Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

Samsung Galaxy J8+ (2018) details (Source: Geekbench Browser)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625-powered Samsung Galaxy J8+ (2018) hits Geekbench

Although the upcoming Galaxy J-series handsets are rumored to feature Samsung Exynos processors, the Samsung SM-J805G device — believed to be the Galaxy J8+ (2018) — surfaced online with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 under the hood, 4 GB of memory, and Android 8.0 Oreo. Sadly, other details are not available right now, but we will probably hear more about the Galaxy J8+ (2018) in the coming weeks.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Mar 2018 12:12

President Trump has personally intervened quash Broadcom's accquisition plans for Qualcomm. (Source: Daily Observer)

In a highly unusual move, President Trump blocks Broadcom bid for Qualcomm

US president Donald Trump has personally intervened to quash the proposed acquisition of Qualcomm by Singapore-based Broadcom. In signing an executive order barring the deal, President Trump cited US national security concerns as the rationale.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 13 Mar 2018 11:27

Apple iPhone X flagship, Apple leads the Australian smartphone market again as of March 2018

Apple handsets bounce back in Australia

Mostly thanks to the release of the iPhone X in November, iOS handsets managed to grab the first spot in Australia during the last quarter of 2017. During the given period, Apple shipped 1.76 million handsets in Australia, which accounted for a market share of 56.2 percent. On the other hand, 1.37 million Android handsets managed to reach the continent in the final quarter of last year, grabbing 43.8 percent of the market.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Mar 2018 10:50

The Samsung Galaxy S9. (Source: The Inquirer)

The first day of Samsung Galaxy S9 sales in Korea show it lagging behind the S8

A report by a Korean outlet has estimated the S9 day-one pre-order sales numbers to stand at 180,000, down 31% from the S8's 260,000 figure. It's about expected, though, as the S9 doesn't actually offer a substantial upgrade over its predecessor.

Ricci Rox, 12 Mar 2018 23:51

The Mi 7 is likely being re-developed, will now feature a notch

A while ago, a report by XDA-Developers detailed the Mi 7 using information gleaned from a new firmware file. According to a new report, though, the Mi 7 may have gone through significant changes over the past few weeks, with alterations to its battery capacity and a wild appearance of what seems to be a notch.

Ricci Rox, 12 Mar 2018 23:43

Android Wear smartwatches, Android Wear to become Wear OS

Google Android Wear to become Wear OS later this year

If the latest rumors turn into reality, Android Wear will change its name around 4 years after its release. In addition to the new name, Google's upcoming Wear OS should also feature a new, colorful logo similar to the one currently used by Google Assistant. However, this change was spotted in the latest 12.5 beta for Play Services, so nothing is official yet, but we will probably see it happening in May at Google I/O.

Codrut Nistor, 12 Mar 2018 23:17

The Galaxy S8. (Source: Trusted Reviews)

Samsung finally releases official roadmap for Oreo release

Samsung Canada has released a roadmap for the rollout of Android Oreo. The S8 and S8+ will receive their updates on March 19, and the Note 8 about a week later. Users of other new Samsung devices will, of course, have to wait till much later in the year.

Ricci Rox, 12 Mar 2018 23:03

Fortnite follows PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds into the mobile space. (Source: Epic Games)

Fortnite Battle Royale has come to mobile devices, cross-play support in tow

Fortnite Battle Royale's popularity has skyrocketed of recent, and it's sure to grow even further, with Epic Games confirming that the battle royale shooter is coming to both iOS and Android, and with cross-play support across all platforms.

Ricci Rox, 12 Mar 2018 22:52

The PS4 update to FW 5.50 is now available to all, kernel exploit patched

The update to firmware 5.50 on the PS4 is finally open to the general public. The update brings supersampling mode to owners of the PS4 Pro, and parental controls that allow you to monitor hours logged by your kid on their console.

Ricci Rox, 12 Mar 2018 22:26

The Huawei Mate SE is the Honor 7X the US deserved

Huawei has released the Mate SE, a rebrand of the hugely popular Honor 7X. The Mate SE is identical to the Honor 7X but features a slightly tweaked camera design, an extra GB of RAM, and 32 more GBs of storage. It comes with a price tag of US$229.99.

Ricci Rox, 12 Mar 2018 22:09

Gamers will be able to control the day and night in Planet Alpha. (Source: PlanetAlpha)

Looking good: Planet Alpha announced

A teaser for an upcoming platform game called Planet Alpha has been released, and it looks mighty impressive. The game has been developed by Planet Alpha ApS, who are based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The creative director behind the visually breathtaking game, Adrian Lazar, previously worked on the game Hitman with IO Interactive. Planet Alpha will be published by Team 17.

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Mar 2018 21:34

This appears to be an official press render for the P20 Pro. (Source: GSMArena)

The upcoming Huawei P20 devices will feature vertically-aligned rear cameras - Live images and hands on video leaked

Press renders and live images of the Huawei P20, P20 Lite, and P20 Pro have shown them all sporting vertically aligned rear cameras—tri-rear cameras in the case of the P20 Pro. This comes after a video by Huawei teased a horizontal alignment on the devices a week ago.

Ricci Rox, 12 Mar 2018 20:40

Nvidia's GeForce Partner Program goes under the spotlight

A report created by Kyle Bennett of HardOCP will likely not go down well with executives at Nvidia. Bennett’s article focuses on the GPU-maker’s GeForce Partner Program (GPP), which has been introduced to “better serve gamers.” Concerns have been raised over the alleged requirement of partners having their “gaming brand aligned exclusively with GeForce.” Some commentators have suggested this could be considered an anti-consumer practice.

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Mar 2018 20:19

Designers at Essential are working on the PH-2. (Source: GSMArena)

Is Essential solving the problem for notch haters?

Essential has filed a patent with the USPTO for “image capture with a camera integrated display.” Could this mean the American technology company is working on a method to remove the selfie camera from the polarizing top notch position that many manufacturers have currently adopted? Would new sensor-positioning technology be introduced in a future Essential smartphone release?

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Mar 2018 17:14

Honor View10 launching for $499 USD with the same processor as the Mate 10 Pro

The value proposition for the 6-inch FullView Android will be one of the best when it launches late next week with pre-orders already open through major online retailers. It will be the most powerful smartphone in the Honor family by far, but also the priciest at over twice the MSRP of the popular Honor 7X.

Allen Ngo, 12 Mar 2018 17:00

The Nokia 9 could feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. (Source: India Today)

The Nokia 9 will likely sport an in-display fingerprint sensor

We could very well see a Nokia 9 this year sporting an in-display fingerprint sensor. The information comes from a source close to NokiaPowerUser and goes on to say that 2018 flagships from HMD Global are also likely to sport a notch to maximize the display area given the native notch support in the upcoming Android 9.0 P OS.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 12 Mar 2018 16:34

The prototype proton battery looks considerably thicker than the cellphone Lithium-ion ones. (Source: RMIT)

Proton batteries could soon replace Lithium-ion ones

RMIT researchers claim that the proton batteries could be mass produced by 2023. This new breed of batteries is carbon-based, but the energy storing process is totally eco-friendly and also has reduced production costs. The Australian researchers are currently trying to increase the overall efficiency above what Lithium-ion batteries can offer.

Bogdan Solca, 12 Mar 2018 16:31

Huawei Y9 (2018) Android phablet with quad cameras

Huawei Y9 (2018) hits Thailand, closely related to the Mate 10 Lite and Honor 9 Lite

The new Huawei Y9 (2018) that was unveiled in Thailand shares many specs and features with the existing Mate 10 Lite and Honor 9 Lite. Its main selling points are the large 2:1 IPS display, the four cameras, and the capable HiSilicon Kirin 659 mid-range processor. Powered by a generous 4,000 mAh battery and loaded with Android 8.0 Oreo, the Y9 (2018) will hit the market in black, blue, and gold.

Codrut Nistor, 12 Mar 2018 15:10

One of the numerous fan-made renderings of the Surface Phone. (Source: Windows Latest)

Surface Phone may include "Back Touch" feature

The latest patent that could be integrated in Microsoft's upcoming Surface Phone involves a secondary touchscreen that could improve they way users control what happens on the main display. Some of the basic gestures that could be performed on the back screen include swipe, scroll and zoom.

Bogdan Solca, 12 Mar 2018 13:49

Sony DPT-RP1 E-Ink tablet successor hits FCC as the DPT-CP1

Sony digital paper device with E-Ink display hits FCC

The Sony tablet with an E-Ink display that was recently spotted on the FCC website has the model name DPT-CP1, so it is probably a successor to last year's DPT-RP1. Made by Netonix, this slate features WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC, but the FCC listing does not reveal any of the main technical details. However, the document confirms that this device has reached the mass production stage, so its launch is imminent.

Codrut Nistor, 12 Mar 2018 13:30

AMD has decided to put up an impressive Threadripper lineup for the coming years. (Source: Informatica Cero / Wccftech)

Leaked slides reveal that AMD Ryzen Threadripper 4000 will greet us in 2020

Leaked slides pertaining to AMD's Next-Gen High-End Desktop (NG HEDT) platform reveal that AMD is bullish with regards to continuing and refining its Threadripper lineage. The slides reveal three Ryzen Threadripper families starting with the Threadripper 2000 set to launch in 2018, the Threadripper 3000 set for 2019, and culminating in the Threadripper 4000 set for 2020.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 12 Mar 2018 12:58

Schematic of a convoluted neural network trained to predict the probability of a Kepler signal caused by a planet. (Source: Google Open Source Blog)

Want to join in NASA's search for exoplanets? Google's AI can help

Google has released its AI and ML tools that helped NASA discover new exoplanets such as the Kepler-90 i and the Kepler-80 g. Google's model helped search 670 stars out of the 200,000 stars observed by NASA's Kepler mission and hopes to discover more such exoplanets by open sourcing the tools to anyone interested in analyzing Kepler data.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 12 Mar 2018 11:28

Alleged OnePlus 6 hands-on images. (Source: OnPhones)

Snapdragon 845-powered OnePlus 6 pays a visit to AnTuTu, manages to beat the iPhone X

The upcoming OnePlus flagship, OnePlus 6, looks like the phone to watch out for in 2018 as it posted impressive scores in the AnTuTu benchmark beating contenders such as the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ and even the iPhone X. The benchmark app also lends further credence to the fact that the OnePlus 6 will sport an iPhone X-esque notch.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 12 Mar 2018 09:02

Microsoft is readying a major Spring update for its Xbox One console range. (Source: Microsoft)

Xbox One Spring update to bring support for AMD FreeSync monitors, more

Microsoft is readying a major update for its Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles. Among the new features includes the ability to play nicely with monitors and displays that support AMD FreeSync.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 12 Mar 2018 09:00

Samsung's new ambient mode provides a reason to leave your TV switched on

This week Samsung was showcasing their 2018 Smart TV lineup including a new ambient mode that displays relevant information, models with local lighting zones to improve dark and light parts of a scene, specialised power and data cables, and Bixby integration.

Craig Ward, 11 Mar 2018 22:34

Intel is looking to nullify Broadcom's Qualcomm takeover efforts. (Source: Android Police)

Intel reportedly eyeing Broadcom to thwart Qualcomm buyout

Intel is apparently viewing the possible acquisition of Qualcomm by Broadcom as a potential threat to its communications semiconductor business according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The company is also reportedly exploring various fallback options in the event the Qualcomm takeover materializes.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 11 Mar 2018 15:07

Bose Audio AR prototype sunglasses. (Source: Bose)

Bose surprises with audio-focused AR smart glasses

Bose has launched a new type of AR technology that it is calling Audio AR. The prototype sunglasses on show at SXSW use an audio layer to supplement a user's interaction with their surrounds to provide more information and context.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 11 Mar 2018 00:55

The MotoMod Virtual Viewer. (Source: Evan Blass)

Latest MotoMod is a VR headset, courtesy of a leak

Motorola looks set to release a new VR-based headset as a MotoMod for its Z series smartphones. The new headset also looks like it might have the backing of Oculus, if its headstrap is any indication.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 10 Mar 2018 10:56

Lenovo may have axed the forthcoming Moto X5 to focus on profitablity. (Source: Droid Life)

Moto X5 may not see light of day following rumored Chicago office layoffs

Motorola may have scrapped its plans to launch a successor to the Moto X4. According to a new report, the Lenovo-owned company is making cutbacks in a number of areas to try turn around its fortunes.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 10 Mar 2018 10:31

The Microsoft Surface Hub will be getting a sequel later this year. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft Surface Hub 2 incoming

Microsoft has announced that it is working on a successor to its surprisingly hot-selling Surface Hub for Enterprise. Although details are scant at this stage, the Surface Hub 2 will bring with it additional features like Microsoft Teams integration.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 10 Mar 2018 09:46

Garmin tactix Charlie GPS watch (Source: Garmin)

Garmin tactix Charlie GPS watch now official, coming next quarter

Estimated to begin reaching its first owners in about a month, the US$749.99 Garmin tactix Charlie is a premium GPS watch that features a 1.2-inch sunlight-readable display with domed sapphire lens, GPS with GLONASS support, as well a rugged design. Its battery can provide up to 12 days of autonomy in smartwatch mode, 20 hours in GPS mode, and 35 hours in UltraTrac battery saving mode.

Codrut Nistor, 09 Mar 2018 23:59

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will operate on Android, not Windows 10 Mobile. (Source: Microsoft)

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ available for pre-order through Microsoft's Store

Microsoft is now offering the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ for pre-order through its store. There have been reports that these are "Microsoft Editions" of the smartphones, which will operate on Android OS and will look identical to the flagship devices sold on Samsung’s website. Microsoft’s supposed customizations will come in the form of software additions, such as Cortana, Skype, Microsoft Launcher and apps from Office 365. However, it appears there is no such thing as a "Microsoft Edition" Galaxy flagship.

Daniel R Deakin, 09 Mar 2018 18:42

The application for the patent was originally filed in 2016. (Source: Pixabay)

Future MacBooks could have crumb-resistant keyboards

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has published a patent application made by Apple Inc. titled “ingress prevention for keyboards.” The wordy document features a number of technical drawings showing alternative examples of key assembly. The general idea of the patent is to “block contaminant ingress,” so could this mean future MacBooks will have crumb-resistant spill-proof keyboards?

Daniel R Deakin, 09 Mar 2018 17:07

A film adaptation of Tom Clancy's The Division is in production. (Source: Forbes)

Ubisoft announces planned sequel for The Division

French video-game developer Ubisoft has announced that a sequel to the hit action RPG Tom Clancy’s The Division is in the works. The Division was released in 2016 and performed very well for the publisher, so a sequel was practically inevitable. The follow-up is being developed by a group of Ubisoft’s subsidiaries, headed by Massive Entertainment.

Daniel R Deakin, 09 Mar 2018 16:06

Sony Xperia XZ2 one-handed mode (Source: XPERIA Blog)

Night Light and one-handed mode coming with the Sony Xperia XZ2

The Sony Xperia XZ2 made its debut as an improved version of the Xperia XZ1, sporting the same 19 MP main camera with a Motion Eye sensor, but being capable of shooting both full HD 960 fps videos and 4K HDR content. Although its predecessor is still missing these features, the Xperia XZ2 comes with Night Light mode and one-hand operation out of the box. Sadly, it also sports a low-end front camera and an outdated design.

Codrut Nistor, 09 Mar 2018 15:35

This is just a fan-made render of the upcoming PS5. (Source: Gamingcentral.in)

Rumor | PlayStation 5 dev kits already tested by select third-party game devs

PlayStation 5 is most likely not going to be released this year, but dev kits being distributed this early could mean that the next version could be launched in 2019 at the soonest. Sony might also be concerned that the XBox One X is taking over the PS4 Pro sales and the company might want to release a new system as soon as possible.

Bogdan Solca, 09 Mar 2018 14:22

An MXM graphics card has a reduced form factor and comes with no additional cooling system. (Source: Tom's Hardware)

Rumor | ASRock could be getting into graphics card production

ASRock is more likely to produce MXM graphics cards for its own mini PC lineups rather than get into discrete gaming and mining card production. However, considering the AMD partnership and the current GPU crisis, ASRock could help ramp up the graphics card production and bring down GPU prices.

Bogdan Solca, 09 Mar 2018 12:42

ZTE Nubia N3 Android flagship with Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (Source: Weibo)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625-driven ZTE Nubia N3 spotted online

As revealed by the images that recently surfaced on Weibo, the upcoming ZTE Nubia N3 is a rather peculiar Android handset. Although it features a quite capable mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and a 5.99-inch display with a 2:1 aspect ratio, it comes with large bezels and only features a micro USB port for charging and data transfer. At last, we should also mention the stock Android 8.0 Oreo firmware.

Codrut Nistor, 09 Mar 2018 10:55

Intel’s new Optane 800P series of M.2 SSDs have arrived. (Source: Intel)

Intel launches Optane 800P M.2 SSD range

Intel has launched the latest edition to its expanding range of Optane SSDs for both notebooks and desktops. The new SSDs require just 2 PCIe 3.0 lanes, offering users more flexibility with their system configurations.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 09 Mar 2018 06:54

Retailer lists HP Spectre x360 15 with Core i7-8705G shipping on March 26 (Image source: Own)

Retailer lists HP Spectre x360 15 with Core i7-8705G shipping this month for 2100 Euros

The HP convertible could be one of the very first notebooks shipping with Kaby Lake-G as early as March 26. The Core i7-8705G is expected to be significantly faster than any Intel iGPU solution thus far and rival the discrete GeForce GTX 1050 in gaming performance. The suggested launch price of 2100 Euros, however, could be tough to swallow even for the highly anticipated Intel-AMD platform.

Allen Ngo, 09 Mar 2018 02:48

The Hi 9 Air will be Chuwi's newest gaming tablet

Chuwi's upcoming Hi 9 Air will push the limits of the gaming tablet space, with the device to feature the deca-core Helio X20 SoC, Mali-T880 MP4 GPU, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage, all packed into a slim 8.2mm-thick frame.

Ricci Rox, 09 Mar 2018 00:09

Bitcoin had a value of over US$11,600 on March 5, 2018. (Source: RTT News)

Cryptocurrency news: illegal Petro, falling Bitcoin and Japan gets tough

Venezuela’s Petro cryptocurrency has been called “illegal” and “unconstitutional” by the country’s National Assembly. Bitcoin has suffered another fall in its current exchange value, with the virtual currency's latest closing price standing at US$9434. In Japan, the Financial Services Agency has been throwing its weight around and has issued business suspension orders to two cryptocurrency exchanges.

Daniel R Deakin, 08 Mar 2018 23:17

ZTE's Nubia line offers premium devices with excellent designs. (Source: Oppomart)

Upcoming ZTE Nubia devices will ship with stock Android

Reports claim that the next batch of ZTE Nubia devices will ditch the company's Nubia UI for good and make the switch to stock Android. There's a chance both the Axon and Nubia lines share the same "Stock UI" that has been reported.

Ricci Rox, 08 Mar 2018 23:10

The Kirin 670 will likely be featured on devices like the Honor 8X. (Source: Mydrivers)

The Kirin 670 is Huawei's response to the Snapdragon 636

The Kirin 670 will be Huawei's response to the new Snapdragon 636 and Exynos 7872 SoCs. The hexa-core chipset will feature a Neural Processing Unit for AI capabilities and a Mali-G72 MP4 GPU. It will also be built on a 12nm manufacturing process.

Ricci Rox, 08 Mar 2018 22:54

Human emotions such as digust facilitate the rapid spread of fake news. (Source: JPost)

Study finds fake news spread by social media users not bots

A report published by the highly respected journal Science has estimated that fake news is 70% more likely to be retweeted than true news. The study found that false information which was rapidly shared online through social media reached more people than the truth did. The research also pointed out that fake news travels much faster than real news.

Daniel R Deakin, 08 Mar 2018 21:56

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