A new 5G network is being created now, which will not only offer faster downloading on cell phones. It will provide the kind of connectivity we need in the era of the Internet of Things - driverless cars, Internet-connected medical devices, smart TVs and virtual assistants. But there are dangers that could be lurking in the equipment needed to build the new network. The Chinese telecommunications equipment giant Huawei is dominating the creation of 5G networks around the world. For years, classified intelligence reports from the U.S. have warned that China would one day use Huawei to penetrate American networks for cyber-espionage or cyberattacks. In the U.S., the National Security Agency has banned AT&T and Verizon from using Huawei products in America's 5G network. And last month, the U.S. had a top executive from Huawei arrested in Canada so she could be extradited to the U.S. The growing cyberthreat posed by China was stressed in the Worldwide Threat Assessment - a report from the U.S. intelligence community - that was released this week. And all this is part of the backdrop for this week's trade negotiations between the U.S. and China. My guest David Sanger is the author of a book about cyberwar and cyber-sabotage called "The Perfect Weapon." Let's start with the 5G network. And how will it affect our phones, our devices and all our interconnectivity? DAVID SANGER: Well, at its simplest, the 5G network is an increase in speed and range for what you see on your cell phone. So 5G means just fifth generation. The hope is that when you're using your phone or some other device over Wi-Fi, you'll get no lag time and that you'll get near instantaneous download of data, webpages and so forth.

Huawei began building its own phone-testing system, xDeviceRobot, in early 2012. The Chinese company hoped to improve the quality of its mobile hardware, which tended to fail far more often than competitors' devices in third-party trials. In May 2012, Huawei China asked T-Mobile if it could license or flat-out buy the company's phone-testing robot, Tappy, which served as a standard for much of the industry. So, Huawei decided to steal Tappy. After installing a handful of employees at T-Mobile's headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, federal prosecutors claim Huawei USA and China employees attempted to illegally collect information on Tappy in a year-long espionage campaign that culminated in actual theft.

IRobot eventually won permission from the Federal Communication Commission to use ultra-wide bandwidth for wireless robotic lawn mowers -- though not before Harvey Liszt, spectrum manager for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, argued to the FCC that "there is already a competitive market for robotic lawn mowers using wire loops, which has somehow failed to stanch the stream of ghastly accidents and spilt gasoline that iRobot associates with the mundane practice of lawn-mowing."

A Justice Department indictment unsealed on Monday details an alleged conspiracy by the Chinese device maker Huawei to steal the details of a T-Mobile robot. Here, a woman uses her smartphone outside a Huawei store in Beijing on Tuesday. A Justice Department indictment unsealed on Monday details an alleged conspiracy by the Chinese device maker Huawei to steal the details of a T-Mobile robot. Here, a woman uses her smartphone outside a Huawei store in Beijing on Tuesday. But only one of them reads like the script of a slapstick caper movie.

The twin criminal indictments against Huawei unveiled by US authorities on Monday are packed with emails and financial transactions allegedly showing how the Chinese technology giant carried out criminal conspiracies. But the finer points of the 23 charges are less important than the overall shot they deliver across China's bows. The US considers Huawei to be an arm of the Chinese state – and their devices to be potential spying equipment for Beijing. Charges that Huawei illegally violated US sanctions on Iran hold the most symbolic significance. They allowed Kirstjen Nielsen, the homeland security secretary, to stress the company's activities had been "detrimental to the security of the United States".

With less than a month to go until the unveiling of the next Samsung flagship smartphone – presumably called the Galaxy S10 – the latest leak suggests there will be a major update to the device's wireless charging capabilities. Samsung already supports wireless charging for its high-end Galaxy S-series and Note range of phones, but its next-generation handset may be able to share its battery power with other phones. Huawei introduced this feature last year with the Mate 20 Pro, which uses a charging coil in the back of the phone to give as well as receive wireless charging. All that is needed to share the battery is to enable the charging function in the phone's settings and place it near another device compatible with Qi wireless charging. The Galaxy S10 is also expected to support 5G, according to separate leaks, though this may only be available for owners in the US and South Korea.

In July 2018, the battle between Apple and Samsung to be the world's most popular smartphone maker was finally interrupted. After eight years, a Chinese upstart had entered the fray to challenge Samsung – but few people outside of Asia had ever heard of them. Huawei had overtaken Apple by selling more than 54 million units in the space of three months, largely helped by the success of its hugely popular flagship phones that boasted some of the most impressive specs on the market. Yet various political issues meant only a few thousand of those sales came from the highly lucrative US market. Since then, several other western governments have raised concerns about Huawei in relation to the firm's alleged ties with the Chinese government, with allegations that Huawei devices are being used as spy tools by Beijing.

One Huawei employee, identified in the indictment only as "R.Y," wrote in a January 2013 email to Huawei China that, "Once again, we CAN'T ask TMO any questions about the robot. TMO is VERY angry the questions that we asked. Sorry we can't deliver any more information to you." The employee suggested Huawei China send its own engineer to the Seattle lab.

Embattled Chinese telecom giant Huawei has some new problems. The US Department of Justice on Monday unsealed a 13-count indictment against Huawei and its CFO, Meng Wanzhou, alleging the company misled banking partners about violations of US sanctions against Iran. The charges include bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada last month and is awaiting extradition to the US. In a separate case, the DOJ indicted Huawei for stealing intellectual property related to a cell-phone-testing robot from T-Mobile in 2012.

TL;DR: I had a pleasure to be a part of the first AI conference in Somaliland, organised by Shaqodoon, HarHub and Elmi Academy, and featuring speakers from Google, MIT, major Somaliland telecoms, banks, University of Hargeisa and Ministry of Telecommunication & Technology of Somaliland. See slides (lectures workshops) and event program for details. Below are my personal notes and pictures from this trip. Whenever I tell this story people seem to be surprised with choice of spending vacation time in Somaliland and running an AI-related event there. So let me share some first-hand experience with you and explain why trips and events like this are useful, fun and safe.