Latest Tech News

The Thanksgiving weekend has been transformed into a full-blown crisis over at SpaceX by an Elon Musk "all hands on deck" email. The production snags for the new Starship Raptor engines turned out to be more severe than previously thought, putting the launch of the new Starlink satellites in jeopardy. These are the ones that are supposed to make Starlink profitable, and Elon Musk warns that the Starship has to fly at least twice a month next year to keep SpaceX afloat.

Nothing has announced another pair of earbuds, albeit not successors to the Ear (1). Instead, the company has unveiled its eponymous earbuds in black. The Nothing Ear (1) black will be orderable using fiat money or cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The Honor 60 has debuted in China with a Snapdragon 778G SoC and a 120 Hz display. The smartphone contains plenty of hardware also found in the Honor 60 Pro, but with a few sprinklings from the Honor 50 series too.

Honor has showcased the Honor 60 Pro, its latest mid-range smartphone. The Honor 60 Pro will be available in two memory configurations and four colours, starting from CNY 3,699 (~US$581). Its global release date remains unknown, however.

Huawei has updated two of its older smartwatches, the Watch GT 2 and Watch GT 2e. The pair have started receiving their updates in China first, before an eventual global rollout.

Two of Samsung's large gaming monitors are available at discounts. The most significant discount is on the Neo G9 G95NA, a 49-inch monitor with Mini-LED backlights, 1 ms response times and a 240 Hz refresh rate.

It is only a matter of time before Google kills Android One, its ill-conceived program to bring the 'next billion' people to Android. With all companies but one leaving Android One, Google cannot even compel Nokia to deliver on its promised 'two years of guaranteed Android updates' to the Nokia 9 PureView.

Q421 transaction volume for BTC is projected to be the highest ever, but it would still be 260% lower than Mastercard's and 560% lower than Visa's. Reports are estimating that the BTC network could grow to support 800 million users by 2030.

Increasing component prices could mean that laptops in 2022 may retail for higher prices. While other OEMs are yet to comment on the same, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan confirmed on Twitter that all Razer gaming laptops across the board, including the Razer Blade series, will see price hikes.

Four unreleased Redmi Note smartphones have appeared in MIUI code. Many feature Samsung's ISOCELL HM2, a 108 MP camera found in the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus. Some have MediaTek SoCs though, while others have Snapdragon ones.

Minisforum recently launched a new Tiger Lake-based Mini PC. The TH50 Mini features an i5-11320H, a higher TDP H-series processor, alongside 16GB of RAM and ample storage options. It will likely retail in the US$500 price range, and could be a good option for low-profile media center builds.

Apple’s next version of its popular and affordable iPhone SE is set for a Q1 2022 release. The tip comes from Taiwanese research company TrendForce which monitors supply chain activity.

Tipster Ishan Agarwal leaked specifications for the Honor 60 Pro 5G, just a day before the phone is slated for launch. The midrange device will feature a Snapdragon 778G Plus, alongside 8-12GB of RAM and a 108MP primary camera sensor. The 4800 mAh battery supports 66W fast charging.

Razer is said to be developing a new handheld gaming console. It has partnered with Qualcomm to develop a Snapdragon G3x Handheld Developer Kit and could be targeted at the Valve Steam Deck or even the Nintendo Switch.

Just hours after Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 flagship SoC, Xiaomi has announced that the upcoming Xiaomi 12 series would feature the hardware. However, the company has not told us anything more about the devices. Xiaomi is expected to launch the smartphones on December 16, according to rumours.

For good reasons, Alienware got a reputation to design good gaming laptops with a great performance and distinctive look. However, in the newest version we see some steps back rather than forward, particularly in the 3D performance.

The model offers a lot of performance for the price not to mention its 16 GB of RAM whereas most other inexpensive laptops would typically come with just 8 GB of RAM instead.

Masterpiece Studio software is now available for free, but only for non-commercial use. The programme enables you to model in 3D and animate through virtual reality, with tools to let you texturize, rig and skin your models and more.

Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, its first flagship SoC since re-branding its Snapdragon portfolio. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 should offer improvements all round over the Snapdragon 888, including an 'always-on camera'.

At least the performance version of the Tesla Model Y will be equipped with AMD Ryzen processors instead of Intel CPUs in some markets, which should greatly improve the performance of the electric SUV's infotainment system.

Samsung has launched the Exynos Auto V7 SoC, a new processor specifically for cars, alongside the Exynos Auto T5123, which might ensure the same vehicles are connected. This is because it is the OEM's first 5G-capable modem made for the automotive industry. They have been joined in their debut by the S2VPS01, an extra-safe PMIC for cars.

At just under $200 USD, the Lenovo Duet is one of the least expensive Chromebook 2-in-1s you can find. Users will probably love the bright 400-nit touchscreen, but actual performance can be a mixed bag.

Even with the Redmi Note 11 series still yet to make its way to the West, Xiaomi appears to have its sights set on the Redmi Note 12 lineup already. A new report now provides some tentative information on when the next generation of the company's vaunted mid-range smartphone series will debut.

Spanish outlet El Chapuzas Informaticos recently discovered that Sapphire was selling RDNA2-based GPUs under its GPRO brand off retail channels. These are sold exclusively to high-volume crypto mining clients at a time when consumer GPU prices remain sky.

Samsung is said to update its Galaxy A line of smartphones with devices with minimal design upgrades compared to the 2021 variants. Now, shots of a rear panel allegedly belonging to one of these next-gen smartphones has reportedly been taken from its factory. It shows camera cut-outs that may also be present in the rest of this "A13's" siblings.

A new report has claimed that the English Premier League (EPL) is investigating connections between its member clubs and crypto businesses. In addition, it seems the Premier League is forging ahead with a potential partnership with an NFT platform that would provide extra income by producing digital player cards for fans to collect.

Innosilicon plans to release mid-range Type A Fantasy 1 cards with up to 16 GB of GDDR6x 128-bit VRAM that could match the Nvidia RTX 3070, while the Type B dual-GPU variants with up to 32 GB of 19 Gbps GDDR6X VRAM could take on Nvidia's and AMD's high-end offerings.

A source from Lenovo has hinted that its mobile subsidiary Motorola will feature during Qualcomm's imminent launch of the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 SoC. Meanwhile, a famous tipster has claimed that the brand will debut a smartphone with a cutting-edge under-display selfie camera in 2022. This would bring its total of devices with one example of state-of-the-art hardware each up to a potential total of 3.

Sonos has leaked that it will be announcing a new subwoofer soon. The new subwoofer is not a Gen 4 model though, which would be a successor to the current Sonos Sub.

Prices for the 34-inch QD-OLEDs will most likely be higher than what LG will charge for the 42-inch OLED TVs, but Samsung's screens will at least offer superior PPI and crisper text through the RGB pixel structure plus increased color volume via the Quantum Dot layer.

The rumors of Asus launching a new, 16-inch version of its ROG Zephyrus Duo laptop have gained further momentum with new claims of Ryzen 6000 power for the alleged dual-screen gaming machine. The processor may partner with RTX 3000-series graphics to drive a heightened refresh rate in this apparently upcoming PC, now slated to run Windows 11 out of the box.

Rockstar is looking to make amends with the dreadful Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. Patch 1.03 makes over 100 changes across the three games, with Rockstar sending out an 18 GB update to GTA III, GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas.

According to reports, Apple's new MagSafe 3 power connector can fail to charge the MacBook Pro 16 when the machine is switched off. Seemingly, the issue does not hinder the MacBook Pro 14, which also supports MagSafe 3.

The Redmi Note 11T 5G has just arrived in India, but the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge may not be far behind. The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge is the Indian version of the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus, which Xiaomi will limit to one memory configuration and two colours.

The latest leak on the subject of OPPO's alleged first-gen foldable phablet makes it sound like even more of a problem for the market leader Samsung. The new tip purports to specify refresh rates for its primary and secondary displays, thereby hinting vaguely at its looks in the process. On the other hand, it also throws earlier rumors of a launch for the device this year into serious doubt.

The Razer Blade Stealth 13 has received up to a 25% discount, bringing its price down to US$1,499.99. The discount applies to OLED and IPS models, which both feature the Intel Core i7-1165G7 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q.

Nvidia's upcoming RTX 3090 Ti card will use the complete GA102-350 core with 10,752 CUDA cores and 21 Gbps memory speeds. The RTX 3090 Ti is expected to use Micron's latest 2 GB GDDR6X memory modules that can run at 21 Gbps. Combined with a 384-bit wide bus, the RTX 3090 Ti will be the first GeForce card with a 1 TB/s memory bandwidth.

The Fitbit Luxe and Fitbit Sense sit at different price points, but they have both received significant discounts. Broadly, the pair have the same feature set, but the Fitbit Sense delivers a more premium experience overall, even if Fitbit ties many features to its Fitbit Premium subscription service.

According to findings within MIUI code, the Xiaomi 12 and Redmi K50 series will be the first devices to launch with MIUI 13. Both are expected to arrive soon, but the Xiaomi 12 and Redmi K50 series will feature MIUI 13 based on Android 11, not the newer Android 12 variant.

According to reports, Xiaomi has chosen Beijing E-Town as the location for its EV plant and headquarters. The company will join Daimler AG and Chrysler in the technological development zone, among other major companies.

The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 and Dimensity 7000 are expected to topple Qualcomm's performance superiority in the Android space, thanks to impressive manufacturing nodes. At the moment, however, it appears Qualcomm still dominates, at least when running on Xiaomi's MIUI 13 software.

Nintendo is yet to release a Switch XL, as it did with the DS family. However, the UpSwitch Orion serves as an unofficial alternative, with its 11.6-inch display and built-in speakers effectively creating a gigantic Switch console.

AYN Technologies has postponed the release of the AYN Odin by a month, an Android-based handheld games console. The Odin is available in three configurations and supports an optional Super Dock.

PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X availability may still be poor globally, but Microsoft has produced an abundance of Xbox Series S consoles. As a result, the budget and compact console has outsold all its contemporaries, including the Nintendo Switch.

According to reports, Samsung is set to debut the ISOCELL GN5 in the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. The pair will also receive an upgraded telephoto camera compared to the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, but it is not camera upgrades all round for Samsung's next flagship smartphones.

StarFive has unveiled the VisionFive V1 single-board computer. What sets this apart from other SBCs is that it is powered by a RISC-V based SoC, rather than an Arm or Intel chip, and is among the first full-featured models to hit the market.

According to a report by DigiTimes, factories in Taiwan are already ramping up to help NVIDIA bring out its RTX 4000 series gaming GPUs in 2022, based on 5nm lithography. Notably, the report indicates that "Hopper," rather than being a new GPU generation, will be an MCM architecture for datacenter and HPC use cases.

The Redmi Note 11T 5G has been launched in India with impressive specs, such as 50MP dual rear cameras, a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging and a 90Hz LCD screen. Its price starts at INR 14,999 (US$200), and it will be available for purchase on December 7 via Amazon and Mi Store.

The City of Miami has reversed its decision to place a ban on e-scooters. The somewhat controversial e-mobility transport mode will be back up and running, but only after new safety regulations are put in place.

MediaTek has now confirmed the launch details of its next-gen flagship chipset, the Dimensity 9000. The chipset will debut on December 16 and is expected to offer strong competition to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 successor, the egregiously named Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.