Tech Time - Technology News

China landed Chang’e-4 mission on the far side of the Moon and Sprouted a Plant.

* Jan 3 the Chang-e-4 rover landed on the far side of the moon.* Chang’e-4 spacecraft, lander and rover.* The lander has a radioisotope thermoelectric generator to power the lunar operations during three months.* The rover can carry 20kg and will perform real time video transmission.  It can also dig and perform simple analysis of soil. * Cotton seeds became the first biological matter to grow on the moon.* Photo of the seeds sprouting on Jan 7.* This experiment lays the foundation for a lunar base and long term space exploration.* Some question the validity of the experiment as a test experiment was done here on earth.  * Some say the photos are from that earth experiment and that the seeds most likely didn’t survive the lunar landing.

Apple Replaced 11 Million iPhone Batteries in Its $29 Program

* Apple’s $29 battery replacement program may have seriously dinged sales of its 2018 iPhone models. * The company replaced 11 million iPhone batteries under the program, John Gruber of tech-focused blog DaringFireball reported Monday, citing Apple CEO Tim Cook at an all-hands meeting. * Typically, the company replaces 1 million to 2 million batteries each year, DaringFireball noted. Cook cited the program’s negative impact on Apple’s revenue in a Jan. 2 sales warning to investors but didn’t offer specific numbers.* That’s 9-10 million units lost in sales.

Apple drastically drops the price of iPhones in China

The best of CES according to Engadget.

* Best accessibility = Samsung GEMS H – Lightweight (6lbs) exoskelleton.* Can also add resistance to help strengthen rehabilityation.* Best Startup = NREAL – the light.  Mixed reality = 1080P and doesn’t look weird.* Best  Digital Health and Fitness = Tripple W D3, Tracks bladder levels and can warn you when you may have an accident. * Best Wearable – Omron Heartguide – Blood pressure and hypertension with the push of a button.* Best Transportation – Daimler Freightliner.  Adaptive cruise, lane control, auto breaking (normal in consumer vehicles but first in a truck).  Make the road safer.* Best Home Theater =  Sannheiser Ambeo Soundbar.  5.1 surround sound in a soundbar.  Converts stereo sound to 3d.* Best Connected Home Product = Lenovo Smart Clock.  Google Home built in. Sunlight simulation and control smart home.  No camera.* Best mobile device = Morphie Juicepack, Battery case that doesn’t use lightning port.  Uses wireless charging leaving the jack available (headphones?).* Best TV = LG OLED TV R, 4k with 100w dolbie atmos soundbar.  Rolls up.* Best Gaming = Alienware Area 51.m.  Modular – can swap out everything. Futureproofing.* Most unexpected = IMpossible burger 2.0.  Meatless patty. Grown in a lab and tastes good.  Made with Soy Protien. * Best Sports = JaxJox Kettle bell. Adjustable weight???* Best Tablet = Dell XPS 13.  Slim Bezzels and Compact Design.  Dolbie Vision HDR Screen. * Best Robot Drone = Samsung Bot Drone.

CES 2019 Highlights for Day 1

* CES starts today (Jan 8) and appears to be all about AI.* Hisense (China’s leading electronics manufacturer) has a TV (TriChroma laser) that can detect what you are watching and adjust the settings to give you a better experience.* Sports = higher motion rate for smoother viewing.* Movies = 24 frames per second and make it more surround sound. * LG introduced a machine called “Home Brew”.  It looks like a Keurig for beer. You put in capsules with malt, yeast, hop oil and flavouring and two weeks later you have a gallon of cold beer.  * Do people really want to wait two weeks?  The craft beer people may not want to be so automated…* LG has the rolling TV.  OLED TV R, It’s 65” paper thin and rolls up to save space.* LG also says it will be one of the first with at 5G phone this year. * Harley-Davidson will be announcing it’s first electric motorcycle LiveWire.* P&G (Known for pampers and Tide).  * Heated razors, * Toothbrush with AI & * a wand that scans the skin and releases serum to cover up age spots.  * What is this magic serum???* Head & Shoulders device that uses ultraviolet light to uncover scalp issues and recommend products. * You’ve got dandruff!* John Deere has self driving tractors and an 18 tonne combine harvester with AI.* It can track the quality of grain coming into the machine so that its kernel-separating settings can be adjusted automatically.  The Farmer can monitor it from their phone.* Byton – Chinese electric car maker is releasing a steering wheel that has an LED screen.  When you turn the wheel, the screen stays level. Sounds dangerous. * Samsung, LG, Vizio & Sony will support Airplay II* Samsung * 98” 8K TV – need to remove a wall to get the TV in.* HDMI 2* Robots – Care.  Can take your vitals and call an ambulance. * Lenovo Smart Clock – Google Assistant built in (like a mini).* No smart home, no videos, but has weather, time, calendar, alarms. * Google* Google Assistant  gets new feature* Conversational translation (types words that someone says in 27 languages), boarding pass support and improved auto reply.. Adds punctuation to sentences (no more “period or coma”).* Being built into more things like – Sonos and most TVs.* Will be on a billion devices next year (Amazon has sold 100 million Alexa’s). * Apple – “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone”.  * Dig at google and facebook.

Huawei Has Suspected Ties To Front Companies In Iran and Syria, New Documents Reveal

* The U.S. case against the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies, who was arrested in Canada last month, centers on the company’s suspected ties to two obscure companies.* One is a telecom equipment seller that operated in Tehran;* the other is that firm’s owner, a holding company registered in Mauritius. * U.S. authorities allege CFO Meng Wanzhou deceived international banks into clearing transactions with Iran by claiming the two companies were independent of Huawei, when in fact Huawei controlled them. * Huawei has maintained the two are independent: equipment seller Skycom Tech Co Ltd and shell company Canicula Holdings Ltd. But corporate filings and other documents found by Reuters in Iran and Syria show that Huawei, the world’s largest supplier of telecommunications network equipment, is more closely linked to both firms than previously known.* The documents reveal that a high-level Huawei executive appears to have been appointed Skycom’s Iran manager. They also show that at least three Chinese-named individuals had signing ...

CES 2019 Highlights for Day 1

* CES starts today (Jan 8) and appears to be all about AI.* Hisense (China’s leading electronics manufacturer) has a TV (TriChroma laser) that can detect what you are watching and adjust the settings to give you a better experience.* Sports = higher motion rate for smoother viewing.* Movies = 24 frames per second and make it more surround sound. * LG introduced a machine called “Home Brew”.  It looks like a Keurig for beer. You put in capsules with malt, yeast, hop oil and flavouring and two weeks later you have a gallon of cold beer.  * Do people really want to wait two weeks?  The craft beer people may not want to be so automated…* LG has the rolling TV.  OLED TV R, It’s 65” paper thin and rolls up to save space.* LG also says it will be one of the first with at 5G phone this year. * Harley-Davidson will be announcing it’s first electric motorcycle LiveWire.* P&G (Known for pampers and Tide).  * Heated razors, * Toothbrush with AI & * a wand that scans the skin and releases serum to cover up age spots.  * What is this magic serum???* Head & Shoulders device that uses ultraviolet light to uncover scalp issues and recommend products. * You’ve got dandruff!* John Deere has self driving tractors and an 18 tonne combine harvester with AI.* It can track the quality of grain coming into the machine so that its kernel-separating settings can be adjusted automatically.  The Farmer can monitor it from their phone.* Byton – Chinese electric car maker is releasing a steering wheel that has an LED screen.  When you turn the wheel, the screen stays level. Sounds dangerous. * Samsung, LG, Vizio & Sony will support Airplay II* Samsung * 98” 8K TV – need to remove a wall to get the TV in.* HDMI 2* Robots – Care.  Can take your vitals and call an ambulance. * Lenovo Smart Clock – Google Assistant built in (like a mini).* No smart home, no videos, but has weather, time, calendar, alarms. * Google* Google Assistant  gets new feature* Conversational translation (types words that someone says in 27 languages), boarding pass support and improved auto reply.. Adds punctuation to sentences (no more “period or coma”).* Being built into more things like – Sonos and most TVs.* Will be on a billion devices next year (Amazon has sold 100 million Alexa’s). * Apple – “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone”.  * Dig at google and facebook.

Huawei Has Suspected Ties To Front Companies In Iran and Syria, New Documents Reveal

* The U.S. case against the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies, who was arrested in Canada last month, centers on the company’s suspected ties to two obscure companies.* One is a telecom equipment seller that operated in Tehran;* the other is that firm’s owner, a holding company registered in Mauritius. * U.S. authorities allege CFO Meng Wanzhou deceived international banks into clearing transactions with Iran by claiming the two companies were independent of Huawei, when in fact Huawei controlled them. * Huawei has maintained the two are independent: equipment seller Skycom Tech Co Ltd and shell company Canicula Holdings Ltd. But corporate filings and other documents found by Reuters in Iran and Syria show that Huawei, the world’s largest supplier of telecommunications network equipment, is more closely linked to both firms than previously known.* The documents reveal that a high-level Huawei executive appears to have been appointed Skycom’s Iran manager. They also show that at least three Chinese-named individuals had signing ...

Google Chrome’s New UI is Ugly, And People Are Very Angry

* Every major user interface (UI) redesign project is a hit and miss game, and Google’s new Chrome UI appears to be a colossal miss. D* esigned with mobile devices in mind, the new Chrome user interface style was officially rolled out in September this year, with the release of Chrome version 69. * Not all users liked the new UI, and this was clear from the beginning, with some users voicing their discontent online even back then. * However, those users who didn’t appreciate the new lighter-toned Chrome interface had the option to visit the chrome://flags page and modify a Chrome setting and continue using Chrome’s older UI. * But with Chrome version 71, released earlier this month, Google has removed the Chrome flag that allowed users to use the old UI. As you might imagine, this change did not go well, at all. * Chrome’s new UI might have been developed with a mobile-first approach in mind, but the UI is problematic on laptops and desktops, where its lighter tone and rounded tabs make it extremely hard to distinguish tabs from one another, especially when users open multiple tabs. * Since being able to distinguish and switch between tabs at a fast pace is an important detail in most of today’s internet-based jobs, many users have been having trouble adapting to the new UI both at work and at home, especially if they’re the kind of people who deal with tens of tabs at the same time.

Google Will Launch the Pixel 3 and 3 XL ‘Lite’ on Verizon in Spring 2019, Report Says

* Speaking to a source familiar with the company’s plans, we’ve learned that Google intends to launch two new Pixel smartphones on Verizon in early spring 2019 — the Pixel 3 and 3 XL “Lite.”* An exact announcement date and pricing are not yet known. A Pixel 3 Lite prototype was leaked on a Russian tech blog last month, fueling rampant speculation about where the phone would be sold and how it would be positioned in Google’s larger smartphone lineup* Later, renders of the 3 Lite and a larger XL variant were released by OnLeaks. These “Lite” Pixels will be the first phones in the mid-range Google has released since the Nexus 5X, which launched at $379 in the US in 2015.

Cheers erupt as NASA’s New Horizons flies by the most distant object ever: 1.6 billion km past Pluto

* “New Horizons” Spacecraft flew past and investigated Ultima Thule (icy celestial object). Also known as a dwarf planet. * Thule in medieval literature was the most distant northernmost place beyond the known world.* Ultima Thule is a single object about 32 km long.  It is potato shaped and dark colored with a touch of red (possibly from being zapped by cosmic rays for 4.5 billion years).* Ultima Thule is 6.5 billion KM from earth (1 billion miles past pluto).* New horions left earth in 2008.  Amazing it has flown so far in 11 years.* It flew past at 12:33 am ET Tuesday but it took 10 hours for the information to get back to us.* Happy new year!* It also marks the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s footsteps on the moon in July 1969.* Nasa says New Horizons has survived humanity’s most distant exploration of another world.* Celebrities were on hand to celebrate.

Google Chrome’s New UI is Ugly, And People Are Very Angry

* Every major user interface (UI) redesign project is a hit and miss game, and Google’s new Chrome UI appears to be a colossal miss. D* esigned with mobile devices in mind, the new Chrome user interface style was officially rolled out in September this year, with the release of Chrome version 69. * Not all users liked the new UI, and this was clear from the beginning, with some users voicing their discontent online even back then. * However, those users who didn’t appreciate the new lighter-toned Chrome interface had the option to visit the chrome://flags page and modify a Chrome setting and continue using Chrome’s older UI. * But with Chrome version 71, released earlier this month, Google has removed the Chrome flag that allowed users to use the old UI. As you might imagine, this change did not go well, at all. * Chrome’s new UI might have been developed with a mobile-first approach in mind, but the UI is problematic on laptops and desktops, where its lighter tone and rounded tabs make it extremely hard to distinguish tabs from one another, especially when users open multiple tabs. * Since being able to distinguish and switch between tabs at a fast pace is an important detail in most of today’s internet-based jobs, many users have been having trouble adapting to the new UI both at work and at home, especially if they’re the kind of people who deal with tens of tabs at the same time.

Google Will Launch the Pixel 3 and 3 XL ‘Lite’ on Verizon in Spring 2019, Report Says

* Speaking to a source familiar with the company’s plans, we’ve learned that Google intends to launch two new Pixel smartphones on Verizon in early spring 2019 — the Pixel 3 and 3 XL “Lite.”* An exact announcement date and pricing are not yet known. A Pixel 3 Lite prototype was leaked on a Russian tech blog last month, fueling rampant speculation about where the phone would be sold and how it would be positioned in Google’s larger smartphone lineup* Later, renders of the 3 Lite and a larger XL variant were released by OnLeaks. These “Lite” Pixels will be the first phones in the mid-range Google has released since the Nexus 5X, which launched at $379 in the US in 2015.

Cheers erupt as NASA’s New Horizons flies by the most distant object ever: 1.6 billion km past Pluto

* “New Horizons” Spacecraft flew past and investigated Ultima Thule (icy celestial object). Also known as a dwarf planet. * Thule in medieval literature was the most distant northernmost place beyond the known world.* Ultima Thule is a single object about 32 km long.  It is potato shaped and dark colored with a touch of red (possibly from being zapped by cosmic rays for 4.5 billion years).* Ultima Thule is 6.5 billion KM from earth (1 billion miles past pluto).* New horions left earth in 2008.  Amazing it has flown so far in 11 years.* It flew past at 12:33 am ET Tuesday but it took 10 hours for the information to get back to us.* Happy new year!* It also marks the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s footsteps on the moon in July 1969.* Nasa says New Horizons has survived humanity’s most distant exploration of another world.* Celebrities were on hand to celebrate.

Google to invest $1B in New Campus in New York City

* The new campus will more than double its headcount in New York over the next 10 years.* Google currently has 7k employees in New York* 1.7 million square foot “Google Hudson Square) will be 2 building.* Apple announced they will build a new $1B campus in Austin Texas.* Amazon chose Long Island last month as the location for one of its new headquarters.

Samsung Kills Headphone Jack After Mocking Apple with A8s

* Last week, Samsung introduced its latest smartphone, the Galaxy A8s. Not only is it the first phone of theirs with a laser-drilled hole in the display for the front-facing camera sensor, but it is also their first phone to ditch the headphone jack. * the hypocrisy behind it: [The A8s] is also Samsung’s first smartphone without a headphone jack, much to the amusement of iPhone users, as Samsung has mocked Apple for over two years over its decision to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016, a trend that has continued through to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. While on stage unveiling the new Galaxy Note 7 in 2016, for example, Samsung executive Justin Denison made sure to point out that the device came with a headphone jack. “Want to know what else it comes with?” he asked. “An audio jack. I’m just saying,” he answered, smirking as the audience laughed. And earlier this year, Samsung mocked the iPhone X’s lack of a headphone jack in one of its “Ingenius” ads promoting the Galaxy S9. *

* Samsung isn’t the first tech giant to mock Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack, only to follow suit. Google poked fun at the iPhone 7’s lack of headphone jack while unveiling its original Pixel smartphone in 2016, and then the Pixel 2 launched without one just a year later.

Lenovo built a slider phone with 12GB of RAM Z5 Pro GT

This is where the new Z5 Pro GT comes in:

* loaded with up to 12GB of RAM — a new record for smartphones — along with up to 512GB of storage. It’s also the second smartphone confirmed to feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 855 chipset, though unlike OnePlus’ yet-to-be-named flagship device, Lenovo’s slider won’t be packing 5G radio.* You get a 6.39-inch 2,340 x 1,080 AMOLED display, a 16MP + 24MP dual rear cameras, 16MP + 8MP (infrared) front cameras, 3,350mAh battery, NFC, dual nano SIM slots and a 3.5mm headphone jack dongle for the USB-C port.* Sadly, this also includes the awkward placement of the earpiece between the front cameras, which forces you to slide the screen down for phone calls. Worse yet, the lack of some US-friendly LTE bands means this phone is out of the question for a good majority of our readers, unless Lenovo has plans to bring it to the States later on* $640 for the 12GB RAM + 512GB storage top model

What is Google’s Project Dragonfly and Why the Controversy?

* Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai came under fire on Dec 11 from the US Congress for its controversial Project Dragonfly.

Google to invest $1B in New Campus in New York City

* The new campus will more than double its headcount in New York over the next 10 years.* Google currently has 7k employees in New York* 1.7 million square foot “Google Hudson Square) will be 2 building.* Apple announced they will build a new $1B campus in Austin Texas.* Amazon chose Long Island last month as the location for one of its new headquarters.

Samsung Kills Headphone Jack After Mocking Apple with A8s

* Last week, Samsung introduced its latest smartphone, the Galaxy A8s. Not only is it the first phone of theirs with a laser-drilled hole in the display for the front-facing camera sensor, but it is also their first phone to ditch the headphone jack. * the hypocrisy behind it: [The A8s] is also Samsung’s first smartphone without a headphone jack, much to the amusement of iPhone users, as Samsung has mocked Apple for over two years over its decision to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016, a trend that has continued through to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. While on stage unveiling the new Galaxy Note 7 in 2016, for example, Samsung executive Justin Denison made sure to point out that the device came with a headphone jack. “Want to know what else it comes with?” he asked. “An audio jack. I’m just saying,” he answered, smirking as the audience laughed. And earlier this year, Samsung mocked the iPhone X’s lack of a headphone jack in one of its “Ingenius” ads promoting the Galaxy S9. *

* Samsung isn’t the first tech giant to mock Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack, only to follow suit. Google poked fun at the iPhone 7’s lack of headphone jack while unveiling its original Pixel smartphone in 2016, and then the Pixel 2 launched without one just a year later.

Lenovo built a slider phone with 12GB of RAM Z5 Pro GT

This is where the new Z5 Pro GT comes in:

* loaded with up to 12GB of RAM — a new record for smartphones — along with up to 512GB of storage. It’s also the second smartphone confirmed to feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 855 chipset, though unlike OnePlus’ yet-to-be-named flagship device, Lenovo’s slider won’t be packing 5G radio.

* You get a 6.39-inch 2,340 x 1,080 AMOLED display, a 16MP + 24MP dual rear cameras, 16MP + 8MP (infrared) front cameras, 3,350mAh battery, NFC, dual nano SIM slots and a 3.5mm headphone jack dongle for the USB-C port.* Sadly, this also includes the awkward placement of the earpiece between the front cameras, which forces you to slide the screen down for phone calls. Worse yet, the lack of some US-friendly LTE bands means this phone is out of the question for a good majority of our readers, unless Lenovo has plans to bring it to the States later on* $640 for the 12GB RAM + 512GB storage top model

What is Google’s Project Dragonfly and Why the Controversy?

* Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai came under fire on Dec 11 from the US Congress for its controversial Project Dragonfly.

Germany Refuses To Ban Huawei, Citing Lack of Real Evidence

* Germany’s IT watchdog has expressed skepticism about calls for a boycott of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, saying it has seen no evidence the firm could use its equipment to spy for Beijing, news weekly Spiegel reported. * “For such serious decisions like a ban, you need proof,” the head of Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Arne Schoenbohm, told Spiegel, adding that his agency had no such evidence. * The U.S. has been pressuring German authorities for months to drop Huawei, according to people familiar with the matter, but the Germans have asked for more specific evidence to demonstrate the security threat. * German authorities and telecom executives have yet to turn up any evidence of security problems with Chinese equipment vendors, according to a person familiar with the matter. Separately, at a (secret lobster-themed) meeting in Canada in July 2018, espionage chiefs from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. — all signatories to a treaty on signals intelligence, and often referred to as the “Five Eyes” — agreed to do their best to contain the global growth of Chinese telecom (vendor) Huawei, the Australian Financial Review reported (paywalled). * On the other hand, documents leaked by WikiLeaks and Snowden claimed that the NSA, the leader of the Five Eyes, tapped German Chancellery for decades and bugged routers made by Cisco, the leading American networking equipment vendor.

What are the Concerns with Huawei’s 5G technology?

* Huawei is working on advanced security technology with the “Public Security Bureau” in China.* They are working on advanced new surveillance and population-control techniques. * the use of facial recognition * digital monitoring * artificial intelligence in policing.* Chinese law requires companies in China to “support, cooperate with and collaborate in national intelligence work”.* Security experts have proven that this “surveillance technology” could be brought into other countries in their 5G telecommunications hardware and smartphones. * Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance – 3 of the 5 (US, Australia and New Zealand) have already banned Huawei from their 5G infrastructure.  Canada and Britain are still on the fence.* China also has a history of stealing intellectual property from Western countries (including Canada).  

AT&T Opens 5G Network in 12 US Cities, Announces Pricing For First 5G Mobile Device and Service

* AT&T said Tuesday its network is now live in parts of 12 cities across the United States, with the first mobile 5G device arriving on Friday, December 21. From a report: According to an AT&T spokesperson, the company’s 5G network is already up and running in parts of the previously promised dozen cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, San Antonio, and Waco. * However, the first consumer device that will be able to access that network, Netgear’s Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot, will become available just ahead of the Christmas holiday. * The company also revealed that it will be using the name “5G+” for the part of its network that will use millimeter wave spectrum an...

Germany Refuses To Ban Huawei, Citing Lack of Real Evidence

* Germany’s IT watchdog has expressed skepticism about calls for a boycott of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, saying it has seen no evidence the firm could use its equipment to spy for Beijing, news weekly Spiegel reported. * “For such serious decisions like a ban, you need proof,” the head of Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Arne Schoenbohm, told Spiegel, adding that his agency had no such evidence. * The U.S. has been pressuring German authorities for months to drop Huawei, according to people familiar with the matter, but the Germans have asked for more specific evidence to demonstrate the security threat. * German authorities and telecom executives have yet to turn up any evidence of security problems with Chinese equipment vendors, according to a person familiar with the matter. Separately, at a (secret lobster-themed) meeting in Canada in July 2018, espionage chiefs from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. — all signatories to a treaty on signals intelligence, and often referred to as the “Five Eyes” — agreed to do their best to contain the global growth of Chinese telecom (vendor) Huawei, the Australian Financial Review reported (paywalled). * On the other hand, documents leaked by WikiLeaks and Snowden claimed that the NSA, the leader of the Five Eyes, tapped German Chancellery for decades and bugged routers made by Cisco, the leading American networking equipment vendor.

What are the Concerns with Huawei’s 5G technology?

* Huawei is working on advanced security technology with the “Public Security Bureau” in China.* They are working on advanced new surveillance and population-control techniques. * the use of facial recognition * digital monitoring * artificial intelligence in policing.* Chinese law requires companies in China to “support, cooperate with and collaborate in national intelligence work”.* Security experts have proven that this “surveillance technology” could be brought into other countries in their 5G telecommunications hardware and smartphones. * Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance – 3 of the 5 (US, Australia and New Zealand) have already banned Huawei from their 5G infrastructure.  Canada and Britain are still on the fence.* China also has a history of stealing intellectual property from Western countries (including Canada).  

AT&T Opens 5G Network in 12 US Cities, Announces Pricing For First 5G Mobile Device and Service

* AT&T said Tuesday its network is now live in parts of 12 cities across the United States, with the first mobile 5G device arriving on Friday, December 21. From a report: According to an AT&T spokesperson, the company’s 5G network is already up and running in parts of the previously promised dozen cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, San Antonio, and Waco. * However, the first consumer device that will be able to access that network, Netgear’s Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot, will become available just ahead of the Christmas holiday. * The company also revealed that it will be using the name “5G+” for the part of its network that will use millimeter wave spe...

Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Chinese Huawei Inc. Detained in Vancouver at the request of U.S.

* Meng Wanzhou was detained on Dec 1 in Vancouver in between flights by Canadian authorities on the request of the United States government.* Meng is charged with fraud dealing with International sanctions against Iran.  * Meng is accused of repeatedly lying to financial institutions about the relationship between Huawei and a company called Skycom that did business in Iran in violation of international sanctions.* She serves as deputy chairwoman of the company’s board and served on the board of Skycom in 2008 and 2009.* As a result of her alleged lies, prosecutors contend that the banks she dealt with were “induced into carrying out transactions that they otherwise would not have contemplated.” Those transactions put them on the wrong side of the international community.* A former Canadian Diplomat, Michael Kovrig, was detained in China earlier in the week.* Kovrig works for “International Crisis Group” an non profit. * China has not released the details of his detention but many are saying it is in retaliation to Meng’s detention.* Canada Goose (parkas) Shares have dropped by 20% since Meng’s arrest.* Canada Goose Parkas are prestige clothing in China.* A viral anti-Canadian campaign was started on Weibo (Chinese social media) and named Canada Goose as a company to boycott. * The Chinese Government followed suit and has published the boycott across China.  * Why not American? * The Chinese Government hopes to put enough pressure on Canada and Canadian companies to release Meng before she gets extradited to the United States. * What are the Concerns with Huawei’s 5G technology?* Huawei is working on advanced security technology with the “Public Security Bureau” in China.* They are working on advanced new surveillance and population-control techniques. * the use of facial recognition * digital monitoring * artificial intelligence in policing.* Chinese law requires companies in China to “support, cooperate with and collaborate in national intelligence work”.* Security experts have proven that this “surveillance technology” could be brought into other countries in their 5G telecommunications hardware and smartphones. * Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance – 3 of the 5 (US, Australia and New Zealand) have already banned Huawei from their 5G infrastructure.  Canada and Britain are still on the fence.* China also has a history of stealing intellectual property from Western countries (including Canada).  

Google Will Shut Down Google+ Four Months Early After Second Data Leak

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* Google+ has suffered another data leak* Google has decided to shut down the consumer version of the social network four months earlier than it originally planned. * Google+ will now close to consumers in April, rather than August. Additionally, API access to the network will shut down within the next 90 days. * According to Google, the new vulnerability impacted 52.5 million users, who could have had profile information like their name, email address, occupation,