Software

Recent leaks have pointed to the release of a second variant for the Galaxy A01, a budget phone debuted by Samsung in 2020. A new entry on the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) website now confirms its existence. It also shows that the phone's product name will have a novel twist: it will be the Galaxy A01 Core.

Acer has launched the Cestus 350 as part of its new Predator-series gaming line-up today (June 23, 2020). It has a Pixart 3335 sensor, which, as the OEM asserts, will confer accuracy on the new device with minimal latency. It also has 8 programmable buttons and can be used in wired or wireless mode.

Acer is showcasing its CastMaster system as part of its 2020 General Presentation Conference (GPC). This product consists of a receiver and a transmitter in the form of a large globular button. The OEM asserts that this "Plug-and-Play" arrangement will render the set-up and control of a presentation constant across any environment.

Xiaomi Mi 10 phones in India are now getting a new OTA MIUI 11 update that brings support for ISRO's NavIC navigation system, UI updates, performance enhancements, and the April 2020 security patch. MIUI 12 development for the Mi 10 series is still suspended and there's no word yet on when it would resume.

At WWDC 2020 today, Apple unveiled iOS 14. There are several quality-of-life improvements, some aesthetic changes, and quite a few new features for users to look forward to.

Xiaomi has suspended MIUI 12 beta updates for the Xiaomi Mi 10, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, and Redmi K30 Pro smartphones because they will be busy adapting to the upcoming Android 11 OS. It’s also possible to get the Android 11 beta firmware for the Poco F2 Pro, as it is just a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro, but it won’t have Google Services at the present.

A law firm has posted an invitation to Pixel 3 users to contribute to a class action it may build against Google for hardware issues in this phone. In addition, it is claimed that the device's camera results in unacceptable jittering and crashing. Dissatisfied owners may now fill out an online form in order to join this potential suit.

After months of waiting, the Xiaomi Redmi 7 is finally receiving the stable Android 10 update. The update is rolling out in China and bears the version number "MIUI 11.0.1.0.QFLCNXM". It's obviously based on MIUI 11 and, if the Redmi 7A's rollout was any indication, should get to global units in a few weeks.

Apple has announced that it will transition its entire Mac lineup to ARM-based custom silicon over the next two years. Support for Apple silicon is now available in macOS Big Sur and developers can get started right away on a Developer Transition Kit (DTK) that includes a Mac Mini powered by the A12Z Bionic. Despite the transition Apple will continue to support Intel processors for many years to come.

The A100 is the first GPU based on NVIDIA's state-of-the-art Ampere architecture. It is available in NVLink and (as of today) PCIe-enabled cards intended for high-performance computing (HPC) use cases. Its maker has also announced details on over 50 new servers based on these new graphics solutions.

Users of Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 7 series, and Pocophone F1 in India and other countries are now eligible to participate in Phase 2 testing of the MIUI 12 Global Stable Beta ROM under the Mi Pilot program. There are only limited slots available for each region and enlisting depends on successful verification of eligibility.

The MIUI 12 rollout continues. After sending out the beta stable updates to the Redmi K20 Pro and Redmi K30 5G last week, Xiaomi has also rolled out updates to the Redmi K30 4G, Redmi K30 Pro, and the Mi 10 Lite Zoom.

Apple's WWDC 2020 event may not showcase all the new hardware launches we've been expecting so far. Instead, Apple is expected to focus on new software updates and announce the existence of ARM-based Macs so as to get developers up to speed. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to fully transition to ARM in 2021 starting from the ARM-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro and redesigned iMac.

The Realme Watch has a new software update available for it. The firmware update 81 brings a few new features to the popular wearable, with the most likely welcome change being the improved notification management function. Now, Realme Watch users will have access to their last 10 notifications rather than just the most recent one.

Xiaomi may be about to launch a new mouse that is capable of responding to voice commands. This is apparent thanks to new Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) documentation. It approves the Mi Smart Mouse as a device with up-to-date wireless connectivity and a 4000 DPI.

Xiaomi has reported that all MIUI 12 beta updates will be suspended during the Dragon Boat Festival. The Chinese public holiday is on June 25 this year, and Xiaomi’s MIUI 12-related work will be halted from June 26 until July 2. The Chinese OEM normally releases beta updates for its smartphones on a weekly basis.

Xiaomi has posted some bad news for Redmi Note 8 owners who were excited about receiving an Android 10 update for their smartphone. It seems the Chinese OEM has had to suspend the update process because of “some major bugs”. The Redmi Note 8 and Note 8T were released in August 2019.

PUBG Corp. has released the Update 7.3 to all PC users after having evaluated it in the Test Server. Update 7.3 brings a host of new additions including a C4 throwable, a new train line in Vikendi, changes to vehicle explosion dynamics, parachute follow, and more apart from the usual bug fixes and performance improvements.

Xiaomi has now started gradually sending out new updates to its Android One phones, the Mi A2 and Mi A3. The updates bring the June security patch to the phones, but it's unknown if they fix previously reported bugs introduced by earlier Android 10 builds.

Xiaomi has now halted MIUI 12 development for the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 8, for two different reasons. The company also suspended the MIUI 12 rollout for the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro—due to optimization concerns.

Plagued by server issues, Torchlight III was supposed to come out as a free-to-play title but it surfaced on Steam Early Access with a US$30 price tag. Even without any other problems — and there are other problems — these two issues alone are enough to get a title buried under a huge pile of negative reviews.

Samsung has finally enabled blood pressure monitoring on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 via a firmware update. The functionality, which requires initial calibration via a blood pressure cuff, is available to download or sideload now. It turns out that Samsung may well have teased that the Galaxy Watch 3 will support blood pressure monitoring, too.

There was a time when Flash was the go-to standard for online content building and support. However, other standards such as HTML5 have outstripped it considerably in the ability to deliver AV and interactive apps of all kinds. Therefore, Adobe has announced a definitive EOL date for this once-ubiquitous relic of the internet.

Xiaomi has introduced REM sleep tracking on its Mi Fit app, enabling the feature for the newly released Mi Band 5. The global model, called the Mi Smart Band 5, is expected to launch next month with NFC and non-NFC variants.

The Xiaomi Redmi 7 is yet to receive Android 10, eight months on from being upgraded to MIUI 11. The device has, in fact, never received an Android OS upgrade, and many handsets are stuck on outdated security patches. The latest update is little more than perfunctory support for the Redmi 7, too.

Huawei has now sent out an official document detailing which of its phones will receive the latest version of its skin, EMUI 10.1, globally. The list is rather scanty, though, and owners of the Mate 10 Pro, P20 Pro, and Y9 series are unlikely to take too kindly to it.

The latest Insider Preview Build of Windows adds GPU compute for the Windows Subsystem for Linux. One of the most often requested features, GPU compute allows users to run heavy computing tasks through their DirectX 12-supported GPU.

It seems Xiaomi is planning far in advance in regard to two of its most important products: the Mi Mix line and MIUI software. Both the Xiaomi Mi Mix 10 and MIUI 15 have been “teased” in images showing people taking part in a Xiaomi security and privacy awareness event. The mention of the Mi Mix 10 and MIUI 15 at least answer one burning question.

Android 11 is around the corner but while a host of Redmi Note 8 Pro owners wait for the Android 10 update, new information points towards the phone's chances of receiving the Android 11 being incredibly slim.

The Motorola Razr was announced in 2019 as the first foldable clamshell phone on the market. Therefore, the OEM set its price at US$1499.99 on its launch. Those who find this outlay for a phone powered by the Snapdragon 710 SoC off-putting may be interested to know that it has a special reduced price on its US website until June 21, 2020.

The MIUI 12 update has landed on the Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G, Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9T Pro. The OS upgrade includes numerous changes from MIUI 11 and follows the release of MIUI 12 to the Mi 9, Mi 9T and the Redmi K20.

The Apple App Store generated over half a trillion dollars of sales in 2019 alone, a study has found. Conducted by the Analysis Group, the figure includes US$45 billion worth of in-app advertising and US$61 billion of digital goods and services.

Huawei has extended the release of EMUI 10 and Android 10 for the P20 and P20 Pro. Likely the two device's last OS upgrades, the expansion of the update to Western European handsets coincides with EMUI 10 updates hitting the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and PORSCHE Design Mate RS. There is no such luck for PORSCHE DESIGN Huawei Mate 10, though.

A handy list consisting of 30 Huawei smartphones has been published that feature all of the devices from the Chinese OEM that currently have Android 10 released for them. This could be as either EMUI 10 or the latest stable release EMUI 10.1. The latter release includes MeeTime, Sound Booster, and improved system response times (over EMUI 10).

Google now offers the Stadia Premiere Edition, which includes a Stadia controller and Chromecast Ultra, for US$99.99. This is a $30 cut from its previous pricing. However, Google has also killed the three-month trial period of its Stadia Pro service that used to be included with the purchase of the Stadia Premiere Edition kit.

Try the 112 MB software for free for 15 days to hear the difference firsthand. We recommend using a good pair of headphones instead of earbuds, calibrating them with the software, and then firing up an FPS title rather than a top-down title to make the most of 3D audio.

HTC Vive has announced a new suite of XR applications to help those whose work or pursuits have moved into a remote format. An example of these is Vive Sync, which may take on other similar platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The new suite also features various software and hardware partners that operate in areas relevant to these apps.

Samsung's highest-end tablet series is thought to branch into additional Plus versions for its late-2020 generation. More evidence of this has allegedly leaked onto Geekbench 4. They show what may be Tab S7 and S7+ variants with the same amount of RAM and running on the Snapdragon 865 processor.

Xiaomi has sent out MIUI 12 beta builds to a number of its premium phones over the past few weeks, but is now suspending the MIUI 12 rollout for the Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, and Redmi K30 Pro. The company seeks to better optimize the software, and has confirmed that the rollout will continue soon.

Samsung's newest One UI 2.1 update is now making its way to Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus users. The update includes all the One UI 2.1 features, including Pro Video Mode, Quick Share, and more. It is rolling out in Germany and will be available globally in the coming days.

Microsoft has brought Feature Experience Packs to Windows 10. If you have already downloaded and installed Windows 10 2004, then you may have noticed the change tucked deep within Windows Settings. Microsoft is keeping quiet about what the Feature Experience Pack is though and why it sought to include this in Windows 10 2004.

LG has announced the latest model in its line of CineBeam projectors. The PH30N is rated for images of up to 100 inches from 10.8 feet away. It has also been designed to be light and portable so as to generate a theater-like experience in various settings.

Sony has announced its latest line of BRAVIA monitors directed at professional environments and use-cases. This BZ40H series has many attributes from this OEM's high-end TVs, as well as Ethernet connectivity in order to set up its own WLAN/WWAN. They also feature an Android Pie (9.0)-based OS with various on-board wireless options.

After sending out stable MIUI 12 updates to the Redmi K20, MI 9T, and Mi 9, Xiaomi may now be looking towards continuing the MIUI 12 rollout with its other phones. It has now opened its beta-testing program, and owners of the Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 8 Pro, and Poco F1 can enlist.

The Galaxy M30s was a considerable success for Samsung in 2019. Now, it appears the OEM may be looking to replicate its success this year. Some evidence of a device that may conform to this description has surfaced on a benchmarking website.

Apple has released further details on the schedule of its upcoming WWDC 2020 event. All of its presentations will be streamed this year, although the e-conference will also debut the "all-new" Developer's Forum and some one-on-one lab that is accessed by appointment only.

The Redmi Note 7 continues to languish on Android 9.0 Pie, despite Xiaomi having recently upgraded the Redmi Note 7 Pro to Android 10. However, rumour has it that some "good news" is on its way, with there being a possibility that the Redmi Note 7 may receive Android 10 before Xiaomi upgrades it to MIUI 12.

OEMs are getting in on the act of bringing Android 11 Beta 1 to some of their devices. To date, only OnePlus has released the initial beta besides Google. However, Poco, Realme and Xiaomi have promised to deliver Android 11 Beta 1, too. There is no sign of other OEMs like LG, Huawei, Nokia and Samsung announcing Android 11 beta programs any time soon, though.

The Stratos 3 is a round-faced smartwatch packed with sports modes and also with a dual chipset/OS system that may help it conserve battery life. It also has a display optimized for visibility in sunlight. This wearable is also now to be sold in India, having just appeared on the retail platform Flipkart ahead of its (as-yet unknown) release date.

Google has started the Android 11 beta program. This initial preview ROM should contain changes such as notification bubbles, enhanced permission controls and wireless ADB debugging. It is compatible with newer Pixel-series devices, although other OEMs have announced some of their phones will also get this beta soon.