Business Articles

It's sad to see the smaller battery and dropped support for M.2 2280 SSDs, but the improvements almost everywhere else make them worth the sacrifice.

HiSilicon is a group within Huawei responsible for the development of this OEM's in-house chipsets, the flagship Kirin mobile SoCs included. It has just signed a five-year deal with Shenzhen JT Automation Equipment, characterized as a collaboration on independent semiconductor processing. Therefore, the move could help Huawei circumvent the sanctions that prevent it working with US suppliers to help make its components.

Amazon has banned well-known brands from its platforms, including Aukey, Mpower, TaoTronics and RAVPower. However, the retailer has now caught up with another Chinese manufacturer.

Nexperia, a maker of numerous component types (FETS and diodes) included, has reportedly bought Newport Wafer Fab, which pitches its silicon products at a range of industrial clients, for an estimated US$87 million. The rumored talks might result in an increased foothold in the semiconductor industry for Nexperia's China-based owner.

ASRock has introduced several new motherboards based on Intel's Elkhart Lake architecture. The company will also release two mini-PCs with the same processors, but there are more options in development, too.

After incidents with a Poco X3 and Redmi Note 9 Pro months ago, two Xiaomi devices have now also chosen to go the way of flames. The two devices, a Poco C3 and a Redmi 8, exploded and dealt damage to the owner and a child respectively, with Xiaomi initially absolving itself of all blame in one instance.

This year, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 stands almost alone among the ThinkPads of the higher price segment. However, its distinguishing characteristic, the 16:9 format, is by no means positive. It is time for Lenovo to change the format.

Hisense has announced that a version of its smart TV UI, VIDAA, is the world's first to pass the requirements for a TÜV Rheinland Privacy by Design Certification. This badge is based on European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) standards of resistance to malicious tactics such as DDoS attacks, remote user device control and data-theft.

The latest version of the 10th-gen Intel-powered Durabook U11 is rated for state-of-the-art security and resistance to the elements, as with its immediate forebears. However, this one is the first to convert to a 2-in-1 with its own detachable keyboard. The new IP65-rated full-size 88-key accessory might make the tablet even more amenable to extreme working conditions that might change often.

Dell might indeed be justified in calling its latest webcam an "UltraSharp" as it has a 4K resolution. Furthermore, it supports Digital Overlap HDR, automatic refinements for visual properties such as white balance and noise reduction, as well as iPad Pro-like auto-framing abilities. However, this potential for streaming and collaboration comes at a price.

The CEO of CD Projekt Red has stated that the company now considers Cyberpunk 2077 to be at a satisfactory level on last-generation consoles. We would disagree, based on the volume of glitches that persist on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with Patch 1.23.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has welcomed its latest acquisition, Housemarque, to its PlayStation Studios family. The Finnish company was behind the recent PS5 hit Returnal. An accidental leak by PlayStation Japan has apparently revealed that Bluepoint Games has also become a part of the SIE clan.

Microsoft has taken to its blog to reveal the latest version of Office for Windows. There is also a new version with native Arm support for the first time.

Lenovo has released a premium, Snapdragon 870 SoC-powered 16:10 2K-display tablet that can also act as a second screen via HDMI called the Yoga Pad Pro in China. Now, the OEM has confirmed that it will be re-branded as the Yoga Tab 13 for the global market. The device still has its quad JBL-tuned speakers, 8GB of RAM, 10,00mAh battery and useful kickstand.

TCL is at MWC to hint at upcoming products as well as launch new ones. Going by the OEM's new teasers, they include a new and particularly affordable addition to the 20 5G smartphone series. In the meantime, the company has also introduced its latest childrens' smartwatch and 5G-powered fixed wireless access device.

Patch 1.23 has improved Cyberpunk 2077's playability on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro, despite containing no PlayStation-specific changes. The game's engine continues to struggle running on AMD's Jaguar cores though, resulting in an unacceptable amount of in-game pop-in.

Microsoft has made the next major upgrade to the Windows OS official today (June 24, 2021). The Redmond giant has also announced a new version of the Store app to go with it. It offers new revenue-sharing options for developers, as well as a new design and the ability to integrate Android apps.

Today, (June 24, 2021) Microsoft has debuted the next major upgrade to its main OS, Windows. This new 11 version does indeed come with a centered Start button and menu by default. The Redmond giant asserts that the new interface it headlines has been developed and designed to perfection, down to the last detail and icon graphic.

Honor has already confirmed that the Magic sub-brand will be updated with a flagship Android phone soon. A new leak suggests that the OEM also has a foldable phablet and clamshell in the works that will also launch under this name, not to mention new laptops, a router and accessories that might include a stylus.

A new WhatsApp Beta has fleshed out what multi-device support means for the popular messaging app. WhatsApp will soon support up to five devices simultaneously, but not multiple smartphones.

The Lenovo Go series of remote-work-focused accessories is expanding at MWC 2021 to include new and arguably thoughtful peripherals for those who have come to rely on PCs such as ultrabooks in professional capacities. They include new wireless mice, one of which is of the upright variety, and a handy cable-free numberpad. The OEM has also launched audio equipment under this new sub-brand.

Lenovo has expanded its Go series of remote-working tools with new power accessories, directed at use with freshly-launched ThinkPads in particular. They include a Wireless Charging Kit, designed to combine a laptop stand with up to 65 watts (W) of USB type-C power. There is also a new 10,000mAh power bank with Qi wireless charging from this line.

Lenovo is at the (virtual) 2021 Mobile World Congress with the latest additions to its enterprise-grade lines of devices. They include new ThinkVision monitors, which come in new, 15.6 portable and 23.8-inch fixed versions. The former is pitched as a portable extension for a new ThinkPad, whereas the latter might also go with Lenovo's new dedicated web-cam.

Lenovo has constructed its ThinkPad X1 Extreme new. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is supposed to take on the Dell XPS series. It changes to the 16:10 aspect ratio, but with a different screen size compared to the Dell competitors. Lenovo also upgrades the GPUs to up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q.

Sony is targeting the original PlayStation console’s sales record of 22.6 million units sold in a single fiscal year with the PlayStation 5. The PS5 has already got off to a record start and with production reportedly ramping up over summer a record-beating financial year of 2022 could be on the cards, with help from female buyers and growing opportunity markets.

Carl Pei's latest start-up Nothing has announced that it will release its first products, the "innovative" ear (1) TWS earbuds, in the summer of 2021. Now, it has also revealed that it has secured a partnership with the high-end department store Selfridges to do so via this chain's flagship London store in the UK.

With more than two weeks left, the AZIO IZO Collection has already raised more than six times the US$10,000 goal of the Kickstarter campaign that kicked off on June 8. Early backers can get the keyboard for US$70 and the entire set (keyboard, palm rest, numeric pad/standalone calculator, mouse) for US$145.

Amazon may be running its Prime Day sales, but ITV News has revealed the extent to which the company sends unsold products to landfill and recycling centres. According to the report, Amazon only donates a fraction of unsold products and sends up to 200,000 items for destruction every week, just at one of its two-dozen Amazon UK warehouses alone.

Sony has finally decided to bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to the PlayStation Store, over six months after the company delisted the game. Cyberpunk 2077 is now cheaper too, but there is a warning for the base PS4 console in the absence of more development from CDPR.

The South Korean OLED specialist LG has reportedly patented what could be called a sliding TV. Its display is stretched across a new kind of moving armature that allows it to expand outward horizontally when activated. This screen also bends backwards around the edges of its frame, making it appear bezel-less on either side.

Following the announcement that OnePlus is completely merging its operations within Oppo, a leaked memo has shed more light on how the arrangement will work. While the merger will still produce OnePlus-branded phones, the company is now a sub-brand within the larger Oppo structure.

The Chinese government has started targeting cryptocurrency mining operations in the Sichuan province. Local electricity companies have been instructed to cut power to large-scale mining firms. As a result, some companies have relocated to the United States, while others could set up shop in neighbouring Kazakhstan.

In earlier years, the energy efficient "Ultra Low Voltage" CPUs of the U series hardly offered any performance, but manufacturers still packed them into workstation laptops. Even though the modern U processors are still considerably slower than H CPUs, at this point their absolute performance is high enough for new models such as the ThinkPad P15s Gen 2 to be able to deliver sufficient power for CAD applications.

TeamGroup has launched the latest generation of its Elite series of desktop U-DIMM RAM sticks. The new 2x16GB modules are the OEM's inaugural DDR5 versions of these components. As such, they are rated for potential advantages such as a 4,800MHz top speed and increased stability.

Fitbit has acknowledged that its iOS app is causing battery drain problems with its flagship smartwatch. Currently, the company has advised a workaround, although it breaks syncing between the Fitbit Sense and iOS devices.

The Galaxy Z Fold2 remains available in the US, contrary to reports. Samsung has not stopped selling it on its US website. However, no US carriers have stock of Samsung's foldable smartphone in either colour, possibly in anticipation of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Currently, the only way to get your hands on a Galaxy Z Fold2 in the US is to purchase an unlocked handset.

LG's last flagship smartphone has reached the Google Play Console. The Velvet 2 Pro, codenamed the LG Rainbow, has some bleeding-edge hardware and would have been an excellent upgrade on last year's LG Velvet.

For the first time since its original release in 2018, Lenovo is not merely updating the ThinkPad P1. The new version of the premium mobile workstation, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4, is a complete redesign. A large 16 inch 16:10 screen, vapor chamber cooling, top-firing speakers, 5G, a 1080p webcam and Tiger Lake H as well as up to the Nvidia RTX A5000 - Lenovo has packed the ThinkPad P1 G4 with new features.

OnePlus has announced that it is merging its operations with Oppo. The two companies are owned by the same parent company and had already merged their R&D teams five months ago.

Cyberpunk 2077 has made the briefest of returns to the PlayStation Store following its removal last year. For some reason, Sony allowed people to wishlist the AAA game, despite CDPR's support drying up for it in the last few months.

What appears to be a widespread issue is affecting Galaxy S21 Ultra devices and looks like the camera app is the culprit. In some cases, the battery drain can go as far as 21 percent in seven hours and only 15 minutes of screen time. Sadly, the regular battery stats monitor does not detect anything wrong.

Leaks concerning a successor to Qualcomm's current top-end mobile SoC, the Snapdragon 888, have only just started to emerge. Nevertheless, there are hints that phone manufacturers have been sent samples of this alleged "895" to test already. According to a reliable tipster, these OEMs have one thing in common: they are all Chinese.