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Attorney general thinks US should buy controlling stake in Nokia, Ericsson

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“There are only two companies that can compete with Huawei right now: Nokia and Ericsson,” Barr said in a speech (as reported by AFP) on China as an economic threat. “Putting our large market and financial muscle behind one or both of these firms would make it a far more formidable competitor and eliminate concerns over its staying power.”

More specifically, Barr said that there were already a few proposals being discussed that involve the US to aligning itself with Nokia and/or Ericsson through either American ownership of a controlling stake or through a “consortium or private American and allied companies.”

Now, for the tape, Barr has no power to make this happen — but it does seem plausible he’d be privy to information about any potential scenarios being discussed. It’s also worth noting that such a proposal is the antithesis of free-market Republican values, but this is hardly the first thing proposed by this administration that flies in the face of those values.

While we’d be surprised to see something like this happen, it does shine a light on how worried the US government appears to be about the dominance of Chinese firms like Huawei and ZTE in the 5G networking technology field. The fact that so much of global 5G networks will rely on these companies despite the US’s campaign against them is clearly troubling to the government, at the very least. Indeed, Barr made those concerns clear in his speech. “From a national security standpoint, if the industrial internet becomes dependent upon Chinese technology, China would have the ability to shut countries off from technology and equipment upon which their consumers and industries depend,” he said.

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Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $95 on a Roborock S4 robot vacuum

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Anker Soundcore Life Q20

Anker Soundcore Life Q20

Street price: $60; deal price: $40

If you missed the recent deal we posted from Amazon, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 is back down to $40 from Newegg. Already incredibly affordable at the street price of $60, these are our budget noise-cancelling headphones pick and the best option out there for under $100. This drop matches the all-time low and is a tremendous value for what you’re getting, as it’s still rare to find decent wireless headphones with active noise cancellation for such a low price. This is a great opportunity to save if you like the Q20’s somewhat bass-heavy sound profile.

If you’re in the market for headphones but don’t want to break the bank, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 are the budget pick in our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones. Wirecutter Senior Staff Writers Brent Butterworth and Lauren Dragan wrote, “Generally, when wireless noise-cancelling headphones dip below $100, they make some serious concessions in sound, build quality, or the effectiveness of their active noise cancellation. So we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 does all of those things pretty well for around 60 bucks. Although its noise cancelling and sound quality can’t match the standards set by the much pricier Bose 700, the Life Q20 is a fantastic affordable option.”

Roborock S4

Roborock S4

Street price: $395; deal price: $300 w/ promo code ROBOROCKS4

Back down to $300 when you use promo code ROBOROCKS4, this deal matches the low we’ve seen for the Roborock S4. While it doesn’t work quite as well on rugs as some other options in its price range, overall we found the Roborock S4 to be quick, graceful, and one of the most efficient navigators we’ve tested. So if you’re interested in a new robot vac, this is an excellent chance to save on a recommended pick. Though still pricier than our other picks, this $100 drop is not to be missed if you want a very smart vacuum.

Well-priced for its performance, the Roborock S4 is the super smart upgrade pick in our guide to the best robot vacuum. Wirecutter Senior Staff Writer Liam McCabe wrote, “If you want precise control over your robot, you won’t find a better deal than the Roborock S4. Left to its own devices, this bot with laser-based mapping is a super-efficient navigator that can cover lots of ground quickly, avoiding most obstacles and traps. It’s also backed with a battery that’s big enough to let it clean a huge space on a single charge. But it really shines when you use its interactive maps, which let you set invisible, software-based barriers around your home—great for keeping the bot out of trouble, or for focused cleanups in small areas. We don’t have a sense for how durable this brand is (it hasn’t been popular in the US for long enough to tell), and it’s not as effective at cleaning rugs as some competing bots. But with such excellent navigation for the price, we can kind of look past those shortcomings.”

CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 Dock

CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 Dock

Street price: $280; deal price: $230

Available for $230, this is a new low for our top Thunderbolt 3 dock pick in new condition. Compact and versatile, the CalDigit TS3 Plus offers USB-C ports, and SD card slot, and the most USB-A ports compared to most of the competition. We’ve seen a recent dip in street price after an extended $250 deal through Apple last month, but deals on this pick are still relatively rare, so if you’re looking for a Thunderbolt 3 dock, now is a great chance to save on a recommended option.

The top pick in our guide to the best Thunderbolt 3 dock, we consider the CalDigit TS3 to be the best bet for most people. Wirecutter Senior Staff Writer Nick Guy wrote, “CalDigit’s TS3 Plus is the best Thunderbolt 3 dock for most people because it offers more USB-A ports than almost all of the competition and provides USB-C ports and an SD card slot without sacrificing other important inputs. It’s also one of the most compact models available, so it takes up less room on your desk—especially if you stand it on its end, an option you don’t get with most docks. And the 85 watts of power it can send to a connected laptop means it’s capable of charging even a 15-inch MacBook Pro at full speed, or a 16-inch MacBook Pro at close to that. The TS3 Plus is more expensive than some other docks we tested, but if you truly need a Thunderbolt 3 dock rather than a USB-C one, this model makes the fewest compromises.

Anker PowerCore Fusion

Anker PowerCore Fusion

Street price: $32; deal price: $26

Down to $26 in white or red, this is a nice deal on a two-in-one power bank and wall charger. The reliable Anker PowerCore Fusion is a great option if you’re looking for a single device that can plug in to charge your items overnight, and easily pack up to carry with you throughout the day for charges on the go. We’ve seen an increase in street price in 2020 from about $30 to $36, but this is still a good opportunity to save.

The Anker Powercore Fusion is the power bank and wall charger pick in our guide to the best portable chargers and power banks. Wirecutter Staff Writer Sarah Witman wrote, “The Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000 is the best power bank we’ve found that’s also a good wall charger. Rather than having a wall charger that you leave at home and a separate power bank that you carry with you, this is a single gadget that does double duty. It’s easy to use: Flip open the AC plug and stick it in a wall outlet to charge it, wait for the three little battery-status lights on the side to light up, then take it with you for hours of portable power. And you don’t have to worry about your power bank dying while you’re out and about, because you can charge it from any wall outlet.”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursday, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go here.

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Netflix will let you stop those annoying auto previews

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Netflix said that although some people inexplicably find the previews useful, it gets that many, many others can’t stand them. From the Manage Profiles settings on a browser, you can enable or get rid of “Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices.”

The change might not take effect immediately, but switching to another profile and back again should do the trick and make sure you don’t have to hear Adam Sandler or anyone else whenever you open Netflix. It’s wishful thinking to hope Netflix might add trailers to every show and movie page instead, but you never know.



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Strict visa rules are still keeping game devs out of the US

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Anam Sajid and Bisma Zia, two young female game developers from Pakistan, each secured scholarships from the IGDA Foundation this year. Sajid was selected in the Scholars program, while Zia was honored in the Velocity track, which is designed to propel people of marginalized genders in their game development careers. When they got the good news, Sajid and Zia applied for visas to travel to the United States.

Both were rejected. Sajid and Zia likely won’t be able to attend GDC next month.

“It’s an honor nonetheless,” Zia tweeted on February 4th. That same day, the IGDA Pakistan Twitter account shared images of Sajid and Zia participating in Global Game Jam 2020, a worldwide development marathon designed to help participants think quickly and build a game in just one weekend. This year, it was held from January 31st to February 2nd, and the theme was “repair.”

Sajid and Zia worked together to build Trying to Fly, a 2D game about the visa-interview process that so recently failed them. Here’s how they describe Trying to Fly on its Global Game Jam page: “They wanted to make a game that would highlight their (and others’) experience at the Visa interview process, and how such measures can directly have an effect on their future careers and lives. The bird represents the applicants’ dreams and aspirations for the future.”

Sajid and Zia aren’t the first game developers to be rejected for a US visa — hell, they’re not even the first GDC attendees to find their travel plans blocked by US authorities. And under restrictive international travel rules laid out by President Donald Trump’s administration, they certainly won’t be the last.

Supreme Court Travel Ban Reaction

Trump’s 2017 travel ban is still largely in effect, today blocking people in Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen from securing any type of visa, and restricting immigration visas in Venezuela and North Korea. Just last week, Trump announced restrictions for six additional countries: Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar.

The travel ban has faced legal challenges and evolved since its inception, and opponents have long attacked it as an ill-disguised ban on Muslim people entering the US. The initial list of banned countries included Iraq, making six of the eight locations Muslim-majority. Trump’s campaign was filled with anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric, and in December 2015, he distributed a press release titled, “Donald J. Trump statement on preventing Muslim immigration.” Trump has argued the visa restrictions are in the interest of national security.

Game developers felt the effects of the Trump travel ban immediately. In 2017, developers from Iran, Syria and other affected countries were suddenly unable to travel to GDC, and organizers pledged to refund anyone who could no longer make the show, tweeting, “We’re horrified by the #MuslimBan.”

In March 2018, Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismail hosted the #1reasontobe panel at GDC, inviting developers from non-Western regions to come to San Francisco and share their stories of catastrophe and triumph. He invited eleven people from underrepresented countries to speak, and five were unable to secure visas.

Ismail described the situation as follows:

“For most, no reason is given. No appeal is accepted. There is no one to speak to, because all communication is via paperwork, or front-offices. Several of them didn’t even get to go for an interview to assess their ‘threat’ to the United States of America.

“One of my speakers was told no non-immigrant visa applications from their country are accepted, and wasn’t even allowed to hand in their application. Another speaker spent so much time in the process, that by the time they went for the interview, their name had changed due to their wedding. They were not allowed to amend paperwork. One was told that their lack of a ‘stable job’ and ‘partner or children’ made them a risk for overstaying, describing the situation uncountable indies find themselves in around the world as cause for rejection.”

Sajid and Zia live in Pakistan, which isn’t officially restricted under the Trump travel ban. However, it is majority-Muslim. The administration’s travel policies have affected majority-Muslim countries not named in the travel ban since day one, driving a sharp decline in visa approvals in places including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. In 2017, Pakistan received 26 percent fewer non-immigration visas than in 2016, according to Politico.

For Sajid and Zia, this all means they won’t be able to enjoy the career-building benefits of their scholarships at GDC this year. Nika Nour is the executive director of the IGDA Foundation, and she offered the following statement to Engadget regarding the denied visas:

“At the International Game Developers Association Foundation, we work tirelessly to ensure that the game development community is representative of, and welcome and inclusive to, every person who wants to make games. Our scholarship programs are meant to open doors and build careers to support the retention of game developers from under-represented communities.

“We are currently looking into the recent events surrounding the visa rejections for further clarification and working to provide resources to our young scholars so they may succeed in their career goals. We will continue to support IGDA Pakistan’s platform to unify students and developers and make programming more accessible to our global community beyond GDC.”

Essentially, the IGDA Foundation will do what it can — but it can’t do much when it comes to federal travel rules. In the meantime, Sajid and Zia are still making games and enjoying the process when they can.

On February 4th, above an embed of the IGDA Foundation’s tweet about their denied visas, Zia wrote, “It’s my first Global Game Jam and the experience was Awesome!”

Images: Associated Press (2018 travel ban protest)



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Instagram will tell you which of your boring friends to unfollow

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You can also sort accounts by when you started following them, so you can quickly see who’s been popping up in your feed for the longest or who your most recent follows are. These following categories are accessible through the following button on your profile.

“Instagram is really about bringing you closer to the people and things you care about — but we know that over time, your interests and relationships can evolve and change,” an Instagram spokesperson told TechCrunch. It wants to “make it easier to manage the accounts you follow on Instagram so that they best represent your current connections and interests.”

Following categories will make it easier for you to figure out who to unfollow. They might help you streamline your feed to the posts you care about the most while making sure you don’t necessarily spot the same accounts over and over. It’s a smart move on Instagram’s part, as helping you only view interesting stuff in your feed might keep you more engaged with the app and ensure its ad revenue machine continues to grow. All social networks would benefit from a feature like this.



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US opens investigation into Google amid Sonos patent suit

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The US ITC opened this investigation as a result of a complaint Sonos made alleging that Google violated section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by importing and selling products infringing on the company’s patents. Sonos is seeking cease and desist orders against Google that would presumably keep them from selling speakers that are in violation of Sonos patents.

According to the ITC press release, the commission must set a target date for completing the investigation within 45 days of beginning it. So, it’ll be at least a few months before we find out what the government thinks about Sonos’ case against Google. But at the very least, it’s further evidence that Sonos is taking its legal fight against Google seriously and going after them on multiple fronts.

Sonos provided us with the following statement about the investigation: “We’re pleased the ITC confirmed it will initiate a formal investigation into all of our claims asserting Google blatantly infringed our intellectual property. We’ll fully cooperate throughout the duration of the investigation and feel confident about the merit of our case.”

We’ve reached out to Google for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

Update: 3PM ET: Added statement from Sonos.

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Google brings automatic call screening to all of its Pixel phones

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The feature is available in the Call Screen tool. It screens unknown callers and ensures those it deems to be robocallers don’t bother you. Call Screen stops them from making the phone ring, and because the screening takes place on your device, it won’t use up extra data. You can switch on Call Screen and automatic screening from your Pixel settings.

Update: The feature is now available on all Pixel phones going back to the original device, not just 2 and 3. This post has been updated to reflect that.

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Amazon might offer Twitch’s streaming technology to businesses

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Amazon seems to think that Twitch’s streaming technologies could have a lot of value to other companies, thanks to the robustness of the platform. The Information points out that because of the technology required to both stream video game footage smoothly and let hosts interact with the audience, Twitch has a leg up on other platforms; it also has figured out how to do this affordably. Those factors could make Twitch’s technology quite appealing, and it sounds like Amazon sees it as something they could offer alongside AWS. Netflix, for example, still uses AWS, and could theoretically benefit from Twitch, if Amazon offered it.

Further underscoring why Amazon might make this move is the fact that Twitch isn’t bringing in nearly as much ad revenue as Amazon expected. The Information says it was expected to bring in about $300 million in revenue in 2019, far short of an internal forecast of $500 to $600 million. That’s apparently not enough to make the service profitable, though Amazon can certainly afford to keep it going right now. But taking a money-loser and turning it into a big business product would certainly make Amazon’s investment worth it.

There’s no timetable for when this potential streaming product might become available, or even if Amazon has fully decided to go in this direction. But between Twitch’s relative lack of ad revenue and the attractiveness of its technology, there are some sound business reasons for Amazon to make this move. That’s even without taking into account how competitive the game-streaming space is becoming — plenty of big gaming stars have abandoned Twitch for other platforms, something that could make Amazon even more interested in finding a new way to make money from the service.

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Boeing found another software bug on the 737 Max

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But this is the third software flaw to be discovered and reported since the 737 Max crashes, which killed 346 people. Months after the fatal flaw was discovered, Boeing encountered another problem that prevented the flight control computers from starting and verifying that they were ready for flight.

According to Bloomberg, Steve Dickson, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), told reports in London that a certification flight will occur in the next few weeks and that the FAA is evaluating this latest software issue. Even with FAA approval, it could be a long time before the 737 Max returns to service. In the meantime, Boeing has frozen 737 Max production.

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Senate: Obama Admin. wasn’t prepared to handle Russian interference

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Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) said the Obama administration “struggled to determine the appropriate response” and “debated courses of action without truly taking one.” The administration worried about alarming the American people and that a statement could be perceived as political, given that then-President Obama was actively campaigning for Hillary Clinton.

“There were many flaws with the U.S. response to the 2016 attack, but it’s worth noting that many of those were due to problems with our own system – problems that can and should be corrected,” said Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA).

The committee concluded that in the case of future attacks, the public should be notified “as soon as possible with a clear and succinct statement of the threat.” Though, Burr says that as the 2020 presidential election approaches, the US is in a better position to identify foreign interference efforts.

This Senate report is the third of an expected five that will investigate the government’s handling of Russia’s election interference. The first report was released in July. We don’t know when the final two will be complete, but they are expected to detail the intelligence community’s 2017 assessment on Russian interference and the final counterintelligence findings.

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