Trump says he wants to get ZTE 'back into business, fast' despite putting a Denial Order in place
Donald Trump has caused confusion after using Twitter to indicate that he would like to get Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE "back into business, fast". This is despite the US Department of Commerce banning exports to the company for seven years, something ZTE says left it unable to continue running its main operations.
Trump now says that he's working with China's President Xi to help get the company back up and running. Unsurprisingly, the disparity between what Trump says in his weekend tweet and what the current US sanctions mean has led to a lot of questions.
Major leak reveals OnePlus 6 pricing, pictures and release date
Details of just about every OnePlus handset have leaked ahead of their launches, and the OnePlus 6 is no different. There are only a couple of days until the phone is revealed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, and we've already had numerous leaks relating to the upcoming handset.
Amazon Germany has accidentally given away more than OnePlus may have liked, revealing high resolution renders of the glass-bodied phone, as well as the pricing and release date.
Invasion of the dog-poop phones
A few days ago, BetaNews Managing Editor Wayne Williams emailed asking if I could contribute content after being silent for ages, especially as the site's 20th anniversary approaches. He doesn't fathom the potential terror that request will unleash.
I have written a total of two tech stories for BN in 2018—surely to the delight of my many commenter critics. Reason: Joe Wilcox is on a self-imposed writing hiatus as he looks distrustfully at the many so-called innovations that he championed during a 25-year technology reporting career. He is disgusted to see how we have become commodities stored in the pantries kept by Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and most every other advert-licking, AI-snorting, location-tracking, tech purveyor of promises looking to consume us for profit. Burp.
Ubuntu Snap Store app contained cryptocurrency miner
There was a recent discovery that an app called "2048buntu" in the Ubuntu Snap Store contained cryptocurrency (Bytecoin) mining code. Thankfully, this app -- and the developer's other submissions -- have since been removed.
What is the downside to having this cryptocurrency code commingled with the expected code? Well, the mining can slow down your computer while also increasing your electricity use.
Google will require OEMs to provide regular Android security updates
The fragmentation problem that affects Android not only means that there are a tiny number of users running the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, but also that many handsets are not patched with the latest security update. This could be about to change.
At its I/O developer conference this week, Google announced that its security policies will be changing. While its not clear when this could happen, the company will require some smartphone manufacturers to roll out regular security updates to users.
Microsoft launches free Surface Pro 4 replacement program because it can't fix flickering screens
If you have a Surface Pro 4, you might be one of the unlucky tablet owners to suffer from a flickering screen -- a problem predictably dubbed "flickergate". Unable to come up with a fix, Microsoft has opened up a replacement program that means that those affected by the problem will be able to get a new Surface Pro 4 free of charge.
Microsoft says that it has been unable to produce a patch to address the issue, and is therefore simply going to offer replacements to people. What's not clear is why it has taken the company so long to do something; Surface 4 owners have been complaining about screen flicker since the tablet launched back in 2015.
Windows XP 2018 Edition is the operating system Microsoft should be making
Despite Microsoft ending support for Windows XP back in 2014, it’s still in use around the world. The latest usage figures from NetMarketShare give the vintage OS a decent 6.13 percent share of the market, and it’s still to be found in many businesses.
The OS first appeared 17 years ago and the final service pack (SP3) came out a decade ago. Compared to Windows 10, XP now looks incredibly dated, and lacks many of the modern features we take for granted. But what if Microsoft updated it?
Google explains its handling of user data ahead of GDPR and reveals new privacy policy
There's now just two weeks until the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law comes into force across Europe. Technology companies have been scrabbling to update their privacy policies in order to comply, and today Google reveals the steps it has taken to become compliant.
In addition to this, the company has also published its updated privacy policy. In keeping with GDPR, this time around the terms are presented in a much more accessible and transparent form.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Two-hundred-and-eighty-two in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.
Microsoft announced recently that it will increase the revenue share for Windows app developers to up to 95 percent.
Samsung Galaxy Note9 benchmarks and leaked image appear online
There are few handsets released these days that do not fall victim to leaks. Phones from Samsung are no different, and the same thing has happened with the upcoming Galaxy Note9.
In addition to a leaked image -- which shows that Samsung has done little to change the design of the phone since the Note 8 -- benchmark results for the handset have also appeared online. The image may not offer too much to get excited about, but the benchmarks give away more information.
Microsoft says that to text from Windows 10 with Your Phone app, you'll need an Android handset
There's bad news for iPhone users who were previously excited about Microsoft's upcoming Your Phone app. Revealed at Build 2018 earlier this week, this new Windows 10 app will provide a way to connect your phone to your computer and then view notifications, send texts and copy files from within Windows 10.
But some of this functionality will be Android-only. Microsoft says that it needs to work with Apple to get some features up and running, including being able to respond to iPhone text messages via Windows 10. But how likely is this cooperation?
Carnegie Mellon created a new web browser specifically for mobile search
Conducting a web search on mobile -- unless you’re incredibly specific -- is hit or miss. Want to test it out, just use your device’s voice assistant to conduct a search.
Siri or Google Assistant will commonly return an unrelated series of results, more than they should anyway. Then, you have to sort through lengthy search listings to find what you’re looking for, hopping from website to website until you find what you need. Even then, a single website might not contain the full amount of information you’re looking for. Sorting through the results manually isn’t any more accurate, however. And the smaller the display, the fewer results you’ll be able to sort through, making the process that much more tedious.
System76 Galago Pro Linux laptop now has two screen size options
Just yesterday, we shared the news that System76 had refreshed its popular Oryx Pro laptop. The Linux community was abuzz with excitement over the thinner and faster notebook. After all, it offers a lot of horsepower at a very affordable price. Heck, the battery life has even doubled compared to its predecessor!
The computer seller is apparently not ready to slow down, however, as today it also refreshes its affordable and svelte Galago Pro Linux ultrabook. What's particularly exciting about the new model is that it has two screen sizes -- 13 inch HiDPI or 14 inch 1080p (in matte). Regardless of which you choose, the overall dimensions stay the same. How can that be, you ask? Well, for the 14 inch model, the bezels are just thinner.
CRM technology isn't keeping pace with business needs
CRM systems should make communication with customers easier, but a new report from ProsperWorks, the CRM tool for Google's G Suite, suggests CRM technology isn't keeping pace with the needs of the digital workforce.
ProsperWorks commissioned research firm Lab42 to conduct a survey on sales relationships and CRM pain points from those that frequently use CRM systems. The findings show that the way companies interact with customers is changing but CRM technology is too manual, hasn't evolved and is not focused enough on fostering relationships.
US ban forces ZTE to close its main operations
ZTE's fall from grace has been fairly spectacular. Now -- just weeks after been blacklisted by both the US and the UK -- the Chinese telecom manufacturer has announced that it has ceased its "major operating activities".
The company blames the move directly on the US ban on sales to ZTE, but says it is talking to the US government to try to get the ban lifted. Without a supply of US-made components, ZTE is going to find it very difficult to operate for very long.
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