Qualcomm (QCOM +0.5%) unveils the Snapdragon 7c and 8c, processors that will create a new line of ARM chips to power Windows laptops.
The 8c is the new version of the Snapdragon 850 but offering up to 30% improved performance, while the 7c is a new product that’s meant for budget laptops. Last year’s 8cx will stick around for the high-end performance needs.
Key 8c specs: Kryo 490 CPU, Adreno 675 GPU, integrated X24 LTE modem, and the option to pair with an X55 5G modem.
7c specs: Kryo 468 CPU, Adreno 618 GPU, and X15 LTE modem with no 5G modem option.
Microsoft’s 365 consumer bundles coming next spring
Microsoft (MSFT +0.1%) will release its consumer version of 365 subscriptions in spring 2020, according to ZDNet sources.
The working name is reportedly M365 Life.
ZDNet first reported on the planned Microsoft 365 consumer bundles in 2018. Sources say MSFT planned to unveil the subscription at Build 2019 and ship later in the summer, but the reveal was postponed.
SoftBank has fixers at WeWork, Fair – Axios
SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBF,OTCPK:SFTBY) has deployed teams of “on-site fixers” to WeWork (WE) and vehicle leasing company Fair, according to Axios.
The WeWork team was selected by new executive chairman Marcelo Claure, who stepped into the role as part of SoftBank’s WeWork bailout.
The team at Fair, where SoftBank Vision Fund is the largest outside investor, comes from the Fund’s operating executives who were originally hired to help fuel growth.
Telia Finland has a new connectivity offering targeted at businesses of all sizes, and the companies say that in downtown Helsinki, 5G users on test frequencies experienced live network speeds of 2 Gbps.
At at the yearly Slush start-up event, Telia demonstrated features including facial payment over 5G.
In October, the two companies said they were launching a 5G network at the Nordic countries’ biggest shopping center: Helsinki’s Mall of Tripla. They intended to test new retail/lifestyle experiences with features including AR and VR, facial and video recognition, and tailored in-store signage, the companies say, along with greater control over stock levels and supply chain, video analytics of customer behavior, and in-store robotics.
Uber comes to Ivory Coast
Uber (UBER -0.9%) launches its operations in Ivory Coast capital Abidjan.
The ride-hail company operates in 16 cities in sub-Saharan Africa but has a limited presence in west Africa.
Abidjan has nearly 5M people, and Uber says more than 50K people tried to use its app there in the past year.
