Daily Tech News and Updates: May 2018

Thursday 31 May 2018

Sengled Element Color Plus Starter Kit review: Sengled's new color-changing LEDs undercut Lifx and Hue - CNET

Don't want to spend hundreds on color-changing smart bulbs that work with Alexa and Google Assistant? Sengled's new two-bulb starter kit gets you there for $80.

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OnePlus 6 review: Top-notch speed and performance for hundreds less - CNET

Yet another unmissable deal from Android's indie star.

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HQ Trivia will give away its biggest cash prize ever -- depending on the NBA Finals - CNET

Yet another reason to hope for a Game 7.

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Type 'the1975..com' into your Google app. It's weird - CNET

Not your typical Android search result.

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Samsung Galaxy J4 Reportedly Launched in India: Price, Specifications, Features

According to information obtained from a trusted Mumbai-based smartphone retailer, the Galaxy J4 is now in India at a price of Rs. 9,990 for the 2GB RAM/ 16GB inbuilt storage variant.

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Uber, Waymo in Talks About Self-Driving Partnership: Uber CEO

Khosrowshahi said on stage at the Code Conference that Uber's relationship with Waymo was "getting better" since Uber in February agreed to pay Waymo $245 million.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Beta in August: Report

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 might have a private beta in August across platforms, according to information on a listing on a retailer's website that has since been pulled.

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Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2018 Report: Smartphone Shipments Stagnate in 2017, E-Commerce Grows, and More

As part of the report, Mary Meeker noted that smartphone shipments and Internet adoption growth went down, as did the global average price of smartphones.

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OnePlus 6 Next Update to Fix Reported Issues, Introduce Battery Percentage

OnePlus 6 next update will fixing the speaker volume issue for calls and notifications, rear autofocus, introduction of the battery percentage, more.

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Reddit Beats Facebook to Become Third Most Popular Site in the US: Alexa Rankings

Google is still the most visited site, followed by YouTube, Reddit, Facebook, and Amazon, Alexa rankings show.

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Redmi 6A Leaked in 3 Variants on the TENAA Certification Site, Specifications and Images Revealed

Xiaomi Redmi 6A has been spotted in three different variants with model number M1804C3CT, M1804C3DT, and M1804C3DC.

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Smartphone Market to Stay Cool in 2018, Reignite in 2019 Thanks to India and 5G: IDC

An IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker expected smartphone sales to slip two-tenths of a percent this year in a second straight year of slight decline.

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Microsoft Surpasses Google's Alphabet to Become Third Most Valuable Company

Microsoft surpassed Google's parent company Alphabet in market value Tuesday, becoming the third most valuable company in the world.

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Apple Orders Emily Dickinson Comedy, With Hailee Steinfeld

Apple has added another series to its burgeoning TV lineup: a half-hour comedy called Dickinson that's based on the life of 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson.

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LG V35 ThinQ, V35+ ThinQ With Snapdragon 845 SoC, 16-Megapixel Dual Cameras Launched: Price, Specifications

LG V35 ThinQ comes with features that are quite similar to the LG V30S ThinQ.

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Tesla Model 3 Gets a 'Buy' Rating From Consumer Reports After OTA Braking Update

A wireless update of antilock braking software improved the stopping distance of Tesla's electric Model 3, prompting Consumer Reports to reverse course.

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Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 Grey Colour Variant Goes on Sale in India for the First Time Today in 'Biggest Sale Till Date'

The ZenFone Max Pro M1 Grey colour variant will be available on Flipkart in 3GB and 4GB RAM variants starting 12pm today.

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Google Files Go App Launched in China in Bid to Woo Top Smartphone Market

Last year, Google released its Translate app in China. It is maintained by Google's local joint venture.

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Hacker Gets 5 Years for Russian-Linked Yahoo Security Breach

A young computer hacker who prosecutors say unwittingly worked with a Russian spy agency was sentenced to five years in prison.

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Honor 7C to Go on Sale for First Time in India Today: Price, Launch Offers

While the Honor 7A went on sale on Flipkart on May 29, the Honor 7C is set to go on sale for the first time on Amazon starting 12noon.

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Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi Band 3, and MIUI 10 Launch Set for Today

The Xiaomi Mi 8 launch will be Xiaomi's biggest event of the year as it prepares to upgrade its flagship smartphone series, mobile software, as well as its wearable segment which is begging for a refresh.

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Fallout 76 Is an Online Survival RPG Heavily Inspired by Rust and DayZ: Report

Fallout 76 has more in common with DayZ and Rust than you'd like according to a report from Kotaku.

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Fallout 76 Trailer Shows Off Vault 76, May Be an Online Game

Fallout 76 for PS4, Xbox One, PC announced with more details at E3 2018.

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Sennheiser CX Sport In-Ear Bluetooth Headphones Launched in India at Rs. 9,990, Pre-Booking Starts June 1

These Sennheiser CX Sport in-ear headphones are priced at Rs. 9,990 and pre-booking will begin on June 1 from shop.sennheiserindia.com.

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OnePlus 6 Face Unlock Seen to Be Fooled by Photo in New Video, OnePlus Responds

While the video seems to show the issue, we cannot verify the same considering it does not show the OnePlus 6 during the Face Unlock unlocking process.

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Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) Android Oreo Update Reportedly Causing Random Reboots, Battery Drains

Some users are reporting major issues with the Galaxy A3 (2017) after the major update, including battery drain, random reboots, and UI freezing issues.

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Uber in ‘discussions’ to get Waymo self-driving cars on its network

Speaking today at the Code Conference, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says that his company is in “discussions” to have Waymo self-driving cars added to its network. It’s probably too early to think that these talks are definitely going anywhere yet, but it’s nevertheless notable because we’re less that four months past the resolution of a bitter legal fight between the two companies over alleged trade-secret theft. “I’d welcome Waymo to put cars in our network,” he says.

When Recode’s Kara Swisher asked how Uber would make the case to Waymo to make its cars available via the Uber app, Khosrowshahi’s answer was simple: “Economics.” He characterized Uber’s ride-sharing network as the biggest on the planet, so it would make sense for Waymo to...

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Scientists have 3D printed the most advanced artificial cornea ever using human cells

Scientists have 3D printed the thin protective film over the eye, called the cornea, using human cells — and it’s the most advanced version of an artificial cornea yet. Should the technology improve, it could help millions of people see again.

It was tricky to find the right recipe for an ink that’s thin enough to squirt through a 3D printer’s nozzle, says Che Connon, a tissue engineer at Newcastle University who was one of the creators of the artificial cornea. This bio-ink didn’t just have to be thin — it also had to be stiff enough that it could hold its shape as a 3D structure. To get the right consistency, the researchers added a jelly-like goo called alginate and stem cells extracted from donor corneas, along with some ropy...

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The US is limiting visas for Chinese international students majoring in tech

The US State Department announced yesterday it’s going to shorten the length of visas granted to Chinese citizens, a move to combat the supposed theft of US intellectual property, according to the Associated Press. Although the visa application process itself won’t change, Chinese citizens working or studying in specific fields won’t have as easy of a time getting a visa under the new changes.

Starting on June 11th, visas granted to Chinese citizens may now be limited by US consulate officers instead of being automatically issued at the maximum possible duration. A US official told the AP that Chinese graduate students can only get one-year visas if they’re majoring in robotics, high-tech manufacturing, or aviation, which happen to be...

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AT&T and Verizon both want to run massive ad-tracking networks to rival Facebook

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson spoke at the Code Conference today, where he took issue with the government’s antitrust lawsuit blocking its purchase of Time Warner. Then he laid out exactly why he wants to buy it: to sell ads to the customers it already tracks.

[Time Warner’s] Turner has an amazing inventory of advertising that they just kind of sell broadly. It’s not a very targeted advertising approach. AT&T has an amazing amount of data — customer data for 40 million pay TV subscribers in North and South America, 130 million mobile subscribers, 16 million broadband subscribers. We have really great customer insight on what kind of shows and media content they’re viewing, where they are, all kinds of information on the consumer. Can you...

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Even Arby’s has its own custom font to make fun of bespoke typefaces

Step aside Apple (San Francisco), Samsung (SamsungOne), Google (Roboto and Product Sans), Microsoft (sort of with Segoe), Netflix (Netflix Sans), Airbnb (Cereal), Intel (Intel Clear), and every other big tech company with its own bespoke custom font: Arby’s is getting in on the custom font game with its new font, “Saucy_AF™,” as spotted by FastCo Design.

Described as “the ink of the sandwich world,” Arby’s is positioning Saucy_AF™ as an alternative to those who lack the skills to write in sauce like the folks behind the very social media savvy Arby’s Twitter account.

We're going to need a lot more sauce... #NaNoWriMo pic.twitter.com/9hm6Dh9an3
— Arby's (@Arbys) November 8, 2016

Ordinarily, this is the sort of thing that would...

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Google Calendar now lets you add a note to changed events

Google reportedly planning Pixel 3 for October, and the XL model will have a notch

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will debut in October and retain Verizon as the exclusive US carrier, according to Bloomberg. That’s the same sales strategy that was in place for the prior two generations of Google’s smartphones; you’ll again be able to purchase the new phones unlocked direct from Google.

The XL-sized Pixel 3 will reportedly have a notch at the top of its display. That shouldn’t come as a surprise when you consider all the changes Google has made to make Android P more friendly to display cutouts. It will feature a “nearly edge-to-edge screen” and a chin at the bottom. So, take a look at the OnePlus 6 or LG G7 and you’re probably on the right track as to what the Pixel 3 XL will look like. Bloomberg claims that the Pixel 3...

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You can now preorder Amazon’s new Fire TV Edition smart TV from Best Buy

Best Buy has announced that its Toshiba 4K Ultra HD Smart TV Fire TV Edition — the result of a partnership with Amazon — is now available for preorder both through BestBuy.com and Amazon.com.

The Fire TV Edition Toshiba TVs will come in three sizes — 43-inch, 50-inch, and 55-inch — and offer 4K Ultra HD resolution. They all will have Fire TV built in, so you can take advantage of all the regular Fire TV features, like access to streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, and using Alexa to control things like changing channels and looking for TV shows.

The 43-inch model is retailing for $329.99, the 50-inch for $399.99, and 55-inch for $479.99. All will be available for sale in Best Buy stores and on Best Buy and Amazon’s websites in...

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Smartphone shipments declined for the first time in 2017

Google launches a Q&A app for neighborhood communities in India

Google is increasing its focus on India after it released a new social app that’s aimed at building neighborhood communities within cities in the country.

The company’s ‘Next Billion’ team in charge of emerging markets has dedicated significant resources to India. Its initiatives include data-friendly versions of YouTube and other popular services, its Tez mobile payment app, a food delivery service and a national WiFi network initiative. Now it is adding one more to the list with the release of Neighbourly, a Q&A app for sharing local knowledge.

The basic goal is to give local communities an outlet to seek answers to practical questions about local life, routine and more. Google believes that an increase in urban migration, short-term leasing and busy lives has changed the dynamic of local communities and made it harder to share information quite so easily.

“Life happens close to home, in order the of a 1-2km radius, and local questions come up all the time. But as cities get bigger and bigger, we’re finding that these local questions are getting hard to use — word of mouth used to be key,” Josh Woodward, a product manager within the Next Billion initiative, explained to TechCrunch.

“We built neighborly as a way to connect you with your neighborhood, ask questions, share expertise and stay up to date in a safe way,” he added.

This idea is nothing new, of course. Already in India, WhatsApp — which counts 200 million users in the country — has a range of community groups, but the big issue is discovery since new users have to be added to the group directly.

The new Google app is much like Jelly, the question and answer service from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone that was ultimately bought by Pinterest, but with localized tweaks. A beta version of the app is initially available in Mumbai, but users located in other areas can join a waitlist pending expansion.

Questions and answers are handled via swipeable cards — who knew Tinder’s design would reach neighborhood community apps in India — while the app uses GPS to add a user into their neighborhood right from sign-up.

Woodward said Google is employing ranking and personalization technology which, over time, will match users with the kind of questions they can answer or have shown an interest in. For now, the service is app-based with a read-only mobile web version.

Google’s local tweaks to make the app easy to use include voice-based entry for questions, which covers a range of India’s non-English languages, and a series of prompts that pop up when a user decides to post a question to help them start.

The company has looked at safety issues, and made it easy to flag content which is unsuitable. Once flagged, Woodward confirmed the content is passed to a local content moderator who asses whether it is “neighborly.”

In terms of safety, users sign up using a first name only, there is no private messaging or phone number requirement, and individual profile photos cannot be copied via screenshot and don’t expand when clicked to prevent being stolen. That taps into concern women have about their photos being abused, an issue that Facebook has taken measures against in India, too.

In fact, at sign-up, Google asks users to agree to a ‘contract’ — “I will respect my neighbors” — before letting them into the app. But still, you’d imagine that the laws of the internet will mean that some people will misuse the service.

Profile pages do, however, display badges earned by answering questions — both an incentive and a display of trust, according to Woodward — while users can follow, and be followed, to keep with certain users and their content.

Google tested the app on thousands of users over a period of about a month to get the mechanics right. Woodward said that 30-50 percent of questions were answered within five minutes, which bodes well but discovery looks like being the key issue. That was ultimately the downfall of Jelly, albeit that both apps serve very different audiences and purposes.

Further down the line, Woodward said that Google could add business accounts and integrate other Google services into Neighbourly, but for now the sink-or-swim challenge is to make an impact.

The launch of Neighbourly comes the same day that Google launched Files Go in China. In doing so, the search giant gave a glimpse at its new strategy for China, which involves opportunistic product launches, relationships and strategic investments.

Google is quietly formulating a new strategy for China

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Australians will no longer be able to order from Amazon’s American site

Starting in July, Australians will be blocked from ordering items on Amazon’s United States site. The company said today that shoppers in Australia will be redirected to its local site, Amazon.com.au, and that its international sites, including Amazon.com, will no longer ship to Australian addresses. The change is in response to a new tax regulation that goes into effect on July 1 and requires businesses earning more than $75,000 AUD a year to charge Australia’s 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on low value items imported by consumers.

Called the “Amazon tax,” the new policy was introduced following concerns about the impact of Amazon and other large overseas e-commerce businesses on Australian retailers, who have to apply GST to all products they sell. A loophole in tax regulations, however, means that the GST is currently applied only to items purchased from overseas retailers if they are worth $1,000 AUD or more, which many local companies argued gave Amazon, eBay and other overseas competitors an unfair advantage.

Amazon launched its Australian site last December and says it currently has 60 million products, a fraction of the estimated 500 million products that are listed on Amazon’s U.S. site. As a placation, Australian customers will also have access to 4 million products that were previously available only on Amazon.com through its new Global Store.

In a statement emailed to TechCrunch, an Amazon spokesperson said:

“As a result of changes to Australian GST law on 1 July, international shopping options for Australian customers will change.

While we regret any inconvenience this may cause customers, we have had to assess the workability of the legislation as a global business with multiple international sites. Based on our assessment, we will redirect Australian customers from our international sites to amazon.com.au where they can shop for products sold by Amazon US on the new Global Store, available today. This will allow us to provide our customers with continued access to international selection and remain compliant with the law which requires us to collect and remit GST on products sold on Amazon sites that are shipped from overseas.”

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Uber is looking at adding benefits and insurance for drivers

At the Code Conference tonight, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi spoke about the company’s relationship with drivers, autonomous driving, uberEATS having a $6 billion bookings run rate, taking over as CEO and flying taxis, obviously.

Just this week, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera sent subpoenas to Uber and Lyft seeking information on driver pay, benefits and classification info. Uber wasn’t available for comment at the time, but now it seems that the company is looking at ways to offer benefits and insurance to drivers. Specifically, Uber is looking at an economically-sound way to offer drivers a benefits and insurance package so that “this can be a safer way of living,” Khosrowshahi said.

And despite what former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said in the past about needing to get rid of the driver, Khosrowshahi said he disagrees.

“The face of Uber is the person sitting in the front seat,” Khosrowshahi said. He added that it usually is a man driving, but that he would “love to have more women sitting in the front seat” because it’s a “great form of employment.”

Still, Uber is moving ahead with autonomous driving. That’s in light of the fatal car accident in Tempe, Arizona involving one of Uber’s autonomous vehicles.

“We will get back on the road over the summer,” Khosrowshahi said.

Uber also envisions licensing its technology — once it’s safe enough — to third-parties and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Despite the high-profile lawsuit between Uber and Waymo over self-driving car technology, Khosrowshahi said he’d welcome Waymo to put its cars into its network. Regarding Uber’s relationship with Waymo, Khosrowshahi said it’s “getting better.”

In addition to Uber’s core driver business and autonomous driving, it has several other things going on for it. One of those is uberEATS, which Khosrowshahi said has a $6 billion run rate, is growing 200 percent and is the biggest food delivery company in the world, with the exception of those in China.

Uber also recently acquired JUMP Bikes for about $200 million, launched UberRENT, announced a public transportation partnership with Masabi and is working on flying cars via its Elevate program.

Just like residential and buildings have gone three-dimensional, Khosrowshahi said, “you’re going to have to build a third-dimension in terms of transportation.”

For Uber, Elevate is its “big bet” on that third-dimension of transportation, he said. The big plan with all of these modes of transportations — whether that’s bike-sharing, ride-sharing, flight-sharing or whatnot — is to become a multi-modal transportation service.

“We want to be the Amazon for transportation,” Khosrowshahi said.

Earlier in the conversation, Khosrowshahi shed some light into how he had no idea he’d get the chief executive officer job at Uber. In fact, he said that while his wife thought he would get the job, he wasn’t as optimistic.

He also spoke about his relationship with Kalanick and how, early on, Khosrowshahi asked for space and Kalanick respected that.

“I consult with him the way I consult with the board,” Khosrowshahi said.

Moving forward, Khosrowshahi still has his eyes set on the second half of 2019 to go public.

“We’re on track,” he said.

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China’s SenseTime, the world’s highest-valued AI startup, closes $620M follow-on round

SenseTime, the world’s highest-valued AI company with a valuation of over $4.5 billion, is back in the money again.

The company raised $600 million in an Alibaba-led financing round announced last month, and now it has added a further $620 million to that with a “Series C+” round announced today.

Alibaba led the previous deal, and this time around the investors include more traditional names such as Fidelity International, Hopu Capital, Silver Lake and Tiger Global. Qualcomm, which previously backed the firm, was also in this round, SenseTime confirmed.

The new money takes SenseTime to $1.6 billion from investors to date. The valuation has remained “over” $4.5 billion across both of these recent rounds, according to the company. It was previously valued at $1.5 billion when it raised a $410 million Series B last year.

Alibaba said at the time of its investment last month that it had become the largest-single investor in SenseTime. Given this fresh injection, it isn’t clear whether that has changed. A SenseTime spokesperson told TechCrunch that “Alibaba and other lead investors have similar status.”

SenseTime said it has more than 700 customers across a range of verticals including fintech, automotive, fintech, smartphones, smart city development and more that include Honda, Nvidia, China’s UnionPay, Weibo, China Merchants Bank, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi.

Perhaps its most visible partner is the Chinese government, which uses its systems for its national surveillance system. SenseTime process data captured by China’s 170 million CCTV cameras and newer systems which include smart glasses worn by police offers on the street.

Former Google China head targets AI opportunities with new $900M Sinovation fund

China has placed vast emphasis on tech development, with AI one of its key flagposts.

A government program aims to make the country the world leader in AI technology by 2030, the New York Times reported, by which time it is estimated that the industry could be worth some $150 billion per year. SenseTime’s continued development fees directly into that ambition.

SenseTime has been busy extending its presence lately. It became the first company to join the MIT Intelligence Quest and, alongside Alibaba, it is launching an AI lab in Hong Kong. The firm said, too, it has formulated an AI textbook for secondary students in China which will make its way to 40 schools soon.

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Google brings its FilesGo Android device management app to China

Google has continued its slow and steady China strategy after it launched Files Go, a files management service for Android devices. The app launched to global markets last year but today it landed in China via four third-party app stores.

Named ‘Google 文件极客’ in China, the app helps users keep within the storage limits of their device by suggesting files to delete if they need to free up space. It also includes feature for finding files and sharing them to local devices without an internet connection. Like a solid internet connection, keeping enough free space on a device is critical to it running efficiently and quickly which is Files Go aims to help.

Files Go was designed for India, where budget Android phones are mainstream, but interest in the app was so widespread that it was later launched worldwide. Indeed, the U.S. is now the third-largest market for the app, Josh Woodward, a product manager within Google’s ‘Next Billion’ team, told TechCrunch in an interview.

Google is quietly formulating a new strategy for China

Given that global demand, bringing the app to China, where Google is testing out new strategies, makes plenty of sense. The launch also allows Google to work with third-party app stores for distribution since the Google Play Store is banned in China. It selected Tencent, Xiaomi, Huawei and Baidu and the experience is sure to help Google figure out the lay of the land.

Google’s services remain banned in the country, but this is the third product launch it has made in China following the return of Google Translate last year and this week’s launch of ARCore.

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Google is quietly formulating a new strategy for China

Google is slowing piecing together a strategy for China to ensure that it doesn’t miss out on the growth of technology in the world’s largest country. It’s been months in the making through a series of gradual plays, but further evidence of those plans comes today via a product launch.

Files Go — a file manager for Android devices released last year — has made its way to China today. Not a huge launch, for sure, but the mechanisms behind it provide insight into how Google may be thinking about the country, where it has been absent since 2010 after redirecting its Chinese search service to Hong Kong in the face of government pressure.

For Files Go, Google is taking a partner-led approach to distribution because the Google Play Store does not operate in China. The company is working with Tencent, Huawei, Xiaomi and Baidu, each of which will stock the app in their independent app stores, which are among the country’s most prominent third-party stores.

Let that sink in a little: the creator of Android is using third-party Android app stores to distribute one of its products.

On the outside that’s quite the scenario, but in China it makes perfect sense.

There’s been regular media speculation in recent about Google’s desire to return to China which, during its absence, has become the largest single market for smartphone users, and the country with the most app downloads and highest app revenue per year. Mostly the rumors have centered around audacious strategies such as the return of the Google Play Store or the restoration of Google’s Chinese search business, both of which would mean complying with demands from the Chinese government.

Then there’s the politics. The U.S. and China are currently in an ongoing trade standoff that has spilled into tech, impacting deals, while Chinese premier Xi Jinping has taken a protectionist approach to promoting local business and industries, in particular AI. XI’s more controversial policies, including the banning of VPNs, have put heat on Apple, which stands accused of colluding with authorities and preventing free speech in China.

Political tension between the U.S. and China is affecting tech companies. [Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images]

Even when you remove the political issues, a full return is a tough challenge. Google would be starting businesses almost from scratch in a highly competitive market where it has little brand recognition.

It’s hardly surprising, then, that it hasn’t made big moves… yet at least.

Instead, it appears that the company is exploring more nimble approaches. There have been opportunistic product launches using established platforms, and generally Google seems intent at building relationships and growing a local presence that allows its global business to tap into the talent and technology that China offers.

Files Go is the latest example, but already we’ve seen Google relaunch its Translate app in 2017 and more recently it brought its ARCore technology for augmented and virtual reality to China using partners, which include Xiaomi and Huawei.

Bouquets of flowers lie on the Google logo outside the company’s China head office in Beijing on March 23, 2010 after the US web giant said it would no longer filter results and was redirecting mainland Chinese users to an uncensored site in Hong Kong — effectively closing down the mainland site. Google’s decision to effectively shut down its Chinese-language search engine is likely to stunt the development of the Internet in China and isolate local web users, analysts say. (Photo credit: xin/AFP/Getty Images)

Beyond products, Google is cultivating relationships, too.

It inked a wide-ranging patent deal with Tencent, China’s $500 billion tech giant which operates WeChat and more, and has made strategic investments to back AI startup XtalPi (alongside Tencent), live-streaming platform Chushou, and AI and hardware company Mobvoi. There have been events, too, including AlphaGo’s three-game battle with Chinese grandmaster Ke Jie in Wuzhen, developer events in China and the forthcoming first Google Asia Demo Day, which takes places in Shanghai in September.

In addition to making friends in the right places, Google is also increasing its own presence on Chinese soil. The company opened an AI lab in Beijing to help access China-based talent, while it also unveiled a more modest presence in Shenzhen, China’s hardware capital, where it has a serviced office for staff. That hardware move ties into Google’s acquisition of a chunk of HTC’s smartphone division for $1.1 billion.

The strategy is no doubt in its early days, so now is a good time to keep a keen eye on Google’s moves in this part of the world.

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