China landed Chang’e-4 mission on the far side of the Moon and Sprouted a Plant.

• Jan 3 the Chang-e-4 rover landed on the far side of the moon.
  • Chang’e-4 spacecraft, lander and rover.
  • The lander has a radioisotope thermoelectric generator to power the lunar operations during three months.
  • The rover can carry 20kg and will perform real time video transmission.  It can also dig and perform simple analysis of soil.
• Cotton seeds became the first biological matter to grow on the moon.
  • Photo of the seeds sprouting on Jan 7.
• This experiment lays the foundation for a lunar base and long term space exploration.
• Some question the validity of the experiment as a test experiment was done here on earth.  
  • Some say the photos are from that earth experiment and that the seeds most likely didn’t survive the lunar landing.

Apple Replaced 11 Million iPhone Batteries in Its $29 Program

• Apple’s $29 battery replacement program may have seriously dinged sales of its 2018 iPhone models.
• The company replaced 11 million iPhone batteries under the program, John Gruber of tech-focused blog DaringFireball reported Monday, citing Apple CEO Tim Cook at an all-hands meeting.
• Typically, the company replaces 1 million to 2 million batteries each year, DaringFireball noted. Cook cited the program’s negative impact on Apple’s revenue in a Jan. 2 sales warning to investors but didn’t offer specific numbers.
• That’s 9-10 million units lost in sales.

Apple drastically drops the price of iPhones in China

The best of CES according to Engadget.

• Best accessibility = Samsung GEMS H – Lightweight (6lbs) exoskelleton.
  • Can also add resistance to help strengthen rehabilityation.
• Best Startup = NREAL – the light.  Mixed reality = 1080P and doesn’t look weird.
• Best  Digital Health and Fitness = Tripple W D3, Tracks bladder levels and can warn you when you may have an accident.
• Best Wearable – Omron Heartguide – Blood pressure and hypertension with the push of a button.
• Best Transportation – Daimler Freightliner.  Adaptive cruise, lane control, auto breaking (normal in consumer vehicles but first in a truck).  Make the road safer.
• Best Home Theater =  Sannheiser Ambeo Soundbar.  5.1 surround sound in a soundbar.  Converts stereo sound to 3d.
• Best Connected Home Product = Lenovo Smart Clock.  Google Home built in. Sunlight simulation and control smart home.  No camera.
• Best mobile device = Morphie Juicepack, Battery case that doesn’t use lightning port.  Uses wireless charging leaving the jack available (headphones?).
• Best TV = LG OLED TV R, 4k with 100w dolbie atmos soundbar.  Rolls up.
• Best Gaming = Alienware Area 51.m.  Modular – can swap out everything. Futureproofing.
• Most unexpected = IMpossible burger 2.0.  Meatless patty. Grown in a lab and tastes good.  Made with Soy Protien.
• Best Sports = JaxJox Kettle bell. Adjustable weight???
• Best Tablet = Dell XPS 13.  Slim Bezzels and Compact Design.  Dolbie Vision HDR Screen.
• Best Robot Drone = Samsung Bot Drone.  Sleep blood pressure and heart rate calls 911.

Netflix To Raise Prices By 13% To 18%

• Netflix is raising its U.S. prices by 13 percent to 18 percent, its biggest increase since the company launched its streaming service 12 years ago.
• Its most popular plan will see the largest hike, to $13 per month from $11. That option offers high-definition streaming on up to two different internet-connected devices simultaneously.
• Even at the higher price, that plan is still a few dollars cheaper than HBO, whose streaming service charges $15 per month.
• The extra cash will help to pay for Netflix’s huge investment in original shows and films and finance the heavy debt it has assumed to ward off rivals such as Amazon, Disney and AT&T.
• This marks the fourth time that Netflix has raised its U.S. prices; the last hike came in late 2017. But this is the first time that higher prices will hit all 58 million U.S. subscribers, the number Netflix reported at the end of September.

Huawei CEO Says Company Doesn’t Spy For China and Praises Trump in Rare Appearance

• Huawei would never allow China’s government to access customer data, even if Beijing requested it, the CEO and founder of the company repeatedly emphasized Tuesday, amid continued political pressure on the Chinese technology giant.
• In a rare sit down with international media, Ren Zhengfei addressed concerns raised by the U.S. government, which has warned that the company’s equipment could allow the Chinese government to have a backdoor into a nation’s telecommunications network.
• Ren, speaking Mandarin and using a company-provided translator, told the group that Huawei has never handed data to Beijing. “When it comes to cybersecurity and privacy protection we are committed to be sided with our customers. We will never harm any nation or any individual,” Ren told the journalists assembled at Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China. “
• China’s ministry of foreign affairs has officially clarified that no law in China requires any company to install mandatory back doors. Huawei and me personally have never received any request from any government to provide improper information,”
• Ren actually praised the U.S. president. “For President Trump as a person, I still believe he is a great president,” he said. “In the sense that he was bold to slash taxes. And I think that’s conducive for the development of industries in the United States.”

Feds Can’t Force You To Unlock Your iPhone With Finger Or Face, Judge Rules

• A California judge has ruled that American cops can’t force people to unlock a mobile phone with their face or finger.
• The ruling goes further to protect people’s private lives from government searches than any before and is being hailed as a potentially landmark decision.
• Previously, U.S. judges had ruled that police were allowed to force unlock devices like Apple’s iPhone with biometrics, such as fingerprints, faces or irises. That was despite the fact feds weren’t permitted to force a suspect to divulge a passcode.
• But according to a ruling uncovered by Forbes, all logins are equal. The order came from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in the denial of a search warrant for an unspecified property in Oakland. The warrant was filed as part of an investigation into a Facebook extortion crime, in which a victim was asked to pay up or have an “embarassing” video of them publicly released. The cops had some suspects in mind and wanted to raid their property. In doing so, the feds also wanted to open up any phone on the premises via facial recognition, a fingerprint or an iris.

Eugine the Egg, Instagram’s most-liked photo

• The picture of a plain brown egg has over 42 million likes and 6.3 million followers.
• It passed Kylie Jenner for having the most liked photo (a baby holding her thumb – 18.5 m likes).  It was cute.
• Brant was showing me the egg on Sunday.

OnePlus 7 Lead teases Noth-less, sliding camera design

• A photo of two phones (supposedly OnePlus 7’s) was leaked on the internet this week.
• Both photos show almost no bezels on the sides, bottom and top.
• One phone has a small teardrop notch (like the oneplus 6T but smaller).
• The other phone has no notch but a case that looks like part of the phone can slide up exposing a camera and other sensors.
• Oppo – Owned by the same company of OnePlus has already put out a slider phone.
• Slider phones are an interesting idea till cameras can be put behind the screen as Samsung is reportedly attempting.

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