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  • Signal and Telegram Big Winners Amid Facebook’s Outage

    Signal and Telegram Big Winners Amid Facebook’s Outage

    Signal and Telegram saw millions of people flock to their platforms, thanks to Facebook’s hours-long outage Monday.

    Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp went down late Monday morning, in what is one of the biggest outages the company has ever experienced. Given how much people rely on Messenger and WhatsApp for daily communication — both personal and business — people started looking for alternatives during the outage.

    Telegram saw such an influx of users that it experienced some issues of its own. Meanwhile, Signal said it gained millions of new users in a tweet.

  • Fairphone 4 Has a Five-Year Warranty

    Fairphone 4 Has a Five-Year Warranty

    Fairphone has announced its new model, the Fairphone 4, has a five-year warranty.

    Fairphone is a unique entry in the smartphone market, a company that is trying to provide an ethically and sustainably sourced smartphone. The company’s goal is to put the planet first, and it designs its phones to last longer, be easily repairable and waste less, compared to traditional smartphones.

    In harmony with that goal, the company says its latest model comes with a five-year warranty.

    A phone’s biggest environmental impact comes from making the thing in the first place. So the longer you keep it, the more sustainable it becomes. Simple.

    We don’t just promise long-term support, software updates and friendly customer service. We have it in writing: A 5-year warranty for every Fairphone 4.

    Customers will need to purchase before December 31, 2022 to claim the warranty.

  • Netflix Sued by S. Korean Broadband Company Over ‘Squid Game’ Traffic

    Netflix Sued by S. Korean Broadband Company Over ‘Squid Game’ Traffic

    Netflix is being sued by a South Korean broadband company over a surge in traffic from the streaming giant’s new Squid Game series.

    Squid Game is the streaming giant’s latest hit, and has caused a surge in viewers, as well as the corresponding internet usage. SK Broadband is suing over that usage, according to Reuters, wanting Netflix to pay for the increased traffic.

    The two companies have a history of legal issues. Although the latest lawsuit has been brought by SK Broadband, Netflix sued last year to avoid paying for network usage. While most other companies, such as Apple, Amazon and Facebook pay such fees, Netflix and YouTube do not — despite being the top two internet traffic generators.

    According to Reuters the courts have so far sided with SK Broadband, saying the company provides “a service provided at a cost.” The Seoul Central District Court called it “reasonable” for Netflix to be “obligated to provide something in return for the service,” dealing the company a major blow in its case. While Netflix is appealing its loss, the decision likely encouraged SK Broadband to launch this latest lawsuit.

  • YouTube TV, NBCUniversal Agree to Short Extension While Talks Continue

    YouTube TV, NBCUniversal Agree to Short Extension While Talks Continue

    YouTube TV and NBCUniversal have agreed to a “short extension” that will keep more than a dozen channels on the streaming platform while talks continue.

    Earlier this week, YouTube said it was on the verge of losing NBCU content over a carriage dispute. The deadline was September 30. The companies are now saying they have agreed to a short extension, one that will keep NBCU’s content on YouTube TV while negations continue.

    NBCU gave a statement to Protocol outlining the decision.

    https://twitter.com/jank0/status/1443773993119469570?s=20
  • Google Officially Ends Support for Android 2.3

    Google Officially Ends Support for Android 2.3

    Google has officially ended support for Android 2.3.7 and lower, leaving potentially millions of devices without access to key apps.

    Google warned in early August that it would block Android 2.3.7 and older from accessing popular apps and services, such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps and more.

    “As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our users safe, Google will no longer allow sign-in on Android devices that run Android 2.3.7 or lower starting September 27, 2021. If you sign into your device after September 27, you may get username or password errors when you try to use Google products and services like Gmail, YouTube, and Maps.”

    The cutoff goes into effect today. Although the percentage of devices running the older OS is extremely low, when factoring in the billions of Android devices, it still accounts for potentially millions of impacted users.

  • Crypto Exchanges Scrambling to Deal With Chinese Ban

    Crypto Exchanges Scrambling to Deal With Chinese Ban

    Cryptocurrency exchanges are scrambling to deal with the fallout of China’s recent ban on all crypto transactions and mining.

    China stepped up its war against crypto, announcing a near total ban just days ago. With all transactions and mining banned, it creates real problems for the crypto industry since the vast majority of mining occurs within the country.

    According to Reuters, crypto exchanges are trying to cut ties with Chinese users, lest they get caught up in China’s campaign.

    “On the very day we saw the notice, we started to take corrective measures,” Du Jun, Huobi Group co-founder told Reuters.

    It remains to be seen how widespread the fallout will be, but the action being taken by the exchanges would seem to indicate it could be significant.

  • YouTube TV On the Verge of Losing NBCUniversal Channels

    YouTube TV On the Verge of Losing NBCUniversal Channels

    YouTube TV, one of the biggest streaming TV platforms, is on the verge of losing NBCUniversal programming if a deal isn’t reached.

    It’s not uncommon for streaming platforms to lose channels over disputes with the networks. The networks raise prices, or want streaming platforms to carry certain bundles, and negotiations often reach the breaking point.

    According to DigitalTrends, YouTube TV could lose NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, MSNBC, Oxygen, SYFY, Telemundo, The Olympic Channel, Universal Kids, Universo and USA Network if a deal isn’t reached by September 30.

    YouTube says it is trying to reach an equitable agreement, but recommended users turn to NBC’s Peacock should the deal fall through.

    If NBCU offers us equitable terms, we’ll renew our agreement with them. However, if we are unable to reach a deal by Thursday, the NBCU lineup of channels will no longer be available on YouTube TV and we will decrease our monthly price by $10, from $64.99 to $54.99 (while this content remains off our platform). You can sign up for NBC’s own direct-to-consumer streaming service, Peacock, which they offer for $4.99/month to continue watching NBCU content, such as Sunday Night Football.

  • Broken iPhone 13 Screen Must be Fixed by Apple for Face ID to Work

    Broken iPhone 13 Screen Must be Fixed by Apple for Face ID to Work

    In a major blow to the right to repair movement, users will need to have Apple repair an iPhone 13 broken screen if they want Face ID to work.

    Right to repair is gaining significant momentum, with the New York Senate passing right to repair legislation, Congressman Joe Morelle introducing such a bill in the US House and the FTC embracing right to repair.

    In view of the changing climate, it’s somewhat surprising that Apple is locking down one of the most critical features of an iPhone, namely Face ID. Spotted by Mashable, Phone Repair Guru has posted a video showing that if anyone other than Apple replaces an iPhone 13 screen, Face ID will stop working.

    Phone Repair Guru says there are steps that could be taken to mitigate the problem, but those steps are far too technical for the majority of repair shops.

    The news is sure to fuel further calls for substantial right to repair legislation.

  • Honor Smartphone Brand Hangs in Balance as US Officials Weigh Ban

    Honor Smartphone Brand Hangs in Balance as US Officials Weigh Ban

    US officials are split on whether to ban the Honor brand of smartphones and tablets, a move that could have devastating consequences.

    Honor was one of Huawei’s brands, and was impacted by sanctions imposed by the US, as well as other countries. Huawei was accused of having extremely close ties with Beijing, representing a security risk as intelligence agencies around the world feared Beijing could use Huawei as a conduit for spying.

    Ultimately, Huawei sold off the Honor brand as sanctions impacted the company’s ability to produce smartphones. A consortium of Chinese companies bought the brand, leaving questions about if the change of ownership was enough to warrant a different approach.

    According to The Washington Post, US security agencies are divided on whether to ban the Honor brand. The Pentagon and Energy Department were in favor of blacklisting Honor, while the Commerce Department and State Department were opposed.

    Given the impact such measures had on Huawei, should Honor find itself on the US blacklist, it’s a safe bet it would be disastrous — just as it was for Huawei.

  • Surface 2 Duo Will Have 5G

    Surface 2 Duo Will Have 5G

    New details about Microsoft’s Surface 2 Duo have arrived, and the device will feature 5G.

    The Surface Duo is a dual-screen Android smartphone. The device offers the best of both worlds, combining the Android and Microsoft ecosystems. Microsoft is preparing an update, the Surface 2 Duo, and the new model includes some major improvements.

    According to Windows Central, the new model will feature some type of wireless charing and 5G connectivity. It’s unclear what the wireless charging is for. It may be for charging the device, or it could be Apple Pencil-style charging for an attached stylus.

    Users shouldn’t have long to wait, as Microsoft is expected to unveil the Surface 2 Duo September 22.