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Apple will launch iPhone 11 on Sept. 10 in Cupertino

Get ready for the iPhone 11 on Sept. 10.  Apple sent invitations to the media on Thursday for its next big product launch. It plans to introduce its newest devices and services at 10 a.m. PT at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.  See also Apple and Samsung struggle to sell us super-pricey smartphones iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11R and 11 Max: The specs, features and prices we expect from Apple in September Apple Watch 5: Rumors, price, fitness features, battery and more The iPhone may be a tougher sell this year. Apple isn't expected to change the basic design of the device, making it the first time the iPhone's had the same look for three years in a row. At the same time, rivals are introducing phones with flexible screens and with 5G -- two innovations not found in Apple devices . Many people are looking toward 2020 for big iPhone changes. This year, Apple is expected to introduce three new models, replacing the iPho...
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Donald Trump's comments obscure the real problem with video game culture

Over the weekend, two deadly mass shootings in Texas and Ohio claimed the lives of more than 30 people , reigniting debates about gun control and the uncurtailed rise of white supremacy. To date in 2019, there have been 255 mass shootings in the US . This time, though, it feels different. The shooting in El Paso, Texas, in particular, appears to be racially motivated, occurring just weeks after US President Donald Trump suggested that elected Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar should "go back" and "fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." Both are US citizens. Weeks after "send them back" chants began to ring around Trump rallies . These shootings reflect years of divisive political discourse and a disturbing growth of online racist rhetoric that is increasingly resulting in terrifying and tragic real-world consequences. It's in this context that Trump and House Minority Leader  Kevin M...
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The Galaxy Note 10 dilemma: Getting out of the Galaxy Fold's shadow

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When Samsung introduced the first Galaxy Note in late 2011, it was something never seen before. The device sported a 5.3-inch screen, which was much larger than the iPhone 4S'  3.5-inches screen, and included a stylus to write on the display. As the line evolved, Samsung put its riskiest and most innovative technologies -- like its curved display and iris scanner -- into the Note before expanding them to other devices. The Note marked the start of the new phablet category of devices that merged phones and tablets . Many reviewers wondered if anyone would buy a smartphone with such a massive display. But they did. Anyone who wanted Samsung's most innovative technologies and biggest screen sought out a Note, and a fervent fan base was born.   Pretty soon, every other company in the mobile industry introduced large-screen smartphones, even Apple . That's where part of the struggle lies for the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 . ...
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Sprint's subscriber losses show why it needs T-Mobile lifeline

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Sprint posted a 175,000 loss in total subscriber count for first quarter in FY 2019.  Ronen Tivony/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Sprint received the the green light from the Justice Department for its $26.5 billion merger with T-Mobile last week, and after today, it's clear why it needs the deal to happen.  On Friday, the fourth-largest carrier posted a fiscal first-quarter loss of 175,000 total subscribers, a reverse of the gain of 57,000 net new subscribers in the year-ago period. In last fiscal year's fourth quarter,  it lost around 8,000  subscribers.  The company added 262,000 net data devices, which were offset by a 128,000 fall in phone users. This was a slight boost from the 169,000 net data devices added last quarter. The first quarter of this fiscal year ended with 54.3 million subscribers, falling slightly behind last quarter's...
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Wi-Fi 6 speed test: These are the fastest routers we've ever seen

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The age of Wi-Fi 6 is just beginning. So how much faster will those transmissions be? We're at the very beginning of the Wi-Fi 6 era , and new, next-gen routers capable of putting 802.11ax's upgraded features to work are already up for sale . It's early, though. Desp...
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There's a privacy explanation for why Apple doesn't let you delete Siri recordings

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Apple's reputation for respecting privacy was called into question last week with news that contractors listen to Siri recordings . That sparked an understandable clamor for better control over voice data collected by the digital assistant. If you own an Apple product, you might want the option to delete your recordings from the company's database.  Here's the rub: Apple can't delete specific recordings. And that's to protect your privacy. Unlike Google and Amazon , which collect voice data and associate it with an individual account, Apple's Siri recordings are given a random identifier each time the voice assistant is activated. That practice means Apple can't find your specific voice recordings. It also means voice recordings can't be traced back to a specific account or device. It may sound counterintuitive, but that's actually a privacy feature. Apple landed in hot water after last week when The Guardian reported that contrac...
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Facebook appeals against Cambridge Analytica fine

Facebook has appealed against a fine imposed on it by the UK's data watchdog after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The social network says that because the regulator found no evidence that UK users' personal data had been shared inappropriately, the £500,000 penalty was unjustified. Last month, the watchdog said Facebook's failure to make suitable checks on apps and developers amounted to a "serious breach of the law". It has acknowledged the appeal. This was the last day on which the US firm could challenge the Information Commissioner's ruling. The affair stems from the discovery that an academic at the University of Cambridge - Dr Aleksandr Kogan - used a personality quiz to harvest up to 87 million Facebook users' details. Some of this was subsequently shared with the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, which used it to target political advertising in the US. It was initially reported that about 1.1 million UK-based users ha...
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