Category Archives: oud

Apple Supplier NXP Follows Tesla-Rivaling Smart Car With Smart City

Apple ( AAPL ) supplier NXP Semiconductors ( NXPI ) Tuesday unveiled a slew of smart-city ventures — adding to its autonomous car platform, announced Monday, that rivals efforts by  Tesla Motors ( TSLA ), Alphabet ( GOOGL )-owned Google and Ford ( F ). NXP’s smart-city technology will be used by the U.S. Department of Transportation to streamline traffic and toll payments via automatic vehicle identification as part of its Smart Cities Challenge. Smart card ICs (intelligence chips) will simplify eGovernment services, NXP said. The Smart Cities Challenge features seven finalists vying for $40 million to become a truly “smart city”: Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; and San Francisco face a May 24 deadline for proposals. On Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx set out to visit the seven finalists. The winner will get $40 million “to fully integrate innovative technologies — self-driving cars, connected vehicles and smart sensors — into their transportation network.” NXP wants to be a part of that. To that end, on Monday  NXP announced its BlueBox engine to help “drivers ‘see’ around corners and through traffic obstacles, thereby calming traffic and helping reduce accidents.” Canaccord analyst Matthew Ramsay expects NXP to outgrow the macroeconomically strangled chip market through 2019 on 10% long-term growth in its automotive segment. On the stock market today , NXP stock fell a fraction, to 84.75. NXP says it has a 14.5% share of the automotive chip market, following its December acquisition of Freescale Semiconductor. NXP CEO Rick Clemmer estimates 40% of the company’s sales stem from the automotive segment. In 2016, NXP is targeting high-single-digit to 10% automotive growth, despite views for 3% growth in vehicle unit sales, Ramsay wrote in a research report. NXP sees sales into in-car networking, infotainment, security, powertrain and safety offsetting the small unit growth. Ramsay sees NXP hitting its target of $9 earnings per share minus items in 2019, at a 15% compound annual growth rate. It posted $5.60 EPS ex items last year. The company also has a path toward $4 billion earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the same time frame. Ramsay kept his buy rating and 120 price target on NXP stock. Cree Joins NXP With Smart City Goals Also Tuesday, LED light-maker Cree ( CREE ) reported the results of a two-year study in Somerville, Tenn., where it says its XSP series luminaires had cut citywide lighting costs by a whopping 75% since their installation in August 2014. “We originally budgeted more than $100,000 a year for our lights, and now we budget $25,000,” Somerville Mayor Bob Turner said in Cree’s press release. “That’s $75,000 (in) tax dollars saved in the general fund.” Cree stock rose nearly 1% Tuesday.

Apple Has Reportedly Started Production On iPhone 7

Apple ( AAPL ) may have started production of its next-generation smartphone, according to media reports. The 10th-generation handset, due out in September, is expected to come in three variants: the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus and the iPhone 7 Plus Premium (also called the iPhone 7 Pro), gadget news website MobiPicker reported Monday . The first two versions will be similar to the current iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, but the new premium model will have a dual-lens rear camera, tech news website BGR said Monday . As usual, contract manufacturers Foxconn and Pegatron are building the devices, BGR said. The iPhone 7 is rumored to be thinner than its predecessors and have an upgraded antenna design, speedier processor and no audio jack for plugging in headphones. Apple wants users to move to Bluetooth wireless headsets or wired headsets that use its multifunction Lightning port. Apple stock fell a fraction, to 93.49, on the stock market today . Consumers Delaying iPhone Purchases Consumers are postponing iPhone purchases ahead of the iPhone 7 launch, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley said in a research report Monday. “While we anticipate a decreasing replacement rate through September as consumers delay upgrading their iPhones ahead of the anticipated iPhone 7 launch, we do anticipate recovering sales with the iPhone 7,” Walkley said. Walkley reiterated his buy rating on Apple stock, with a price target of 130. “Consistent with late-stage cycles of iPhones ahead of a new number launch, we also anticipate weaker iPhone average selling prices during the June and September quarters,” he said. The lower-cost iPhone SE, which launched on March 31, also is likely to pressure average selling prices, he said. RELATED: As Growth Investors Flee Apple, Warren Buffett Sees Value Soros, Greenlight Join Berkshire With Apple Buys; Facebook Slashed .

Amazon Fire TV Gets Its Voice On Through Alexa

Amazon.com ( AMZN ) is adding voice-control features to its Fire TV system through Alexa, Amazon’s personal assistant app and rival to Apple’s Siri. The new Alexa features coming to Fire TV include the ability to control playback of Amazon Video, launch apps, access local movie showtimes, and search local businesses and restaurants, Amazon said. Users can also find local movie showtimes and where they are playing. The new Alexa features will be automatically delivered via free, over-the-air software updates in the coming weeks, Amazon said. Many of the new features are similar to what’s available on the Apple ( AAPL ) TV system through its Siri technology. Amazon’s Fire TV has a library of about 4,000 channels, apps and games, and supports 4K Ultra HD playback. Amazon stock fell 2.2% in the stock market today , to 695.27, where 700 had been a point of resistance.