Michael Kan
Author Archives: Michael Kan
- Home → Author's archive:
Michael Kan
0
Intel shrinks RealSense camera, targets smartphones
Intel plans to cut the fat from its RealSense 3D camera so that it can fit the device on a smartphone.The company’s CEO Brian Krzanich showed off Wednesday in Shenzhen, China a 6-inch prototype phone built with the new camera, which is about half the size of the older version. The company plans to start deploying the technology this year.The U.S. chipmaker has been wanting to bring RealSense to PCs and tablets, but with the smaller size it can also deliver it to smartphones, Krzanich said. Devices built with the 3D camera could offer gesture control like Microsoft’s Kinect device.“So you can imagine the efficiencies and the opportunities and the options for innovation we have moving together,” he added.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Group fighting ‘Net censorship in China presses on despite DDoS attack
After facing a DDoS attack, an activist group isn’t backing down in its attempts to end China’s Internet censorship.“I think that we are more confident than we were before that our successful execution of our strategy is going to lead us to achieve our mission,” said the group via email on Tuesday.GreatFire.org suffered a distributed denial of service attack last month that threatened to cripple its activities. The anonymous group, which is based out of China, believes the country’s government was behind the attack.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Chinese Internet authority clashes with Google over digital certificates
A Chinese Internet administrator blasted Google on Thursday, after the U.S. search giant decided to stop recognizing digital certificates issued by the group following a security lapse.“The decision that Google has made is unacceptable and unintelligible,” China’s Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) said in an online posting.Google’s decision means that its Chrome browser could end up clashing with sites served by the Chinese Internet agency.On Wednesday, Google explained the move in an update to an earlier blog posting. The company is still concerned by the way CNNIC issued a certificate to an IT company based in Egypt that misused it in a botched security test.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Chinese Internet authority clashes with Google over digital certificates
A Chinese Internet administrator blasted Google on Thursday, after the U.S. search giant decided to stop recognizing digital certificates issued by the group following a security lapse.“The decision that Google has made is unacceptable and unintelligible,” China’s Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) said in an online posting.Google’s decision means that its Chrome browser could end up clashing with sites served by the Chinese Internet agency.On Wednesday, Google explained the move in an update to an earlier blog posting. The company is still concerned by the way CNNIC issued a certificate to an IT company based in Egypt that misused it in a botched security test.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Acer to bring Chrome OS to an all-in-one PC, as vendors experiment
Desktop devices running Chrome OS haven’t exactly found much traction, but that hasn’t stopped Acer from developing an all-in-one PC built for the Google operating system.On Wednesday, Acer announced its upcoming Chromebase device, just after Google and its partners unveiled a range of new Chrome-related products slated to launch soon.Acer’s Chromebase is set to arrive in the second quarter in North America and Asia Pacific. The all-in-one has a 21.5-inch 1080p touchscreen display and an Nvidia Tegra K1 quad-core processor.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Apple’s iPhone trade-in program in China could boost sales
Apple has quietly launched a trade-in program to let Chinese customers exchange their old iPhones and iPads for the latest devices, which could help promote adoption of its upcoming Apple Pay and Apple Watch.The trade-in program has already been available in the U.S., but Apple on Tuesday brought the service to China, mentioning it in an update to its website.Chinese customers will be able to exchange iPhones as old as the iPhone 4 to receive store credit that can be used towards the purchase of a new unit, according to an Apple store worker in Beijing.The company, however, will only accept units that were officially sold in China, and not in other countries. Customers can bring the old devices to a local Apple store, where the product serial numbers and overall quality will be checked.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Bitcoin in China still chugging along, a year after clampdown
A year after China began tightening regulations around Bitcoin, the virtual currency is still thriving in the country, albeit on the fringes, according to its largest exchange.Bitcoin prices may have declined, but Chinese buyers are still trading the currency in high volumes with the help of BTC China, an exchange that witnessed the boom days back in 2013, only to see the bust following the Chinese government’s announcement, in December of that year, that banks would be banned from trading in bitcoin.This eventually led to a clampdown that scared customers away from the currency, and threw a wrench in the business of local exchanges, including BTC China.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
ZTE’s Nubia Z9 Max phablet packs a powerful camera
Not to be outdone by the iPhone 6 Plus, Chinese vendor ZTE has come out with its own high-end phablet, the Nubia Z9 Max—an aluminum smartphone with a feature-packed camera.The Android phone, unveiled Thursday, is slated to come to China first, but the company plans to bring it to North America, Europe and emerging markets later.I tested the device and found it impressive. Chinese vendors are releasing more top-notch handsets, and ZTE’s Nubia team has added to the trend with the Z9 Max.The phone delivers what you would expect from premium handsets, some of which already feature metal frames, the latest Qualcomm chipsets, and 1080p displays.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Foxconn to enter information security realm with joint venture
Foxconn Technology Group isn’t satisfied with just making iPhones, and plans to break into the information security market through an upcoming joint venture.On Thursday, the Taiwanese manufacturing giant announced it would set up in May a joint venture with Korea’s SK C&C, an IT services provider, to develop information security systems for the Chinese market.The venture will be based at one of Foxconn’s factories in China, where it has hired over a million workers to assemble electronics for vendors that include Apple, Microsoft and Sony.Electronics manufacturing has long been the core business of the company. Business from Apple is estimated to contribute 40 to 50 percent of Foxconn’s revenue.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Foxconn partners with China’s Tencent on smart electric cars
As rumors swirl that Apple might be developing an electric car one of its major suppliers, Foxconn Technology Group, is moving ahead with its own plans to bring an electric-powered vehicle to China.On Monday, the electronics manufacturer struck a partnership with Chinese Internet giant Tencent and luxury car dealership China Harmony Auto to develop smart electric cars. All three companies are together establishing a special team for the project, Foxconn said.Foxconn, which is based in Taiwan, is perhaps best known for assembling Apple’s iPhone.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
HTC replaces CEO with company founder
HTC founder Cher Wang is taking over as company CEO, as the Taiwanese Android smartphone maker fights to revive its struggling business.Peter Chou, the previous CEO, will remain with the company, and lead its “Future Development Lab” to identify new growth opportunities, HTC said Friday.Wang, who was already company chairwoman, had been taking a larger managerial role in the last two years, so that Chou could focus on product development.On Friday, the board of directors and HTC’s executive team agreed to formalize that progression and name Wang as CEO to usher in its next stage of development, the company said.During Chou’s tenure, HTC became a major Android handset maker, but its market share and sales have since declined in the face of fierce competition from Apple, Samsung Electronics, and an emerging crowd of Chinese vendors.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
HTC replaces CEO with company founder
HTC founder Cher Wang is taking over as company CEO, as the Taiwanese Android smartphone maker fights to revive its struggling business.Peter Chou, the previous CEO, will remain with the company, and lead its “Future Development Lab” to identify new growth opportunities, HTC said Friday.Wang, who was already company chairwoman, had been taking a larger managerial role in the last two years, so that Chou could focus on product development.On Friday, the board of directors and HTC’s executive team agreed to formalize that progression and name Wang as CEO to usher in its next stage of development, the company said.During Chou’s tenure, HTC became a major Android handset maker, but its market share and sales have since declined in the face of fierce competition from Apple, Samsung Electronics, and an emerging crowd of Chinese vendors.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Anti-censorship group in China faces DDoS attack
An activist group working to end China’s Internet censorship is facing an ongoing distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that threatens to cripples its activities.GreatFire.org, a censorship watchdog based within the country, reported on Thursday that it had been hit with its first ever DDoS attack.Although it’s not known who is behind the attack, China has been suspected of using the tactic before to take down activist websites.DDoS attacks work by using an army of hacked computers to send an overwhelming amount of traffic to a website, effectively disabling it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Microsoft to release lowest-priced Lumia smartphone yet
Building on the launch earlier this year of two low-cost Lumia phones, Microsoft has taken the price down even further for its latest smartphone.Also targeted at emerging markets, the Lumia 430 will be priced at US$70 before taxes, when bought without carrier subsidies, and represents Microsoft’s most affordable Lumia smartphone yet.In January, the U.S. tech giant unveiled the Lumia 435 and the Lumia 532 that are priced just a notch higher.Although limited in specs, the three phones strengthen Microsoft’s product offerings for a market segment in which low-cost Android handsets are dominant. Globally, Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS only had a 2.8 percent market share in last year’s fourth quarter, according to research firm IDC.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Microsoft’s deal with Xiaomi over Windows 10 raises eyebrows
Microsoft could be trying to chip away at Android’s dominance in its deal with Xiaomi to test the new Windows 10 operating system.The U.S. software giant announced Wednesday that select users of Xiaomi’s Android phones will be able to download a Windows 10 Technical Preview to their handsets, and offer feedback to Microsoft. The software giant is creating a custom Windows 10 build that can be loaded on the phones.Xiaomi has said it’s only an “experimental program” and not a commercial partnership.The program will target “power users” already adept at using their devices to install custom Android ROMs, also known as firmware. Following the announcement, Xiaomi’s online forum said it would release the Windows 10 pack soon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Xiaomi users to test Windows 10 ahead of summer launch
Windows 10 will arrive this summer, and Microsoft is tapping an unlikely partner to help test it: Chinese Android handset maker Xiaomi.To flesh out the upcoming OS, Microsoft is inviting a select group of Xiaomi users to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview to their phone, and offer feedback.It’s a surprising tie-up, given that Xiaomi has had huge success in using Android to sell its phones. Last year, it became China’s leading smartphone vendor, and the company has ambitions to expand globally.Whether this means Xiaomi will explore using Microsoft’s new OS is unclear. In an email, Xiaomi said the testing of Windows 10 was an “experimental program entirely led by Microsoft.” The program will only be confined to “power users” of its flagship phone, the Mi 4.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Xiaomi’s fitness tech to help power smart shoes
After releasing a fitness smartband, China’s Xiaomi is helping to bring the technology to smart shoes.Chinese athletic footwear maker Li-Ning is tapping into Xiaomi’s ecosystem by using the smartphone company’s mobile exercise app on two of its running shoe products. Li-Ning is also working with Huami Technology, a Xiaomi-invested company that designed its fitness smartband, to develop the shoes.Unveiled back in July, the “Mi Band” can synch with Android phones, and tracks exercise stats, such as steps taken, calories burnt, and hours slept. But perhaps its major draw is its cheap price, at about US$13.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Alibaba uses facial recognition tech for online payments
E-commerce giant Alibaba Group and affiliated online payment service Alipay are aiming to use facial recognition technology to take the place of passwords.On Sunday, Alibaba chairman Jack Ma showed off the new feature while speaking at the Cebit trade fair in Hanover, Germany.Using Alipay, Ma bought a souvenir stamp from Alibaba’s e-commerce site in China. But to confirm the purchase, Ma scanned his face using the front camera on his smartphone.“Online payment to buy things is always a big headache,” he said. “You forget your password, you worry about your security. Today we show you a new technology.”Alibaba, which reigns as China’s largest e-commerce player, said Monday that the facial recognition feature was still under development.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Alibaba uses facial recognition tech for online payments
E-commerce giant Alibaba Group and affiliated online payment service Alipay are aiming to use facial recognition technology to take the place of passwords.On Sunday, Alibaba chairman Jack Ma showed off the new feature while speaking at the Cebit trade fair in Hanover, Germany.Using Alipay, Ma bought a souvenir stamp from Alibaba’s e-commerce site in China. But to confirm the purchase, Ma scanned his face using the front camera on his smartphone.“Online payment to buy things is always a big headache,” he said. “You forget your password, you worry about your security. Today we show you a new technology.”Alibaba, which reigns as China’s largest e-commerce player, said Monday that the facial recognition feature was still under development.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
0
Alibaba investing $200 million in photo-messaging app Snapchat
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is investing US$200 million in photo-messaging app Snapchat, following a string of prior investments in U.S. tech companies.The companies did not publicly comment on the deal. But a person familiar with the matter confirmed the investment on Thursday.The e-commerce firm has been funding both U.S. and Chinese tech companies, as a way to grow the company’s global ecosystem, the source said.Previous deals made in the U.S. include investing in messaging app Tango, online retail site ShopRunner, and ride-sharing service Lyft.The activity has sparked speculation that the Chinese e-commerce company is preparing to buy its way into the U.S. market. Last week, Alibaba announced it was opening its first data center in Silicon Valley to target the U.S. cloud computing sector.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here