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The ripples of the auto industry's chip shortage are still being felt, as evidenced by Honda. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the automaker will suspend production in Japan on January 5 and 6. (Honda didn't specify the affected factories.) In addition, all three of the automaker's Guangqi Honda Automobile plants in China will shut down from December 29 to January 2.The halt is an outgrowth of a chip shortage stemming from a recent geopolitical proxy war in the Netherlands, of all places. In October, the Dutch government, bowing to pressure from the Trump administration, seized control of the Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia. The company, which operates in the Netherlands, makes low-end chips that power automobiles, appliances and other tech.The Dutch government's official explanation for the seizure was that Nexperia had "serious governance shortcomings." It cited a concern that Nexperia's Chinese majority owner, Wingtech, would move key technology out of Europe. However, the New York Times later reported that the Dutch government had known about those plans since 2019.Regardless, China retaliated by blocking exports of Nexperia-made chips. The Netherlands eventually suspended its intervention, following "constructive talks." China then relaxed (but did not entirely remove) its restrictions through exemptions to export controls. The uneasy resolution hasnt been enough to help supply chains fully recover.Honda initially anticipated that production would return to normal starting in late November. So much for that. "No one [in the auto industry] prepared for geopolitical disruption," automaker consultant Ambrose Conroy, CEO of Seraph Consulting, told Reuters in November. "And they're still not prepared."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/auto-chip-shortage-honda-will-pause-production-in-japan-and-china-200857591.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Displace first tried its hand at reimagining the TV in 2023, with a wireless screen that suctions onto walls and features built-in rechargeable batteries. At CES 2026, the company is not only introducing new versions of its own TVs, it's also showing off the Displace Hub, an accessory that can make other TVs wireless.The Displace Hub is a wall-mounting system with some extra bells and whistles. It combines the "active-loop suction" of Displaces TVs, with a rechargeable battery that can power whatever screen you mount on it and a built-in PC that runs Displace's "ambient computing platform." The Hub uses an Intel N-150 4-core CPU with an integrated GPU, 16GB RAM and 128GB of storage to run Displace's operating system, and includes a 15,000mAh battery to keep everything powered. The Hub also has two HDMI inputs for external devices and supports Displace's Controller 2.0, which offers a second screen for additional information and content.The Displace Hub uses the same "active-loop suction" system as the Displace TV.DisplaceThe mounting system does have some notable limits, however. Displace says the Hub can support weights up to 150 pounds, and is specifically designed to mount TVs between 55 and 100 inches, which might rule out the TV you already own. The battery life of the Displace Hub could also be a concern. Connecting your TV to the Hub's integrated battery is supposed to eliminate the need for unsightly power cables, but depending on how often you watch and the energy demands of your screen, you might be recharging fairly often. Displace says the Displace Hub's battery life lasts anywhere from five to 10 hours. While the Hub can be recharged while keeping your TV mounted at the same time, having to plug and unplug your TV setup from a charger seems like it could defeat the point of having a wireless TV in the first place.Other TV makers have tried to offer mostly wireless screens at CES in the past, like the LG Signature OLED M3 and the Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN990F, which use wireless breakout boxes to stream HDMI connections to their TV screens. Both of those TVs were focused on reducing the number of cables that you connect to your screen rather than eliminating cables entirely, though, a goal that still comes with tradeoffs based on the limitations of the Displace Hub. Displace hasn't announced a release date for the Displace Hub, but the company says that the mounting system will cost $1,900 at launch and will be available to pre-order during CES 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/the-displace-hub-can-make-your-normal-tv-wireless-193837460.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Apple just announced it will be integrating more ads into the App Store because our poor eyeballs must be assaulted at all times. The company plans on littering search results with advertisements beginning next year. Currently, the App Store only has one ad spot. That's at the very top of search results. If you search for something like Instagram it's likely that top spot will be filled with an ad for a rival social media platform. The new ads will appear further down the actual search results. Apple says that advertisers won't have to alter their campaigns, as the ads will "run in either the existing position at the top of search results or further down in search results." The company says that 65 percent of app downloads happen after a search, so this move will "give advertisers more opportunities." Google began inundating the Play Store with more ads last year and, well, the results haven't been pretty. The general consensus is that the store has become more frustrating to use. We'll have to wait and see just how intrusive these App Store ads end up being. Recent reporting also indicates that Apple plans on bringing ads to the Maps app. This is reportedly scheduled for next year, though the company has yet to comment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-bringing-even-more-ads-to-the-app-store-193416921.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
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