TECH GIANTS' PATENT WARS AND AI

Tech Giants' Patent Wars

 A company called Masimo has a patent for a technology that can measure blood oxygen levels using light. Apple took advantage of this technology to give its smartwatch a similar capability. She even recruited around 20 important employees of the company. As a result, Masimo filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple. Although the case is not yet concluded, the International Trade Commission (ITC) has made a decision that prohibits Apple from selling smartwatches in the US because they infringe on this patent.

It is a known fact that big technology companies are sensitive about patents. Apple has around 95,000 patents, Google has around 100,000, and Samsung has around 350,000. In fact, it is estimated that the technologies used in a smartphone are associated with around 250,000 patents. Generally, big tech companies settle rather than sue each other over the patents they hold. However, it seems that Masimo and Apple have not yet reached an agreement. If this agreement cannot be reached in a short time, it may not be possible to purchase an Apple Watch until Apple changes the design.

On the other hand, major technology companies continue to invest in wearable artificial intelligence technology, which they see as an easy way to stay in constant interaction with their customers. Recently, systems that can be interacted with in different ways have begun to come to the fore. For example, in addition to text and speech, devices are being developed that can understand and even interpret a picture or a graphic you draw.

In addition to smartphones, Apple has also targeted the smart glasses market with its Vision Pro model, which it introduced in recent months but delayed due to production problems. ChatGPT's developer, OpenAl, is developing a device other than a phone that could be called a "PocketGPT" and that people could carry with them at all times. They even announced that they were working with Apple's former chief designer on this issue. Microsoft is trying to patent the concept of versatile artificial intelligence on lightweight devices by adding an OpenAI-powered chatbot to its augmented reality glasses called HoloLens. Google has developed an artificial intelligence system similar to ChatGPT called Gemini Nano that can work on Pixel phones without connecting to the internet. Meta, on the other hand, is working to make the glasses they developed in collaboration with Ray-Ban appeal to more people. Although it seems like we spend every moment using technological products, when we look at these studies, it can be seen that new technologies can be more integrated into our daily lives.

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Newly Developed Materials:

Synthetic chemicals, nuclear waste, genetically modified organisms, and many other man-made materials are being released into the environment. The effects of many of these materials on the world system are not well known. There are many examples of synthetic materials used unconsciously in the past, only to later be realized of their harmful effects. For example, the environmental damage caused by DDTs used as insecticides or the effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in a wide variety of technologies in the past on the ozone layer were only realized much later.

Ideally, materials that have unknown effects on the Earth system should not be released into the environment. Therefore, the limit value that should not be exceeded in order to prevent newly developed materials from being released into nature should also be "0".

There is no data on the number of materials released into the environment worldwide without being tested as safe. However, it is known that 80% of chemicals registered under the European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations remain in use for more than ten years without undergoing any safety testing. An idea of ​​the magnitude of the problem can be obtained by looking at the REACH data, which only registers a small portion of the synthetic chemicals produced worldwide.

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Objects That Weaken Wireless Networks

Some objects in our home can weaken the wireless Wi-Fi signal and cause us to experience connection problems. We have compiled for you the most problematic objects and what you can do about this issue.

Mirrors: Mirrors can reflect and redirect Wi-Fi signals. Keep the mirror away from your wireless modem.

Aquariums: Water absorbs and weakens Wi-Fi signals, and aquarium pumps and filters can also cause electromagnetic interference. In fact, the reason why phones don't receive good signal when it rains is because water drops absorb radio waves. Therefore, do not place an aquarium near your modem.

Microwave ovens: Microwave ovens operate on the same frequency as Wi-Fi signals. If you notice a drop in your internet speed while using your microwave oven, it's because it's disrupting your wireless network signals.

Cordless phones: Although they are no longer around, cordless phones in our homes can operate on the same frequency as WiFi signals and can interfere with them. If you cannot place your wireless phone far from your modem, you can try using a device that operates on a different frequency.

Metal items: Metal items can reflect, block or scatter Wi-Fi signals, creating blind spots, so be careful not to place large metal ornaments around your router.

Concrete walls: Concrete walls have a hard time letting Wi-Fi signals through, which can cause a weak connection in some areas of your home. Placing the modem in a central location keeps it in as much open space as possible.

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Materials Discovered by Artificial Intelligence

A group of Google DeepMind employees recently developed a new artificial intelligence application that helps discover crystals with desired properties. The application, called GNOME, predicted 2.2 million new crystal structures. It is stated that approximately 380,000 of these structures are relatively more stable and have the potential to be used in technological devices in the future. from computer chips. 28,000 new materials discovered with its help were added.

Crystalline solids are used in many technological devices, from solar panels to solar panels. Not until recent years, researchers trying to develop new materials tried various combinations through trial and error, but these studies took a very long time. Nowadays, many researchers trying to discover new crystals first resort to theoretical methods. Although theoretical predictions made using the speed of computers do not provide definitive results, they do give an idea about which components and which structures will create a material with the desired properties. In the past decade, with the help of theoretical calculations, 28000 new materials were added to the International Inorganic Crystal Database.

736 of the structures predicted by GNoME have been synthesized by various research groups around the world. Additionally, a research group working at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has conducted another study showing that materials predicted by GNoME can be synthesized autonomously in robotic laboratories. Studies conducted by both Google DeepMind and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers have been published in Nature. Nature is a British weekly scientific journal founded and based in London, England.

The researchers first trained the artificial intelligence application they developed with information from a database about crystal structures. The database can be accessed via The Materials Project's website.

The predictions made by the program during the training were also tested through a theoretical method called DFT. Among those discovered by GNoME are one-of-a-kind crystals, potential superconductors, conductors that could improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries, and many other materials that could be used in future technological devices.