There’s one thing Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer always tells new engineers starting work at the company. “There are going to be a lot of people in the world who have opinions and high expectations of the work we do,” he says. “And that is entirely appropriate given the reach and scale of the products we …

During a virtual event earlier this fall, Google unveiled two new phones, the premium Pixel 5 and the more affordable Pixel 4A 5G. The Pixel 5 serves as the successor to last year’s Pixel 4 and brings new features including 5G connectivity, an ultra-wide camera and a much larger battery. The phone costs $699 (£599, AU$999) and is available to buy now. Here’s how …

Apple had a security vulnerability that could have allowed potential hackers to get complete access to a person’s iPhone — everything from viewing photos to monitoring activities in real time — without the victim ever needing to click on any suspicious links or download malware.  While most malware requires hackers to trick people in some way, like through a disguised …

With its Snapdragon 888 processor, Qualcomm wants to bring your next phone a step further into the modern era of photography with new speed and new AI smarts. The new chip adds a third image processing module that allows flagship smartphones to handle three simultaneous video streams, all in 4K resolution with high dynamic range imagery. And for photos, the …

The chip that will power most high-end 5G phones next year is here: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. And for the first time in its ultra high-end lineup, Qualcomm has integrated its 5G modem on the same chip as the brains, AI and other processor features, likely giving 5G phones a boost in battery life.  Smartphones need a lot of components …

Your phone can tell a lot about you: where you’ve been, where your home and workplace are, and where your favorite places are. Federal agents are taking advantage of location data siphoned from advertisers through seemingly innocuous apps that you download for weather updates or cheap gas prices, and now a government watchdog is investigating the surveillance program.  In a …

MacOS 11 Big Sur arrived last month, and it’s got a few geeky features for long-time Mac users. But it also teams up with Apple’s new M1 chip (the first in a line known as Apple silicon) to turn the page on a new chapter for the Mac. So let’s break it down. If you’re a traditional Mac user, you’re …

Pictures of Samsung’s rumored upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro have leaked online, with tipster Evan Blass showcasing the images Wednesday on Voice. According to the report, the Buds Pro will go on sale in early 2021. The ear buds are pictured in a chromatic reflective lavender color. If the leak holds true, Samsung looks to be stepping away from the kidney …

This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas. According to the calendar, Cyber Monday ended a couple of days ago. But Amazon clearly isn’t ready to throw in the towel quite yet. There are a lot of products on sale, from Amazon’s own selection of smart devices to Sony headphones, self-emptying Roombas, Jabra earbuds and …

Short-form video app TikTok is reportedly looking to make its content a little longer. Social media commentator Matt Navarra shared a tweet Wednesday featuring a message from TikTok saying some users now have “early access to uploading videos up to 3 minutes long.” 😮 TikTok is rolling out ability to upload longer videos of up to 3 minutes long 🤳🏻 …

This year was rough, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and no shortage of other tragedies. But one bright spot was the endless supply of funny, insane, inspirational and comforting videos on TikTok. The short-form video platform on Wednesday unveiled its picks for the top 100 TikTok videos, creators, trends and songs in the US, where it has about 100 million …

A new investor note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts two new MacBook Pros will launch in 2021, followed by the release of a more affordable MacBook Air in 2022, 9to5Mac reported Wednesday. The devices are all predicted to use new mini-LED panels, a burnout-resistant improvement to Apple’s LCD screen-lighting technology. The analysis also predicts “two or three” new chargers …

Italy has fined Apple 10 million euros (about $12 million) over “aggressive and misleading” business practices surrounding the iPhone’s water-resistance, according to the country’s national competition authority. In a statement published on Monday, the Autorita Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato said Apple has marketed several of its iPhones as water-resistant for years, but has failed to clarify that it …

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to veto a major annual defense bill if Congress doesn’t strike down a federal law that shields social media companies like Facebook and Twitter from lawsuits over the content their users post. Trump issued the ultimatum against Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act in a pair of tweets Tuesday evening that represent …

Update, Aug. 17, 2021: Google has unveiled the Pixel 5A with 5G, which we have reviewed. Original story follows. Google’s jumped on the 5G train with the $499 Pixel 4A 5G (£499, AU$799) and $699 Pixel 5 (£599 and AU$999). The phones run the latest Android 11 OS, have a second ultrawide camera and bigger batteries than any previous Pixel phone. …