Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, which celebrates its first birthday Saturday, has managed to do a lot as a tyke. The GDPR changed the rules for companies that collect, store or process information on residents of the EU, requiring more openness about what data they have and who they share it with. The law is …
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Have a new LG but prefer Alexa to Google Assistant? You now have a choice. LG announced Thursday that it has begun rolling out Amazon’s digital assistant to its 2019 line of ThinQ AI televisions. Those in North America will get the update this month, the company says, with European and Asia users getting it in “the weeks to come.” …
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Google’s parent company Alphabet will reportedly open its first smart city buildings in Toronto as early as 2023. Google will eventually move into the Canadian smart campus, the report said. Dan Doctoroff, founder and CEO of Alphabet subsidiary Sidewalk Labs — which focuses on innovation in urban environments — told the Collision Conference in Canada of the timeline for the project, …
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Motorola is… back? As the rest of the smartphone industry grapples with declining sales, in its fourth-quarter earnings Lenovo revealed that its mobile business group — which houses Motorola — had a profitable year and its second straight profitable quarter. While still nowhere near as strong as the company’s PC business, Lenovo says the mobile unit was “profitable starting from …
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It’s pretty widely accepted that keeping tabs on your heart is a smart move, whether it’s to keep you “in the zone” for maximum exercise benefits or make sure your resting heart rate isn’t too high or low. Lots of smartwatches and fitness bands can do this, of course, but did you know there are earphones with this capability as …
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Hungry? Google wants to help. In a series of updates Thursday, the search giant is adding features to Google Assistant, Maps and its classic search to help you get your next meal. Partnering with delivery services including DoorDash, Postmates, Delivery.com, Slice and ChowNow, Google is enabling users in the US to order directly from search, Maps or Assistant as opposed to …
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When New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority begins rolling out its new, tap-and-go replacement for the subway’s MetroCard system next week, Google will be going along for the ride. In a blog post Thursday, Google said the OMNY payment system will be compatible with Google Pay for paying fares using supported phones and Google Assistant for real-time transit directions. The support launches May 31, when the …
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Chip designer Arm has become the latest company to cut ties with Huawei to comply with a Trump administration ban. But Arm will keep supporting older products, and previously signed licenses likely make it possible for Huawei to build its own Arm-based chips for years to come. The Chinese company likely won’t see a huge impact unless the ban lasts …
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As a general rule, Apple products and “Cheapskate” don’t belong in the same sentence. But obviously zillions of people love Apple gear, price be damned. Read more: Will HomeKit and HomePod get any attention at WWDC? I like Apple gear, too, but damned if I’m going to pay full retail for it. That’s why I always advise people to choose refurbished …
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused Huawei of lying about its government ties, while China has asked the US government to cease its “wrong actions” if trade talks are to continue, CNBC is reporting. Last week, the US blacklisted networking gear from Huawei, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order essentially banning the Chinese tech giant following national security …
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