Business Articles

North American Starlink satellite Internet users have started getting messages that their data allotment is no longer unlimited. Not only did Starlink move its faster download speed tiers from the residential to the business options, but it is now capping them to 1TB of usage per month before throttling kicks in.

SanDisk's Extreme line of portable SSDs have USB type-C ports and handy keychain-compatible metallic housings. Many of its variants are also listed with potentially substantial discounts on Amazon right now. They include over US$300 off the original price of a version with a capacity of 2TB and a rated top transfer speed of 1,050 megabytes per second (MB/s).

Microsoft has not yet raised prices for either of its current-generation consoles. However, Phil Spencer has outlined that Microsoft's sales strategy leaves the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles as loss leaders, with up to US$200 lost per console.

According to Q3 2022 financial figures released by AMD, the company’s Data Center, Gaming, and Embedded Systems segments performed well. But the Client segment which includes consumer CPUs like the Ryzen 6000 series took a significant hit due to a weak PC market. Furthermore, the company is also expecting a less-than-ideal Q4 2022, possibly due to bad Zen 4 sales.

We criticized the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 quite a lot. The expensive multimedia laptop revealed a huge problem in our review: The ThinkPad quite often rebooted unexpectedly. The newest BIOS firmware is now supposed to solve the issue.

Xiaomi has revealed that it took less than an hour for it to sell more than 350,000 smartphones belonging to the new Redmi Note 12 series. Surprisingly, the Redmi Note 12 series is decidedly more unpopular than the Redmi Note 11 series, which garnered over 500,000 sales during the same period.

Huawei is now strongly hinting at an upcoming new feature for its latest top-end foldable smartphone, the Mate Xs 2, to be unveiled during the OEM's upcoming Developer Conference. The upgrade could put the premium device on par with the latest iPhone 14 series in terms of cutting-edge innovations - then again, it might have its limits.

As the first manufacturer, Lenovo has introduced a laptop with the current Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 to the market. While this laptop processor represents significant progress compared to its predecessors, in order to catch up with Intel, AMD, and Apple, Qualcomm still has to make a lot of improvements.

Volkswagen now reports that it has taken "over 20,000" orders for the inaugural ID. Buzz since its initial 2022 pre-sales event started in Europe - even before it could be viewed in person in dealerships, apparently. The number exceeds planned production volumes for the vehicle in the same year, however, meaning that some customers might not see the first-gen electric microbus they ordered until 2023.

Ulefone's latest rugged smartphone boasts the "latest" Lepton 3.5 thermal imaging tech from FLIR in one of its rear-facing shooters. It is joined by a 108MP sensor as a 'normal' main camera, and also steps up to an FHD+ 120Hz display kept on with a 9,600mAh battery that even has fast charging in this generation. The rugged device has a 5G MediaTek Dimensity chipset - then again, it still runs Android 12.

According to reports, Apple has decided to cut production of the iPhone 14 Pro series by nearly 15%, effective Q1 2023. Despite selling comparatively well and better than the iPhone 14 Plus, consumer demand for Apple’s most expensive iPhones is falling because of worsening economic conditions globally.

Sony has announced a new over-the-air (OTA) software upgrade for its Xperia PRO-I smartphone. It adds an option to live-stream directly from the Videography Pro app for the device's camera UI, which might make its use on social media apps easier and more effective. The update also gives the Android flagship a quicker way to re-map a first-party grip/tripod accessory's custom button.

UGREEN's latest multi-port is called a docking station, although it has more of a tower format for easy USB type-C-to-C connection to an ever-growing list of powerful ultrabooks. It supports external monitors of up to 8K/30Hz, albeit when used as a hub for Windows machines only. A triple 4K/60Hz display option is open to MacBooks, however, with some caveats.

The fifth-generation Sony alpha 7R (the alpha 7R V, or a7R V) has finally been unveiled as a new interchangeable-lens mirrorless unit with an updated build and the highest-res Exmor R image sensor available to it. However, the OEM also touts it as the first ever alpha-series camera with an "AI processing unit" rated to boost the camera's ability to identify and, thus, accurately track human and animal subjects in moving shots.

The Summit E16 Flip offers a 16-inch touchscreen display in the 16:10 format, Thunderbolt 4, and a dedicated GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU. The touchscreen can be operated with fingers as well as the included MSI input pen.

Transparent displays are thought to have an ever-expanding place in the future, within commercial displays and signage at least. Now, BOE has unveiled the latest result of its research and development in this area. Its new MLED has launched as a kind of see-through display with enhanced brightness and transmittance.

Samsung has announced that Maintenance Mode will start to become a part of One UI worldwide from the current v5 iteration. It allows a user to secure the personal or sensitive data found on a smartphone they need to send off for repair, and recover it only when it is back in their hands. Then again, it will be available on certain Galaxy S21- and S22-series units thus far.

The luxury-focused smartphone brand Vertu has adopted Web3 with the new Metavertu handset. It sports a number of 'normal' flagship-grade features such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-powered device and a large FHD+ AMOLED display, yet purports to augment them with features such as a "secure chip" for the user's blockchain activities, not to mention a choice of premium finishes that include an alligator leather rear panel that pushes the Metavertu's USD asking price into five figures.

The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G3 AMD offers long battery life for a low price, has great performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU (Barcelo-U) and is a compelling option with its two RAM slots, low emissions and high serviceability. Unfortunately, our review unit had some stability issues.

Vivo's press conference for the next generation of flagship-grade, Zeiss-branded, mobile camera solutions of today (October 24, 2022) has met with an initial leak suggesting how they will look in devices such as the rumored X90 premium Android smartphone series. They are touted to come with upgraded low-light and portrait performance, as well as a new dedicated image signal processor (ISP).

Ulefone has just introduced a new smartphone as one that a user could throw around a construction site with impunity, yet offer a high-end experience at the same time. To this end, the Armor 17 Pro packs a number of unusually premium specs for its brand, a 120Hz display, a 108MP main rear camera and fast charging with magnetic wireless charging included. On the other hand, it also rocks a 4G/LTE-only MediaTek SoC and runs Android 12.

TCL is an OEM that describes itself as a "first mover" in terms of getting smart TVs based on cutting-edge miniLED technology onto the market. Now, the company claims that its latest, third-quarter sales figures for 2022 (or for 3Q2022) show that its industry leadership in this area has paid off. TCL's miniLED-related sales volumes are up by just over 20% year-on-year (YoY) for said quarter, and have seen "significant" growth over the year as a whole so far.

Samsung and China Telecom have just made the W23 - and W23 Flip - official. The high-end take on the existing Galaxy Z Fold4 has arrived alongside one on the latest Galaxy Z Flip for the first time. Both have been modified to have more RAM than standard SKUs, and to have a new high-end finish with more gold accents, ceramic finishes or both than usual.

Samsung has introduced the ISOCELL HPX as the latest in its steadily-growing portfolio of mobile image sensors with the current class-leading resolution of 200 megapixels (MP). It boasts the smallest pixel the OEM makes for CMOS of this caliber for recording at up to 8K/30fps, touted to deliver cinematic levels of image quality and color accuracy. It is also rated to use the Deep Trench Isolation (DTI) technique for potentially improved light sensitivity.

Although the users in some markets are not facing the new figures yet, it looks like some YouTube Premium Family subscribers are receiving notifications of drastic price changes. While Romanian subscribers still can grab a Family plan for roughly US$8, the cost went up to US$22.99 in other markets.

The smart home OEM TCL has announced that it will throw a Hallowe'en party for its public in 2022 - in the metaverse, that is. It will be held in the "Dream House" the OEM has built on the Roblox gaming platform. TCL will offer personalized avatar costumes at the door, after which a guest can visit showcases for products such as the company's "popular" TVs with cutting-edge miniLED panels.

The iPhone seems the weapon of choice for most social media brands of Apple's competitors. In the past, this happened to brands like Huawei and Samsung. Now, the time has come for Google's social media team to post on Twitter using an iPhone and, although the post has been deleted, it won't be forgotten.

The global smart TV market is estimated to attain just over US$451 billion in value by 2030 in a new market analysis report. 4K/UHD and screen sizes of 65 inches at the least are projected to be the biggest winners in terms of growth over the next eight years. The North American region is thought to contribute a good proportion of this growth until 2027.

Apple has patented its own glove for virtual reality applications. The accessory incorporates a comprehensive array of sensors that might translate hand and finger movement to a game or metaverse-like environment with high accuracy and precision. Therefore, a final product based on this IP might be unveiled alongside the Cupertino giant's long-rumored AR/VR headset.

YouTube has been running an "experiment" in which the ability to play content back at 2160p, or 4K, on its website would be locked behind its Premium paywall. However, it may have ultimately failed, as it has now officially been cancelled, leaving the setting open to all members once again.

The virtual reality (VR) industry seems to have developed a distinct predilection for OLED as a display material going forward. However, according to an industry blog, Samsung now concludes that augmented reality (AR) has different requirements, and that microLED is a better fit for them. Therefore, the OEM is allegedly working on a new type of panel for the AR-optimized headsets of the future.

The Dimensity 9200 will be MediaTek's next-gen flagship chipset and is expected to rival the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The MediaTek SoC has now been tipped to win the launch race at least, with word from typically reliable quarters tipping it to debut before Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit.

With its 4K/UHD resolution and form-factor, LG's new Smart Monitor 32SQ780S has clearly launched as a challenger to the Samsung M80B. The new external display combines features such as streaming app support, webOS-based UI and a "Magic" Remote with an orientation-switching ErgoStand and a USB type-C port with 65W charging. It has appeared on Amazon.com with one colorway and a competitive price.

After leading the global mobile DRAM market for over a decade, Samsung unveils the industry's fastest LPDDR5X DRAM solution. With a speed of 8.5 Gbps, up from a previous record of 7.5 Gbps, established in March, the Samsung LPDDR5X DRAM was validated for use on Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms.

TCL has gone to the Broadband World Forum 2022 to unveil its latest pieces of consumer premises equipment (CPE). The LINKHUB HH512 and HH512L are router-like devices that support potentially multi-gigabit 5G speeds, whereas the new LINKZONE MW513 is more of a MiFi-like device with similar connectivity.

Google's newly released source code for the Pixel 7 series has now made direct references to two unreleased Pixel models. The first is the upcoming Pixel Fold, the second, however, is more interesting and appears to be a smaller, likely compact Pixel phone.

Apple has announced that its Card's app now supports a new Savings account. This new service has been designed to store money accrued through its Daily Cash spending incentive. The new account type, which will apparently be maintained by Goldman Sachs, has been promised "high-yield" growth, although the Cupertino giant has yet to specify the rate of interest involved.

After the recent failure of the entry-level B650 series mainboards to start at the US$125 price promised by AMD, it looks like the tech giant is now planning to lower the production figures of the Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 CPUs. The two main reasons for this are probably the global PC market decline and the poor reception of the AM5 platform.

Sony pitches the new ZV-1F as a camera for those who want an edge for their content creation and would probably be using a smartphone otherwise. It improves on its Exmor RS 1.0-type predecessor in that it has a new stock lens with an improved wide-angle perspective and easy bokeh. The ZV-1F also packs a number of vlog-friendly features such as Shot Mark, Active Mode image stabilization and Product Showcase.

DOOGEE launched its new GT variant of the S96 Android smartphone some time ago. Now, it has finally revealed that its release will start in earnest tomorrow (October 15, 2022) with some special discounts for its "limited" gold edition. The GT features an updated chipset and selfie camera in addition to the "extreme" durability ratings of the original S96 Pro.

SpaceX has sent the Pentagon a letter of request to start paying for Starlink's satellite Internet service over Ukraine. Earlier in the conflict there, Elon Musk answered the call of Ukrainian officials and provided indispensable coverage, but SpaceX says that next year it would have to spend up to US$380 million to keep things going.

Although the decision is not final and Apple will fight back, a Brazilian court has decided to fine the Cupertino-based tech giant with the equivalent of roughly US$19 million for selling phones without chargers. Even more, the court ruled that chargers must be bundled with new iPhones sold in the country.

Introduced in June 2022, Samsung's digital wallet platform is already very popular in major markets such as China, France, Germany, Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By the end of the year, Samsung Wallet will reach 13 new markets, including Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The latest NVIDIA driver package, namely the 522.25 Game Ready driver, was released yesterday. Inside the nv_dispig.inf file that came with it, three unreleased RTX 3000 series cards were spotted: the GA102-based GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with GDDR6X, and the GeForce RTX 3060 with 8 GB of video memory.