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T-Mobile has activated its standalone 5G network across the United States, boasting that it is the first wireless carrier in the world to hit this milestone. Unlike current 5G networks, which build upon existing 4G networks, T-Mobile's 5G network is built upon standalone architecture (SA). According to T-Mobile, this move expands the company's 5G to more than 7,500 cities and around 250 million people, a 30-percent coverage increase.

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Just like Google, Microsoft hasn't had any real success with building a social networking network. In fact, it barely even tried beyond the brief research experiment So.cl and the acquisition of an employment-centric LinkedIn. If it weren't for all the focus that TikTok came under due to threats of a US ban, Microsoft's intention of purchasing a large part of the popular video-based network would have never come to light until the deal was sealed. Curiously, Redmond seems really bent on pushing through with those plans to the point of publicly talking about it in the face of US President Trump's threats.

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The United States Army has awarded BAE Systems with a $179 million contract to develop its next-generation Missile Warning System (MWS), the company has announced. Under this contract, BAE Systems will operate under the US Army's Limited Interim Missile Warning System Quick Reaction Capability (LIMWS QRC) program. The company will provide the military with its first two production lots of the LIMWS.

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When it comes to discussing firearms and violence prevention in the United States, gun culture presents a big stumbling block -- what will work in some places may not be effective in other regions, something largely due to how firearms are viewed differently depending on where you look. A new study has identified three specific 'gun cultures' in the US and detailed which culture each state is most closely identified with.

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Advocacy groups in the United States and the European Union issued a statement on Wednesday rallying against Google's acquisition of Fitbit. The statement was signed by twenty advocacy groups from countries around the world, primarily in the USA and Europe. Google currently has a bid in place to acquire the fitness wearable company Fitbit - but the deal's not quite done just yet.

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has dealt a new blow to Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, alleging that they are both national security threats. With an official proclamation established, the FCC says that its Universal Service Fund cannot be used to purchase or otherwise support any services or hardware from either company. The move follows years of US government concern over potential espionage and security issues related to hardware from Chinese companies.

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Another major city in the United States, Boston, has banned the use of facial recognition technology for surveillance purposes, stating that not only does this tech trample 'on everyone’s rights to anonymity and privacy,' but it also enforces systemic racism and makes it easier for communities to target minorities. Boston joins five other regions in Massachusetts that have also banned their respective governments from using these systems.

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Ride-hailing company Lyft has vowed an ambitious goal: it will transition to 100-percent electric vehicles by 2030. The commitment was announced on June 17, with Lyft explaining that it is collaborating with the Environmental Defense Fund on this effort. The news comes amid reports that transportation is driving greenhouse gas pollution in the US and is a big source of pollution elsewhere in the world.

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While Huawei's smartphones are often publicized as the most immediate casualties of its tussle with the US government, they aren't the only business affected by it. Not only is Huawei involved in the equipment and technologies used to run many of the world's networks, it also has a voice in existing and upcoming industry standards when it comes to networks, AI, and even self-driving cars. Huawei's involvement in these standardization efforts has ironically put US companies in limbo which why the US Commerce Department is easing up on that restriction a bit to allow them to at least collaborate with the Chinese company on such matters.

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This week Facebook employees and leadership protested their CEO Mark Zuckerberg's inaction on messages from Trump. As Twitter marked inflammatory messages from Trump with fact-checking resources and/or warnings about their dangerous nature, Facebook did no such thing with similar/identical messages over the weekend. Zuckerberg reacted to Trump's messages with claims that "free expression" trumped all other matters.

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The COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to much of the world's businesses and operations and it has only been recently that some have finally been able to reboot a small portion of their lives and work. But then a single even caused waves across the US and even the world, forcing companies like Amazon and Apple to scale back or even close their shops as the number of protests and violent incidents rise in the wake of George Floyd's death.

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The US government's trade ban on Huawei was meant to bring the company to its knees both as punishment for its alleged cybersecurity crimes as well as a bargaining chip in trade talks with China. For the past 12 months, however, Huawei has found some ways to get around some of those restrictions to maintain its business. Over the weekend, the US Commerce Department dealt what could be the most crippling blow to the company, and, unsurprisingly, Huawei has responded with accusations that the US is attempting to strengthen its technology industry by crushing everyone else's.

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