Technology - Google News

Companies pull ads from Facebook after Cambridge Analytica controversy
Apple Has Big Plans for Its March 27 Event
You'll No Longer Be Able To Buy A OnePlus 5T In North America, So Here's An Alternative

Companies pull ads from Facebook after Cambridge Analytica controversy

Posted: 24 Mar 2018 06:44 AM PDT

Several companies have suspended their advertisements on Facebook after it was revealed that the data firm Cambridge Analytica improperly used the Facebook data of tens of millions of people.

Facebook is trying to respond to the crisis by assuring advertisers that it's working to audit all apps that use its platform and that their user's personal data is safe, The Wall Street Journal reported.

This has not stopped a number of marketers from moving to sever ties with Facebook as the social media company deals with the privacy issues.

Among those pulling ads are Mozilla, which owns the web browser Firefox, and Pep Boys' auto-parts store. Germany's second largest bank, Commerzbank, and wireless speaker maker Sonos have also suspended ads.

Even though some advertisers are only leaving Facebook temporarily, Facebook's stock has dropped more than 13 percentage points this week.

Many advertisers privately say that are fine sticking with Facebook but they are monitoring the situation closely, the Journal reported.

According to Facebook, the social media platform is taking several steps to improve safety, including a new feature that shows which apps have access to user's data and also gives users the option to deny the apps permission to the data.

Facebook's current turmoil began earlier this month when it was reported that Cambridge Analytica had harvested the private Facebook data of 50 million users.

The firm obtained the data from a Cambridge University professor who had collected it through his app that used a Facebook login.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are calling on Facebook and Cambridge Analytica to speak with Congress about the situation and privacy concerns.

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Apple Has Big Plans for Its March 27 Event

Posted: 24 Mar 2018 06:01 AM PDT

Since announcing plans for a press event on March 27, Apple has remained silent about what it will unveil. But that isn't stopping the rumor mill.

Over the past several days, news reports, including one from Bloomberg, suggest that Apple will introduce a budget-friendly $259 iPad at the education-focused event. There's also talk that a cheaper MacBook notebook that costs less than $1,000 will be unveiled.

But the press event isn't expected to include any major announcements, like a dramatically redesigned iPhone or iPad. Still, it should offer insight into Apple's efforts to appeal to students, teachers, and consumers on a budget.

This is Fortune's latest weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news. Here's last week's roundup.

But there was more to Apple's week than talk of education. From rumors about a possible foldable iPhone to talk of trouble for the company's iPhone X, it was a decidedly interesting week for Apple fans. So read on for more about some of the biggest Apple headlines from the past several days:

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Apple is working on a foldable iPhone that it could release in 2020, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts said in a research note on Friday. The analysts talked with Apple suppliers in Asia who said the company is exploring developing an iPhone with a screen that would fold over itself. When the iPhone unfolds, the screen would expand tablet size, according to the report. Apple was previously rumored to be working with LG on a foldable iPhone.
Apple is rapidly expanding its self-driving car testing. According to a Financial Times report this week, Apple now has permits to test 45 self-driving cars in California That's more than the 39 permits for Tesla and 29 for Uber. General Motors' Cruise division has 110 permits—the most of any company. Apple is believed to be developing self-driving car technology and not actual cars. That technology would be sold to carmakers.
Tesla this week updated its iPhone app to integrate Siri virtual personal assistant with its Model 3 sedan. Siri availability in the app allows Model 3 owners to give voice commands to lock their doors, review how much charge is left on their batteries, and more.
In a note to investors this week, Longbow Research analyst Shawn Harrison and Gausia Chowdhury reported that Apple's iPhone X didn't sell well during the holiday season. The analysts cited sources who said Apple has ordered fewer units from manufacturers than it had initially forecast due to lower-than-expected demand for the $999 iPhone. Nomura analysts Anne Lee and Jeffery Kvaal followed that note this week with their own, saying iPhone X demand "is flagging" because of the hefty price tag.
Apple is developing new screen technology for future products, Bloomberg reported this week. That technology, called MicroLED, makes for slimmer and brighter screens than those that use other technology, like liquid crystals or organic light-emitting diodes. MicroLED displays are also more energy-efficient, which should translate to longer battery life on Apple Watch, iPhone, and other products. It's unknown, however, when Apple may add MicroLED to future products.

One more thing…Apple Watch and iPhone owners are mistakenly calling emergency services, according to reports. Apple Watch owners who sleep while wearing the smartwatch are accidentally calling 911 because the device's crown is set to automatically send for help when it's pressed for several seconds. IPhone owners who mistakenly press buttons on the side of their phones too many times also mistakenly call emergency services.

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You'll No Longer Be Able To Buy A OnePlus 5T In North America, So Here's An Alternative

Posted: 24 Mar 2018 04:18 AM PDT

OnePlus just announced that it has officially ended sales of the OnePlus 5T just four months after it began selling them. The move is because of overwhelming demand, according to the company. ( Sean Gallup | Getty Images )

OnePlus is officially halting sales of the OnePlus 5T, its latest flagship device, in North American markets.

The move comes just four months after the OnePlus 5T went on sale in America. It sported an 18:9 6-inch AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, up to 8 GB of RAM, and Android Nougat baked in, upgradeable to Android Oreo. Per usual OnePlus fare, the phone costs a lot less than other flagships with the same list of specs.

The phone's release, however, wasn't without hiccups. Customers soon complained about the device not being able to stream in HD via Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. It turns out the OnePlus 5T lacked Widevine Level 1, a software component that allows HD streaming. Fans frantically asked OnePlus to provide an over-the-air update to fix this, but OnePlus later clarified that they would need to send in their device to get the fix, since applying Widevine Level 1 requires physical connection from an authenticated PC. Needless to say that this cumbersome solution angered many customers.

OnePlus 5T Demand

Even so, the demand for the phone was higher than anticipated, said global marketing head and general manager for North America Kyle Kiang. In fact, this is exactly why they're halting sales of the phone in that region — there are simply no more units to sell, so why not just reproportion stocks for other markets and bring them to North America? Well, a spokesperson said replacing the power supply adapters for each unit would be too much of a hassle, so OnePlus isn't about to go that route.

What If You Really Want A OnePlus 5T?

Those who really want to purchase a OnePlus 5T will either have to look for a used model on online stores, as it's easy to imagine there'd be plenty of those. However, why not just wait for OnePlus's forthcoming OnePlus 6 flagship? Rumors about this phone are being thrown around, with a few reports claiming it'll come with a slightly larger display, a 256 GB model and up to 8 GB of RAM — for allegedly half the price of a $1,000 iPhone X?

For those who are looking for a low-cost phone with top-tier specs, why not consider the Essential PH-1, which has gotten its price cut to just $499? Sure, it's got no headphone jack, and sure, its camera is sort of lackluster, but it does have a gorgeous design, an excellent near-stock Android experience, a great screen, and premium-level internals.

So are you going to wait for the OnePlus 6 or look for alternatives? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

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