Apple’s AR/VR headset plan causes internal divisions

Internal divisions are reportedly arising at Apple over its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams are said to be pushing to launch the headset as soon as possible, even if its design isn’t optimal.

Designers at Apple are said to have disagreed with their leadership and want to wait until it's feasible to launch a product that is lighter and less expensive. Current price estimates for the headset are between $2,000 and...

Zuckerberg believes Meta’s duty is to promote an open metaverse

During yesterday’s annual Meta keynote, CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his belief that the metaverse must be open.

Zuckerberg called out closed ecosystems—a clear dig at Apple, without mentioning the company directly.

“Closed ecosystems focus on tight control and integration to create unique experiences and lock-in, although most of that value ends up flowing to the platform over time,” explained Zuckerberg.

“Open ecosystems create value and grow through...

Inmarsat Fleet Xpress Enhanced supports maritime digital transformation

Inmarsat has launched Fleet Xpress Enhanced, a portfolio of connectivity products to support the digital transformation of the maritime industry.

The world’s oceans can be dangerous and unpredictable but are vital for shipping, food, transport, and research. IoT sensors can help with minimising risks while supporting critical operational and sustainability efforts.

“This latest evolution of Fleet Xpress is not a standard VSAT service – it is a versatile, fully...

Survey: Adoption of digital transformation tech is accelerating

According to a survey of UK leaders conducted by bluQube, the adoption of digital transformation technologies is accelerating.

“So-called ‘future’ technologies, such as robotics or the Internet of Things, have now firmly entered the mainstream for businesses looking to grow and stand out from the chasing pack,” commented Simon Kearsley, CEO of bluQube.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of business leaders report their organisations have adopted mobile technology. An...

The growth of digitalisation with Industry 4.0

In recent years, significant growth in Industry 4.0 digitalisation has had a major impact on the manufacturing sector.

The shift from traditional, paper-based methods to more streamlined digital solutions is helping all kinds of manufacturers, from textiles and food to pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals, boost their productivity, reduce costs and thus, become more operationally efficient.

Indeed, in a recent study by Getac and Statista, a quarter of US...

GlobalData: 75% of execs anticipate disruption from automation within 12 months

Three-quarters of executives are expecting their sector to be disrupted by automation within 12 months.

The findings come from research firm GlobalData which calls automation “no longer a distant dream”. Undoubtedly, the pandemic has sped up the adoption of automation as leaders seek to shelter their businesses in uncertain times and adapt to lasting societal changes.

Charlotte Dunlap, Principal Analyst at GlobalData, said:

“The pandemic has shown us just...

Editorial: 10 predictions for the IoT in 2022

As we begin wrapping up the year, it’s time to predict what the IoT industry will look like in 2022.

Seamlessly connected homes

“The US market has seen substantial year-over-year growth in the number of connected homes, and this is expected to continue in the years to come,” analysts from McKinsey said in a recent report.

“However, we're still far from the vision of seamlessly connected homes.”

The emergence of Thread as a widely-backed...

Nokia helps Volkswagen embrace Industry 4.0 digital transformation

Nokia is deploying a private 5G network for Volkswagen at the carmaker’s main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany to help the company embrace Industry 4.0 digital transformation.

Chris Johnson, Head of Global Enterprise Business at Nokia, said: “Nokia is a worldwide leader in private wireless technology for Industry 4.0 digital transformation proven by over 380 large enterprise customer deployments, of which more than 75 incorporate 5G.”

Compared to nimble startups, large...

Matterport democratises access to digital twins with major UK and US expansion

Spatial data firm Matterport is democratising access to digital twins by expanding its UK and US coverage by 55 percent.

Digital twins are supporting the digital transformation of the built world by enabling businesses to manage their assets using real-time virtual counterparts.

Research has found that digital twins have led to real estate listings closing 31 percent faster, increased vacation rental conversions by up to 12 percent, and reduced the time to design,...

Inmarsat: IoT to overtake cloud computing as primary Industry 4.0 technology

Research from Inmarsat has found that investment in the IoT is set to overtake cloud computing and other digital transformation technologies.

The IoT can hardly be considered an “emerging technology” anymore. Between 2017 and 2020, IoT investments account for an average of 7 percent of an organisation’s IT budget. Over the next three years, businesses expect to increase their IoT budgets to 10 percent.

Here’s how that compares to planned investment in other...