9 great reads from CNET this week
Why Facebook is feared in Iowa, how encryption could stop the leak of your personal data and what Joseph Gordon-Levitt believes gets lost in the chase for Instagram likes.
It might be February already, but Amazon and Apple were still ringing in the holidays this week with reports of blowout fourth-quarter sales. Earnings were less merry for Facebook and Samsung.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a public health emergency; the UK gave China's Huawei the go-ahead to build noncore parts of the country's 5G network; and Boeing's new 777X, with its folding wingtips, completed its first flight.
Here are the week's stories you don't want to miss:
In Iowa, people worry about one social network as caucuses loom
In almost 30 interviews across the state, locals said Facebook is the most untrustworthy of all the social networks when it comes to political news.
How encryption could stop personal data exposures on the cloud
The cloud leaks your data like crazy.
Blackouts that cut cell service aren't just annoying, they're dangerous
California may require wireless carriers to keep towers operating during a power outage. Good.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Don't chase Instagram likes and YouTube followers
At Sundance, the actor says the hunt for fame can dilute creativity.
This VR living room lets you step inside a data privacy nightmare
Persuasion Machines brings to life all the devices listening, tracking and trying to manipulate you inside your home.
Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison has a wooden phone worth more than an iPhone
The Pawn Star talks about buying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's goggles and living off-grid.
Protecting yourself from coronavirus: The two types of face masks that can help
A face mask can protect you from contracting a cold, flu or other virus -- just make sure you get the right kind.
iPad's 10th anniversary leaves us asking if Apple's tablet is a computer
Commentary: Asking if an iPad is a computer is like asking if a hot dog is a sandwich.
Every home's camera could become a license plate reader
License plate readers are typically reserved for law enforcement. Rekor Systems wants to make surveillance tech available to you and your neighbors.
