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Apple's iCloud is apparently incompatible with the October Update for Windows

iCloud found not to work with Windows October Update

Users have reportedly discovered that iCloud stops working on laptops updated to the latest version of Windows (1809). This prevents syncing or uploading to the service. New installs of iCloud may also fail due to a lack of compat...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Nov 2018 19:24

Samsung Galaxy J6 (SM-J600) budget phone to use selfies for adjusting screen brightness (Source: Samsung)

Budget Samsung phones will adjust screen brightness using selfies, the Galaxy J8 is already doing it

In a rather awkward effort aimed at reducing the production costs by a very small amount, Samsung is now using the front-facing camera to take selfies and adjust the screen brightness based on them instead of including an ambient ...

Codrut Nistor, 19 Nov 2018 15:35

The Samsung Galaxy S6. (Source: The Android Soul)

Almost four years after it was launched, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is still receiving security patches

While we're usually vocal about Samsung's unimpressive update roadmaps, we're also impressed by the company's treatment of the Galaxy S6, a device launched close to four years ago, and still receiving security updates.

Ricci Rox, 18 Nov 2018 12:34

Multiple Android One phones receive Android Pie

So far, only a few OEMs like OnePlus, HMD Global, and Sony have sent out the stable Pie update. Thankfully, the Android One program exists to combat that, and it's been rather effective so far, with a number of Android One phones ...

Ricci Rox, 18 Nov 2018 12:31

Shadow Fight 3 celebrates its first anniversary

Although Nekki's Shadow Fight has a history that started back in 2011, Shadow Fight 3 is only one year old. This action-RPG fighting game is available for iOS and Android devices, supports 11 languages, and works great on mid-rang...

Codrut Nistor, 17 Nov 2018 16:22

Huawei's first Android phone, the IDEOS. How far they've come. (Source: eBay)

Huawei CEO now eyeing #1 global phone-maker spot by 2020

Yu Chendong, the consumer business division CEO at Huawei, has said that his company is aiming to take the smartphone-OEM crown from Samsung in under 2 years. It has already overtaken Apple as the #2 manufacturer in the world; now...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Nov 2018 00:44

Wear OS is due a new upgrade. (Source: Gizmodo)

New Wear OS update brings Battery Saver Mode and more

Wear OS is getting a new update. Known as "H", it adds a new battery-saving mode to Android-powered watches. The new update also overhauls how a watch reboots or shuts down, as well as how it resumes apps and handles the switch to...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Nov 2018 18:03

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 coming to PlayStation 4 December 18, Beta now available (Source: Steam)

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Beta now available for PlayStation 4, launch scheduled for December

PlayStation 4 players who have been waiting for Warhammer: Vermintide 2 to hit their consoles since early March can now take this title for a spin, although this console version is still in a Beta phase. Its release date has been ...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Nov 2018 17:07

Microsoft Translator gets new Neural Machine Translation tech mid-November 2018

Next-gen Neural Machine Translation now available in Microsoft Translator

Although Microsoft Translator supports over 60 languages and 12 speech languages, the next-gen Neural Machine Translation improvements are only available for Chinese and German from/to English translations for now. More languages ...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Nov 2018 10:50

Image via "DeepMasterPrints: Generating MasterPrints for Dictionary Attacks via Latent Variable Evolution"

NYU researchers developed an AI that can imitate fingerprints to bypass biometric readers

In a paper presented at a biometric securities conference, a research team from NYU showed off a new algorithm for cracking fingerprint readers. The system, named "DeepMasterPrints," operates in similar fashion to a dictionary att...

Sam Medley, 15 Nov 2018 21:15

Google Digital Wellbeing app now out of Beta (Source: Google Play)

Google's Digital Wellbeing is now out of Beta

Google Pixel users — and the lucky ones who are using other handsets — on Android Pie can finally enjoy the Digital Wellbeing app, which has just rolled out of Beta. As more handsets get updated to Android Pie, the list of Digital...

Codrut Nistor, 15 Nov 2018 19:47

The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. (Source: CNET)

New Korean beta ROM for Samsung Galaxy S9 series contains One UI

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus have been reported not to be in line for official upgrades to Pie until January. In the meantime, some users do have access to a version of the OS, in exchange for some beta-testing. In Korea, the...

Deirdre O Donnell, 15 Nov 2018 19:11

Microsoft acquires XOXCO (Source: The Official Microsoft Blog)

Microsoft continues its AI offensive by acquiring XOXCO

After this year's earlier AI-related acquisitions that involved Semantic Machines (May), Bonsai (July), and Lobe (September), Microsoft is up for another round. Its latest purchase is XOXCO, a software product design and developme...

Codrut Nistor, 15 Nov 2018 15:55

Fallout 76 hits Xbox One

The award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4 are back with Fallout 76, an online prequel to the epic series of post-apocalyptic RPGs that was introduced by Interplay Entertainment back in 1997. Fallout 76 is now available vi...

Codrut Nistor, 15 Nov 2018 09:55

EA confirms Command & Conquer 4K remaster in the works

Good luck, commanders! EA announced today that Command & Conquer, the grandaddy of RTS games, will be getting a 4K remaster in the future. EA will work with Petroglyph Games, a studio founded by some of the original developers of ...

Sam Medley, 15 Nov 2018 05:57

The new Windows 10 Light Theme. (Source: Windows Blog)

Microsoft releases new Windows 10 19H1 build to Insider Preview

The October update for Windows 10 is currently being rolled out to the general public. For those in the Fast ring of the Insider Preview program, however, the build of the future is available to try out. This update, known as 19H1...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Nov 2018 23:09

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 gets most important update so far, November 13, 2018

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 gets the most important update so far

The latest update to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a massive one and comes with a rather long list of changes, which includes Nuketown, Daily Tier Skip, Blackout with Nuketown Island zombies and the Bowie Knife, stability tweaks, a...

Codrut Nistor, 14 Nov 2018 21:08

Niantic has teamed up with Warner Bros. for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. (Source: Niantic)

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite finally has a trailer

The mobile game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has finally received a teaser trailer, just over a year after its development was announced. There are plenty of games based in the Harry Potter world, but this one is particularly newsw...

Daniel R Deakin, 14 Nov 2018 21:03

The modular Fairphone 2 gets updated... to Android 7.1 Nougat

The Fairphone 2 has finally received an update to Android 7.1 Nougat, a two-year-old version of the mobile OS. Considering the Fairphone 2's age and the slow rollout of supported software, the handset may be entering its end-of-li...

Sam Medley, 14 Nov 2018 18:54

Google Chrome Labs unveils Squoosh, an open-source image compression tool that runs in your browser

Google Chrome Labs has just revealed Squoosh, an in-browser image compression tool that can use non-browser image codecs to compress images without much loss in quality. The app can also be run offline after it is loaded in a brow...

Sam Medley, 14 Nov 2018 17:58

Nokia confirms that the Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 8 will receive Pie

HMD has sent the Pie update out to the Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7 Plus. The company has now reaffirmed its commitment to providing steady software updates by confirming that the last-gen Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 8 will also all receive the A...

Ricci Rox, 14 Nov 2018 15:47

Nintendo wins $12 million from ROM site LoveRoms

Nintendo has won $12 million in a settlement with LoveRoms.com and LoveRETRO.co, two ROM distribution sites it sued this past summer. The couple that operated the two sites admitted that they participated in copyright infringement...

Sam Medley, 14 Nov 2018 06:17

The OnePlus 5 and 5T appear to be in line for some Pie soon. (Source: Android Authority)

New reports suggest promised Pie-based upgrade coming to OnePlus 5 and 5T soon

Earlier, OnePlus had made a commitment to bring Pie to its older flagship series. However, the company later admitted that this upgrade would be delayed. Now, it seems that the prospect of Pie for last year's phones, the 5 and 5T,...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Nov 2018 00:12

Microsoft has big plans for Office 365, including migration tool for G Suite users, launch scheduled for Q2 2019

Would you migrate from G Suite to Office 365? Microsoft thinks so and is developing a tool for it

Although Google's G Suite is more than enough for the office-related needs of many companies, Microsoft is working on a tool that would ease their migration to Office 365. If everything goes as planned, this "G Suite migration exp...

Codrut Nistor, 13 Nov 2018 22:30

PUBG is finally coming to the PS4. (Source: PUBG Corp)

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds gets PlayStation 4 release date

PlayStation 4 owners will soon be able to get their hands on the smash-hit battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). PUBG Corp and Sony have jointly announced that the title is now available for pre-order and will ...

Daniel R Deakin, 13 Nov 2018 21:17

Xiaomi Mi A2 Android smartphone gets Android Pie Beta firmware early November 2018

Android Pie Beta for the Xiaomi Mi A2 rolls out

The Xiaomi Mi A2 is supposed to receive the Android Pie update before the end of the year, but the firmware still needs some work. For now, the official Beta ROM can be downloaded via TWRP or fastboot and tried by the more adventu...

Codrut Nistor, 13 Nov 2018 20:16

Microsoft has restarted the rollout of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update

The Windows 10 October 2018 update has started rolling out to consumer and commercial users again

Microsoft has announced that it has resumed rolling out the Windows 10 October 2018 update having fixed and tested last month's file deletion issue. The update is available now on Windows Update for certain devices that Microsoft ...

Alex Alderson, 13 Nov 2018 20:12

The engineers behind HTTP/3 assert that it will make data transfers faster and easier. (Source: winfuture.de)

HTTP-over-QUIC officially acknowledged as HTTP/3 by IETF

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has formally re-named HTTP-over-QUIC as HTTP/3. This means that it is the next generation in internet-traffic-enabling protocols. HTTP/3 essentially allows QUIC to supplant TCP, and may h...

Deirdre O Donnell, 13 Nov 2018 19:49

Adoptable Storage may be making a return to Samsung Android devices. (Source: openattitude.com)

Android's Adoptable Storage feature may be coming back to Samsung devices

Adoptable Storage is a feature introduced with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). It allows a phone to effectively turn a microSD card into its own internal storage. Some brands still allow Adoptable Storage in their stock ROMs, but Samsu...

Deirdre O Donnell, 13 Nov 2018 16:54

The Samsung Galaxy S9+. (Source: Android Central)

The Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note 9 will not receive Android Pie this year

Samsung's Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note 9 may be some of the highest profile devices of 2018 but the company will not be sending the Android Pie update to users of those devices until next year.

Ricci Rox, 13 Nov 2018 16:38

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android handset gets Pie update as of early November 2018

Android Pie finally hits the Sony Xperia XZ Premium and Xperia XZ1

Although Sony promised to deliver Android Pie on October 26 to quite a few supported Xperia handsets, the update was a bit delayed. Fortunately, the Xperia XZ Premium, XZ1, and XZ1 Compact are now finally receiving the Android 9.0...

Codrut Nistor, 12 Nov 2018 15:26

Fallout 76 requires a 54 GB day-one patch, which is bigger than the actual game

Want to play Fallout 76 when it comes out later this week? Be prepared to stare at a loading bar. The game comes with a mandatory day-one patch that is a massive 56 GB in size. This is in addition to the 45 GB base game, meaning t...

Sam Medley, 12 Nov 2018 06:16

Image via CloudFlare (Google Play Store)

CloudFlare releases an Android app to change your phone's DNS

CloudFlare has released a new app that will route your Android device's internet traffic through its local services, effectively changing your phone's DNS. While this may be a boon for privacy advocates that bemoan the lack of DNS...

Sam Medley, 12 Nov 2018 02:11

The Xiaomi Black Shark will be available in Europe soon. (Source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Black Shark to hit Europe on November 16

The Black Shark is Xiaomi's take on a gaming phone. It is powered by up-to-date hardware, although it lacks a headphone jack. Xiaomi has announced that it will release this phone into the European market on November 16.

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Nov 2018 14:19

The LG G7 Fit is to be released into new markets soon

The LG G7 Fit is a sort of 'mini' (albeit mainly in terms of specs) variant of the flagship G7 ThinQ. It was announced at IFA 2018, but was not made available in certain markets on release. However, LG has stated that it will go o...

Deirdre O Donnell, 10 Nov 2018 19:26

YouTube comes to Nintendo Switch, but Nintendo continues bad history with video streaming

The Nintendo Switch finally got a YouTube app yesterday, bringing the world's most popular video streaming service to the console. However, Netflix and Amazon are still absent. The lack of video streaming services on the console i...

Sam Medley, 10 Nov 2018 16:16

The Mi 6X is surprisingly missing from the list. (Source: MIUI

Pie update roadmap for Xiaomi devices surfaces

A new leak detailing Xiaomi's plans for the release of Android Pie has surfaced. According to the sources, devices like the Mi Mix 2 and Mi 8 phones are all set to receive the Pie update before the year runs out, while offerings l...

Ricci Rox, 09 Nov 2018 14:29

The Huawei P20 Pro will receive Pie. [Source: CNET]

Huawei to begin the Pie rollout for all its current flagships tomorrow

Huawei will begin sending out the stable Android Pie update to its current-gen flagships tomorrow. The update comes in the guise of an EMUI 9.0 update, the same software on the newly launched Mate 20 phones.

Ricci Rox, 09 Nov 2018 14:26

Microsoft Launcher 5.0 now available (Source: Google Play)

Microsoft Launcher 5.0 comes with Windows Timeline support

After spending a bit over a month in the Beta stage, Microsoft Launcher 5.0 is finally available for everyone as a stable release. The most important changes are the introduction of an updated Your Feed page and Windows Timeline s...

Codrut Nistor, 08 Nov 2018 18:55

Amazon Alexa is now available for download from the Microsoft Store. (Source: Microsoft)

Amazon Alexa can now be downloaded from the Microsoft Store for all Windows 10 devices

Amazon's voice assistant Alexa is now available for all Windows 10 devices via the Microsoft Store. The Alexa app offers almost all features of the assistant but does miss out on some features such as Spotify integration. Alexa is...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 08 Nov 2018 18:43

The Honor Magic 2 in all 3 color variants. (Source: Honor)

The Honor Magic 2 sells out in only 2 days post-release

The Honor Magic 2 stands out among new smartphones, as it is only the 2nd device in the world to be equipped with a slide-down display for a completely bezel-less screen. It was released in China on November 6, 2018. Now - only 2 ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Nov 2018 18:08

Some Windows 10 Pro users are being prompted to install the Home license. (Source: /u/cwsink on Reddit)

Some Windows 10 Pro licenses are reportedly getting deactivated to Windows 10 Home

A strange bug in Microsoft's activation servers is causing deactivation of several Windows 10 Pro licenses and prompting users to install Windows 10 Home. Trying to purchase a Pro key from the Store is apparently not solving the p...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 08 Nov 2018 17:58

The new Fossil Sport smartwatch. (Source: Fossil)

Fossil releases new Sport smartwatch powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100

The Fossil Sport smartwatch is now available for order as of today (November 8, 2018). This is the first smartwatch from this brand with the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. The Fossil Sport also comes with 6 colors of interchangeabl...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Nov 2018 17:14

Samsung's One UI will apparently not make it to the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 devices. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung's One UI will not make it to the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8

Samsung's new One UI based on Android 9 Pie will be released sometime next year but apparently, that includes only the latest Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note 9 devices. According to a Samsung representative at the ongoing SDC 2018, the G...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 08 Nov 2018 13:24

Samsung's next smartphone interface is called One UI. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung shows off its new One UI interface

Samsung has used its Developer Conference 2018 to introduce its next generation custom Android 9 Pie-based user interface design. Dubbed One UI, the new interface has been designed to simplify the user experience by reducing clutt...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 08 Nov 2018 10:55

The last Nexus phones have received their last official OTA updates

Today marks the last official update for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, the last phones in Google's storied Nexus line. While the phones haven't seen a software update since getting Android 8.1 Oreo in February 2018, the Nexus handset...

Sam Medley, 08 Nov 2018 05:02

Path of Exile coming to PlayStation 4 in December 2018 (Source: Path of Exile on Twitter)

Path of Exile coming to PlayStation 4 next month

Available for Microsoft Windows since October 2013, Path of Exile finally became available on Xbox One consoles in August 2017. Now, the PlayStation 4 version is finally (almost) ready to roll out, as it should arrive — if everyth...

Codrut Nistor, 06 Nov 2018 17:35

Magic UX interface uses AR to "pin" apps in virtual spaces to make multitasking truly seamless

Design consultancy Special Projects has unveiled a new user interface approach to multitasking that uses AR technology. Seeking to emulate a physical real world work flow, the interface allows users to switch naturally between app...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 06 Nov 2018 10:16

Adobe Systems headquarters in San Jose, Fotolia now part of Adobe Stock early November 2018

Fotolia is now part of Adobe Stock

More than three years since Adobe Systems completed the acquisition of the Fotolia microstock agency, this service that provides more than 57 million high-resolution royalty-free images and videos has finally been integrated into ...

Codrut Nistor, 06 Nov 2018 09:28

Well, looky there. (Image via Geekbench)

Android 9 Pie may be coming to the Razer Phone 2 soon

A recent posting on Geekbench's benchmark site shows a Razer Phone 2 running Android 9.0 Pie. This could mean that Razer is testing Android 9 on their latest handset and may be releasing an update soon. This would put the Razer Ph...

Sam Medley, 05 Nov 2018 23:01