AI News Archives - BlackandPaper

Once upon a time Kodak was one the largest companies in the world. Digital cameras hit the market. General Motors controlled 60% of the US auto market. The Corolla came along. Nokia sat on almost 40% of global mobile phone sales. iPhone was released. AOL had 30 million users in 2000, by far the largest in the world. Customers switched to broadband. MySpace was the social media site. Suddenly young people moved to Facebook. These giants fell, some faster than others. They were unable to adapt to changing times. As the shockwaves continue to pulsate throughout the global tech sector. Could this David slay the giants? That is the question.

Brazen

DeepSeek, the Chinese start-up founded in 2023 scaled the walls of success to become a conversation. AI was supposed to be the terrain of the giants, not anymore. A brazen newcomer crashed the scene. Even President Trump weighed in saying “It’s a wake-up call.” A new competitor arrived, one that cannot be bought or suppressed.

Not only did DeepSeek beat the US giants, the young Hangzhou young upstart did it cheaper and faster than expected. While Silicon Valley sat back raking in investment for the AI, High-Flyer, DeepSeek’s parent company, outflanked the Goliaths. In one day, tech stocks dropped $1 trillion in value. Maybe Wall Street knew had a premonition of what is coming. In the past it took years for companies to fall from the top. For the hyper connected age where change comes fast, within twenty months a once household brand could be regulated to the graveyard, then forgotten. Technology is an unforgiving field that moves forward, stomping over stumblers.

For the first time, The United States tech platforms must change to a catch up plan in a field they dominate. A nightmare could become a reality, a decline to irrelevancy. So significant is the threat, Fortune Magazine reported Meta head Mark Zuckerberg has convened a war room to counter DeepSeek’s new Chatbot.

The well-known expression from the Chinese philosophy Taoism: What goes up, must come down. These words are resonating in Silicon Valley.

IFA 2024 came to an end on Tuesday. The large consumer electronics celebrate its 100^th anniversary. The Berlin event is trying to redefine itself after COVID and management changes. Once the domain of radio and television technology where Einstein attended and German leader Willy Brandt kicked off the first color broadcast in Europe, IFA evolved into a giant fair where brands showed off new models and devices. “Innovation For All” was the central theme. Were there innovations on hand in the twenty-seven halls? Small ideas can lead into big innovations. The first smartphone from Nokia was released in 1996 to not so much fanfare. Then came the iPhone in 2007.

The big trend of course, Artificial Intelligence, every big and small company touted integrated features and applications using AI. Mobile phone brand HONOR introduced a foldable smartphone with AI features.

Taiwan’s Acer Computer introduced a PC with an AI editing feature that will cut time in the front of the screen. During my demonstration, the team showed how the user places the video piece in the feature bar, the AI does the adjustments and corrections.

IFA BERLIN — Acer Computer AI editing program

TCL introduced a line of colorful sleek affordable mobile phones titled NXTPAPER. The French company teamed with Microsoft for this generation of devices that are based on AI tech. I loved the Metallic Blue and Gold casing models.

Audio quality made many gains at the exhibition hall. Normally, the stepchild to visual electronics, sound quality has become a priority for tech makers.

At Yaber, the Chinese brand incorporates JBL speakers in its projectors. I was surprised by Japanese consumer brand Sharp with its affordable product line of speakers and subwoofers able to produce excellent quality audio.

Tech Fashion

In the tech and fashion realms, leave it to the Italians of course to have style. Puro combined a skull cap with built in touch speakers in three colors. Essilor Luxottica’s Nuance Audio stylish eyewear for the hearing impaired are optical sophistication. The wearer does not have the stigma of using a hearing aid.

“Silk Audio” is the term that comes to mind for the on-ear headphones from Los Angeles based Audeze. After listening to Stevie Nicks using the company’s magnetic technology, adjusting back to cheap headphones has been difficult.

The smart home evolution continues with companies thinking up new ways to make life easier and connected. Ztove had an interesting product of a connected stove and pot that makes burning food impossible. The cooker has a digital preset mode.

Korean start-up Balcony Farm makes life easier for vertical living city dwellers to grow food and plants with an app, pre-installed lights, small amount of soil and water and a little space.

IFA always has interesting products that may not fit in the “Next Big Thing” category, but deserve attention.

The Mobile Monitor that can float in water from Sylvox takes the top prize, but the Chinese brand’s bathroom mirror monitor gets an honorable mention.

Lucian gets my design award for producing a statement tooth brush made of titanium.

Haier’s Dryer and 10-minute clothing steamer is a great combo for people on the go.

The JMGO Laser projector with a nimble gimble stand and fast focus.

I cannot wait until IFA 2025.