Get a 2

I’ve been laptop shopping recently, and was once again forced to confront the ugly question: Why am I continuing to spend $700 or more on a Windows-based laptop when Chromebooks exist? After all, these days I spend 90% of my time in some combination of Google Docs and the web. Could I get by with a laptop running Google Chrome …

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UK’s Boris Johnson takes selfie with Huawei phone after hinting at ban

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was spotted taking a selfie with a Huawei phone Thursday, just a day after hinting that the UK would comply with the US stance and ban Huawei technology from Britain’s telecommunications infrastructure. Johnson appeared on ITV show This Morning to talk about the upcoming election and Brexit, after which cameras captured him posing with presenters …

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Opera browser’s dark mode brings noir hue to every web page on Android phones

If you’ve been looking to inject more darkness into your web browsing on Android devices, Opera’s browser has the solution. Along with the darkened interface, version 55 of the browser  can give white sections of web pages a noir look even if they aren’t designed that way.  You can manually tweak the color temperature and schedule dark mode to activate at certain …

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House passes bill to stop robocalls

If there’s one thing that politicians on Capitol Hill can agree on, it’s that robocalls must be stopped. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives almost unanimously passed a bill to help put the kibosh on robocalls.  The vote on the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, also known as the TRACED Act, comes as a sharply divided House …

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New T

If Sprint’s merger with T-Mobile goes through — not a guarantee as the companies head to court to battle several state attorneys general who are suing to block the deal — legacy Sprint customers should plan to give up their 4G phones. While T-Mobile has long talked about its desire to migrate customers over, it now says it will use 5G …

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Uber’s first safety report notes nearly 500 rapes in 2 years

After dozens of allegations of sexual assaults committed by its drivers, Uber promised in May 2018 to publish a “safety transparency report.” The idea was to release data on the number of alleged assaults that occur during its rides in the US. Now, a year and a half later, Uber has finalized that report.  In its 84-page report, Uber said …

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5G could boost smartphone sales, Deloitte survey says

5G may be the push consumers need to trade in their phones for newer devices. Sixty-seven percent of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase a new phone once 5G-compatible phones become available, according to Deloitte’s Connectivity and Mobile Trends survey, out this week. Sixteen percent of smartphone users surveyed by Deloitte say 5G capabilities are the most important factor when …

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Google’s Live Caption works on the Galaxy S20. Here’s how to use it

Google’s Live Caption feature first launched alongside the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL last October, with a promise that it would eventually come to more devices. Shortly after, the feature was added to the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL. And, now, with the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S20, S20 Plus and S20 Ultra, you don’t …

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Lyft sued in Los Angeles over alleged sexual assault by driver

After 20 women joined together in a sexual-assault lawsuit against Lyft on Wednesday, yet another such suit was filed Thursday. All the women in these legal actions allege they were sexually assaulted by Lyft drivers, in situations that range from groping to kidnapping to rape. At least 56 lawsuits involving these sorts of allegations have now been filed against the …

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5 ways phone gaming will get better, thanks to new Qualcomm chip

Two digital pinballs roll slowly across the screen, one a dull grey blob, the other a dynamic orb with light and shadow dancing off its surface as it rolled. This is one demo Qualcomm used this week to show off how its new 5G chips for 2020 — the Snapdragon 865 and 765G — will upgrade gaming on your future …

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T

T-Mobile’s launch of its broader 5G network on Friday, which includes the sale of the $900 OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren and $1,300 Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, marks a big step for the next-generation wireless technology in the US, the first to cover a majority of the nation. Unfortunately for most people, that big step is right now …

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