Tech Soha

President Donald Trump said he could act to ban the world's most popular short video app TikTok from the US as early as Saturday, according to The Hill. The president said he could use "emergency economic powers or an executive order" to bar TikTok from the US, he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday. The news came hours after reports broke that Microsoft was in talks to buy TikTok. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3fkXlvv

The president told reporters on Air Force One that he will ban TikTok in the US. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3jZ7u4z

Like many industries with a high concentration of wealth — and the careers that help professionals accumulate it — investment firms have a severe dearth of diversity in their ranks. Regardless of whether the focus is venture capital, private equity or any other investment asset class, the firms are replete with white men. Only 9% of investment decision makers in VC today are women; just 2% are Black. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/312BELH

YouTube users will have to say goodbye to Community Contributions soon. Google announced that it will be shutting down the feature on September 28th this year, citing a lack of use and reports of “spam and abuse.” The tool was predominantly used to let anyone contribute translations for video titles or submit descriptions, closed captions or subtitles. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2XeR6mW

Google is making it easier for buyers and customers to find Black-owned businesses to support. The tech giant has introduced a Black-owned attribute merchants based in the US can add to their profile, so long as they’re verified. Google will then put the new icon alongside any other attribute business owners choose to display on the Highlights section of their profile. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/339qqHT

CVS pharmacies will soon let you do touch-free payments using your PayPal or Venmo accounts by using PayPal’s QR code payment system, PayPal has announced. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2DpThN3

Twitter accused of double standard for censoring Trump but not Iranian leader Twitter is facing scrutiny for flagging posts by President Trump but allowing Iran's ayatollah to call for the genocide of Israel.

This week on the show, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about Facebook, Apple, Google and Amazon’s congressional antitrust hearing. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2BK1Vph

It won't produce Hollywood-ready special effects, but it'll make Match Moving a lot easier for everyone else. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2Ew98KE

Amazon has received approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch and operate a planned constellation of 3,236 internet satellites. Alongside the key regulatory approval, Amazon also announced that it would be committing over $10 billion in Kuiper, money that it says will generate U.S. jobs and involve not only building and testing satellites for the constellation, but also building out key ground network infrastructure that's required in order to actually make the connectivity available to consumers. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3hUwPL0

Twitter has confirmed it has permanently banned the account of David Duke, former leader of white supremacist hate group the Ku Klux Klan. Duke had operated freely on its platform for years -- amassing a following of around 53k and recently tweeting his support for president Trump to be re-elected. The account you referenced has been permanently suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter Rules on hateful conduct. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/30dbbvF

This morning we're talking about Apple's iPhone delay (you'll have to wait at least a few weeks for 5G), and looking forward to a SpaceX Starship 'hop' test. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3124BaE

Halo Infinite could follow Call of Duty’s lead with a multiplayer component that is free-to-play. As The Verge reports, a webpage on the Irish version of Smyths — a popular toy and video game retailer in the UK — momentarily referenced a “groundbreaking free-to-play multiplayer experience” in relation to Halo Infinite. In a tweet, the leaker said 343 Industries was aiming for 120 frames per second in its arena mode, and would offer both a battle pass system and customization options that are “completely new to Halo.” from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3jWLQxH

Twitter says the hackers responsible for a recent high-profile breach used the phone to fool the social media company’s employees into giving them access. The company revealed a few more details late Thursday about the hack earlier this month, which it said targeted “a small number of employees through a phone spear-phishing attack.” “This attack relied on a significant and concerted attempt to mislead certain employees and exploit human vulnerabilities to gain access to our internal systems,” the company tweeted. The embarrassing July 15 attack compromised the accounts of some of its most high profile users, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and celebrities Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, in an apparent attempt to lure their followers into sending money to an anonymous Bitcoin account. After stealing employee credentials and getting into Twitter’s systems, the hackers were able to target other employees who had access to account support tools, the company said. The hack...

343 Industries has responded to fan concerns that Halo Infinite, the next instalment in the beloved shooter franchise, doesn’t look particularly ‘next-gen.’ In a blog post, community manager John Junyszek said the team in Redmond had “heard the feedback” shared by disgruntled fans after the Xbox showcase. Halo Infinite opened the Xbox showcase — a long-awaited event focused on first-party titles for the Xbox platform, including the upcoming Xbox Series X console – with a campaign demo that showed Master Chief battling his way through a forest and mountain-covered planet. Many viewers were intrigued by the structure of the game, which appears to be more ‘open world,’ but horrified by the seemingly-simple visuals which looked flat and ‘last-gen.’ “Halo Plastic Edition,” one YouTube viewer commented last week. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/317Ee2L

Twitter has banned notorious white supremacist David Duke, enforcing a new policy against hate speech links it introduced earlier this month. He was “permanently suspended" for Twitter Rules on hateful conduct. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3gjrOLJ

Twitter has revealed a little more detail about the security breach it suffered earlier this month when a number of high profile accounts were hacked to spread a cryptocurrency scam -- writing in a blog post that a "phone spear phishing attack" was used to target a small number of its employees. Once the attackers had successfully gained network credentials via this social engineering technique they were in a position to gather enough information about its internal systems and processes to target other employees who had access to account support tools which enabled them to take control of verified accounts, per Twitter's update on the incident. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/33b9UXV

Google has rolled out a couple of security tools to protect the financial info and passwords you saved with Chrome’s autofill feature. Currently, autofill requires you to type in your card’s CVC every time you use it. You can already rely on the feature to retrieve your card details on Chrome for Windows and Mac, and it’s coming to Android in the next few weeks. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/31iSPc7

The FCC has unanimously approved Amazon’s Project Kuiper, giving the tech giant the go-ahead to deploy and operate a constellation of 3,236 satellites. Amazon asked the FCC for permission to launch thousands of Low Earth Orbit satellites in July 2019, just a few months months after announcing the project. Similar to SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, Kuiper’s purpose is to provide satellite-based broadband services. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/339EDoc

Elon Musk’s hopes for Starship to reach orbit before this spring didn’t quite pan out, but a recent test firing has the SpaceX CEO expecting to see the company’s new vehicle take flight shortly. Starship SN5 just completed full duration static fire. Last August we saw SpaceX’s Starhopper test vehicle complete a 150m Raptor-powered “bounce” and sooner or later the actual Starship will make a similar test flight. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2P9s1Fc

The Twitter hack that compromised prominent users like Joe Biden and Elon Musk was the result of a targeted “phishing attack” against its employees, the company said Thursday. The culprits underwent a “significant and concerted” effort to target specific employees with access to Twitter support tools to successfully takeover 45 accounts, from which they sent... from Technology News & Reviews | New York Post https://ift.tt/3hMdlbs

Twitter has released more details about the July 15th attack, including how attackers gained access and how many accounts they were able to hijack. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/39JVwH7

Ford’s flagship series of 4×4 vehicles that were revealed earlier this month — surpassed expectations of the company's most optimistic initial projections, CEO Jim Hackett said in an earnings call Thursday. More than 150,000 customers have plunked down $100 to reserve a spot to order one of the vehicles, according to Ford. "We think this family of vehicles has big upside potential in the growing off-road category and this is a category with a leading OEM has not been seriously challenged until now," Hackett said. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/33indWi

Autonomous vehicle technology startup Argo AI is valued at $7.5 billion, just a little more than three years after the company burst on the scene with a $1 billion investment from Ford. The official valuation was confirmed Thursday nearly two months after VW Group finalized its $2.6 billion investment in Argo AI. Under that deal, Ford and VW have equal ownership stakes, which will be roughly 40% each over time. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3gix5TN

Japanese conglomerate Rakuten has pulled the plug on its U.S. online retail store, originally known as Buy.com, and will wind down its operations over the next two months, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. "We have decided to sunset the U.S. Rakuten Marketplace," a company representative said in an email to TechCrunch. Rakuten bought Buy.com for $250M back in 2010 in an attempt to expand its retail business out of its stronghold of Japan. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2P9PB4R

Despite bans in the US and its own dire predictions, Hauwei shipped more smartphones last quarter than any other company, according to research firm Canalys. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3hRuOiN

NASA has launched one of its most crucial science missions to date, the Mars 2020 mission that carries its Perseverance robotic rover. This rover, a successor to the Curiosity robotic explorer, is equipped with sensors specifically designed to help it hopefully fund evidence of ancient, microbiotic life on Mars. Perseverance was loaded atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, which had a good liftoff and deployed its second stage which put the spacecraft into a parking orbit as it readies to depart on its trip towards Mars, which will see it arrive in February 2021. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/39IgV3q

Following an eight-day delay NASA is set to launch the Perseverance rover at 7:50 AM ET today. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2EtFINb

Need some bliss? The new 'Microsoft Flight Simulator' is almost ready to ship and Jessica Conditt can let you know what it's like. Also, big tech CEOs appeared (via video) on Capitol Hill, the Hummer EV has a new teaser and we're breaking down next week's Samsung event from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2EqXvVg

Yet more companies are piling in on Apple in the EU. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/30cotsg

NASA is set to launch its newest rover to Mars later this morning. This mission will launch a ULA Atlas V rocket to carry the Perseverance rover to Mars with a trip that will last several months, arriving in February 2021. It also carries with it a helicopter drone called Ingenuity, which will seek to become the first ever vehicle to take-off and fly within the Mars atmosphere. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/30Vmd7W

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold2 has leaked out in full, high-resolution glory with a more sophisticated design and more robust-looking hinge. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/39E6spX

By BY ADAM SATARIANO from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/39Cuth6

Small- to medium-sized companies that do a lot of international business have to deal with two big headaches: high foreign exchange fees and corporate expense tracking. Volopay, a Singapore-based financial tech startup with offices in Bangalore, wants to help by integrating prepaid multi-currency corporate cards, expense tracking and accounting tools into one free-to-use platform. It now has about 40 clients in Singapore, mostly tech startups like Dathena, Tookitaki and Appknox, and plans to launch in Indonesia and Australia within the next six months. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/39EgS8Y

Since the Apple Store’s purpose is to sell you the tech giant’s products, Apple has also launched an in—depth iPhone comparison tool. The Apple Store app launched in 2010 and expanded to 20 more countries back in March. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2CS0F4d

Qualcomm is warning investors a major phone launch will occur a little later in the year than usual, and all signs point to Apple's first 5G-equipped iPhones. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3faJckr

Asobo didn't predict the quarantine, but it made the perfect game for it. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/30YL1Ml

It all starts with the HP Reverb G2 this fall. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3hNz4jm

Google alternative Ecosia is on a mission to turn search clicks into trees. The Berlin based not-for-profit reached a major milestone earlier this month, having used ad revenue generated by users of its privacy-sensitive search engine to plant more than 100 million trees across 25 countries worldwide -- targeted at biodiversity hotspots. Ecosia has seen its monthly revenues slashed by half since COVID-19 arrived in Europe, with turnover falling from €2.6M in February to just €1.4M in June. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3gfTvVJ

The unlocked 5G version of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip is now available for pre-order on the company’s website, and you could score a pretty nice discount. The other four are the Galaxy Buds Live with active noise cancelation, the Galaxy Watch 3, Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Note 20. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/30dWZCK

Samsung Electronics sounded a cautiously optimistic note in its earnings report today. The company is continuing to deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, but its memory business was fortified by demand for DRAM chips as data centers adapted to an increase in remote work and education. Samsung Electronics will launch new models of its flagship smartphones, including the Galaxy Note and a foldable device, at its online Galaxy Unpacked event on August 5, but will also focus on increasing sales of low- to mid-priced phones, which it expects to drive revenue during the rest of the year. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3feHHlj

GMC's latest teaser video with LeBron James offers a peek at truck and SUVs of its upcoming 1,000HP Hummer EV. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3g7WK1o

Samsung will launch its new Galaxy Note and Galaxy Fold devices next week, but its Q2 earnings rose on higher prices for memory chips and a one-time payment. Later this year it's predicting more growth in the mobile business from 5G, plus more demand for RAM due to new consoles launching. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2DjWEVO

While much of today's Congressional grilling into the anticompetitive practices of the big tech giants focused on their core businesses, Amazon's hardware also came in for close inspection during the hours-long interrogation. It was a small but significant exchange, because it touched on the breadth of the company's services and how dominance in one area can mean potentially anti-competitive behavior in another part of the tech giant's business. For Maryland's Representative Jamie Raskin, both Amazon's best-selling Echo and the Fire TV devices became targets thanks to recent reporting on the company's business practices and negotiations regarding both devices. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/30YSPOa

Sen. Warner: Big tech has responsibility to remove information that is 'knowingly false' CEOs of Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon questioned on political bias, antitrust abuse; Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner weighs in.

Lawmakers press Big Tech CEOs on allegations of bias Silicon Valley titans deny political censorship at anti-trust hearing on Capitol Hill; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'

The CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google sat for a 5-hour grilling before the House Judiciary Committee, with dramatically different results for each company. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3gbFpEJ

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg appeared less than entirely truthful at today's House Judiciary hearing, regarding last year's major Onavo controversy, in which his company paid teenagers to use a VPN app that reported detailed data on their internet use. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) was asking Zuckerberg to confirm a series events last year first reported by TechCrunch: A VPN app called Onavo, owned by Facebook, was kicked out of Apple's App Store for collecting and reporting usage data while purporting to provide a protective service. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/336gEGl

Tesla CEO Elon Musk noted on Twitter on Tuesday night that the automaker would be "open to licensing software and supplying powertrains & batteries" to other automakers. Musk added that that would even include Autopilot, the advanced driver assistance software that Tesla offers to provide intelligent cruise control in a number of different driving scenarios. Musk was addressing a Teslerati article about how German automakers are looking to close the technology gap between themselves and Tesla when it comes to producing EVs. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2BEkqeO

Form has updated its smart swimming goggles with open water tracking, although you'll need a smartwatch for the full feature set. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/39B5nzb

Investment app eToro is to launch a debit card, following its acquisition of Marq Millions Ltd, the UK based e-money business. Marq Millions will now trade as eToro Money and will be the issuer for eToro’s card. The acquisition was for an undisclosed amount, and the Marq Millions management team stays on. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/308oayu

People are trying to get back to normal, at least as far as Spotify knows. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2P4WXqf