Sprint and T-Mobile Split Up for Good
Sprint and T-Mobile officially called off their wedding over the weekend. The two had been in negotiation for months, but in the end “the companies were unable to find mutually agreeable terms.” A similar incident between the two occurred in 2014, but the merger was called off due to regulatory concerns. SoftBank, which currently owns 82% of Sprint, plans to boost its stake in the company to 85% following the news of the breakup. SoftBank is like the overprotective parent that just won’t let go of their favorite child. I wouldn’t Bank on another potential merger any time soon. (Source: TechCrunch)
Congress Cracks Down on Tech
Facebook, Google, and Twitter underwent countless hours of questioning from Congress regarding how Russian actors used their platforms to influence Americans during the past U.S. presidential election. The companies’ lawyers were unable to answer certain questions, and in the end, left with a lot of homework to turn in. Some of the assignments include: finding out how many people were tricked by tweets that told them they could vote through text message, why Twitter reported that bot accounts make up 5% of all accounts when third parties claim the percentage is much higher, and how many fake accounts Google has, among other items. This is quite possibly the biggest group project the tech world has ever seen. (Source: Bloomberg Tech)
Samsung Takes a Bite out of Apple
The mobile rivalry continues as Samsung’s new commercial jabs at the new iPhone. Titled “Growing Up,” the ad follows the journey of an Apple fan and his ever present struggle to use his iPhone. In the end, he sees the light and upgrades to a Galaxy. But to Samsung’s disappointment, the iPhone X seems to be well received and an overall success. Good thing there are participation trophies now. A for effort, Samsung! (Source: CNET)
