Software

According to employees familiar with the practice, Facebook has been hiring outside contractors to listen to and transcribe user audio. While Facebook claims the transcriptions were done to improve the voice-to-text transcription features of its Messenger app, the company's data use policy makes no mention of humans listening to or transcribing audio.

It has been less than a week since Huawei announced EMUI 10, its customised version of Android Q. However, it has already laid out its early rollout plans with some Honor smartphones on the horizon too.

A phone called the Vivo V1916A has appeared on the Geekbench database. This model number has been linked to the upcoming iQOO Pro 5G, which is slated to come with the updated Snapdragon 855+ processor. Its scores match well with those of the second-gen ASUS ROG Phone, which also launched with this SoC.

Tumblr is a blogging platform that has been part of Yahoo (or Oath, as it is now) since 2013. However, the parent company in this case - Verizon - has reportedly been trying to palm it off for some time. It has now successfully found a buyer: Automattic Inc, the same company behind WordPress.

OnePlus has just introduced its first large-screen product as the...well...OnePlus TV. Leaks from other sources have claimed that this new product will be released in the last week or so of September 2019. It is also rumored to come in sizes from 43 to 75 inches and to have Bluetooth 5.0.

Need for Speed Heat is set in Palm City, a brand-new open-world location that accommodates — unsurprisingly — races that take place both in broad daylight and at night. This title will hit Windows PCs, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 8, but an extensive gameplay reveal is scheduled for August 19.

A new report by security experts at Check Point Research demonstrates a glaring vulnerability in modern DSLR cameras: Photo Transfer Protocol. Worse yet, the researchers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in PTP/IP, which transfers photos from a DSLR to a computer wirelessly. This allowed the researchers to infect a nearby DSLR wirelessly and encrypt all of the camera's photos.

The chip-maker SK Hynix has released HBM2E, its new storage standard. It is described as having up to 50% higher bandwidth at double the size compared to the previous generation. This new chip is aimed at uses in machine learning, AI and high-tier GPUs.

After Huawei presented EMUI 10 at its Developer Conference last week, more details about features and innovations have appeared online. A teaser video for the upcoming Android Q-based OS and promotional pictures offer an insight into the redesign, with Huawei having announced the commencement of its beta program too and which smartphones are included.

LG has started rolling out a new update to the G6, and it is more than just a new security patch. The former flagship is due to receive Android 9.0 Pie this quarter, with LG promising earlier this year to deliver the OS upgrade between July and September. The Q3 deadline could slip though if the company faces similar problems to what it did with getting the V30 onto Android 9.0 Pie.

Although the full launch remains scheduled for August 27, the WoW Classic servers will go live tomorrow. This is not another beta test, but a chance for those with an active subscription or game time on their WoW account to reserve their character names and select the realm where they want to play.

Realme CEO Madhav Sheth confirmed that the company will offer its own RealmeOS in the coming months instead of Oppo's ColorOS. Not much is known about RealmeOS at this time apart from the fact that it will be based on Android Q and will incorporate features based on user feedback.

Casio has released the EDIFICE EQB1000D-1A, a new watch with a case only 8.9 milimeters (mm) thick. It is also one of the brand's connected devices, which means it can connect to a smartphone app. This allows it to keep time accurately in over 300 locations.

A Russian blog may have leaked more information on when Huawei's next line of flagships, the Mate 30s, will be released. This event will allegedly occur on September 30, 2019. Other news indicates that they will indeed run Android on their launch.

AR-assisted navigation is one of the most interesting - and possibly useful - aspects of the Google Maps app to be unveiled in recent years. Unfortunately, it was also introduced as a Pixel exclusive. Now, however, it may be available on a wider varieity of phones soon.

Redmi is reportedly pushing an official Android Q build to some owners of the K20 Pro in China. These users had been invited to apply to a beta program to test this ROM earlier in the year. Therefore, this phone may have joined the Xiaomi Mi 9 in eligibility for advance access to this major OS update.

A new Geekbench database entry apparently corresponds to one of Nokia's reported upcoming round-camera phones, the 7.2. It refers to a device with 6GB of RAM and running an unnamed SoC at 1.84GHz. Its scores are not far off those of the pre-existing Nokia 7 Plus.

The YI Home Camera 3 is an AI-powered security camera. It notifies the user about possible intrusions - however, it solves the problem of potentially indiscriminate, unnecessary messages by using its new software to judge which ones will be important. The new YI camera also has a magnetic stand, so it can be installed anywhere.

Honor has released its latest fitness band to the Indian market, via Flipkart. This new model has a full-color AMOLED display, an estimated 14 days of battery life and 50-meter water resistance. However, it will soon have competition from an upcoming Xiaomi counterpart, which has much the same specs.

The Galaxy A70 is one of Samsung's low-to-mid tier devices for 2019. Some members of its series have gained actual or rumored alternative versions with the suffix 's'. Now, new Geekbench listings suggest that the A70 is also getting one - with the exact same specs.

Huawei’s in-house HongMengOS is here and its shipping name is officially HarmonyOS. The idea behind the naming is that is a scalable micro-kernal that can work across internet of things devices right through to TVs, wearables and smartphones.

The OnePlus 3 and 3T are now about 3 years old. Despite this, they are still receiving new software updates from their OEM. The latest of these include new security patches for Android 9.0 (Pie). The same can be said for their predecessors, the 5 and 6 lines.

ZTE's high-value sub-brand Nubia has just released its latest phone. The Z20 looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S10, if that phone had an additional display on its rear panel. This new device is powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC, up to 8GB of RAM and a 4000mAh battery with 27-watt fast charging.

Many people have gotten used to summoning a ride in a paid driver's car from their phone. A new analysis of this market indicates that such services (known collectively as "shared mobility") now challenge the traditional industries behind vehicle use and ownership. It also suggest that autonomous cars may be the way forward for the ride-hailing business of the future.

A prominent Google-news blog claims to have heard from its sources that the Pixel series will be upgraded to 6GB of RAM in 2019. The 2 upcoming phones are also now slated to feature 90-hertz refresh rates, a feature that is to be termed "Smooth Display". Finally, the devices will stick with the memory SKUs from last year.

Huawei's first TV is in fact slated to be released by its sub-brand Honor, and is to be called the Smart Screen. It may be reasonable to assume that this product will run Android for these larger devices. However, the OEM is now rumored to deploy one of its own long-anticipated OSs on the new product.

World of Tanks 1.6 comes with four new British light tanks, reworked Personal Missions (about 40 of those leading to the Object 279), an improved interface for interacting with decals — alongside new decals and fonts, as well as the removal of friendly fire and ramming damage. Friendly kills are now possible — by pushing allies off cliffs or flipping them upside down.

More social media users buy from brands they follow on Facebook compared to 7 other social networks studied, according to a new report. This is because social media has increased the ability of companies to reach out to consumers, and vice versa. Facebook is likely to be the most successful medium as it is the biggest and promotes brand-recognition most effectively.

The ASUS ZenFone 6 won plaudits for its almost stock Android experience, but a recent software update has been causing havoc with some handsets. According to an ASUS engineer, the update has caused some motherboards to malfunction, resulting in crashes, reboots, bootloops or dead devices.

Nintendo has reportedly picked up IGZO technology for its upcoming 2019 Switch models. This type of backing for IPS-LCD screens has resulted in positive reviews for other OEMs in the past, as it can conserve power while offering a high contrast ratio. The IGZO panels now linked to this new console are to come from Sharp.

iOS 13 will bring a few new features to iPhones upon its release later this year, several of which are focused on protecting user privacy. One such update will block background processes from collecting user data, something that several messaging apps like WhatsApp Facebook Messenger apparently rely on for receiving VoIP calls.

The OnePlus 7 Pro's 5G variant may be coming to the US soon. The carrier Sprint has announced that its next device that will support the next-gen bands will be from this OEM. Its phones have also been available through T-Mobile in the past.

2019 has already seen evidence that the SHIELD TV may be getting a new refresh - with the new Tegra X1 processor - soon. Now, a new FCC filing points to a wholly new device with this branding. This putative device has its own code-name and references in NVIDIA's own code and scripts.

Asus has gone to the SIGGRAPH conference this year to put its creator-focused hardware in full view. It consists of PCs such as the ZenBook Pro Duo and the new StudioBook series. However, the star of this show may be the new ProArt display, the world's first to offer 1200 nits of brightness and mini-LED backlighting in a 4K HDR 32-inch panel.

OnePlus has released Developer Preview 4 for Android Q, a version of its OS that gives the user the latest insights into how it may work when it has been released for general consumption. This build has been reported to have a working form of Digital Wellbeing, as well as an updated Zen Mode. However, some of its upgrades are only compatible with 1 phone from this OEM so far.

Microsoft continues its expansion in the retail services space with a new acquisition. PromoteIQ is a leading provider of vendor marketing technology for online retailers and brands, with a client portfolio that includes names like Kroger, Kohl’s, and Overstock.com. As usual, the financial details of the deal have not been revealed.

The market for in-app advertisements worldwide is now projected to be worth approximately US$226 billion in 6 years, according to the latest research. Of these, ads on Android are thought to be capable of the highest growth. In addition, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) sector is thought to exhibit the most growth between 2019 and 2025.

Huawei will announce EMUI 10, its custom version of Android Q, on August 9 at its 2019 Developer Conference in Dongguan City, China. However, several promotional images have appeared on Weibo, the Chinese social media giant, which hint at a holistic GUI redesign and some new features.

The LG V10 and G5 were released well over three years ago, so it's something of a surprise to see them listed on LG's service bulletin as being eligible for updates. It's even more surprising when one remembers that this is LG, a company notorious for awful software support.

The Viper is the latest mouse from Razer. It is a lightweight peripheral which, as the OEM asserts, is optimized for competitive gaming. It also integrates the 5G Advanced Optical Sensor and Razer Synapse 3.

HTC initialized a roll-out of Android Pie for a 2017 phone, the U11, in May 2019. However, not all users were served with this update before it was suspended due to technical issues. It seems the OEM has rectified them, as U11 owners in Europe have reported the successful installation of this update.

The 5G tech market is now thought to be capable of hitting US$667.9 billion by the middle of the next decade. This is particularly impressive as it is also projected to accrue only $5.54 billion by 2020. This growth may be driven by a demand for streaming and for improved connectivity among industrial buyers.

OPPO and Qualcomm have collaborated in order to unveil 2 new gaming-centric features at the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference. They are Game Color Plus and Dual Wi-Fi. The former uses the Snapdragon's platform's latest technology to enhance aspects of content quality in gaming. The latter allows a phone to use 2 sources of Wi-Fi at once.

Google has announced that app developers will start seeing their ads in YouTube searches, as well as during video-streaming itself. In addition, developers can also now distribute their ads to Discover. This is the latest version of the Google Feed, and is still found on multitudes of homescreens.

Sony has invented a product called the Reon Pocket. It is a device that can change a user's personal temperature (or their perception of it, at least) while worn on the body. This unusual product is currently a part of the OEM's crowdfunded First Flight project, by which its chances of manufacture is determined by its ability to attract backers.

Drone racing is a rapidly emerging trend in applications for civilian aerial robots. DJI has announced plans to improve its support for this new sport with the first-person-view (FPV) goggles and controller set. It allows a given competitor to see and direct a race from their drone's point of view.

A leaked image on Reddit has revealed Huawei's supposed update roadmap for Android Q. Last-gen phones like the P20 Pro and Mate 10 Pro are billed to get the update, but devices in the Nova 4 and Nova 5 range are suspiciously missing.

GoPro has announced that it will refresh the companion app for its action-cameras. The updates will integrate Quik editing features directly into said app. This will enable the user to apply filters and convert footage into stories. This upgrade should also improve the GoPro app's UI in the future.

The UltraFine 5K monitor by LG is typically marketed as an ideal companion screen for Macs or MacBooks. However, it mysteriously vanished from Apple's website not long ago. Now, it is back as a new model for this year.

A new server-side update to Google Maps has been observed to allow the user to add their own notes to their items in this app's Lists facility. Users can also now re-arrange said items to their own liking, or in (for example) alphabetical order. These tweaks may make these Lists more handy and productive.