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Google Smart Lock / Extend Unlock: The complete guide

November 5, 2024 /

Think fast: How many times a day do you pick up your phone to look at something? Unless you live in the tundra or have far more self-control than most, the answer probably falls somewhere between “quite a few” and “more than any sane person could count.” Assuming you keep your device properly secured, that means you’re doing an awful lot of unlocking — be it with your face, your fingerprint, or the code you tap or swipe onto your screen.

And that’s to say nothing of the number of times you type your password into your laptop or enter your credentials into an app or website during the day. Security’s important, but goodness gracious, it can sure be a hassle.

Thankfully, there’s a better way. Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock provides a variety of options for making it easier to access both your Android phone and your Chromebook in secure but simplified ways. It’s an easily overlooked but incredibly useful feature that lets you create a sensible balance between security and convenience.

What is Google Smart Lock? And what is Google Extend Unlock?

Google Smart Lock was an unlocking feature for Android devices and Chromebooks. Google has now, for no apparent reason, mostly changed its sensible Smart Lock name to the awkward and confusing “Extend Unlock.”

For clarity’s sake, we’ll use both terms in this story — partly because at this point nobody knows what Extend Unlock is, partly because Google itself can’t entirely seem to decide which name it wants to use where, and partly because Google has a long history of changing product and feature names willy nilly, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the company changes it back entirely to Smart Lock at some point.

In Android, Smart Lock/Extend Unlock allows you to keep your phone unlocked in certain preapproved, known-to-be-safe circumstances. In ChromeOS, it empowers your Android phone to keep your computer unlocked.

And best of all? Once you set it up in either environment, it couldn’t be much easier to use.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to activating Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock and taking full advantage of everything it has to offer across both Android and ChromeOS.

Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock for Android

On any reasonably recent Android device, you can set up Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock to keep your phone unlocked in certain trusted situations but to require your PIN, pattern, password, or biometric authentication at all other times. It’s the best of both worlds, in other words: effective Android security without unnecessary annoyances.

To activate Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock on Android, you’ll first need to have a PIN, pattern, or password set for your phone (which you should already have, regardless!). Then, in the standard Google Android setup — the setup you see on Pixel phones and certain other devices:

  • Open the Security & Privacy section of your phone’s settings.
  • On older Android versions, tap “Smart Lock.”
  • On more current and up-to-date devices, tap either “Advanced settings” or “More security & privacy” and then tap “Extend Unlock.”

On Android phones where the manufacturer has made modifications to the operating system, the Smart Lock/Extend Unlock section may be located in a different area of the device’s settings. On recent Samsung phones, for instance:

  • Open the Lock Screen and AOD section of your phone’s settings.
  • Tap “Extend Unlock.”

If you aren’t seeing the Extend Unlock option anywhere in your system settings, try tapping the search box or icon at the top of the main settings screen and then searching for that same term.

However you get there, once you’ve opened the Smart Lock/Extend Unlock section, you’ll be prompted to put in your PIN, pattern, or password — and you’ll then see a list of available choices:

On-body detection: Fire up this option, and your phone will remain unlocked whenever you’re holding or carrying it — so long as you’ve already unlocked it once. That way, if you unlock your phone to use it and then put it back into your bag or pocket while walking around, you won’t have to unlock it again the next time you pick it up. Anytime your phone is set down or not in motion for more than a moment, it’ll require authentication again.

Trusted places: Perhaps the most useful Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock element, this option allows you to set specific locations — by business name, street address, or manual map placement — at which your phone will never put up a lock screen or require authentication (in theory, at least; the function can sometimes be a bit finicky and require occasional fine-tuning). You’ll obviously want to be selective about what places you choose, but configuring this to recognize somewhere like your home can be a helpful way to avoid authentication where it’s generally not needed but keep your phone secured in all other areas.

Trusted devices: If you’d rather have Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock recognize a Bluetooth pairing, this next option’s for you. It empowers you to tell your phone to skip the lock screen anytime it’s connected to a specific Bluetooth device — say, your car’s audio system or your gym headphones — when you know the phone will always be in your control.

add trusted device screen in android

You can add any Bluetooth device that’s been paired to your phone as a trusted device and then let it keep your phone unlocked whenever it’s  connected.


JR Raphael / IDG

Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock for Chromebooks

When it comes to ChromeOS, Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock can keep you from having to type in your password every time your computer wakes from hibernation. It does this by turning your Android phone into a wireless key: Whenever your Android phone is nearby and unlocked, ChromeOS will skip the standard password entry screen and instead let you click a little arrow icon to sign in and get going.

Any reasonably recent Android phone will work for the purpose, though administrators do have the ability to disable the function in managed environments at businesses, schools, and other organizations. So if you’re in a company-oriented scenario and can’t find the option, that may be why. Your best bet is to ask your IT staff if it’s possible to enable it.

That asterisk aside, to get started with Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock on ChromeOS, all you’ve gotta do is open up your Chromebook’s settings — by clicking the time in the lower-right corner of the taskbar area and then clicking the gear-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the panel that pops up.

Next, click “Connected devices” in the main left-of-screen settings menu — and if you haven’t yet connected your Android phone to your Chromebook, click the “Set up” option within the “Android phone” section. Follow the steps to select and connect your device.

After a moment, you should see your phone’s name appear at the top of that same settings section. Click the right-facing arrow next to it and confirm that “Smart Lock” — which, for the moment at least, inexplicably still appears as Smart Lock and not Extend Unlock in this context (?!) — has its toggle in the on and active position.

google smart lock extend unlock feature on chromebook

Smart Lock, Extend Unlock, whatever you want to call it — once you connect your Android phone to your Chromebook, the option will appear.

JR Raphael / IDG

And that’s it: As long as Bluetooth is active on both devices, the next time your Chromebook is locked, you should be able to get into it quickly and effortlessly — without any of the usual patience-testing headaches.

Figure out which of these Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock options make the most sense for you, and you’ll be able to achieve a sensible balance of security and convenience — and be well on your way to keeping your information safe while keeping your sanity intact.

This story was originally published in December 2018 and most recently updated in November 2024.

Google Smart Lock / Extend Unlock: The complete guide

November 5, 2024 /

Think fast: How many times a day do you pick up your phone to look at something? Unless you live in the tundra or have far more self-control than most, the answer probably falls somewhere between “quite a few” and “more than any sane person could count.” Assuming you keep your device properly secured, that means you’re doing an awful lot of unlocking — be it with your face, your fingerprint, or the code you tap or swipe onto your screen.

And that’s to say nothing of the number of times you type your password into your laptop or enter your credentials into an app or website during the day. Security’s important, but goodness gracious, it can sure be a hassle.

Thankfully, there’s a better way. Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock provides a variety of options for making it easier to access both your Android phone and your Chromebook in secure but simplified ways. It’s an easily overlooked but incredibly useful feature that lets you create a sensible balance between security and convenience.

What is Google Smart Lock? And what is Google Extend Unlock?

Google Smart Lock was an unlocking feature for Android devices and Chromebooks. Google has now, for no apparent reason, mostly changed its sensible Smart Lock name to the awkward and confusing “Extend Unlock.”

For clarity’s sake, we’ll use both terms in this story — partly because at this point nobody knows what Extend Unlock is, partly because Google itself can’t entirely seem to decide which name it wants to use where, and partly because Google has a long history of changing product and feature names willy nilly, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the company changes it back entirely to Smart Lock at some point.

In Android, Smart Lock/Extend Unlock allows you to keep your phone unlocked in certain preapproved, known-to-be-safe circumstances. In ChromeOS, it empowers your Android phone to keep your computer unlocked.

And best of all? Once you set it up in either environment, it couldn’t be much easier to use.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to activating Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock and taking full advantage of everything it has to offer across both Android and ChromeOS.

Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock for Android

On any reasonably recent Android device, you can set up Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock to keep your phone unlocked in certain trusted situations but to require your PIN, pattern, password, or biometric authentication at all other times. It’s the best of both worlds, in other words: effective Android security without unnecessary annoyances.

To activate Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock on Android, you’ll first need to have a PIN, pattern, or password set for your phone (which you should already have, regardless!). Then, in the standard Google Android setup — the setup you see on Pixel phones and certain other devices:

  • Open the Security & Privacy section of your phone’s settings.
  • On older Android versions, tap “Smart Lock.”
  • On more current and up-to-date devices, tap either “Advanced settings” or “More security & privacy” and then tap “Extend Unlock.”

On Android phones where the manufacturer has made modifications to the operating system, the Smart Lock/Extend Unlock section may be located in a different area of the device’s settings. On recent Samsung phones, for instance:

  • Open the Lock Screen and AOD section of your phone’s settings.
  • Tap “Extend Unlock.”

If you aren’t seeing the Extend Unlock option anywhere in your system settings, try tapping the search box or icon at the top of the main settings screen and then searching for that same term.

However you get there, once you’ve opened the Smart Lock/Extend Unlock section, you’ll be prompted to put in your PIN, pattern, or password — and you’ll then see a list of available choices:

On-body detection: Fire up this option, and your phone will remain unlocked whenever you’re holding or carrying it — so long as you’ve already unlocked it once. That way, if you unlock your phone to use it and then put it back into your bag or pocket while walking around, you won’t have to unlock it again the next time you pick it up. Anytime your phone is set down or not in motion for more than a moment, it’ll require authentication again.

Trusted places: Perhaps the most useful Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock element, this option allows you to set specific locations — by business name, street address, or manual map placement — at which your phone will never put up a lock screen or require authentication (in theory, at least; the function can sometimes be a bit finicky and require occasional fine-tuning). You’ll obviously want to be selective about what places you choose, but configuring this to recognize somewhere like your home can be a helpful way to avoid authentication where it’s generally not needed but keep your phone secured in all other areas.

Trusted devices: If you’d rather have Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock recognize a Bluetooth pairing, this next option’s for you. It empowers you to tell your phone to skip the lock screen anytime it’s connected to a specific Bluetooth device — say, your car’s audio system or your gym headphones — when you know the phone will always be in your control.

add trusted device screen in android

You can add any Bluetooth device that’s been paired to your phone as a trusted device and then let it keep your phone unlocked whenever it’s  connected.


JR Raphael / IDG

Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock for Chromebooks

When it comes to ChromeOS, Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock can keep you from having to type in your password every time your computer wakes from hibernation. It does this by turning your Android phone into a wireless key: Whenever your Android phone is nearby and unlocked, ChromeOS will skip the standard password entry screen and instead let you click a little arrow icon to sign in and get going.

Any reasonably recent Android phone will work for the purpose, though administrators do have the ability to disable the function in managed environments at businesses, schools, and other organizations. So if you’re in a company-oriented scenario and can’t find the option, that may be why. Your best bet is to ask your IT staff if it’s possible to enable it.

That asterisk aside, to get started with Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock on ChromeOS, all you’ve gotta do is open up your Chromebook’s settings — by clicking the time in the lower-right corner of the taskbar area and then clicking the gear-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the panel that pops up.

Next, click “Connected devices” in the main left-of-screen settings menu — and if you haven’t yet connected your Android phone to your Chromebook, click the “Set up” option within the “Android phone” section. Follow the steps to select and connect your device.

After a moment, you should see your phone’s name appear at the top of that same settings section. Click the right-facing arrow next to it and confirm that “Smart Lock” — which, for the moment at least, inexplicably still appears as Smart Lock and not Extend Unlock in this context (?!) — has its toggle in the on and active position.

google smart lock extend unlock feature on chromebook

Smart Lock, Extend Unlock, whatever you want to call it — once you connect your Android phone to your Chromebook, the option will appear.

JR Raphael / IDG

And that’s it: As long as Bluetooth is active on both devices, the next time your Chromebook is locked, you should be able to get into it quickly and effortlessly — without any of the usual patience-testing headaches.

Figure out which of these Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock options make the most sense for you, and you’ll be able to achieve a sensible balance of security and convenience — and be well on your way to keeping your information safe while keeping your sanity intact.

This story was originally published in December 2018 and most recently updated in November 2024.

Google Smart Lock / Extend Unlock: The complete guide

November 5, 2024 /

Think fast: How many times a day do you pick up your phone to look at something? Unless you live in the tundra or have far more self-control than most, the answer probably falls somewhere between “quite a few” and “more than any sane person could count.” Assuming you keep your device properly secured, that means you’re doing an awful lot of unlocking — be it with your face, your fingerprint, or the code you tap or swipe onto your screen.

And that’s to say nothing of the number of times you type your password into your laptop or enter your credentials into an app or website during the day. Security’s important, but goodness gracious, it can sure be a hassle.

Thankfully, there’s a better way. Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock provides a variety of options for making it easier to access both your Android phone and your Chromebook in secure but simplified ways. It’s an easily overlooked but incredibly useful feature that lets you create a sensible balance between security and convenience.

What is Google Smart Lock? And what is Google Extend Unlock?

Google Smart Lock was an unlocking feature for Android devices and Chromebooks. Google has now, for no apparent reason, mostly changed its sensible Smart Lock name to the awkward and confusing “Extend Unlock.”

For clarity’s sake, we’ll use both terms in this story — partly because at this point nobody knows what Extend Unlock is, partly because Google itself can’t entirely seem to decide which name it wants to use where, and partly because Google has a long history of changing product and feature names willy nilly, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the company changes it back entirely to Smart Lock at some point.

In Android, Smart Lock/Extend Unlock allows you to keep your phone unlocked in certain preapproved, known-to-be-safe circumstances. In ChromeOS, it empowers your Android phone to keep your computer unlocked.

And best of all? Once you set it up in either environment, it couldn’t be much easier to use.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to activating Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock and taking full advantage of everything it has to offer across both Android and ChromeOS.

Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock for Android

On any reasonably recent Android device, you can set up Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock to keep your phone unlocked in certain trusted situations but to require your PIN, pattern, password, or biometric authentication at all other times. It’s the best of both worlds, in other words: effective Android security without unnecessary annoyances.

To activate Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock on Android, you’ll first need to have a PIN, pattern, or password set for your phone (which you should already have, regardless!). Then, in the standard Google Android setup — the setup you see on Pixel phones and certain other devices:

  • Open the Security & Privacy section of your phone’s settings.
  • On older Android versions, tap “Smart Lock.”
  • On more current and up-to-date devices, tap either “Advanced settings” or “More security & privacy” and then tap “Extend Unlock.”

On Android phones where the manufacturer has made modifications to the operating system, the Smart Lock/Extend Unlock section may be located in a different area of the device’s settings. On recent Samsung phones, for instance:

  • Open the Lock Screen and AOD section of your phone’s settings.
  • Tap “Extend Unlock.”

If you aren’t seeing the Extend Unlock option anywhere in your system settings, try tapping the search box or icon at the top of the main settings screen and then searching for that same term.

However you get there, once you’ve opened the Smart Lock/Extend Unlock section, you’ll be prompted to put in your PIN, pattern, or password — and you’ll then see a list of available choices:

On-body detection: Fire up this option, and your phone will remain unlocked whenever you’re holding or carrying it — so long as you’ve already unlocked it once. That way, if you unlock your phone to use it and then put it back into your bag or pocket while walking around, you won’t have to unlock it again the next time you pick it up. Anytime your phone is set down or not in motion for more than a moment, it’ll require authentication again.

Trusted places: Perhaps the most useful Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock element, this option allows you to set specific locations — by business name, street address, or manual map placement — at which your phone will never put up a lock screen or require authentication (in theory, at least; the function can sometimes be a bit finicky and require occasional fine-tuning). You’ll obviously want to be selective about what places you choose, but configuring this to recognize somewhere like your home can be a helpful way to avoid authentication where it’s generally not needed but keep your phone secured in all other areas.

Trusted devices: If you’d rather have Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock recognize a Bluetooth pairing, this next option’s for you. It empowers you to tell your phone to skip the lock screen anytime it’s connected to a specific Bluetooth device — say, your car’s audio system or your gym headphones — when you know the phone will always be in your control.

add trusted device screen in android

You can add any Bluetooth device that’s been paired to your phone as a trusted device and then let it keep your phone unlocked whenever it’s  connected.


JR Raphael / IDG

Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock for Chromebooks

When it comes to ChromeOS, Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock can keep you from having to type in your password every time your computer wakes from hibernation. It does this by turning your Android phone into a wireless key: Whenever your Android phone is nearby and unlocked, ChromeOS will skip the standard password entry screen and instead let you click a little arrow icon to sign in and get going.

Any reasonably recent Android phone will work for the purpose, though administrators do have the ability to disable the function in managed environments at businesses, schools, and other organizations. So if you’re in a company-oriented scenario and can’t find the option, that may be why. Your best bet is to ask your IT staff if it’s possible to enable it.

That asterisk aside, to get started with Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock on ChromeOS, all you’ve gotta do is open up your Chromebook’s settings — by clicking the time in the lower-right corner of the taskbar area and then clicking the gear-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the panel that pops up.

Next, click “Connected devices” in the main left-of-screen settings menu — and if you haven’t yet connected your Android phone to your Chromebook, click the “Set up” option within the “Android phone” section. Follow the steps to select and connect your device.

After a moment, you should see your phone’s name appear at the top of that same settings section. Click the right-facing arrow next to it and confirm that “Smart Lock” — which, for the moment at least, inexplicably still appears as Smart Lock and not Extend Unlock in this context (?!) — has its toggle in the on and active position.

google smart lock extend unlock feature on chromebook

Smart Lock, Extend Unlock, whatever you want to call it — once you connect your Android phone to your Chromebook, the option will appear.

JR Raphael / IDG

And that’s it: As long as Bluetooth is active on both devices, the next time your Chromebook is locked, you should be able to get into it quickly and effortlessly — without any of the usual patience-testing headaches.

Figure out which of these Google Smart Lock/Extend Unlock options make the most sense for you, and you’ll be able to achieve a sensible balance of security and convenience — and be well on your way to keeping your information safe while keeping your sanity intact.

This story was originally published in December 2018 and most recently updated in November 2024.

Europe plans to check Apple’s iPad for DMA compliance

November 4, 2024 /

It’s been a few weeks since EU regulators put pressure on Apple, but that brief reprieve is over as they begin an investigation that might affect Apple’s iPad in Europe. 

On the surface, it’s relatively straightforward. Apple’s iPad OS was declared to be a “gatekeeper” under Europe’s Digital Market Act earlier this year. The significance of this is that Apple is required to open up aspects of its operating system in order to foster the chimera of open competition, which might or might not benefit users.

“Apple must, among others, allow users to set the default web browser of their choice on iPadOS, allow alternative app stores on its operating system, and allow accessory devices, like headphones and smart pens, to effectively access iPadOS features,” the Commission said. 

Failure to meet those DMA requirements means the European Commission can fine Apple up to 10% of its annual global revenue (or 20% for repeat infringements), so the company is under serious pressure to get its response right.

What Apple has done is explained in a document

With that in mind, Apple has made or is making multiple changes to its tablet operating system, just as it has with iOS. The company has explained those changes in a compliance report it was forced to publish under European law. That 12-page document was released Nov. 1 and is available for review here.

In it, Apple stresses that some of the changes to the system bring greater risks to customers. Those risks include exposure to potential malware, fraud, malicious apps, and lack of support if a user is impacted by issues with apps downloaded outside of the App Store.

The company has attempted to protect against such problems by insisting that developers, including those selling apps outside the store, notarize their apps to provide some degree of protection. The report explains how it supports third-party stores, some of the limitations in that support, the tools it provides, and more, including some discussion around cost.

The report also confirms upcoming changes, some of which may be less well known, for example (most verbatim from Apple’s report):

  • In an update later in 2024, iOS and iPadOS will include the following updates to app deletion: the App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Safari apps will be deletable for users in the EU. Only Settings and (on iOS) Phone will not be deletable. 
  • By the end of the year, Apple intends to introduce a secure solution for users to authorize developers to access data related to their users’ personal data (to the extent it is available to Apple and users have consented to their personal data being shared with the developer). 
  • Also scheduled for introduction by the end of the year, Apple is building a browser switching solution for exporting and importing relevant browser data into another browser on the same device. 
  • Apple is also developing a solution that helps mobile operating system providers develop more user-friendly solutions to transfer data from an iPhone or iPad to a non-Apple phone or tablet. Apple aims to make this solution available by fall 2025.
  • The company also suggests it will allow users in the EU to set default navigation and translation apps beginning in the spring of 2025.

Apple’s report confirms it has put a DMA Compliance team together to help maintain compliance with European law, and created a mediation process that’s independent and free of charge to developers following the company’s newly introduced appeals process for DMA compliance.

Now, Europe plans to check Apple’s homework

Now that Apple has shared its approach to compliance, EU antitrust regulators will take a look to make sure that approach meets the demands of the Digital Markets Act. While it sounds alarming, this also feels like a relatively normal step — Apple published its approach, and regulators will now assess it

In a statement, the European Commission said: “The Commission will now carefully assess whether the measures adopted for iPad OS are effective in complying with the DMA obligations.”  It will also consider input from third parties about Apple’s approach.

Hopefully during the review, regulators will work with Apple to rectify any identified lacks, but the Commission does warn that if it decides the solutions Apple has put forward are not compliant it will take “formal enforcement action as foreseen in the DMA.”

The way that is articulated somewhat suggests that the time for negotiation may be over, but, as Apple’s own report observes, “Apple has already announced changes to its compliance plan to address stated concerns which are being implemented across iOS and iPadOS.”

Apple has also hinted that Apple Intelligence will be introduced in Europe next year, which itself suggests some ongoing dialog. All the same, the kiss of death will be if Europe’s regulators choose to use the power they have to reduce the value of Apple’s platforms to end users, who already have a choice of platform to use.

Unfortunately, it seems the Apple-versus-regulation game will run and run.

Please follow me on LinkedIn, Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill group on MeWe.

A new SharePoint vulnerability is already being exploited

November 4, 2024 /

Attackers are exploiting a recently disclosed remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint to gain initial access to corporate networks.

SharePoint’s main role in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem is for building intranets and dedicated web applications to support organizational processes. It is also used to build websites, and to gather together files in SharePoint teams connected to the Microsoft Teams communicator.

CVE-2024-38094 is a high-severity remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability that affects Microsoft SharePoint. Microsoft fixed the vulnerability on July 9, 2024 as part of July’s Patch Tuesday package, marking it as “important”.

A new SharePoint vulnerability is already being exploited

November 4, 2024 /

Attackers are exploiting a recently disclosed remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint to gain initial access to corporate networks.

SharePoint’s main role in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem is for building intranets and dedicated web applications to support organizational processes. It is also used to build websites, and to gather together files in SharePoint teams connected to the Microsoft Teams communicator.

CVE-2024-38094 is a high-severity remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability that affects Microsoft SharePoint. Microsoft fixed the vulnerability on July 9, 2024 as part of July’s Patch Tuesday package, marking it as “important”.

Feds to locate the nation’s ‘flagship’ microchip R&D center in NY

November 4, 2024 /

The Biden Administration plans to spend about $825 million to create a flagship national semiconductor R&D center in upstate New York, where the government-funded NanoTech Complex already exists.

The new R&D facility in Albany, NY will be home to the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Accelerator project, which is being funded to advance leading-edge lithography research and adoption in the US.

EUV Lithography is essential for manufacturing smaller, faster, and more efficient integrated circuits and microchips. It involves transferring intricate patterns onto a semiconductor silicon wafer, which eventually forms the circuits that power all electronic devices.

As the semiconductor industry pushes the limits of Moore’s Law, EUV lithography has emerged as a critical technology to enable the high-volume production of transistors beyond 7nm, something that was previously unattainable. By comparison, a typical human hair is roughly 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers thick, and a DNA molecule is around 2.5nm.

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) said access to EUV lithography R&D is essential to meet three primary goals: 1) extend US technology leadership, 2) reduce the time and cost to prototype, and 3) build and sustain a semiconductor workforce ecosystem.

The new R&D center represents a key milestone “in ensuring the United States remains a global leader in innovation and semiconductor research and development,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

Anish Koshy, a Parthenon Principal at consultancy Ernst & Young LLP, said the center represents a strategic investment in both technology and talent.

“At the heart of this facility is advanced EUV technology, a cornerstone in producing the next generation of high-performance microchips essential for applications from AI to advanced computing,” Koshy said. “EUV technology has been largely concentrated outside of the US and the hope is that having this technology on US soil, combined with the collaborative research environment, will help American companies maintain their edge in designing next-generation chips.”

Another semiconductor expert, who asked not to be named, said EUV technology only affects a small number of companies, such as TSMC, Intel, Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron. “That’s really it,” he said.

Many more companies, however, will benefit indirectly, including fabless chip makers such as NVIDIA and AMD; networking providers such as Broadcom; wireless providers such as Qualcomm and Mediatek; and cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Even Internet service and equipment providers such as Meta and Oracle, and enterprise hardware makers such as Cisco and Juniper, could benefit from the new R&D center’s potential innovations, the expert said.

“There is an entire ecosystem that we expect will get excited about having the Accelerator onshore — and very little of this ecosystem exists in the USA today, so much of this will be net new job creation,” he said. “There are obvious national security implications in getting more Americans working on EUV challenges, with benefits to [the Department of Defense] from a resiliency perspective.”

Funded by the CHIPS Act to reshore semiconductor manufacturing, the new research center’s aim is to unite researchers nationwide to accelerate innovation in the field. The Department of Commerce and the National Center for the Advancement of Semiconductor Technology (Natcast), will oversee the facility. Natcast was created under the CHIPS Act as a non-profit entity designated to operate the NSTC.

The new center will provide access to “cutting-edge research and tools” to the NSTC, which was just opened in Albany’s NY CREATES’ NanoTech Complex; that complex opened last year.

NanoTech Facility in Albany

NY CREATES’ NanoTech Center in Albany

NY CREATES

Through public-private partnerships, mega corporations from the semiconductor industry and others such as IBM, Micron, Applied Materials, and Tokyo Electron helped establish the facilities at the NanoTech Complex. 

In August 2022, Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, allocating $52.7 billion to the Department of Commerce for the CHIPS for America program to enhance U.S. semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing. About $11 billion of that CHIPS funding went toward establishing several research centers, including the NSTC and the Nanotech complex in Albany.

With the CHIPS Act spurring them on, chip makers such as Intel, Samsung, Micron, TSMC, and Texas Instruments are already building or planning a number of new US chip fabrication plants. (Qualcomm, in partnership with GlobalFoundries, also said it would invest $4.2 billion to double chip production in its Malta, NY facility.)

To date, however, CHIPS Act funding has only been allocated, not distributed. There have also been setbacks on fabrication plant construction as workers to build and staff the plants are in short supply.

NY CREATES operates a complex with 150,000 square feet of cleanroom space (and another 50,000 square feet of space under construction) staffed by 2,750 scientists, engineers and other staffers. The R&D facility is in partnership with more than 200 industry, academic and international development facilities around the globe.

Raimondo said the CHIPS Act is building “a resilient ecosystem that will power everything from smartphones to advanced AI, safeguarding US national security and keeping America competitive for decades to come.”

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical gaps in the semiconductor supply chain as imports to the US and other nations ground to a halt, affecting the production of everything with electronics, from smart phones to cars.

NY CREATES is an Albany-based, non-profit semiconductor R&D facility that works with the National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement (NIICA). NIICA’s focus is on building the nation’s talent pipeline in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries. It also created the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship Program (SAM-TAP).

NY CREATES has been operating an apprenticeship program: apprentices get hands-on training while also attending courses at local colleges to advance their careers.

“By supporting breakthrough EUV research and fostering a collaborative ecosystem, this facility will not only drive semiconductor innovation, but also address key challenges in supply chain resilience and workforce development, while maintaining U.S. technological leadership,” EY’s Koshy said.

Feds to locate the nation’s ‘flagship’ microchip R&D center in NY

November 4, 2024 /

The Biden Administration plans to spend about $825 million to create a flagship national semiconductor R&D center in upstate New York, where the government-funded NanoTech Complex already exists.

The new R&D facility in Albany, NY will be home to the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Accelerator project, which is being funded to advance leading-edge lithography research and adoption in the US.

EUV Lithography is essential for manufacturing smaller, faster, and more efficient integrated circuits and microchips. It involves transferring intricate patterns onto a semiconductor silicon wafer, which eventually forms the circuits that power all electronic devices.

As the semiconductor industry pushes the limits of Moore’s Law, EUV lithography has emerged as a critical technology to enable the high-volume production of transistors beyond 7nm, something that was previously unattainable. By comparison, a typical human hair is roughly 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers thick, and a DNA molecule is around 2.5nm.

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) said access to EUV lithography R&D is essential to meet three primary goals: 1) extend US technology leadership, 2) reduce the time and cost to prototype, and 3) build and sustain a semiconductor workforce ecosystem.

The new R&D center represents a key milestone “in ensuring the United States remains a global leader in innovation and semiconductor research and development,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

Anish Koshy, a Parthenon Principal at consultancy Ernst & Young LLP, said the center represents a strategic investment in both technology and talent.

“At the heart of this facility is advanced EUV technology, a cornerstone in producing the next generation of high-performance microchips essential for applications from AI to advanced computing,” Koshy said. “EUV technology has been largely concentrated outside of the US and the hope is that having this technology on US soil, combined with the collaborative research environment, will help American companies maintain their edge in designing next-generation chips.”

Another semiconductor expert, who asked not to be named, said EUV technology only affects a small number of companies, such as TSMC, Intel, Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron. “That’s really it,” he said.

Many more companies, however, will benefit indirectly, including fabless chip makers such as NVIDIA and AMD; networking providers such as Broadcom; wireless providers such as Qualcomm and Mediatek; and cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Even Internet service and equipment providers such as Meta and Oracle, and enterprise hardware makers such as Cisco and Juniper, could benefit from the new R&D center’s potential innovations, the expert said.

“There is an entire ecosystem that we expect will get excited about having the Accelerator onshore — and very little of this ecosystem exists in the USA today, so much of this will be net new job creation,” he said. “There are obvious national security implications in getting more Americans working on EUV challenges, with benefits to [the Department of Defense] from a resiliency perspective.”

Funded by the CHIPS Act to reshore semiconductor manufacturing, the new research center’s aim is to unite researchers nationwide to accelerate innovation in the field. The Department of Commerce and the National Center for the Advancement of Semiconductor Technology (Natcast), will oversee the facility. Natcast was created under the CHIPS Act as a non-profit entity designated to operate the NSTC.

The new center will provide access to “cutting-edge research and tools” to the NSTC, which was just opened in Albany’s NY CREATES’ NanoTech Complex; that complex opened last year.

NanoTech Facility in Albany

NY CREATES’ NanoTech Center in Albany

NY CREATES

Through public-private partnerships, mega corporations from the semiconductor industry and others such as IBM, Micron, Applied Materials, and Tokyo Electron helped establish the facilities at the NanoTech Complex. 

In August 2022, Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, allocating $52.7 billion to the Department of Commerce for the CHIPS for America program to enhance U.S. semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing. About $11 billion of that CHIPS funding went toward establishing several research centers, including the NSTC and the Nanotech complex in Albany.

With the CHIPS Act spurring them on, chip makers such as Intel, Samsung, Micron, TSMC, and Texas Instruments are already building or planning a number of new US chip fabrication plants. (Qualcomm, in partnership with GlobalFoundries, also said it would invest $4.2 billion to double chip production in its Malta, NY facility.)

To date, however, CHIPS Act funding has only been allocated, not distributed. There have also been setbacks on fabrication plant construction as workers to build and staff the plants are in short supply.

NY CREATES operates a complex with 150,000 square feet of cleanroom space (and another 50,000 square feet of space under construction) staffed by 2,750 scientists, engineers and other staffers. The R&D facility is in partnership with more than 200 industry, academic and international development facilities around the globe.

Raimondo said the CHIPS Act is building “a resilient ecosystem that will power everything from smartphones to advanced AI, safeguarding US national security and keeping America competitive for decades to come.”

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical gaps in the semiconductor supply chain as imports to the US and other nations ground to a halt, affecting the production of everything with electronics, from smart phones to cars.

NY CREATES is an Albany-based, non-profit semiconductor R&D facility that works with the National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement (NIICA). NIICA’s focus is on building the nation’s talent pipeline in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries. It also created the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship Program (SAM-TAP).

NY CREATES has been operating an apprenticeship program: apprentices get hands-on training while also attending courses at local colleges to advance their careers.

“By supporting breakthrough EUV research and fostering a collaborative ecosystem, this facility will not only drive semiconductor innovation, but also address key challenges in supply chain resilience and workforce development, while maintaining U.S. technological leadership,” EY’s Koshy said.

Apple to expand its satellite services with Globalstar

November 1, 2024 /

Apple is becoming a satellite communications company, taking a 20% stake in its existing satellite services provider, Globalstar, as part of a much-expanded deal with the latter. The iPhone maker has agreed to put up to $1.1 billion into the satellite company, deepening its ties with the firm.

Apple in space

As a reminder, Globalstar provides the satellite infrastructure that enables life-saving satellite-based Apple services, including Emergency SOS by Satellite, Roadside Assistance via Satellite, Send Location via Satellite and, with iOS 18, Messages via Satellite. In the case of Emergency SOS, the service is already saving lives, including one example when five people were rescued after their fishing boat capsized near Key West, FL. 

These services have been proving themselves across the US this hurricane season. They are also being extended, as the recent introduction of Messages via Satellite shows.

All these services are being provided with existing infrastructure, which, under a current Apple/Globalstar deal, is being deployed to support a growing number of nations. The new deal suggests these services may be extended, as it includes provision of a new satellite constellation.

What is the deal?

Apple is spending its cash to support the deployment of a new satellite constellation and expanded ground infrastructure for those satellites. All of these will be owned and managed by Globalstar, but Apple will gain use of 85% of the company’s network capacity. (Globalstar will be able to use the remaining 15% to support other clients, presumably including enterprise clients seeking to deploy private 5G services in emerging economies, or in support of certain mission-critical applications in the US.)

The deal also sees Apple make payments for services. (Globalstar has previously confirmed Apple’s business accounted for around 48% of its revenue last year.)

Globalstar shared the news in a regulatory filing published just one day after Apple’s financial results call. Apple will also purchase $400 million of Class B shares in the company, which expects its total annual revenue to more than double in the year following the launch of these expanded satellite services.

It’s important to note a report from several months ago from a German publication, which claimed plans exist to launch thousands of satellites across the coming years.

What is the background to the deal

Apple and Globalstar have an existing relationship that supports iPhones in space. The Mac maker announced a $450 million investment in the satellite company in November 2022. That money was also invested in new satellite manufacturing and the launch of new satellites in support of Emergency SOS via Satellite.

On the relationship with GlobalStar, Apple Director for Hardware Engineering Michael Trela explained the complexity of the service to Via Satellite in 2022: “Using these Globalstar satellites wasn’t as simple as connecting to pre-existing cell towers in space. It did require us to develop some custom technologies and optimize the phone and the satellites to ensure we have reliable two-way communications.

 “The Globalstar satellites were only designed to talk to dedicated satellite communications devices, which feature larger, more purpose-built antennas. We started to maximize the iPhone’s capabilities by adding components to intelligently utilize multiple antennas to maximize the signal strength toward the satellite.”

Within that work, Apple developed a customized radio protocol from the ground up and optimized the link between the iPhone and satellite. That system also requires a proprietary system put in place at GlobalStar’s own ground stations. 

How the industry sees satellite connectivity

Satellite industry incumbents, telecoms, and tech companies see satellite communications as an important and necessary next step to bridge the digital divide. The idea is that these systems can connect communities globally, including in places in which the cost of building infrastructure remains too high, or even too risky.

That’s always been the case, of course. But as AI permeates everything and smart tech gets deployed broadly, the strategic and economic value of such services is growing. It’s already widely used across some industries, such as mining and maritime, and is expected to see wider use in smart city development, agriculture, and other areas.

Much of the potential has been opened up from advances in the tech inside Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. Relatively cheap to manufacture and launch, LEO satellites are precisely the kind of devices Apple and GlobalStar are putting in space. They are also being integrated into the 5G ecosystem, which is, of course, precisely what Apple’s big investment in the tech will likely turn out to be all about. They provide another layer of network resilience ¸— and another attack surface, too. 

What happens next?

It is telling that in 2022, Trela described iPhone’s support for satellite as, “the first time that anyone has launched or integrated a two-way satellite technology in a mainstream way.”

What that means, obviously, is that the iPhone in your pocket is (to some extent) a satellite phone.

Apple has continued to expand the services and nations into which it provides satellite communications, but it seems unlikely to be investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a tech just to help iPhone owners call emergency services. The company will have much bigger dreams, particularly as it is now involved in development of the 6G standard, which is likely to implement much deeper support for satellite connectivity than the existing standard. 

At least one space expert thinks Apple will choose to widen the network to become a full space communications service — broadly in line with predictions from Bloomberg in 2020. 

Speculation is an uneasy guide, but it isn’t completely unreasonable to imagine an Apple satellite communications network designed in such a way as it becomes more private and secure than those services currently provided by mobile telecoms firms.

That seems an unlikely outcome, in part because competing with iPhone network providers could impact Apple’s business. But it’s at least an opportunity to sign off here with the phrase, “If you want to know where Apple is going, look to the skies.” Because Apple is already there.

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