Software

The Mi 8 SE is seemingly one lucky smartphone. The device received MIUI 11 last year after not initially making the cut, a new update suggests it is on the verge of receiving Android 10 too.

Mozilla adds natural language voice processing to FireFox with the new FireFox Voice feature. Currently limited to desktop, FireFox voice gives you near-total control over the FireFox browser using just your voice and natural language commands.

The Microsoft Store for Business and Education may soon be deprecated, according to Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley citing internal sources. These enterprise Stores allowed IT admins to deploy custom LOB apps within the organization and helped keep them up to date. It is not yet known whether Microsoft would give any transition time for businesses to switch stores or would offer alternatives to this distribution model.

Xiaomi released the Android 10 kernel source code for the Mi A2 and Mi A3 a few days ago, and we expected the Android 10 OTA to start hitting owners of the devices shortly after. Well, Android 10 is here for the Mi A2. Sadly, it's also the last major OS update the phone will receive.

The media outlet Android Police asserts that the OnePlus 8 will be compatible with Verizon's 5G network when it is released to the US market. Not only that, in fact, but it will also apparently launch through this carrier. However, the OEM already has such a partnership with T-Mobile in the same country.

The Doogee S95 Pro is a new phone with 8GB of RAM, a triple rear camera, an IP68 certification and a 5150mAh battery. This capacity can be extended with a 3500mAh power-pack for the device that fits onto its back via a magnetic interface. There is also a detachable speaker for this phone that works along the same lines.

Can pigs fly? Maybe, if recent developments are anything to go by. Completely unexpectedly, LG has now sent out the stable Android 10 update to some owners of the G8 ThinQ in the US. Previous performances in this department considered, this is nigh-miraculous.

LG has announced that its latest truly wireless (or TWS) earbuds are now available to buy in the United States. These Tone Free devices are tuned by Meridian Audio and have a unique UVnano charging case. It also adds up to 21 hours' worth of playback to the LG earbuds.

CTL has launched its new NL71 series of education-focused Chromebooks. They are intended to be durable, and some are also convertible PCs with touchscreens. These devices are also capable of advanced connectivity thanks to their up-to-date processors.

Owners of Xiaomi's Android One phones, the Mi A2 and Mi A3, have waited a long time for the release of the Android 10 update. New developments, however, point towards that wait being almost over.

The Smarter Camera platform is an AI-powered solution for the future of industries such as security, logistics and retail. It has been developed by the company AnyConnect, which has just announced a partnership with Asus to deliver it to the market. This will be done using the Taiwanese OEM's Tinker Edge hardware.

Xiaomi is screaming ahead with bringing Android 10 to its devices, having upgraded many to Android 9.0 Pie builds of MIUI 11 last year. The Mi 8 has now received Android 10 too, with the latest update for the device addressing a host of issues too.
Update: Xiaomi has now released an Android 10-based version of V11.0.6.0 to Mi 8 too.

With the arrival of the source code on Gitee, Huawei's CentOS-based openEuler Linux distro is taking one step forward. However, this notable effort by the Chinese tech giant is currently sabotaged by its unfinished website and documentation, as well as the apparently non-bootable ISO available for download.

The Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass will comprise of The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, which will bring over 200 Pokémon to the games. The catch? It will set you back US$29.99.

Xiaomi is yet to finish rolling out MIUI 11, but it has already started hyping up the next version of its OS. MIUI 12 is expected to arrive in Q3 2020 if the release of MIUI 11 is anything to go by, but Xiaomi is coy on the details for the time being. What would you like to see Xiaomi integrate within MIUI 12?

Audio-Technica has packed its Las Vegas showcase with high-tech new products. They include 3 pairs of TWS earbuds, the flagship of which are the QuietPoint ATH-ANC300TW with hybrid noise cancellation. There are also headphones directed at audiophiles, finished with premium materials such as striped ebony.

Some new tips concerning Xiaomi's next flagship phone suggest that it could launch before the 2020 Galaxy Unpacked event. That would make it the first Snapdragon 865 device to be announced this year. In addition, there may be a Mi 10 Pro variant in the offing.

Success is mandatory. Failure is treason. Happiness is also mandatory. The dystopian universe has tones of Big Brother and mixes in the overly-optimistic billboard material seen in the Fallout franchise. Paranoia seeks to create a virtual representation of the cult classic tabletop game, but can it transfer the tension of playing against friends into playing against the AI?

Showcased today at Pokémon Direct, Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake of the Game Boy Advance and DS Mystery Dungeon games released between 2005 and 2008. Rescue Team DX will arrive on March 6, while a free demo is available to play now.

Amazfit has launched a series of products in a category new to this brand: personal work-out equipment. It consists of the SMART GYM HUB, a 43-inch vertical screen with AI and a ToF sensor that can deliver fitness classes right in the home. This device can also integrate with the new Home Studio or AirRun treadmills.

A new study of those who use voice-activated searches have found that 64% of this group set the assistant in question off by mistake during December 2019. An accidental press of a hardware button was found to be the culprit in 49% of these cases. In others, an AI "mishearing" a user's speech resulted in these mishaps.

The Amazfit T-Rex is this brand's first smartwatch of 2020. With its MIL-STD-810G rating and 14 sports modes, it is clearly intended for rugged pursuits. Its maker has also updated its Bip series with the S variant, a watch with a 40-day battery life and health-focused AI features.

Xiaomi is not only rolling out Android 10 to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, but the device is also receiving a fresh look. The former is available to download now, while the latter will arrive tomorrow with 128 GB of storage and 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM.

Amazfit has announced that it's ready for the TWS earbud market in 2020. To this end, it has revealed 2 new products in this category: the PowerBuds and ZenBuds. The former are sports-focused, whereas the latter have been designed by their OEM to help relieve stress and improve sleep quality.

Xiaomi left the Mi Mix 3 on Android 9.0 Pie last year, despite upgrading it to MIUI 11 in October. While Android 10 has found its way onto the device now, there are some quirks.

Sony may have abandoned the XZ1 series, but it has delivered on its promise to bring Android 10 to more of its recent devices. The Xperia XZ2, XZ2 Compact, XZ2 Premium and XZ3 now all join the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 on Android 10, with the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus likely following suit before the end of this quarter.

MediaTek has expanded the range of Dimensity processors with the new 800 series. They are 8-core chipsets designed to power phones with up to 4 cameras, 90Hz displays and sub-6GHz 5G. The new 800s also feature "flagship-grade" GPUs and new APUs for AI tasks.

Have you ever met an artificial? You will soon be able to, thanks to STAR Lab's project NEON. Despite the marketing claims of intelligent, artificial life, NEON looks more akin to a deepfake video tethered to an Internet-connected chatbot. More details will come next week at CES 2020.

The Wearbuds are well known as the first true-wireless (TWS) earbuds that come with an innovative wrist-band into which they can slot and use to charge, rather than a case that has to be carried around. Now, their maker Aipower has unveiled an updated version of the same at CES 2020.

Realme has unveiled its first 5G phone today (January 7, 2020), as expected. However, the OEM did have more of a surprise to drop on the audience at the X50's launch: it is also the first phone to ship with Realme UI. This is a new software skin, although it is still based on ColorOS 7/Android 10.

Oxygen OS 10.3.0 addressed multiple issues for the OnePlus 6 and 6T, but it also broke the notch hiding feature that had been present in Android 9.0 Pie builds. While OnePlus is yet to fix the problem, there is a workaround that may do the trick.

Have you been waiting for Android 10 to reach your Redmi K20 or Mi 9T? Well, the wait is over, as a new MIUI 11 build based on Android 10 has started rolling out globally. The 2.2 GB build brings other fixes and changes to both handsets too.

The Panasonic SC-HTB01 is a soundbar developed in partnership with Square Enix to suit gaming-related audio content. It has 3 appropriately-themed audio presets: RPG, FPS and Voice. They can inform the device's dual frontal speakers and sub-woofers, which are rated for a total 80 watts (W) of power.

The B250i is Acer's latest projector. It uses LEDs to throw a FHD image at a brightness of 1000 ANSI lumens. The OEM has also outfitted it with 5W speakers, passive radiators and in-house TrueHarmony and Waves Maxx Audio technology.

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus joins a growing list of productivity-focused notebooks with dual or secondary screens. This version has a unique twist in that the added display is an e-ink panel found on the PC's cover. The OEM asserts this will enhance productivity and work-flow for today's multi-tasking professionals.

NVIDIA has announced the release of a new Game Ready driver at CES 2020. The new driver brings support for variable rate supersampling (VRSS), Freestyle splitscreen, updates to image sharpening, and frame rate limiting among others. Also being announced today is support for RTX in more games with Wolfenstein: Youngblood set to deliver an RTX patch this week.

Lenovo has brought its first-gen eGPU to CES 2020. The BoostStation is part of the Legion line-up, and accomodates cards such as those of the NVIDIA GeForce 20-series and Radeon RXs. It also supports Thunderbolt 3 and 100-watt (W) power delivery for a connected PC.

Lenovo has brought 3 new gaming-focused monitors to CES this year. The Y25-25, G27c-10 and G32qc-10 are 24.5-, 27- and 31.5-inch devices respectively. The former stands out with its 240Hz spec, although the other 2 have relatively high refresh rates of their own.

Vivo has already released 5G smartphones; now, it seems they are going for a third. A device called the "vivo V1963A" has appeared on Geekbench. Aspects of its processor match those found in a similar leak that may pertain to the Realme X50 5G, which will launch with the Snapdragon 765G processor.

The Realme X50 already stands out due to its dual-band 5G status. However, a recent registration with the Chinese telecomms body TENAA may show that it will add quad rear cameras to this spec, the main sensor of which is 64MP. There may also have a 12GB RAM option and a 4100mAh battery.

OnePlus will unveil its first-ever concept device at CES this year. Given the prevailing smartphone trends, it is tempting to believe that it will turn out to be foldable in nature. However, new OEM teasers show that it is a traditional slab, albeit one with interesting features such as main cameras that can hide under color-changing glass.

Xiaomi has unveiled its first smartwatch of 2020 already. The Watch Color has a 1.39-inch circular AMOLED display, and comes in black or silver. It is rated for 14 days' worth of battery life with normal use, and also has other potentially desirable specs such as Bluetooth 5.0, heart-rate tracking and NFC.

The playable demo for Final Fantasy 7 Remake was recently found within the PlayStation Network and was subsequently distributed around the Internet. Along with the demo, there were also multiple assets (including music, storyboards, and character models) included in the package.

Dell's new line-up of UltraSharp monitors are all USB type-C this year. They are headlinded by the 43-inch U4320Q, a 4K panel that can be split between up to 4 separate devices via the OEM's Picture-by-Picture (PBP) feature. There are also 27- and 25-inch models in this year's productivity-focused screen series.

Dell Technologies is expanding its Dell Cinema service with the new Dell Cinema Guide application. The manufacturer describes it as a “streaming entertainment search engine” that aims to simplify the hunt for a particular television series or movie for users who have access to multiple streaming sites. The software will be offered free of charge in 2020.

Realme is now touted to launch a new phone called the 5i in Vietnam in 2020. A Geekbench listing that might correspond to this phone shows that it runs Android 9.0 on 4GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 665 processor. Therefore, this device might be the brand's first budget offering of the year.

Smoke for Steam is a new app for the Apple Watch that lets users access some of the features of Steam on their wrists. Smoke allows users to look at their library, view achievements, check the status of their friends, and read news articles pertaining to titles they own. Otherwise, the app is limited; it doesn't even allow users to manage their game libraries or purchase new titles.

OPPO has announced that there is now a "Trial Upgrade" of ColorOS 7 for the F11 smartphone series. This OS is based on Android 10, and is the first version to become available for these devices. Their users can apply to join this new beta via their Settings menus.

The latest research on smart-home tech uptake has shown that 29% of all broadband-using households in the US polled owned at least 1 such device. This is a change of 20% compared to 2018. However, concerns about personal data remain a major barrier to this category doing even better.

The Realme X50 is one of the first phones that will launch with the new, 5G-capable Snapdragon 765G processor. A new Geekbench leak may have spilled more of this phone's specs. It seems that it will have 8GB of RAM and probably feature the latest ColorOS Android skin.