Review board says Dyson should cease unsubstantiated vacuum claims
Review board says Dyson should cease unsubstantiated vacuum claims
The National Advertising Review Board recommended Dyson make three changes to claims about suction power, running time, and battery technology for its V8 cordless vacuums. Dyson agreed to the recommendations, following an appeal to more rigorous change recommendations by the National Advertising Division.
OnePlus breaks into the top five among U.S. smartphone companies
OnePlus breaks into the top five among U.S. smartphone companies
OnePlus finished its best year yet by breaking into the top five smartphone companies in the U.S. in terms of market share in the $500-plus category. Spurred on by sales of the excellent OnePlus 6 and 6T, alongside a partnership with T-Mobile, and fresh support for Verizon, OnePlus is riding high.
YouTube beats Apple, Netflix as the most trusted brand by millennials
YouTube beats Apple, Netflix as the most trusted brand by millennials
A study done by the firm Mblm finds that YouTube is now the most trusted brands amongst millennials for the first time. The popular video sharing website climbed up in the annual study, moving up from third place in 2018 and coming ahead of both Apple and Netflix in final 2019 rankings.
Uber’s bikesharing service is eating into its regular business
Uber’s bikesharing service is eating into its regular business
A bikesharing service acquired by Uber nearly a year ago is causing riders to take fewer car journeys with the company. It is, however, part of the plan as Uber looks to offer an urban mobility platform that offers an array of integrated transportation options via the Uber app.
Amazon has another shot at a live shopping channel like QVC
Amazon has another shot at a live shopping channel like QVC
Amazon is having another shot at a QVC-style shopping channel featuring slick shows produced in-house, as well as presentations posted by brands. Viewers can interact with presenters during a live-stream, while a carousel below the video highlights the product being talked about.
National Enquirer responds to Jeff Bezos’ blackmail claims in nude photo scandal
National Enquirer responds to Jeff Bezos’ blackmail claims in nude photo scandal
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos claims The National Enquirer had blackmailed him into dropping an investigation. After details of Bezos' affair were published, Bezos wanted to know if the story was politically motivated. The tabloid tried to tie Bezos' hands by threatening to publish his nude photos.
Self-driving startup Aurora attracts major Amazon investment
Self-driving startup Aurora attracts major Amazon investment
Amazon is showing a growing interest in autonomous tech, having recently taken part in a $530 million funding round for Silicon Valley-based self-driving startup Aurora Innovation. Aurora was founded in 2016 by contributors to driverless-car projects run by Google (now Waymo) and Uber, among others.
Mozilla exec calls on Congress to restore 2015 net neutrality protections
Mozilla exec calls on Congress to restore 2015 net neutrality protections
To restore net neutrality protections, Mozilla COO Denelle Dixon argued that Congress needs to bring back at least the same protections granted by the 2015 order. Dixon argued that net neutrality is needed to help small businesses flourish, and an internet without gatekeepers is the best way to do that.
Twitter users are declining but more people are seeing ads every day
Twitter users are declining but more people are seeing ads every day
Twitter's end-of-the-year report for 2018 is a mix of good and bad news. The good news is that more users are seeing adds daily, the metric the company will focus on moving forward. But the bad news is that monthly active users are declining. Twitter also posted a healthy profit, according to the report.
FaceTime bug: Lawmakers demand answers from Apple’s CEO
FaceTime bug: Lawmakers demand answers from Apple’s CEO
A House of Representatives committee is demanding answers from Apple regarding the recently discovered FaceTime bug, describing it as a "significant privacy violation." The vulnerability, which let FaceTime users eavesdrop on the person they were calling, was discovered at the end of last month.
Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts is leaving after five years in the job
Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts is leaving after five years in the job
Apple's retail chief is leaving the company in April after five years in the job. Angela Ahrendts joined Apple from Burberry to become the company's highest paid executive. She will be replaced by Apple's human resources boss, Deirdre O'Brien, who has been at the tech company for 30 years.
J.C. Penney will no longer sell appliances or furniture in its stores
J.C. Penney will no longer sell appliances or furniture in its stores
J.C. Penney is removing appliances from its stores and switching furniture sales to online-only purchases in order to make better use of floor space and improve the customer experience. By utilizing the advantages department stores have over online shopping, J.C. Penney aims to increase profitability.
Consumer Reports pulls its Dyson stick vacuum recommendation
Consumer Reports pulls its Dyson stick vacuum recommendation
Consumer Reports has removed all Dyson stick vacuum cleaners from its Recommended products list due to reliability problems. In a recent consumer survey, the consumer product testing group found nearly half of Dyson stick vacs break within five years. Consumer Reports changed the ratings from Recommended to Very Good.
Spotify buys two podcast companies, and plans to spend even more
Spotify buys two podcast companies, and plans to spend even more
Spotify purchased Gimlet Media, the startup behind Reply All and the Homecoming podcast that Amazon turned into a show, for over $200 million. It has also picked up Anchor, making the streaming music company the second largest podcast platform behind Apple.
YouTube boss admits even her own kids gave the ‘Rewind’ video a thumbs down
YouTube boss admits even her own kids gave the ‘Rewind’ video a thumbs down
YouTube's annual "Rewind" video is supposed to be a celebration of “the videos, people, music, and moments” that define the given year, but last year's ended up becoming the most disliked video on the service. And now YouTube's CEO has admitted that even her own kids thought it was pretty darn awful.
Tesla buys a company that could help make the next breakthrough in batteries
Tesla buys a company that could help make the next breakthrough in batteries
Tesla purchased a company named Maxwell Technologies that specializes in battery tech and capacitor technology. Tesla co-founder Elon Musk is a big fan of capacitors because they store and release energy much faster than a conventional battery pack. We could one day see this tech in Tesla's cars.
American consumers think Apple is leading the way in 5G — but it’s not
American consumers think Apple is leading the way in 5G — but it’s not
While the likes of Samsung and Huawei are expected to unveil 5G smartphones this year, Apple will most likely lag behind and finally launch a 5G iPhone in 2020. Despite that, most American consumers seem to think that Apple is a leader in the world of 5G, according to a recent survey.
All U.S. 2020 Toyotas will have a trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio
All U.S. 2020 Toyotas will have a trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio
This fall, with the introduction of the 2020 model year vehicles, all Toyotas sold in the continental U.S. will include SiriusXM satellite radio installed, SiriusXM and Toyota announced in a press release. A free three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM All Access will be standard.
Nasty FaceTime bug lets you hear call recipients before they’ve answered
Nasty FaceTime bug lets you hear call recipients before they’ve answered
A FaceTime bug lets you listen to the audio of the person you're calling before they've even answered. Besides the obvious privacy concerns, the issue could lead to awkward situations if anyone tries to replicate the bug and the recipient utters something untoward when their name flashes on the display.
Visible’s unlimited everything service is coming to Android
Visible’s unlimited everything service is coming to Android
There's a new mobile service provider on the block, and it's being backed by a player with plenty of experience. Visible is a new startup from Verizon that offers super-low-cost service that is also unlimited. Folks in the U.S. can get unlimited data, messages, and minutes for just $40 a month.
With merger complete, SiriusXM tries to figure out what to do with Pandora
With merger complete, SiriusXM tries to figure out what to do with Pandora
The merger between SiriusXM and Pandora, which has been in the works since September of 2018, is now complete. This means that 2019 will be the year that the combined entity will have to figure out how to make the most of the two audiences. Here's how it plans to do it.
Walgreens’ smart fridges scan your face and remember your behavior
Walgreens’ smart fridges scan your face and remember your behavior
Walgreens smart fridges will scan your face and remember your behavior in select stores piloting a retail technology called Cooler Screens. The first smart coolers were installed in a Walgreens in Chicago on January 14. The next two cities in the pilot program are New York and San Francisco.
DirecTV Now sheds more than 250,000 subscribers in a single quarter
DirecTV Now sheds more than 250,000 subscribers in a single quarter
DirecTV Now's parent company, AT&T, released its subscriber numbers for the fourth quarter of 2018, and the news isn't good. The streaming service has seen a loss of more than a quarter of a million subscribers, raising questions about its ability to compete in the new world of over-the-air services.
Facebook plans ‘major improvements’ as platforms grow to 2.7 billion users
Facebook plans ‘major improvements’ as platforms grow to 2.7 billion users
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger now have an estimated 2.7 billion users -- and Facebook is making big plans. During the end of year conference call to investors, CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the company's plans for expansion in 2019, including new 'major' features.
Lowe’s is shutting down its Iris smart home platform, offering customers refunds
Lowe’s is shutting down its Iris smart home platform, offering customers refunds
Lowe's sent an email to Iris Smart Home Platform customers announcing it will shut down the platform and related services effective March 31, 2019. Iris customers can redeem Iris products for prepaid Visa cards but only via an online Redemption link included in the email.
HMD’s Nokia phones arrive on Verizon and Cricket, without Google’s Android One
HMD’s Nokia phones arrive on Verizon and Cricket, without Google’s Android One
HMD Global is ramping up its presence in North America for its Nokia phones, and that starts with three key carrier partnerships. The Nokia 2V is coming to Verizon, the Nokia 3.1 Plus to Cricket Wireless, and Rogers gets the Nokia 2.1. But what happens to the Android One program?
In 2018, smartphone sales stopped growing annually for the first time
In 2018, smartphone sales stopped growing annually for the first time
Two data analysis companies have said that in 2018, the smartphone market declined for the first time, meaning we all bought fewer smartphones than in 2017. The drop over 2017 may not sound substantial, but with the numbers involved, it's more significant than you may think. What will happen this year?
Tesla: Model Y to share 75 percent of its parts with Model 3, coming in 2020
Tesla: Model Y to share 75 percent of its parts with Model 3, coming in 2020
Tesla boss Elon Musk on Wednesday confirmed the Model Y crossover is expected to arrive in 2020, with the vehicle sharing about 75 percent of its parts with the Model 3. He said the Model Y is likely to be made at its massive Gigafactory 1 facility in Nevada. The tentative unveil date is March, 2019.
Microsoft blames constrained chip supplies for PC market slowdown
Microsoft blames constrained chip supplies for PC market slowdown
Microsoft's earnings report gave us some interesting insight into the state of the PC market. Microsoft attributed the slowdown in the market due to constrained inventory of chips, but the Surface line experienced a huge 39 percent growth rate. Could it be that Surface is cannibalizing sales from OEM partners?
Apple Music subscribers can listen and watch for free on American Airlines
Apple Music subscribers can listen and watch for free on American Airlines
An Apple Music subscription is a great way to listen to your tunes when on Wi-Fi or if you have a generous data plan. But on a plane? Forget about it. That is unless you fly domestically with American Airlines. Apple Music access will be free for subscribers starting February 1.
Earny helps rebook rooms at lower rates and lets you shop multiple travel sites
Earny helps rebook rooms at lower rates and lets you shop multiple travel sites
Earny isn't just for cash back on retail purchases anymore. Earny Hotels will monitor rates and send an alert to rebook at a lower rate if one is found ahead of your stay. The company says users can save an average of $75 per stay when using the Earny app for travel accommodations.
Apple boss hints at lower iPhone prices to fight falling sales
Apple boss hints at lower iPhone prices to fight falling sales
Apple boss Tim Cook said the company could lower iPhone prices in some markets in a bid to boost sales. The news comes as Apple released data on Tuesday showing a rare year-on-year decline in iPhone revenue. Cook cited factors such a strong dollar and pressures on the global economy.
U.S. government files criminal charges against China’s Huawei
U.S. government files criminal charges against China’s Huawei
After months of tensions, the U.S. government has officially filed charges against Huawei for counts of bank fraud, theft of technology from T-Mobile, and more. Specifically, many of the charges seem to be against Huawei CFO Meng Whanzou, who is being held in Canada.
Apple reportedly takes on Microsoft with its own ‘Netflix for games’
Apple reportedly takes on Microsoft with its own ‘Netflix for games’
Apple is reportedly in the early stages of developing its own subscription service "Netflix for games" and it will apparently be courting developers to work with the company as a publisher. Google and Microsoft already have announced their own game streaming services, with Google even offering a technical test.