NEWSWORTHY
Coming soon to China: the car of the future — hyper-connected, autonomous and shared
Global automakers are positioning themselves for a brave new world of on-demand transport that will require a car of the future — hyper-connected, autonomous and shared — and China may become the concept's laboratory. With ride-hailing services booming and car-sharing not far behind, the need ...
Preparations for 2020 Tokyo Olympics transforming capital into 'global standard' city
Foreign-language signs are increasingly common along streets, cashless payment is becoming available at more shops and restaurants and ashtrays are vanishing from public spaces. Change is afoot in Tokyo. The capital is rapidly transforming into a "global standard" city with these moves ahead of the ...
Japanese medical school adopts facial recognition-based attendance system
The Hyogo College of Medicine has introduced a facial recognition technology-based system to check student attendance. It is the first university in Japan to use such a system, according to the institution in the city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. The university expects the system to allow ...
SoftBank to seek $15 billion more for huge Saudi-backed Vision Fund
For SoftBank Group Corp., $100 billion (¥11 trillion) isn't enough. The conglomerate, which has reshaped the technology startup landscape with its Saudi-backed Vision Fund, is in talks with investors to add as much as $15 billion more to its already massive fund, according to ...
Hyperwired South Korea gets head start on rest of world with launch of first national 5G networks
South Korea launches the world's first fully fledged 5G mobile networks Friday, a transformational leap that already has superpowers sparring for control of an innovation that could potentially change the day-to-day lives of billions of people. The superfast communications heralded by fifth-generation wireless technology will ...
Tokyo taxis show off true colors to make ride-hailing easier
With the Olympics — and an anticipated influx of even more foreign tourists — a little more than a year away, local companies are finding more ways to get in on the act of showcasing Japanese know-how and enhancing the overall experience of visitors. Take ...
Huge number of spycam crimes puts pressure on South Korea hidden camera industry
Shin Jang-jin's shop in Incheon offers seemingly innocuous household items, from pens and lighters to watches and smoke detectors, but with a secret feature — a hidden 1 millimeter-wide lens that can shoot video. Over the past decade, Shin has sold thousands of gadgets. But ...
Honda and Hino to buy into Monet, SoftBank and Toyota's 'united Japan' mobility tech venture
Honda Motor Co.and Hino Motors said Thursday that each company will acquire a 9.9 percent stake in the ¥2 billion venture.
Apple's new services may draw innovative giant into tech turf wars
Apple's ambitious leap into streaming video illustrates an escalating trend: Tech's biggest companies, faced with limits to their growth, are starting to encroach on each other's turf. Apple is taking on Netflix by launching a subscription TV service with its own original shows. Facebook is ...
Google launches global council to advise on AI and tech ethics
Alphabet Inc.'s Google said on Tuesday it was launching a global advisory council to consider ethical issues around artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. The council, which is slated to publish a report at the end of 2019, includes technology experts, digital ethicists, and people ...
The United States has told Germany that it will share less intelligence with its security agencies if the country's wireless network uses China's Huawei Technologies Co. to upgrade to 5G, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday in the first explicit U.S. warning to ...
China legislature eyes legal changes on technology transfers to placate U.S.
In an unusual step, China's ceremonial legislature is due to endorse a law meant to help end a bruising tariff war with Washington by discouraging officials from pressuring foreign companies to hand over technology. The battle with China's biggest trading partner is overshadowing the National ...
