IBM makes the Power Series chips, and as part of that has open sourced some of the underlying technologies to encourage wider use of these chips. The open source pieces have been part of the OpenPower Foundation. Today, the company announced it was moving the foundation under The Linux Foundation, and while it was at it, announced it was open sourcing…
Tag: patent
Can JPEG XL Become the Next Free and Open Image Format?
“JPEG XL looks very promising as a next gen replacement for JPEG, PNG and GIF,” writes icknay (Slashdot reader #96,963): JPEG was incredibly successful by solving a real problem with a free and open format. Other formats have tried to replace it, notably HEIF which will never by universal due to its patent licensing. JPEG XL combines all the modern features,…
Walmart Could Be Looking To Rival Facebook’s Libra With a USD-Pegged Stablecoin Issuance, Patent Filing Shows
Retail giant Walmart could be working on issuing a fiat-backed digital currency, similar to Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency, according to a new patent filing. From a report: The filing, published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Thursday, outlines a method for “generating one digital currency unit by tying the one digital currency unit to a regular currency,” meaning a…
An AI System Should Be Recognized As the Inventor of Two Ideas In Patents Filed On Its Behalf, Academics Say
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC An artificial intelligence system should be recognized as the inventor of two ideas in patents filed on its behalf, a team of academics says. The AI has designed interlocking food containers that are easy for robots to grasp and a warning light that flashes in a rhythm that is hard to ignore….
University of California Sues Five Major Retailers Over Edison-Style LED Bulbs
The University of California is suing five major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, IKEA, and Bed Bath & Beyond, for infringing on four patents related to “filament” LED light bulbs. Reuters reports: These patents relate to what the university called the “reinvention of the light bulb” by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara led by professor Shuji Nakamura, who…
Apple Buys Intel’s Smartphone Modem Business
Apple is officially acquiring Intel’s smartphone modem business for $1 billion, the two companies announced today. As rumored earlier this week, the move “would jump-start the iPhone maker’s push to take control of developing the critical components powering its devices.” The Verge reports: The acquisition means that Apple is now well on the way to producing its own 5G modems for…
Researchers Claim Robust ‘Universal Computer Memory’ Breakthrough
Lancaster University has announced a “universal computer memory” breakthrough combining the fast, low-energy storage of DRAM memory with the robustness of flash memory. They’re now envisioning ultra-low energy consumption computers which would never need to boot up — and can “instantaneously and imperceptibly” slip into an energy-saving sleep mode. Long-time Slashdot reader Hrrrg pointed us to this announcement:
A U.S. patent has…
Intel Launches Blockbuster Auction For Its Mobile Portfolio
In what looks set to become one of the highest profile patent sales in years, Intel has put its IP relating to cellular wireless connectivity on the auction block. The company is seeking to divest around 8,500 assets from its massive portfolio. From a report: The news comes as the chip giant searches for a buyer for its 5G smartphone modem…
How OIN’s Linux-Based Patent Non-Aggression Community Drove Open Source Growth
“Some businesses, such as pharmaceuticals, still spend enormous amounts of time and money on intellectual property (IP) fights,” reports ZDNet. But “thanks to the Open Invention Network (OIN), the largest patent non-aggression community in history, Linux and related open-source technologies have become mostly free of these expensive entanglements.” And now they’re reporting that the OIN’s membership has grown to over 3,000…
Senator Rubio Targets Huawei Over Patents
hackingbear writes: While intellectual property violation is a major accusation against China in the on-going US-China trade war, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio filed legislation on Monday that would prevent Huawei from seeking damages in U.S. patent courts, after the Chinese firm demanded that Verizon Communications pay $1 billion to license the rights to patented technology. Under the amendment — seen by…