Software

Xiaomi may have already unveiled MIUI 12, but the Redmi Note 8 remains one of the devices still awaiting Android 10. While Xiaomi has confirmed that it will be continuing the rollout of the OS upgrade to the Redmi Note 8 Pro this month, the Redmi Note 8 must wait until July before it starts receiving Android 10.

Google had promised the ability to control its cloud gaming platform Stadia using the Assistant on more platforms. This has started to come to fruition with the ability to tell this AI to launch titles via the service. It reportedly works through text or voice on Android or Chrome OS devices.

Huawei will be re-launching the P30 Pro as a P30 Pro New Edition in Germany (and perhaps in other Western markets) with Google Mobile Services (GMS) enabled. This move is being seen as an attempt by the Chinese smartphone major to regain lost ground due to the absence of GMS in the P40 series.

The latest releases from the smartphone OEM OnePlus, the 8 and 8 Pro, have been issued new versions of their Android skin, OxygenOS. These updates are intended to fix the "green tint" defect reported by some users. They have also been released to enhance some aspects of the phones' cameras.

The Cuban vlogger TecnoLike Plus has already purported to have reviewed the Google Pixel 4a's cameras well ahead of its launch. Now, the same source has leaked this phone's relevant specs in more detail. It seems the phone has the same Sony IMX shooters as some older Pixels on its front and back.

According to a report published in a medical journal, a patient's Apple Watch successfully detected a serious anomaly missed by diagnostic hospital equipment. However, when the individual pointed out ECGs matching the health issue in question generated by her wearable to doctors, it was apparent treatment was in order.

The PowerVision Robot Corporation has launched a new drone. This one sets itself apart with what its maker describes as weatherproof attachments, one of which even allows the PowerEgg X to land on water. It is also rated for 4K/60 frames per second (fps) recording in flight.

Xiaomi has apparently started testing the Android 10-based MIUI 12 ROM for the Redmi Note 8 in China implying a global rollout soon. However, the company has not defined any timeline and whether the rollout will eventually happen or not depends on satisfactory performance of the update during testing

Apple has published a consolidated report of its financial performance in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q2020). It shows an overall increase in revenue of about 1% compared to the same quarter of 2019; however, when these figures are divided into the categories of products and services, one has made a loss.

Samsung has been rumored to have a Galaxy A21s ready for release this year. A new leak confirms this, referring to the phone by its name for the first time. Interestingly, the new device is now associated with 5 slightly different model numbers, suggesting that it will be available in multiple regions.

Samsung users running Android 9.0 Pie will have to wait a bit longer for the One UI 2.0 update. According to a notification on the Samsung Members app, the rollout will be 'slightly delayed.' This only applies to users based in India, and it is unclear if other regions will also be affected.

A new PlayStation 5 rumor has started catching considerable attention on social media. Apparently, PS5 owners would be able to access the overhauled PS Store user interface and playtest games immediately without having to wait for lengthy downloads. The system would give gamers the opportunity to try out titles in a similar way to playing a demo before making a purchase.

The gaming-phone sub-brand Black Shark has released details of a European launch for its new flagship series. It will be available via open sales in a dedicated web-store from May 8, 2020. In the meantime, fans can enter competitions for various discounts.

The chipmaker will refresh the UI and add per-core tweaking options to one-up AMD Ryzen Master and appeal to more first adopters.

AV1 is a video codec that allows for the playback of 4K video at up to 60 frames per second (fps) in the presence of smaller file-sizes compared to other similar formats. MediaTek has announced that its 2020 flagship SoC, the Dimensity 1000, supports it at a hardware level. Therefore, devices with this processor can use the YouTube app at the highest resolutions.

An XDA contributor claims to have "exclusive" access to info on Realme's 2nd-gen wearable. This product will apparently simply be called the brand's Watch, as with other OEM's answer to Apple's device of this category. The new leak apparently consists of renders and several UI snapshots.

T-Series is reportedly negotiating with Netflix India to release eight to ten movies on the platform. With movie theaters remaining shut due to the nationwide lockdown measures, a lot of studios are moving their cinema releases to video streaming platforms.

Often labeled as the best game in the Total War series, Shogun 2 was published by Sega in 2011 and this week can be obtained for free from Steam. To keep it forever — without the eight DLC and unit packs that can be acquired for 75 percent off during this period — those interested should get it before May 1, 7 PM.

A few months after delisting the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro from its security update schedule, Huawei has now given its other Kirin 970-powered phones, the P20 and P20 Pro, the same treatment. The devices are missing from the company's official security update bulletin for May and do not appear on either the monthly or quarterly sections.

QNAP Systems has debuted its new 1.7GHz TS-x31K series for network-attached storage (NAS) of a residential or private magnitude. It comes in 1- to 4-bay SKUs, each of which supports Gigabit Ethernet and SATA 6Gb/s. They also all have AES-256 bit encryption and lockable bays.

Some new TWS earbuds from Apple have passed through Federal Communications Commission (FCC) testing. These products are not new AirPods, however: their new certification lets their Beats branding slip, in addition to the fact they closely resemble the existing Powerbeats Pro. Therefore, they are most likely to be a 2nd generation of the same.

Following a lengthy wait, Amazfit has released its first smartwatch with a curving display onto the market. Well, more or less: it is being offered as a reward as part of a new Indiegogo campaign. The device starts for US$149 and is currently slated to ship in August 2020.

The Android 10 rollout for the Nokia 6.2 has begun. Originally slated for Q1 2020, Android 10 is the first OS upgrade for the Nokia 6.2. The rollout is being staggered in waves, so it may be a few weeks before you receive an OTA on your device. You can download the update manually now, though. Android 10 has made its way to Nokia 7.2 handsets in the US, too.

Xiaomi's gaming-focused series of phones, Black Shark, run on an Android skin called JoyUI. Today (April 28, 2020), its latest stable version will start to appear as an OTA worldwide. This will occur on the brand's 2020 flagships, the 3 and 3 Pro, as well as their predecessors.

Xiaomi continues to support the aging Mi A1 with software updates, but this month's security patch does not include any new features. Sadly, this confirms that any chance to receive Android 10 via the official channels is now gone. However, a stable Android 10-based LineageOS build for the Mi A1 should arrive this summer.

Today, (April 27, 2020) a new app for Google's Pixel Buds 2 went live on the Play Store. It was even more unexpectedly followed by the TWS earphones themselves on the Mountain View giant's store. They support OEM-specific features such as Instant Translation, Assistant integration and Adaptive Sound.

Xiaomi has announced its release schedule for MIUI 12, and it includes forty devices. Arriving on handsets as old as the Mi 6, MIUI 12 will start rolling out at the end of June. Beta enrolments start today, though.

Discord for Android has a useful feature in which a button for its voice-chat functions can float over every other aspect of the UI. Unfortunately, it was originally launched as an exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy Notes 10. However, it has now been detected as working in more Android phones via the app's latest betas.

The Mi Note 10 is branded as the Mi CC9 Pro in Xiaomi's home China, and the phone is now receiving the stable Android 10 update after months of waiting. The update carries the software version number "MIUI V11.1.1.0.QFDCNXM" and is a 2.7 GB download.

A possible new mobile device by HTC has been spotted on Geekbench 5. However, despite its alleged "Pro" moniker, its specs are arguably lower-end in 2020 terms. They appear to consist of an older Snapdragon 6-series processor and 6GB of RAM.

The X50 was the first Realme phone to launch with the Snapdragon 765G SoC and this brand's updated UI. Now, it has been refreshed with a version that starts cheaper than the original phone in its home market. However, it still rocks a 120 hertz (Hz) refresh rate for its 6.57-inch display.

The creators of Quantum Error have started sharing screenshots of their upcoming game, which is being developed for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The horror title is set to utilize the real-time ray tracing and 4K at 60 FPS gaming capabilities of the PS5, with the devs stating that they were using a “PC at similar settings” and Unreal Engine 4 to create the trailer and screenshots.

Xiaomi has reportedly filed a patent for a wholly new kind of phone design with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). This property allows for the top part of its screen to swivel all the way around so that its main cameras can point in either direction. Accordingly, its display is divided along the line of this novel moving part.

Samsung has reportedly had a new product certified with the MIIT regulator in China. Based on its model number, it is likely to be a full-screened wearable. Therefore, a successor for the Galaxy Watch Active 2 may be in the offing.

The full source code for Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version has been shared online, and fans have been thoroughly enjoying going through the dozens of images that were part of the various builds. This includes pictures of front and back Pokémon sprites and beta designs for characters such as Pichu and Shuckle.

Ubuntu 20.04 "Focal Fossa" is now available for download. The latest version of the most popular Linux distribution brings a bevy of updates, including a built-in VPN, support for ExFat and ZFS, and more.

Popular navigation app HERE WeGo is now available for download on Huawei's Play Store alternative AppGallery. The application has been around for a long time offers several useful features such as turn-by-turn navigation, a voice assistant, and offline maps.

With MIUI 12 rumoured to be available from MIUI 12, Xiaomi has decided to push another Android 9.0 Pie-based update to the Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro. While Xiaomi has pledged to update the CC9 Pro to Android 10 by the end of this month, the arrival of the latest update for EU handsets all but ends hopes that they were in line for the same treatment.

TCL launched its latest 10-series of smartphones earlier in April 2020. Now, it has announced that the Pro variant of the same has won some prominent awards. In addition, the OEM's PLEX phone has also won similar gongs, as has 1 of its Wi-Fi routers.

GeForce NOW has had games made by Codemasters, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Klei Entertainment and XBOX Game Studios pulled from its platform. However, the news on NVIDIA's take on cloud gaming is not all bad: Ubisoft has added a total of 36 new games to its portfolio. A representative for this publisher has also endorsed it as "a leading-edge service".

A Samsung Community forum moderator has stated that the company is reportedly working on delivering the One UI update to Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 users. Unfortunately, there is no word about when the firmware will be available for download, but it is reassuring to know that it will make its way to the devices eventually.

A particular string of characters in the Sindhi language seems to be wreaking havoc on iOS devices worldwide. Upon receiving the text in question, iOS crashes completely. A force restart is required to get the iPhone/iPad operational again. The only workaround is to disable notifications for all instant messaging applications until Apple rolls out a fix.

Mobvoi - the OEM behind the TicWatch line of wearables - has unveiled its latest product, the Cololight. It consists of hexagonal LED panels that can be connected and thus arranged into a variety of patterns at the user's discretion. Its starts at a pack of 3 lights and their necessary components for US$59.99.

A security group has reported the detection of 267 million Facebook profiles on a server being offered in exchange for £300 (~US$340). The users in question are apparently mostly located in the United States. This allegedly hacked info includes their names and phone numbers.

Huawei's latest tablet is the MatePad 10.4, a slate with a 2K display with the diagonal length it is named for. It is powered by the Kirin 810 and has 4GB or 6GB RAM options, which come in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi or LTE SKUs. The OEM has revealed that its starts at 1899 yuan (~US$269).

The Mi A3 has already received three Android 10 updates but both were filled with bugs. Xiaomi is now sending out yet another build to the phone with the version number "V11.0.14.0.QFQMIXM", and it appears to fix most of the bugs from previous updates.

There is good news for those considering an upgrade from their existing rigs with a Noctua cooler and that are based on an Intel 300-series chipset to one with certain newer 400-series options instead: they may be able to switch the former from one to another. Some of this brand's products are even compatible with Comet Lake-S processors out of the box.

The latest version of Vivaldi now includes a tracker blocker developer by DuckDuckGo. The tool, which is powered by DuckDuckGo's Tracker Radar software, makes browsing the Internet a bit more private out of the box. However, other privacy-focused extensions should still be used.

Some owners of the most expensive Galaxy S20 variant have reportedly complained to its maker, Samsung, that its rear cameras cannot focus over very short distances. The same users have called for a firmware upgrade that might fix this. However, this problem may be due to the physical constraints of the phone's image sensor.

To start the celebration of the upcoming anniversary properly, Wargaming has updated World of Tanks to 1.9, a version that comes with quite a few noticeable changes: a completely reworked tech tree without some hardware that has been placed into a separate tab as Collectors' Vehicles, increased HP for the low tiers, and more.