Tuesday 31 December 2019

Google's Pixel 3a changed the game in 2019

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It's Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

It’s New Year’s Eve! I’m knee-deep in CES preparation, but there should be time to pause and celebrate flipping over two digits in the year column later on tonight. Hopefully, 2020 finds you well -- or at least better than this Tesla driver, who crashed while recording his car driving with Autopilot at 75MPH in the rain -- and if it doesn’t, then this is a great time to start making better choices. The Morning After will take tomorrow off, but we’ll be back strong on January 2nd to get things moving on the way to Las Vegas.

-- Richard

(View in browser.)

Great cameras don’t have to cost a lot of money anymore.

The Pixel 3a was a turning point for affordable smartphones

You could buy a great budget phone before the Pixel 3a, but more affordable devices used to mean some kind of compromise.

Remember where Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation were 10 years ago?

The 10-year challenge: Video game edition

A decade is a long time in gaming, and Jessica Conditt is ready to run down how all the major players have changed their positions since 2009. Take Activision, for example. In 2009, its top product was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and in 2019, its top product was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Wait...

CES 2020

Samsung may unveil a true 'zero bezel' TV

So how will Samsung fight back against OLED next? According to a pre-CES rumor, we may see a "zero-bezel TV." Even before the rumor, it seemed like a decent bet, since Samsung announced a CPU made for bezel-less 8K TVs last year -- and also trademarked "Zero Bezel."

Score this $150 action cam for $40.

And the NFL playoffs are starting.

What's on TV this week: 'Doctor Who,' ‘The Circle’ and ‘Dracula’

Need something to watch to kick off the New Year? Besides the Twilight Zone marathon on Syfy, Netflix is kicking off a US version of a social network-like reality TV show and dropping in a new Dracula TV series. Otherwise, Jodie Whittaker is returning for a new season as The Doctor with two Doctor Who episodes premiering this week, and Amazon Prime has a comedy special starring Ilana Glazer.

KaiOS 2.5.1 and higher is still fine to use.

WhatsApp is ending support for iOS 8, Android 4.0 and Windows Phone

That old phone in your drawer won’t be able to run WhatsApp after today.

But wait, there's more...

1. Wyze leaks personal data for 2.4 million security camera users

2. SpaceX video shows a simulated Crew Dragon mission to the ISS

3. 'The Witcher 3' is now more popular on Steam than it was at launch

4. Uber and Postmates sue California over its AB5 gig worker law

5. Sonos weakly defends bricking older devices in exchange for discounted upgrades

6. The Mustang Mach-E's extended range battery is a popular option

7. 'Uncharted' movie loses yet another director

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Monday 30 December 2019

Editor's Pick: 2010 - 2019: Product of the Decade

2010 - 2019: Product of the Decade

Rob Enderle Dec 30, 2019 11:30 AM PT
	As we get to the end of December, I typically pick my product of the year, but this is also the end of the decade, so I'll go back and look at the prior products of the year, name my pick for this year, and then pick my product of the decade. 2010 was an easy choice as the iPad came out and scared the hell out of the entire PC market. Its release made the whole "PC is Dead" thing real. [More...]

More Picks:

5 Transformational Customer Support Trends to Watch in 2020
"Digital transformation" has taken on multiple definitions, but one thing is for sure: Companies view it as a top priority, so much so that enterprises are projected to spend in excess of $2 trillion through 2019, according to IDC. This insurgence of digital transformation investments and prioritization has led many organizations to reshape their use of technology. [More...]

Is Privacy Possible in 2020?
The California Consumer Protection Act goes into effect in 2020, and other state and federal laws are on the horizon -- but is it possible that these state laws will really provide us privacy? How many readers take the time to read the privacy policy, or click agreement, when they download a new version of an app on their smartphone or tablet? Probably none. What are the consequences? [More...]

How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy That Actually Works
Today's consumers live in a digital world, which means they can retrieve all the information they desire at the touch of a button, putting them in control. Added to this, they have become immune to traditional outbound marketing methods -- such as billboards and television advertisements -- and they expect brands and businesses to tailor their messages based on customers' individual preferences. [More...]

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Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Monday -- December 30, 2019

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
https://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
2010 - 2019: Product of the Decade
Using Technology to Fix the Flawed Impeachment Process
Is Your Health Data at Risk?
Remix Could Bring Some Cinnamon Lovers Back to Ubuntu
32-Minute Cleveland-Chicago Hyperloop Run Is Feasible, Study Says

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Today's Story Highlights

2010 - 2019: Product of the Decade

As we get to the end of December, I typically pick my product of the
year, but this is also the end of the decade, so I'll go back and look
at the prior products of the year, name my pick for this year, and then
pick my product of the decade. 2010 was an easy choice as the iPad came
out and scared the hell out of the entire PC market. Its release made
the whole "PC is Dead" thing real.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86427.html

Using Technology to Fix the Flawed Impeachment Process

When the U.S. president was impeached last week, it surfaced the fact
that impeachment, and particularly the removal of a U.S. president, is a
process that doesn't work. Throughout U.S. history, there have been 45
presidents, and given that no one trains for that job, you'd figure
several would have been removed for cause. However, impeachment has been
attempted three times without a removal.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86426.html

Is Your Health Data at Risk?

We've recently seen much breathless news coverage of the Nightingale
Project, Google's half-secret partnership with Ascension, the second-
largest healthcare system in the U.S. The details of the project --
which involves sharing the healthcare data of tens of millions of
unsuspecting patients -- have raised significant concerns. The concerns
have centered around issues that by now are familiar.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86428.html

Remix Could Bring Some Cinnamon Lovers Back to Ubuntu

Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix arrived just in time for the holidays. Its first
stable version is based on Ubuntu 19.10 Eoan Ermine. It utilizes Linux
Mint's Cinnamon desktop environment on top of Ubuntu Linux's codebase.
Work on several release candidate and beta versions stretches back to
2013. The efforts stayed under the radar until the announcement of the
new distro's debut stable release.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86429.html

32-Minute Cleveland-Chicago Hyperloop Run Is Feasible, Study Says

The 300-plus mile trip between Cleveland and Chicago could take as
little as 32 minutes by Hyperloop, according to a new feasibility study.
Hyperloop is the only form of high-speed transportation that is
profitable and makes economic sense in the U.S., found the study, a
joint effort of TEMS, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency,
and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86424.html

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Foldable phone hype flopped in 2019

Engadget Email Newsletter

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio

It's Monday, December 30, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

We're almost done with 2019. The year included cheaper 4K TVs, tons of foldable phones and some very forgettable tweets. At least one of those areas could use some significant improvements, and who knows, maybe I'll get my hands on the first great flexible device at CES 2020 next week.

-- Richard

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Has anyone seen a Royole Flexpai in the wild?

2019 wasn't the year of foldables we were promised

For a while there, it seemed like 2019 would be the year foldable phones took over. You know how it played out: flaws, delays and mentions on “worst of” lists. Chris Velazco takes a look back at what went wrong for convertible devices over the last twelve months, and what there is to be optimistic about in 2020.

The court said the team violated the ‘bottom line’ of ethics.

Scientist who edited babies' genes sentenced to three years in prison

He Jiankui and two of his associates have been sentenced to three years in prison following a secret trial in China. The court convicted the team of "illegal medical practice" for performing human embryo gene editing "for reproductive purposes," according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency.

The court noted the gene editing technique had not been "verified for safety and effectiveness," and that He and others forged documents to convince patients and doctors to help. The team reportedly told patients they were part of an AIDS vaccine trial, not genetic modifications. Shortly after He revealed the CRISPR trials, experts condemned it as "unconscionable" and "immoral and unethical."

Luxury SUVs like the Bentley Bentayga, Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-Tron debuted in 2019.

The next wave of electric vehicles will appear in 2020

Over a million plug-in vehicles now drive on US roads and account for 2.5 percent of all new vehicle sales in the country. More than a century after Ferdinand Porsche introduced his electric P1, automakers are taking notice and developing their own electric offerings in an effort to tap into the growing market.

Score this $150 action cam for $40.

If they’re too fast then the old 486 Turbo button may need to come back.

Intel 10th-gen desktop chips may pack better multitasking across the board

Leaks at Informatica Cero and VideoCardz have detailed a Comet Lake-S CPU lineup where every Core chip, from the i3 to the i9, reportedly includes Hyperthreading. You might not need need to buy a Core i7 or better to wring truly strong multitasking performance out of your system.

Stargazing.

Tesla's Cybertruck found its way into a Travis Scott music video

Rapper Travis Scott has shared a very car-centric video for "Gang Gang," featuring extensive, conspicuous shots of Scott and crew performing around (and occasionally using) both the Cybertruck and the Cyberquad electric ATV. There's even a Boring Company Not-A-Flamethrower in there for good measure.