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Huawei Launches Its Own Operating System on Smartphones in Challenge to Google Android
Huawei has launched HarmonyOS across several devices as it looks to wean itself off U.S. technology, a move that could pit it against Apple and Google.
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Clubhouse Hires Android Software Developer, Signaling Work on Android App Has Begun
Thus far, the buzzy audio-only social media app has only been available to iPhone users.
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AP Explains: The Promise of 5G Wireless – Speed, Hype, Risk
A much-hyped network upgrade called “5G” means different things to different people
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Motorola Just Brought Back the Famous Razr With a Display That Folds in Half, But it Costs $1,500
Lenovo’s Motorola on Wednesday announced a new version of the iconic Razr flip phone. It has a full touch screen display inside — no keypad — but still folds in half like the clamshell design of phones from the 1990s and early 2000s. I like the throwback design. It will succeed the Samsung Galaxy Fold as the second foldable phone...
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Board of Directors for Google's Parent Company Investigating Executives Over Inappropriate Relationships
Alphabet’s board of directors has opened an investigation into how executives handled claims of sexual harassment and other misconduct, including behavior of Chief Legal Officer David Drummond, who has been accused of having relationships with employees. The board has formed an independent subcommittee to look into the issues and has hired a law firm to assist with the investigation, according...
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Under Pressure From China, Apple Pulls Hong Kong Protest App
For people in Hong Kong angry over tactics used by the police to break up anti-government protests, the HKmap.live app was a handy little tool. With real-time updates showing police movements, it helps steer users away from possible baton charges, volleys of tear gas and police ID checks. For Apple Inc., that proved to be a problem. Under pressure from...
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Backlash Against NBA Continues in China
More NBA events scheduled in China were cancelled Wednesday as backlash from a tweet sent by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey supporting anti-government protests in Hong Kong created tension between the Chinese Government and the NBA.
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New York AG Sues Dunkin' for ‘Glazing' Over Cyberattacks Targeting Thousands of Customers
Dunkin’ failed to notify nearly 20,000 customers that their accounts had been compromised and their information and personal funds were in jeopardy in 2015 – or accurately notify them once more when hackers accessed more than 300,000 customer accounts three years later, according to a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against the company.
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Lawmakers Ask 4 Big Tech Companies for Documents in Probe
Lawmakers investigating the market dominance of Big Tech on Friday asked Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple for a broad range of documents, marking a step forward in Congress’ bipartisan probe of the companies. Letters went out to the four companies from the leaders of the House Judiciary Committee and its subcommittee on antitrust, which has been conducting a sweeping investigation...
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States Led by Texas Target Google in New Antitrust Probe
Fifty U.S. states and territories, led by Texas, announced an investigation into Google’s “potential monopolistic behavior.” The Monday announcement closely followed one from a separate group of states Friday that disclosed an investigation into Facebook’s market dominance. The two probes widen the antitrust scrutiny of big tech companies beyond sweeping federal and congressional investigations and enforcement action by European...
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New ID Option Could Replace Plastic Cards at UVM
New technology now being tested on the University of Vermont’s Burlington campus could change the way many students, faculty members and staff navigate campus — by providing a high-tech alternative to their familiar plastic ID cards. “Everything’s on your phone — this is just part of it,” said Drew Meyers, a UVM junior who is serving as a beta tester...
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Why Apple Doesn't Want Users to Replace Their Own Batteries
The two recent incidents involving Apple products show a growing risk to the company’s brand: the lithium-ion batteries that power its devices. First, the Federal Aviation Administration disclosed last week that some Apple laptops have been banned from flights. This comes after Apple recalled some 15-inch MacBook Pro laptop models because the batteries inside the computers pose a fire hazard....
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How to Opt Out of Facebook Messenger Audio to Protect Your Conversations
If you’ve used Facebook’s popular Messenger app, there’s a chance that someone working for Facebook has listened to recordings of your audio chats. A report by Bloomberg found that Facebook has been paying hundreds of outside contractors to transcribe clips of audio from its users, citing “people with knowledge of the work” who were told to transcribe the audio without...
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Facebook to Pay Record $5 Billion in FTC Fine
The Federal Trade Commission announced a $5 billion settlement with Facebook on Wednesday to end an investigation into the company’s privacy practices. It’s a record penalty that shows the federal government taking a harder stance against tech firms, but one that may stop short of changing how Silicon Valley does business.
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Record $5B Facebook Fine Won't End Scrutiny of the Company
Facebook survived its latest brush with U.S. privacy regulators, at the cost of a record $5 billion fine and other restrictions imposed by the Federal Trade Commission. But it’s far from home free. While the company looks set to prosper in the wake of the FTC case, it faces a series of other investigations into its privacy practices in Europe...
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AT&T Will Soon Automatically Block Annoying Robocalls
AT&T said this week that it will soon block spam calls or alert customers of suspected spammers. The blocking will first activate for new lines and will then be applied to all existing accounts, the carrier said on Tuesday. The feature will be on by default but can be turned off by users who don’t want it, per rules set...
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Here's a First Look at the New Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Game From the Makers of Pokemon Go
Niantic, the company that built the hit game Pokemon Go, launched its new game this week based on another popular franchise. It’s called Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and, like Pokemon, it uses augmented reality to place digital objects, such as monsters and popular characters from the “Harry Potter” books, into the real world. It’s a big next step for Niantic,...
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Alphabet Employees Use Shareholder Meeting to Blast the Company's Policies on Contractors and China
Alphabet employees used the company’s annual shareholder meeting as a stage to air concerns about workplace equity and some of the company’s controversial projects. Alphabet employees are known to be among the boldest in Silicon Valley. Thousands of Google employees walked off the job across more than 20 offices worldwide in November to protest its workplace culture.
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Alphabet Employees Use Shareholder Meeting to Blast the Company's Policies on Contractors and China
Alphabet employees used the company’s annual shareholder meeting as a stage to air concerns about workplace equity and some of the company’s controversial projects. Alphabet employees are known to be among the boldest in Silicon Valley. Thousands of Google employees walked off the job across more than 20 offices worldwide in November to protest its workplace culture.
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Is ‘Big Tech' Too Big? A Look at Growing Antitrust Scrutiny
Is Big Tech headed for a big breakup? The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are moving to investigate Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple over their aggressive business practices, and the House Judiciary Committee has announced an unprecedented antitrust probe , promising “a top-to-bottom review of the market power held by giant tech platforms.” In addition, at least...