Technology Roundup – SoftBank leading $100M round, AWS launches Local Zone, Qualcomm unveils new Snapdragon platforms

科技 软银 AWS
Published on: December 3, 2019
Author: Amy Liu

SoftBank leading $100M round for Konfio

SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBF,OTCPK:SFTBY) is leading the round for the Mexican financial services platform, joining QED Investors, Kaszek Ventures, and Vostok Emerging Finance.

The investment comes through the $5B Latin American fund SoftBank established earlier this year.

Reuters previously reported that SoftBank was eyeing the investment in Konfio, which helps facilitate small business loans.

AWS launches Local Zone in Los Angeles

Amazon Web Services (AMZN -0.8%) launches a new L.A.-based Local Zone, which is a new type of AWS infrastructure deployment that provides select services close to a particular geographic area.

The Local Zone provides very low latency to applications accessed from Los Angeles and other Southern California locations.

The new Zone is a logical part of the US West (Oregon) Region, but the pricing of the Local Zone will differ from the region.

Qualcomm unveils new Snapdragon platforms

Qualcomm (QCOM -2.6%) announces the new Snapdragon 865 smartphone system-on-a-chip and the lower-end Snapdragon 765/765G.

The two new platforms focus on 5G and AI. The 865 platform has the Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF system, and the 765 offers 5G connectivity plus “advanced AI processing, and select Snapdragon Elite Gaming experiences.” Note that the 765 has integrated 5G, while the flagship model requires the support of a separate 5G modem.

More details will likely come out tomorrow as QCOM continues its Snapdragon Tech Summit.

Post updated with more details.

Verizon, Amazon team on 5G edge computing

Verizon (VZ -0.1%) will become the first to offer 5G network edge computing with the new AWS (AMZN -1.2%) Wavelength service.

The teaming lets developers deploy applications requiring ultra-low latency to mobile devices using 5G.

The companies are piloting AWS Wavelength on VZ’s 5G Edge compute platform in Chicago for a select group of customers, including the NFL and game company Bethesda.

Additional deployments will roll out across the U.S. in 2020.

EU opens data probes into Google, Facebook

The European Union opens preliminary investigations into the data practices of Google (GOOG -0.4%)(GOOGL -0.4%) and Facebook (FB -1.7%).

European Commission spokesperson, to CNBC: “The Commission has sent out questionnaires as part of a preliminary investigation into Google’s and Facebook’s data practices. These investigations concern the way data is gathered, processed, used and monetized, including for advertising purposes.”

The tech giants tell CNBC they are happy to cooperate with the Commission.

Earlier this year, the EC opened a formal investigation into Amazon for potential data violations.