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According to the New York Times, Boris Pistorius, Germanys defense minister, believes that undersea cables connecting Finland and Germany that were severed on Monday were not damaged by accident, the New York Times reports. Another cable connecting Lithuania and Sweden was also cut on Sunday. The internet connection between these countries remains active despite disruptions. Pistorius said that nobody believes these cables were severed by accident, and he thinks anchors dropped from ships wouldnt damage the cables like this. He claimed it was sabotage, but admitted he doesnt yet have solid proof for this assertion. Germany and Finland have released a joint statement, mentioning that a thorough investigation is ongoing. The statement also directly names Russia as a threat to European security while the country wages war against Ukraine. Cables arent the only potential targets hybrid warfare, which includes cyberattacks and propaganda generation, is a looming threat. This September, the US issued a warning of possible undersea cable sabotage following increased Russian military naval activity near crucial cables. Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland have also spotted potential Russian spy ships around these cables and wind farms in Nordic waters last year. NATOs Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) had warned Europeans in April about potential Russian hybrid warfare targeting pipelines and cables, The Guardian reports. After extended reconnaissance and planning, Russia may be finally carrying out sabotage plans on these cables. As for the recently cut cables, well have to wait for the investigations to conclude before being able to pin Russia as the culprit with more certainty. Besides Germany and Finland, Lithuania is conducting its own investigation but hasnt yet made a statement about the damaged cable connecting it to Sweden.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/germany-says-cut-undersea-data-cables-were-sabotaged-154554172.html?src=rss
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Google released Chrome in 2008 and it became synonymous with the company and its search engine. Well, that might no longer be the case if if the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has its way. The DOJ's antitrust officials reportedly plan to request a federal judge orders Google to sell off Chrome, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the plan. In August, federal judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google "is a monopolist" in the search engine industry. Mehta further agreed Google used its "monopoly power by charging supracompetitive prices for general search text ads." The company takes signed-in users' data to create targeted advertising, however, Mehta ruled Google doesn't hold the same monopoly power when it comes to the general search advertising market. In response to the ruling, antitrust officers also reportedly plan to suggest Google changes its data licensing policies. A new proposal would have Google syndicate search results separately and sell its click and query data. These moves could aid rival search engines and AI startups. The officers reportedly considered asking Mehta to force Google to sell of Android but have moved away from that request. The DOJ submitted initial proposals in October to remedy Google's actions. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Googles vice president of regulatory affairs, stated, that the "government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed." Mehta's August ruling stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by the DOJ and about one-fifth of the states, including Florida, Indiana and Texas. It argued that Google spent billions of dollars annually to device manufacturers, US wireless carriers and browser developers "to secure default status for its general search engine and, in many cases, to specifically prohibit Googles counterparties from dealing with Googles competitors." According to testimony from Prabhakar Raghavan, Google's chief technologist, the company spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status a majority of which likely went to Apple. A two-week hearing is set for April 2025 on changes for Google to implement, with a final ruling expected by August next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/department-of-justice-will-reportedly-push-for-google-to-sell-chrome-153612337.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Tiny MEMS ultrasonic drivers have already made a huge difference in sound quality for true wireless earbuds. Now, the company behind those "sound from ultrasound" speakers, xMEMS Labs, is taking aim at open-fit earbuds, smart glasses and smart watches with its new Sycamore micro driver. xMEMS says that this is the first full-range, all-silicon, near-field micro speaker that offers full-range audio for open-air devices. Sycamore is based on the same platform as xMEMS' Cypress driver for active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds. This means the component uses ultrasonic waves to create full-frequency sound from a 1mm thin chip. The company explains that Sycamore can match the mid-bass performance of current drivers while pushing up to 11dB more of sub-bass. This new speaker-on-a-chip also has improved treble, clocking up to 15dB above 5KHz when compared to drivers that are currently in use. And, of course, there's the clarity and detail MEMS units offer. "Everything that you get out of our in-ear speakers translates to Sycamore," xMEMS vice president of marketing and business development Mike Housholder told Engadget. "In these early products that we benchmarked, our clarity continues to come through in Sycamore, so you'll get that benefit as well." xMEMS SycamorexMEMS In addition to improved audio performance, another key advantage of Sycamore drivers is their ultra-compact size. xMEMS says these micro speakers are one-seventh the size of conventional dynamic driver and one-third of their thickness. They also weigh 70 percent less. This reduced size would give product designers more flexibility, which could lead to sleeker, more attractive products. One of my key gripes with smart glasses is how thick the ear pieces are, so if companies can make something that's more akin to real glasses and still improve the audio, that's a win in my book. "Because these are fashion forward products, you need something that is really thin and really light, and that's where Sycamore comes in," Housholder continued. "The benefit that Sycamore brings to these categories of products is next level thinness and weight." Since Sycamore is based on the same platform as Cypress and xMEMS' XMC-2400 micro-cooling fan on a chip, this new driver will use the same manufacturing setup. This means that xMEMS will be able to deliver it faster, but also expedite the industrial process for future micro products. Samples of the open-air Sycamore drivers are expected to be available in Q1 2025 with mass production beginning next October. Given this timeline, we're likely to see the first products with Sycamore drivers in 2026. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/mems-drivers-are-coming-to-open-wear-devices-like-xr-glasses-smart-watches-and-earbuds-150429131.html?src=rss
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