Author: Olivier Blanchard

In this episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, Futurum’s Daniel Newman and Olivier Blanchard discuss the reframing of AI, from the cloud to the edge and beyond, and how the reach of AI is expanding.
TSMC, the Taiwan-based microchip manufacturer, has agreed to build an advanced chip factory in the United States. This move could represent a new inflection point in US-China 5G rivalry.
: Microsoft, Zoom, Cisco, and Google are all seeing increased usage as video conferencing and collaboration has become the way business and work get done. As the video conferencing ecosystem grows and transforms over the course of the next year, and hot new entrants like Pexip begin to come to IT decision-makers with more flexibility than they are accustomed to, we could be looking at a far more even competitive field this time next year.
Watch out Zoom, Pexip might just be the video conferencing firm to watch in 2021 as an IPO looms. Here’s why I’m excited about that possibility.
Here’s a look at how the EU’s suspicion of US tech giants could hinder post COVID-19 European economic recovery. The urgency of the situation, driven by the need to begin safely but quickly restarting the global economy, may require EU regulators to select a solution they are not entirely comfortable with, in order to start working toward that goal in the next month.
The Google, Apple COVID-19 contact-tracing partnership pits infectious disease mitigation against data privacy and security challenges. While the project has a lot going for it, its two most obvious potential flaws are data security vulnerabilities and people choosing simply to not opt-in. Here’s a look at how it will work, as well as an analysis of the pros and cons at work here.
Qualcomm’s new 212 LTE IoT modem brings extreme power efficiency for narrow-band IoT applications. This modem fleshes out Qualcomm’s IoT modem portfolio and I expect that Qualcomm’s IoT footprint may get a noticeable boost when the 212 becomes commercially available later this year.
How phone location data is being used by big tech to gauge the efficacy of social distancing policies. Let's take a look at this.
Just as in every other part of the world, the coronavirus COVID-19 presents a threat to Europe’s tech startup scene. While some countries, like France and Germany, have really stepped up, there is not yet a comprehensive plan in place by the European Commission to afford greater, and more equitable protection. I believe it’s important to not only consider the cost of providing much-needed aid in a balanced way, but also the opportunity cost of not doing so. Here’s why.
Qualcomm’s real-time translation during a phone call moves this functionality from science fiction to fact. Oh, I know cloud-based transcription functionality exists, but this is different. When the real-time translation function can happen on your phone, or on the device you’re using as your communication interface (i.e. laptop, tablet), it’s a game-changer. And that’s where Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 comes in.
Qualcomm is introducing two new Bluetooth audio SoCs that are small enough to fit into earbuds and designed to elevate what the company calls the “truly wireless” consumer experience. While this news is admittedly exciting, it is not Qualcomm’s first foray into earbud-sized Bluetooth audio System-on-Chip (SOCs). The San Diego chipmaker has been semi-quietly partnering with major consumer brands to bring high quality truly wireless audio to consumers for some time now, and this latest generation of Bluetooth audio SoCs is merely the natural evolution of the Qualcomm QCC5100 series and the Qualcomm QCC302x series. That aside, I see even more exciting things ahead for Qualcomm in the Bluetooth audio earbud market. Here’s why.
The potential move away from Qualcomm’s premium 5G Snapdragon 865 SOC as reported would signal that Google and LG might be leaving Apple and Samsung to fight for the top spot in the premium tier handset category. This move would allow Google and LG to focus instead on more budget-friendly high-end phones for consumers who enjoy premium features but don’t need all of the bells and whistles of a $1,200+ phone. The decision to select Qualcomm’s 765G mobile platform over the superior 865 mobile platform may initially seem like a setback for Qualcomm’s flagship 5G SOC, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. Here’s why.

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