by Tech Talk | Feb 22, 2023 | Articles
Key members of China’s most influential scientific body have outlined the country’s plan to circumvent US chip sanctions for the first time, codifying Beijing’s view of how it could win a crucial technological conflict with Washington.
Two of the country’s senior academics wrote that Beijing should amass a portfolio of patents that govern the next generation of chip making, from novel materials to new techniques. That should propel its semiconductor ambitions while giving China the clout to push back against US sanctions designed to hamstring its semiconductor sector, Luo Junwei and Li Shushen wrote in the bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The article, published to a social media account affiliated with the academy, offers a rare glimpse into how Beijing thinks about and might react to the Biden administration’s escalating hostilities over semiconductors. The academy advises China’s top decision makers and the article echoes remarks by President Xi Jinping calling for victory in developing core technologies. It comes as the country’s new technology overseer outlined his vision for moving past American sanctions, stressing the need to modernise and rectify weak links in its supply chain.
China has a plan to develop next-generation chip materials that it put in place in 2020 as a reaction to Trump-era restrictions. Yet that national strategy has yet to yield a technological edge on the world’s leading chip makers. Washington has implemented a series of measures limiting exports of technology such as chip-making gear and artificial intelligence processors to China, part of a broader set of technology sanctions.
Intensive research of groundbreaking materials, components and manufacturing will help China’s chip players build a portfolio of patents covering critical technology — the sort of essential equipment and techniques that the US is now wielding as a weapon against China, the scientists wrote.
“We should vigorously promote the spirit of scientists who pursue originality and resist low-level, repetitive follow-up research,” the scientists wrote. Li is a semiconductor physics expert and a vice president of the academic institute, while Luo works at its chip research arm.
The two pointed to a number of practical challenges for the chip industry, including a talent shortage and a lack of funding in fundamental research.
The US has imposed a series of sanctions on China’s tech industry, including blocks on companies perceived as national champions such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International and Huawei Technologies. Additional rules imposed over the past year also barred the world’s biggest contract chip makers like Taiwan’s TSMC from making cutting-edge silicon for Chinese designers.
Washington is also said to have secured an agreement with the Netherlands and Japan to restrict exports of some advanced chip-making machinery to China, further limiting Chinese companies’ ability to advance technologically. Chinese officials have refrained from discussing countermeasures, even in closed-door meetings. — Bloomberg
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by Tech Talk | Feb 22, 2023 | Articles
Console gaming is one of the most popular forms of gaming, with record stats showing there are 800 million console gamers around the world. Impressive yes, but even more awe-inspiring is the new technology coming to the fore to fuel the gaming craze. Consoles nowadays are designed to give gamers the best possible experience with revved-up graphics, high frame rates, and super-fast gameplay. But without a top-quality display to go with their consoles, gamers simply won’t experience their games’ full potential.
The LG OLED C1 was unveiled in 2021 and quickly positioned itself as one of the best, most innovative TVs ever created, especially when it comes to gaming. Now, LG has released the OLED C2, which has been designed for an even more mind-blowing experience.
Mister Flak, South African gamer and YouTuber, knows all about the incredible gaming experience the C1 has to offer, so who better than him to put the brand-new C2 through its paces? Keep reading for his full account on the latest OLED available in stores and online now.
First impressions
Mister Flak was blown away by the gaming experience on the OLED C1, and now, after some time playing around with the OLED C2, we want to know what his verdict of the new model is.
What was your overall experience of the OLED C2?
“The C2 feels phenomenal. I already said the C1 was the best gaming TV on the planet. The C2 is everything the C1 is, with added sprinkles. And not just for gaming but for movies and series, plus its built-in software and apps too. An absolute polished work of art and I hate that I can’t fault it. I’m a realist, so I love finding faults. But on this one, I got nada.”
What games did you play on the OLED C2?
“All my games – Forza, Rust, Apex Legends. I’m even playing games I don’t usually play because the C2 makes everything feel completely different from my normal gaming screen. I’m loving the high-speed games; those fast-moving pixels on the 120 hz OLED are such a treat for the eyes.”
Brighter than ever before
The OLED C2 offers infinite contrast thanks to self-lit pixels that illuminate individually. Taking this technology to the next level are the α9 Gen5 AI processor and Brightness Booster, which delivers 20% more luminance.
How has the brighter display impacted your gaming experience?
“The C1 was already very bright; the C2 is somehow brighter. I found the C2 better in darker games – the extra oomphreally helps.”
How did you experience the contrast and colour quality in darker scenes?
“On traditional gaming screens, darker scenes felt very washed out. The OLED naturally excels at dark scenes, so everything feels better, sharper, clearer, darker. It’s very difficult to describe with words. One has to witness it to experience it.”
Brains and beauty
Upgrading from the α9 Gen 4 AI Processor chip to the Gen 5 allows the system to be even smarter when analysing behaviours and optimising your content. The processor uses Body and Object Enhancing to detect and sharpen objects. Foreground and Background Enhancing maximises the field of depth for lifelike images.
How would you describe the visuals? Could you feel the difference of the upgraded processor?
“Yes. Other than the brighter OLED panel, the webOS interface on the C2 is faster, menus are snappier. The C1 was already perfect, so finding improvements on the C2 wasn’t easy. As I said before, the C2 is like the C1, with added sprinkles, turned to 11.”
With a response time of 0.1 ms, gamers can always expect clear visuals. Low latency means buttons pressed on your controller result in near-instantaneous action on screen. VRR (a certified specification of HDMI 2.1) keeps up with changes in frame rate to reduce image tearing, and NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium also keep images smooth without tearing or stuttering.
Did you notice any tearing or stuttering?
“Nothing. I love to brag about the C2 being the world’s best gaming TV. I adore showing my gamer friends games on it. Every time it’s just adoration and dropped jaws. 120 hz refresh rate, less than 1 ms response time, G-Sync – all of it absolutely destroys any choppiness.”
Stylishly sleek and modern
OLEDs are known for their seamless design and ability to enhance your space. Luckily, the OLED C2 comes in a variety of sizes (42” to 83″) to best suit the dimensions of your home.
What size TV would you recommend to your followers for the best immersive gaming experience?
“Definitely 48”! While I love my 55” C1, it’s too big for shooters. 48” is big enough to enjoy but small enough to be effective for shooters. 48” is the sweet spot.”
Does a great gaming TV really make a difference to your performance?
“Having an actual gaming screen is the single most important upgrade a gamer can make. An office screen and a gaming screen are worlds apart, and so are a TV and a gaming TV. The former in both examples are 60 hz, meaning they display 60 frames per second. Consoles now display 120 frames per second, so if you use a regular TV, you’re losing half the game info to a slow screen, making games feel sluggish. Consoles have only recently reached the 120 hz mark. The TV market hasn’t completely caught up yet, so even new TV models are coming out in 60 hz. If you aren’t running 120 hz in 2023, you’re basically playing on old console specs.”
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by Tech Talk | Feb 21, 2023 | Articles
Lenovo Group reported a 24% revenue decline for the third quarter, its largest revenue fall in 14 years as global demand for electronics slumped, and said it would look to cut spending and make workforce adjustments.
The world’s largest maker of PCs said on Friday that total revenue during the October-December quarter was US$15.3-billion, down 24% from the same quarter a year earlier. The results trailed an average Refinitiv estimate of $16.4-billion drawn from seven analysts.
The outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 provided a huge boost in electronics sales for Lenovo and its peers worldwide as many people opted to work remotely and replaced or upgraded their equipment. However, demand has begun to fall and Lenovo’s revenue started contracting in the July-September quarter last year.
Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing told an analyst call after its earnings that the entire PC and mobile market experienced a “severe downturn” in the last quarter, and the company was looking to reduce expenses and improve efficiency.
Lenovo is aiming to reduce its run-rate operational expenses by approximately $150-million to achieve a medium-term goal of doubling net margin, its chief financial officer, Wong Wai Ming, added. “This includes overall reduction in operational spending as well as workforce adjustments where necessary and appropriate.” he said. Wong did not elaborate on whether this would involve layoffs.
Rivals Dell Technologies and HP have announced they will cut staff. Dell said it will cut about 6 650 jobs, or 5% of its global workforce, while HP expects to cut up to 6 000 jobs by the end of fiscal 2025, or about 12% of its global workforce.
Lenovo’s net income attributable to shareholders for the October-December quarter plunged 32% to $437-million. Lenovo shares in Hong Kong slid 3.1% on Friday.
IT research firm Gartner said last month that shipments of PCs and mobile phones were likely to fall for the second consecutive year in 2023. PC shipments are likely to slide 6.8% this year after falling 16% in 2022, Gartner said.
Lenovo said that market was in the process of digesting excessive inventory, which may need one or two more quarters. But Yuan said device activation data showed that real demand was not as bad as it may appear. “From the second half of the year, you will see the PC market resume growth,” he said. — Reuters
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by Tech Talk | Feb 21, 2023 | Articles
Last week, MultiChoice announced that French media company Groupe Canal+ SA had increased its stake in the company to 30.27%.
Canal+ is the pay-TV arm of French media giant Vivendi, which has interests in television, film, video games, book publishing, and video hosting.
Over the last thirty months, Canal+ gradually increased its stake in MultiChoice – from 6.5% in October 2020 to its current level of over 30%.
The buying spree by Canal+ sparked speculation that a bigger deal may be on the cards as it makes sense for both companies.
MultiChoice would not comment on a potential deal, only saying it kept an open mind about its relationship with Canal+ and Vivendi.
What grabbed the attention of many experts is that the deal seems to be in contravention of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (ECA).
The ECA puts limitations on foreign control of commercial broadcasting services through strict ownership rules.
- A foreigner may not, whether directly or indirectly, exercise control over a commercial broadcasting licensee.
- Not more than twenty (20) percent of the directors of a commercial broadcasting licensee may be foreigners.
ICT legal and regulatory expert Lisa Thornton told Daily Investor that Canal+’s 30% ownership in MultiChoice appears to be a prima facie contravention of section 64(1)(b) of the Act.
“It would seem that Canal+’s 30% ownership of MultiChoice is violating the Act. It seems that it would be in violation of the Act even before the latest transaction,” Thornton said.
Bloomberg Intelligence analyst John Davies said the share buying will likely end soon, as a 35% stake would trigger a mandatory offer.
“South African law restricts foreign ownership to 20% — which MultiChoice enforces via a voting-rights cap,” Davis said.
However, the ECA states, “a foreigner may not have a financial interest or an interest either in voting shares or paid-up capital in a commercial broadcasting licensee, exceeding 20%”.
Other regulatory experts, who spoke to Daily Investor off the record, said the answer might be in how the deal was structured, as the ECA prohibition is pretty clear on foreign ownership.
They added that Canal+ breached the 20% ownership threshold in July 2022. Should it breach the ECA, competitors like eMedia would have been expected to protest.
A MultiChoice spokesperson said their compliance with section 64 of the ECA is ensured through restrictions in their Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI), where voting rights for foreigners collectively are limited to 20%.
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by Tech Talk | Feb 21, 2023 | Articles
Vodacom’s Walk A Child to School campaign has partnered with the Exhibition for a Child, a Non-Profit Organization which focuses on community based educational initiatives for rural learner development to distribute 1 130 shoes and 1 130 pairs of socks to learners at schools throughout the Eastern Cape. The initiative supports the mobile operator’s commitment to enhancing access to quality education and ensuring youth can succeed in South Africa.
“Learners throughout South Africa often must walk long distances to school every day. Imagine this challenge barefoot, as many parents are unable to afford proper footwear. At Vodacom, we believe in education as empowering tool for young people in this country, but without access to essentials, how can learners concentrate, perform well, and want to stay in school? Over the past three years, we have donated socks and shoes to over 1900 children in schools in the Eastern Cape, as we aim to remove barriers to fulfilling our youth’s potential and ensuring no one is left behind,” says Mpumelelo Khumalo, Managing Executive, Vodacom Eastern Region.
In the most recent National Household Transport Survey, 63% of learners across the country ‘walk all the way’ to school, with those in rural areas more likely to travel on foot due to the lack and expense of available transport. A pair of shoes can help protect feet from the elements, especially in winter, and prevent the risk of injury or infection so that learning is not disrupted and is a more comfortable experience.
Since January this year, Vodacom has been distributing more than 2 000 items of footwear to 14 schools in the Eastern Cape, including: Gertrude Shope, Newell High School, JS Skenjana, Qenqeleka Senior Primary School, Avonton Senior Primary School, Mthiza High School, Nyibiba Primary School, Mangala Senior Secondary School, Leppan Senior Primary School, Phillip Mtywaku Senior Secondary School, Archie Velile Senior Secondary School, Swane Junior Secondary School, Dudumeni Senior Secondary School and Phahamang Senior Primary School.
Vodacom’s partnership with NPOs is on and above various other educational initiatives in the region, such as the Vodacom Sustainable Living project, which involves schools to inspire youth to enter the agriculture sector and improve food security. In addition, Vodacom Eastern Region donated scientific calculators to local schools to encourage uptake in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) subjects, and enable youth to be equal participants in the digital age.
“We continue to work with the Department of Basic Education and non-government organisations to build a strong education ecosystem that has the right resources so that learners are equipped with skills and tools to contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s socio-economic development. These initiatives underpin our purpose in connecting everyone to better a future,” concludes Khumalo.
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by Tech Talk | Feb 21, 2023 | Articles
By Duncan McLeod
The SABC is Sentech’s biggest client — by far. But that’s not stopping the state-owned broadcast signal distributor from formulating plans to rival the public broadcaster in streaming services.
While the SABC has been without a board for several months, Sentech has been making plans to launch what appears will be a competitor to SABC+, the streaming service launched by the public broadcaster late last year when it took over management and operation of Telkom One, a joint venture it had with Telkom.
News of Sentech’s plans to offer a so-called OTT service (over the top — industry jargon for streaming) emerged in parliament on Wednesday when communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the company will “soon launch a homegrown OTT platform that will be anchored by Nemisa but which will be available to other content producers”. Nemisa is a state-owned non-profit in Ntshavheni’s portfolio that focuses on technology education, including in multimedia production.
“Our goal is to eventually make this platform the home for quality films, documentaries and children’s stories, in addition to SABC+,” the minister told MPs.
Sentech plans to launch the OTT platform in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year – that’s sometime between March and May this calendar year. A Sentech spokeswoman was on leave and not immediately available to comment further on the platform and its planned content offerings. (Update: See the brief statement provided by Sentech at the end this article.)
The launch plans come amid growing tension between the SABC and Sentech over the signal carriage fees the latter charges the former to distribute its terrestrial channels to South African audiences.
The SABC and its commercial free-to-air rival e.tv last year accused the broadcasting signal distributor of excessive pricing and anticompetitive behaviour.
Formal submissions
Their broadsides against the state-owned enterprise were included in formal submissions to communications regulator Icasa, in which they called for urgent regulatory interventions in the signal distribution market to deal with alleged monopolistic abuses by Sentech.
The submissions form part of a market inquiry by Icasa into the signal distribution services market. Sentech has asked that the regulator’s discussion document be withdrawn because, among other reasons, updated legislation to govern audiovisual services is in development and Icasa’s investigations shouldn’t pre-empt these potential policy changes.
E.tv parent eMedia Investments said in its submission to Icasa that it is “deeply concerned at the fact that the issues relating to significant market power in relation to signal distribution services have been ignored for decades”.
“This is despite pleas by the broadcasters that the market needed urgent regulation. Indeed, Icasa recognised as far back as 2010 that there was an urgent need to regulate the market due to Sentech’s undisputed dominance,” eMedia said. “Yet Icasa has taken no steps in this regard… All this has been to the detriment of broadcasters and caused them financial harm.”
The SABC also strongly criticised Sentech’s tariffs and behaviour, describing them as “not appropriate or correct”. It said its concerns led to the creation of a “chart of accounts project” at the public broadcaster to determine the fairness or otherwise of Sentech’s fees.
“The details of the various costs per service and per transmission site have been requested from Sentech with the objective of understanding how the structure of the cost for each service was derived. Sentech has not been cooperative in this regard for the past two years,” the public broadcaster alleged in its submission.
The SABC also filed a complaint against Sentech at the Competition Commission in 2021, in which it accused the signal distributor of “unfair and anticompetitive pricing”. – © 2023 NewsCentral Media
Sentech provided the following statement to TechCentral following publication of this article: “The OTT platform the minister is referring to is in line with Sentech’s mandate to provide electronic communication platforms for content/information distribution. As an independent provider, we provided an OTT platform for a customer, as we had done with the SABC as well. This is but another medium to deliver media content, where historically we used terrestrial and satellite networks. Sentech is not competing with the SABC or SABC+.”
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