Facebook’s only fact-checker for Dutch news quits over political ad controversy

Yesterday, the Dutch digital newspaper, NU.nl, which was Facebook’s only partner, cut ties with the social network and published a blog post, written by Gert-Jaap Heokman, NU.nl’s editor-in-chief, questioning: “What is the point of fighting fake news if you are not allowed to tackle politicians?” The tech giant is currently operating without a third-party fact-checking service in the Netherlands over the continued dispute of allowing political ads to contain misinformation. However, Facebook insists it’s not an “appropriate role for us to referee political debates and prevent a politician’s speech from reaching its audience and being subject to public debate and…

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Our DNA can now prove how (un)intelligent we are

It’s well known that some areas of the UK are poorer than others. These include Wales and northern Britain, which used to be coal-mining areas. Now we have discovered that these regional economic inequalities are in line with regional differences in DNA as well – with people becoming increasingly clustered by certain types of genetics. Genetic clustering has existed in all past societies. People have typically been relatively genetically similar to others nearby. But most of this was because of limited mobility. Before motorized transport, most people married and had children with someone else near to them. Combined with the…

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Satoshi Nakaboto: ‘Bitcoin ATMs installed at largest US shopping malls in time for Black Friday and Christmas’

Our robot colleague Satoshi Nakaboto writes about Bitcoin every fucking day. Welcome to another edition of Bitcoin Today, where I, Satoshi Nakaboto, tell you what’s been going on with Bitcoin in the past 24 hours. As Hannah Arendt used to say: Your imagination is the only tool in the book! Bitcoin Price We closed the day, November 26 2019, at a price of $7,218. That’s a minor 1.02 percent increase in 24 hours, or $73. It was the highest closing price in two days. We’re still 64 percent below Bitcoin‘s all-time high of $20,089 (December 17 2017). Bitcoin market cap…

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Hackers steal $48.7M in Ethereum from South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit has reported that hackers have ransacked its Ethereum “hot wallet,” stealing 342,000 ETH — a cryptocurrency stash worth $48.7 million. The attack was confirmed in a statement posted to the cryptocurrency exchange’s website by Upbit’s CEO Lee Seok-woo earlier today. “At 1:06 PM on November 27, 2019, 342,000 ETH (approximately 58 billion won) were transferred from the Upbeat Ethereum Hot Wallet to an unknown wallet,” the statement reads, before providing the apparent hacker‘s wallet address. At pixel time, the hacker‘s wallet still contains all of the stolen Ethereum. Upbit says it will fund the replacement of…

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Facebook allegedly blocked personal accounts of WhatsApp spyware maker’s employees

On Tuesday, eight employees from the Israel-based security company, NSOGroup, filed a lawsuit against Facebook in the Tel Aviv district court for blocking their accounts. The company said this was an independent action and it doesn’t concern its ongoing tussle with the social media giant regarding Pegasus spyware used to exploit WhatsApp. According to the lawsuit, on October 29, the social network blocked 100 Facebook and Instagram accounts. Many amongst them belonged to current and former employees of NSO Group and their family members. A statement released by representatives of these employees said Facebook‘s action is harmful and unjust. Blocking our…

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Google Philippines names Bernadette Nacario as new Country Director

Google announced that Bernadette Nacario is the new Country Director for its Philippine headquarters.

Bernadette Nacario, Country Manager of Google Philippines

Meet the new Country Director of Google Philippines

Ms. Nacario served as the Country Manager for Systems of IBM Philippines, and Apple Philippines and Guam before joining Google.

She is a tenured veteran in the IT industry with an extensive background in General Management, Sales, Marketing, and Channel Management. She also held leadership positions for other known IT brands such as HP, Microsoft, and Siemens.

With her new position, Ms. Nacario is going to manage the company's day-to-day operations and develop an overall growth strategy to help the business. She will be closely working with the sales leadership team in setting objectives and priorities as well as maintain Google's culture within teams.

Ms. Nacario will report directly to the Managing Director for Google SEA, Stephanie Davis. 

Ms. Davis sees that Ms. Nacario's background and experience as a tech and business leader will prove to be beneficial for Google.

What do you guys think?

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Microsoft reveals how it caught mutating Monero mining malware with machine learning

Microsoft‘s antivirus and malware division recently opened the bonnet on a malicious mutating cryptocurrency miner. The Washington-based big tech firm revealed how machine learning was crucial in putting a stop to it spreading further. According to the Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection team, a new malware dubbed Dexphot has been infecting computers since last year, but since June 2019 has been burning out thanks to machine learning. Dexphot used a number of techniques such as encryption, obfuscation layers, and randomized files names, to disguise itself and hijack legitimate systems. If successful, the malware would run a cryptocurrency miner on the…

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Sale Alert: OPPO cuts A9 2020 price, announces Christmas promo!

Just in time for the season of giving, Christmas, OPPO Philippines has dropped the price of the A9 2020.

A9 2020

OPPO Christmas promo!

From PHP 15,990, the OPPO A9 2020 in Marine Green and Space Purple is now priced at just PHP 13,990.

PHP 13,990

OPPO has also given the F series up to 30 percent off. The devices included in the sale are F3, F3 Plus, F5, F5 Youth, F7, F7 Youth, F9, F11, and F11 Pro.

OPPO Christmas promo!

The price drops will be available in all OPPO stores and e-commerce partners such as Shopee, Lazada, and Akulaku from November 29.

Moreover, OPPO said that they will raffle a wide array of exciting prizes along with freebies up for grabs.

From November 23 to December 28, those who will purchase an OPPO smartphone worth PH P7,000 and above can get a chance to win raffle prizes. 

On December 7, OPPO will also hold a star-studded Christmas Roadshown with celebrities, activities, and games open to all at the Glorietta 2 Activity Center.

In addition, OPPO will be running a one day sale on December 7 where you can get up to 40 percent discount on selected OPPO smartphones and special gifts as additional freebies.

What do you guys think?

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Xiaomi Philippines reveals Christmas 2019 brochure

In time for the holiday season, Xiaomi has revealed its 2019 Christmas Brochure showing what the Mi Stores has to offer.

Xiaomi Christmas 2019 Brochure

Xiaomi Christmas 2019 brochure

Something to offer for everyone

There are three products highlighted at the front of the brochure namely the Mi TV UHD 43-inch 4K AI Smart TV, the Mi Note 10 with a 108MP penta camera setup, and the Mi Air Purifier Max.

In terms of mobiles and laptops, the notable devices listed were the Xiaomi Mi 9, Mi 9 SE, Mi 9T, and Mi 9T Pro. In addition, the Redmi Note 8 Pro, and Redmi Note 8 will also be in stock this holiday season as well. Redmi 8 and Redmi 7 are also available along with the older Redmi 6. The Mi Notebook Air 13.3 Fingerprint Edition will also be in stock for those looking for a laptop under PHP 50K.

For accessories, Mi True Wireless Earphones are highlighted for PHP 3,490. The Mi True Wireless Earbuds is listed as well for PHP 1,995.

For wearables, the Mi Smart Band 4 is listed for PHP 1,695 along with the Amazfit smartwatches.

For those looking for some outdoor fun, there is the Mi Ninebot Go Kart Kit for PHP 29,995, Mi QiCYCLE Electric Bike for PHP 29,951 and the Mi Electric Scooter Pro for PHP 23,990.

For the travelers, the Mi Luggage set of 3 is offered for PHP 10,495 that includes a 20-inch, 24-inch, and 28-inch variant as well as a Mi Minimalist Backpack for PHP 1,299.

The Mi TV UHD 43-inch 4K Smart TV is priced at PHP 17,990. In addition to home appliance, there's the Mi Robot Vacuum priced at PHP 15,490, Mi WiFi Repeater Pro for PHP 599, and Mi Home 360-degree Security Camera for PHP 1,990.

There is a lot more in offer this Christmas season. To take advantage of this, you can check out the authorized Mi stores near you.

What do you guys think?

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HONOR 9X Unboxing and First Impressions

The global version of the HONOR 9X has officially arrived in the country and it is looking to be a promising camera-focused phone for the price.

Meet HONOR 9X

While it doesn't have 7nm Kirin 810 chip from the China 9X, the global 9X sports 3 cameras at the back, not just two. To recall, the 9X in China only has two back cameras.

So, what we have here is a totally different version of the 9X. Read our first impressions.

Unboxing/Accessories

What's inside the box

Like most mid-range phones, the HONOR 9X arrived with a white and blue box with the SIM ejector tool, TPU clear flexible case, the phone itself with the pre-installed screen protector, 5V/2A charger, USB-A to USB-C data/charging cable, and paper documents inside.

Build Quality/Design

It comes in Midnight Black and Sapphire Blue colorways

The construction of the handset is similar to its cousin, the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019. It is still using the usual 3D curved glass-like back design, curved polycarbonate (plastic) frame, and the all-screen glass display.

Pop-up goodness

Since it doesn't have a notch to house the selfie cam, HONOR opted for a pop-up camera module.

While the form factor is identical to Y9 Prime 2019, the finish on the 9X is different.

Pop-up on a budget!

In particular, it boasts the stylish Dynamic X Design at the back that reflects different shades of blue in X-like shape at the back. You will find that with the "Sapphire Blue" edition of the phone.

If you want a more classic look, you can always pick the Midnight Black colorway.

Behind, you will also see that it has a slightly protruded camera hump for the triple-cameras. Below it, there's a single LED flash. In the upper-middle portion, you'll see the fingerprint reader.

All-screen view

In front, HONOR highlights that it has over 90 percent of screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its all-screen design. The display that they used is IPS with a 2.5D curved finish. The top and side bezels are really slim while the chin bezel is thicker.

Top

Bottom

On top, you will see that it has a slot for the pop-up camera, a hole for the hybrid dual SIM slot, and a microphone hole.

Below, it has a 3.5mm headphone jack slot, another hole for the other mic, USB-C charging/data port, and a speaker hole.

Left

Right

There's nothing at left and you will find a power button and volume up and down keys at left.

Overall, the 9X is sleek looking for the price. It is a bit hefty at 196.8 grams.

Initial findings

Big display, FHD+ resolution

1. HONOR 9X is one of the most affordable phones in PH equipped with a pop-up camera system. AND, the display that they used is quite nice. We like that it has no notch and the bezels are slim.

2. Inside the device, is powered by the 12nm 2.2GHz 64-bit Kirin 710F octa-core processor with Mali-G51 MP4 GPU and GPU Turbo 3.0 technology to improve gaming. It would have been better if it has the 7nm Kirin 810, but at least it is packed with 6GB RAM and 128GB expandable storage. The battery is rated at 4,000mAh with 10W USB-c charging port./

3. For the software, and to those who are wondering, yes, it has the licensed version of Google Mobile Services. It simply means that it has Google Play and there's no need to manually install it. It uses EMUI 9.1 skin as well which is based on Android Pie OS.

4. At the back, it has 3 cameras, not 2 cameras version the China HONOR 9X with Kirin 810. AND it is packed with a 48MP f/1.8 Sony IMX582 sensor which is almost as good as the flagship Sony IMX586. It is paired with an 8MP f/2.4 120-degree ultra wide-angle and a 2MP f/2.4 depth with LED flash.

For selfies, it goes with a 16MP f/2.2 snapper.

The phone also has AIS Super Night Mode, ultra-wide Distortion Correction, and AI Video Stabilization.

Note: Camera samples soon!

5. At the back, the device has a speedy fingerprint reader. It also has an AI-assisted face unlock. The device is complete with WiFi, 4G LTE, 

HONOR 9X Specs

Display: 6.59-inch 2.5D curved IPS screen w/ FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution at 403 ppi

CPU: 2.2GHz 64-bit Kirin 710F octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G51 MP4 w/ GPU Turbo 3.0

RAM: 6GB

ROM: 64GB/128GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 512GB

Back Camera: 48MP f/1.8 Sony IMX582 + 8MP f/2.4 120-degree ultra wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 depth w/ LED flash

Selfie Camera: 16MP f/2.2

Battery: 4,000mAh w/ 10W charging

OS: Android 9.0 Pie w/ EMUI 9.1

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, BLE, HWA, aptX, and aptX HD, FM Radio, OTG, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure

Others: Fingerprint sensor, USB-C, Colors: sapphire blue, midnight black

Dimensions: 163.5 x 77.3 x 8.8 mm

Weight: 196.8 g

Price: PHP 12,490

As of the moment

At PHP 12,490, I like that the HONOR 9X has a 48MP triple-cam setup, 16MP pop-up camera, and an all-screen display for less.

Though it would have been better if it has a speedier chip, at least it has 6GB RAM, 128GB expandable storage, and a 4,000mAh battery capacity with USB-C reversible charging port.

For a camera-focused phone, we think that HONOR 9X looks promising so far.

What do you guys think?

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Xiaomi Mi Rabbit Children's Watch 2S announced

Xiaomi has just introduced a new smartwatch designed for kids, the Mi Rabbit Children's Watch 2S.

Mi Rabbit Children's Watch 2S

Smartwatch for kids

It is a basic smartwatch with a squarish plastic body in Red and Blue colors and an IPX8 water-resistant rating. In front, it uses a 1.3-inch IPS screen size with a 240 x 240 resolution.

Colors of Mi Rabbit Children's Watch 2S

The watch also has 600mAh battery with up to 7 days battery life, WiFi, GPS, single loudspeaker, and a nano-SIM slot for cellular connection. It weighs at just 44 grams as well.

Basically, since it is a kids-focused produced, it has AI real-time positioning to accurately indicate the location of the user even in indoor settings. It also has the ability to stay silent which only allows SOS messages and time checking.

Xiaomi also added the  XiaoAI classmate AI assistant designed to help you answer several questions, music playback, and more. It even supports an Encyclopedic reply.

In China, it is priced at just CNY 199 or around PHP 1.4K out of direct conversion. There's no word yet about its international date of availability.

Source: GizChina

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HONOR MagicBook to go official in PH early next year

At the 9X and 20 Lite launch event yesterday, HONOR announced that it will soon launch the MagicBook in the country early next year.

MagicBook

HONOR's own laptop is coming as well!

To recall, HONOR MagicBook is a MacBook-like Windows laptop with a solid aluminum frame and a screen size of 14 to 16 inches and FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Inside, it is powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU, 2GB GDDR5 VRAM, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 256GB SDD, and 57.4WHr battery.

Ports

The MagicBook also has a fingerprint reader, 3.5mm headphone jack slot, Dolby Atmos audio, 2x USB-A, and 1x HDMI port. It runs with Windows 10 OS.

The keyboard with pop-up web cam

It also has a special backlit keyboard with a clever pop-up web camera like the MateBook X.

There's no word about its SRP yet. But HONOR said that they target to bring it in PH by early next year.

Stay tuned for more info! What do you guys think?

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Vivo Z5i with SD675 and 8GB RAM now official

In China, Vivo today has released the Z5i. It's basically like a U3, but with more memory.

Vivo Z5i

Vivo Z5i highlights

Vivo Z5i arrived in Onion Blue and Glazing Black colorways and it has a 6.53-inch IPS display with FHD+ resolution and a tiny halo notch to house the selfie camera.

Inside, it is powered by the 11nm Snapdragon 675 chipset with Adreno 612 GPU paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB expandable storage via microSD card slot. To recall, U3 only has up to 6GB RAM.

It also has a large 5,000mAh battery capacity with 18W fast charging support. 

For the cameras, it goes with a 16MP + 8MP + 2MP triple-camera setup with an ultra-wide mode. The notch in front houses a 16MP f/2.0 shooter.

The device also has face unlock, a fingerprint reader, 4G LTE, and FuntouchOS 9.2 skin based on Android 9.0 Pie OS.

It retails at CNY 1,798 (around PHP 13K out of straight conversion) in China.

There's no word when will it go official in the Philippines yet.

Source: Playfuldroid!

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The secret sauce of collaboration

Let’s face it, the world is full of huge problems, and big challenges require matching interwoven ambitious solutions. Cooperation is the cornerstone upon which great achievements are built, and that starts with people who can identify and build bridges between stakeholders, enabling collaboration across disparate organizations. The 5G Open Innovation Lab, for example, is a new technology hub built in partnership with T-Mobile, the University of Washington and the City of Bellevue, Wash, will connect 5G startups with investors and technology labs to test their products. Backed by big names like Intel and NASA, it will fund startups in health care,…

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