February | 2020 | Ars Technica
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Tech / Product News & Reviews

  1. Cortana’s not Alexa—skills are going away in Windows 10 version 2004

    We've got bad news for anyone with Cortana-centered smart home setups.

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  2. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip review—I think I hate flip phones

    Samsung makes big technical improvements in an anachronistic form factor.

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  3. The Raspberry Pi 4 gets a RAM upgrade: The 2GB version is now $35

    $35 originally got you 1GB of memory, while 2GB was $45.

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  4. HTTPS for all: Let’s Encrypt reaches one billion certificates issued

    The ISRG's Let's Encrypt is putting the S in HTTPS on a massive scale.

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  5. LG’s 2020 flagship smartphone is LG V60 ThinQ

    The optional accessory gives you a total of three displays.

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  6. Intel promises Full Memory Encryption in upcoming CPUs

    Intel's security plans sound a lot like "we're going to catch up to AMD."

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  7. Ars takes the new Opera R2020 browser for a spin

    Opera bundles in some killer UI features that Firefox and Chrome don't.

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  8. Lenovo refreshes its ThinkPad lineup with AMD Ryzen Pro 4000

    Some of these laptops will get 10th-gen Intel Core vPro chips later this year, too.

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  9. Thanks, Qualcomm: Mandatory 5G means phones now ship with disabled 5G modems

    Pay for a 5G modem you can never use, thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 design.

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  10. Firefox turns encrypted DNS on by default to thwart snooping ISPs

    US-based Firefox users get encrypted DNS lookups today or within a few weeks.

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  11. Apple Maps expands its Street View competitor to Boston, DC, Philadelphia

    This follows a US-wide expansion of more detailed maps.

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  12. New Sony Xperia 1 II smartphone looks handsome, costs a ridiculous $1,300

    It has a funny name, a square design, and a very high price.

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  1. Open source licenses: What, which, and why

    Learn what open source licenses are, which one to choose, and why it matters.

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  2. The Ars Technica semi-scientific guide to Wi-Fi Access Point placement

    Wi-Fi is like real estate—the secret is location, location, location.

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  3. Google cracks down on location-tracking Android apps

    New Play Store policy will make apps justify background location access.

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  4. Apple is considering letting users change default email, browser, music apps in iOS

    The plans are not final, but they would make for a radical change in strategy.

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  5. Android 11 Preview hands-on—Notification changes, dark mode options, and more

    New Android preview is laser-focused on new APIs, with little in the way of new UI.

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  6. Guidemaster: The best portable SSDs you can buy right now

    Which portable SSDs are worth your time and money? We tested a bunch to find out.

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  7. Microsoft releases new all-in-one Office app for iOS and Android

    The key feature is an Actions menu for quick access to common mobile tasks.

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  8. Google launches the Android 11 Developer Preview today

    There's a “one-time” app permission, more modularity, and driver’s license support.

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  9. Google parent pulls the plug on power-generating kite project

    First moonshot project to be axed since Google cofounders stepped back from management.

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  10. Apple’s new iPad Pro could be delayed due to the coronavirus, report claims

    Plans to introduce an iPhone SE successor in March are still on track, though.

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  11. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 promises smaller 5G modems in 2021

    New 5G modems aren't faster, but thanks to a 5nm process, they should be smaller.

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  12. Samsung’s 2020 TV lineup forces high-end buyers to go 8K whether they want it or not

    The 4K lineup has fewer dimming zones than last year and no HDMI 2.1.

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  1. Got small kids? Now’s a good time to buy a Fire Kids Edition tablet

    Fire HD with Freetime Unlimited is a great, cheap option for younger kids.

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  2. Samsung’s “Ultra Thin Glass” doesn’t seem much stronger than plastic

    Testing shows the Galaxy Z Flip isn't scratch-resistant or puncture-proof.

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  3. Linux distro review: Intel’s own Clear Linux OS

    Clear Linux OS is the best benchmarking distro. But what's it like to live with?

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  4. Since the iOS Files app is finally useful, Gmail will add attachments from it

    Apple beefed up Files' functionality in iOS 13 last year.

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  5. A new spin on 3D printing can produce an object in seconds

    Rotational 3D printing could have your model printed in 30 seconds.

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  6. February’s flexible flip-phone fight: The Galaxy Z Flip vs the Moto Razr

    They're releasing days apart, at similar prices, with different carriers in each corner.

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  7. Wi-Fi 6E isn’t here yet—but Broadcom is clearly banking on it

    There's no official Wi-Fi 6E timeline yet, but FCC approval seems likely.

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  8. Persistent L2ARC might be coming to ZFS on Linux

    The L2ARC feature's value will sharply increase with persistence across reboots.

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  9. Samsung Galaxy S20 vs. iPhone 11 Pro: A deeper division lurks beneath the spec sheets

    There are more important concerns for buyers than feature lists.

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  10. Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS released Wednesday—here’s what’s new

    It's never been a better time to adopt a Bionic Beaver.

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  11. Andy Rubin’s smartphone startup, Essential, is dead

    After three years of nonstop bad PR and canceled products, Essential is dead.

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  12. Mobile World Congress canceled due to coronavirus [Updated]

    Decision comes after a number of vendors pull out of world's biggest telecom show.

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