Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations

Microsoft Surface Pro X now shipping for $999 (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft Surface Pro X now shipping for $999 with brand new SQ1 CPU and Adreno 685 graphics

Microsoft isn't giving up on ARM for Windows. Much like the semi-custom Ryzen processors for the Surface Laptop 3 series, the new 13-inch Surface Pro X tablet will use a custom SQ1 processor developed by Qualcomm.

Allen Ngo, 06 Nov 2019 02:02

LG launches the G Pad 5 10.1 in South Korea

The latest LG G Pad has been revealed on the OEM's domestic website. It is a 4GB device with 32GB of internal storage, a 10.1-inch FHD display and an 8MP rear camera. These unprepossessing specs are topped off by the Snapdragon 82...

Deirdre O Donnell, 03 Nov 2019 16:44

New MS Edge browser logo revelead as Chromium version nears release

Microsoft looks set finally break from its Internet Explorer past with a brand-new stylized e-shaped wave logo. The new look is undoubtedly fresh while just hinting enough at its past for those with a sense of nostalgia, but it is...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 03 Nov 2019 09:39

League of Legends: Wild Rift is the title's non-PC version. (Source: YouTube)

League of Legends is coming to mobile and console

Riot Games has announced that League of Legends is finally getting a version for phones and tablets. This new form of the title is to be called Wild Rift, and is billed as completely optimized and refreshed for its new platform. I...

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 Nov 2019 18:42

The new Aukey Omni-Power range. (Source: Aukey)

Aukey gets up to date with the GaN- and graphene-enhanced Omni-Power fast-charger range

Aukey has unveiled its new Omni-Power series of accessories. The company claims that it integrates various state-of-the-art charging technologies, including a graphene skin, GaN and USB Power Delivery. This line includes new adapt...

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Nov 2019 23:46

WhatsApp has a new privacy feature. (Source: WhatsApp)

WhatsApp implements its fingerprint unlocking feature on Android

WhatsApp has been working on fingerprint-based authentication for its Android app. Now, an update has added this ability to its stable version. However, a user will still be able to answer calls through the service even if the new...

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Nov 2019 22:53

Orbita believes AI assistants can do a lot for healthcare. (Source: Orbita)

New research asserts many adults want smart assistants to help look after their health

Orbita, a company that makes a personal assistant-like AI platform focused on healthcare, has published the results of a study that shows this is what the US adults recruited to it want from their voice-controlled searches. It app...

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Oct 2019 18:53

evleaks' "MatePad Pro". (Source: Twitter)

Huawei's next tablet may be a premium device with a punch-hole camera

Evan Blass has posted an image of a new tablet with a punch-hole display and a constant, minimal bezel. As this device is shown with what appears to be an M-Pen, it may pertain to a high-end successor to the Huawei MediaPad M6. Th...

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Oct 2019 18:21

The SiFive U8-Series cores are faster than ARM's 3-year-old Cortex-A72 cores, though still behind the current Cortex-A76 ones most likely. (Source: SiFive)

SiFive readies U8-Series RISC-V core designs to compete with ARM's Cortex-A72 models

RISC-V processors have come a long way since their inception in 2010. Once thought to be significantly slower than the x86 and ARM counterparts, RISC-V processors like the new U84 from SiFive prove that this architecture is catchi...

Bogdan Solca, 31 Oct 2019 17:08

Dell Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme promises to be the lightest and most powerful in its size class

The new 1000-nit display will be about two times brighter than the display of the XPS 15. FirstNet integration comes standard with optional Wi-Fi 6 and LTE to aid first responders with critical information.

Allen Ngo, 29 Oct 2019 18:30

The new agreement could allow GloFo to complete the development of its 7 nm nodes. (Source: Extreme Tech)

TSMC and GlobalFoundries bury the hatchet with a 10-year cross-license agreement

The two leading foundries unexpectedly dropped any patent infringement claims and struck an agreement that allows both parties to license each other’s existing patents. Additionally, the agreement would also cover any other patent...

Bogdan Solca, 29 Oct 2019 16:41

LG G Pad 5 Android tablet appears on Geekbench, uses three-year-old Snapdragon 821

The LG G Pad 5 appeared on Geekbench yesterday, but the scores suggest old silicon. The Geekbench post lists a quad-core Qualcomm CPU clocked at 2.19 GHz, suggesting the Snapdragon 821 speculated by earlier rumors. The scores are ...

Sam Medley, 28 Oct 2019 14:53

The new Apollo Max power bank. (Source: ELECJET)

ELECJET claims that its new graphene-enhanced power bank can charge to full capacity in just 19 minutes

The Apollo Max is a new 10000mAh power bank that, according to its maker ELECJET, integrates the emerging graphene standard as a battery material. This, it is claimed, gives it an "unbeatable charging efficiency of 96%". This new ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 27 Oct 2019 20:46

Galaxy Tab S6: Samsung's new tablet flagship for the first time with a dual camera

As a current flagship tablet, the Samsung Galaxy S6 gets only the best hardware. This includes the Snapdragon 855 high-end SoC as well as at least 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage space. As the first tablet from Samsung, the Gala...

Manuel Masiero, 24 Oct 2019 23:54

Intel unveils its new Tremont microarchitecture. (Source: Intel)

Intel's new Tremont low-power architecture is now official

Intel has released its new low-power solution in full today (October 24, 2019). It is an x86 microarchitecture associated with "significant" IPC enhancements compared to its predecessor. Tremont can also support an L2 cache of up ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 24 Oct 2019 23:48

Qualcomm is set to make a sizeable investment in 5G's future. (Source: RTE)

Qualcomm incentivizes 5G development with a new multi-million-dollar fund

Qualcomm's Venture division has announced the implementation of the 5G Ecosystem Fund, a source of investment worth up to US$200 million. As the name suggests, it will help support start-ups involved in new, innovative and potenti...

Deirdre O Donnell, 24 Oct 2019 22:49

ARM is targeting IP usage in smart devices such as televisions, phones, and consoles. (Image source: ARM)

ARM announces Ethos-N57 and Ethos-N37 NPUs, Mali-G57 GPU, and Mali-D37 DPU

ARM has revealed four new processors that should help enrich consumer tech products aimed at the mainstream market. The new additions to the company’s lineup are the Ethos-N57 and Ethos-N37 Neural Processing Units (NPU), the Mali-...

Daniel R Deakin, 24 Oct 2019 04:52

Qualcomm claims that mmWave 5G can cover an entire football stadium. (Source: Qualcomm)

Qualcomm claims that a new study proves the benefits of 5G over 4G thus far in 2019

Qualcomm has commissioned a Signals Research Group (SRG) study of 5G performance, efficiency and general UX in those countries and cities to which the new radio bands have been rolled out. It reportedly found that 5G can achieve u...

Deirdre O Donnell, 23 Oct 2019 23:55

The Int App Lock icon alongside some code it reportedly runs. (Source: Pradeo Lab)

The "Joker" malware is found to exist within yet another Android app

"Joker" is a relatively new form of malware that reportedly acts to steal contacts and sign those with infected devices up for premium SMS services. Most recently, it has been detected in a heretofore-overlooked host on Android by...

Deirdre O Donnell, 23 Oct 2019 15:14

The new LG U+ app allows the user to shop in AR. (Source: LG)

A major South Korean carrier unveils a service to make the dream of virtual shopping a reality

LG's South Korean telecomms company has announced the debut of its new app, "U+ AR Shopping". It enables users to transform the content of 2 popular TV shopping channels into augmented reality (AR) experiences. Consumers can then ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Oct 2019 19:03

The Thinkpad X1 foldable laptop could be launched next summer. (Source: The Verge)

Lenovo's foldable Thinkpad X1 notebook expected to launch by Q2 2020

The 13.3-inch foldable notebook from Lenovo was recently spotted at an event in Barcelona, and it looks like Lenovo is just waiting for Microsoft to finalize the Windows 10X OS specifically designed for dual-screen devices. The ha...

Bogdan Solca, 18 Oct 2019 16:40

This launch may also affect Lakefield processors. (Source: PCWorld)

Intel is slated to launch its new ULP microarchitecture in October 2019

Tremont is a collective name for Intel's next-gen SoCs developed for mobile, low-end and IoT devices. Currently, they are thought to have a microarchitecture based on a 10 nanometer (nm) process. The Linley Group now asserts that ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Oct 2019 16:37

The QD-OLEDs should improve color gamut and light output over conventional OLEDs. (Source: Plessey)

Samsung invests US$11 billion in QD-OLED facilities, promises to drastically reduce OLED panel production costs

The QD-OLED technology promises to lower production costs by three times and improve color gamut along with light output over conventional OLEDs. Samsung has been against the adoption of OLEDs in large screen devices for over 5 ye...

Bogdan Solca, 18 Oct 2019 16:16

Unboxing video of Huawei Mate X reveals a flashy foldable flagship with a new red button

A video of someone unboxing a brand-new Huawei Mate X foldable smartphone has made its way onto YouTube. The vaunted device has been apparently thoroughly revised by the Chinese manufacturer and should be released soon, with vario...

Daniel R Deakin, 17 Oct 2019 23:15

The Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL with Ice Lake is a strong competitor for the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1

The Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL with Ice Lake is a strong opponent for the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1

Intel's Ice Lake platform performs convincing in the first reviews. With the Lenovo Yoga C940 convertible we recently reviewed another Ice Lake laptop, which directly competes with Dell's XPS 13 7390 2-in-1. In terms of battery li...

Benjamin Herzig, 17 Oct 2019 19:45

Google launches its first pair of true wireless earbuds

Google unveiled its second-generation Pixel Buds at its 2019 'Made By' event. They are truly wireless products that, as the OEM claims, have been designed to be as compact and streamlined as possible. Nevertheless, they are rated...

Deirdre O Donnell, 15 Oct 2019 19:21

Keeping the Galaxy Fold mint could get expensive. (Source: Samsung)

Breaking a Galaxy Fold's screen more than once could cost as much as a whole premium phone

Samsung has released an updated schedule of repair charges for a number of its newer phones. The recently-released Galaxy Fold is at the top of this list. It shows that an out-of-guarantee repair for its flexible screen costs US$5...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 22:25

Semiconductors are not going anywhere any time soon. (Source: Flickr)

The semiconductor market will reach US$573 billion by 2024

New research has shown that the market for semiconductors is estimated to grow to US$573 billion in 5 years. This may be driven by a demand for these materials in wireless communications, vehicles and online connectivity. However,...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Oct 2019 21:34

Amazon Fire HD 10 gets a faster processor and USB Type-C, keeps same $149 price tag

Amazon updated the Fire HD 10 with a faster processor and a new USB Type-C charging port that supports fast charging. There are a few additional upgrades as well. Thankfully, the price tag remains constant at US $149 for the stand...

Sam Medley, 07 Oct 2019 19:02

Sony PlayStation 4 console gets new firmware October 2019 with new Party features and Remote Play to Android devices

PlayStation 4 firmware update coming this week with updated party features and more

Scheduled to arrive globally this week, the PlayStation 4 system update labeled 7.0 is expected to bring Remote Play to smartphones and tablets running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later, 16-player parties, chat transcription, enhanced...

Codrut Nistor, 07 Oct 2019 13:51

Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to Stadia. (Source: Rockstar Games)

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be a Stadia title on launch

Google has announced that Red Dead Redemption 2 will come to its Stadia platform on it November 2019 launch. The wildly popular Rockstar game will thus be available for streaming via the new service from its very first day. At pre...

Deirdre O Donnell, 04 Oct 2019 22:52

Google Shopping is back. (Source: Google)

Google Shopping re-launches in the US, integrates with Lens this time around

Google has announced the re-institution of its Shopping service, albeit for users located in the US only. The company claims that the renewed feature can analyse millions of retail listings and other data in order to show customer...

Deirdre O Donnell, 04 Oct 2019 16:33

Chromebooks may get a new recovery method soon. (Source: MobileSyrup)

Chromebooks may become recoverable using an Android device soon

Chrome OS PCs have many advantages; however, one of their worst drawbacks is that system recovery requires external media. Now, it appears Google is developing an alternative method: Chromebook restore via Android phone. This new ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 03 Oct 2019 19:09

A 5G variant of the Galaxy Tab S6 is enroute. (Source: Samsung)

Galaxy Tab S6 to get 5G variant, will be first 5G tablet on the market

Samsung has been helping to blaze the 5G smartphone trail and it looks set to do the same for tablets. A new Galaxy Tab S6 variant has been spotted going through a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certification process that also carries the la...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 03 Oct 2019 07:50

The Surface Neo: Straight out of the Matrix. (Image source: Microsoft)

Surface Neo: Microsoft redefines the world of computers again with the Surface Neo, its foldable Windows 10X tablet

Not content with just releasing newer versions of existing Surface products, Microsoft has upped its game and announced two foldable Surface devices. The larger is called the Surface Neo and features two 9-inch displays, a fold-ou...

Alex Alderson, 02 Oct 2019 19:41

The Surface Pro X: The true next-generation Surface Pro. (Image source: Microsoft via The Verge)

Surface Pro X: A US$999 7 W ARM 2-in-1 with 2x USB Type-C and LTE that is orderable from today

The next-generation Surface Pro is here, and it starts at US$999. The Surface Pro X, previously leaked as the Surface Campus and Surface 7, has a 13-inch Pixel Sense display with a 2,880 x 1,920 resolution and is just 5.3 mm thick...

Alex Alderson, 02 Oct 2019 18:05

The Surface Campus, formerly referred to as the Surface 7. (Image source: @evleaks)

Say hello to the Surface Campus, an ARM-powered Surface running Core OS (Windows 10X)

Microsoft has more up its sleeve than just the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro 7, according to veteran leaker Evan Blass. Leaked marketing images give a first glimpse at the device, while Blass has hinted about the OS that it wil...

Alex Alderson, 02 Oct 2019 01:33

The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 featuring USB Type-C. (Image source: @evleaks)

Surface Pro 7: Official marketing images leak ahead of tomorrow's launch

The wait for the next Surface hardware event is almost over. However, Evan Blass has come through early and delivered the first look at the Surface Pro 7, courtesy of what are likely leaked marketing images. The device looks like ...

Alex Alderson, 02 Oct 2019 01:18

The Surface Pen may be totally wireless this generation. (Source: Engadget)

Microsoft may have a new wireless charger in the works

A new registration of Microsoft's with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hints at a new accessory that could be launched tomorrow in conjunction with the Surface 7 line. It is a wireless charger with a 300 milliwatt capa...

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Oct 2019 20:02

Leaked Microsoft Surface marketing images with mention of LTE service availability. (Image source: Twitter/WalkingCat)

Leaked Microsoft Surface promo images and latest rumors: new colors, connectivity upgrades, borderless Surface Pro 7, Alcantara-less Surface Laptop 3

New alleged details about Microsoft’s upcoming new Surface products have emerged. Apparently, a selection of fresh colors for the next generation of Surface devices is inbound, and the newest edition to the Surface Laptop line wil...

Daniel R Deakin, 30 Sep 2019 23:07

The Mi Mix Alpha's screen could appear in even more impressive formats soon. (Source: TNW)

Mi Mix Alpha-grade screens could arrive on laptops soon

Visionox is a company involved in the manufacture of flexible display panels. Its latest trick has been the Mi Mix Alpha, Xiaomi's new limited-edition wraparound-screen phone. It has recently opened a new assembly line on which si...

Deirdre O Donnell, 29 Sep 2019 16:26

Fingerprint sensors will continue to do well in the future. (Source: Nextgov)

The fingerprint scanner market's value is set to double over the next 5 years

The market for fingerprint readers (from capacitive to thermal, and consumer- to government-grade) is estimated to be worth about US$3.5 billion at present. This worth is thought to grow to as much as $7.1 billion by 2024, however...

Deirdre O Donnell, 27 Sep 2019 18:23

The next iteration of the Mate X could be marketed as a serious cometitor to Samsung's Galaxy Note. (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Huawei patent reveals possible Mate X successor with stylus

Despite all the bans and restrictions imposed on Huawei that ultimately lead to a delay of the Mate X, the company is considering the release of improved versions that also includes a stylus, as revealed by the latest published pa...

Bogdan Solca, 27 Sep 2019 17:35

The 12-inch variant comes with a 3:2 1366 x 912 touchscreen. (Source: HP)

HP Chromebook x360 12b and 14b convertibles launching soon

The 12b model is the first 12-incher to join the Chromebook x360 lineup form HP. It integrates a 3:2 1366 x 912 touchscreen and it weighs around 3 pounds, while the new 14-incher gets 768p or 1080p 16:9 displays and weighs ~3.5 po...

Bogdan Solca, 27 Sep 2019 17:00

The silicon-interconnect fabric resembles a semiconductor wafer with chips directly placed on it. (Source: IEEE Spectrum)

Motherboards must die: researchers working on silicon-interconnect fabric alternative

Current PCBs are eating too much space and researchers think these can easily be replaced with a new silicon-interconnect fabric that would lead to more powerful devices in reduced form-factors. The use of such new fabrics would a...

Bogdan Solca, 26 Sep 2019 17:03

Apple Music is getting new features. (Source: Apple)

Apple Music upgrades to a dark theme and Chromecast support

Music is a rather unique Apple app in that it is cross-platform (or, in other words, has an Android version). Its latest updates also make it compatible with Google's Chromecast. It has also acquired a dark mode, presumably to ali...

Deirdre O Donnell, 25 Sep 2019 20:14

The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 might not be launched until 2020. (Image source: Microsoft)

New Microsoft Surface Pro 7 leak: Still no 32 GB RAM but at least a powerful 10nm processor is present

A 3DMark entry for an apparent Microsoft Surface 7 Pro device has been spotted, with the benchmark record providing various details about the specifications of the upcoming 2-in-1 detachable. The unit was tested on the Sky Diver 1...

Daniel R Deakin, 25 Sep 2019 03:45

The Google Assistant may get harder to activate in the future. (Source: XDA)

Google plans to make the Assistant's attention more selective in the future

Google has announced that future updates will make it more difficult to activate the Assistant by mistake. The company has also taken pains to reassure users that their audio data will not be collected by default in the same relea...

Deirdre O Donnell, 24 Sep 2019 19:13

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