Month: March 2022

Enlarge (credit: Apple)

As expected, Apple took the stage in a streaming product event today to announce a new version of the company's cheapest iPhone, the iPhone SE.

Like its 2020 predecessor, the new SE closely resembles the iPhone 8 first released back in 2017. To keep the cost down, the new SE still has a home button and a fingerprint reader, unlike other modern iPhones. But it's got some newer things on the inside. Namely, it has Apple's A15 system-on-a-chip, which was previously seen in 2021's flagship iPhone 13.

The new device comes in three colors: Midnight, Starlight, and Product RED. Apple says the new SE is 1.8 times faster than the iPhone 8, it has a 12MP camera and IP67 dust and water resistance, and Apple promises "better battery life."

Enlarge (credit: Mandiant)

Google has announced a massive $5.4 billion deal to acquire the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, Inc. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, but Google says it expects the deal to close later this year. If it goes through, it would be Google's second-largest acquisition ever, slotting in between the $12.5 billion deal for Motorola Mobility and the $3.2 billion purchase of Nest. Mandiant will join the Google Cloud division.

Mandiant was founded in 2004 and does security consultancy and threat research. It makes an automated threat-monitoring system called the "Mandiant Advantage Platform." Mandiant was a key researcher investigating many of the world's biggest security incidents, like the SolarWinds supply-chain attack, the Log4j vulnerability, and the Pulse Secure VPN vulnerabilities.

Google has a ton of experience securing its own cloud. Besides bulking up Google's security staff on its home turf, the goal of this deal is to bring more of that security know-how onsite with security consultancy services. The blog post lays out what the full Google Cloud security offering will look like:

Enlarge / System76 Launch mechanical keyboard. (credit: Scharon Harding)

The Launch is System76's first mechanical keyboard, but it could be the last keyboard you need. With hot-swappable mechanical switches, legends that won't fade, a durable build, and a pair of detachable cables, this tenkeyless board can evolve with you.

It's also open source—from its chassis to its PCB and firmware—allowing for deeper tinkering. There are even some extra keycaps for when you want a new look. And in true System76 style, the board favors Linux users.

At $285, though, the Launch is a big investment, and many won't like how hard it is to press the keys. The clicky mechanical switches are so tactile that they'll tire some fingers out.

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President Joe Biden announced today that the US will ban imports of Russian oil, natural gas, and coal. The UK will follow suit, according to a Politico report, phasing out Russian oil and gas purchases over the next several months.

The coordinated moves will add further pressure to Putin’s regime after he ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Russian crude oil and related products made up about 8 percent of US imports last year, while the UK imports about a third of its oil and 5 percent of its gas from the country.

“Today I am announcing the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia's economy. We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy,” Biden said today. “That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports, and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine.”