Apple will update China iPhones to prevent ban, but Qualcomm still fighting

• Apple will send software updates to several iPhone models in China to remove features disputed by Qualcomm as illegal. This will, hopefully, avoid a Chinese iPhone sales ban.
• However, Qualcomm is at the same time fighting for the potential sales ban to cover even more iPhone models.
• Apple admitted that if it cannot avoid the Chinese sales ban, it will be forced to settle with Qualcomm.

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Earlier this week, a Chinese court issued a set of preliminary injunctions in the patent fight between Apple and Qualcomm. The injunctions — which heavily favor Qualcomm — essentially put a Chinese sales ban into effect for the Apple iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

Apple revealed today, via Reuters, that it will push a software update to the Chinese iPhones in question next week. This software update will change and/or remove the disputed Qualcomm technology, which Apple hopes will allow the company to avoid the sales ban.

“Early next week we will deliver a software update for iPhone users in China addressing the minor functionality of the two patents at issue in the case,” Apple said. “Based on the iPhone models we offer today in China, we believe we are in compliance.”

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Originally, Apple claimed the sales ban was irrelevant because the iPhone models in question all run iOS 12, which the company argues fixes the issues revolving around the case. However, Apple must have changed its mind, as now it is pushing an update.

Ultimately, it will be up to the Chinese courts to decide if this future software update will be enough to avoid the sales ban.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm is pushing even harder on Apple, apparently emblazoned by the preliminary injunctions win this week. According to The Financial Times (via Engadget), Qualcomm is now pushing for the sales ban to also include the Apple iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.

Should the Chinese courts deem the software update to not be enough to avoid the ban, Apple concedes it would have no other option but to settle with Qualcomm. If this comes to pass, it would be an enormous win for Qualcomm in its years-long fight with Apple over alleged patent licensing infringement.

However, Apple does not mince words when describing how destructive an Apple sales ban in China would be. Apple had this to say in a December 10 filing, via The South China Morning Post:

“Apple will be forced to settle with the Respondent, causing all mobile phone manufacturers to relapse into the previous unreasonable charging mode and pay high licensing fees, resulting in unrecoverable losses in the downstream market of mobile phones. Apple, many other companies, and consumers … will suffer truly irreparable harm, [and the Chinese government] may suffer hundreds of thousands of tax losses.”

We can only assume that next week we will learn whether the Chinese courts will grant Apple some leniency in this case.

NEXT: Apple tipped to be working on own modem for iPhones, but don’t expect it soon

Source: Android Zone

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Huawei troubles poised to land on US industry

Huawei is in deep trouble. It might not quite be ZTE levels of trouble, but the winds are swirling.

I’ve written about Huawei’s security and telecommunication equipment problems before. Add in trade wars and criminal allegations, and you’re almost caught up.

Previously I’ve tried to get to the bottom of security issues with Huawei, but the exact secrets have never quite been revealed. The Five Eyes nations firmly believe Huawei is more or less a proxy for the Chinese state, but the public hasn’t seen verifiable proof.

Things are changing. The arrest of CFO Meng Wanzhou, daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, in Canada occurred on Dec. 1. The public wasn’t aware of her detention until Friday, December 7th.

The arrest of Meng Wanzhou is cataclysmic. You may have seen the headlines about Beijing’s fury, threats to Canada, and furor, but it hasn’t taken legal action, as you might have well expected.

The situation currently surrounding Huawei has major implications for worldwide 5G rollout.

Here’s how the South China Morning Post described the aftermath of the arrest:

“The shocked tone rings false. If China’s ambassador to Canada was really so sure Meng’s arrest was wrong, he could have filed a writ of habeas corpus to have her brought immediately before a court to determine the lawfulness of her detention. He did not.”

Meng was eventually freed on a $7.5m bail, and must wear an ankle bracelet along with paying for 24/7 security to ensure she does not attempt to flee Canada, as an extradition hearing is set up. Meng was also forced to surrender all passports and travel documents.

The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to pursue investigations that Huawei violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. While non-U.S. companies are free to deal with Iran — Samsung sells smartphones to Iranians — they can’t sell U.S. technologies like Intel or Qualcomm chipsets or modems. A similar breach of sanctions saw ZTE barred from using U.S. companies’ technology — something later watered down to fines after reported intervention from the White House.

Any such ban would be devastating for Huawei’s business. Of Huawei’s reported 92 core suppliers, 33 are U.S. corporations, including chip makers such as Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and Micron.

Any ban on Huawei utilizing U.S. technology, would cause serious issues for the company’s handsets and 5G technology. Huawei manufactures more of its own chips, including an award-winning processor but this could still cripple it. Huawei is largely a symbol of China’s success, both domestically and abroad.

For us, we need to imagine if Tim Cook or Sundar Pichai were arrested in China. The uproar would be immense, and many would feel China would be overreaching.  In this case, the U.S. involving Canada adds a third party, and Canadians may be anxious about retaliation from Beijing having been caught up in the Huawei mess.

Additionally, the U.S. is still pressuring its allies to avoid Huawei telecommunications equipment. Japan is the latest country to exclude both Huawei and ZTE from the 5G network rollout. BT in the UK also recently decided to bar Huawei equipment from its 5G rollout, and remove existing Huawei 4G infrastructure as well.

Why?

Spy agencies come in from the cold

We know that the Five Eyes (U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand — often abbreviated FVEY) attorneys general met this year from an Australian government release later removed from a Home Affairs website, though you can read it here.

Then came a rare set of speeches by top intelligence chiefs. These were significant, even if the words were moderate and indirect.

On Oct. 29, the first ever public speech was made by head of the Australian Signals Directorate Mike Burgess, following Australia’s ban on Huawei’s involvement in 5G networks:

These twin themes of technological and strategic economic shifts can be seen in the government’s recent decision to prohibit telecommunications carriers from using high-risk vendors in 5G networks.

This decision, which was not taken lightly, was supported by technical advice from my agency, all elements of my agency. Our intelligence and offensive cyber experts that led the formation of our cyber security advice. Offence informs defence.

Then came the second-ever public speech by an MI6 boss, Alex Younger on Dec. 3, who sounded a general warning over technology:

But I have also witnessed the damage new technologies can do in the hands of a skilled opponent unrestrained by any notion of law or morality, as well as the potentially existential challenge the data age poses to the traditional operating methods of a secret intelligence agency.

We and our allies face a battle to make sure technology works to our advantage, not to that of our opponents.

“We need to decide the extent to which we re going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies and these platforms in an environment where some of our allies have taken a quite definite position,” Younger said in later comments reported by the BBC.

Three days later, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s top spy, David Vigneault, gave his first public speech.

“Plainly said: there is state-sponsored espionage in Canada,” said Vigneault.

None of these spymasters mentioned Huawei or ZTE, but you don’t need to have beaten an Escape Room game to understand the warnings.

Then from the top echelon of the U.S. seat of power came the hugely significant speech by Vice President Mike Pence, a truly extraordinary attack on China at The Hudson Institute. Hostile and directly mentioning China no less than 91 times in remarks heard around the world.

How much does hurting Huawei hurt US networks and allies?

Huawei is banned from involvement with 5G rollout in the U.S., Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Canada may follow suit, with a former prime minister calling for the same limitation. Huawei remains active with 20 5G contracts with other major carriers, and it’s actively involved in 5G rollout and testing in the U.K., despite spy chief concerns.

In Liverpool, VF Huawei Land, for the weekend. Well deserving of its @VodafoneUK flagship status – 416mbps 3CA 1_7_20 2T2R here. pic.twitter.com/4cdrxfygbk

— Peter Clarke (@PedroClarke1) November 10, 2018

At the very least, carriers in countries banning Huawei will have a more expensive and difficult rollout of 5G technology. That means consumers will have to wait longer and pay more for 5G when it becomes available. Countries will have to rely on Swedish giant Ericsson and Finnish Nokia, a two-horse race for most major wireless bands. Samsung is a contender in mmWave very high spectrum bands only.

Any country banning Huawei will have a more difficult rollout of 5G technology.

This will likely mean slower U.S. uptake of 5G wireless. We’re already seeing test environments in some major urban centers, but significant 5G penetration outside of major cities soon is unlikely.

The U.S. has legitimate concerns about the importance of 5G infrastructure. 5G will, in as little as two or three years, take over from even wired installations where the traditional routing of major voice and data takes place. Significant and nationwide telecommunications infrastructure could be at risk to Chinese influence, however small, and however much Huawei protests its innocence.

The next major act of significance will be the outcome of Meng Wanzhou’s extradition, and the response from China. For now, China is incensed, but not retaliating. If that changes, U.S. lag on 5G infrastructure could be the least of its worries.

Source: Android Zone

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12 Best Free Website Hosting Compared (2019)

Looking for a free web hosting service to start your website? We get emails from readers on a regular basis asking if there’s a way to get free website hosting. And the answer is YES. We all love free things in life, but it’s important to remember not all free things are created equal. In this article, we will compare the best free (and almost free) website hosting services with their pros and cons.

The “Truth” About Free Website Hosting Service

Building a website has become the most important way to get your message out in the world. However, when you are first starting, you may not want to spend money on making a website.

Most people simply want something quick, easy, and free.

There are tons of free website hosting companies in the market. But as a smart consumer, you should know that there is no such thing as free lunch.

There is always a catch.

Running a website hosting service costs a lot of money.

The companies offering free website hosting need to make money somehow, or they will go out of business.

They do that by either displaying ads on your website, limiting your website traffic, locking you in their platform, and/or upselling their other services. Some of the ads displayed may not represent your brand well, and it can even be your competitor’s advertisement.

Except for a test website, it’s almost always a bad idea to use free website hosting. We have 36 reasons why free websites are bad idea, specially for businesses.

But what if you’re on a small budget?

Maybe you’re a non-profit who is looking for free WordPress hosting or maybe you want free website hosting for students. Don’t worry, we have a solution for you in this article.

As the largest free WordPress resource site for beginners, it is our job to highlight the fine-prints, so you’re making the RIGHT decision.

Every free website hosting company in our list guarantees that you can keep your website for free as long as you want. However we recommend anyone who is serious about their website to strongly consider using a low-cost full-featured website hosting provider.

Majority of these shared hosting companies will give you a free domain, free emails, free SSL, eCommerce functionality, and a lot more for $2.75 – $5 per month.

That’s basically “almost free” considering you will make a lot more money from your website.

Paying this small amount gives you access to expert support and overall better service. Most importantly, it gives you complete control and ownership of your website.

That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best almost-free website hosting companies first. After that, we will look at the best free website hosting companies.

Best Value “Almost-Free” Website Hosting

These providers are highly-reputed and are a great place for small businesses to start their website.

Some of them are even officially recommended by WordPress, WPBeginner, and other large organizations because they have demonstrated high level of quality and service.

If you are serious about your website, then we recommend you to start your website with one of these 5 providers.

1. Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the largest hosting companies in the world. They are an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

They have agreed to offer WPBeginner users a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and 63% discount on web hosting. Basically, you can get started for $2.75 per month.

Their hosting plans include free branded email addresses, unlimited disk space, free SSL certificate, 1-click WordPress install, and more.

To learn more about Bluehost, see our complete Bluehost review where we evaluated their hosting performance, features, and services.

2. SiteGround

Siteground is another great alternative to free website hosting. They are known for their awesome support and blazingly fast performance. SiteGround is also an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

They are offering WPBeginner users 60% discount on hosting. Basically, you’ll be able to get started for $3.95 per month.

SiteGround’s hosting plans come with a website builder, 1-click installer for WordPress and Joomla, unlimited email addresses, and more.

SiteGround have a special offer for Teachers and Students. You can get Student Web Hosting for only $1.99 per month.

Teachers can use SiteGround to enroll in a free hosting plan for educators.

For more details, see our thorough SiteGround review where we ran actual tests to measure their performance and uptime.

3. HostGator

HostGator is one of the top hosting service providers in the market. They have been around since 2002 and gradually grew to become one of the largest hosting companies in the world.

Their incredible growth can be credited to their low-price, reliable web hosting, and quality customer service.

Their hatchling plan starts from $2.64 / month. Each plan includes unlimited email addresses, free HTTPS / SSL, unmetered bandwidth and diskspace.

Our founder and CEO, Syed Balkhi, is a HostGator customer since 2007. WPBeginner itself is hosted with HostGator’s dedicated server and we are very happy with their performance.

For more details, see our HostGator review with pros and cons, and detailed performance tests.

4. DreamHost

DreamHost is one of the oldest web hosting companies, started in 1997. They currently host more than 1.5 million websites.

Their starter plan costs $2.59 per month. It includes a free domain name, free domain privacy, free SSL, unlimited emails, 1-click installers for popular website builders, and more.

To learn more, see our complete DreamHost review where we evaluated their services, support, and performance.

5. Just Host

Just Host is another low-cost alternative to the free website hosting companies. They offer shared hosting plans perfect for creating a starter website.

You can basically get started for $3.95 per month. Each plan comes with a free domain name, unlimited email addresses, multiple websites, and 1-click install for to CMS software like WordPress.

To learn more, take a look at our complete Just Host review with pros and cons.

Best Free Hosting Sites

While free is tempting, it’s always limited when it comes to website hosting. With that in mind, we have hand-picked the best free website hosting sites that you can use to get started.

These hosting sites are 100% free for you to use.

If you’re a serious about your website, we strongly recommend you to read our comprehensive guide on how to choose the best WordPress hosting before making your final decision.

With that said, here are the best free hosting companies in the world.

6. WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a popular free hosting platform that offers a unique flavor of WordPress. Not to be confused with the WordPress.org, which is home of the well-known self-hosted website builder, WordPress.

WordPress.com offer a free website hosting plan which gives you a WordPress.com subdomain (i.e. yourwebsite.wordpress.com ), 3 GB storage, and access to free templates for your website.

This free plan displays ads on your website. You can upgrade to their paid plans to get rid of ads, use a custom domain name, and access additional features. At which point any of the “almost free hosting” services we mentioned above are the better option.

To learn more, see our comparison of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org with pros and cons of both platforms.

7. Wix

Wix is another fully-hosted website builder that offers free website hosting.

Like most free hosting services, it is supported by displaying ads and Wix.com branding on your free website. You can get rid of it by upgrading to their paid plans.

The free plan will give you a Wix.com subdomain, access to website templates, 500 MB of storage and 500 MB of bandwidth.

For more details, see our comparison of Wix vs WordPress where we break down the pros and cons of both platforms.

8. Weebly

Weebly is another popular free website builder that you can use. It comes with an intuitive drag and drop builder and ready-made templates to create a website.

Their free plan includes a Weebly subdomain, 500 MB of storage, and displays Weebly ads. You can upgrade to their paid plans to get rid of ads, get more storage, and unlock features.

You may want to see our detailed comparison of Weebly vs WordPress which shows the advantages and disadvantages of both website platforms.

9. GoDaddy Website Builder

GoDaddy is the world’s largest domain name registrar and a popular hosting company.

They offer GoDaddy website builder which is a drag and drop website builder with ready-made templates. It is available as a 30-day free trial after which you can upgrade to one of their paid plans starting from $5.99 per month.

It is cheap and very easy to use. However, once your website grows you may find GoDaddy Website Builder to be quite limited in features. It is also difficult to move GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress or any other website platform.

10. Squarespace

Squarespace is a popular website builder platform that requires no technical skills. It offers beautiful professional templates and an intuitive drag and drop interface.

They offer a restricted 14-day free website hosting trial. This gives you access to their website builder so you can try its features. Your website will not be public unless you subscribe to a paid plan.

Paid plans start at $12 per month. Each plan comes with a free custom domain, unlimited bandwidth, storage, and ready-made website templates.

To learn more, see our article on Squarespace vs WordPress with pros and cons and feature comparisons.

11. Google Cloud Hosting

Google offers a wide variety of free website hosting solutions for small businesses and students. It comes with all the powerful features that you can expect from a top-class company like Google.

Since their plans are based on pay-per-use, it’s an easy place for students to get started. Google offers $300 free credit for new customers which is sufficient to last you for a whole year, if you’re just looking for a free website hosting for test sites.

You can use Google Cloud to host any type of website, and they even offer WordPress on Google Compute Engine.

12. Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon Web Services also known as AWS powers some of the most popular websites in the world. While it’s not easy to use for small businesses, it’s a great platform for students and developers who’re just getting started.

Amazon offers 12 months free and always free products on their AWS Free Tier which is by far one of the best free website hosting for testing sites.

Students can use Amazon’s powerful platform to learn and master their development skills.

We hope this article helped you find the best free website hosting service for your next project. You may also want to checkout our guide on how to create a free business email address in 5 minutes.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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Source: Wordpres

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