Brian Heater
TechCrunch
New York, United States
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Recent articles by Brian:
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ review –
It’s true, you’ve got the Galaxy Note to thank for your big phone. When the device hit the scene at IFA 2011, large screens were still a punchline. That same year, Steve Jobs famously joked about phones with screens larger than four inches, telling a crowd of reporters, “nobody’s going to buy that.” In 2019, […] → Read More
Motorola has GoPro aspirations for its latest budget handset –
Good on Motorola for keeping it interesting. At the end of the day, I’m not sure how large a market there is for a budget “action camera” phone, but in a world of samey electronics, at least the Lenovo-owned brand continues to shade in interesting corners. Honestly, I’m surprised more phones didn’t attempt to position […] → Read More
Apple, Samsung continue growth as North American wearables market hits $2B –
New numbers out of Canalys show strong continued growth for the North America wearables market for Q2. The market hit $2 billion value for the quarter, according to the firm, marking a 38% year over year growth. It’s not exactly earth-shattering, but it’s steady for a category that felt almost dead in the water a […] → Read More
Huawei employees reportedly aided African governments in spying –
A new report from The Wall Street Journal could be another damning piece of evidence for a company already under a good deal of international scrutiny. The paper is reporting that technicians working for Huawei helped members of government in Uganda and Zambia spy on political opponents. The report cites unnamed senior surveillance officers. The […] → Read More
Ajit Pai formally recommends T-Mobile/Sprint merger approval –
Ajit Pai has long signaled that he would approve a T-Mobile/Sprint merger, but today the FCC Chairman made it official. In spite of widespread opposition suggesting that the combining of the country’s third and fourth largest carriers would reduce competition in the marketplace, Pai takes the stance that such a move would actual promote competition. […] → Read More
Misfit releases a new Wear OS smartwatch –
It’s almost certainly no coincidence that Misfit’s new smartwatch bears more than a passing resemblance to the Fossil devices announced a week or two back. The one-time modular fitness startup has been part of the Fossil family since 2015, introducing its first full-on smartwatch two years later. The lines have continued to blur between the […] → Read More
Oregon joins lawsuit opposing T-Mobile/Sprint merger –
Oregon this week became the 15th state (plus the District of Columbia) to sign onto a lawsuit seeking to stop a T-Mobile/Sprint merger. The suit, co-signed by 16 attorneys general, argues that a merger between the country’s third and fourth largest carriers would greatly reduce competition in the wireless industry. “It’s important that Oregon join […] → Read More
Phones, laptops and game consoles get tariff reprieve until December –
Electronics manufacturers are no doubt breathing a collective sigh of relief this morning at the news that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has delayed tariffs on a number of categories. A long list of exports, including livestock, foodstuff and clothing will have the additional 10 percent tariff imposed on September 1. Others, including “cell […] → Read More
Spotify’s podcast dashboard comes out of beta –
Over the last couple of years, Spotify has made a big push into podcasts. The tip of the spear has been major investments, including acquisitions of companies like Gimlet and Anchor. It’s all part of the company’s attempt harness a massively growing category and build an audience beyond music. The other great thing about podcasts […] → Read More
Samsung’s Note 10 game streaming arrives in early September –
GalaxyPlay Link got fleetingly little stage time at last week’s Unpacked event. It’s true that Samsung had a lot of information to jam into the hour-long press conference, but the offering was glazed over during a brief segment on mobile gaming — a surprising choice given how big of an industry the category has become. […] → Read More
DJI slims down and simplifies its smartphone gimbal –
As we noted last month, DJI’s camera stabilizer line began life as an offshoot of the company’s drone offerings. Since then, however, it’s grown into a pretty massive portfolio in its own right, spanning from SLR to standalone pocket offerings. For obvious reasons, the Osmo Mobile has been one of the more popular models. Designed […] → Read More
Verizon is selling Tumblr to WordPress parent, Automattic –
Six years after Yahoo purchased Tumblr for north of $1 billion, its parent corporation is selling the once dominant blogging platform. WordPress owner Automattic Inc. has agreed to take the service off of Verizon’s hands. Terms of the deal are undisclosed, but the number is “nominal,” compared to its original asking price, per an article […] → Read More
Huawei’s new OS isn’t an Android replacement… yet –
If making an Android alternative was easy, we’d have a lot more of them. Huawei’s HarmonyOS won’t be replacing the mobile operating system for the company any time soon, and Huawei has made it pretty clear that it would much rather go back to working with Google than go at it alone. Of course, that […] → Read More
Apple starts selling Mophie’s take on AirPower –
There’s no shortage of AirPower knockoffs on the market. Many have been in the works since Apple took the wraps off its in-house version, positioned as more affordable alternatives. Since the company unceremoniously pulled the plug on the project, however, they’re the only game in town. We reviewed a $99 one a while ago. It […] → Read More
The smartwatch category is growing, as Apple remains dominant –
Last week Samsung and Fossil kicked off the week by announcing new smartwatches. On the same day. At the same time. From a brief moment, it felt like 2015 all over again, when the world of smartwatches felt exciting and new. Mid-way through 2019, the good news for smartwatches is that the category continues to […] → Read More
Samsung is bringing PC game streaming to the Note 10 –
One of the more interesting news tidbits from yesterday’s Unpacked event got a bit drowned out in all of the noise. Understandably so — Samsung jammed a lot into an event that ran just over an hour, virtually sprinting through a handful of gaming announcements. The below video is the best demonstration we have of […] → Read More
The Galaxy Book S is Samsung’s Windows-powered answer to the MacBook Air –
We were hoping for at least one surprise during today’s big event. At the end of Unpacked, Samsung debuted the Galaxy Book X, a thin and light system created in tandem with Microsoft and Qualcomm. The laptop runs Windows 10 on a Qualcomm mobile chip. Among other things, the chip gives the device some crazy […] → Read More
The Note’s most impressive new feature is only available on the 10+ –
The new Note’s 3D scanning feature got what may well have been the loudest applause line of today’s big Samsung event. It’s an impressive feature for sure, but it’s the kind with little real world value at the moment — and it’s only available on the pricier Note 10+. Understandable on the latter, at least. […] → Read More
Samsung’s Galaxy Note gets even larger (and smaller) –
The first Note was a spectacle. It wasn’t just the reintroduction of the stylus. In 2011, the idea of a 5.3 inch phone was laughable. Around the same time, Steve Jobs famously mocked a push toward 4-inch-plus phones, telling a press conference, “no one’s going to buy that.” With the average phone size hovering about […] → Read More
The headphone jack dies not with a bang, but a Note –
Next month marks three years since Apple unceremoniously murdered the headphone jack. Courage. The company was roundly mocked for the its own hype, and the interviewing product cycles have been marked by several companies proudly showcasing their staunch refusal to cave. None were more vocal about clinging to the 3.5mm jack than Samsung. And the […] → Read More