Tech
Nokia 4Q profit beats expectations on back of robust demand
HELSINKI, Finland — Nokia, a company that makes equipment for both wireless and fixed networks, reported strong results for the fourth quarter on Thursday. The company cited strong demand for 5G technology and an improved product portfolio.
The company, which is based in Espoo, Finland, made a net profit of 929 million euros ($1 billion) from October to December, which is 27% more than the 731 million euros it made in the same time period the year before.
The net income attributable to shareholders increased from 727 million euros the previous year to 931 million euros this year.
Nokia’s sales increased by 16% to 7.4 billion euros. During the quarter, the company’s performance exceeded analyst expectations.
Another Year Of Growth For Nokia
CEO Pekka Lundmark said that the highlight of the fourth quarter was the “stellar” performance of the company’s network infrastructure business unit, which grew revenue by 14% “with significant operating margin expansion.”
Lundmark said that 2023 would be “another year of growth” for Nokia, but he added, “we are aware of the uncertain economic outlook.”
Nokia reported sales of 24.9 billion euros for the fiscal year 2022, up 12% from the previous year, with a net profit of 2.5 billion euros, up 18% year on year.
“We said at the beginning of 2022 that it would be a year of acceleration, and we delivered,” Lundmark said. “The Nokia team navigated geopolitical, economic, and supply challenges, put our strategy into action, and delivered a strong full-year performance.”
The Latest Generation Of Broadband Technology
Nokia, along with Swedish company Ericsson, Chinese company Huawei, and South Korean company Samsung, is one of the world’s top suppliers of 5G, the latest generation of broadband technology.
Nokia announced earlier this week that it had signed a multi-year license patent agreement with Samsung, allowing the Korean company to use Nokia’s technology in its products in exchange for royalties.
Lundmark told reporters on Thursday that Nokia is almost done leaving the Russian market. This decision was made public after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The Finnish company criticized what Moscow did and said it would move its research and development out of Russia, where it employed a few thousand people. Nokia also announced that it would stop selling its equipment and software in the country.
“We are now at the final meters of implementing the exit program that was published in April,” Lundmark said. “We will not deliver anything there once we have left.”
SOURCE – (AP)
Tech
Huawei Unveils Laptop With Intel AI Chip Despite US Sanctions
Congressional leaders in the United States are upset at the Biden administration after the sanctioned Chinese telecommunications company Huawei showed a laptop equipped with an Intel AI chip this week.
In 2019, the US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list for breaking Iran sanctions as part of a larger effort to stifle Beijing’s technological achievements. Placement on the list requires the company’s suppliers to obtain a specialized, difficult-to-obtain authorization before shipping to it.
Since 2020, the Trump government has granted Intel a license to export core processors for laptop use to Huawei. China hardliners had asked the Biden administration to remove the license, but many reluctantly agreed that it would expire later this year and not be renewed.
MateBook X Pro with Intel AI Chip
Huawei’s reveal Thursday of its first AI-enabled laptop, the MateBook X Pro, powered by Intel’s latest Core Ultra 9 processor AI chipset, startled and enraged them because it implied that the Commerce Department had allowed Huawei to ship the new chip.
“One of the greatest mysteries in Washington, DC is why the Department of Commerce continues to allow US technology to be shipped to Huawei,” Republican Congressman Michael Gallagher, who chairs the House of Representatives’ China Select Committee, told Reuters.
According to a source familiar with the case, the AI Chips were provided under a preexisting license. According to the source and another individual, they are not subject to the sweeping limitations on AI chip shipments to China.
The Commerce Department and Intel have declined to respond. Huawei did not immediately reply to calls for comment.
The reaction reflects mounting pressure on the Biden administration to do more to prevent Huawei’s expansion, nearly five years after the company was added to a trade restriction list.
In August, it stunned the world with a new phone powered by a complex chip built by sanctioned Chinese chipmaker SMIC. This phone symbolized China’s technical rebirth despite Washington’s continued efforts to damage its ability to develop modern semiconductors.
Cutting-edge AI CPUs with AI chipsets
During a Senate subcommittee hearing this week, Kevin Kurland, an export enforcement official, stated that Washington’s restrictions on Huawei have had a “significant impact” on its access to US technology. He also stated that the goal was not to stop Huawei from expanding but to prevent it from misusing US technology for “malign activities.”
However, the words did little to alleviate Republican China hawks’ frustrations following the announcement of Huawei’s new laptop.
“These approvals must stop,” Republican Congressman Michael McCaul told Reuters. “I was told two years ago that Huawei licenses will be discontinued. Today, it does not appear that the policy has changed.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a key driver of innovation across various industries. Intel, a tech behemoth, hasn’t just been observing from the sidelines; it’s actively influencing the future with its cutting-edge AI CPUs with AI chipsets.
Intel’s AI processor range, including the recently announced Gaudi3 and Core Ultra series, is altering the game. These chips are more than simply pieces of silicon; they represent the key to unlocking a world of possibilities in AI applications.
Intel’s AI chipsets are designed to easily tackle difficult jobs, from improving creative workflows to enhancing personal computer security features.
Intel’s AI processors are extremely versatile. These chips are designed to provide optimal performance in edge computing devices and cloud-based applications. This adaptability is critical in today’s technology scene, where it can significantly impact how effectively technology is deployed across many sectors.
Tech
Google’s YouTube TV Overtake Cable TV Viewership
The number of subscribers to Google’s YouTube TV has increased dramatically in recent years, and a new report suggests that this trend could continue until the service becomes the most popular pay TV subscription in the United States.
In recent years, streaming services have prompted numerous analysts to forecast a significant transformation in television consumption, posing an existential peril to the established dominance of broadcast and cable channels among the American populace.
A recent report by Nielsen detailed the exponential growth of the streaming industry’s market share.
According to Nielsen’s monthly The Gauge report, YouTube TV occupied 9.7 percent of the total television viewing in March 2024, reflecting a 0.4% growth compared to the previous month.
Since The Gauge began reporting in 2021, no streaming platform has surpassed this record-breaking figure.
The widely used video-viewing platform has maintained the highest market share among streaming services for the past thirteen months, with Netflix (8.1 percent) and Hulu (3 percent) following suit. The emergence of YouTube TV as a viable substitute for conventional cable may have contributed to this transition to some extent.
Streamers accounted for 38.5% of all television viewing in March, compared to 22.5% for broadcast and 28.3% for cable. While streaming viewership decreased by 1 percent from February to March, cable’s viewing share increased by 0.7 percentage points.
This is partially attributable to the simultaneous men’s and women’s NCAA basketball championships and the March Madness fervor; the women’s tournament final game attracted the most viewers to any college basketball game in history.
Views of the president’s State of the Union address increased significantly on cable and broadcast.
Broadcast remains firmly established in television consumption, whereas the influence of streaming appears to expand annually. Thus, cable appears to be the most negatively affected by this shifting television landscape.
Google is diligently developing YouTube TV, a TV-streaming division of YouTube. In the past year, the technology behemoth has introduced numerous new features; it is now implementing Multiview on mobile devices.
Although Multiview has been available on smart TVs for some time, a company representative today affirmed that the feature would soon be available on iOS and iPad devices. This is the appearance on iOS.
The employee verified in the same Reddit thread that Multiview will be available for Android “within the next few months.”
Significantly, the functionality is limited to a specific selection of sports channels; nevertheless, extensions will probably be forthcoming to accommodate a broader spectrum of channels.
Integrating Blooket and YouTube TV for Educators
Tech
Google’s YouTube Cracks Down Third-Party Ad-Blocking Apps
YouTube is intensifying its efforts to eliminate third-party apps that obstruct advertisements on the platform. The organization has emphasized that these applications violate its Terms of Service; consequently, users will encounter buffering problems and error messages.
YouTube TV’s multiview feature is the simplest method to stream multiple broadcasts or games simultaneously on a single television. This is how.
According to Pocket-Lint, “We only allow third-party apps to use our API when they follow our API Services Terms of Service, and when we find an app that violates these terms, we will take appropriate action to protect our platform, creators, and viewers.”
YouTube’s campaign against third-party ad blockers is not new; the streamer intensified its efforts last year to dissuade users from installing ad-blocking browser extensions and applications.
The organization does offer YouTube Premium as an official alternative for platform users who prefer to avoid advertisements. The monthly subscription provides advantages such as access to ad-free videos, and it is evident that the Google-owned company is targeting this demographic to attract more viewers.
Not surprisingly, YouTube is increasing its enforcement of ad-blocking measures. The subscription business model has experienced significant growth in recent years, and it is only natural that every video streamer aspires to secure a portion of this profitable market.
Ad-Blocking Extensions on Chrome
YouTube Premium, which includes picture-in-picture mode, offline video viewing, and access to audio streaming via YouTube Music Audio, is a competent subscription service. Despite this, YouTube’s most recent assault is difficult to observe without a trace of cynicism.
Google, the corporate entity that owns YouTube Music, operates on the foundation of advertisements for its business model. Over the years, Google’s Chrome web browser has encountered challenges with ad-blocking extensions.
An ongoing competition has ensued, wherein ad blockers continuously enhance their functionality to circumvent novel limitations imposed by Google. The newest restriction of this nature is anticipated to be implemented in June; it will affect the entire ecosystem of Chrome ad blockers.
Although ad blockers remain operational on the web, they are inherently more restrictive in the mobile ecosystem. YouTube, in particular, has gradually achieved success in removing certain third-party clients.
We shall see how far the streamer is willing to go in this conflict, given that several third-party YouTube applications are still available for purchase.
Ad-blocking extensions are software add-ons that prevent website advertisements from launching. Using element filtration, they enable users to navigate the web without being confronted with intrusive banners, pop-ups, or video commercials. Due to individuals’ ire at intrusive online advertising, these extensions have amassed enormous popularity.
Numerous individuals find advertisements disruptive, as they impede page loads and crowd content. Ad blockers provide a more streamlined and uninterrupted browsing experience, devoid of unwanted interruptions.
Adblocking is extensively utilized on desktop and mobile browsers. Although ad blocking is advantageous for users, it presents difficulties for publishers and websites that depend on ad revenue. The financial requirements of content creators and consumer desires are the subject of an ongoing debate.
Unveiling The Ultimate Guide To YouTube TV
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