Software

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.

Virtual, mixed and augmented reality are probably the most familiar forms of extended reality - or technologically-enhanced experientia - out there. The latest research suggests their combined market may be worth US$30 billion or more by the next decade on. Unsurprisingly, gaming is a prominent sector therein.

Xiaomi has teased its new Watch Color, a wearable that, unlike its last, has a round face. It is slated to come in a variety of finishes and bands that will give it a total of 1540 different possible looks. This new device will be launched on January 3, 2020.

In a paper recently published in Nature magazine, researchers claim to have transferred data using the measurement of the states of quantum particles that are connected via quantum entanglement. Quantum entanglement is the physical phenomenon in which two entangled particles instantly reflect a change in the state of either; should one particle change its state, the other particle with which it is entangled instantly changes its state to match its partner's. As such, data transfers using quantum entanglement could occur faster than light, though there are some roadblocks.

TCL has announced that the new displays to be shown off at the next CES by this company will feature mini-LED technology. This next-gen form of backlight may prove a viable alternative to OLED. TCL asserts that its version are capable of "unrivaled contrast and brilliant clarity".

LG's upcoming line of soundbars will be unveiled at CES 2020. However, the OEM has offered some details on these new products ahead of this event. They have been developed with Meridian Audio, while also supporting Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and an AI Room Calibration feature to optimize sound based on their surroundings.

Unconfirmed reports claim that there was much merriment and jubilation on the streets as owners of the Sprint LG V40 ThinQ finally received the update they'd been waiting eons for. Clap your hands and feel the power; the Pie update is here.

Currently, there is a limit to the size of an MP4 file that can be saved on non-Apple phones, and it is typically 4GB. However, further development on this issue may have resulted in the ability to multiply this by up to 4X. It may take effect in an upcoming version of this OS, such as Android 11.

Ookla, the organization behind speedtest.net, has launched a free VPN. Speedtest VPN is a free virtual private network service, currently only for users of the Speedtest Android and iOS apps. The VPN is currently in beta and caps users' bandwidth, but a paid tier is coming once the VPN exits beta.

Samsung is generating quite a buzz with a mysterious new project. Dubbed Neon, the unknown product is focused around A.I., asking us if we've "ever met an 'ARTIFICIAL.'" While there is little information outside of some press material and a fancy logo, Samsung is set to unveil the project in full at CES 2020.

A phone called the Samsung SM-M315F has appeared on Geekbench. It may be a successor to the Galaxy M30, although it seems to have the same chipset as the M30s and A51. Should this be the case, there may be little to differentiate it from the new mid-ranger.

If a hands-free speaker with the ability to deliver the kind of charging to match is all you want for the holidays, it seems Xiaomi (nearly) has you covered. It has just certified a device called the Mi Wireless Charger Bluetooth Speaker. It appears to be an audio product with a built-in induction coil for smartphones and other gadgets.

It's a happy holiday indeed for some kernel- and custom ROM-developers out there. Their Xmas packages for this year reportedly contain an Asus ROG Phone II. The OEM has done so to try and unleash the potential of Android on this powerful mobile gaming device.

MIUI is Xiaomi's custom skin for Android, and incorporates a default audio app called MiSound. This may be handy; however, it has historically lacked an equalizer (or EQ) to adjust music playback to taste or genre. However, developers familiar with this OS' latest version claim to have found one in a new update.

A week after the carrier models received the stable One UI 2.0 update, unlocked models of the Samsung Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ in the US are now also getting the One UI 2.0 OTA.

At the request of the director, Universal will roll out an update to the movie Cats, which released this past Friday. The "patch" aims to clean up some of the CGI in the movie, which has largely been panned by critics. The film scored a measly $2.6 million over its opening weekend, a drop in the bucket compared to its $100+ million budget.

DISH, a source of paid TV that also integrates apps such as Netflix, has announced that some Google Nest products can now co-ordinate with its "Hopper" or "Wally" receivers. As a result, users of both products will gain the abilty to see video from their Nest doorbells on their big screen. This update should be available from now.

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite is an upcoming device that might put the premium in premium mid-range for Samsung. Its latest leak asserts that it will come with a 4500mAh battery, which would exceed that of the flagship Note 10+ in terms of capacity. The new phone is also now believed to have a 6.7-inch screen and 3 12MP rear cameras.

The Pocophone F1 received MIUI 11 in October, but remains stuck on Android 9.0 Pie builds of Xiaomi's OS. While some people are seemingly getting more frustrated at the time it has taken for Xiaomi to bring Android 10 to its former flagship, it seems that the OS upgrade is nearing a stable release.

YouTube has developed a panel of controls that come into effect when it is being used on a smart TV or Chromecast-enabled device. Now, it may have also added voice commands and new remote-style buttons in this menu. They have been reported as existing in a server-side update thus far.

50 carriers in 27 different locations had set up 5G networks by October 2019, whereas over 300 others in about 109 additional markets may be preparing to do so. This is in accordance with some of the latest research on 5G deployment, which is found in a new whitepaper by OPPO and IHS Markit.

Physicality Games is a new retailer setting itself up as a platform for games in physical form. Its creators assert that its listings will not be "limited", as with some sellers in this market. It also intends to sell merchandise, gaming accessories and collectibles.

GoPro has released a new product that is compatible with its pre-existing mounts. However, it is not an action-cam: it is instead a mini LED floodlight intended to be used with one of them, the HERO8 Black. It can also clip onto this device, although it needs a 2nd accessory to do so.

Asus has pushed a new software update to the ZenFone 6. It contains an updated security patch level - albeit only up to November 2019 - as well as some new UI tweaks and bug fixes. It is intended for the global and Indian (or 6z) versions of this phone.

Google announced yesterday that it has acquired Typhoon, an independent game developer. Typhoon's first game, Journey to the Savage Planet, is due out January 28, 2020. While Google has not given much detail surrounding the acquisition, it's likely the search giant bought the studio to develop games for its ailing Stadia game streaming service.

Ruby Weapon, the hardest superboss from Final Fantasy 7, will Final Fantasy 14's rogues' gallery with Patch 5.2 in February. Ruby Weapon joins other optional bosses from prior entries in the RPG series, like Kefka from Final Fantasy 6 and Ultima Weapon, Ruby's brother from Final Fantasy 7.

The OnePlus Security Response Center (or OneSRC) is this OEM's first bug-bounty initiative. It offers cash incentives (in USD) to report deficiencies in its own software. They start from US$50, but go into 3 to 4 figures for the more severe vulnerabilities.

Unable to stream Amazon Prime in HD since their release earlier this year, the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro are no longer stuck in the mire of standard definition. While Xiaomi stated in October that it was working to address the issue, it seems that the fault may have lay at Amazon's door instead.

The new build, which contains the January 1, 2020, security patch, brings Android 10 one step closer for Samsung's soon to be two-generations old flagship. The third One UI 2.0 beta should be rolling out to enrolled handsets globally within the next few days.

The Steam Winter Sale of 2019 has begun! Gamers can nab popular titles at a discount now through January 2. Steam is also offering opportunities for users to earn "festivity tokens," which can be used to purchase Chat Stickers and Chat Effects.

OnePlus took its time on finalising the Android 10 update for the OnePlus 6 and 6T, having pulled the initial Oxygen OS 10 build for both handsets because of various bugs. However, the company has now raced ahead with issuing a fresh stable build for the two devices just a day after announcing a new Open Beta. Both builds bring the OnePlus 6 and 6T up to the November security patch and add a notch hiding feature, among other changes. While OnePlus stresses that the rollout of the stable build, Oxygen OS 10.3.0, will be gradual, Open Beta 3 is available to download now.

Facebook announced today that it has acquired cloud gaming startup PlayGiga. The startup, which is based in Madrid, has experience working with telecoms to build gaming-as-a-service platforms that rely on 5G networks. This is yet another step in Facebook's journey of snatching up gaming-oriented companies.

Facing mixed reviews in its Early Access days (a stage that has begun in 2017), Citadel: Forged With Fire has managed to grow into a solid title thanks to the multiple content updates it received in the meantime. Released on November 1, this massive online sandbox RPG offers a large world to explore, beasts to kill or tame — dragons included, and more.

Twitter is testing some much-needed changes to the interface of its iPad app. Multiple columns make full use of the iPad’s larger display, among other quality of life improvements.

The Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro received the MIUI 11 update a while ago but it was an Android Pie-based build. Users of the phones can rest easy, though, as they're on course to receive a proper Android 10 update in the near future.

JBL has launched the Reflect Eternal headphones via Indiegogo. The OEM claims that they are capable of self-charging, so that it may never run out of battery life or be dependent on a cable for play-time. This is conferred by Powerfoyle technology, which is found in the device's headband.

The OPPO Reno3 and 3 Pro have shown up as a set of results on the Master Lu benchmark. They show that the Snapdragon 765G may be slightly better than the MediaTek Dimensity 1000L SoC. In addition, it appears the Reno3 has a 12GB RAM variant, and that neither phone will have a 1440p display.

The latest firmware update for Nikon Z-series cameras allows them to use CFexpress, a new memory-card format associated with faster transfers compared to XQD. This new software also allows the Z 6 or Z 7 to record 4K UHD or full-HD video in RAW. However, this can only be done with Atomos recorders and may not be available for free.

Huawei is bringing Android 10 to a multitude of new devices in the latest phase of its EMUI 10 roll out. The list of eligible devices extends beyond recent flagships too.

Pokémon Go is heading into its fourth year with an overhaul of its buddy system. New updates for Android and iOS versions of the game introduce multiplayer AR too, among other changes and fixes.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro may have been spotted running Android 10 builds of MIUI 11 several times now, but a stable version may still be a way off. A fix for the European variant's Widevine DRM L1 certification will not arrive before next year either, according to Xiaomi Indonesia General Manager, Alvin Tse.

What do the Mi A2, Mi A2 Lite and Mi A3 all have in common? Well, they are Xiaomi's only handsets to be receiving new Android One updates, meaning that they are free from the sham that is the rollout of MIUI 11. They are also in line for being upgraded to Android 10, with Xiaomi hinting at when the three devices shall receive it too.