As the data center backlash grows, support is growing for server factories and the hundreds of jobs they're expected to bring. Last month, Pamela Griffin and two other residents of Taylor, Texas, took to the lectern at a city council meeting to object to a data center project. But later, they sat back as council members discussed a proposed tech factory. Griffin didn't speak up against that development. A similar contrast is repeating in communities across the US.

In the fast-paced field of making the world's tech devices, Pegatron Corp. initially harnessed AI to gain an edge. Now, it's on the cusp of creating digital twins to further streamline its efficiency. Whether or not they're familiar with the name, most people have probably used smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi routers or other products that Taiwan-based Pegatron makes in nearly a dozen factories across seven countries. Last year, it made more than 10 million notebook computers. Andrew Hsiao, associate vice president of Pegatron's software R&D division, is leading the company's move into machine learning and the 3D internet known as the metaverse.

Contrary to earlier reports, Facebook isn't going to debut its Amazon Echo Show competitor in May. Mark Zuckerberg's company has reportedly decided to delay the release of its Portal-named smart speaker and the other model that's currently known for its codename, "Fiona." DigiTimes recently learned from supply chain sources that Facebook won't be launching its highly anticipated Portal smart speaker -- internally referred to as "Aloha" -- this coming May. The company has opted to reschedule its debut because it still needs more time to perfect the device's acoustic quality and make some changes to its software. Instead of May, Facebook is targeting a mid-2018 release, with sources claiming that the device could most likely launch in July at the latest.

A new report claims Facebook is planning to release a smart speaker in 2018. Amazon's Alexa-powered Echo Show does feature a touchscreen display, but that only measures 7 inches. Richardson also worked for Amazon's Lab126 as its principal technical manager, and is believed to have worked on Amazon's Echo smart speakers. Research firm Strategy Analytics reported that worldwide smart speaker shipments reached 5.9 million back in 2016, 4.2 million of those were shipped during the fourth quarter of the year.