World population: there are 7.93 billion people living on Earth in April 2022, with 57 percent of those people residing in urban areas.
Mobile users: 5.32 billion people around the world now use a mobile phone, equating to 67 percent of the total global population. Smartphones account for roughly 4 in 5 of the mobile handsets in use today.
Internet users: 5.00 billion people now use the internet, with the global total increasing by almost 200 million over the past year. 63 percent of the world’s population is now online, but there are still important differences in the “quality” of internet access around the world.
15 European countries have 15% or more of new-car buyers buying plugin electric cars, 12 European countries that have 10% of new car buyers buying full electric vehicles. China also passed those milestones in 2021 (15% plugin vehicle share and 12% BEV share).
Pony.ai announced it has received a license to operate its self-driving taxis in China, the first company to achieve the permit, having 100 robotaxis in operation throughout Nansha, Guangzhou, charging riders fares alongside traditional taxis. The company's robotaxi service has completed over 700,000 orders, with nearly 80% repeat users and 99% of the passengers giving positive comments after their trips.
TSMC will ship over $17.07 billion worth of chips to Apple in 2022. This is a gain of 23% over 2021 when TSMC delivered $13.84 billion of Apple's chips. The A16 Bionic could be used with some of the upcoming iPhone 14 series, more specifically the Pro models.
Smart fitness mirrors are 6ft (180cm) tall, vertical, high-tech mirrors. They contain a computer, hook up to the internet, and work as a video screen. The idea is you connect with an online trainer, who appears on the mirror/screen along with your reflection. On the more advanced devices the mirror is fitted with cameras and speakers, so the trainer can observe your movements, and suggest tweaks and changes.
A new trademark filing reveals the name of Google's first in-house smartwatch. The Pixel Watch name is not in current use, but there is an intent to use it. Google is expected to unveil the watch at its I/O developer conference next month. It's expected to feature some kind of Fitbit integration with Wear OS 3.
Meta Store is our first physical retail space. It will open May 9 on our campus in Burlingame, California. In the Meta Store, you’ll be able to get hands-on experience with all our hardware products. You can make video calls to retail associates with Portal, learn how Ray-Ban Stories can help you stay present with the world around you and explore the magic of VR with a first-of-its-kind immersive Quest 2 demo.
Twitter has accepted Elon Musk's offer to purchase the company for $44 billion, purchasing the company at $54.20 a share, the same price named in his initial offer on April 14th. The offer follows Musk's disclosure of acquiring a 9.2 percent stake, which made him Twitter's largest individual shareholder at the time.
A refurbished smartphone is one that has been returned to the manufacturer, tested to gauge its condition internally and externally, and repaired to look, feel, and perform like new, with sales in that area rising 15% compared to a puny 4.5% hike in new phone sales during 2021.
Verizon Business saw record demand for fixed wireless broadband and next-generation wireless services such as 5G. The carrier said 75 percent of its revenue growth will be generated by 5G mobility and nationwide broadband over the next four years. “This is going to pay off big time in the next five to 10 years,” CEO Hans Vestberg said.