AM signals: 14 nm and below at MWC, robot weapon demonstration
LG Electronics is looking to gain steam in the smartphone market with its new G5, introduced at the Mobile World Congress. The Wall Street Journal reports that the phone is modular, allowing users to swap accessories like an optical zoom, audio booster, or extra battery. LG is ranked sixth in smartphones with a 5.3% share.
The U.S. Justice Department wants Apple to unlock nine more iPhones in addition to one used by the San Bernardino attacker, according to The New York Times. The paper quotes an Apple lawyer as saying, “Apple has not agreed to perform any services on the devices.” In addition, law professor Orin Kerr has two lengthy blog posts on legal issues surrounding Apple’s dispute with the FBI.
Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Cadence CEO Lip-Bu Tan said yields on 14-nm semiconductor process technology are improving, as reported by Richard Wilson at Electronics Weekly. In addition, Tan said he expects 10- and 7-nm devices to be in production in the second half of 2015. He also said Cadence is working with imec on 5-nm tools.
David Ignatius at The Washington Post earlier described a new generation of high-tech weapons. In his latest column, he writes, “Pentagon officials have started talking openly about using the latest tools of artificial intelligence and machine learning to create robot weapons, ‘human-machine teams,’ and enhanced, super-powered soldiers. It may sound like science fiction, but Pentagon officials say they have concluded that such high-tech systems are the best way to combat rapid improvements by the Russian and Chinese militaries.” He includes a video showing unmanned Navy vessels swarming a target.
