ZTE ceases operations, reportedly on life support after U.S. ban

Chinese smartphone and communications manufacturer ZTE is reportedly on life support following a crushing US ban. The company has apparently ceased all online and retail operations in the wake of a ban imposed by the US goverment. ZTE is China's second largest telecom equiptment maker, it made its name in North America selling affordable smartphones as well as portablw Wi-Fi hotspot devices.

ZTEwas banned  for illegally shipping goods to Iran, the result is the ceasing of major operating activities for the companies. "ZTE appears to have suspended its online stores on its own website as well as on Alibaba Group’s e-commerce platform Taobao over the past few days, which display a “page being updated” message with no products to order," a report from Reuters says.

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Google Home Max coming to Canada on May 16 for $499

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Toronto - Smart speakers come in a number of varieties. You have the cheaper hockey-puck sized mini speakers that connect to the Internet easily enought but, because of their size, don't sound great. You have the larger coffee mug sized speakers that sound a bit better but only have so much room to accomodate bass. At the top end, you get the large smart speakers that are geared towards bigger sound with more complex audio capabilities.

All these speakers do the same thing and some even allow you to hook up to your existing loudspeakers to get that Hi-Fi sound. For homes that don't have a high-fidelity speaker, Google is offering its Google Home Max speaker as the one to rule them all.

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Shopify introduces new technologies and services for retailers at Unite conference

Today, Shopify the leading cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform, unveiled the latest in commerce technology at Unite, their annual conference that brings together their international developer community. Held in Toronto, Canada, Unite saw the participation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"We want to give a voice to all kinds of entrepreneurs around the world,” said Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke. “And that means making it easier for them to run a business and become successful. Unite is when we show the world our progress on this journey, and invite our developer and partner community to join us."

Product announcements focused on helping entrepreneurs in three key areas – selling more, working more efficiently, and making the most of the Shopify partner ecosystem.

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How to watch today's Microsoft Build Keynotes

Ever evolving and transforming, Microsoft is slated to kick off its Build 2018 Developers Conference back home in Seattle today. As the company reshapes to tackle its next areas of focus, today's keynotes will be indicative of the company's future focus. Expect to hear more about AI, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, App Development and of course, the future of Windows, Surface Devices and Windows on ARM.

Microsoft is livestreaming a number of its sessions, including its day one keynote that starts at 8:30 am PT here.