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Apple Set to Overtake Samsung, 5G iPhone SE on Way

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple is set to overtake Samsung as the world’s top smartphone brand in the fourth quarter of this year. Furthermore, it could launch a 5G iPhone SE in the following three-month period. The finds from Trendforce, reported on by AppleInsider, could have very interesting consequences for the smartphone market going forward.

Trendforce…estimates that Apple will overtake Samsung and become the world’s top smartphone brand in the fourth quarter — the busy holiday shopping season — with 23.2% of the market. The analysis firm also forecasts that Apple is on-track to release with a third-generation iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022. It believes that the device could be a “major instrument” in helping Apple achieve a more foothold in the midrange 5G market.

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Did Jack Dorsey Quit Twitter, or Was he Fired?

Charlotte Henry ·

It’s been one of the most interesting things to ponder since Jack Dorsey announced his shock departure from Twitter – was it his choice? Nick Bilton at Vanity Fair has had a go at working it all out. Personally, the smoothness of the transition, plus the fact Mr. Dorsey is being replaced by a close ally and will complete his board term, indicated to me that this was to a large extent his decision. However, that’s not quite what Mr. Bilton found.

I spoke to almost half a dozen people familiar with the company’s inner workings, and while they were not directly involved in Dorsey’s “resignation,” these are people who have a deep understanding of the place, and as such theorized that Dorsey is being ousted as CEO, rather than leaving of his own accord. (Twitter itself did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

Sale: AdGuard’s Family Plan is Now Just $29, Down From $129
Cool Stuff Found

Sale: AdGuard's Family Plan is Now Just $29, Down From $129

Andrew Orr ·

Plans for AdGuard adblocker are now on sale through StackSocial, and as of this writing the deal ends in seven days. This is the adblocker I’ve been using for a few years and one that I personally recommend. Personal Plan – This is a lifetime license that is only available to new users. The maximum number of devices you can activate the service on is three, including desktop and mobile. US$19.99 US$59 Family Plan – This is a lifetime license that is only available to new users. The maximum number of devices you can activate the service on is nine, including desktop and mobile. US$29.99 US$129. System requirements: iOS 10.0 or later, OS X 10.10 Yosemite (64 bit) or later. Unredeemed licenses can be returned for store credit within 30 days of purchase. Once your license is redeemed, all sales are final.

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Proposed Bill Would Ban Bots From Buying Online Goods

Andrew Orr ·

A report from PCMag: Democrats are reintroducing a bill that would ban automated bots from buying online goods. The legislation aims to stop scalpers.

The proposed legislation expands on an earlier law passed in 2016 that outlawed automated bots from circumventing control measures to buy up ticket sales for public events, such as music concerts and sporting events. In addition, the law made it illegal for scalpers to resell the tickets obtained through the bot.

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Intel Stockpiles Legacy Hardware for Security Research at Costa Rica Facility

Andrew Orr ·

The Wall Street Journal reports that Intel has a facility in Costa Rica where it stores legacy hardware for security research.

Intel’s issue reflects a wider concern: Legacy technology can introduce cybersecurity weaknesses. Tech makers constantly improve their products to take advantage of speed and power increases, but customers don’t always upgrade at the same pace. This creates a long tail of old products that remain in widespread use, vulnerable to attacks.

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'Libreddit' is a New Frontend Client for Reddit Designed for Privacy

Andrew Orr ·

Libreddit is a new frontend for Reddit, written in Rust, that aims to preserve privacy. The developer shared the service on r/Privacy. “Reddit tracks a lot of data but Libreddit logs nothing and uses no JavaScript by default so client-side monitoring isn’t possible. There are 35 community-hosted instances that can be used to access Libreddit; one can spread their traffic across multiple for even more privacy. 7 of our instances are .onion hidden services so you can browse Libreddit using Tor.” Official Instance: https://libreddit.spike.codes.  If this gets too slow due to traffic, use another instance.

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Vitalik Buterin Introduces EIP-4488 to Help Reduce Ethereum Gas Fees

Andrew Orr ·

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, is proposing EIP-4488 as a way to help reduce gas fees.

After highlighting concerns regarding the transaction fees on the Ethereum network, Buterin suggested the new EIP-4488, saying that it would “decrease transaction calldata gas cost, and add a limit of how much total transaction calldata can be in a block.”

In other words, EIP-4488 would limit the total transaction calldata, where data from external calls to functions are stored, before reducing the calldata gas cost to remove the possibility of breaking the network.

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Rumor: Jack Dorsey to Leave Current Role as Twitter CEO

Andrew Orr ·

A report from CNBC on Monday claims that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will step down from his role at the company.

It’s unclear who’s set to succeed Dorsey or the timing of a potential announcement. It’s also unknown why Dorsey, 45, would take a step back. But if he steps down, the next CEO will have to meet Twitter’s aggressive internal goals. The company said earlier this year it aims to have 315 million monetizable daily active users by the end of 2023 and to at least double its annual revenue in that year.

Update: Mr. Dorsey has confirmed the rumor and announced his resignation.