Canon Leans on A.I. for Innovation in the Camera Biz
Canon ranked among the top holders of U.S. patents in 2017, beating out Intel, Google, and Amazon. The camera company placed a focus on intellectual property, using imaging technology to drive innovation across industries including business solutions, manufacturing, and medical technology.
Robert Pignataro, Director of New Business for Imaging Technologies & Communications Group at Canon, joined us to share how the company is innovating in the camera business. There are some Canon patents consumers interact with on a daily basis without even realizing. He said every time we turn on the TV, we see the result of their cinema line. The company received a technical Emmy last year for its Cinema U.S. lenses.
A.I. is a big part of Canon's industrial focus. Pignataro said Canon has become more of a software company to help encompass the strength of its hardware. It’s not just cameras. He said innovation in its printing segment has been key as well.
A new study from a Russian university finds that LEGO sets can be a lucrative investment, rising in value by 11 percent every year, a faster and better rate of return than gold, stocks, bonds, and wine. Victoria Dobrynskaya, associate professor of finance at Higher School of Economics University and author of the research, joined Cheddar to discuss the findings. "In general, most sets tend to appreciate after they're retired, after you cannot find them in LEGO stores," she said. "They tend to appreciate on the secondary market after a couple of years."
Stocks closed lower to end the day Thursday, the second to last trading day of 2021. The Dow snapped a six-day winning streak, and the S&P 500 was weighed down by chip and energy stocks. This all comes as weekly jobless claims fell to a 52-year low to 198,000. Kevin Riley, Managing Partner at Exponential Investment Partners, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss today's close, his 2022 market predictions, the state of business in China, and more.
Daniel Newman, Founding Partner and Principal Analyst at Futurum Research, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says the markets are going to feel very uncomfortable receiving news of more potential setbacks for chip manufacturers after already enduring a lengthy chip shortage.
The federal government and numerous industries have been preparing for a greener future, setting goals to reduce greenhouse emissions by switching to electric vehicles. But the next hurdle to clear is convincing the wider public to get on board. Arun Kumar, managing director in automotive practice at AlixPartners, spoke to Cheddar's Ken Buffa about consumer trends related to EV transition and said he believes a widespread switch is imminent in 2022. Despite this, he acknowledged there are still significant obstacles to overcome, including high prices and more charging stations. "Without charging infrastructure, people are going to struggle with increasing adoption of electric vehicles in the future," Kumar told Cheddar. "I think by 2030 our estimate is that about a million chargers need to be put in place nationally in the U.S."
The pandemic has supercharged the creator economy, and there are no signs of it slowing down no matter when the pandemic officially ends. Creators prove to be a key factor in driving purchasing decisions and retail sales, and an increasing amount of platforms are taking advantage of the social influence. Karissa Bell, senior editor at Engadget, joins cheddar news to discuss the creator economy boom.
