Wireless charging company Energous announced a partnership Wednesday with hearing aid company NewSound based on its WattUp personal sound amplification product reference design; NewSound is showcasing its Primo W hearing aid at a conference for hearing care professionals in Germany this week. In addition to wireless charging, device features include app control for charging status and battery monitoring and eight-channel digital signal processing hearing capabilities, Energous said. Wireless charging alleviates the “biggest pain point” for hearing aid users: the frequent need to replace the tiny batteries in the device, said Boyang Li, NewSound chief technology officer. Energous also announced Wednesday a partnership with ZPower, developer of silver-zinc rechargeable microbatteries. WattUp is well-suited to ZPower’s miniature applications, said Tim Powers, vice president-business development: wireless charging fits into its microbatteries and supports spatial freedom when charging devices, he said.

Google added its spin on the smartphone camera Tuesday, launching the next-generation Pixel 4 with a dual-lens camera, one a telephoto; a night mode that takes photos of stars; Live HDR Plus to get a preview of photos in tricky lighting; and more control over lighting and detail. Some Twitter users were disappointed an ultrawide lens isn’t included. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. Pixel 4 has MotionSense, which anticipates what a user wants to do based on movement and responds accordingly. A Recorder app included with the phone simultaneously transcribes speech in real time without an internet connection and identifies sounds such as music or applause, blogged Brian Rakowski, Google vice president-product management. A car crash detection feature can automatically call 911 if it detects the user was in a car crash. Google began taking preorders through AT&T, C Spire, Cellcom, Google Fi, Spectrum Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, Visible and Xfinity Mobile.

TP-Link 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) routers go on sale at Walmart next week. They use 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz channels, the vendor said Thursday.

5G will drive a 5.9 percent global semiconductor rebound next year, after what IHS Markit called a “brutal downturn” in 2019. Global semiconductor revenue is forecast to reach $422.8 billion this year, growing to $448 billion in 2020. Deployment of 5G will be the primary driver of the turnaround because of the renewed growth it’s expected to bring to the wireless industry and wider benefits including new business models, said the researcher Thursday. Historically, every semiconductor market downturn has ended “with the arrival of a technical innovation that spurred a major increase in demand,” said analyst Len Jelinek.

Formica entered the wireless charging space with a laminate surface incorporating Qi-compatible wireless charging coils. Citing “battery anxiety” among mobile device users, Formica said its Qi-certified Intentek wireless charging surface is targeted to commercial spaces such as hotels, airport lounges and restaurants.

A Linksys subscription service/app senses motion in mesh Wi-Fi environments without using cameras or additional hardware. The sensing technology is available initially on Linksys tri-band AC2200 routers that use the Velop Intelligent Mesh Wi-Fi network and will be phased in on other mesh routers, said the company Tuesday. "No longer will the router just be a device that enables Internet access in a home,” said Matthew Keasler, product manager. It's pitching the movement-sensing technology as a possible solution for remote elderly care.

An upcoming National Electrical Manufacturers Association standard could accelerate deployment of connected vehicle roadside infrastructure technology, said the association at an Intelligent Transportation Society of Georgia (ITSGA) meeting Monday. NEMA TS 10, commissioned by the NEMA Transportation Management Systems Section, is a harmonized technical specification for traffic signals, crosswalk signs, flashing school zone safety beacons, ramp meters and other electronic traffic control equipment, it said. A vital component of the connected vehicle ecosystem is the ability for vehicles and the infrastructure to communicate with each other regardless of the type of device or underlying technology, NEMA said, saying with the standard, dedicated short-range communications and cellular vehicle to everything can work together in the same spectrum via a dual-mode or dual active roadside connected vehicle device. “NEMA TS 10 will enable user agencies to have confidence in procuring roadside infrastructure equipment that will not become obsolete as communication technology advances,” said Steve Griffith, NEMA transportation industry director. A technical committee is drafting the standard, expected to be completed by year-end.

The newly revamped Galaxy Fold touts obvious “fixes” of the problems that forced Samsung to scrap the foldable smartphone days before its April 26 debut (see 1904220028), said an updated iFixit teardown "Take Two" report Monday. The right-to-repair company’s original teardown analysis declared the Fold “fragile with a capital ‘F’” (see 1904240027). During the five months in which the Fold disappeared back into the lab, Samsung “closed some gaps, reinforced the folding display, and hid the edges of that screen protection layer that everyone found so catastrophically tempting to peel off,” said iFixit. The Fold “represents a new form factor for smartphones and is undeniably a cool piece of tech,” but questionable flaws remain, it said. “While Samsung added ingress protection in some areas, others -- like the spine -- seem sure to trap (and keep) debris.” Of the meaningful tweaks Samsung made, “we can’t help but wonder why these seemingly obvious durability safeguards weren’t part of the Fold’s design in the first place,” said iFixit. Samsung didn’t comment.

Dialog Semiconductor agreed to buy Creative Chips, a supplier of power management, charging, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy integrated circuits for the industrial IoT. Due to close in Q4, the purchase would give Dialog growth potential in the industrial market, while giving the semiconductor maker an additional portfolio of core IC products and analog, digital and RF technologies, Dialog said Monday. The cash acquisition for about $80 million has additional consideration of up to $23 million, based on 2020 and 2021 revenue targets.

CTA formed a 40-member “diversity and inclusion” working group to “create greater access and mobility for traditionally underrepresented communities,” said the association Thursday. The working group’s mission statement includes positioning the consumer tech industry “as a leading contributor in creating a diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem,” said CTA. Two venture firms, Rethink Impact and Founders First Capital Partners, will receive undisclosed money from CTA’s $10 million diversity and inclusion war chest for their track records of investing in women, ethnic minorities, veterans and other underserved demographics, said the association.