Qualcomm's new hardware will help mobile 5G get off the ground

If mobile 5G is going to become more than a nice idea, it needs the thorough coverage you expect today -- and that means putting it in the small cell sites that boost coverage in busy areas. And Qualcomm might just play a pivotal role in making that happen.

The company is launching the first 5G New Radio platform (the catchily named FSM100xx) that brings gigabit data speeds to small cells. It can handle 5G on both regular frequencies and millimeter wave, and it promises to be helpful both indoors, where 5G's high frequencies don't always penetrate, as well as the great outdoors.

It'll be a while before you can actually connect to a 5G network using Qualcomm's new tech. Samples won't even reach customers until 2019, and it'll take a while after that for the platform to reach real-world networks. That's not such a problem when many carriers won't even launch mobile 5G until that same year, but it does help explain why the 2018 launches are limited -- the hardware just isn't there to offer widespread 5G coverage.

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Nissan's electric SUV concept will enter production

Nissan's current electric car lineup revolves almost exclusively around the Leaf, but it's ready to diversify its selection. The company's European design chief Mamoru Aoki has revealed to Autocar that a production version of the IMx concept SUV (above) will arrive sometime in "a few years." It's not certain how much the crossover EV would change, but it's reasonable to presume that Nissan would want to keep the IMx's performance. The concept promised 435HP and a 380-mile range, giving Tesla's Model X a run for its money in some cases. It's safe to say some concept car indulgences, such as the giant wheels, won't make the cut. Don't rule everything out, however. Aoki extolled the IMx's unique mix of wood and translucent plastic for the interior, suggesting that you might see some form of it in the finished product. Renault-Nissan has a solid roadmap for electric cars with plans to field eight by 2022 (not including Mitsubish

Facebook has lost $80 billion in market value since its data scandal

Facebook shares fell 5% Tuesday on reports that CEO Mark Zuckerberg agreed to testify in front of Congress about the company's data scandal. The crisis began on March 16 after Facebook ( FB ) said it was suspending data analysis company Cambridge Analytica for allegedly harvesting data from more than 50 million Facebook users. Cambridge Analytica worked on Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Since then, Facebook's stock has plunged 18%, wiping out nearly $80 billion from the social networking giant's market value in the process. Zuckerberg's net worth has fallen by about $14 billion (he is still worth $61 billion, though). Tech stocks in general have taken a hit since the Facebook allegations first came to light. The Nasdaq is down 6%. And other social media companies, most notably YouTube owner Google and Twitter, have both nosedived as well. Shares of Google parent Alphabet ( GOOGL ) fell 7% since March 16 while Twitter has plun

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