Week in Review – IoT, Security, Auto

Products/Services
Arteris IP reports Achronix Semiconductor licensed the Arteris FlexNoC interconnect IP for its new Speedster7t line of FPGAs. Speedster7t features ASIC-like performance, FPGA adaptability, and enhanced functionality to streamline design. “Our new Speedster7t FPGA family requires extremely high on-chip bandwidth and advanced dataflow arbitration to make possible ASIC-class machine learning processing. The Arteris FlexNoC IP is the optimal interconnect to meet these demands, especially with the advanced process technology nodes and multi-gigahertz frequencies we are dealing with,” says Steve Mensor, Achronix’s vice president of marketing. Meanwhile, Achronix selected 7-nanometer embedded temperature sensor IP from Moortec Semiconductor for use in the Speedster7t FPGAs.

Cepton Technologies of San Jose, Calif., introduced the Vista-Edge Perception Evaluation Kit, which incorporates a sensor with an array of lasers to detect objects, people, and vehicles. The sensor is combined with a microcomputer in one package, according to the LiDAR startup. This provides anonymized surveillance that isolates uninvolved people or objects. “Our technology allows for far greater protection of data – because it allows operators to zero in on possible issues in a way other technology cannot,” says Neil Huntingdon, Cepton’s vice president of business development. “There are many advantages to this; most notably LiDAR can see in the dark, it only transmits a fraction of the information a video would, reducing the burden of data storage and network bandwidth charges, while opening the door to more mobile installations. Perhaps most importantly it means we can guarantee the anonymity of people or objects not deemed a threat. This is a step-change from existing technology, where everyone’s face is captured and held on video storage, regardless of whether they were involved in an incident or not.”

Internet of Things
DISH Network launched OnTech Smart Services, a direct-to-consumer unit that will offer consulting and installation services for home automation and security products. DISH is launching the service in 11 cities: Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and St. Louis. OnTech will help consumers with a number of smart home brands, such as Google Nest, Klipsch Audio, Linksys, Polk Audio, Ring, Roku, and Yale.

Cybersecurity
The U.S. is increasing digital incursions into Russia’s electric power grid, stepping up cyber struggles between the two countries, The New York Times reports, citing current and former government officials. In response, the Kremlin warned that such actions could escalate into full-blown cyberwar.

That’s just the beginning, too. According to a report by The Hill, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are preparing to introduce a slew of bills to enhance cybersecurity under the banner, American Security Agenda. And The Washington Post reports the town of Riviera Beach will pay about $600,000 to hackers holding the city’s computer systems hostage.

Automotive/Mobility
Waymo struck a deal with Renault and Nissan Motor to ship self-driving cars to France and Japan. “By teaming up with Renault and Nissan initially to research commercial, legal, and regulatory issues related to transportation-as-a-service in France and Japan,” Waymo said in a statement, “we’re on the path to creating long-term driverless solutions hand-in-hand with the world’s largest automaker.”

Ofo, the bicycle-sharing service in China, is unable to pay its suppliers and users what they are owed, due to having “basically no assets,” a Chinese court ruled. The startup raised more than $2.2 billion from Alibaba Group, Didi Chuxing, and other investors between 2015 and 2018. Ofo owes almost $170 million to users who want their deposits refunded, and owes about $36 million to Tianjin Fuji-Ta Bicycle, a supplier of bikes to the company.

M&A
ON Semiconductor completed its $1.07 billion acquisition of Quantenna Communications, which is being integrated into ON’s Analog Solutions Group.