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Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
LG Shows Off Next-Gen, AI-Powered, ThinQ Smart Home
The LG smart home experience Way back in 2011, Korean tech giant LG launched ThinQ, with big claims of being the first brand to put Wi-Fi modules in its home appliances. LG's first ThinQ offering was a smart refrigerator, boasting features such as a food management system, device warnings and various other software applications accessible via its LCD screen. In the decade and a half that has followed, ThinQ has expanded rapidly; LG's smart home platform has found its way into a multitude of connected devices, from refrigerators and ovens, to washing machines, air conditioners, robotic vacuum cleaners, and even smartphones and televisions, creating a pretty comprehensive ecosystem. However, it's all been pretty locked in, with a walled garden approach that meant that ThinQ has never really been able to compete with more mainstream smart home systems like Alexa, Apple Home or - more importantly, given the great rivalry - Samsung's SmartThings. But that's all set to change as LG has made great strides in the past year or so to open up ThinQ to the masses and has, in Korea at least, stolen a march on its rivals with a brand-agnostic, AI-driven system. I was fortunate enough to visit LG's Science Park in Seoul recently, where I got a first-hand look at the 'next-gen' version of ThinQ in action, at a demo house kitted out with the latest ThinQ tech. The LG ThinQ ON Home Hub It was the first time that I'd had to chance to see the 'brains' of ThinQ AI in action, the LG ThinQ ON, which was announced at the end of last year. Essentially a smart speaker designed to take on the likes of Amazon's Echo Show range, the ThinQ ON boasts Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Thread connectivity and works with Matter. The features of the LG ThinQ On Hub Crucially though, it has been created using the awesome Homey architecture on board. Homey, in case you're not aware, is a hugely respected smart home platform from the Dutch brand Athom… a brand that LG snapped up last year. The acquisition initially saw LG take an 80% stake of Athom, with the remaining 20% due to change hands over the next three years. In January, it was announced that ThinQ devices and appliances now work natively with Homey. That news was hot on the heels of LG announcing that ThinQ would become accessible with the launch of the Application Programming Interface (API). This means developers and other brands can now more easily integrate their services with LG appliances. LG's new AI Home Solutions push Combine all of this with a raft of new IoT devices (think motion, temperature and humidity sensors, plus smart buttons and switches) and the advanced AI appliance chipset that LG is putting in its latest appliances, and the result is a pretty impressive smart home solution. Over in Seoul, at the ThinQ Real demo home, I was shown how all of this can be combined for a voice-driven smart home experience, with a much more natural interaction than has previously been possible with voice assistants (although Alexa+ should change this as it rolls out further). LG's IoT smart home devices For example, we were shown a demo whereby the command 'Hi LG, tell me about the movie About Time,' ended up with a full cinema scene being kick-started. After that initial voice prompt, the ThinQ ON hub replied with some information about the 2013 movie, powered by Open AI's GPT-4o and then it asked 'Do you want to know more?' Our presenter replied, 'No, I want to watch it,' and the AI assistant replied, 'OK, shall I start cinema mode?' With a 'yes' the room went dark aside from some mood lighting, the blinds behind us closed, the TV fired up and About Time was fired up from a Korean streaming platform. We were shown a few more of these contextual voice demos; such as a bedroom routine involving the HVAC, lights, shutters and more, and also a laundry routine with a wash cycle timed to end in a few hours… all with a natural flowing conversation and no set routine key phrases. Our demo was in English and not quite as instant as I'd hoped for, but I was assured that the 'real' version, in Korean, is much slicker. Available already in Korea, I was told that the US is the next region for a roll-out, but wasn't given a timeframe. It's not just new hardware powering the next evolution of ThinQ though, there are also plenty of software tweaks that are taking advantage of the new AI smarts. For example, ThinQ UP is, much like you'd get with a smartphone, a system that continuously evolves meaning you can download updates to your connected devices and appliances and not worry about missing out on key features that launch on newer models. LG ThinQ UP personalization ThinQ UP also includes hyper personalization options, whereby your devices will adapt to your use-cases and needs over time. For example, your refrigerator would learn that you are most likely to open and close the door between 7 and 8pm, so could adjust power settings accordingly, or your dryer would learn that you often use it after a certain wash cycle is used, so could get prepared while the wash is still ongoing. It's all part of LG's 'Zero-labor' vision, which could also extend to your home hub following you around the house; the upcoming Q9 Self-driving AI Home Hub could finally make home robots as essential as a smart speaker. LG ThinQ UP Smart Home AI Agent Unlike traditional smart home hubs that sit in one place, the Q9 is designed to roam around, using AI-powered navigation to follow you from room to room. Equipped with voice, sound, and image recognition, it won't just take commands, it will actively assess your environment and respond accordingly. Need a reminder to drink water? The Q9 can prompt you. Forgot to turn off the lights? It can handle that, too. All of this means that LG's ThinQ platform, which was once a pretty isolated smart home experience, is perfectly positioned to become a major player in the broader connected living space.
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UK Plans to Increase Control over Google in search
Britain's competition regulator on Tuesday said it was proposing to designate Google with "strategic market status" to give it greater control over how the US tech giant operates search services. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said steps it could take included making it easier for users to access different search providers and ensuring fair ranking principles for businesses appearing on Google search, Reuters reported. It also proposed more transparency and control for publishers whose content appeared in search results if it goes ahead with the designation in October. Google will be the first company designated since the regulator gained new powers this year. Google said the move could have significant implications for businesses and consumers in Britain. "We're concerned that the scope of the CMA's considerations remains broad and unfocused, with a range of interventions being considered before any evidence has been provided," said Oliver Bethell, Google's senior director for competition.
Reuters
16-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Alibaba launches new Qwen3 AI models for Apple's MLX architecture
BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) - China's tech giant Alibaba ( opens new tab has launched new Qwen3 artificial intelligence models for Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab MLX architecture, Alibaba said in a statement on Monday. The new models would be able to run on a range of Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Mac, Alibaba said in a post on Wechat.
Globe and Mail
11-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Prediction: This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Could Be the Next Nvidia -- and It's Not What You Think
Nvidia has been at the forefront of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution thanks to its powerful graphics processing units (GPUs), which have allowed companies and governments around the globe to train and deploy AI models and applications. The semiconductor giant literally kicked off the AI craze with its A100 GPUs, which were used to train ChatGPT. Since then, multiple AI models from several companies have been trained and brought into production with Nvidia's chips. In fact, Nvidia continues to dominate the AI chip market even now, establishing a big lead over its rivals. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » Nvidia's AI-fueled growth has powered a massive surge in its stock price in the past three years. The stock remains a solid bet even after its phenomenal run thanks to the huge addressable market it is serving. However, there is another company that has the potential to dominate its industry -- just like Nvidia does -- thanks to AI. Let's take a closer look at that name and see why it could turn out to be a solid addition to your portfolio. This tech giant's AI tools are driving solid gains for customers Nvidia has left little room for other chipmakers to make a dent in the AI chip market. So, investors looking for another company with the ability to become a leading player in its market and deliver healthy stock price upside in the long run should consider Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) for their portfolios. That's because Meta is using AI to corner a bigger share of the lucrative digital advertising market. The social media giant has been able to substantially increase advertisers' returns on ad dollars spent with the help of its AI tools. Last month, Meta pointed out that its AI-focused advertising tools are driving a 22% improvement in returns on ad spending for advertisers. Every dollar spent by advertisers in the U.S. on the company's AI ad tools is generating an impressive return of $4.52. Not surprisingly, Meta plans to enable advertisers to fully create and optimize ad campaigns with AI by the end of 2026. Such a move means that brands and advertisers won't have to go through agencies to purchase ad inventories and plan their campaigns, as all of this would be handled by AI. As a result, it won't be surprising to see smaller brands and companies that lack the budgets to hire marketing agencies flocking to use Meta's AI tools to reach their audience. Even bigger brands could directly go to Meta to further enhance their returns on ad dollars spent. All this could pave the way for stronger growth in Meta's revenue and earnings. The company's top line increased by 16% in the first quarter of 2025, while its adjusted earnings increased at a better pace of 37%. The stronger bottom-line growth can be attributed to a 10% increase in the average price per ad delivered by Meta last quarter. Ad impressions also increased by 5% year over year, indicating that there was an increase in the number of times users viewed ads on its platform. A big reason why Meta can keep attracting more advertising dollars is because of its massive daily active user base of 3.43 billion across its various apps. With AI helping brands and advertisers improve audience targeting, there is a good chance that it may be able to clock strong growth in the average price per ad and the number of ad impressions it delivers in the future. This could eventually help Meta Platforms to continue growing at a faster pace than the digital ad market and its peers. According to eMarketer, global digital ad revenue increased by 12% last year and is forecast to jump another 10% this year. Meta's 2024 revenue increased by 22%, and its performance in the first quarter of 2025 suggests that it is on track to outgrow the industry once again. So, it is evident that AI is helping Meta Platforms become a bigger player in the digital ad market, and management is confident that this could lead to remarkable growth in the long run. AI could send Meta Platforms' revenue soaring in the long run Meta is expected to finish 2025 with $187 billion in revenue, according to consensus estimates. AI is expected to contribute $2 billion to $3 billion of that revenue this year, according to the company's internal estimates. But by 2035, Meta sees its AI revenue ranging anywhere between $460 billion and a whopping $1.4 trillion. While that's a very wide range and an ambitious target, especially at the high end, investors would do well to note that the overall digital ad market is expected to exceed $1.5 trillion in revenue by 2035, according to third-party estimates. So, there is a good chance that Meta could indeed capture a huge share of this lucrative end-market opportunity on offer considering that it has been gaining ground in the digital ad space. So, investors looking for an AI stock that has the potential to generate Nvidia-like returns in the long run would do well to buy Meta Platforms right away as it is trading at an attractive 27 times earnings, a discount to the tech-laden Nasdaq-100 index's earnings multiple of 30. Should you invest $1,000 in Meta Platforms right now? Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $649,102!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $882,344!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is996% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to174%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025
Auto Express
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Apple CarPlay Ultra will revolutionise your car, and we've tested it
According to Apple, CarPlay is used more than 600 million times per day. It's no surprise then that the tech giant would want to keep evolving its in-car software, and Apple CarPlay Ultra comes as a giant leap in terms of scope and functionality. Set to arrive later this year, CarPlay Ultra will, at first, only be available on Aston Martin products. However, more manufacturers have signed up and will bring it to their cars in the near future. Before the new system's release to the public, we've taken a deep dive to uncover what you can expect from this next generation of in-car smartphone mirroring. The headline feature of CarPlay Ultra is undoubtedly how the software now extends into the car's instrument cluster, creating a more seamless feel and providing essential information right in your eyeline. Advertisement - Article continues below There are six different layouts to choose from, ranging from a full-screen display for music or sat-nav maps, to minimalist line gauges, reminiscent of the Modular face on the Apple Watch. The stand-out configuration is almost certainly the one designed by Aston Martin itself; this is dressed in British Racing Green and enhanced by small flourishes such as the 'Made in Great Britain' script on the speedometer. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Users can easily swipe on the steering wheel controls to configure the centre widget to once again show things like music, sat-nav maps and car information. While this is the only Aston-specific gauge at the moment, the firm hinted that there is scope to add more in the future. What's mentioned above is the only customisation possible on Aston's own set of CarPlay dials; Apple's own gauges can be tweaked to your preference, however, with different colours and backgrounds all via the main touchscreen. Speaking of which… The focus of the Ultra additions to the main screen isn't to completely change the look of the CarPlay experience, but to add more functionality without having to duck out into the car's own infotainment software. With this in mind, users will find that Ultra features three new icons on the home screen: Radio, Climate and Car. The first two are self-explanatory; you can now adjust the car's radio and climate settings (including things like turning on heated seats and windscreen demisters) all within the slick and easy-to-use boundaries of CarPlay itself. Advertisement - Article continues below More interesting, however, is the new Car app, which houses almost all of the settings you may want to adjust on the fly, all accessed via Apple's beautifully simple user interface. For example, you can change and configure drive modes, as well as turn off driver-assistance functions; pressing a physical button on the centre console to turn off ADAS systems also responds within the CarPlay interface, keeping the whole experience feeling seamless. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below That said, several functions, such as adjusting the ambient lighting, require Aston's own infotainment software. Thankfully, Apple has engineered a clever solution, which essentially punches through the main screen to Aston's operating system, allowing you to adjust things but maintaining CarPlay's own menu bars along the side. This makes switching out easier and ensures the experience doesn't feel at all jilted. Swipe right on the main screen and this will now also bring you to a set of widgets like those on the iPhone when in Dock mode. Users can flick between different widgets for things like the time, calendar, to-do lists and other handy info that can be viewed at a glance. So far, Aston Martin is the only car manufacturer to offer CarPlay Ultra; new orders of the DBX 707, DB12 and Vanquish will all come with the necessary firmware in preparation, while older cars with Aston's latest infotainment system can be retrofitted with this for what sources refer to as 'a small additional cost'. Don't fret if you're not able to splash a six-figure sum on a new car, though; Apple has confirmed Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are set to receive CarPlay Ultra capability in the near future, with the likes of Audi, BMW, Ford, Land Rover, Mercedes, Porsche and Volvo having also previously pledged their support for the program. Setting up CarPlay Ultra is just as simple (or difficult, depending on who you ask) as standard CarPlay. Connect your phone via Bluetooth or cable to the car and follow the on-screen instructions to pair the two. Then your iPhone will proceed to download roughly 50MB of software data to the car's infotainment system, which may take a few minutes. After this point, CarPlay Ultra will immediately launch and will continue to do so automatically each time you enter the car, provided your phone connects successfully. You can also turn the Ultra system off and switch to traditional CarPlay, if you'd rather use your car's own dials/controls. Click here for list of the best car infotainment systems ... Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI The Golf R Estate is one of the best performance estates around – and right now it's criminally cheap. It's our Deal of the Day for 9 June. Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non A new Citroen 2CV could be inbound, but would this be a French fancy or a financial flop? Hyundai Santa Fe vs Volkswagen Tayron: which SUV is best for a big family? Hyundai Santa Fe vs Volkswagen Tayron: which SUV is best for a big family? Volkswagen's new Tayron takes over from the Tiguan Allspace as the brand's seven-seat family SUV. How does it fare against the latest Hyundai Santa Fe… Car group tests 7 Jun 2025
