Software

Microsoft has announced several new gaming features for Windows 11, such as improved HDR options. Additionally, the company has introduced VRR for games running in windowed mode, among other changes.

Microsoft confirmed that upcoming Windows 11 Pro releases will require signing-in with a Microsoft account if the device is being setup for personal use — a requirement that only applied to Windows 11 Home editions so far. Mandating Microsoft account logins for even accessing basic OS functionality can be frustrating for those who perform frequent maintenance and installations without an internet connection.

The latest, cloud-based Amazon Web Services (AWS) are based on AMD's server-grade silicon and is rated to run even the high-performance computing (HPC) necessary for scientific research on a cloud. The company asserts that its latest and Milan-enhanced instances, or virtual servers, can deliver improved cost-effectiveness, high bandwidth and the use of up to 192 virtual processors, to its customers.

Microsoft has released Preview Build 22557 to the Dev Channel on the Windows 11 Insider Program. The update brings numerous changes and improvements to Windows 11, including new touch gestures, File Explorer revisions and the rumoured updated Task Manager. Preview Build 22557 is available to download now but not on ARM64 PCs.

CD Projekt Red has admitted that Patch 1.5 is causing some Cyberpunk 2077 installations to crash at launch on PC. Supposedly, incompatible audio drivers are the cause, even though they were fine pre-Patch 1.5. CD Projekt Red is also investigating the option of raising the FPS cap on Xbox Series S too, among other requests.

Customers in the market for a new Galaxy S22-series phone in the United States might be assured of a fully-featured and up-to-date messaging experience out of the box. The OEM has pre-installed Google's messaging app and set it to accept and show messages rather than its own stock app that does the same. This allows the phones to use RCS by default.

Microsoft is now rolling out a non-essential feature update to Windows 11. This February update offers several improvements including public release of the Amazon Appstore, mute and screen sharing from the taskbar, clock on secondary monitor, and more. Additionally, Microsoft is also releasing redesigned Notepad and Media Player apps consistent with the Windows 11 design language.

Google recently announced Chrome OS Flex, a USB-based Chrome OS installation that users can deploy on Windows and Mac computers. While it might not offer significant value on modern systems, Chrome OS flex could help users get more out of ageing netbooks and other devices that struggle to run full-fat Windows.

Xiaomi's sub-brand, Poco, announced its plans for the first batch of its MIUI 13 rollout at the Poco M4 Pro 5G launch event. The company confirms that it will kick things off with the Poco X3 Pro, Poco F3 GT, and others.

CD Projekt Red has unveiled native versions of Cyberpunk 2077 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X consoles. Available as a free download to owners of the game and at half price for the next few weeks, Cyberpunk 2077 has effectively received something of a soft re-launch. CD Projekt Red has delivered Patch 1.5 too, a huge update for the game with hundreds of fixes and optimisations.

Xiaomi is slowly continuing the MIUI 13 rollout and has now graced global Mi Pilot testers of the Redmi Note 10 and Mi 11 Lite 5G with new Android 12-based MIUI 13 builds, with the Indian model of the Redmi phone also getting a similar build.

The Oppo Watch 2 now supports several new features, courtesy of a ColorOS update. Currently restricted to the Chinese version of the smartwatch, the update enables an always-on display, ColorOS 12-style app icons and a calendar app, among other changes.

Nokia has made the rumored successor to the budget G20 official, and has ushered a new G11 in alongside it. The new smartphones are equipped with large batteries for markedly long run-times - which may be handy as the 2 new phones offer a series-first 90Hz refresh rate. The two new phones have been released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland today (February 14, 2022).

Horizon Forbidden West, one of the most anticipated PlayStation games of the year, has already convinced critics four days before its official release. While the game shines on PlayStation 5, the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro hold their own at 1080p and 30 FPS.

XDA Senior Member Danny Lin (@kdrag0n) has managed to get entire virtual machines running on the Google Pixel 6 with relative ease. This was possible due to the new KVM feature that is being introduced with Android 13. The developer could even run Windows 11 on ARM and even play the classic Doom game on the Pixel 6 with decent performance.

Intel could be introducing Software Defined Silicon (SDSi) with upcoming server and datacenter processors such as Xeon Sapphire Rapids. SDSi enables unlocking processor features on a pay-as-you-go basis to minimize upfront costs and enable organizations to add new features without a hardware upgrade. The Linux code for SDSi is expected to be finalized in the 5.18 kernel, which is due this Spring.

The latest Linux kernel 5.16 update brings scheduling and hybrid handling improvements that give Linux a significant advantage over Windows 11 in Alder Lake systems. The current Ubuntu 22.04 LTS uses the 5.15 kernel and suffers from performance regressions on Alder Lake as a result.

Congratulations on getting your new Apple Silicon Mac! Whether you are the kind of user that spends most of your time doomscrolling Reddit, jamming out to your favorite tunes, or constantly glancing at your local weather, these simple apps will help you get started.

Jabra aims to cater for the millions of users in the United States affected by mild or moderate hearing loss with the new Enhance Plus wearables. They are touted to combine the size and convenience of TWS products with "advanced hearing technology", and might well be the first in a wave of products compatible with the FDA's potentially upcoming Over-The-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid criteria.

GoPro has now released its financial report for the final quarter of the past year (4Q2021). It has enabled the household name in action-cams to add up its total revenue for the year and come up with a sum well over US$1 billion. Its average street prices (ASP) per camera and cash on hand have also hit new heights in 2021.

Apple's AirTags have become embroiled in a scandal that highlights their potential to facilitate crimes such as stalking, theft and general unsolicited e-tracking. Accordingly, the Cupertino giant has responded with an "update" that outlines its new policies and procedures intended to reduce the risk of the malicious abuse of its first-gen personal-effect security accessories.

iOS and iPadOS versions 15.3 were pushed in order to patch a slew of vulnerabilities on iPhones or iPads. However, it left one, which may have allowed the execution of "arbitrary" code. Never fear, though, v15.3.1 is here to address this potential security issue. There are also now new corresponding macOS and watchOS versions available to install.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra already offer various software optimisations to make use of their large displays. However, Samsung has now confirmed that Android 12L is planned for the three tablets to simplify multitasking further.

A new device, purportedly from Xiaomi, has appeared on Geekbench. Its combination of a novel model number and well-worn specs have led to rumors that it is a new addition to the POCO M4 series, albeit without 5G connectivity. Accordingly, it might be a pre-existing Xiaomi device rebranded to fit this description.

Google, today, released the first Android 13 Developer Preview codenamed Tiramisu. The new Android version that is slated to hit devices sometime after July 2022 will bring new privacy features such as a system-wide photo picker, themed app icons for third-party apps, faster hyphenation, and more. Android 13 DP1 currently is meant only for developers and can be used in the Android Emulator or flashed manually on compatible Pixel devices including the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Wordle has now become an online sensation with users on social media posting their scores in the five-letter word guessing game on a daily basis. A YouTuber has leveraged information theory and an exhaustive list of five-letter words to arrive at what could be the best starting word in the game.

The content stalwarts Discovery and Warner Media are to form one content platform soon, as the former has now acquired the go-ahead to buy the former from US regulators. The merger could lead to a singular mega-streaming service that offers channels such as Animal Planet as well as those such as HBO. Then again, the prospective parent company has yet to confirm its direction once it has made its acquisition.

After Samsung promised four major Android updates for the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the company has made a similar commitment for its latest smartwatches. Starting with the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic, all Galaxy Watch series devices should receive 'up to' four years of One UI Watch updates.

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have proven to be some of Google's most successful releases to date, having broken sales records despite a less-than-perfect launch season. Why have the devices been so popular? Let's have a look at some of the standout features of the Pixel pairing that might entice you.

After rolling out early MIUI 13 builds to the Redmi Note 10, Redmi 10, and Xiaomi 11 Lite, Xiaomi is now set to grace its flagship phones, the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra, with their own tastes of MIUI 13 powered by Android 12, starting with the European models.

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have been struggling with various software problems since their launch last year. The February update was supposed to fix critical bugs, but people are now reporting that the patch also introduces new bugs. Reportedly, the February update causes frustrating Wi-Fi issues, seemingly without an obvious cause.

Google may not have brought Wear OS 3 out of beta yet, but Samsung has implied that the OS may be a few months away from release. While the OS was already expected to feature a next-generation Google Assistant, it seems that Wear OS 3 will support streaming music in the YouTube Music app via Wi-Fi and LTE. The Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic will benefit from both features, too.

Samsung has unveiled ten new watch bands for the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic. While the bands will not be available until the end of the month, a significant software update for the pair will arrive tomorrow.

Qualcomm has just announced that it has become a Premium Partner in Scuderia Ferrari's campaign for the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship. This new agreement will also see much more Snapdragon technology in the classic Italian marque's next generation of road cars as well. Qualcomm will also become involved in the brand's eSports concerns.

Xiaomi has released V12.0.16.0.RFQEUXM to the Mi A3, a European build that contains the January 2021 security patch. The 12 MB update will arrive as an OTA on eligible devices, but recovery and fastboot zip files are also available.

Xiaomi has issued V13.0.1.0.SKUMIXM to the Redmi 10 on its Mi Pilot scheme. The update brings MIUI 13 and Android 12 to the budget handset, which launched last summer on MIUI 12.5 and Android 11.

Ahead of Unpacked, Samsung's press release for the Galaxy Tab S8 series has leaked, revealing the company's plans to deliver four major OS updates to its current flagship phones, with five years of support in total. The Galaxy Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3 will, for example, receive Android 15.

The European Union Court of Justice (or CJEU) has implemented a new law by which data pertaining to users in its jurisdiction has to stay there. Meta has taken issue with this, indicating that the measures are incompatible with the way it deploys Facebook and Instagram within the bloc. Therefore, the EU just might become more of a Meta-free zone soon.

Apple has typically offered a three-month free trial for new users considering an account with its first-party Music service. However, this offer has been cut in more than half in a long list of countries where the Cupertino giant operates. The normal price thereafter remains unchanged, however.

Google has introduced a new calculator app intended for devices such as Chromebooks. However, because it is web-based, it can also be used on iPads and so on. This means the Mountain View giant has beaten Apple to making this often essential service available on its own signature tablets.

The Poco X4 5G has now made the trip over to Geekbench, revealing some of its hardware and mostly corroborating reports that it will be a rebadged Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. That, of course, means a Snapdragon 695 under the mid-range phone's hood.

OnePlus has announced its latest Y1S-line TVs. They will come in a choice of 2 variants and are slated to bring a "Smarter Picture" to the brand's Indian customers soon. The new smart screens' first teaser hints at a build with slim bezels and a conventional stand type.

Microsoft has announced some changes to the way in which the Windows OS will be distributed to those who need or want to experience its latest features in advance. This includes their distribution via 3 channels: Dev, Beta and the pre-existing Release Preview channels. The Redmond giant asserts that they should keep developers or enthusiasts apprised of what its engineers are up to in 2022.

Another bug has reared its head on the Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro smartphones. This time around, users have been reporting an issue with the Google Photos app that has been crashing after attempting to use the Magic Eraser utility. At the moment, there is no official fix for the latest bug to annoy Pixel 6 owners.

Last year, Xiaomi promised three major OS updates for the Xiaomi 11T Pro, 11T, and Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. It's unclear if the company is trying to renege on that but its website currently lists the three phones as eligible for just two OS updates.

Xiaomi may have only just announced MIUI 13 outside China, but it has already brought the new OS to the POCO F3 GT in India. V13.0.0.10.SKJINXM also arrives with Android 12, but only for Mi Pilot testers.

64-bit versions of Raspberry Pi OS have arrived, allowing the Raspberry Pi 4 to utilise more than 4 GB of RAM natively. Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit is available to download now and is compatible with all Raspberry Pi SBCs that contain 64-bit processors, including the Raspberry Pi Zero 2.

Xiaomi has now officially launched MIUI 13 for the Indian smartphone market. The company confirms that it will start sending out the OTA over the course of this quarter, starting with an exclusive list of ten devices.

OnePlus' recent absorption by OPPO has raised the possibility that the brand's upcoming flagship, the 10 Pro, will arrive on the international market with a new OS rather than the brand's signature OxygenOS. Others have claimed that its replacement will not make the major global launch event involved. The latest word from a rising star in leak terms indicates that this is indeed the case.

It looks like Google is preparing to release another Android Auto refreshed, codenamed Coolwalk. While not officially released yet, several images of the redesign have emerged online. Google is also testing a Cast app for Android Auto that allows you to mirror your smartphone on your car's display.