If any company is on Santa’s naughty list this year, it’s Huawei. Huawei began 2018 with a crushing blow, when it was unable to complete a deal for AT&T to sell its phones in the US. Then US intelligence began issuing warnings about the phones, suggesting that they were prone to intelligence gathering by the Chinese government. Now their CFO is in jail in Canada – and awaiting extradition to the US. With countries banning the phones from networks left and right, it’s looking like the drama will continue for some time to come.

Yes, we’re still talking Christmas gift giving. Why? Because if you love your wife, you’ll consider splurging and buying her amazing gear like the Dyson Airwrap Hair Styler System – sure, it ranges from $400-500, but you get to stand next to a Glamazon with perfectly messy waves, so who’s the real winner here? Or maybe you get your forgetful teen a Tile Pro Bluetooth Tracker for those keys he keeps losing – starting at only $35, life could be worse, right? Check out the full list of awesome gift ideas.

In the latest next step towards a “Say Millennials” drinking game, CRN recently reported that leaders in the channel have identified that factors like compensation, company culture, and work/life balance are big factors in younger employees’ satisfaction with their jobs. While many were just shocked to hear that compensation was actually a factor in a young person’s job path, in further surprising news, it turns out that around 45% of young female employees are choosing not to pursue career growth opportunities, often out of fear of losing work/life balance.

If you have a gear and tech freak in your life, Christmas shopping can feel a little impossible. Enter the newly announced Bose Frames, an augmented reality set of shades with a built-in microphone and open-ear headphones. The high-tech glasses interact with both Siri and Google Assistant and are available for preorder now, but with a projected ship date in January 2019. At $199, they don’t break the bank anymore than typical Bose headphones and might just be the ticket to impress your beloved geek.

Artificial intelligence could prove a boon to not only productivity, but the health of world markets overall, experts say. A recent report form the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that AI could incrementally boost the global economy by 16 percent. This breaks down to an average annual addition of 1.2 percent through about 2030. This is significant, McKinsey says, because it is similar to the impact of other new technologies throughout history, such as the steam locomotive of the 1800s or the tech boom of the early 2000s.

The Wall Street Journal recently shined a light on the cybersecurity downfalls of rapidly expanding start-ups in today’s market, and it’s time for entrepreneurs to take notes. From shortening attention to training new employees on smart cybersecurity practice, to failing to move from the typical start-up “piecemeal” solution as the company network grows, these holes can leave an organization vulnerable to attacks. What’s worse, the average time it took for these organizations to discover a problem – in nearly 70% of cases – was more than a month. If your organization is growing fast, you need to read this one.

We know, it’s totally surprising, but…Amazon is facing more criticism. This time, the ire comes as a result of fierce competition between cities hoping to host Amazon’s new second headquarters. Anticipated targets include Long Island City in Queens and Crystal City, Virginia. Critics say the company’s record on pay and work conditions in warehouses is a huge concern and discourage city officials from offering incentives to draw Amazon’s eye. Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he’ll change his name to “Amazon” to help convince them. This should be interesting.

Jet, online purveyor of all the gadgetry your techie heart could desire, has released its Black Friday preview, and the deals are sweeter than pie. Starting the night before Thanksgiving (Nov. 21 at 10 pm ET), you can score items like a Fitbit Versa for $180 – perfect for tracking your sleep or analyzing athletic performance. For the audiophile in your life, Bose QuietComfort headphones will be $299 versus their regular retail of $349. And if you hate a dirty floor, you’re in luck – you can score a iRobot Roomba for under $200 this year.

Robocalls are an issue we’ve all dealt with, but it may feel like it’s constant these days. Around 147 million robocalls are made each day, and consumer complaints have hit an all-time high. The issue? It’s just too easy to become a robocaller, says Ian Barlow, the FTC’s Do Not Call Program Coordinator, requiring little software and boasting a low cost of operation. Though most fly under the radar, there is hope – a calling operation was recently fined $82 million, one of the largest fines ever imposed by the FCC.

So far, 2018 has been a rough year for social media bigwigs like Mark Zuckerberg, with Facebook and others being the focus of repeat investigations and hearings like the ones that took place in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Verge recently dove into what Congress could potentially do to effect change in tech companies’ policies, and it turns out there are some proposed plans like the Browser Act and the Consent act that would require an “opt-in” model for gathering sensitive data rather than the usual “opt-out” model. Read more here.

There will always be those firmly in the Apple camp, and those who declare their allegiance to an Android-based phone OS. CRN recently completed a head-to-head comparison of the new iPhone XS and the Samsung Galaxy S9. Identical traits include display size and standard storage options as well as storage upgrade capabilities. The iPhone XS boasts a significantly faster processor and RAM, as well as a dual rear camera system with features like Smart HDR. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S9 remains at a more accessible price point for an unlocked phone. Pick your poison.

IT solutions provider Presidio has a laser focus on bringing partners next level security and enablement. Their F5 DataSafe 30-day free trial now allows application level security in a convenient trial size. When the average organization is using over 750 different web apps, the risks are immeasurable. With Presidio and F5’s new trial demo offering, you have the empowerment of options at your fingertips.

Forget Black Friday, IBM has decided on their biggest purchase of the year, announcing plans this week to acquire open source star Red Hat for $34 billion, cementing a two-decade partnership between the companies. Though the move makes some software developers a little nervous, it positions the companies to become the paramount leader in hybrid cloud technologies. While other companies like Google had their shot at the deal with Red Hat, it was IBM that ultimately wanted to combine forces to become a bigger, bolder Linux powerhouse, says IBM CEO Ginni Rometty.

Security concerns continue to be the arch enemy of IoT growth, says James Allen of global strategy group Bain & Co. A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed by Allen says that Bain & Co. research shows that business consumers report they would be buying up to 70% more IoT devices if it weren’t for ongoing security worries and the complexity of managing IoT from the business side. On top of that, 93% of executives surveyed said they would pay more – up to 22% more – for better security in IoT devices.

After Trick-or-Treaters stop knocking on Halloween night, the MIT Media Lab has an entertaining way for you to spend you evening working with other internet users as part of a “social experiment” to control one person’s actions for the evening. While commands of “The Purge” variety will be disregarded, it may be just as creepy to witness their so-called #AbsenceTrilogy theme playing out on the Lab’s BeeMe website as one human gives up free will for a few hours to strangers on the internet.

Crowdfunding and start-ups rule a pre-Christmas gear list recently released by Digital Trends. New gear includes an inventive cycling solution, Retyre, featuring a “base” bike tire starting at $80. Retyre features options for zip-on treads – suiting different terrain in a fraction of the time it takes to change bike tires. Another feature for techies might be the Makerphone, a kit that teaches you how to DIY your very own, fully-functional smartphone – starting at only $95 and shipping in March of 2019.

It’s been a busy couple of years for chipmaker Broadcom, and as of last week, the company was given antitrust clearance by the EU in its final regulatory step towards acquiring software company CA Technologies Inc. A memo – which experts now say was likely a fake – had recently circulated through the U.S. Department of Defense as well as some lawmakers, however the company now expects the deal to close in early November without incident.

According to The Verge, Spotify may be the best streaming music service right now – packing a 1-2 punch of consistent user experience, boundless catalog, and intuitive playlist options that continually broaden listeners’ horizons. Apple Music ranks a great alternative for its “exclusive” nature on new releases and digital locker option, with the user interfaces being seen as slightly less user-friendly than Spotify. It seems the debate isn’t settled – but options abound.

Artificial Intelligence leader Mist announced earlier this month that it would partner with Juniper Networks to integrate Juniper’s Contrail SD-WAN solution with Mist’s Learning WAN. This new solutions will merge network intelligence with artificial intelligence, providing end-to-end insights, seamless user experience, and instant insights. Particularly for networks with a large connected device and mobile user population, this is going to be a smart pairing.

In the upper echelon of data center networking, advisory and research leader Gartner makes it clear: Juniper leads the pack. With a deep portfolio of solutions that exemplify that coveted combo of vision, execution, and leadership in the field, this new ranking confirms it: Engineering Simplicity is more than just a tagline.

For iPhone enthusiasts, the iPhone X was a double edged sword when it came to charging convenience. While wireless charging was now easier, you lost the ability to use a magnetic mount. Accessory manufacturer XVIDA has fixed that issue with their new magnetic charging mounts and cases for iPhone X. With sleek looks and quality performance, XVIDA addresses one of the chief issues that Apple fans were struggling with.

It’s safe to say most of Google’s intrepid workforce probably endeavor to break down doors in the figurative sense. David Tomaschik of the Google Sunnyvale office took that literally last July when he devised a malicious code – with good intentions – that managed to unlock office doors without the usual RFID keycard. This uncovered vulnerabilities in their physical security solution for the entire office site. Even scarier, this was no Kool-Aid Man entrance – Tomashik was able to do this without his actions ever being on record.

Nearly half of SMBs say that security incidents result in lost productivity for their businesses. Recent legislation echoes and backs this sentiment, with the new NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act supported unanimously in Congress – and let’s be honest, how often do those folks ever agree on anything? SonicWall continues to perfect its end-to-end cybersecurity solution for SMBs, with 26 years and counting of experience. From Multi-engine cloud sandbox to secure mobile access and BYOB solutions, their drive for partner empowerment brings enterprise-level security to Main Street.

In the United States, the American Society of Civil Engineers reports no less than 6 billion gallons of clean water are lost through leaking pipes on a daily basis. An MIT graduate student is looking to remedy that. You Wou’s invent – the Robot Lighthouse – aims to detect leaks before they enter the crucial stages of water loss.

Elevators are simple machines, taking you from floor to floor – a mundane part of the day, to say the least. But what if you could take an elevator to outer space? Shizouka University in Japan is trying to bring just that concept to life. Read more to find out how long the journey would take from start to finish.

In the 2-in-1 electronics market – competition is steep, not to mention the many challenges that go along with marrying the benefits of laptop computers and tablet devices. Dell’s recent foray into the 2-in-1 market – the 5290 model – seems to check a lot of boxes. Portability, kick stand flexibility and battery life are just a few of the redeeming qualities.

Hitting the links can work up an appetite – if you’re peckish on the back 9, a solution is on the way. Drone company Flytrex is offering the opportunity to order food – and have it delivered – before you step off the green. Considering the complications with drone delivery in heavily populated areas, this trial run for golfers could be a match made in heaven.

It has been discovered that OctoPrint 3D printer interfaces are vulnerable to attack, due to their ability to be accessed without authentication. Hackers could overheat the printers to start fires, print drones and firearms, or acess the webcam. Read more to find out if your company could have been affected, and how to combat this cybersecurity breach.