Kalakshar US

Governing bodies worldwide have taken steps in recent years to boost local chip manufacturing, such as tax incentives and funding. For instance, the European Union just approved the Chips Act, regulations meant to improve its member states’ semiconductor production capacity. First announced in February 2022, the Chips Act aims to use €43 billion ($47.5 billion) in investments to increase the EU’s cut of microchip production to 20 percent in 2030 — it currently sits at about 10 percent. The Council of the European Union also hopes it will “attract investment, promote research and innovation and prepare Europe for any future chip supply crisis.” The semiconductor industry is projected to be worth $1 trillion by 2030, led by smartphones, servers, data centers, and storage applications. 

In approving the Chips Act, the EU might remove some of its reliance on foreign entities, like China, to produce semiconductors. “With the Chips Act, Europe will be a frontrunner in the world semiconductors race,” Héctor Gómez Hernández, Spanish Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, said about the development. “We can already see it in action: new production plants, new investments, new research projects. And in the long run, this will also contribute to the renaissance of our industry and the reduction of our foreign dependencies.”

The EU’s final approval of the Chips Act follows President Biden signing the CHIPS and Science Act into law in 2022. It made $52 billion in funding and tax credits available to the United States’ semiconductor industry, with $39 billion of it set aside for semiconductor manufacturing initiatives — applications for funding first opened in Spring 2023. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-eu-chips-act-just-received-its-final-approval-114524113.html?src=rss 

In the second quarter of 2023, Spotify saw its million monthly active users (MAU) climb to 551 million after welcoming 36 million new listeners. That represents a 27 percent increase in MAUs and is an all-time high for the streaming giant, which has just published its earnings report. While not all new users signed up for a Premium account, Spotify also had a record-breaking second quarter when it comes to Premium subscriber numbers. It welcomed 10 million paying users — 3 million larger than guidance — and grew its subscriber base by 17 percent year over year. That’s not an all-time high, but it’s also apparently the best Q2 Spotify has ever had in that regard. 

Despite the massive influx of new users, Spotify still lost a significant amount of money. Its total revenue for the period is $3.5 billion (€3.2 billion), 11 percent larger than last year’s. However, it also posted an adjusted operating loss of $123.7 million (€112 million). Spotify blamed those losses on the shutdown of its podcast shows, as well as on excess real estate and severance for employees laid off due to company restructuring. If you’ll recall, the audio streaming giant recently made big changes to its podcast strategy and axed several original productions. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Spotify previously told investors that it would be raising prices in order to turn a profit. Indeed, the company just added $1 on top of the old subscription rate, meaning users in the US now have to pay at least $11 a month. Spotify also plans to implement price hikes across markets, including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. The company anticipates a slowdown in premium subscription signups due to its higher prices for the third quarter of the year. From having 10 million new paying users in the second quarter, it expects to add 4 million Premium subscribers in Q3. Even so, it believes the price increases will “have a minimal impact on total revenue” and is still expecting to earn $3.65 billion (€3.3 billion) this quarter.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-grew-far-more-than-expected-but-is-still-losing-money-121553523.html?src=rss 

Quests are now available to everyone with a Quest — a Meta Quest VR headset, that is. Meta is rolling out quests and rewards to every user on Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality live-interactive experience. Meta started testing quests over the spring with a game called Giant Paddle Mini Golf and added two more: Arena Clash and Bad Roommates. Rewards include things like new clothing options for your avatar.

Meta clearly designed many of the quests (and rewards) to encourage users to interact more with their avatar — an area of its business that has seen billions of dollars lost. Main quests include “try on a clothing avatar reward you’ve earned” and “open your backpack and change your emote” — not exactly a Frodo traveling to Mordor-level quest, but some could be engaging. Quests are available in the Worlds Menu, each stating how much of a reward you’ll receive for completing it. Meta claims it will add more as time goes on.

Meta Horizon Worlds’ update also includes a new quick actions menu that can pause your gameplay and lets you mute, follow or block people you encounter. While Meta fixed some bugs, anytime you discover one, you can now report them by clicking the home button four times in a row or holding down AB/XY.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-adds-quests-to-horizon-worlds-to-keep-users-returning-to-the-metaverse-123100954.html?src=rss 

Samsung’s refreshed M8 Smart Monitor is currently on sale at $100 less than retail, and you can get one right now for $600 if you’re looking for a multi-functional display. It’s the new version of the monitor Samsung launched at CES in 2022, which comes with both smart TV and internet of things (IoT) features. Like its predecessor, you can use the new M8 to stream content like you would on any other smart TV from services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. 

But you can also use it to edit documents, browse the web and do other things you’d do on a computer without needing to plug it into a separate PC, since it comes with Microsoft 365 programs. The upgraded Workmode feature lets use the monitor to access other computers, as well, in case the documents or programs you need are on another PC. And if you have a Samsung phone or tablet, you can use Samsung DeX on the display to link to them as well. 

Unlike most of Samsung’s other smart TVs, though, the M8 comes with an IoT hub that will let you control your smart home products with SmartThings. You can switch off the lights or set the thermostat temperature right from the display. The M8 monitor ships with a detachable SlimFit Cam, which captures images in full HD and can track and focus your face to follow you around during video calls. Finally, the product comes with built-in Alexa support, so you can issue voice commands from across the room. 

When Samsung launched the new M8 in May, Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, said: “We are raising the bar for Smart Monitors globally with our new lineup and especially our enhanced M8 model. Within a single monitor, users can enjoy the best of entertainment and gaming, productivity, design and personalized convenience and comfort.”

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-refreshed-smart-monitor-m8-gets-a-100-discount-104153448.html?src=rss 

Microsoft’s Bing Chat is no longer exclusive to the Edge browser, as it’s now rolling out to Chrome and Safari, The Verge reported. “We are flighting access to Bing Chat in Safari and Chrome to select users as part of our testing on other browsers,” a Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge. “We are excited to expand access to even more users once our standard testing procedures are complete.”

It seems to be more than a small test, as a number of users (including myself on Chrome but not Safari) have gained access. There are a few limitations, though. You have to be logged into your Microsoft account, and prompts are limited to 2,000 characters compared to 4,000 on Edge. Conversations reset after five queries rather than 30, and it constantly prompts you to download Edge (never change, Microsoft). 

Bing Chat is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, giving users access to the latter’s features without the need to pay. There are some differences, though, as Bing Chat has access to Bing Search while ChatGPT-4 by itself doesn’t, so can provide more up-to-date information and sources for responses. However, OpenAI’s chat generally provides more detailed responses. Recently, a paper came out claiming that ChatGPT-4’s capabilities have declined, but some experts have downplayed the conclusions. 

On top of releasing it for other browsers, Microsoft also introduced a dark mode for Bing Chat. To use it, click on the hamburger menu at the top right and select “Appearance/Dark.” That function may not yet be available for all users. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bing-chat-powered-by-openai-tech-is-rolling-out-to-chrome-and-safari-035228266.html?src=rss