Files from Tom Li
The German government wants to stop data retention without reason, China’s freeze on game licenses shutters 140,000 gaming-related companies, and BlackBerry’s legacy finally comes to an end.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Tuesday, January 4th, and I’m your host, Samira Balsara.
The German government has announced plans to abolish data retention to comply with European privacy rights. According to a German Federal Minister of Justice, data retention without cause violates citizens’ fundamental rights and impedes freedom. Under the new plan, communication providers would only be able to provide said data at the behest of law enforcement. They would also need to follow a court order so the authorities can review them. In Germany, the legal battle for data retention has been a bit of a see-saw; politicians have repeatedly passed data retention laws, only to have them invalidated by the German High Court. If the new plan comes to be, then retention on the general masses may finally reach an end.
China’s deep freeze on game developer licenses have reportedly caused 140,000 game studios to close. In China, game developers must gain a license from the government to sell their games on app marketplaces. However, regulators have stopped issuing new licenses in late 2021, and the ban is expected to continue in 2022. This not only hurts new games looking to be published, but also prevents existing games from being updated. Evidently, many studios who rely on their media revenue did not survive. According to the South China Morning Post, this is now the longest suspension since 2018, when authorities froze issuing new game licenses for nine months.
The die-hard BlackBerry community was hit with bad news last week when support for all BlackBerry classic smartphones ended. The brand first rose to fame with its exceptional physical keyboard, robust security, and BlackBerry messenger, and was dominating the market in the early 2000s. Although its glory has long been succeeded by Apple and Samsung, a small but dedicated community remains loyal to the brand.
And now for something a bit different. Your router keeps your brain fed with cat memes, but now it can also charge a specific TV remote. Samsung’s new Eco remote can not only charge using solar energy, but also gather juice by absorbing the router’s radio waves. It’s unclear how efficient or effective the method is, but it was headline-worthy at the Verge. The Eco remote will come bundled with Samsung’s new TVs, which we’ll be hearing more about at CES 2022 starting on Wednesday.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, if you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Samira Balsara.