Software

Google's Pay app has a new update with a dark mode. This means it joins a group of additional Android services that have this new feature. The trend is being adopted in preparation for the next major upgrade for this mobile OS.

Vivo's premium sub-brand iQOO has released the Pro, which as it turns out has a 4G variant in addition to the expected 5G-supporting model. It is powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC and has up to 12GB of RAM. The Pro runs Monster UI, a new skin for Android 9.0.

Password Leak Detection is an experimental feature in Chrome 78. It checks a given password against public databases of data breaches, in case of its use in a known security incident. Should this test prove positive, Chrome then offers a pop-up advising the user to change the password for the site or service in question.

Lava is an Indian smartphone OEM that has just released a new gaming phone. Called the Z93, it has 3GB of RAM and 32GB in internal storage, whereas many other companies in this space seem compelled to go for more in both respects. It also boasts the Helio P22 SoC, Android 9 and dual rear "depth-sensing" cameras.

The Liberate Air earphones are made from reclaimed silicone and have a bamboo finish. In addition, they have a charging case described as made from recycled aluminium, wood, cotton and plastic. These new House of Marley products are also reportedly superior in sound quality to the Apple AirPods.

Redmi has announced that its upcoming Note 8 Pro will rock the new, gaming-focused MediaTek Helio G90T SoC. The company asserts that this processor is more powerful than the comparable Snapdragon 710, albeit not the Kirin 810. The Note 8 Pro's AnTuTu scores appear to bear this out.

International betas of MIUI may have been terminated, but they are still going for Chinese users. Xiaomi has informed them that the last such preview build based on Android Pie (9.0) will be released on August 30, 2019. This suggests that the next beta thereafter will transition to an upcoming major software upgrade.

Huawei will allegedly introduce its next-gen flagship mobile processor at an event in Berlin during September 2019. This would coincide with 2019's IFA event. In other news from this OEM, it has also presented its new SoC for AI, the Ascend 910.

HMD Global is one of the more reliable and faster OEMs at delivering OS upgrades to its Nokia handsets and it is looking to maintain that reputation with Android 10 too. The company has announced plans to upgrade a slew of Nokia handsets before Q2 2020, with some devices reaching Android 10 before the end of the year. 17 devices should receive Android 10 before Q2 2020, although there are some notable absentees.

A Portugese YouTuber called Dudu Rocha has demonstrated what may be Samsung's next major software upgrade on camera. This ROM, which was shown in comparison to a second phone running One UI 1.0, exhibits an About page that clearly shows Android 10 as its OS version. If valid, it indicates that some Galaxy Note 10 features are coming to older flagships with this update.

The wait for Android 9.0 Pie continues for LG V20 owners, but it now appears that LG is finishing its testing for the OS upgrade. A new build has been finalised, with the initial Pie update reportedly coming very soon.

The CEO of OnePlus (Pete Lau) has confirmed that the first-gen TV from this OEM will launch in a month from now (August 2019). It will be released to the Indian market initially. A Twitter tipster claims to have dug its CPU, GPU and Android version info, which also applies to this region.

A device with the novel model number OPPO PCKM00 has appeared on the Geekbench website recently. It is described as having 8GB of RAM, the Snapdragon 675 processor and as running Android 9. This phone has attained a relatively good score for these specifications.

The Redmi Note 8 and 8 Pro will be released in China soon. A tech blog claims to have a document detailing the choices of colors and storage options available to either variant. It asserts that the Note 8 will start at 4GB of RAM, whereas the Note 8 Pro's base SKU has 6.

Google has announced that the next major update for its mobile OS will be...Android 10. Simply Android 10. The "dessert" theme that has been in effect for the last decade is, therefore, no more, as the brand's styling goes in a different direction.

The popular navigation aid Waze has had the ability to control the audio from several music streaming apps for some time. YouTube Music is the latest example of these. Users who subscribe to the Premium version of this service can take advantage of this new feature.

Are you unable to download Android 9.0 Pie to your LG V30? Well, the South Korean has apparently pulled the update from its FOTA and LG Bridge servers. This may prove a temporary measure, but there is no word when LG will continue offering Pie to the V30.

Redmi has packed a number of exciting details in its latest official announcement. Firstly, it has confirmed that its promised 64MP camera will debut in the Redmi Note 8 Pro. It will be released alongside the base Note 8 at an event on August 29, 2019. The 70-inch Redmi 4K TV will also be unveiled at this event.

The first Vivaldi release after the summer break, labeled 2.7.1628.30, comes with no less than 63 bug fixes and four new features. These new features include fast access to User Profiles, an option that allows stopping (in advance) audio from playing, the ability to enable/disable the Flash plugin, as well as an improved status bar.

An oversight by Apple caused an old security bug to be reintroduced with iOS 12.4. While the bug had been patched in iOS 12.3, the exploit is present in the latest operating system from Apple and can be used for jailbreaking on compatible devices. On the flip side, the security hole presents new risks; the bug can be used by malicious parties to hack into an iPhone or iPad running 12.4.

After spending no less than 25 years in the gaming industry, Insomniac Games — the developer behind titles such as Ratchet & Clank and the critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man — is joining PlayStation’s Worldwide Studios. Just as expected, the financial terms of the deal have not been revealed to the public.

If you're a League of Legends player and have been curious about Mobalytics, then you can give it a shot free-of-charge for one year by downloading an upcoming version of Omen Command Center.

A device with Redmi branding and the model number M1908C3IC has been certified by the Chinese telecomms authority TENAA. It is believed that this device will be called the 8 on launch. It has dual cameras and 3 RAM SKUs.

Xiaomi has announced that it will launch the Mi A3 as India's next Android One device on August 21, 2019. However, Amazon may have spoiled its reveal by publishing listings for its SKUs ahead of time. They show that these phones will at least start at INR 14,998 (~US$210).

Mojang, the makers of Minecraft, has announced that its hit game will become able to use real-time ray tracing in early 2020. Furthermore, NVIDIA has broken the news that a number of other titles will get these features. They include upcoming Metro Exodus DLC, Control and Dying Light 2.

It seems Huawei will release an alternative version of one of its 2019 mid-range phone soon. This device, the Y9s, has appeared on the Android Enterprise database. Its new product image shows a completely edge-to-edge screen, as opposed to the notch seen in the original Y9.

For the first time in history, Google has prepared a beta for Play Books. One of its first additions is the option to create Custom Shelves. This, according to lead engineer Dan Kimberg, is a hotly-requested feature for this app.

The Motorola One Action has finally been unveiled. Like most of its siblings, it has a 21:9 screen and mid-range specs. However, it sets itself apart with its "industry first" wide-angle rear camera, which allows for the capture of landscape video while the phone itself is in portrait mode.

Realme's 5 Pro has just been confirmed by Flipkart as an upcoming release in August 2019. A model number that may conform to this phone has surfaced on Geekbench. It shows that it is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 710 SoC and has 8GB of RAM.

For the first time in its history, the Xiaomi custom MIUI Android skin has implemented 2-factor authentication (or 2FA) for this OEM's software ecosystem. So far, it works to send notifications to all devices connected to a single applicable account in the event of unfamiliar logins. However, there is no SMS-based verification as yet.

Sony has announced that it has hit a new record for wins at the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) awards for this year. The company won 7 times at this event, 3 of which were for its innovative, extensive G-series FE lenses. Its advanced Real-time Eye auto-focus (AF) technology was also recognized at this show.

The Realme 5 is now official. Flipkart is now promoting this phone as the first in its price-bracket to rock quad rear cameras and a 5000mAh battery. Furthermore, it will be launched alongside a Pro variant, which has the same number of cameras, 1 of which is confirmed to be 48MP in resolution.

Realme is now connected to the launch of a new phone, provisionally called the RMX1911 - although it may be named the 5 on release. Geekbench scores with this model number show that it has 4GB of RAM and the same SoC as the Xiaomi Mi CC9e/Mi A3. This phone has also been certified with Thai and Malaysian authorities.

Fitbit has been linked to a second generation of its popular Versa smartwatch for some time now. Recently, rumors about it have started up again in light of new leaks. They claim to show the wearable's official packaging, as well as an image from its manual hinting at new smart assistant features.

Popular turn-based fantasy video game King's Bounty is ready for a come back that blends open-world exploration and RPG mechanics with the successful tactical turn-based approach used by the previous titles of this franchise. Pre-orders can be placed already, but the game will launch next year.

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.