Samsung will reportedly produce all Snapdragon 875 processors

Samsung Semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek, South Korea

Reports from South Korea claim that the Samsung Semiconductor Company will produce Qualcomm's upcoming chipset in December, which is expected to carry the model name Snapdragon 875. The Samsung division reportedly offered a better deal than TSMC so it will manufacture the entire batch of processors for next year's flagship smartphones. The deal supposedly cost Qualcomm between US$850 million and US$1 billion. Aside from the earnings from this deal, it also reinforces Samsung Semiconductor's position as the biggest semiconductor manufacturer in the last couple of decades.

Source: GSMArena

Instagram patent shows it might charge a fee for links in captions

If this patent ever becomes an actual product feature, Instagram can charge its users a fee for adding links to photo captions. The patent application Instagram's parent company Facebook filed back in 2016, displays a pop-up that would appear when a user adds a URL to a caption. It asks you if you want to pay $2 to make the link live.

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NVIDIA buys Arm for US$40bn

NVIDIA has officially announced that it bought the semiconductor design company Arm for US$40 billion, which will help expand the graphics giant's presence in mobile computing. It plans to invest more in artificial intelligence technology to bring it to platforms like smartphones, PCs, and self-driving cars. Arm will gain access to NVIDIA's products and more support for its R&D initiatives. NVIDIA says it will build an AI supercomputer powered by Arm CPUs at its Cambridge headquarters to cement its commitment to the acquisition.

NVIDIA assures that Arm's technology will maintain its open licensing model and neutrality with current customers, which means Arm designs can take advantage of NVIDIA's tech as well. We should expect some unconventional chip designs from NVIDIA in the future. NVIDIA and Arm's boards have approved the acquisition, and the companies expect to close the transaction within 18 months. It'll require regulatory approval in the US, UK, EU, and China, of course.

Source: Engadget

Apple's design teams create special face masks for staff

Source: Mark Gurman/Twitter

Apple does as Apple does, so it isn't surprising the tech giant developed its own face masks for its corporate and retail employees to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Apple will begin sending the Apple Face Mask to employees over the next couple of weeks. Apple's Engineering and Industrial Design teams developed the customized face mask. These teams are the same groups who work on gadgets like the iPhone and iPad. 

It has three layers to filter incoming and outgoing particles, and it can be washed and reused for up to five times. It has large coverings on the top and bottom to cover the nose and chin and adjustable strings to fit it to the ears. 

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