aNewDomain — In tech news for Jan 18 2017, Qualcomm is having a terrible day, Google updates Google Plus and reportedly is getting ready to launch some low cost Android devices.
Is Qualcomm monopolizing the baseband processor market? That’s the claim in the FTC’s suit against Qualcomm, which dropped today. The FTC alleges the chipmaker is unlawfully dominating the market for such chips, which are used to access cellular networks.
Qualcomm holds key patents that are part of the industry standard in cellular connections. Core to the FTC’s charges are its claim that Qualcomm uses its dominant position to force manufacturers into onerous contracts.
The semiconductor giant has faced similar charges in both China and South Korea.
On Wall Street, Qualcomm dropped four percent on the news. Scroll below the fold to read the complaint in full.
Also in the tech news today is a ton of Google News.
Let’s start off with the news around Google Plus, that great but oft-maligned social site.
Today, Google execs announced a number of updates it said were direct responses to customer requests. Comment filters, design enhancements, and better photo viewing are all coming.
The biggest comeback, in my view, is the return of Events. A year ago I wrote about how the removal of Events left communities scrambling.
Nice to see Google respond to the community in such a positive way.
In other Google news, Google is reportedly low-cost Android One devices in the United States to complement its successful Pixel line. It’s updated the Google App to save your offline searches and present the results when you get back online. And, new Google watches are launching next month, the company said.
Also, Google announced today that it is bringing more actions to Google Assistant. And, finally, there’s a new Google Maps update that aims to deliver you from parking hell.
The Best of the Rest
Mark Zuckerberg testifies in Oculus Rift lawsuit. Vine is dead and finally shuts off the lights today. Word is out that the Samsung SmartCam is super easy to hack. Seinfeld is taking his great show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, to Netflix.
And how about them Flying Cars!
I’ll be back tomorrow with tech’s top stories delivered to your digital doorstep.
For tech news throughout the day, follow me on Twitter. For aNewDomain, I’m Mike Olsen.
Here’s the FTC complaint against Qualcomm, redacted.
Cover image of Morning Tech Report with Mike Olsen and all screenshots: Mike Olsen.
