Author: Irene Hawkins

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei is feeling the pinch of US sanctions. After getting blacklisted in 2019, the Chinese company has faced difficulty in sourcing parts from US vendors. Because of these sanctions, the company now says it could run out of smartphone chips by September. The US vs. Huawei  The Associated Press reported the effects of US sanctions on Huawei’s smartphone production. As they runs out of processor chips for its smartphones, the shortage could force the company to stop producing its advanced chips.  In its escalating tech feud with China, the US has targeted Chinese companies as national security…

Now it’s not just Microsoft that’s planning to buy TikTok. Social media giant Twitter has put its hat in the ring, starting merger talks with the video-sharing app. Both companies have expressed a desire to buy TikTok after US President Donald Trump said he wants to ban the app or else sell it to US firms. Earlier, US lawmakers have warned that TikTok is a risk to national security. Notably, Twitter had already canned Vine, its short-form video app, in 2017. Twitter Talks Merger with TikTok Gizmodo reports that Twitter began talking with TikTok about a possible merger. Unlike Microsoft,…

No one’s going out to eat anymore because of COVID-19, so food delivery apps have seen a sharp uptick in business. Take Uber, for example. Since everybody’s ordering food online now, Uber Eats has grown bigger than Uber’s taxi service. Despite this rise, Uber still suffered losses this year. Uber Eats Keeps Growing Tech Crunch reports that Uber Eats has now become Uber’s biggest service in terms of adjusted net revenue. Nobody’s going to restaurants anymore. Because of this fact, Uber switched up business strategies. In the report, Tech Crunch adds that Uber Eats is earning more gross dollars than…

We’ve all received fake news on our messaging apps. Sometimes family members or friends forward links to websites claiming outrageous things, such as garlic being a cure for COVID-19. If fake news was bad before, it’s worse now under a pandemic. So, WhatsApp is currently testing out a new feature that lets users fact-check forwarded messages.   WhatsApp Against Fake News In a blog post, WhatsApp said it adds a magnifying glass button in chats to help users double-check forwarded messages. By clicking on the button, users can upload the message to the web without seeing the text itself. This way,…

With Project xCloud not on iOS devices, Microsoft now blames Apple for denying its users from streaming games to their mobile devices. Microsoft had begun beta testing for Project xCloud for iOS using Apple’s TestFlight, but the testing period ended this week.   Project xCloud: Microsoft vs. Apple Gizmodo reports that Microsoft used to be hopeful that Apple would allow Project xCloud “and other cloud gaming services” on iOS devices. However, with iOS beta testing over, Microsoft now blames Apple for the lack of cloud gaming services on iOS.  In a statement, Microsoft said that it doesn’t see a way to…

Apple has taken another step toward cashless transactions by buying Mobeewave. With the Mobeewave, users can pay for stuff with their phones. To acquire the startup, Apple spent around $100 million. The company also retained the original Mobeewave team from Montreal, Canada.   Apple and Cashless Transactions With the deal, Apple has made progress in making its phones into payment terminals. Gizmodo reports that the agreement allows Apple to offer cashless services to users. If you use the Mobeewave app to buy stuff, you just tap your credit card or phone on another phone. Mobeewave also relies on Near Field Communication…

After joining Facebook, Amazon, and Apple at an antitrust hearing in Congress, Google faces new charges of locking out rival developers. Boomerang, a parental control app, accused Google of shutting them out of the Play Store again and again. To its devs, Boomerang got kicked out because it was a rival to Google’s Family Link parental control service.  Google Locking Out Rivals from the Play Store Tech Crunch reports that Boomerang got shut out because it violated the “Deceptive Behavior Policy.” Google said users could have a hard time deleting Boomerang from their devices. Google has a set of rules…

With TikTok facing a US ban, Snapchat looks to regain its grip on the video-sharing market. The company announced Monday that it is now testing a new feature that lets Snapchat users send Snaps with music, like TikTok. Many TikTok users have scattered among similar apps since the US threatened to ban it in the country. Snapchat Hurries to Take Over Similar apps to TikTok have soared on the app stores’ charts as TikTok users try to find new homes. These apps include Byte, Triller, Dubsmash, among others. Even Instagram has tried to grab a piece of the pie by…

Jamie-Lee is a business grad turned social entrepreneur. In 2018, after graduating with a Commerce Degree, she turned down the corporate career path to start her own company to address one of the world’s biggest challenges – plastic pollution. Driven by social impact and sustainability, in late 2018, Jamie-Lee and her partner, Lennart launched The Other Straw, a company that replaces single-use plastic straws with reusable, ethically made bamboo straws. Since launching in 2018, they’ve sold over 75,000 reusable bamboo straws and prevented over 7.5 million single-use plastic straws from entering our landfills, natural environments and oceans. Her work has…

Connecting with your audience in a personalized way while staying on a budget is the only way you can get the best out of marketing. And Maropost is determined to help startups connect with their prospects and customers in a way that guarantees a return on investment (ROI).Here are some of the reasons why you should consider getting a helping hand from Maropost in email marketing:1. Consumers prefer emailOne of the main reasons for email marketing is the fact that many consumers prefer email. Small companies that are working with limited budgets should not waste time and other resources with…