Orange shares take a hit Cisco and AWS work on IoT data formats Generation Z don't trust governments either 2020 was an annus horribilis for Huawei. Kicked out of comms networks around the globe, with phone sales in steep decline (shipments were down by 42 per cent in Q4, 2020) and prevented from manufacturing 5G handsets because by the Trump administration prohibition on the exportation of the US chips and other components necessary to make them in the first place, the Chinese company has been casting around to make a few renminbi from other sources. Hence the new focus on AI for pig farmers. Pigs are big, big business in China (as are ducks). Indeed more that 50 per cent of all the world’s porkers spend their brief lives in Chinese pig farms and so Huawei, spotting an opportunity, is moving to provide AI that, ironically, will detect the spread of porcine disease (bacterial or viral) and track pig movements around and between farms and on their final journeys as they fulfil the ultimate destiny of Chinese pigs. Facial recognition (already tried, tested and widely deployed to keep a big brotherly eye on the human population of China), together with wearable technologies will be used to keep track of individual hogs whose growth, weight, diet and even exercise regime will be monitored. "Lift those trotters!!" A week ago, Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei, having kow-towed to the powers that be and begged forgiveness for using company resources to further the ambition of one of his daughters to become a global superstar, announced that the company is also developing a coal mining innovation facility and lab in Shanxi Province in northern China. He said the aim is to develop the industry to the point where mines will be so automated, clean and safe that miners will be able to go down the pits in suits and ties! He also announced that Huawei will survive and prosper "without relying on phone sales", which is just as well given that the manufacture of Huawei handsets is expected to be down by at least 60 per cent over the course of 2021. By the way, what do you call a pig with laryngitis? "Disgruntled", of course.