Google makes over a dozen announcements for Google Assistant at CES, including Google Assistant Connect for third-party developers and flight check-ins
Today, Google is showing off auto-translation on smart display speakers, letting you naturally talk to each other with the speaker acting as the translator automatically.
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos announce they are divorcing after 25 years of marriage; MacKenzie worked at Amazon from the beginning
Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, announced this morning via the Amazon CEO's personal Twitter account that they've decided to divorce after 25 years of marriage.
Google Assistant-supported car devices announced: Anker's $50 Roav Bolt USB charger with Bluetooth 5.0 and JBL's $60 Link Drive, both shipping this spring
Nick Statt / The Verge :
Google debuts Interpreter Mode in Google Assistant for smart displays and speakers to translate languages in real time for people in the same physical space
Lauren Goode / Wired :
Mark Zuckerberg says his challenge for 2019 is to host a series of public discussions about the future of technology in society
Every year I take on a personal challenge to learn something new. I've built an AI for my home, run 365 miles, visited every US state, read 25 books, and learned Mandarin.
Tim Cook says revenue for Apple's wearables is 50% more than iPod at its peak, with the Watch and AirPods generating 4-6x more in sales than iPod over same time
- Apple CEO Tim Cook says that the revenue from his company's wearable products, namely the Apple Watch and the AirPods, has already topped that of the iPod at its peak.
Google Assistant is coming to Google Maps on iOS and Android today, will help users with navigation, music, and replying to texts, now with auto-punctuation
Greg Kumparak / TechCrunch :
Sources: Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab helped the US government catch NSA contractor Harold Martin, who was accused of stealing a trove of classified data
The U.S. has accused Kaspersky Lab of working with Russian spies. But sources say the company exposed a massive breach that U.S. authorities missed.
Microsoft adds location sharing, secure audio messaging, and a smart camera feature to Teams, targeting firstline workers
Microsoft is adding location-sharing, a smart camera and secure messaging capabilities to its Teams group-chat product, specifically targeting mobile, firstline workers.
Royole unveils FlexPai, a hybrid device that measures 7.8 inches in tablet form and becomes two Android phones when closed; available now in China for ~$1,320
You asked for this — The Royole FlexPai is the sort of device that companies rush out when they feel the absolute imperative to be first with some new technology.
Customers have been annoyed by Samsung's deal to pre-install Facebook on devices, including Galaxy phones, because the app can only be disabled, not deleted
- Galaxy owners take to Twitter to complain about permanent app — Pre-install deals are common, but privacy concerns are rising
Vietnam accuses Facebook of failing to take down “slanderous content” in violation of cyber security law that took effect on January 1
Well, that didn't take long. We're less than ten days into 2019 and already Vietnam is aiming threats at Facebook after it violating …
Yale and Emtek announce new smart locks that integrate with August's software, the first locks to do so without additional hardware
Using its sister company's software on new smart locks — Yale and Emtek, two smart lock companies under the umbrella of the lock conglomerate Assa Abloy …
Sonos says it has begun a private beta test of Google Assistant integration, first announced in 2017, with the aim of rolling it out later this year
Sonos has started a private beta test of Google Assistant on its smart speakers, and is looking to launch the integration to the public this year.
A look at how data brokers identify people and how much personal information they sell as IDC forecasts data vendor sales will triple to $10.1B by 2022
There are many personal details that Paul-Olivier Dehaye is willing to share online, but the behaviour of his bladder is not one of them. Tweets: @carnage4life and @financialtimes Tweets: Dare Obasanj...
Twitter says it is launching a program to let a limited set of users try out new conversational features with their followers in the coming weeks
Twitter is launching a new program to let users reshape how conversations on its site look and feel, the company announced today in an interview with Engadget at CES 2019.
Sources detail how Facebook and Twitter have increasingly turned to right-leaning groups to help referee political speech, often behind the scenes
Advisers on touchy issues include Tony Perkins' Family Research Council, Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform and, on the left, the Southern Poverty Law Center Tweets: @wsjemre , @tripgabriel , ...
Report: VC funding in US startups reached $99.5B in 2018, the highest since 2000, in a total of 5,536 deals, the lowest since 2013
U.S. startups are raising investment dollars at levels unseen since the dot-com era. — Venture capital funding in U.S. companies reached $99.5 billion in 2018 …
ClearMotion, which develops a software-controlled active suspension system for cars, raises $115M Series D led by Franklin Templeton Investments
Auto technology startup ClearMotion says its active suspension system promising buttery-smooth rides on bumpy terrain is ready for prime time.
Baidu says its Apollo open source driverless car platform has 130+ partners and debuts Apollo Enterprise, a suite for managing fleets of autonomous vehicles
Beijing tech giant Baidu is ramping up its self-driving car initiative. At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week …
Young women across rural India are using Facebook under false identities because they fear the harsh consequences of patriarchal social structures
Women are prohibited from using Facebook in some of India's most patriarchal corners. Some are taking the risk anyway … Tweets: @pranavdixit and @pranavdixit . Thanks: @pranavdixit Tweets: @pranavdix...
Comcast now offers Xfinity customers additional security protection on home networks for $5.99/month with xFi Advanced Security, which can quarantine devices
Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge :
Alienware unveils the Area-51m, an ultra-powerful gaming laptop with a 17.3" 1080p display that's designed to let users swap out parts, starting at $2,549
along with a full-fledged *desktop CPU* Teamed up with @StarFire2258 to bring you all the news: https://www.theverge.com/... pic.twitter.com/rIBL2ZbsEV Tom Warren / @tomwarren : wowzers, Alienware's ...
Self-driving vehicle startup Udelv debuts the Newton, its delivery van using Baidu's Apollo platform, and says some Walmarts in AZ will trial deliveries with it
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat :
Intel and Alibaba announce they are developing a 3D athlete tracking tech using Intel hardware and Alibaba's AI, as a training tool for the 2020 Olympics
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is working with Intel Corp. on a new “athlete tracking technology” powered by artificial intelligence …
Chinese startup Nreal unveils Light, consumer AR glasses about the size of a pair of sunglasses, slated to launch mid-2019 for ~$1,000
Rita Liao / TechCrunch :
Investigation shows how easy and affordable it is to obtain cellphone customers' real-time location data, as T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T peddle it to middlemen
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, China Edition Jon Fingas / Engadget : It's way too easy for bounty hunters to get your phone location data Yoni Heisler / BGR : Bombshell report reveals how location da...
Lenovo announces Smart Clock, a $79 clock powered by Google Assistant with a 4-inch display, shipping this spring
Nick Statt / The Verge :
US-based IT services company DXC Technology to acquire Switzerland-based software development company Luxoft for ~$2B in deal expected to close in June 2019
Asha McLean / ZDNet :
Hulu says it passed 25M subscribers at the end of 2018, a ~47% YoY increase, with avg. daily watch time up 20% for the year; ad revenue rose 45%+ YoY to ~$1.5B
Todd Spangler / Variety :
Lenovo announces Yoga A940, an all-in-one PC with a 27" display that flexes on a hinge, similar to the Surface Studio but cheaper, coming March from $2,350
Tom Warren / The Verge :
Sources: self-driving startup Aurora is raising $500M+ at a $2B+ valuation in a round led by Sequoia
Theodore Schleifer / Recode :
Hands-on with Fossil's Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2, which has GPS, NFC, and heart-rate sensors and will be in stores January 28 starting at $295
Cherlynn Low / Engadget :
IBM unveils its first commercial quantum computer, a 20-qubit system that combines quantum and classical computing parts but is still lacking breakthrough speed
but will hide it in the cloud Jack Morse / Mashable : IBM just unveiled a ‘quantum computing system’ for commercial use Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat : IBM announces ‘high-precision’ weather model, new q...
Sources: Amazon has acquired Israeli disaster recovery service CloudEndure for around $200M
Ron Miller / TechCrunch :
Lenovo debuts the first non-Amazon Fire tablets with Alexa, the 10.1" Smart Tab M10 and P10, coming this month with a smart dock for $200 and $300 respectively
Brian Heater / TechCrunch :
Google removes 85 adware apps that were installed a total of 9M+ times, according to Trend Micro
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet :
Sensor Tower: December was Fortnite's biggest month so far on iOS with $44M in revenue, up 83% over November, and 16% more than the previous top month of July
Jeff Grubb / VentureBeat :
Amid a legal fight in LA over alleged data-mining practices, IBM's Weather Company unveils hyperlocal weather forecasts, which tap users' smartphone sensor data
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch :
AI-powered law for startups
Soxton automates startup legal so founders can move faster and sleep better. We handle incorporation, advisor, employment and commercial contracts. Join the waitlist for early access!
Zoho CRM Plus in 2025: A year of thoughtful CX improvements
2025 marked 11 years of building a customer experience platform designed to support organizations as customer expectations, channels …
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data
Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.