Rapid John
PositionMedia Relations Manager
Joined20 November 2013
Articles2,723
Rapid John has a quarter of a century in programming for Government and Corporate bodies and is proficient in most major programming languages.

Huawei joins the Paris Call

Huawei has joined the Paris Call in order to spur a collective action towards securing cyberspace. Huawei joined the Paris Call with 564 other entities who have made a public commitment to strengthening the security of digital products, and digital systems.
Huawei
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Freeview mobile app launches on Android

Months after it appeared on Apple’s App Store, the Freeview mobile app is finally available for Android devices. The app lets you stream live TV shows on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, as well as accessing on-demand content from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5, and UKTV Play. It's free to download and use – provided you have a TV license.
AndroidUKApps
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Punkt MP02

Punkt MP02 second major software update coming “soon”

Punkt launched the MP02, back in September of last year, and it took quite some time for the company to release the first update of the MP02’s firmware.  However, that release still had a few issues and there hasn't been a single update for nearly four months.
Android
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5G

Three confirms 5G plans will be unlimited and at no extra cost

Three is giving customers all the freedom they need to use 5G whenever and however they wish without worrying about any hidden or extra costs as the company announced that all new and existing customers will have access to 5G with no speed caps and at no extra cost on all contract, SIM only and PAYG mobile plans.
5GConnectedThreeUK
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O2 5G

O2 5G launching in October

O2 has announced that they will be switching on their 5G network in October 2019, beginning with areas of Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Slough and Leeds. By the end of the year, they’ll be live in 20 towns and cities and rolling out to a total of 50 by summer 2020.
O25GConnectedUK
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ASUS unveils ROG Phone II: Snapdragon 855 Plus, 120Hz OLED

ASUS today unveiled ROG Phone II, the successor to the ROG Phone. ROG Phone II builds on the gamer-centric design of the first-generation ROG Phone, and takes performance to an epic new level with the world's first implementation of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus Mobile Platform, which is clocked at up to 2.96GHz.
Devices and OSAndroid
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Facebook

FTC to fine Facebook £4bn over Cambridge Analytica Data Harvesting Scandal

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has voted to approve a £4bn ($5bn) settlement with Facebook over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The fine is the largest-ever imposed by the FTC for violating an order and is in line with what the company said it expected to pay in its quarterly report in April. In July, the ICO issued a Notice of Intent to fine Facebook as part of a wide ranging investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes.
NewsUS
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Huawei’s UK HQ visited by Mayor of Reading

Huawei today hosted the Mayor of Reading; Cllr Paul Woodward at its UK headquarters in Reading. This is the first visit to Huawei’s facilities the Mayor has made since officially assuming the role in May 2019.
HuaweiUK
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France approves Digital Tax on large tech companies

France has approved a 3 percent Digital Services Tax (DST) on revenues that large tech companies, particularly those in the digital advertising and e-commerce industries, earn from providing digital services to French customers.
Financial
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Spotify Lite for Android launches in 36 countries

Spotify Lite for Android, a simplified version of the Spotify app, is now available in 36 countries. It has a similar look and feel, but with a few key differences. It uses less storage, data, and battery to optimise performance, making it ideal for older devices and operating systems.
AppsAndroid
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Outage

Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp experiencing outage Worldwide

Facebook is was working to resolve issues faced by some users while sending and receiving media files on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The outages appear to be connected to US cybersecurity firm Cloudflare which has been affected by an outage at telecommunications provider Verizon.
Connected
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Android Security

Google releases July 2019 Android Security Bulletin and Google Device Images

Google has released the July 2019 Android Security Bulletin, giving carriers and device makers a fresh set of patches to install. Though Google puts out the Android security patches each month, the job of actually getting the fixes to end users falls on the telcos and/or device manufacturers themselves. Those partners vary in their ability to release the patches in a timely fashion.
Devices and OSGoogleAndroid
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EE launches 5G Mobile Broadband Plans

EE has launched its 5G mobile broadband plans, making it the first UK carrier to do so. The company isn't pitching its latest 5G offering as a replacement for home broadband but that is likely due to the fact that 5G availability is limited at the moment.
EE5GConnectedUK
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EE excludes Millions of Apple and Android users from EE TV and new service

EE have excluded Millions of Apple and Android users from accessing EE TV's replacement. Under the old platform customers of EE’s Broadband service paid an extra £8 a month to receive the box, which gave them access to all of the usual Freeview TV channels, PVR features, an app and access to premium on-demand content.
EEUKNews
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LG

BlackBerry expands partnership with LG

To advance the deployment of its connected and autonomous vehicle technology, BlackBerry is expanding its partnership with LG. Under the new agreement, LG will use BlackBerry QNX software and services to build digital consolidated cockpits, including infotainment systems, digital instrument clusters, and telematics systems for multiple OEMs.
BlackBerryAutomotive
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BlackBerry

BlackBerry beats analyst estimates but stock drops sharply

BlackBerry released its quarterly earnings on Wednesday, reporting US$247 million in first quarter revenue, up from US$213 million in the same quarter last year. Its net loss of US$35 million, or nine cents per share, was down from US$60 million or 11 cents per diluted share in last year's first quarter.
FinancialBlackBerry
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FedEx sues U.S. Department of Commerce

FedEx has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Commerce to stop it from enforcing certain export restrictions against the company. In a statement, FedEx didn’t name Huawei specifically but the filing comes after the company has botched Huawei-related shipments on at least two occasions.
NewsUS
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EE

EE adds BBC iPlayer and YouTube to Video Data Pass

EE  is now allowing more services to be streamed without eating into users' monthly data allowances. From today, anyone with a Video Data Pass can stream and download anything from the BBC iPlayer and YouTube without fear of running out of internet access.
EEConnectedUK
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BlackBerry Investors

BlackBerry to Webcast Annual Meeting on June 24, 2019

BlackBerry will hold its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Monday, June 24, 2019 at 10 a.m. ET in Waterloo, Ontario. There will be a live audio webcast that can be accessed by registering here. It can also be accessed by dialling 1-855-353-9183 and entering Access code 58660#.
FinancialBlackBerry
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Three UK

Three to launch 5G in August… Well Sort Of

Three has announced it will launch its 5G network in August, but it will only be available in London as a home broadband service. Three 5G home broadband customers will be able to plug a hub into the wall to immediately become connected, without lengthy engineer wait times or a long-term contract.
5GConnectedThreeUK
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Huawei wins ALL smartphone awards at Mobile Industry Awards 2019

The Mobile Industry Awards 2019 took place in London last night and when it came to smartphone categories, it was Huawei who made a clean sweep, winning all the smartphone related awards. Huawei won Best Value Phone, Best Mid Range Phone, Hottest New Phone 2019, Phone of the Year and topped it off winning Smartphone Manufacturer of the Year.
Huawei
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Android Q Beta

Android Q Beta 4 brings final APIs for developers and more

Google has released Beta 4 of Android Q bringing the final Android Q APIs for developers. The Beta 4 update includes the latest Android Q system images for Pixel and Android Emulator, along with the final Android Q developer APIs (API level 29), the official API 29 SDK, and updated build tools for Android Studio. Together, these give developers everything they need to test their apps for compatibility with Android Q and build with Android Q features and APIs.
Devices and OSAndroid
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Android Security

Google releases June 2019 Android Security Bulletin and Google Device Images

Google has released the June 2019 Android Security Bulletin, giving carriers and device makers a fresh set of patches to install. Though Google puts out the Android security patches each month, the job of actually getting the fixes to end users falls on the telcos and/or device manufacturers themselves. Those partners vary in their ability to release the patches in a timely fashion.
Devices and OSGoogleAndroid
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Apple Unveils SwiftUI Framework, ARKit 3 and New Xcode Tools for Developers

Apple today unveiled several innovative technologies that make it easier and faster for developers to create powerful new apps. SwiftUI is a new development framework that makes building powerful user interfaces easier than ever before. ARKit 3, RealityKit and Reality Composer are advanced tools designed to make it even easier for developers to create compelling AR experiences for consumer and business apps.
DevelopersApple
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BBM

BlackBerry Messenger Finally Closes Down

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will be put out of its misery today, finally closing down, following its failure to retain users while being unable to attract new ones.
Apps
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EE launches UK’s first 5G Network in Six Cities

EE launched its 5G network in six cities in the UK today. The commercial launch has been rolled out in London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester. It will then be launched in 10 additional cities later this year - including Bristol, Coventry, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
EE5GConnectedUK
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cybersecurity

5 Reasons why SMEs can’t ignore cyber security

The digital world offers many opportunities for business growth however it exposes organisations to new cyber risks. Weak cyber security can leave organisations exposed and the revenue repercussions can be severe. Joe Collinwood, CEO at CySure identifies the risks and how to mitigate them.
Opinion
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EE to launch 5G on May 30: Drops Huawei from Launch

The fallout from the United States ban on Huawei is now having its first major effect on upcoming smartphones from the Chinese company in the UK. EE and Vodafone have announced that they have pulled Huawei’s phones from their 5G network launch, joining other global telecoms groups in dropping launch plans after the Chinese group was hit by a US export ban that could stop it using Google’s Android operating system.
EE5GConnectedUK
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Huawei granted three month reprieve from ban

The US Department of Commerce has issued a licence allowing US companies to keep doing business with Huawei for the next three months. The company now has a Temporary General License to engage with U.S. vendors on a limited basis.
USHuawei
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Google revokes Huawei’s Android License

Google has revoked Huawei's Android license, restricting Huawei from some updates to Android. The company has suspended business with Huawei that requires the transfer of hardware and software products except those covered by open source licenses.
GoogleHuaweiAndroid
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OnePlus 7 Pro 5G exclusive to EE in UK

OnePlus has launched its OnePlus 7 series of handsets globally, which consist of the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro. However, there’s also a 5G variant of the OnePlus 7 Pro, which the company has announced has currently announced only in the UK.
Devices and OSEE5GAndroidUK
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iOS 12

Apple iOS 12.3 brings new Apple TV app and more

Apple has released iOS 12.3 for iPhone and iPad bringing a new TV app on iOS 12.3, tvOS 12.3, and Apple TV Software 7.3. The new TV app includes Apple TV Channels, a feature that simplifies streaming video subscription services by bringing them all into a single app.
Devices and OSApple
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Telegram

Telegram for Android brings chat archives, a fresh look and more

Telegram has rolled out a new update which brings chat archives, a fresh look for the app and more. It's taken its time but the ability to archive chats is finally here. To archive, simply swipe left on your main screen. You can further hide archived chats with another left swipe and to see them again, simply pull down on the main screen.
AppsAndroid
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Google Assistant

Google announces numerous updates to Google Assistant

Along with its new “entry-premium” smartphones, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, and changes to the upcoming Android Q, Google announced a list of changes to its popular virtual assistant, Google Assistant. To start with, Google says it has made its assistant faster—up to ten times faster.
GoogleConnected
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EE

EE launches new “Smart Plans”

EE have launched a new service which promises a smarter way for customers to enjoy their mobile phone contract. The new Smart Plans offer some valuable perks, including a lifetime guarantee on the handset while in contract and an annual check up of the device and contract by an EE expert.
EEConnectedUK
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Facebook Messenger 5 to Encrypt and Merge Apps and more

At it's ongoing F8 annual developer conference, while the keynote opened with CEO Mark Zuckerberg stressing on a privacy-focused platform, there were a lot of new developments shared as far as all of Facebook’s products are concerned. Starting with Messenger, Facebook shared plans about integrating the chat app with Instagram and WhatsApp.
Apps
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Blue Cedar launches Blue Cedar Accelerator for BlackBerry

Blue Cedar has announced the Blue Cedar Accelerator for BlackBerry, which enables organisations to quickly, easily and continuously integrate the BlackBerry Dynamics into their mobile apps, without the need to write any code, while still maintaining security and other critical controls.
AppsBlackBerry
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Facebook Messenger Dark Mode now available globally

Last month, Facebook included a new dark mode in its Messenger app, which had to be activated by using a hidden Easter Egg. Facebook has now rolled out the feature with with a simple toggle switch from settings.
Apps
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BlackBerry

BlackBerry Announces Inducement Awards

In connection with the acquisition of Cylance, BlackBerry's Board of Directors has approved a grant of performance-based restricted share unit awards (the "Inducement Awards") to Stuart McClure and Ryan Permeh covering up to 3,122,140 and 1,060,049 shares of common stock, respectively.
FinancialBlackBerry
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Samsung Galaxy S10 5G launches in South Korea

Samsung has released the Galaxy S10 5G in South Korea, the world's first available smartphone with built-in fifth-generation communications technology. On Wednesday the South became the first country to commercially launch nationwide 5G services, with three superfast networks going live offering data speeds that allow users to download entire movies in less than a second.
5GAndroidDevices and OSSamsung
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whatsapp-business

WhatsApp Business Version Debuts On iOS

WhatsApp has finally released the long-awaited business version of its messaging application on iOS, promising a much better experience for SMBs who want to communicate with customers on the platform.
AppsApple
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6.7
Punkt MP02

Punkt MP02 Review

Like its predecessor the MP 01, the MP 02 is a simple mobile phone for calling and texting, but this time with 4G LTE and tethering for Internet access.
Devices and OSReviews
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Huawei Hosts 5G Ecosystem Exhibition at Reading HQ

Following its presence at Mobile World Congress 2019 earlier this year, Huawei will host an exhibition highlighting its knowledge and expertise around 5G.  The exhibition will also present several of Huawei’s products and solutions that will bring its MWC theme “Building a Fully Connected, Intelligent World” to life.
HuaweiUK
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Android Security

Google releases April 2019 Android Security Bulletin and Google Device Images

Google has released the April 2019 Android Security Bulletin, giving carriers and device makers a fresh set of patches to install. Though Google puts out the Android security patches each month, the job of actually getting the fixes to end users falls on the telcos and/or device manufacturers themselves. Those partners vary in their ability to release the patches in a timely fashion.
Devices and OSGoogleAndroid
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Twitter

Twitter Birth Year Prank locking users out of their accounts

Several tweets circulating the Twitter platform are asking users to change their birth year to 2007 in order to make their feeds look "colourful". Falling for this hoax tweet, several users went ahead and changed their birth years to 2007. This obviously did not change the way their feeds looked, but instead, locked them out of their accounts for being under age.
News
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