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TechnologyDigital TrendsHow to sell your old Samsung Galaxy (without getting ripped off)
Thinking about buying a shiny new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra? You'll need to raise some funds. Check out our guide on how to sell your phone for the best price.
NewsAFP NewsChina launches sanctions regime after US moves on TikTok, WeChat
China on Saturday launched a mechanism that would allow it to sanction foreign companies, upping the ante in a tech war with the United States a day after Washington moved to curb popular Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat.
LifestyleDigital TrendsBest Prime Day AirPods Deals 2020: What to expect
Looking to enjoy wireless freedom at a discount? Here are the Prime Day AirPods deals we're expecting to see.
TechnologyDigital TrendsAmazon Echo vs. Echo Dot
Amazon's Echo or Dot? We break down the similarities and differences between the two Amazon smart speakers.
ScienceDigital TrendsHow the James Webb Space Telescope will look for life around dead stars
When the James Webb telescope launches, it may be able to find indications of life beyond our planet -- even on planets orbiting dead stars called white dwarfs.
BusinessZacksWhy Is Keysight (KEYS) Down 5.6% Since Last Earnings Report?
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TechnologyDigital TrendsGoogle Home vs. Amazon Echo
Google's Home speaker and Amazon Echo are two of the most popular smart speakers on the market. Which smart speaker is right for you?
TechnologyDigital TrendsGiant weights, liquid air, and beyond: How we’ll store energy in the future
In order for the world to transition to clean, renewable energy, we first need more ways to store power. Here's an overview of the best methods.
BusinessAssociated PressQ&A: What does banning TikTok and WeChat mean for users?
The U.S. government is cracking down on the Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat, starting by barring them from app stores on Sunday. President Donald Trump has cited concerns about Chinese government snooping as his administration prepares to follow through on executive orders that could make it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for Americans to use the apps. Trump has also floated a potential way out, at least for TikTok, which on Friday he called an “amazing company” that is “very, very popular.”
TechnologyDigital TrendsiPad Air (4th-gen) vs. Surface Pro 7, Surface Go 2, and Surface Pro X
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TechnologyDigital TrendsThe best digital cameras for 2020
If you're ready to move beyond your smartphone, reach for one of these powerful, versatile dedicated cameras.
EntertainmentDigital TrendsHow to use Roll20
Whether you have a dedicated adventuring party or are looking for a group, Roll20 makes playing and GMing TTRPGs like D&D; and V:TM easy as defeating a flumph.
TechnologyDigital TrendsThe best laptops under $1,000 you can buy right now
Finding a decent laptop is easy, but finding one under $1,000 is tricky. Our picks are here to help you out.
BusinessDigital TrendsWhat to expect from Amazon’s September 2020 event
Amazon's fall hardware is shrouded in mystery.
EntertainmentDigital TrendsFirst major Marvel’s Avengers patch since launch fixes more than 1,000 issues
The first major patch for Marvel's Avengers since its September 4 launch fixes more than 1,000 issues, including in the game's campaign and multiplayer modes.
BusinessDigital TrendsTrump reportedly still wants U.S. government to get paid in proposed TikTok sale
President Donald Trump reportedly spoke to Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison about a possible payment to the U.S. government in the proposed deal to acquire TikTok.
TechnologyDigital TrendsThe best wireless mice for 2020
Whether you're on a budget, want one for gaming, or need ergonomic support, check out our list of the best wireless mice you can get from Logitech and more.
BusinessAFP NewsWeChat, TikTok ban is test for open internet, free expression
The US ban on Chinese-owned apps WeChat and TikTok sets up a pivotal legal challenge on digital free expression with important ramifications for the global internet ecosystem.
PoliticsReutersTikTok files complaint against Trump administration to try to block U.S. ban
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., filed a complaint in a Washington federal court challenging the recent prohibitory moves by the Trump administration. The U.S. Commerce Department announced a ban on Friday blocking people in the United States from downloading Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat and TikTok starting Sept. 20. The ban was being introduced for political reasons, TikTok and ByteDance alleged in their complaint.
BusinessSouth China Morning PostChina-US relations: Beijing condemns Trump ban as WeChat’s US users brace for a life of ‘inconvenience’
Beijing has condemned Washington’s move to target popular Chinese messaging app WeChat alongside its ban on video platform TikTok, which is angering users at home and abroad, and forcing many to look for possible alternatives to communicate with friends and family.The US commerce department on Friday announced the ban – effective from Sunday – on downloads of TikTok and WeChat from American app stores, citing national security concerns.Updates to existing versions of the two apps, as well as money transfers via WeChat – one of its most popular functions – would also be prohibited within the US, the commerce department said.Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.On Saturday China slammed Washington’s ban on the Chinese-owned mobile apps and has vowed to take countermeasures.The US move had “severely disturbed the companies’ normal operations, hurt the confidence of global investors in US markets and undermined the global market order,” the commerce ministry said in a statement. TikTok, WeChat bans starting Sunday will be limited in scope“If the US insists on going its own way, the Chinese side will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese companies,” it said.Soon after the US ban was announced, China’s commerce ministry unveiled a so-called unreliable entities list, granting Chinese authorities far-reaching powers to take action against foreign companies that are deemed “detrimental to Chinese national security and interests”.Tencent, the owner of WeChat, said in a statement it was reviewing the US decision and would continue communicating with the US government.“WeChat was designed to serve international users outside mainland China and has always incorporated the highest standards of user privacy and data security,” a spokesman for the company said on Friday.Data analytics firms Sensor Tower estimates that WeChat has been downloaded by 1.1 million first-time users in the US so far this year, down 31 per cent from 1.6 million during the same period last year. Trump isn’t giving WeChat an easier ride, but you’d be forgiven for thinking soThe immediate impact of the WeChat ban on US users will not be dramatic.“If you download WeChat after Sunday you can‘t update it. And if you buy a new phone, you cannot download it,” said Cameron Johnson, an adjunct faculty instructor at New York University and partner at consultancy Tidal Wave Solution.“But when we talk about a couple of months out … beginning of 2021, if people want to change phones, if they want to do different things, it‘s really going to start to have an affect,” he said.For overseas users of WeChat, predominantly Chinese or Westerners with Chinese friends or business connections, the ban is more of an inconvenience, but they also see it as an overreaction by the Trump Administration.Kalos Chu, a junior student and president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Chinese Students Association, is a US citizen along with his mother who lives in San Diego. They both rely on WeChat to talk to the rest of the family in Chongqing.“I think it’s just an added barrier … not impossible but it’s inconvenient,” Chu said. “Imagine if Facebook Messenger just stopped working in America. Sure, people would be able to talk. Someone would come up with something else [and] you would move to another platform. It would just be extremely inconvenient.”Jizhen Lin, a data scientist working in Silicon Valley, uses WeChat to communicate with his elderly parents in China.“I’m still trying to downplay the impact of the ban for my parents because I don’t want them to worry too much,” he said. “I guess the app will still be functionable for some time at least, and if it’s completely shut down in the future, we will turn to FaceTime and iMessage as our plan B.”To skirt the ban, some users are considering shifting to a non-US Apple ID, which would allow downloads of the app and its updates, in much the same way that they use VPNs to download apps removed from China‘s app store. Yandex, a Russian equivalent of the Google Play Store, could also be an option for alternative downloads.“Android-based smartphone users could circumvent the ban by manually installing apps,” said Chen Mulong, a Beijing-based computer engineer with experience in developing Android-based mobile systems.In its own possible workaround, Tencent has changed the name of its WeChat Work office collaboration app to WeCom, Reuters reported on Friday. The WeCom trademark was registered on August 19, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.On popular Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, the US bans drew widespread condemnation and scorn from netizens, with some suggesting that American companies such as Apple should be a target for countermeasures.Meanwhile ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, filed a second complaint with the US Federal Court in Washington DC on Friday night. It challenged the Commerce Department‘s implementation of US President Donald Trump’s August 6 executive order on TikTok, saying the president exceeded his authority and did so for political reasons rather than to stop an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the US, as the law requires.TikTok also said the Commerce Department ban violated its First Amendment free-speech rights. In August ByteDance filed its first lawsuit, saying the ban deprived it of due process.A total ban on the use of TikTok is set to take effect on November 12, although US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business Network on Friday that access to the app might be allowed after necessary safeguards were put into place.Additional reporting by Josh Ye and Karen ChiuMore from South China Morning Post: * TikTok, WeChat bans starting Sunday will be limited in scope * Mike Pompeo and top EU diplomat to discuss ‘increasing shared concerns about China’ * China’s Tencent rebrands WeChat work app ahead of US banThis article China-US relations: Beijing condemns Trump ban as WeChat’s US users brace for a life of ‘inconvenience’ first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020.
TechnologyDigital TrendsThese are the best cheap Samsung Galaxy Note 20 deals for September 2020
Here's all you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, along with the best deals.
BusinessDigital TrendsBest Prime Day Amazon Echo deals 2020: What to expect
Because Amazon runs Prime Day 2020, we can expect the best deals of the year on Echo devices in October.
LifestyleDigital TrendsBest Prime Day Apple Deals 2020: What to expect
This year's Prime Day Apple deals are already rolling in, but act fast -- bargains like these don't last long.
TechnologyDigital TrendsThese are the best cheap gaming PC deals for September 2020
There's a lot to consider before buying a gaming computer. We're here to help.
LifestyleDigital TrendsBest Prime Day drone deals 2020: What to expect
We’re expecting some extraordinary deals on drones that you can take advantage of even before Prime Day hits.
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