Facebook wants a share in hardware; building its own processor

Facebook is building a new team to develop its own semiconductors if the new job listings and sources that spoke to Bloomberg are to believed. The company would go head to head with other major players such as Apple and Google who recently invested in producing their own chips.

According to the job listing, Facebook is looking for a manager to create an "end-to-end SoC/ASIC, firmware, and driver development organization." That role will look after the team responsible for hardware, AI software or servers, Bloomberg noted. Facebook AI researcher Yann LeCun tweeted about a different role creating chips for AI. By jumping into the processor manufacturing, the company could be looking to gain some share in the hardware market as well.

The company is also said to have delayed the launch of its smart speakers which were slated for a launch at Facebook's F8 developer conference in May following the data scandal.

Bloomberg report noted that "now may be the wrong time" to expect users to trust the company by placing an always-listening device in their homes, considering the ongoing data scandal. In August, Bloomberg reported few details of the smart speakers. They are said to feature a video-focused device codenamed Aloha which will possibly be called Portal. The device is expected to come with 15-inch touchscreens manufactured by LG. It will also have a standalone speaker that would be priced lower than the former.

In August, Bloomberg reported few details of the smart speakers. They are said to feature a video-focused device codenamed Aloha which will possibly be called Portal. The device is expected to come with 15-inch touchscreens manufactured by LG. It will also have a standalone speaker that would be priced lower than the former. Both devices will reportedly use a voice assistant developed by Facebook, just like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri.

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These smart speakers were planned to see the light of day in May, according to the report, but Facebook now wants have a 'deeper review' of how it is going to collect user data before unveiling the devices to the public. Few other reports say Aloha or Portal will offer more social networking functions. The company seems to have signed deals with Sony and Universal Music, which may add more features to the smart speakers.