Tantra's Mantra
Originally published in RCR Wireless News, on May 21, 2026 If you have ever shopped at a Uniqlo store, you’ve likely been as amazed as I have by the automated checkout: You put all your items in a basket, and they are instantly scanned rather than needing each barcode scanned manually. That almost magic-looking setup is made possible by a technology called RFID. The same touchless, rapid,…
The revelation in 2024 that Arm was planning to develop its own silicon sent chills down the spines of its licensees. However, its AGI CPU announcement allayed those fears and showed a pathway for the company’s ambition to become an AI silicon player without trampling its licensees. AGI CPU is carving out a sizable $100 billion slice of the gigantic $1 trillion AI infrastructure silicon market,…
After many years of incremental performance improvements, Samsung introduced an interesting new hardware feature in its latest flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra — Privacy Display. This offers immediate, tangible benefits to all, especially privacy-sensitive and enterprise users. I received a review unit at the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco on Feb 25, 2026. It is a fantastic phone with tons of…
Projected retail food waste of $540 billion in 2026 is driving the adoption of improved RFID labels for perishables. Spoiled food is a major contributor to the global sustainability challenge. It is an even bigger financial challenge in the retail food sector, where food waste losses are projected to reach a staggering $540 billion in 2026 . Much of this waste comes from perishables such as meat,…
Originally published in RCR Wireless News, on January 30, 2026 Folding smartphones have been around for many years and are almost on the verge of becoming mainstream. But what these foldable screens mean for laptops was not clear. But thanks to some bold steps taken by PC market leader Lenovo, clear use cases and usable form factors are emerging. I have been using and testing the world’s first and…
Originally published in Fierce Network, on September 18, 2025 In wireless communications, multiple antennas typically results in improved performance Fitting more antennas within the constraints of a smartphone and managing them is a major challenge A new feature called 6Rx will allow up to six antennas per phone In wireless communications, the use of multiple antennas typically results in…
Originally published in RCR Wireless News, on August 05, 2025 If managed well, the Z Fold7 has the potential to propel this device category from today’s niche to mainstream The tagline of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is “Galaxy S25 Ultra Unfolds.” I found that to be true during my last almost a month of rigorous use, after getting it on the day of the announcement. In many aspects, it is even better,…
Originally published in RCR Wireless News, , on July 18, 2025 I have been using Samsung’s category-defining Galaxy S25 Edge for the last three weeks and loving it. My biggest realization during that time is that liking this phone comes down to a simple question: “Do you know what you want?” If you are looking for an ultra-thin, unbelievably light, high-performance smartphone with a full-day…
Samsung Mobile held its second Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event of this year in Brooklyn, New York, on July 19 th . As expected, the extravaganza event saw the announcement of its latest foldables and watches. I was among the select analysts invited to attend the event in person. The star of the show was Galaxy ZFold 7, the ultra-thin, ultra-light folding phone/tablet hybrid. As evident, it is the 7…
Fierce Wireless, 02 May, 2025 Artificial intelligence was a dominant theme at this year’s Mobile World Congress , the show that foretells the industry’s future direction. The most exciting use of AI in mobile networks is for vRAN. Since AI requires high-caliber computing and radio networks require near-real-time, low-latency processing, in the future, there will be an intense focus on the…
EE Times, 03 March, 2025 Many readers of EE Times will very likely be familiar with the ongoing legal tussle between Arm and Qualcomm, which had its day in court last December, with Qualcomm coming out on top . Since the trial, there have been many significant developments in that case. Additionally, Qualcomm has filed a new, related (but separate) case against Arm. Next steps for the current…
Samsung announced its latest flagship Galaxy S25 series phones at the Unpacked event in San Jose, CA, on Jan 22nd, 2025. I was one of the lucky ones to get a Galaxy S25 Ultra to review. It is an attractive-looking phone with excellent hardware and performance, a slew of useful Agentic Gen AI features usable now, and whose utility will expand and improve over the device’s lifetime. With extremely…
Summary of Day 5 Check out the summaries of previous days: Day 1 , Day 2 , Day 3 , Day 4 . The final day of the trial was a slow-moving soap opera, most of the day with a nail-biting finish that brought victory to Qualcomm. The day started slow, with the Jury resuming deliberations and remedy discussion scheduling. Around 11 am, the judge summoned the parties back into the room and informed them…
Summary of Day 4 Check out the summaries of previous days: Day 1 , Day 2 , and Day 3 . Today was the last day of the hearing. Both parties gave their closing statements, which were primarily rehashes of their arguments so far. The presiding judge gave final jury instructions, and the jury started deliberations around noon. They will have to decide on three questions, and their verdict on each of…
Summary of Day 3 Check out the summary of Day 1 here and Day 2 here . Significant progress was made on the third day. At the end of the day, the case has boiled down to two questions to be decided by the jury: 1) Whether Qualcomm and/or Nuvia breached a specific section of the Nuvia ALA (15.1a), which requires Arm to prove that Qualcomm was required to destroy all products using the Nuvia…
Summary of Day 2 Check out the summary of Day 1 here . The second day had very interesting morning and boring afternoon sessions. The most important discussion was whether processor design and RTL are a derivative of Arm’s technology. During Nuvia founder, CEO, and now Qualcomm SVP Gerard Williams’s testimony, Arm’s lawyer tried to corner him into agreeing to that. She even pointed to the Nuvia…
Background Qualcomm is one of the largest customers of Arm. However, ever since Qualcomm announced that it is acquiring Nuvia, the two companies have been at odds regarding their license contracts, culminating in today’s court trail. Today was the first day of this jury trial. Check out my article series on the details of the fight between the two companies for more details. Summary of Day 1 On…
Originally published in Fierce Wireless, on November 22, 2024 Four long years after its debut, Qualcomm 5G Open RAN platforms witnessed a major launch last week in Vietnam with the state carrier Viettel. Viettel, which is both an operator and infrastructure vendor, announced an initial deployment of 300 sites, including the capital, Hanoi, in early 2025 and the potential for thousands more in the…
Creators, whether in major corporations, ad agencies, or individuals, are constantly under pressure to create unique, stylized content. For many, Adobe Stock is the go-to place to find appropriate imagery. However, finding the exact image in the right colors, background, and style is almost impossible, especially if there are strict branding guidelines. But no more! Adobe’s newly introduced Gen…
Originally published in Forbes, on October 11, 2024 U.S. tech giants, known for their innovative technologies, are now venturing into the world of soccer. Why? Consumers are diverse, and different things resonate with people of various regions, age groups and interests. As a result, it is always a challenge for marketers in the tech space to reach potential customers and influence their decisions.…
Originally published in USA Today, on October 14, 2024 Our lives are increasingly being defined by digital content and experiences. This is even more true for the younger generation, whose world revolves around TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms — whether work, life or play. This has resulted in a rapidly growing $250-billion “creator economy.” To succeed in this economy…
Samsung Mobile had a launch event for Fan Edition (FE) versions of this year’s Galaxy phone, watch, and flagship Tablets on Sep 25 th , 2024, in New York, at its Manhattan office. I was one of the select industry analysts invited to the event. The theme “Galaxy Al for All” was apt for the event, as all the devices announced had Galaxy AI support, including the first-ever AI-enabled Galaxy tab. The…
Originally published in USA Today, on September. 21, 2024 If you are looking to buy a new laptop for this school year or as a gift during the holiday season, you will be faced with a major decision: Should you buy a next-generation AI-powered Copilot+ PC? However, the recent flurry of announcements by laptop OEMs and chip providers that power them has made that decision almost a misnomer. What is…
This year’s Lenovo Innovation World was in Berlin, right before the largest European consumer electronics show, IFA 2024. During the event, Lenovo announced scores of Intel Core Ultra 200V (aka Lunar Lake), AMD Ryzen AI300 , and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (8 core) based Copilot+ PCs across its ThinkPad , ThinkBook , Yoga , and IdeaPad portfolio. These address all segments (enterprise, consumer,…
RCR Wireless News, September 12, 2024 A laptop you can fall in love with, but with some minor quirks Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is a premium laptop among over 20 Copilot+ PCs announced on May 20 th , 2024. Powered by the high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite platform variant (X1E-84-100), with top-notch hardware and software, it is a laptop targeted at premium consumer and small and midsize…
Forbes, 12August, 2024 Generative AI (Gen AI) has already started to affect everyday life. Like any technology transition, there has been fear and criticism about how it will take away jobs and replace workers. This fear is even more pronounced in the content creation industry as Gen AI adoption has taken off with models like Adobe Firefly, Midjourney and others. Although there is some truth to…
RCR Wireless News, 31 July, 2024 Since the announcement on May 20 th , 2024, the PC industry has been abuzz with the new generation CoPilot+ PCs. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x laptop was among over 20 models launched in June 2024. These PCs have started shipping as we enter the busy back-to-school season, which has traditionally been one of the peak buying periods for consumer PCs. That’s exactly what I…
USA Today, 2024 July, 10 This question arises every year when Samsung announces its latest foldable phones. From the conception of this category in 2018 till now, only a niche group of users and consumers on the bleeding edge of technology have been trying out these foldable phones. But the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 announced Wednesday may start to change that. The reliability and…
USA Today, 21 May 2024 With good cameras and photo editing tools available on smartphones today, we all want our pictures on Instagram, Facebook, or those framed in our homes to be nearly perfect. Whether it is your kid’s graduation or a family vacation, you want them to be flawless so that you can celebrate and remember the moments that matter. The challenge really comes when those…
After a few years of a lull because of COVID-19, the Huawei Analyst Summit was in-person this year. As usual, it was in Shenzhen from April 17 th to April 19th, attended by many prominent analysts worldwide, but only a select few from the USA. The event’s highlight was 5.5G, Huawei’s name/brand for the next phase of 5G. The company went over the board to show that 5.5G is not just a vision but the…
Forbes, 29 March, 2024 Mobile World Congress was back to its past glory this year with more than 100,000 visitors , as reported by the organizer GSMA. As expected, there was lots of news, and open RAN was one of the major themes. Among many things I cover, I found it interesting how Samsung Networks expanded its partnerships, extended its reach and solidified its position as one of the top 5G…
Forbes, 04 March, 2024 Generative AI (Gen AI) can be a godsend tool for content creators. The creative possibilities are only limited by human imagination. But it is not without significant challenges. The concerns around copyright and licensing are already giving jitters to users, and the questions around the authenticity of the content are putting the believability of any content on the internet…
Broadband Breakfast, 06 February, 2024 The millions of IoT devices we use knowingly or unknowingly make our modern societies function. These include utility meters, traffic lights, and they even connect to the national grid. 5G is elevating their use to even higher levels and making them an integral part of the country’s critical infrastructure. But that also is making that infrastructure more…
USA Today, 06 February, 2024 Apple’s Vision Pro is a creator’s dream come true. One can create their own world and be immersed in it. There are many innovative tools that the Vision Pro supports, but Adobe’s Firefly, which gives the high-tech headset the power of generative AI (Gen AI), enables consumers to bring their imaginations to life. Firefly is a text-to-image creator, popular across many…
ChatGPT going public was a watershed moment for AI. The feverish pitch of Gen AI is affecting every aspect of the technology sector. Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 was no different. Unlike previous events, where the new devices were the center of attraction, this event had “Samsung AI” as the hero. The newly announced S24 series was merely the first instance of the technology. Samsung proclaimed…
Forbes, 14 November, 2023 The dark days of the pandemic exposed the glaring educational digital divide and how a substantial portion of students lack sufficient internet access, jeopardizing their ability to participate in online education. Despite many efforts, the challenge still persists. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 2021, 22% of children whose parents…
Fierce Wireless News, 14 November, 2023 Most of you on Fierce Wireless have heard about open RAN, but how about OpenWiFi? Some recent announcements and launches have made the industry notice and look seriously at OpenWiFi. It is a Telecom Infra Project (TIP) initiative attempting to disrupt the Wi-Fi industry through disaggregation and open-source software development. It promises to lower the…
USA Today, 26 October, 2023 The menace of fake imagery is evident, especially during these politically sensitive and emotionally charged times. The threat will grow exponentially with the latest generative artificial intelligence tools that can create natural-looking artificial images, video, and audio. These days, fact-checking is painstaking manual work done by experts. But all that is about to…
Fierce Wireless, August 07, 2023 Samsung recently opened the doors to its North American Samsung Networks Innovation Center in Plano, TX, further boosting its presence in the region. This state-of-the-art facility, supported by development centers and well-equipped labs, not only helps Samsung Networks and its partners to optimize, test and showcase their 5G products and services, but it also…
Fierce Wireless, July 24, 2023 The architectures of vRAN and open RAN with their disaggregation and open interfaces are opening the doors for smaller players, particularly radio unit (RU) vendors. As a result, there is now a pressing need for robust RU testing within the industry. These new Open RAN RU (O-RU) players have different test equipment requirements from traditional vendors. They demand…
Silverlinings, July 21, 2023 In the fast-moving generative AI (Gen AI) market, two sets of recent announcements, although unrelated, portend why and how this nascent technology could evolve. The first set was Microsoft’s Office 365 Copilot and Adobe’s Firefly announcements, and the second was from Qualcomm , Intel , Google and Meta regarding running Gen AI models on edge devices. This evolution…
RCR Wireless News, June 19, 2023 I have been using the Galaxy S23 Ultra for over two months, and I think it’s one of the best and most versatile camera phones on the market today. If you are looking to upgrade to a better camera phone with extensive productivity features and already own other Samsung devices, S23 Ultra is unquestionably the top choice. The scores of exchanges and other offers from…
Silverlinings, May 31, 2023 It would be an understatement to say that Generative AI (GenAI) is having its day in the sun. Most of today’s GenAI powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) is run in the centralized cloud, built with power-hungry processors. However, it will soon have to be distributed across different parts of the network and value chain, including devices such as smartphones, laptops…
RCR Wireless News, May 19, 2023 Nowadays, all Windows laptops in a given segment look and work alike—premium aluminum body, full-day battery life, performance in alignment with the processor they use, etc. Even among such equals, Samsung’s Galaxy Book3 Pro stands out as a premium product, mainly because of its super bright display, close integration with other Samsung devices, and productivity…
Digital transformation is not just a buzzword but a force that is bringing positive change across geographies, businesses and societies. It is empowering people and organizations to create extraordinary digital experiences that can help solve tough business and societal challenges. These include expanding the reach of small businesses, giving voice to the oppressed, driving sustainability […] The…
Softbank is reportedly planning Arm IPO while locked in a high-stakes legal battle with Qualcomm. Although the case is becoming a game of chicken, because of its enormous impact on many stakeholders, including the litigants, the huge Arm ecosystem and especially the two major markets – personal and cloud computing – it is worthwhile to understand the best and worst case […] The post Qualcomm vs.…
The telecom industry’s biggest show returned to its old glory with estimated 90,000 attendees. Also back were the expensive air tickets and hotels, long taxi lines, crowded metros and restaurants, and more. But it was all well worth for this yearly pilgrimage every serious telecom industry participant has to make. In my view, no dominant theme came out of the show floor or the meetings I had, but…
MWC 2023 turned out to be a graduation party for Samsung Networks, from a market disruptor to a mature, reliable and confident 5G infrastructure leader. This was evident from the flurry of announcements made around the event, including its own, as well as from operators and other ecosystem partners. The announcement season actually started late […] The post Samsung graduates from disruptor to…
When the telecom industry is busy with Mobile World Congress preparations, taking stock of the vRAN/open RAN market and the key emerging trends, especially the compute architecture, is worthwhile. It is becoming clear that companies that provide advanced technologies, feature parity (or superiority) with legacy RAN, and the most power- and cost-efficient solutions will win […] The post What is the…
Samsung returned to in-person unpacked this month after more than two years. Its highlight was the launch of Galaxy S23 smartphones and Galaxy Book3 laptops. There was also a pre-launch event for select media and analysts, where Samsung’s executives discussed their commitment to sustainability. ▸Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra The Galaxy S series, led by its Ultra variant, is famous for its camera.…