Topics

Messaging apps and services are increasingly powerful conduits between brands and consumers

E-converse: 97% more US consumers messaged with brands this Black Friday weekend compared to last year's

Engaging in conversations over media such as SMS with corporations is an increasingly popular and effective method of driving brand engagement and sales in the US. This behavior increased by over 400% in some instances on 2018's B...

Deirdre O Donnell, 28 Nov 2018 00:16

The Antlion ModMic Wireless. (Source: Antlion)

Antlion Audio wants you to turn any set of headphones into a gaming headset with its ModMic Wireless

Antlion Audio claims that its ModMic Wireless attachment adds mic capabilities to any kind of headphone. It has the aptX low-energy Bluetooth codec, 16-bit 48khz audio and a USB type A receiver. The ModMic Wireless also has a pate...

Deirdre O Donnell, 27 Nov 2018 19:50

The Honor 8X receives the Android Pie beta

Huawei's Honor 8X mid-range phone is currently receiving the Android Pie-based EMUI 9 beta update in China. The Honor 8X has been confirmed for a US launch, and we expect a late December event.

Ricci Rox, 27 Nov 2018 07:57

The North American PlayStation Classic will use PAL version of some titles

In a blog post released earlier today, Sony revealed that it would be using the PAL version of nine titles on the PlayStation Classic. The PAL versions will be included in the North American PlayStation Classic as well. Considerin...

Sam Medley, 27 Nov 2018 07:44

Two weeks ahead of release, a full copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been leaked

A group known for Nintendo Switch piracy has obtained and distributed a full file dump of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, set to release in two weeks on December 7th. While early game leaks are not uncommon, a leak this far in advance...

Sam Medley, 27 Nov 2018 05:24

Microsoft Launcher 5.1 beta comes with new features such as digital wellbeing, to do, sticky notes (Source: WinCentral)

Microsoft Launcher 5.1 sports To-Do, Sticky Notes, and digital wellbeing

The upcoming refresh — which will bring Microsoft's Android launcher to version 5.1 — already looks impressive. The Beta build shows To-Do integration, Sticky Notes, as well as a set of features that are Microsoft's answer to Goog...

Codrut Nistor, 26 Nov 2018 20:39

Apple heads to U.S. Supreme Court to argue against App Store monopoly lawsuit

Apple will appear before the U.S. Supreme Court today to argue that a lawsuit brought against it is invalid. Apple claims that the lawsuit, which alleges that the iOS App Store creates a monopoly for the company, could only be bro...

Sam Medley, 26 Nov 2018 18:24

Kingdom Rush Vengeance now available on Google Play (Source: Google Play)

Kingdom Rush Vengeance hits iOS and Android

This franchise that has been around since 2011 — when the first Kingdom Rush title was introduced as a free flash browser game — is back to Android and iOS as Kingdom Rush Vengeance. This new fantasy tower defense title involves f...

Codrut Nistor, 26 Nov 2018 14:50

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. [Source: Daily Express]

Update | Two new Google Pixels are on the way and no, we're not talking about the Pixel 4

Google's newly launched Pixel 3 phones are mostly incremental upgrades over their predecessors. Google could very well make a comeback with some exciting devices next year, as word of two more devices surface in the wild.

Ricci Rox, 25 Nov 2018 08:21

You can now play Pokemon: Let's Go via emulation if you don't mind readable text, consistent framerates, and clear audio. (Image via YouTube)

Pokémon: Let's Go runs on Yuzu Nintendo Switch emulator... sort of

Some innovative gamers have gotten Pokémon: Let's Go to boot and run on the Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu. Despite the game only being a week old, it is somewhat playable, although there are numerous glitches and oddities. The fra...

Sam Medley, 25 Nov 2018 07:26

AMD commits to better support for Ryzen Mobile graphics drivers in 2019, hands off responsibility to OEMs

AMD posted a response to a common complaint from Ryzen-based laptop users on Reddit earlier this week, stating that the company would better support graphics drivers for Ryzen laptops starting in 2019. However, AMD plans to work w...

Sam Medley, 25 Nov 2018 06:00

Kodi 18 "Leia" release candidate now available for download

Kodi 18 has been in development for two years, and the first release candidate (RC 1) is finally available. Although it is still technically a beta version, RC 1 will be reflective of the final release. There are several new featu...

Sam Medley, 24 Nov 2018 05:57

Beleaguered Windows 10 1809 update breaks audio playback for some Intel display drivers

The latest issue in the growing string of problems with the Windows 10 1809 update affects devices using certain versions of Intel's display drivers. The Windows 10 October update breaks audio playback through monitors or TVs conn...

Sam Medley, 23 Nov 2018 21:22

Image via Huawei and Google Fuchsia OS (w/ edits)

Google is using the Honor Play to test Fuchsia OS

A commit posted to Fuchsia's source code management hub last night showed that a Huawei engineer was able to boot the Fuchsia kernel (Zircon) on the Honor Play. This commit hints at many things, mainly that Fuchsia development is ...

Sam Medley, 23 Nov 2018 20:12

Win7 SP1 is old, but some people still like it. (Source: YouTube)

Devices that run legacy Windows versions and support SHA-1 will be blocked from updating in 2019

Microsoft has announced that only Secure Hash Algorithm 2 (SHA-2) code-signing will be used to update legacy versions of Windows (namely Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 and Windows 7 SP1). Machines that only su...

Deirdre O Donnell, 23 Nov 2018 16:37

Windows Media Player first appeared in 1991. (Source: Microsoft Community)

Microsoft Windows 10 update affected by Media Player bug

Microsoft has acknowledged that there is a known issue with its latest Windows 10 update. Some users have reported that the seek bar in Media Player has become inoperable after downloading the new patches. The issue corresponds to...

Daniel R Deakin, 22 Nov 2018 22:15

LG G7 ThinQ gets Pie, but only as a beta and in Korea

The LG G7 ThinQ is still currently on Android Oreo, with no upgrade in sight. However, reports of a new Pie-based beta available to users in South Korea may give new hope to owners worldwide of a stable version of this OS soon.

Deirdre O Donnell, 22 Nov 2018 18:53

If you own a Pixel 3, Duplex could be coming to your phone soon. (Source: TechnoRhythms)

Google is starting to roll its Duplex feature out to some Pixels

Remember Duplex, the software that could make appointments by itself at Google I/O 2018? Well, it is to be seen in the wild soon on Pixel phones. The AI-powered feature will initially only be functional in some US cities; however,...

Deirdre O Donnell, 22 Nov 2018 18:31

Alienware Command Center as of late November 2018 (Source: Alienware on Twitter)

Alienware's new Command Center comes with CPU, GPU and memory overclocking options

The latest Command Center software by Alienware finally brings CPU, GPU, and memory overclocking capabilities to the "current-gen platforms with compatible components," so those using older Alienware hardware might not be able to ...

Codrut Nistor, 22 Nov 2018 14:35

The OnePlus 6. (Source: Android Central)

Latest Open Beta for OnePlus 6 introduces new service: OnePlus Roaming

Open Beta 7, the latest in a series of in-testing stock ROMs available to owners of the OnePlus 6 to test out, contains an interesting new feature. It is OnePlus Roaming, a SIM-independent form of access to the internet that can b...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Nov 2018 14:03

Samsung's 2019 triple cameras could also include 3D TOF. (Source: GizGuide)

Samsung Galaxy S10 could come with 3D TOF sensors

A Korean IT news outlet claims that Samsung is developing three-dimensional time-of-flight (3D TOF) modules for next year's phones. 3D TOF is linked to improved depth-sensing and AR capabilities. The Galaxy S10 line may be in line...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Nov 2018 13:40

Samsung Galaxy F foldable phone to launch with Bixby 3.0 (Source: The Verge)

Bixby 3.0 confirmed to launch with the Samsung Galaxy F

A key Samsung executive has just confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy F foldable handset will ship with Bixby 2.0's successor. However, he also added that the company has not decided yet if the next-gen virtual assistant will be bra...

Codrut Nistor, 21 Nov 2018 10:49

Tumblr kicked out from the App Store due to child pornography

Tumblr's disappearance from Apple's App Store finally has an official reason: what was first simply described as "an issue" was, in fact, child pornography that slipped through the filters — enough of it to make the app vanish. Th...

Codrut Nistor, 20 Nov 2018 20:16

On-foot data collecting for Apple Maps officially confirmed (Source: AppleInsider)

Apple Maps returns to the basics via on-foot data collection

Since Apple Maps often gives the same directions to pedestrians and drivers, the company's pedestrian recon teams are now back on the streets of the United States. The individuals who are part of these teams are wearing backpacks ...

Codrut Nistor, 20 Nov 2018 16:55

FSLogix website homepage showing the news about joining Microsoft

Microsoft buys FSLogix to improve Office 365 virtualization

FSLogix is a next-gen app-provisioning platform that optimizes the ingredients — hardware resources, time, and human resources — needed to offer virtualization support when deploying and scaling Windows and Office on Azure. As usu...

Codrut Nistor, 20 Nov 2018 09:22

IBM's Watson explores its inner artist by writing a commercial for Lexus

Another industry may soon be replaced by robots - IBM's Watson AI scripted a 60-second commercial for luxury car brand Lexus. Watson was fed 15 years worth of award-winning commercials and was able to outline and script the basis ...

Sam Medley, 20 Nov 2018 06:22

Skype calls can now be made using Amazon's Alexa speakers

Skype calls can now be made using Alexa speakers

Many Microsoft users will soon be able to make Skype calls over their Alexa-powered smart speakers. This feature is only available in select countries, however. Those living in them may be able to find the new function in the spe...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Nov 2018 00:20

Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) Android handset gets Oreo update

Android 8.1 Oreo now available for the Galaxy J7 (2016)

The Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) has just become the first Galaxy J series handset to receive two major upgrades for the operating system. In some markets, this handset has received Android 8.1 Oreo, but it is not clear yet if the Gal...

Codrut Nistor, 19 Nov 2018 21:17

Motorola One and One Power get Android Pie (Source: Motorola)

Motorola One and One Power get Android 9.0 Pie in some markets

Finally launched in the United States earlier this month, the Motorola One is already receiving Android 9.0 Pie. In addition to the Motorola One, Android Pie is now reaching the Motorola One Power as well. Both these two handsets ...

Codrut Nistor, 19 Nov 2018 20:02

The original Red Magic. (Source: giztechreview)

New Red Magic Mars leak hints at multiple RAM SKUs and Pie for the device

The Red Magic may represent a novel alternative in a gaming-phone space dominated by a small number of brands. This phone, marketed by the ZTE sub-brand Nubia, is reportedly getting a second generation. A new leak shows a Geekbenc...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Nov 2018 19:51

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

Software

E-converse: 97% more US consumers messaged with brands this Black Friday weekend compared to last year's

Antlion Audio wants you to turn any set of headphones into a gaming headset with its ModMic Wireless

The Honor 8X receives the Android Pie beta

The North American PlayStation Classic will use PAL version of some titles

Two weeks ahead of release, a full copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been leaked

Microsoft Launcher 5.1 sports To-Do, Sticky Notes, and digital wellbeing

Apple heads to U.S. Supreme Court to argue against App Store monopoly lawsuit

Kingdom Rush Vengeance hits iOS and Android

Update | Two new Google Pixels are on the way and no, we're not talking about the Pixel 4

Pokémon: Let's Go runs on Yuzu Nintendo Switch emulator... sort of

AMD commits to better support for Ryzen Mobile graphics drivers in 2019, hands off responsibility to OEMs

Kodi 18 "Leia" release candidate now available for download

Beleaguered Windows 10 1809 update breaks audio playback for some Intel display drivers

Google is using the Honor Play to test Fuchsia OS

Devices that run legacy Windows versions and support SHA-1 will be blocked from updating in 2019

Microsoft Windows 10 update affected by Media Player bug

LG G7 ThinQ gets Pie, but only as a beta and in Korea

Google is starting to roll its Duplex feature out to some Pixels

Alienware's new Command Center comes with CPU, GPU and memory overclocking options

Latest Open Beta for OnePlus 6 introduces new service: OnePlus Roaming

Samsung Galaxy S10 could come with 3D TOF sensors

Bixby 3.0 confirmed to launch with the Samsung Galaxy F

Tumblr kicked out from the App Store due to child pornography

Apple Maps returns to the basics via on-foot data collection

Microsoft buys FSLogix to improve Office 365 virtualization

IBM's Watson explores its inner artist by writing a commercial for Lexus

Skype calls can now be made using Alexa speakers

Android 8.1 Oreo now available for the Galaxy J7 (2016)

Motorola One and One Power get Android 9.0 Pie in some markets

New Red Magic Mars leak hints at multiple RAM SKUs and Pie for the device

iCloud found not to work with Windows October Update

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

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

Multiple Android One phones receive Android Pie

Shadow Fight 3 celebrates its first anniversary

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

New Wear OS update brings Battery Saver Mode and more

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

Next-gen Neural Machine Translation now available in Microsoft Translator

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

Google's Digital Wellbeing is now out of Beta

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

Microsoft continues its AI offensive by acquiring XOXCO

Fallout 76 hits Xbox One

EA confirms Command & Conquer 4K remaster in the works

Microsoft releases new Windows 10 19H1 build to Insider Preview

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

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite finally has a trailer

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

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

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