friday signaled possible future collaboration on developing new technologies as the US and Chinese firms announced a long-term patent-sharing agreement.

The companies gave no details on the scope or nature of the potential cooperation but said in a joint statement that they "are open to deeper collaboration in the future on innovative new technologies".

"By working together on agreements such as this, tech companies can focus on building better products and services for their users," Google’s head of patents, Mike Lee, was quoted saying. 

Sam Xu, head of intellectual property at Tencent, added that the patent agreement would "advance the collaboration between two leading technology companies".

The US technology company has signed similar agreements before with Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Cisco Systems Inc, but the deal with Tencent is a first with a large Chinese tech firm.

Tencent oversees China's top social media and payments app, WeChat, which has close to a billion users. It also oversees one of the country's most popular app stores and hosts the country's biggest gaming and livestream platforms.

Any cooperation between the US search giant and China's all-conquering tech leader -- the world's second- and fifth-largest companies by market value, according to Bloomberg News -- is bound to generate buzz in the IT world.

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Technology

Nvidia Set to Become First US Chipmaker Valued at Over $1 Trillion 

Nvidia's Grace Hopper superchips are displayed at Gigabyte during COMPUTEX Taipei, one of the world's largest computer and technology trade shows, in Taipei, Taiwan May 30, 2023. (Reuters)
Nvidia's Grace Hopper superchips are displayed at Gigabyte during COMPUTEX Taipei, one of the world's largest computer and technology trade shows, in Taipei, Taiwan May 30, 2023. (Reuters)
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Nvidia Set to Become First US Chipmaker Valued at Over $1 Trillion 

Nvidia's Grace Hopper superchips are displayed at Gigabyte during COMPUTEX Taipei, one of the world's largest computer and technology trade shows, in Taipei, Taiwan May 30, 2023. (Reuters)
Nvidia's Grace Hopper superchips are displayed at Gigabyte during COMPUTEX Taipei, one of the world's largest computer and technology trade shows, in Taipei, Taiwan May 30, 2023. (Reuters)

Nvidia Corp was on track on Tuesday to breach $1 trillion in market capitalization for the first time, making it the first US chipmaker to join the trillion-dollar club.

The company's shares were last up 3.8% at $404.17 in premarket trading.

Meta, valued at about $670 billion as of last close, clinched the trillion-dollar market capitalization milestone in 2021, while Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc, Microsoft Corp and Amazon.com Inc are the other US companies that are part of the club.

AI took center stage after Nvidia stunned investors with a revenue forecast that surpassed analysts' expectations by more than 50%.

The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index closed at its highest in over a year last week after Nvidia's stellar results powered other chipmakers higher.

Technology

EV Charging Stations Increased 60% Across UAE in 3 Years

UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail al-Mazrouei speaks at the second edition of the Electric Vehicles Innovation Summit (EVIS2023). (WAM)
UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail al-Mazrouei speaks at the second edition of the Electric Vehicles Innovation Summit (EVIS2023). (WAM)
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EV Charging Stations Increased 60% Across UAE in 3 Years

UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail al-Mazrouei speaks at the second edition of the Electric Vehicles Innovation Summit (EVIS2023). (WAM)
UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail al-Mazrouei speaks at the second edition of the Electric Vehicles Innovation Summit (EVIS2023). (WAM)

UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail al-Mazrouei revealed that the country's electric vehicle (EV) charging stations had risen nearly 60 percent over the past three years.

Mazrouei pointed to a noticeable increase in EV sales, which aligns with the ambitious plans, qualitative initiatives, and incentives provided by the government to encourage the conversion to electric vehicles.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Electric Vehicles Innovation Summit (EVIS2023), the minister said that the increase in the shift towards electric vehicles will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, in line with the UAE's efforts to achieve climate neutral by 2050.

The government aims to increase the number of EVs on the roads by 2050, which would support the UAE's goals for climate neutrality, said the minister, noting that transportation is one of the sectors most concerned with reducing the carbon footprint.

He indicated that this requires everyone to take practical steps to reduce transportation emissions and help build appropriate infrastructure, frameworks, and policies to design a sustainable sector.

According to Statista, transportation accounts for 17 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions - behind only the power sector.

Public charging stations

Mazrouei announced that to fully realize the potential of electric mobility, the UAE is deploying a nationwide network of public and private charging stations equipped with the latest innovative technologies to reduce charging time.

"The stations follow a national guide that unifies their specifications across the emirates and aligns them with world-class standards," he added.

The minister stated that EVs "are set to be at the core of our shift to green mobility. The EV market looks promising and offers unique investment opportunities. We invite future-thinking businesses to capitalize on these opportunities."

EVIS2023 aims to promote the transition from dependence on fossil fuels to electric mobility, which saves the planet from the environmental consequences of CO2 and other emissions.

The summit's two-day conference will bring together delegates, experts, and representatives of the mobility industry from dozens of countries to discuss the current landscape and future challenges and opportunities.

It will feature more than 75 sessions, with keynote speakers, presentations, and panel discussions covering the EV industry's complete value chain.

It will be a valuable opportunity for attendants to network, share ideas and insights, and strike business deals.

Technology

AI Means Everyone Can Now Be a Programmer, Nvidia Chief Says 

Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the COMPUTEX forum in Taipei, Taiwan May 29, 2023. (Reuters) 
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the COMPUTEX forum in Taipei, Taiwan May 29, 2023. (Reuters) 
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AI Means Everyone Can Now Be a Programmer, Nvidia Chief Says 

Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the COMPUTEX forum in Taipei, Taiwan May 29, 2023. (Reuters) 
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the COMPUTEX forum in Taipei, Taiwan May 29, 2023. (Reuters) 

Artificial intelligence means everyone can now be a computer programmer as all they need to do is speak to the computer, Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday, hailing the end of the "digital divide".

Nvidia has surged to become the world's most valuable listed semiconductor company as a major supplier of chips and computing systems for artificial intelligence.

The company last week forecast second-quarter revenue more than 50% above Wall Street estimates and said it was boosting supply to meet surging demand for its artificial-intelligence chips, which are used to power ChatGPT and many similar services.

Speaking to thousands of people at the Computex forum in Taipei, Huang, who was born in southern Taiwan before his family emigrated to the United States when he was a child, said AI was leading a computing revolution.

"There's no question we're in a new computing era," he said in a speech, occasionally dropping in words of Mandarin or Taiwanese to the delight of the crowd.

"Every single computing era you could do different things that weren't possible before, and artificial intelligence certainly qualifies," Huang added.

"The programming barrier is incredibly low. We have closed the digital divide. Everyone is a programmer now - you just have to say something to the computer," he said.

"The rate of progress, because it's so easy to use, is the reason why it's growing so fast. This is going to touch literally every single industry."

Nvidia's chips have helped companies such as Microsoft Corp add human-like chat features to search engines such as Bing.

Huang demonstrated what AI could do, including getting a program to write a short pop song praising Nvidia with only a few words of instruction.

He unveiled several new applications, including a partnership with the world's largest advertising group WPP for generative AI-enabled content for digital advertising.

Nvidia has strained to meet demand for its AI chips, with Tesla Inc TSLA.O CEO Elon Musk, who is reportedly building out an artificial-intelligence startup, last week telling an interviewer that the graphics processing units (GPUs) are "considerably harder to get than drugs".

Technology

Tourism Development Fund Acquires ISO Certification in IT Service Management

Tourism Development Fund Acquires ISO Certification in IT Service Management
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Tourism Development Fund Acquires ISO Certification in IT Service Management

Tourism Development Fund Acquires ISO Certification in IT Service Management

The Tourism Development Fund (TDF) has acquired the ISO/IEC 20000 Certification in Information Technology Service Management, issued by the International Organization for Standardization.

"This certificate comes in light of the successes achieved by TDF in raising the efficiency of its services, due to its adherence to international standards and specifications, and its keenness to develop the tourism sector and enable its digitization," CEO of TDF Qusai Al-Fakhri said.

He also stressed that this comes in line with the digital transformation, "which is one of the main objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030."

Technology

Saudi Astronauts Conduct Space Kite Experiment with School Students in Saudi Arabia

Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni at the ISS. (SPA)
Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni at the ISS. (SPA)
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Saudi Astronauts Conduct Space Kite Experiment with School Students in Saudi Arabia

Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni at the ISS. (SPA)
Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni at the ISS. (SPA)

Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni conducted a second educational experiment, the “space kite”, from the International Space Station (ISS) with middle school students in Saudi Arabia.

The interaction, via satellite, is aimed at building and incentivizing a new generation of Saudi leaders, explorers and scientists whilst achieving the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in terms of building cadres and enhancing a culture of research, development and innovation in students.

The Saudi Space Commission is organizing the educational experiments in partnership with the Communication, Space and Technology Commission, the Ministry of Education, King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), and Al-Riyadh and Misk schools.

The experiment allowed students to communicate with the two astronauts, ask questions and compare research results from the astronaut's experience in a microgravity environment to students who are on the ground.

The experiment with middle school students tackled aerodynamics. It focused on comparing the aerodynamics of the space kite inside the microgravity environment of the ISS, versus what happens on Earth, showing them how the behavior is different on the ground as opposed to in space.

The experiments seek to increase the students' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They also aim to build human capital by attracting talents and developing the necessary skills in this field, contributing to enhancing the Kingdom's role in developing the space sector and its position in the global community in space science research and investing in research in the service of humanity.

Technology

Twitter Cannot Hide from EU Rules after Exit from Code, Breton Says

FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa
FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa
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Twitter Cannot Hide from EU Rules after Exit from Code, Breton Says

FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa
FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa

Twitter cannot run away from its obligations even after quitting a voluntary EU code of practice to tackle disinformation, EU industry chief Thierry Breton warned the company late on Friday.

Companies which signed up to the code are required to provide regular progress reports with data on how much advertising revenue they had averted from disinformation actors.

They also have to provide information on the number or value of political advertisements accepted or rejected and instances of manipulative behaviors detected.

"Twitter leaves EU voluntary code of practice against disinformation. But obligations remain. You can run but you can't hide," Breton said in a tweet.

"Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under DSA as of August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Since Twitter was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk for $44 billion last October, the company has cut thousands of jobs and made numerous changes.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges Twitter, Google, Meta Platforms Inc, Microsoft Corp, Alibaba's AliExpress and five other large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal online content.

Companies face fines of as much as 6% of their global turnover for violations.

Twitter, which no longer has a public relations department, responded to an emailed request for comment with a poop emoji.

Technology

Washington and Tokyo Vow Closer Chip Cooperation

FILE - Japan's Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura speaks during a joint news conference by host country Japan, Germany and Italy in the G7 ministers' meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo, northern Japan, on April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)
FILE - Japan's Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura speaks during a joint news conference by host country Japan, Germany and Italy in the G7 ministers' meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo, northern Japan, on April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)
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Washington and Tokyo Vow Closer Chip Cooperation

FILE - Japan's Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura speaks during a joint news conference by host country Japan, Germany and Italy in the G7 ministers' meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo, northern Japan, on April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)
FILE - Japan's Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura speaks during a joint news conference by host country Japan, Germany and Italy in the G7 ministers' meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo, northern Japan, on April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)

The United States and Japan will deepen cooperation in the research and development of advanced chips and other technologies, they said on Friday, the latest sign of the two allies strengthening ties in semiconductors.

The move, which also includes collaboration on quantum computing and discussions on artificial intelligence, comes as both Washington and Tokyo reduce exposure to China and work together to expand chip manufacturing and secure advanced components essential for economic growth.

The United States, Japan and other members of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced nations last week agreed to "de-risk" but not decouple from China, underscoring the deep concern among advanced democracies about China's rising technological might and its lockhold on technology supply chains.

In a joint statement, the two countries agreed to increase cooperation between their research and development hubs, as they map out future technology collaboration.

The statement came after Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura met in Detroit with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Reuters reported.

The two countries agreed to work together "to identify and resolve geographic concentrations of production undermining semiconductor supply chain resilience". They also committed to strengthening supply chains by collaborating with emerging and developing countries.

Japan has established a new chip maker, Rapidus, that is working with International Business Machines Corp (IBM) to develop advanced logic semiconductors, and is offering subsidies to US memory maker Micron Technology Inc so it can expand production there.

Japan, along with the Netherlands, has also agreed to match US export controls that will limit the sale of some chipmaking tools to China.

Raimondo on Thursday met China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao in Washington where the pair exchanged views on trade, investment and export policies.

Technology

Portugal Moves Closer to Banning Chinese Suppliers from 5G

People waiting at the bust stand near the 'MY 5G' advert on a LED screen in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 03 May 2023. EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL
People waiting at the bust stand near the 'MY 5G' advert on a LED screen in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 03 May 2023. EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL
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Portugal Moves Closer to Banning Chinese Suppliers from 5G

People waiting at the bust stand near the 'MY 5G' advert on a LED screen in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 03 May 2023. EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL
People waiting at the bust stand near the 'MY 5G' advert on a LED screen in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 03 May 2023. EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL

Portugal's cybersecurity council CSSC has issued a resolution that could formally bar telecom operators from using Chinese equipment in their high-speed 5G mobile networks as well 4G platforms on which the new technology is based.

The CSSC is the prime minister's consultative body and its document, dated May 23, is another blow to efforts by Chinese technology giant Huawei to enter the 5G market in Portugal and possibly extend existing contracts, Reuters reported.

Under a law approved last August, the government can determine "the exclusion, restrictions on use, or the cessation of use of equipment or services" of telecom companies, setting conditions and deadlines for operators to comply.

The government had no immediate comment.

The country's main operators, Altice, NOS and Vodafone have already said they will not use Huawei's equipment in 5G core networks, amid European and US concerns that Chinese involvement in critical infrastructure could compromise security. Beijing and Huawei reject such suggestions.

Portugal's existing 5G networks are not standalone and still largely based on 4G technology and equipment.

Without mentioning China or any Chinese suppliers by name, the CSSC warned of a "high risk" to security from suppliers or providers that "are headquartered in a country where the government exercises control, interference or pressure on its activities in third countries".

Its opinion is based on an undisclosed report that evaluated the safety of equipment in public electronic communications networks involving 5G technology.

It also cited security risks when the country where a supplier is based has no agreements on data protection, cybersecurity or protection of intellectual property with Portugal or the European Union, or when it is not an EU, NATO or OECD member.

Huawei said in a statement it had "no prior knowledge of, and hasn't been consulted about this matter" and it was still gathering information "on the nature of the assessment" and hoped to continue serving Portuguese clients.

Europe has emerged as a battleground in the technology rivalry between Beijing and Washington and Huawei's European competitors, Ericsson and Nokia, could become a supplier duopoly if the Chinese company were shut out.

Technology

OpenAI CEO Reverses Earlier Threat to Leave Europe

FILE PHOTO: The logo of OpenAI is displayed near a response by its AI chatbot ChatGPT on its website, in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of OpenAI is displayed near a response by its AI chatbot ChatGPT on its website, in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
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OpenAI CEO Reverses Earlier Threat to Leave Europe

FILE PHOTO: The logo of OpenAI is displayed near a response by its AI chatbot ChatGPT on its website, in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of OpenAI is displayed near a response by its AI chatbot ChatGPT on its website, in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo

OpenAI has no plans to leave Europe, CEO Sam Altman said on Friday, reversing a threat made earlier this week to leave the region if it becomes too hard to comply with upcoming laws on artificial intelligence.

The EU is working on what could be the first set of rules globally to govern AI and Altman on Wednesday said the current draft of the EU AI Act was "over-regulating".

"We are excited to continue to operate here and of course have no plans to leave," Altman said in a tweet on Friday.

His threat of quitting Europe had drawn criticism from EU industry chief Thierry Breton and a host of other lawmakers.

Altman has spent the past week crisscrossing Europe, meeting top politicians in France, Spain, Poland, Germany and the Britain to discuss the future of AI, and progress of ChatGPT.

According to Reuters, he called his tour a "very productive week of conversations in Europe about how to best regulate AI!"

OpenAI had faced criticism for not disclosing training data for its latest AI model GPT-4. The company had cited a "competitive landscape and safety implications" for not disclosing the details.

While debating the AI Act draft, EU lawmakers added new proposals that would force any company using generative tools, like ChatGPT, to disclose copyrighted material used to train its systems.

"These provisions relate mainly to transparency, which ensures the AI and the company building it are trustworthy," Dragos Tudorache, a Romanian member of the European Parliament who is leading the drafting of EU proposals, told Reuters on Thursday.

"I don't see a reason why any company would shy away from transparency."

Technology

CEO: Baidu Will 'Very Soon' Officially Launch Generative AI Model

FILE PHOTO: Men interact with a Baidu AI robot near the company logo at its headquarters in Beijing, China April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Men interact with a Baidu AI robot near the company logo at its headquarters in Beijing, China April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
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CEO: Baidu Will 'Very Soon' Officially Launch Generative AI Model

FILE PHOTO: Men interact with a Baidu AI robot near the company logo at its headquarters in Beijing, China April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Men interact with a Baidu AI robot near the company logo at its headquarters in Beijing, China April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo

Chinese search engine giant Baidu's CEO Robin Li said on Friday that the company will "very soon" officially launch Ernie 3.5, a generative AI large-language model that will power Baidu's ChatGPT-like app Ernie Bot and upgrade its search engine.

Li made the announcement at the Zhongguancun Forum, one of China's most well-known technology forums, around two months after Ernie Bot was first shown to the public to mixed reviews.



Since then, Ernie Bot and other products powered by the company's generative AI large-language model have remained in trial mode, with a select number of companies and users invited to test the products and provide feedback.