Technology news

Apple pinned the blame for its falling sales revenue primarily on issues in China, and now its quarterly earnings release shows just how much its sales in the region fell short. During its 2018 holiday quarter, Apple brought in $13.2 billion in Greater China, down from nearly $18 billion during the same period the prior year.
That nearly $5 billion dip was more than enough to wipe out small gains in the Americas and the rest of Asia Pacific. Sales revenue also fell slightly in Europe and Japan,

Apple announced its first-quarter earnings results today, and though the company reported that iPhone sales revenue fell 15 percent during the holiday quarter, it hit a new milestone for the number of active devices installed. Apple says there are now 1.4 billion active Apple devices, which basically covers anything running on one of the company’s software platforms; iPhones, Macs, iPads, Apple TVs, iPods, and Apple Watches are included in this category, while accessories like AirPods are

Apple’s iPhone revenue dropped 15 percent this past year over the year prior, and now CEO Tim Cook is saying the company is reconsidering its pricing. In an interview with Reuters, Cook says certain currencies experienced a more drastic iPhone price increase over time.“When you look at foreign currencies and then particularly those markets that weakened over the last year those (iPhone price) increases were obviously more,” he told Reuters. “And so as we’ve gotten

A San Francisco lawmaker is introducing legislation that would make the city the first in the nation to ban the government use of facial recognition technology.The Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance, proposed by supervisor Aaron Peskin, would require departments in the city to seek approval from the Board of Supervisors before using or buying surveillance technology, a check that other cities have already implemented. The legislation would also create annual audits of surveillance technology to

Earlier this month, Panasonic announced a new home security camera that’s integrated into the stem of a floor lamp. The terrifyingly named HomeHawk Floor is designed to be discreet — the whole idea is to let you monitor the inside of your home without the need for obvious cameras everywhere. Panasonic has launched an Indiegogo campaign to sell the lamp for prices starting at $185, as reported by Android Police.The company boasts that the camera is capable of recording 1080p HD foota

Amazon has begun its slow entry into New York City, where housing costs will rise even higher, 40,000 jobs will supposedly be created, and the city’s crumbling subway system will be pushed to new limits. To soften the blow, the tech giant is now coming out with a plan to fund computer science courses for over 130 high schools in New York City, which is about a quarter of the total number of high schools in the city.Amazon’s going to pay for intro and Advanced Placement college-level

Music production is more accessible than ever, thanks to at-home tools that are as common as your laptop and phone. But it’s no secret that the software and hardware needed to craft professional sounds from your bedroom can still be cost-prohibitive.
That’s why this year’s National Association of Music Merchants show, NAMM, felt like a breath of fresh air. All around, I saw reasonable and, dare I say, cheap options that put even more power into the hands of everyday musicians

Apple just announced its financial results for the company’s Q1 2019 fiscal quarter, which includes the 2018 holiday shopping season. Apple reported revenue of $84.3 billion, a decline of 5 percent from one year ago, and quarterly earnings per share of $4.18. “Revenue from iPhone declined 15 percent from the prior year, while total revenue from all other products and services grew 19 percent,” Apple said in a press release. Analysts had estimated revenue of $83.97 billion and

Xiaomi announced the launch of the Redmi Go today, the company’s first Android Go phone. Like most Android Go phones, the Redmi Go comes in under $100 and runs a stripped-down version of Android called Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition. The budget phones are meant to be used by people with limited internet connectivity and offer pre-installed versions of Google apps like Gmail Go and YouTube Go that are focused on saving space and data.
The phone’s specs hit the basics. It has a 720p, fiv

This week, thousands of civil servants and contractors are back at work at NASA’s various centers throughout the country following a record 35-day government shutdown — but it will be a while before it’s work as usual again at the agency. These first few days back on the job will be consumed with practical matters, such as figuring out employee backpay and how to dive back into projects. The shutdown will undoubtedly result in delays for some of NASA’s long-term programs

If you’ve bought a new car recently, perhaps you’ve noticed it has a bunch of new, high-tech features with gibberish-sounding names like “Distronic Plus with Steering Assist,” “Multi-terrain Monitor,” or “Person warning with Citylight braking function.” That’s because as cars get smarter and safer, the list of brand names that automakers use to describe these semi-autonomous features is getting longer and more ludicrous. And this can ultimat

A major flaw in Apple’s FaceTime feature allowing callers to eavesdrop on call recipients was widely publicized yesterday, close to three months after the flaw may have been introduced. Apple has made a point of billing itself as the privacy-conscious adult among the tech giants, and it usually employs strict security measures and a meticulous approach to hunting bugs. So in this case, why didn’t Apple catch such a major flaw before it went public?
Part of the problem is the rough h

Samsung has just begun rolling out a promised update for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ that brings them up to the latest version of Android 9 Pie, and switches everything over to Samsung’s new interface, One UI. And by “just,” I mean “just for Xfinity Mobile customers,” as Android Police notes. That makes for very a limited rollout indeed for the US, though the update has been coming to international customers for over a month.
US customers on other networks (or who have u

Yesterday, a worrying and invasive bug that allowed callers to secretly listen in on unknowing recipients through Apple’s FaceTime app quickly made news headlines. It was discovered that people could initiate a FaceTime call and, with a couple short steps, tap into the microphone on the other end as the call rang — without the other person accepting the FaceTime request. Apple said last night that an iOS update to eliminate the privacy bug is coming this week; in the meantime, the c

A group of approximately 50 YouTube creators allegedly owed more than $1.7 million following the collapse of network Defy Media are unlikely to see that money.Ally Bank, one of Defy Media’s financial backers, tweeted a statement on January 25th following a video from popular YouTube creator Matthew “MatPat” Patrick asking Ally to give him and other YouTube creators the money they’re owed by Defy.“Ally made a loan to Defy Media that [Defy] was unable to pay back aft

A document released this month revealed a secretive multimillion-dollar Department of Defense program from the late 2000s compiled research into invisibility cloaks, warp drive, and many other areas of fringe space science as part of a now-defunct program aimed at detecting and potentially explaining strange sightings in the Earth’s atmosphere.The five-page document includes a list of papers written for the program, originally sent to two members of Congress last year. The pages were rele

Waze has announced that it’s expanding its Waze Beacon program to New York City tunnels today, working together with the MTA and Port Authority to improve navigation apps (including Waze, obviously) when underground. The changes start today, with Waze Beacons going live in the Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and Hugh L. Carey (Brooklyn-Battery) Tunnel.Don’t get lost the next time you have to drive into New York
The Waze Beacons themselves are just battery-powe

Electrify America, the budding electric car charging network spearheaded by Volkswagen, has returned to full operation after partially shutting down over a “potential safety issue” last weekend.The network shut down its high-speed (150kW to 350kW) chargers on Friday “out of an abundance of caution” after concerns emerged about the liquid-cooled cables provided by Swedish supplier Huber+Suhner. Amsterdam-based charging company Fastned also shut down its 175kW chargers in

Monday night, a federal judge rejected a settlement proposed by Yahoo in a class-action suit brought against the company after it failed to report two major data breaches that affected over 3 billion users in 2014 and 2016.
Yahoo’s proposed settlement would have paid out $50 million and provided two years of free credit monitoring services to roughly 200 million people in the US and Israel, according to Reuters.US District Judge Lucy Koh rejected the settlement on the grounds that Yahoo h

Beginning today, Google is rolling out a redesign of the Gmail app for Android and iOS. It’s based on the “Material Theme” that has been available on the web since April of last year. When the update hits your phone, you’ll find an app that no longer has a heavy red bar at the top and is generally a little lighter and cleaner-looking.
In the redesign, Google is once again using its custom Google Sans font. (You’ll especially notice it in the sidebar.) You’ll

Firefox 65 is out now, and the update brings a new interface that makes it even easier to fine-tune control over blocking trackers.
The basic options are still pretty similar to what was offered in the old version: most users will still be choosing through what Firefox now calls “standard” mode, which blocks trackers in private (i.e., incognito) windows and “strict” mode, which blocks all trackers at all times (but may cause issues with some websites).
But in Firefox 65,

Today, Kingdom Hearts III — the 11th game in the long-running Square Enix and Disney franchise — is out worldwide. Music has always been integral to the series, and composer Yoko Shimomura has worked on every release. But more recognizable than the compositions are the main games’ theme songs, which, for the last two installments, have been written and recorded by the Japanese pop singer Utada Hikaru. (If you’re a Kingdom Hearts fan, hearing the opening notes to Utada Hi

All Xbox One bundles are $50 off at the Microsoft Store, Best Buy, Walmart, and elsewhere. This includes the new Xbox One X bundle that bundles the upcoming title Metro: Exodus and its prequels, Metro: Last Light and Metro 2033. Most of the bundles, whether you’re shopping for an Xbox One X or Xbox One S, come with a different game, ranging from Fallout 76, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, and others.Depending on the bundle, there might be some other inclusions. All of the available option

Little is known about Apple’s standalone streaming service, aside from the mountain of original content that’s coming. But according to a new report from The Information, it could launch this spring.The Information is reporting that Apple has told various studios and networks “whose offerings will be available through the service to be ready for launch by mid-April,” according to three sources. Some of those studios may include independent film powerhouse A24 and the Opr

Razer is making a pink laptop. Okay, technically, Razer is making a limited edition Razer Blade Stealth Quartz laptop, which happens to be pink. It’s on sale just in time for Valentine’s Day, and, in the words of Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, it will “steal hearts everywhere.” No matter what color you call it, it’s a big step forward for Razer, chromatically speaking.It will “steal hearts everywhere,” apparently
This isn’t the first time Razer has made

Welcome to Cheat Sheet, our brief breakdown-style reviews of festival films, VR previews, and other special event releases. This review comes from the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
When a fictional AI “goes rogue,” that often really means that it’s working exactly as intended. Tell a machine to make paperclips, and it will turn the entire world into little twists of metal. Ask it to save the planet, and it will decide that people are Earth’s greatest threat. We dream of c

When Avatara launched in 2010, it looked like a dozen other low-budget games. The world was a cartoonish expanse of pink trees and purple rocks, stirred by the occasional alien sprite. Its edges were covered by too many icons, and its interface was a little too eager to spam your Facebook friends with invitations. But to its designers, Avatara was more than just a game. It was a tiny utopia run by a loving digital god — a god that protected its domain with ruthless devotion, exploiting the

Want to listen in on your friend’s conversations? Thanks to a bug in Apple’s FaceTime service, all you need to do is call them via FaceTime on their iPhone or Mac. You can then use their phone’s microphone to hear what’s going on, even if they don’t pick up the call.
This serious bug is now known by anyone who reads tech news. (It has been tested and verified by The Verge staff.) It’s actually quite easy to prevent anyone else from invading your conversationa

For the past 15 months or so, the dominant design trait of many smartphones has been the notch. The notch, which has various shapes and sizes depending on which phone you’re looking at, allows phone makers to put a larger screen inside a phone and still include the necessary front-facing camera and earpiece speaker. But it’s safe to say that the notch is not universally liked — in fact, it’s perhaps the most polarizing design trait in years.
So this year, phone makers ar

With the click of a mouse and a loud bang, I blasted jets of super-hot, ionized gas called plasma into one another at hundreds of miles per second. I was sitting in the control room of a fusion energy startup called TAE Technologies, and I’d just fired its $150 million plasma collider. That shot was a tiny part of the company’s long pursuit of a notoriously elusive power source. I was at the company’s headquarters to talk to them about the latest phase of their hunt that invol

Last year, Samsung trademarked the name “Galaxy Buds” in what was speculated to be asuccessor to the company’s truly wireless Gear IconX earbuds. Now, thanks to a Federal Communications Commission filing, the new headphones have been seemingly confirmed, via 91Mobiles.We still don’t have an idea of what the headphones will look like, but the FCC filing does include an illustration of the bottom of the charging case. It looks like a charging case, incidentally, although h

The energy, hairstyles, and noise of the National Association of Music Merchants show, NAMM, are unlike anything I’ve witnessed in a decade of trade shows all over the world. NAMM brings together the crowd that’s fighting to keep music’s analog soul alive and well. You may think that the future of music making — and even the present, judging by the charts — is to be reduced down to a box, like most digital things, but NAMM’s attendees show how the music indus

Credit cards are a relatively new invention that have entered into something of an innovation rut. Reward programs seem stale, mobile apps remain mired in early-2000s UX paradigms and, all too often, critical financial decisions (and their expensive associated fees) are hidden like booby-traps for users. Little wonder, then, that consumers are fed up with their credit card providers.
Worse, credit cards are not accessible to millions of people, whether due to a lack of credit history, immigratio

Casper, one of the leading online mattress sellers, is expanding beyond bedding with its first connected gadget. Called the Glow, the smartphone-controlled bedside light announced today joins the company’s lineup of mattresses, pillows, bed frames, and sheets. The device can operate on battery power and so is portable, which lets you use it as a flashlight of sorts when getting up in the middle of the night. It also charges using a wireless base station that sits plugged into your bedside

The mobile version of Fortnite finally has support for proper gamepads. Epic introduced the feature as part of the battle royale game’s big update today, after saying that support was in the works last year.Bluetooth controller support is available on both the iOS and Android versions of the game. On iOS, Epic says that all MFi controllers should work, while on Android, “most” Bluetooth gamepads are compatible, including devices from Steel Series, Razer, and Gamevice. Addition