China’s space program seems to be making progress. Reports indicate that the country has launched a top-secret rocket and then landed it back on Earth. Since the rocket is top-secret, no one knows its design. All the reports say is that the rocket is a reusable model.

China’s Reusable Rocket

Gizmodo reports that China launched its new reusable rocket last Friday. The launch happened at the Jinquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. About the rocket, the South China Morning Post says that it was a Long March-2F rocket. After staying in orbit for the weekend, the rocket returned to a landing site on Sunday.

China launched and landed a secret reusable spacecraft while you weren’t looking. https://t.co/jZeDCetZph pic.twitter.com/ZRAvX3o0un

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) September 8, 2020

What Is China’s Reusable Rocket?

China’s reusable rocket is top-secret, so no one knows about its design. On launch day, the Chinese military shared a memo warning staff and visitors at the site not to film the launch. The memo also barred them from discussing the launch on social media. According to the military, the rocket’s launch was different because it was a new rocket.

Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said that the rocket tested reusable technologies. Also, the rocket is a first step in using technology to support the “peaceful use of space.” 

How Does the Reusable Rocket Work?

The South China Morning Post adds that, according to a military source, they should take a look at the US X-37B. The US Air Force says that the X-37B is an experimental rocket that wants to use reusable rocket technologies for space exploration. Moreover, the X-37B is a top-secret space plane designed by Boeing for the Department of Defense.

The X-37B is a reusable uncrewed rocket. Once it’s in space, it stays in low Earth orbit and then lands on Earth like a normal plane.  

The post China Launches Top-Secret Reusable Rocket first appeared on Tekrati and is written by 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 risks. US lawmakers have warned that these companies store user data and send them to the Chinese government for spying.

Huawei says it has about a month before it runs out of smartphone chips. https://t.co/CIRBHnvRt9 pic.twitter.com/9NQynCZy8U

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) August 9, 2020

Feeling the Pain

Gizmodo reports that Huawei might have to stop production of its “Huawei Kirin high-end chips” by September 15. At the China Info 100 conference, Richard Yu said ceasing production could be “a very big loss for us.” Yu is the president of Huawei’s consumer unit.

Huawei designs the Kirin chip, but its production relies on US manufacturing. Without US tech, the company will not be able to produce smartphones. Without its smartphones, Yu says company sales would fall below its 2019 mark of 240 million devices sold worldwide. 

Could They Survive the Sanctions?

Despite the sanctions and COVID-19, Huawei still posted revenues of $64.8 billion in the first six months of 2020. The company has also launched 15 phones in 2020, according to Forbes. 

However, Huawei could face more sanctions later in the year.

The post Huawei Could Run Out of Smartphone Chips by September first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

Despite facing a possible US ban, TikTok continues to put out new features. The video-sharing app has announced that it is launching a Fire TV app called “More on TikTok.” By offering a TV app, TikTok is branching out of its mobile market and entering home streaming. 

TikTok on TV

Engadget reports that TikTok users can watch both popular videos and creator interviews on the Fire TV app. Moreover, the videos you see on your phone might be different from the videos you see on “More on TikTok,” since no existing user account link to the TV app.

The TV app also helps TikTok attract more users who don’t want to download the mobile version because US lawmakers told them it threatens national security. ByteDance, a Chinese corporation, owns TikTok. Lawmakers have accused TikTok of storing user data and sending them to the Chinese government.

TikTok launches an app for Fire TV https://t.co/m0KnjL7qQr pic.twitter.com/wZ7aiY6Hv4

— Engadget (@engadget) August 6, 2020

TikTok in Danger

Aside from lawmakers, President Donald Trump has also expressed plans to ban TikTok in the US. He has also signaled US companies to try buying out TikTok from ByteDance. So far, Microsoft has made attempts to close a deal.

Sensing TikTok’s trouble as an opportunity, Facebook and Snapchat are hurrying to claim TikTok’s millions of American users. For Facebook, Instagram has released Reels, a feature that lets users make and share TikTok-like videos. On the other hand, Snapchat is now allowing users to add music to their Snaps. 

What’s Next for TikTok

TikTok Head of Global Marketing Nick Tran has said TikTok will continue to offer users “more dynamic experiences” through the app. To do this, the company feels that going to TV should be its next step. 

The post TikTok Goes on TV With New Fire TV App first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

As TikTok faces an intense US crackdown, Facebook moved to take it down by launching Reels, a new video-sharing feature. This new feature will go on Instagram, in tandem with Instagram Stories. After India banned TikTok earlier this month, Instagram opened Reels to take over the market. Facebook plans to extend Reels to the US and to over 50 more countries in August. 

In 2019, Facebook bought Instagram. 

What Is Instagram Reels?

Gizmodo notes that Instagram Reels works the same way as TikTok. Instagram users can “create 15-second videos set to music” and share it publicly. They can also “borrow” the audio from other users’ Reels and remix them for other creations.

Lots of TikTok videos have gone viral in the past. Instagram looks to feed into this by adding viral Reels to the “Featured Reels” tab. This feature gathers all viral Reels in one section. Users can also use Reels’ editing tools to tinker with their videos.

Instagram's new Reels feature is pretty obviously Facebook's attempt to take down TikTok https://t.co/JVNGWW9LVm pic.twitter.com/v56mBnplkj

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) July 16, 2020

Will People Like Instagram Reels?

A report from Tech Crunch notes that in case TikTok gets banned, Instagram can lock up all of its former users. However, the report cautions that TikTok users may not jump right to Instagram. Not all TikTok users release the same types of videos anyway. If you dance, you might choose Dubsmash. If you’re Gen Z, you might prefer Byte.

Despite this, though, Instagram remains of the most-used apps in the world. Tech Crunch reports that Facebook has not announced Reels’ US release date yet.

Why Is TikTok in Trouble?

Tiktok has found itself in hot water recently. US lawmakers point to its Chinese origin as a possible threat to national security. Because of this, they fear that the Chinese government is harvesting user data. President Donald Trump even said they were looking to banning the app in the US. 

Some companies have already banned TikTok. Wells Fargo told its employees to delete the app from their phones. Even the US military asked soldiers to remove the app in their government-issued phones. 

As of now, people will have to wait to see if Instagram can take TikTok’s place.  

The post Instagram Launches “Reels,” Challenging TikTok’s Dominance first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold