Didi halts plans to launch its robotaxis in the UK and Europe

Didi has decided to halt its plans to deploy robotaxis across the UK and Western Europe.

The Chinese tech giant intended to offer its services in major cities around the region as part of significant expansion plans.

While it hasn’t disclosed the reason for its decision, it likely has something to do with the increased pressure it’s facing from both Beijing and Western governments.

Didi has been targeted by Chinese authorities following its $4.4 billion...

24 August 2021 | Connected Vehicles

Samsung’s IoT platform SmartThings now supports edge computing

Samsung’s IoT platform SmartThings now supports edge computing to improve home automation.

Edge computing enables more core functionality to be processed locally. For the end-user, that means tasks are executed faster, more reliably, and with greater security.

In a blog post, the SmartThings team wrote:

“While users will not see a change within the SmartThings app, on the backend, SmartThings Edge is transforming connectivity and the experience in a...

20 August 2021 | Edge Computing

GE Appliances signs multi-year smart home deal with Google Cloud

GE Appliances has signed a multi-year partnership deal with Google Cloud to build the next generation of smart home technologies.

The partners will combine their expertise – GE Appliances in hardware and Google Cloud in data, artificial intelligence, analytics, and machine learning – to deliver new smart home technologies and improved experiences.

Viren Shah, CDO of GE Appliances, said:

"As the fastest-growing appliance manufacturing company in the United...

19 August 2021 | AI

Qualcomm launches autonomous drone platform with 5G and AI capabilities

Qualcomm has launched Flight RB5 5G, the “world’s first” autonomous drone platform with 5G and AI capabilities.

The company says the platform will support and accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous drones for commercial, enterprise, and industrial purposes. An onboard Qualcomm Secure Processing Unit achieves the modern cybersecurity requirements for drones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0knh2K98Ugo

Dev Singh, Senior Director of Business...

18 August 2021 | 5G

Ground Control merges with two British firms to create IoT connectivity giant

California-based Ground Control has merged with two British firms to create a new giant in IoT connectivity.

Ground Control was launched in 2000 and was acquired in 2019 by Wireless Innovation. In 2018, Wireless Innovation acquired Rock Seven.

The three companies are now merging under Ground Control to create a “best-of-breed” technology and service provider in satellite and IoT.

Alastair MacLeod, Ground Control’s CEO, said:

“I’m delighted...

16 August 2021 | IoT

Smart cities will help fight climate change but more awareness is needed

Smart cities will be key in tackling climate change, but research suggests that public awareness of that fact is low.

According to research from Milestone Systems, 80 percent of Brits want their local authority to take more action to fight climate change. 230 councils in the UK have already declared a climate emergency in their regions.

However, under half (47%) of Brits are aware that increased use of data and technology can help in delivering improvements that can...

11 August 2021 | Applications

Bosch turns to Fetch.ai’s Collective Learning network for ‘AIoT’ trials

Engineering giant Bosch is turning to Cambridge-based startup Fetch.ai for innovative “AIoT” trials.

Fetch.ai is a blockchain (or distributed ledger, if you prefer) that is aiming to build a decentralised network of autonomous “agents” that perform real-world tasks. For the IoT, it’s potentially groundbreaking.

Bosch also seems to believe in Fetch.ai’s vision and has been an early supporter of the startup from almost the beginning. This week, Bosch’s team...

6 August 2021 | AI

DHL is building the first all-electric air cargo network

Logistics giant DHL has announced plans to build the world’s first all-electric air cargo network in partnership with Seattle-based Eviation.

World leaders are set to gather in Glasgow, UK in November for the UN Climate Change Conference where it’s hoped the international community can agree on national measures to help address the global crisis. However, individual businesses will also need to take action for any meaningful impact.

As of 2016, heavy transportation...

4 August 2021 | Connected Vehicles

Berg Insight: Global cellular IoT connections grew 12% last year to reach 1.7B

Research from Berg Insight suggests the number of global cellular IoT connections continued to grow at a healthy pace last year.

An overall increase in the number of IoT connections is unsurprising over the past year as more people became accustomed to remote working and finding ways to make their home environments more productive and enjoyable. However, most home IoT connections aren’t cellular.

Berg Insight says the global number of cellular IoT subscribers increased...

2 August 2021 | Connected Vehicles

Di-nied: Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi denies it’s going private

Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi has denied a report that it’s considering going private to appease the country’s authorities.

Shares in DiDi (DIDI) spiked by around eight percent following the report from the Wall Street Journal as investors bet on a smoother ride for DiDi going forward.

DiDi, which is backed by Apple, has been targeted by Chinese authorities following its $4.4 billion listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Earlier this month,...

30 July 2021 | Connected Vehicles