[Update 4: Xiaomi wins court ruling] US bans Americans from investing in Xiaomi, citing ties to Chinese military

Update 4 (03/13/2021 @ 6:10 AM ET): Xiaomi has won a court ruling blocking restrictions on it for the moment, with U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras saying that Xiaomi is likely to win a full reversal of the ban. Click here for more information.

Previous Updates

Update 3 (03/08/2021 @ 4:05 PM ET): A legal filing has revealed part of the reason why the U.S. has blacklisted Xiaomi as a company with Chinese military ties. Click here for more information.

Update 2 (01/31/2021 @ 2:05 PM ET): Xiaomi has filed a legal complaint against the U.S. Defense and Treasury Departments. Click here for more information.

Update 1 (01/14/2021 @ 7:06 AM ET): Xiaomi has released a statement on the ban. Click here for more information. The article as published on January 14, 2021, is preserved below.

The U.S. Department of Defense under the outgoing Trump administration has named nine Chinese firms to an investment blacklist, including Chinese phone maker Xiaomi. The list that Xiaomi and eight other firms have been added to is a list of companies that are alleged to be “Communist Chinese military companies” that are operating either directly or indirectly within the United States. This is in accordance with the statutory requirement of Section 1237 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999.

The Department of Defense announced its latest list earlier today. Under Section 1237 of the NDAA for FY 1999, the U.S. defines “Communist Chinese military companies” as “any person identified in the Defense Intelligence Agency publication numbered VP-1920-271-90, dated September 1990, or PC-1921-57-95, dated October 1995, and any update of those publications for the purposes of this section” as well as “any other person that–(i) is owned or controlled by the People’s Liberation Army; and (ii) is engaged in providing commercial services, manufacturing, producing, or exporting.” It’s unclear how Xiaomi fits this bill, as the company has mostly stuck to making consumer products.

As reported by Reuters, American investors will need to divest their holdings in each of the blacklisted firms by November 11, 2021. That’s because of an executive order signed by President Trump in November of 2020, barring Americans from investing in any companies added to the DOD’s list. Companies previously placed on this blacklist include Huawei and SMIC. What this means for the future of Xiaomi is not immediately clear, as while it’s not an outright ban on all trade, it’s possible that the company receives a large amount of investment from U.S.-based companies. For example, Qualcomm Ventures has publicly invested in Xiaomi, so by November 21st, Qualcomm may need to divest its holdings. That would affect Xiaomi’s stock price, but fortunately for the company, it won’t affect their supply chain.

If Xiaomi were to be placed on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List (à la Huawei and DJI), the company would be barred from conducting any business with U.S.-based companies. Furthermore, any company using hardware or software developed primarily in the U.S., which includes many chip foundries and chip design firms, would also be subject to a trade ban with Xiaomi. Huawei’s placement on the Entity List crippled its ability to sell Android-based smartphones internationally, owing to its lack of a GMS license. The placement also crippled Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon’s ability to design new ARM-based chips.

Fortunately for Xiaomi, they have had time to prepare for the worst, which has yet to happen. “In any case, if in the future something happens, we have a plan B. Among other things, we are investing heavily in various semiconductor manufacturers in China, but we believe that our business strategy should not be conditioned by decisions made by politicians. Until now, we have opted for integrating the best components into our products, and we will continue to do so in the future”, Abi Go, Xiaomi’s global product manager, told Xataka early last year. It’s also possible that the forthcoming Biden administration may remove Xiaomi from this blacklist, though that reversal is not guaranteed. Whatever the case may be, this is a major developing story and the impact may not be felt for some time.

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Update 1: Xiaomi releases statement; Qualcomm had already exited long back

Xiaomi has released a statement on Twitter disputing the allegations that it is a company tied to the Chinese military. Xiaomi says that the company is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with the Chinese military.

pic.twitter.com/56F87lWx8f

— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) January 15, 2021

As well, it turns out that Qualcomm has already divested its holdings in the company at an unknown date. The venture capital arm of Qualcomm, Qualcomm Ventures, lists Xiaomi as “exited”. While no date has been confirmed for this exit, I was able to verify that the company has been marked as “exited” since at least August 6th, 2020.

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Update 2: Xiaomi files legal complaint

On its official blog, Xiaomi has announced that it has filed a legal complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint is addressed to the Department of Defense and the Department of the Treasury, which are undergoing changes in leadership with the transition from President Trump to President Biden. Xiaomi claims the DoD’s decision was factually incorrect and deprived the company of due process. The investment restrictions are set to go into effect on March 15, 2021, unless Xiaomi is removed from the list.

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Update 3: Partial Reason Behind Ban

In a legal filing spotted by the WSJ, the U.S. Department of Defense has revealed part of the reason why it added Xiaomi to the list of “Communist Chinese military companies.”

According to the legal filing, the U.S. is citing an award given to Xiaomi founder Lei Jun as part of the reason why the U.S. DoD is blacklisting the company. Mr. Jun received the “Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics” award in 2019 from the Chinese Government’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The MIIT officially oversees China’s tech and industrial policies, but the U.S. DoD has accused the Chinese agency of aiding China’s civil-military fusion. The award from the MIIT, according to the WSJ, was given out to 100 Chinese executives in 2019 and is given out once every five years to the top private-sector entrepreneurs.

Another reason cited behind the ban was Xiaomi’s “ambitious investment plans in advanced technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence”, according to the WSJ. As the publication points out, Xiaomi plans to invest ¥50 billion (~$7.7 billion) over 5 years into 5G and AI. These plans were laid out by the company’s founder in January 2020.

These rationales were disclosed in a court filing last week after Xiaomi filed a legal complaint over a month ago. A spokeswoman for Xiaomi didn’t comment on the filing when reached by the WSJ, but the company has previously denied any affiliation with the Chinese military.

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Update 4: Xiaomi wins court ruling

In a major win for Xiaomi, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras has put in place a temporary halt on the ban in order to prevent Xiaomi from suffering “irreparable harm.” As reported by Bloomberg, Contreras has also said that it is likely Xiaomi will win a full reversal of the ban as the litigation unfolds. Xiaomi intends on requesting the court declare any linking of it to the Chinese military unlawful and to permanently remove its designation on the “Communist Chinese military companies” list. Contreras went even further, saying that “The court is somewhat skeptical that weighty national security interests are actually implicated here.”

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Xiaomi’s Mi Neckband Pro lives up to its hype as the most affordable ANC neckband

Xiaomi last month launched the Mi Neckband Pro, a successor to the Mi Neckband that came out last year. Once again, Xiaomi has done a remarkable job at striking a killer balance between feature set and price tag. Although the overall market trend is swiftly moving towards truly wireless earphones, the neckband form factor has held its ground firmly in the Indian market.

We have already reviewed the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z and OPPO Enco M31, which remain our top picks for anyone in the market for Bluetooth earphones. The task ahead of the Mi Neckband Pro is to come close to these offerings at least, if not surpass them. The inclusion of ANC puts the Mi Neckband Pro in a solid position and combining that with a ₹1,800 price point, Xiaomi has ensured the earphones will not simply get lost in the sea of Bluetooth earphones and neckbands swirling in the market. The Mi Neckband Pro are also the cheapest Bluetooth earphones on the market with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

I have been using the Mi Neckband Pro for the last three weeks as my daily driver earphones, and here’s what I think about them.

Disclaimer: The review unit of Mi Neckband Pro was provided by Xiaomi India. Xiaomi had no input in the content of this review. Unless otherwise specified, the observations stated in the review are with regards to Android smartphones.

Design & Controls

The Mi Neckband Pro has a very conventional design that comes across as slightly dated for a neckband launching in 2021. A flexible rubber collar and plastic tubes lays the foundation of the earphones. All controls are on the right module, along with a charging port that’s tightly sealed by a rubber cap. That rubber cap isn’t just for protection against dust and debris; it also hides a secret: a micro-USB port.

This fact remained under wraps for some days. It was only on the fourth day when I went to charge the earphones for the first time with, wait for it, a USB C cable that I learned about Xiaomi’s mischief. At least Xiaomi is kind enough to include a micro-USB cable inside the box so you don’t have to rummage through the drawers.

At 36g, the earphones are heavier than the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z (26g) and OPPO Enco M31 (22g). The rubber collar and plastic body are also on the thicker side, and although they’re not discomforting in any way, you do feel they’re on your neck all the time. The earcups are plastic and have shallow grooves on their back which, besides adding some friction, also add a premium feel. The end of the right earcup is slightly pointed, while the left one has a subtle indentation, so when you snap them, they kind of snugly lock into each other. This helps because the magnets themselves are a bit weak.

Water and sweat-resistant properties have become a must on Bluetooth earphones, considering one of their primary use cases involves using them during workouts and sports. The Mi Neckband Pro has an IPX5 rating which protects them against sweat and splashes of water.

The Mi Neckband Pro is not exactly lightweight or minimal, but they sure are comfortable. During the review, I was able to wear them for hours on end without inducing any irritation or discomfort. The earbuds have what Xiaomi calls an anti-cerumen design which doesn’t let ear wax stick to the tips. Xiaomi bundles two additional sets of ear tips to accommodate for different ear shapes and sizes. Since the bass and ANC performance are directly correlated to the seal formed by the ear tips, it’s very important to take your time trying out all tip sets and see which ones provide the best experience.

All physical controls are located on the left plastic module. Power and volume keys are outward-facing while the ANC is placed on the inner side. For reasons known only to Xiaomi, clipping the magnets together doesn’t act as a power on/off mechanism on the Mi Neckband Pro. You have to long-press the power button every time you wish to turn on the earphones, and of course, go through the same annoyance if you want to turn the device off. If you forget to turn off the earphones manually, they will remain powered on, wasting battery life for no good reason.

Sound Quality

The Mi Neckband Pro has a 10mm driver fitted into each earcup. Support for the high-quality codec is missing, and SBC and AAC are your only options. It’s not a big deal given their price, but a thing to keep in mind if your use case involves gaming as both SBC and AAC codecs suffer from very high latency, resulting in a perceivable delay in games. They are fine for streaming video content, though.

Coming to the audio quality, the Mi Neckband Pro has an unmistakably bass-skewed sound signature. They are not bass heads by any means, but they do have that warm sound that is the name of the game on most consumer earphones on the market. Most of the boosting is focused on the sub-bass, which is where those deep, satisfying thumps lie.

I’m not a fan of boosted bass or bass-heavy earphones, for that matter, but I feel the bass on the Mi Neckband Pro is enjoyable — even if it doesn’t match the balanced bass profile that I usually look for. It’s certainly more balanced and better-defined than the OnePlus Wireless Bullets Z. There is an extra kick that goes well with hip hop and electronic music genres.

As is usually the case with warm-sounding earphones, the mid-range is recessed. Vocals remain clean and discernible, but they fail to leave a mark and sound less captivating when they’re the essence of the track. The emphasis on bass means they are also prone to get crowded by lower frequencies sometimes.

This was apparent while listening to Nicole Scherzinger’s version of Memory (from the “Cats” musical). When the song reaches its peak at 3:30, you want all focus on Nicole’s powerful high notes, which are the essence of this track. Listening to this portion on the Mi Neckband Pro, the high notes sounded hollow and devoid of charm, with lingering bass notes, in particular, making things muddier. Oppo’s Enco M31 reproduces this part exceptionally well, letting Nicole’s voice rise above everything as other instruments fade to the background and assume more complementary roles.

The treble range is rolled off, and as a result, instruments occupying the higher frequencies often come across as dull and lacking crispness. This is especially noticeable in symphonies and orchestral tracks. This is again quite common among mainstream earphones, especially with the warm sound signature, so as to avoid the listening fatigue associated with sharp, high-frequency sounds.

Overall, I think the Mi Neckband Pro offers decent audio quality that most casual listeners will be perfectly content with. They’re not for serious listeners, and Xiaomi’s marketing material makes that quite clear, so there’s hardly anything to complain about here.

ANC & ENC

If it wasn’t for ANC, the Mi Neckband Pro would have been a very ordinary pair of Bluetooth earphones. But by bringing one of the most sought-after features in earphones at this price, Xiaomi has managed to put these earphones into their own league. For many users, this might be the primary reason to consider the Mi Neckband Pro over other options. And thankfully, Xiaomi doesn’t disappoint here.

The ANC can be toggled on and off through a dedicated switch located on the right module. This is much more straightforward than those awkward switch combinations you have to go through on other ANC earphones. Xiaomi claims the ANC can effectively reduce surrounding noises by up to 25db. In the grand scheme of ANC, this number squarely falls in the average range, so you’re clearly not in for a big surprise here.

In my testing, the earphones did make a difference in lowering down the outside world. I found the ANC less effective on the lower frequency sounds, the noise of a ceiling fan, engine noise coming out of the vehicle, etc. I compared the Mi Neckband Pro side by side with OPPO Enco W51, and while I could still hear the noise of a ceiling fan running above me on the Mi Neckband Pro, I could barely hear it on the Enco W51. The results were surprising when it came to blocking human speech and background chatter, where I found the Mi Neckband Pro to be more effective than the Enco W51.

Don’t expect the ANC to blow your mind. At best, the Mi Neckband Pro can reduce the noise level to some extent, but you’ll still be able to hear pretty much everything that goes on around you. But at the end of the day, any kind of ANC is better than no ANC, so there’s little to complain about here.

Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) is another highlight of the Mi Neckband Pro. Xiaomi says ENC uses the on-board microphone to detect the direction of your speech and cuts down on other environmental noises by up to 90%, so recipients can hear your voice clearly.

We have seen this tech on the OPPO Enco M31, and we noted in our review that it made little to no difference in canceling outside noises. The same is true for the Mi Neckband Pro. When I was out on the streets and in noise settings, callers struggled to hear my voice, and the ENC made no difference at all suppressing surrounding noises.

Battery Life

The Mi Neckband Pro has a 150mAh battery with a claimed battery life of up to 20 hours. In my loop test with the volume set at 50% and ANC turned on, the earphones lasted roughly 18 hours and 25 minutes before they ran out of juice, a tad shorter than what the company claims. In day-to-day use, with around 2 to 3 hours of daily usage, I could easily get through a week without needing to charge.

Although the battery life is excellent, the charging technology isn’t. It’s a sin to use a MicroUSB on any consumer tech at this point. Xiaomi has little reason to ship it on its product, while even regional OEMs like Boat offer a Type C port on their similarly priced products.

Conclusion

The Mi Neckband Pro gets most things right. It has excellent battery life, an extra kick of bass without overdoing it, and ANC that works. The real sales driver is undoubtedly the ANC here. If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth neckband with ANC magic, there are zero alternatives to Mi Neckband Pro under the ₹2,000 range. It’s as simple as that. Even the closest competitor — the Realme Buds Wireless Pro — costs twice as much.

If ANC isn’t something you look for with a passion in a pair of earphones, there are much better options available with a more modern design, better sound, and higher battery life. If faithful sound reproduction is at the top of your list, look no further than the OPPO Enco M31. The battery life is mediocre, as is the build quality, but the sound they produce is totally worth every shortcoming these earphones have. What’s more, with support for the LDAC codec, they provide the perfect lag-free audio that mobile gamers always dream about.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z is another great option if you’re a care-free handler and have a track record of breaking things. With the Bullets Wireless Z, you’ll get the best-in-class build quality that can easily withstand abusive handling as well as an IP55 rating, unlike the IPX5 protection offered by most earphones. The sound quality isn’t their strength, however. In fact, I feel the Mi Neckband Pro delivers a more balanced sound than the Bullets Wireless Z.

Mi Neckband Pro

The Mi Neckband Pro has it all: an extra kick of bass, ANC and a marathon battery life. They're one of the most value-for-money Bluetooth earphones on the market.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

₹1,799 at Amazon.in

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Microsoft Edge will release new updates more often just like Google Chrome

Google recently announced plans to release major updates for Chrome every four weeks, speeding up its traditional six-week release cycle. Now, Microsoft has announced it will match Google’s four-week cadence with quicker Edge updates.

Microsoft said the change in release cycles is expected to start with Edge 94, which is tentatively scheduled to launch in September. Google, meanwhile, is sticking with a similar timeline, saying it would make the switch with Chrome 94 in Q3 2021. Like Google, Microsoft said this more aggressive release schedule will be different for enterprise customers.

“To help our enterprise customers who need an extended timeline to manage updates, Microsoft Edge will offer an Extended Stable option aligned to a longer, 8-week major release cycle; this option will only be available for customers with managed environments,” Microsoft said in a blog post.

Enterprise customers who don’t choose the 8-week option will be defaulted to the 4-week cadence, according to Microsoft. Those who do choose the Extended Stable option will get the same new features and security from the 4-week cycles, just delivered at a more manageable pace. Security updates will be introduced biweekly with the most important fixes on the Extended Stable option.

Microsoft Edge has already been the recipient of several new updates this year, with features like vertical tabs, themes, and history and tab sync. Microsoft has also introduced sleeping tabs, which is designed to boost browser performance by improve memory and CPU resource usage.

According to Microsoft’s release roadmap for Edge, the next big update is set to hit on March 15, followed by another release on April 27—or roughly six weeks later. By the end of September, however, Microsoft will have moved to a faster release schedule, and expects to continue that pace into the new year. Of course, we’ll keep you up to date with every new release and change along the way.

Microsoft Edge: Web Browser (Free, Google Play) →

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Samsung clarifies security update policy as many Galaxy devices get March 2021 patches

Last month, Samsung said it would provide four years of security updates on Galaxy mobile devices, extending the life of phones like the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10. The company is now clarifying that commitment so it’s a little less vague.

When Samsung announced its four-year plan, the company said it would provide monthly security updates to devices for the first two years and then provide quarterly updates the year after. Now, the company is saying (via GizmoChina) devices will receive “biannual” updates in the fourth year. Before, the company’s wording was more vague, saying devices would simply receive “regular” updates.

The devices below are slated to receive biannual security updates:

• Galaxy S/Note: Galaxy S8 Lite, Galaxy Note FE
• Galaxy A: Galaxy A6, Galaxy A6+, Galaxy A7 (2018), Galaxy A8+ (2018), Galaxy A8 Star, Galaxy A8s, Galaxy A9 (2018)
• Galaxy J: Galaxy J2 Core, Galaxy J3 (2017), Galaxy J3 Top, Galaxy J4, Galaxy J4+, Galaxy J4 Core, Galaxy J5 (2017), Galaxy J6, Galaxy J6+, Galaxy J7 (2017), Galaxy J7 Duo, Galaxy J7 Prime2, Galaxy J7 Pop, Galaxy J7 Top, Galaxy J7 Max, Galaxy J7 Neo, Galaxy J7+, Galaxy J8
• Galaxy M: Galaxy M10, Galaxy M20
• Galaxy Tab: Galaxy Tab A (2017), Galaxy Tab A 10.5 (2018), Galaxy Tab S3, Galaxy Tab S4, Galaxy Tab E 8 Refresh

When Samsung announced its plans to provide security updates for four years, the company said its number one priority was to offer “the best and most secure mobile experience.”

“Mobile devices play such an important role in our lives, it’s only natural that we want to hold onto them longer,” Samsung said. “That’s why, thanks to the latest technology advancements, we’re committing to securing Galaxy devices for even longer, so that everything that should be kept protected stays protected.”

Samsung used to have a reputation for being slow to update its devices, but the company has really turned it around, bringing Android 11 to many of its phones in a timely manner. The company has also already rolled out the March 2021 security patch to a handful of phones, including the Galaxy S20 series with Exynos and Galaxy Tab Active 2, just to name a few.

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Google Play Games prepares to add better management for multiple accounts

Google Play Games will soon allow gamers to seamlessly switch between their multiple Google accounts. Currently, when you sign into a game using your Google account through Google Play Games and would like to change the default account later on, there’s no easy way to do that.

Your only and not-so-convenient option is to either reinstall the entire game or wipe the game data from the app settings, which may not be something you would want to go through if your game is huge in size and requires downloading multiple gigabytes of game assets. However, it appears Google will be making it easier for gamers to sign out of their current account and switch to a different one.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

In the Google Play Games v2021.02.24917, we found some strings that suggest that the Google Play Games app itself will let you change the default account used for games, change the default account used for all new games, or change the account used on a per-game basis.

Changing the account will delete all local progress and settings associated with that account, but it does mean you can switch accounts more easily, and more importantly without needing to reinstall the game from scratch.

New strings in Google Play Games v2021.02.24917:

<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_description">Current default account: %1$s</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_option_for_all_games_description">"You'll lose access to progress and settings for games you've played. We'll restart the game to apply your changes."</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_option_for_all_games_title">" Change the default account for "<b>all games</b>" "</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_option_only_for_new_games_description">"You won't lose access to progress and settings for games you've played. But your progress will be split between accounts."</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_option_only_for_new_games_title">" Change the default account only for "<b>new games</b>" "</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_option_sign_out_of_all_games_description">"You'll lose access to progress and settings for games you've played. We'll restart the game to apply your changes."</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_option_sign_out_of_all_games_title">" Sign out of "<b>all games</b>" "</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_default_account_for_all_games_dialog_title">Select an option for the new default account</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_per_game_description">"If you change the account for a selected game or sign out of it, you'll lose access to past progress and settings for the game"</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_per_game_dialog_description">"If you change the account you'll lose access to past progress and settings for the game"</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_per_game_dialog_option_ask_every_time">@string/games__signinsettings__game_state_description_ask_every_time</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_per_game_dialog_option_sign_out">Sign out</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_per_game_dialog_option_use_player">Use %1$s</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_per_game_dialog_title">Select an option for this game</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__change_per_game_title">Change the account by game</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__sign_out_of_all_games_option_dialog_description">"While you're signed out, you'll lose access to progress and settings for these games:"</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__sign_out_of_all_games_option_dialog_sign_out_button">Sign out</string>
<string name="games__signinsettings__sign_out_of_all_games_option_dialog_title">Are you sure you want to sign out of all games?</string>

At the time being, this change hasn’t been implemented in the most recent version of the Google Play Games app. We’ll keep an eye out for the further progress of this feature and will sure to let you know when it goes live for everyone.

Google Play Games (Free, Google Play) →

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Google’s Pixel phones are the first to meet the Common Criteria’s MDF protection profile on Android 11

Google Pixel smartphones may lack in terms of the overall hardware besides their cameras, but the fastest software updates make them immensely desirable. Pixel devices not only get the best Android features before others, but they also get top-notch security with monthly security updates. In addition to these updates, the dedicated Titan M security chip is claimed to offer enterprise-grade privacy protection. Now, the Pixel devices running Android 11 are also the first to meet Common Criteria’s MDF security standards.

Mobile Device Fundamentals (MDF) Protection Profile by Common Criteria outlines guidelines that IT companies across 31 countries around the world must follow. These guidelines ensure the enterprise user data is safeguarded by “strongest possible protections,” Google notes in a blog post. This certification allows Google to endorse its Pixel devices running Android 11 — i.e., Pixel 3 and above — which are the best-suited devices for corporate users with a lot of sensitive data to protect.

What makes Common Criteria’s MDF guidelines even more convincing is that the evaluation is performed in a lab where experts test a device’s resilience against various “real-world threats facing both consumers and businesses.” The tests are performed to warrant “every mitigation works as advertised.” To verify the mitigations in case of different threats on Pixel devices, the lab evaluates the function of:

• Protected Communications – to ensure traffic across all communications and networks, including Wi-Fi, are encrypted.
• Protected Storage – to ensure storage encryption and tamper-proof mechanisms such as the Titan M chip.
• Authorization and Authentication – to check against spoofing and false acceptance
• Mobile Device Integrity – to verify Android’s implementation of Verified Boot, Google Play System Updates, and Seamless OS Updates.
• Auditability – for users to reports or IT admins to check for events such as device start-up and shutdown, data encryption, data decryption, and key management.
• Mobile Device Configuration – for enterprise admins to enforce Android Enterprise’s security policies for the camera, location, or app installation.

Other than for enterprises, these security features also ensure that a user is protected against snooping and/or general or targetted attacks. For instances in which your Pixel phone gets lost or stolen, the chances of your personal data getting accessed are lowered due to these safeguards.

Google adds, “the features required to satisfy the necessary security requirements are baked directly into the Android Open Source Project.” These tools have been published on GitHub for OEMs to use them for similar certifications. In addition to the MDF Protection Profile, Google will also aid OEMs in getting certified for the National Institute of Technology’s Cryptographic Algorithm and Module Validation Programs as well as the US Department of Defense’s Security Technical Implementation Guide.

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How to Win Free Huawei Swag by Joining Huawei’s Community

Huawei has a strong and active community of users that love to share and discuss different topics online. It’s a place for developers, users, artists, creators, and photographers. Anyone who uses Huawei products will find things to talk about in the Huawei official forum. Now users have the chance to win some free Huawei swag, by joining this great community.

Join the Huawei Community Captain League!

Apart from all of the benefits that being a part of the community has, you can win some free stuff by becoming a part of the Captain League. This program is for the most enthusiastic members to play a more important role in the community. In the Captain League, there are roles for the following positions:

• Moderator
• Content Crew
• Social Admin

Each of these roles plays a special part in improving the Huawei community. You can learn more about these roles, and how to join the Captain League here.

There are several benefits that come with joining this program. Being one of the team members means you will work closely with the most talented Huawei fans around the world; and will have daily communications with the official community team. Also, it means exclusive access to new products, offline events, and official promoting of your content!

Huawei FreeBuds Studio

Want a shot at winning some of the Huawei FreeBuds Studio? All you have to do is repost this post from the Huawei Community on Facebook. You will be entered into a lottery where you could win a free pair of these fantastic headphones.

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