Roundup – Tesla unveils ‘Optimus’ robot and Ofcom launches hyperscaler probe

UK regulators forecasts black clouds for hyperscal giants Amazon, Microsoft and Google

British media regulator Ofcom is investigating Amazon, Microsoft and Google’s dominance in the cloud computing industry as part of its effort to tighten digital strategy. The regulator will launch a study to see whether the dominance of the three tech giants threatens competition in the sector.

Ofcom said it is focusing on “hyperscalers” which let businesses access computing power and data storage from remote servers, rather than host it on their own private infrastructure. If it deems these companies are harming competition, further action could be taken. Ofcom will conclude its review within 12 months’ time.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/22/uks-ofcom-probes-amazon-microsoft-and-google-over-cloud-dominance.html

Apple to move production away from China, JPM says

According to J.P.Morgan analysts, Apple may make one out of four iPhones in India by 2025 as the tech giant moves production out of China. The move comes as Apple accelerates efforts to relocate its supply chains which were thwarted during the pandemic. The brokerage expects India to produce 5% of Apple’s iPhone 14 from late 2022 and 25% of all Apple’s products to be manufactured outside of China by 2025 (from 5% currently).

“Taiwanese vendors such as Hon Hai and Pegatron play a key role in the relocation to India. In the medium to long term, we also expect Apple to qualify local India manufacturing suppliers,” says J.P.Morgan analysts.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-may-move-quarter-iphone-production-india-by-2025-jpm-2022-09-21/

Tesla prepares to launch long-awaited ‘Optimus’ robot

Tesla is planning to deploy humanoid robot ‘Optimus’ within its factories, with a further global rollout on the horizon.

Tesla owner Elon Musk said that in time robots can be used in homes to complete domestic tasks such as cooking. He expects the robot business to eventually be worth more than Tesla’s car revenue.

Yet Reuters reports Tesla faces scepticism from robotic experts – such as the lead of NASA’s Dexterous Robotics Team, Shaun Azimi – saying that “if something unexpected happens, being flexible and robust to those kinds of changes is very difficult.”

On September 30, Musk will unveil a prototype of the robot and production could begin as early as next year.

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/elon-musk-faces-skeptics-tesla-gets-ready-unveil-optimus-robot-2022-09-20/

Indonesia clamps down on bad actors with new data privacy law

After much deliberation, Indonesia’s parliament has passed a data privacy law that will make data handlers liable for up to five years of jail for misusing private information. The law was set in motion after Indonesia fell victim to several breaches. Individuals falsifying date could be jailed for up to six years and the law includes corporate fines of up to 2% of the firm’s annual revenue. Assets of the company leaking personal data could also be confiscated or auctioned off. This makes Indonesia the fifth country in the Southeast Asian region to announce legislation on personal data protection.

https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/20/indonesia-data-privacy-law-passed/