Techmeme: Review of Decentraland, a virtual world on Ethereum blockchain, which launched this week and allows users to trade unique digital Decentraland assets in crypto (Michael McSweeney/The Block)

Top News

Michael McWhertor / Polygon:

Microsoft reveals more Xbox Series X details: 12 teraflops of GPU performance, up 2x from the Xbox One X; support for 8K gaming; and a “quick resume” feature — Next-generation Xbox boasts 12 teraflops GPU — Microsoft revealed new details on its next-generation console …

More: Xbox Wire, The Verge, Yahoo Finance, CNET, TechCrunch, GeekWire, Windows Central, Tom's Hardware, VentureBeat, Thurrott, The Verge, Gamasutra, IGN, Input, WinBuzzer, Wccftech, Neowin, SlashGear, Kotaku, Geek.com, GamingBolt, TrueAchievements, Destructoid, USgamer.net, OnMSFT.com, VG247, GameSpot, Seeking Alpha, and 9to5Toys

Tweets: @xbox, @tomwarren, @goldenboyftw, and @klobrille

Damien Wilde / 9to5Google:

Huawei debuts Mate Xs with no Play Store access, 8-inch unfolded and 6.6-inch folded display, Kirin 990 5G chipset, and 8GB RAM, coming later in 2020 for €2,499 — Huawei has officially unveiled its second-generation Mate Xs foldable and MatePad Pro 5G tablet at a behind closed doors launch event in Barcelona, Spain.

More: Android Authority, VentureBeat, Android Police, Android Authority, CNET, Business Insider, The Verge, 9to5Google, CNBC, and MSPoweruser

Tweets: @rdrv3, @rdrv3, and @rdrv3

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Huawei updates the MateBook X Pro with Intel's 10th-gen CPUs and a green option, retaining the 13.9" edge-to-edge touchscreen, starting at €1,499 in April — A new paint job for 2020 — Huawei is updating its MateBook X Pro this year with a new green color option and Intel's 10th Gen processors.

More: AnandTech, CNET, and CNBC. Tweets: @tomwarren

Mat Smith / Engadget:

Huawei unveils MatePad Pro, a 10.8-inch tablet with a 7,250mAh battery, optional keyboard and stylus, 5G, and no Google Play apps, starting at €549 in April

More: AnandTech, Yahoo Finance, The Verge, and Bloomberg

Shaun Nichols / The Register:

Safari will reportedly no longer accept new HTTPS certificates that are valid for more than 398 days beginning on September 1, down from 825 days — Keep your crypto below 398 days after September 1 and you're all good — Safari will, later this year, no longer accept new HTTPS certificates …

More: The Next Web, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, iDownloadBlog.com, DigiCert, Naked Security, Somag News, IT Management, Hashed Out, Computer Business Review, and Slashdot

Tweets: @near_nyan, @jeremiahg, @techjournalist, @hntweets, and @theregister

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:

Inside the final days of HQ Trivia: an acquisition offer from media company Whistle died abruptly amid extreme animosity between founders, staff, and management — The app was America's favorite gameshow until a toxic culture and co-founder feuding drove it off the air. Now, the CEO wants to bring it back.

More: Gizmodo. Tweets: @kurtwagner8, @shortformernie, @kurtwagner8, @kurtwagner8, and @kurtwagner8

Laurens Cerulus / Politico:

EU Commission tells staff to use end-to-end-encrypted messaging app Signal, saying it was selected as “the recommended application for public instant messaging” — The move is part of EU's efforts to beef up cybersecurity, after several high-profile incidents shocked diplomats and officials.

More: Decrypt. Tweets: @laurenscerulus and @anshelsag

John Thornhill / Financial Times:

Tim Berners-Lee's Inrupt raised over $10M in 2019 to operationalize Solid, an open source project to decentralize the web and give users control of their data — Sir Tim Berners-Lee's start-up Inrupt to expand operational team and launch pilot projects — Inrupt, the start-up company founded …

More: Schneier on Security, Protocol, Silicon Republic, PYMNTS.com, and Patently Apple

Tweets: @danyork, @hoofnagle, @emax, @financialtimes, @ft, @johnthornhillft, @maljayaram, @koenvervloesem, @aveltens, and @bortzmeyer

Jeremy Horwitz / VentureBeat:

Intel announces three 5G chips: a second-gen AI-focused high-end Xeon Scalable CPU, Atom P5900 for 5G base stations, and an updated eASIC for datacenters — Intel's sale of its consumer 5G modem unit signaled its exit from the smartphone business last year, but the company remains heavily committed …

More: Tom's Hardware, ZDNet, SiliconANGLE, AnandTech, Nikkei Asian Review, Reuters, The Register, and Business Wire

Michael McSweeney / The Block:

Review of Decentraland, a virtual world on Ethereum blockchain, which launched this week and allows users to trade unique digital Decentraland assets in crypto — When I first started poking around Decentraland on its launch day this week, I found myself with little guidance as to what I should be doing.

More: Advancing Web 3.0. Tweets: @mpmcsweeney, @melt_dem, and @mdudas

Jon Porter / The Verge:

Sony unveils Xperia 1 II 5G flagship with a headphone jack, wireless charging, 21:9 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display, 8GB RAM, and a 4,000 mAh battery — Now featuring a headphone jack and wireless charging — One year after the debut of its super-tall Xperia 1, Sony is back with a successor, the obscenely titled Xperia 1 II.

More: Sony, CNET, Digital Trends, Yahoo Finance, 9to5Google, VentureBeat, 9to5Google, IGN, Engadget, The Register, Yahoo Finance, XDA Developers, MSPoweruser, Android Central, Mashable, TechSpot, and Gizmodo

Shubham Agarwal / Digital Trends:

A look at how tech giants are tailoring their offerings uniquely for India, where millions of new consumers will soon use the internet for the first time — India has been on the minds of many tech companies of late. Most, however, end up running into a wall while trying to crack the secret …

Thanks:@smashdawg

Ed Hammond / Bloomberg:

Sources: SoftBank's Vision Fund 2 is investing $100M in compliance and employee-monitoring software company Behavox at a ~$500M valuation — - Behavox investment will value firm at about $500 million — Transaction is among first for SoftBank's Vision Fund 2

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