Business Articles

Google faces a penalty of €50 million for lack of transparency. (Source: Smart Money Press)

French regulatory body fines Google €50 million for GDPR violations

The Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) has imposed a fine of €50 million (~US$56.8 million) on Google for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The huge penalty has been justified by t...

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 flagship production in India might cease

Samsung might stop making flagships in India

A few recent bad decisions by the Indian government might force Samsung to stop the local manufacturing of Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9 flagships. Even worse, the company might drop its plans to increase the exports of mobile phone...

FHD, Touchscreen, WQHD or HDR? | The best display for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon – All panels in comparison

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is one of the best business Ultrabooks you can buy. Lenovo offers a total of four different displays for its flagship device, and we test...
Intel Core i7-8550U | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | 14" | 1.1 kg

Smartwatches and smart bands are set to continue to enjoy market growth in the next decade. (Source: Fitt Insider)

The global wearables market could attain up to US$22 billion by 2025

A new report on the worldwide wearable device market by Allied Market Research indicates that its value could grow to US$31 billion in the next 6 years. This is likely to be driven by the increasing uptake of its products in the h...

Xiaomi retail store, Xiaomi coming to Africa in 2019

Xiaomi ready to launch a dedicated African department

Although Xiaomi is present in most African markets via third-party distributors, the Chinese brand is now ready to take a more direct approach by launching a dedicated department for this part of the world. Xiaomi's African Region...

Huawei may face greater challenges in the future, according to its CEO. (Source: Huawei)

Huawei corporate email about possible future downsizing circulated online

Ren Zhengfei, the CEO of Huawei, has written an email warning his colleagues of the possibility of "hard times" in the future. They may include reductions in the size of the company's various regional subsidiaries. These comments ...

Samsung Exynos 7904 SoC for the Indian market (Source: Samsung Global Newsroom)

The new Samsung Exynos 7904 processor is aimed at the Indian market

The Exynos 7 Series 7904 is a new mobile processor by Samsung Electronics that aims to bring high-end features to the mid-range sector of the market. This chip was customized for the needs of the Indian consumer and sports support...

Verizon customers will get more free features starting in March, spam and robocalling protection in the list

Verizon customers get spam and robocalling protection for free

Although some customers received protection from spam and robocalling in the past, now Verizon is ready to provide these useful security features to all its customers. These two treats will be offered for free starting in March, r...

2018's MWC delivered, and we can't wait for this year's iteration.

Smartphone releases we are looking forward to in 2019

In a world where some believe innovation in the smartphone industry to have plateaued, 2018 managed to give us a number of brilliant smartphones. Here we take a close look at the devices we just cannot wait to see in 2019, with a ...

A reversal in fortunes could be on the cards for Apple Inc. (Source: The Mac Observer)

Apple strikes back at the stock market; Amazon tops Microsoft

Apple’s stock price has been experiencing an upturn over the last couple of weeks. After reaching a 52-week low of US$142, the Apple empire struck back, and the latest price for the Cupertino company currently stands at US$156.82....

The device is codenamed "Alpha". (Source: OnLeaks)

Purported LG G8 renders surface and are promptly debunked by LG

Popular tipster OnLeaks revealed renders of what was said to be the upcoming LG G8. LG has come out to deny those claims, however, and it's a lot more likely that those images are of another premium LG phone.

Jensen Huang attended a private Q&A session at CES 2019 and VentureBeat had a few burning questions prepared for the CEO. (Source: VentureBeat)

Nvidia CEO informs that the GTX 10xx GPU inventories are almost dried up

Jensen Huang is trying to divert attention from stock prices and investor troubles with an optimistic outlook over the inventory troubles that the green team has been having since early 2H 2018. Nvidia's CEO was happy to announce ...

The wireless charging market may experience decent growth over the next few years. (Source: Adafruit Industries)

Wireless charging market set to be worth approximately U$21 billion by 2023

The worldwide market for wireless charging products was worth just over US$2 billion in 2017. However, this figure is projected to grow by about $19 billion in the next 4 years. The market research group BIS Research concludes tha...

The Xperia XZ4 should still see the light of day. (Source: OnLeaks/MySmartPrice)

Could Sony Mobile's business spell doom for the Xperia XZ4? Probably not

It has been reported that Sony Mobile is considering departing several key markets in the Middle East and Southeast Asian regions. The telecommunications arm of the Japanese tech giant has struggled to keep up with rivals such as ...

The AMD Radeon VII will feature 16 GB of super-fast HBM2 memory. (Source: AMD)

AMD releases statement countering rumored limited availability of the Radeon VII

AMD has issued a statement in regard to the recent rumor that only 5,000 Radeon VII GPUs were going to be made available for sale at release time. However, the statement has not explicitly confirmed or refuted the claim of a limit...

Fossil's smartwatches featuring Wear OS also utilize Google Assistant. (Source: Fossil)

Google coughs up US$40 million to acquire some of Fossil's smartwatch technology

Fossil Group has issued a press release to announce a US$40 million deal with Google. The search engine giant will be purchasing intellectual property (IP) from the well-known American designer label in regard to smartwatch techno...

The Apple Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS Max. (Source: Apple)

Apple has discreetly launched its new Smart Battery Case line-up

Apple has posted sales pages for new Smart Battery Cases. These products have been designed for the iPhone XS, XS Max or XR, and are available in white or black. Apple claims that they can deliver up to 9 hours of additional activ...

Renders of the Samsung Galaxy S10+. (Source: OnLeaks)

The Samsung Galaxy S10 phones will feature Samsung's traditional slow fast-charge

A few weeks ago, a leak rumored that the S10 phones could feature new fast-charging technology. New information, however, indicates that the reality of the matter could be different, and S10 owner may have to put up with Samsung's...

Redmi Note 7 Pro: 48 MP Sony IMX586, Snapdragon 675, US$200

Xiaomi is set to build on the success of the Redmi Note 7 with an improved, more powerful Pro version. The Redmi Note 7 Pro is said to feature Sony's 48 MP IMX586 sensor and the new Snapdragon 675. Prices could start at just over ...

YouTube pranksters have been blindly following Sandra Bullock's character's predicament in Bird Box. (Source: Bluegrass/Netflix)

Dangerous challenges and pranks join porn and hate speech on YouTube's banned list

YouTube has amended its policies in regard to content that depicts dangerous challenges and pranks. Videos that encourage or show activities that could lead to physical harm, make people think they are in danger, or show pranks th...

The legendary Motorola Razr to get a modern smart/foldable successor on Verizon in 2019

The foldable Motorola Razr could hit Verizon later this year carrying a US$1,500 price tag

The Moto Razr 2019 seems to be ready to take on the mobile world by storm with its foldable display and other new technologies. The only problem could be the value this handset can provide, as it is expected to hit Verizon with a ...

Unpleasant surprise: Core i5 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet 25% faster than i7-SKU!

Even we at Notebookcheck are sometimes surprised by test samples. The entry-level CPU of the ThinkPad X1 Tablet is about 25% faster than the more expensive Core i7 under sustained workloads. How is that possible?

Many Netflix customers will see price hikes over the next quarter. (Source: Netflix)

Netflix will increase its prices to customers paying in USD over the next few months

Netflix has announced plans to inflate its prices by up to 18%. However, this will only affect new and existing customers who use US dollars to pay for their subscriptions. This move resulted in a 6.5% increase in its stock price ...

The latest form of iPod Touch. (Source: Apple)

iPod Touch will be resurrected for 2019 with USB type C: new rumor

Apple has not refreshed or updated the iPod Touch since 2015. That year saw the 6th generation of the device, which was not heard of much since. However, that fact did not stop a Japanese outlet posting claims that a supplier had ...

AMD is citing infringements that specifically involve the Helio P10 SoC from MediaTek. (Source: MediaTek)

AMD initiates lawsuit against MediaTek for illegal use of graphics technologies

MediaTek's Helio P10 SoC is allegedly infringing on graphics technologies developed by AMD. The complaints were filed with the ITC as early as 2017, but the two companies apparently were not able to reach any agreement out of cour...

According to new rumors, the new Radeon VII will have a very short run. (Source: AMD)

AMD will make only about 5000 units of the Radeon VII: new leak

AMD could make 5000 - or less - Radeon VII GPUs for sale for their February release, according to sources cited in a new TweakTown report. This may be because the new 7nm cards are Radeon Instinct cut-downs. In addition, this repo...

The new rumored chipset would be part of the Core i9 Extreme familiy. (Source: Intel)

The 4 GHz, 14-core Intel Core i9-9990XE may be available soon, but not for direct sale

Anandtech claims to have obtained access to some materials that indicate Intel is planning to release a new, extremely high-end desktop CPU. This processor, the i9-9990XE, is described as having a base clock of 4.0 GHz, 14 cores, ...

iPhone sales saw a 7% YoY decline in H2 2018. (Source: Gadgetsnow)

TrendForce: Apple expected to decline even further in 2019

Analytics platform has revealed its projected shipment figures for the big players in the smartphone market this year. Samsung and Apple are expected to see declines in sales, while Huawei and Xiaomi could see even more growth.

Details and renders of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy M phones revealed

Samsung is set to unveil its new line of devices, the Galaxy M series. The company is expected to kick off the series with three devices, and specifications and official renders of the devices have surfaced.

The Z5 Pro GT joined a very short list of 2018 slider phones on its debut. (Source: Lenovo)

The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT has had its general release delayed

The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT is a long name to say (or type out), but for the Snapdragon 855, a triple camera and as much as 12GB of RAM it may be worth it. It had been launched in December 2018, with a general release planned for January...

Windows 7 has just one year of free support left, extended support ending January 14, 2020

Windows 7 users, ready up: You got just one year of free support left

Although mainstream support for Windows 7 SP1 ended on January 13, 2015, those still using this operating system have one year of free support and updates ahead. Unfortunately, once the extended support period will end, they have ...

Realme 2 Pro will soon get a successor, the Realme 3, 48 MP handset also in the cards

Realme 3 coming in Q1 2019, 48 MP handset also in the works

The Realme 3 will be announced in the first quarter of 2019 and will probably come without a punch-hole selfie shooter and/or a triple camera setup on the back. The handset should arrive with a dual camera setup and a notch in two...

Huawei Mate 20 Pro flagship, Huawei could beat Apple in 2019

Global production drop could help Huawei to become the world's second largest smartphone maker

Although it might struggle in some markets like India — where it lost the crown to Xiaomi — Samsung remains the leader of the global smartphone market. On the other hand, the smartphone production drop of 3.3 percent expected for ...

Samsung Galaxy M10 leaked image, launch coming late January 2019

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy M series will debut in India at the end of January

Samsung India's online store and Amazon India will be the first to sell the lower-priced Galaxy M handsets, which will debut locally before becoming available worldwide. The Galaxy M lineup will consist of three handsets at launch...

Apple iPhone 8 and XR see price cuts of up to 20 percent in China

Apple cuts iPhone 8 and XR prices in China by 20 percent

Although Apple has recently asked its suppliers to cut the iPhone production by 10 percent in the second quarter, it looks like the brand's handsets are not doing well in China. In an unprecedented move, Apple authorized mid-cycle...

Apple introduced the concept of the AirPower nearly two years ago. (Source: Apple)

Apple AirPower charging pad production may have finally begun

Apple has been teasing the release of the AirPower since 2017. However, the company has let numerous subsequent relevant launches go by without mentioning it again. Nevertheless, a credible source now claims that a known supplier ...

The new version of MIUI should be available soon. (Source: Xiaomi)

MIUI 11 is already in development

The new version of MIUI, Xiaomi's skin for Android, is officially open for development, according to an OEM executive. This announcement was made recently at the Xiaomi MIUI Core Experience Annual Meeting. Therefore, this new OS, ...

OPPO makes some nice phones, but they tend to have wired charging only. (Source: OPPO)

OPPO devices could have wireless charging in the future

OPPO is capable of producing some streamlined, appealing premium handsets. However, they all have one main drawback as expensive flagships: they lack wireless charging. Now that the OEM has joined the Wireless Power Consortium, th...

CAT S48c rugged Android phone coming to the US via Verizon (Source: Cat Phones)

CES 2019 | CAT S48c rugged phone coming to the US via Verizon

The CAT S48c can be acquired by Verizon Business and Enterprise customers at US$249.99 with a two-year contract or for a full retail price of US$599.99. This rugged 5-inch smartphone can be used with gloves or wet hands and can su...

A phone with your number can be approximated through its distance from a cell tower. (Source: Trulioo)

Motherboard report implicates major US carriers in a geolocation data-selling scandal

An article posted to the online outlet Motherboard has alleged that the carriers T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T have been selling their US customers' geolocation data to private companies, who then went on to sell it to other parties s...

The highest-end 2019 iPhone could look something like this. (Source: PocketNow)

WSJ report corroborates theory of triple-camera iPhones in 2019

A new article in the Wall Street Journal has lent further weight to speculation that Apple will jump on the triple-rear-camera bandwagon this year. According to the report, this feature will be found in the most premium model the ...

IMDb Freedrive now live, access limited to the US

IMDb's Freedive is a new video streaming service, only available in the US for now

Amazon's subsidiary has just released a free video streaming service that offers a rich collection of ad-supported TV shows like Fringe and Heroes, as well as various Hollywood movies like The Last Samurai, True Romance, Run Lola ...

CES 2019 | The Lenovo ThinkPad E490s will not be released in Europe

Last December, Notebookcheck reported on the ThinkPad E490s, a new model that is part of Lenovo's affordable ThinkPad E series. At CES, Lenovo has announced that this model will not be released in the UK and the rest of Europe.

There's another Redmi Note 7 phone coming, but this one will feature a more powerful camera sensor and SoC

The Redmi Note 7 was launched yesterday but word on the grapevine claims the company is set to release another phone, but this time with a more impressive camera sensor and SoC.

Lenovo was at the top for 2018 global PC shipments, followed by HP and then Dell. (Source: METISfiles)

Lenovo leads PC shipments for 4Q18 and for the year overall

According to preliminary estimates by Gartner, Lenovo was the world’s largest PC vendor in 2018 in terms of units shipped. The Chinese company was at the top of the pile for the last quarter of the year (4Q18) and beat out HP and ...

The Zotac mini PC brochure is actually quite handy (Source: Zotac)

CES 2019 | The Zotac mini PC brochure is actually quite handy

With dozens of configurations to choose from across the whole lineup, Zotac has provided a useful table comparing and contrasting some of the major features between all the latest SKUs. It makes for an excellent starting point for...

Bungie and Activision are going in different directions. (Source: VG247)

Bungie's split from Activision confirmed

The developer studio Bungie has announced that it will publish its flagship series, Destiny, independently, thus ending its partnership with Activision. This eventuality has been anticipated by industry insiders and observers for ...