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Huawei may face greater challenges in the future, according to its CEO. (Source: Huawei)

Huawei corporate email about possible future downsizing circulated online

Ren Zhengfei, the CEO of Huawei, has written an email warning his colleagues of the possibility of "hard times" in the future. They may include reductions in the size of the company's various regional subsidiaries. These comments ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Jan 2019 14:32

Verizon customers will get more free features starting in March, spam and robocalling protection in the list

Verizon customers get spam and robocalling protection for free

Although some customers received protection from spam and robocalling in the past, now Verizon is ready to provide these useful security features to all its customers. These two treats will be offered for free starting in March, r...

Codrut Nistor, 21 Jan 2019 10:45

A Bixby user can now ask it to open more Google apps than before. (Source: XDA)

Bixby 2.0 now supports more Google apps

Bixby is Samsung's own in-house virtual assistant, and is installed on all new flagships by default since the Galaxy S8 line's launch in 2017. Since then, Bixby (in its 1.0 iteration) lost compatibility with more and more Google a...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Jan 2019 16:07

Google is working on a dark mode for the Assistant. (Source: SmartThings)

Google Assistant to get dark mode soon

Assistant is an interface for the Google app that flashes helpful cards up throughout the UI at (ideallly) oppportune times. The latest Google Assistant beta brings marked changes to its design with a new dark mode. However, it is...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Jan 2019 15:32

LG backtracks on its stance, promises Pie for the ignored LG V20

A short while ago, it was revealed that LG had ended future software support for the V20, ensuring that the flagship would be stuck on the only major OS update it received: Oreo. It would appear that LG has made a U-turn on that d...

Ricci Rox, 20 Jan 2019 10:58

The LG G7 ThinQ is now receiving the stable Android Pie update

The LG G7 ThinQ was launched back in May and now has the honor of being the first LG device to receive the stable Pie update. The update download weighs in at 1.35 GB, and a global rollout is expected soon.

Ricci Rox, 20 Jan 2019 10:57

Antutu has examined the Snapdragon 855 for itself. (Source: Twitter)

Antutu tweets its own official Snapdragon 855 benchmarks

It's the season of new Qualcomm flagship benchmarks, ahead of the processor's official release in the form of 2019 premium mobile devices. Some of them have claimed that it does better than the A12 Bionic found in the most recent ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Jan 2019 13:59

Microsoft has suggested that any remaining Windows Mobile users switch to another platform. (Source: The Windows Club)

Microsoft is putting an end to Windows Mobile support this year

The Windows Mobile platform is all but dead at this point. Microsoft will finally let it rest forever this year. The company will withdrawing support for the latest version of its OS, as well as the second-latest, by December 2019...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Jan 2019 13:09

It's the most-liked egg in the world. (Source: Instagram)

Instagram: New like record - for a picture of an egg

The question of how to generate as much attention as possible on social media has become a whole field of studies nowadays. However, it turns out once again the simplest thing can attract the most attention, in this case a simple ...

Cornelius Wolff, 18 Jan 2019 17:06

The a6400 is Sony's latest alpha-series APS-C camera. (Source: Sony)

Sony's latest APS-C mirrorless camera, the alpha A6400, is officially announced

The alpha A6400 is Sony's most recent mirrorless offering. This camera boasts a 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor, as well as "the world's fastest autofocus" of 0.02 seconds. The A6400 also features a state-of-the-art BIONZ X image p...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jan 2019 15:38

Project Ara hasn't been heard of for years, but Google may still be working on it. (Source: Wikipedia)

Could Project Ara possibly be back? Google has secured a new patent for a familiar-looking modular device

Project Ara had once been hotly anticipated as the future of mobile devices with enhanced future-proofing and general upgradeability. The prototype produced through this Google initiative was a basic frame to which various interch...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jan 2019 14:30

Collection #1 breach notification by Have I Been Pwned (Source: Personal email)

Collection #1 is one of the world's worst data breaches so far, with more than 772 million accounts affected

Although Yahoo's most severe data breach apparently involved more accounts than Collection #1, this new major security incident involves almost 2.7 billion records, including almost 773 million unique email addresses alongside pas...

Codrut Nistor, 17 Jan 2019 18:50

YouTube pranksters have been blindly following Sandra Bullock's character's predicament in Bird Box. (Source: Bluegrass/Netflix)

Dangerous challenges and pranks join porn and hate speech on YouTube's banned list

YouTube has amended its policies in regard to content that depicts dangerous challenges and pranks. Videos that encourage or show activities that could lead to physical harm, make people think they are in danger, or show pranks th...

Daniel R Deakin, 16 Jan 2019 23:07

Pandora gets in-app voice assistant Voice Mode (Source: Android Community)

Pandora launches in-app voice assistant for iOS and Android

Pandora users — including those using the free version of the streaming service — can enjoy the new capabilities provided by the in-app Voice Mode. This voice assistant can be used to accomplish multiple music-related tasks by usi...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Jan 2019 20:28

The SD 855 has gone up against its competitors already. (Source: GizChina)

Snapdragon 855 benchmarks and comparisons with A12 Bionic & Kirin 980 surface online

The first benchmarks using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 reference device have started to roll in. This new processor has done impressively well compared to its predecessor in two separate tests. It has also outdone devices with the K...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Jan 2019 19:19

Many Netflix customers will see price hikes over the next quarter. (Source: Netflix)

Netflix will increase its prices to customers paying in USD over the next few months

Netflix has announced plans to inflate its prices by up to 18%. However, this will only affect new and existing customers who use US dollars to pay for their subscriptions. This move resulted in a 6.5% increase in its stock price ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Jan 2019 16:20

A new toggle to impose a traditional, temporal timeline view is being rolled out to Twitter users. (Source: YouTube)

Twitter is finally switching back to a fully chronological timeline

Recently, Twitter revamped its platform with the 'Interesting Tweets' feature. However, some users have asserted that the tweets chosen by its algorithm persisted in timelines regardless of whether they turned it off in Settings o...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Jan 2019 15:49

Realme 2 Pro users can now unlock their bootloaders, but there are caveats

Realme (OPPO's increasingly popular sub-brand) has decided to release a tool enabling owners of its 2 Pro device to unlock their bootloaders. However, it involves rather more steps than the average adb-command process for many And...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Jan 2019 15:04

These 2017 Samsung flagships now have stock Pie betas. (Source: Android Central)

One UI/Android 9 betas for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and S8 line now available in certain countries

Some users of the Samsung Galaxy S8, 8+ and Note 8 have seen a new stock beta OS for their phones. This ROM, which is installed by way of joining the OEM's Beta Program, updates the 2017 devices to Android 9.0 (Pie) and the new On...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Jan 2019 14:33

Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro Android tablet with HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor surfaces with Pie and EMUI 9.0 January 2019

Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro Android Pie tablet surfaces on Geekbench

Powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor, the Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro also comes with an active stylus and features 4 GB of memory and up to 128 GB of internal storage space. Thanks to these attributes, this slate remains a worth...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Jan 2019 14:23

Mortal Kombat 11 will be revealed tomorrow, launch scheduled for April 23, 2019 (Source: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

Mortal Kombat 11 will be revealed tomorrow, launch scheduled for late April

Not long after its early December 2018 unveil, Mortal Kombat 11 is now ready to be fully revealed. However, this new installment in the 25-year old fighting game series will only be launched on April 23, 2019. Mortal Kombat 11 wil...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Jan 2019 10:06

The latest Open Beta for the OnePlus 6T (and 6) is now available. (Source: OnePlus)

New Open Beta for the OnePlus 6 and 6T has been released

OnePlus has released the latest Android Pie-based Open Beta (OB) ROM for its latest flagship series. It is known as the OB3 and OB11 for the 6T and 6 respectively. These OBs claim to bring increased detail to the stock weather app...

Deirdre O Donnell, 15 Jan 2019 18:32

iPhone sales saw a 7% YoY decline in H2 2018. (Source: Gadgetsnow)

TrendForce: Apple expected to decline even further in 2019

Analytics platform has revealed its projected shipment figures for the big players in the smartphone market this year. Samsung and Apple are expected to see declines in sales, while Huawei and Xiaomi could see even more growth.

Ricci Rox, 15 Jan 2019 16:28

The Redmi Note 5 Pro. (Source: XDA-Developers

The Redmi Note 5 is set to get Android Pie soon

The Redmi Note 5 was launched a year ago and received the update to Oreo in some parts of the world. The device has now been confirmed to also be set to receive the Android Pie update, with a Q1 rollout on the cards.

Ricci Rox, 15 Jan 2019 16:23

Fortnite is now used for online money laundering via V-Bucks

Fortnite is being used to launder cash

Although the game itself is free, Fortnite also features virtual coins that can be used to purchase various in-game items. Scammers use stolen credit cards to buy V-bucks and then sell them for good rates to legitimate players. Ju...

Codrut Nistor, 15 Jan 2019 16:09

The Pixel 3 XL Lite is looking more and more real by the day. (Source: GSMArena)

Probable Pixel 3 XL Lite has popped up on Geekbench - with 6GB of RAM

The possibility of mid-range counterparts for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL is the subject of much rumor and speculation at present. It is thought that these new Google phones may be powered by the Snapdragon 670 and 710 respectively. A ne...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Jan 2019 18:01

Huawei EMUI 9.0 flyer, third-party launchers not supported in China (Source: Android Community)

Huawei now blocking third-party Android launchers in China

Huawei might be on its way to becoming the world's second-largest smartphone maker, but the latest move made by the Chinese brand might be a costly one in the long run. The EMUI 9.0 update will come without access to third-party l...

Codrut Nistor, 14 Jan 2019 17:13

Windows 7 has just one year of free support left, extended support ending January 14, 2020

Windows 7 users, ready up: You got just one year of free support left

Although mainstream support for Windows 7 SP1 ended on January 13, 2015, those still using this operating system have one year of free support and updates ahead. Unfortunately, once the extended support period will end, they have ...

Codrut Nistor, 14 Jan 2019 16:32

The new version of MIUI should be available soon. (Source: Xiaomi)

MIUI 11 is already in development

The new version of MIUI, Xiaomi's skin for Android, is officially open for development, according to an OEM executive. This announcement was made recently at the Xiaomi MIUI Core Experience Annual Meeting. Therefore, this new OS, ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 13 Jan 2019 14:29

Regarded by some as the last great Android flagship, the V20 was marred by lackluster software updates.

After two years and just one major OS update, LG gives up on the LG V20

27 months after the LG V20 was released, LG appears to have finally ended all software support for it. The device ran on Android Nougat out of the box and only received the Oreo update almost a year after launch. This marks a sad ...

Ricci Rox, 13 Jan 2019 10:07

A device that could be the Galaxy S10 Lite has made an unprepossessing Geekbench debut. (Source: BGR)

Possible Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite posts underwhelming Geekbench scores

A device with the model number SM-G970U has shown up on Geekbench. Despite its decent specs (Android 9.0, 6GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 855 under its own codename msmnile), it has posted a score of less than 2000 in single-core te...

Deirdre O Donnell, 12 Jan 2019 17:56

IMDb Freedrive now live, access limited to the US

IMDb's Freedive is a new video streaming service, only available in the US for now

Amazon's subsidiary has just released a free video streaming service that offers a rich collection of ad-supported TV shows like Fringe and Heroes, as well as various Hollywood movies like The Last Samurai, True Romance, Run Lola ...

Codrut Nistor, 11 Jan 2019 16:31

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) listed with Android Pie onboard (Source: Geekbench Browser)

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) running Android Pie spotted on Geekbench

Although it should receive the Android Pie update in April according to the official update roadmap, the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) has recently surfaced on Geekbench running Android 9. This happened quite a few times already, so Sa...

Codrut Nistor, 11 Jan 2019 12:32

Remastered Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition now available for consoles and Steam (Source: BANDAI NAMCO)

Remastered Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition now available for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam

Released only for the Xbox 360 (2008 in Japan and North America, 2009 in Europe and Australia) and PlayStation 3 (2009, just in Japan), Tales of Vesperia is now back in a remastered version that can be enjoyed on Xbox One, PlaySta...

Codrut Nistor, 11 Jan 2019 11:36

The smart TV market will continue to grow over the next 4 years. (Source: Multichannel)

The smart TV market will be worth more than US$250 billion in 2023: new report

The smart TV market was worth US$143 billion by the end of 2017. However, a new report has indicated that this value will grow by $110 billion in the next four years. This rate will be driven by a sustained downward trend in smart...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Jan 2019 16:46

WhatsApp Beta for Android now shows a new option for fingerprint authentication. (Source: WhatsApp)

WhatsApp is working on fingerprint authentication for Android devices

The latest version of WhatsApp Beta adds an option to the Privacy menu for authentication via a saved fingerprint. Unfortunately, this function is not actually live yet; however, it clearly indicates that the messaging app's devel...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Jan 2019 16:18

The next Windows 10 version will feature "reserved storage" and you might not like it

The next major Windows 10 release will reserve 7 GB of your device's storage space to avoid failing big updates due to a Windows Update bug. Due to this bug, the system is not checking for enough space before launching after an up...

Codrut Nistor, 08 Jan 2019 20:00

The new Panasonic TV. (Source: Panasonic)

CES 2019 | Panasonic unveils the GZ2000, the "world's most cinematic TV"

Panasonic has launched its new GZ2000 TV at CES 2019. The company calls this product "the world's most cinematic TV" as it has been tuned by Hollywood colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld. Panasonic also claims that the GZ2000 is the world'...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Jan 2019 15:16

The Samsung Notebook Flash. (Source: Samsung)

CES 2019 | The Samsung Notebook Flash is to be released internationally

Samsung had previously released its Notebook Flash in South Korea, as part of a campaign to highlight its next-generation connectivity capabilities. Accordingly, the Flash has Gigabit WiFi, which can deliver speeds of up to 1.7Gb/...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Jan 2019 14:52

The PS4 had a good 2018 holiday season. (Source: Sony)

Sony sold over 91.6 million PlayStation 4 units by the end of 2018

Sony has even more than CES launches to crow about these days. The company has released its latest sales figures, which encompass the years 2013 to 2018 in general and the 2018 holiday season in particular. They show that nearly 9...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Jan 2019 14:25

Intel-Alibaba AI-powered athelete tracking tech coming to the 2020 Olympics (Source: Intel Newsroom)

CES 2019 | Alibaba and Intel get together to develop athlete tracking technology

Intel and Alibaba are now working together on AI-driven athlete tracking solutions for the Olympic Games 2020 and beyond. The technology uses both existing and upcoming Intel hardware and the Alibaba Cloud infrastructure and will ...

Codrut Nistor, 08 Jan 2019 12:01

The Mate 20 Pro's kernel sources are included. (Source: BGR)

Huawei releases Android Pie kernel sources for its flagship phones

Huawei has released Android Pie kernel sources for its devices running on the Kirin 970 and Kirin 980 SoCs. This will enable community developers to work on the devices more effectively, although the lack of official bootloader su...

Ricci Rox, 08 Jan 2019 06:04

The Jabra 85h headphones. (Source: Jabra)

CES 2019 | Jabra debuts the new 85h noise-cancelling headphones, rated for 32 hours of battery life

Jabra is one of many prominent audio companies at CES this year. It has come to present its new 85h headphones, which, as Jabra claims, can allow playback with active noise-cancelling (ANC) for as long as 32 hours. These new audio...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Jan 2019 19:35

The LG Rollable TV has a product name and model number for its third run at CES. (Source: LG)

CES 2019 | LG's rollable TVs are here again, but they're close to retail this time

TVs that can curl up and store themselves in a box are becoming a staple of CES. This technology, introduced by its maker LG in 2017, has yet to appear in stores. However, this year, the company has brought them to the event again...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Jan 2019 19:00

The new Belkin USB-C to -A cable with DuraTek. (Source: Belkin)

CES 2019 | Belkin and its assorted brands are back

At one point, Belkin was the go-to brand for third-party Apple accessories, not to mention USB power banks and cables. However, it had gone quiet for a good while following its amalgamation with Foxconn. This year, Belkin and its ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Jan 2019 14:40

The D-Link 5G broadband gateway. (Source: D-Link)

CES 2019 | D-Link launches next-gen 5G-NR broadband modem

D-Link has announced a new product it is calling a 5G-NR broadband gateway (or the DWR-2010) at CES. It is intended to use 5G in order to set up home WiFi networks that, as D-Link claims, deliver download speeds that are over 40 t...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Jan 2019 14:08

Part of Apple's billboard overlooking CES this year. (Source: Twitter)

Apple's initial contribution to CES is a giant billboard highlighting the company's privacy-related advantages

Apple may not be at CES this year; however, that hasn’t stopped them poking fun at other companies who are likely to present at the show. A billboard that was almost certainly commissioned by the Cupertino giant had appeared on an...

Deirdre O Donnell, 06 Jan 2019 14:17

Xiaomi is working on a new Android One phone, could be the Mi A3

Traces of a new Android One device have been discovered in Xiaomi's MIUI 10 firmware. The phone could be the Mi A3—or something completely unexpected. It will apparently also have support for NFC, which would make it the first Xia...

Ricci Rox, 06 Jan 2019 06:55

Ada Wong rocks up in the remaster in shades and a trench coat. (Source: Capcom)

Upcoming Resident Evil 2 remaster takes reimagining to a new level

Resident Evil fans will no doubt be chomping at the bit to get their hands on the upcoming Resident Evil 2 remaster that’s being released by Capcom on January 25. The developers have taken the classic 1998 survival horror hit and ...

Daniel R Deakin, 05 Jan 2019 22:38

A Project Soli sensor. (Source: Google ATAP)

Google's Project Soli secures FCC approval

Project Soli is a Google initiative that wants to make in-air, screen-less gestures to control technology a reality. In other words, the user should be able to control their devices through certain hand gestures, which are convert...

Deirdre O Donnell, 05 Jan 2019 19:34