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WhatsApp will no longer take up Google Drive space as of November 2018. (Source: Google Play Store)

WhatsApp backups will no longer take up Google cloud storage

WhatsApp has distinguished itself among messaging apps through its ability to eat your storage. However, a new agreement between the Facebook subsidiary and Google mean that WhatsAapp backups will no longer clog up space on the Dr...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Aug 2018 23:30

Nokia 7 Plus to get Android Pie in September 2018

The Nokia 7 Plus will get Android 9.0 Pie stable in September

Nokia remains a very reliable brand when it comes to software updates, since HMD Global's Chief Product Office, Juho Sarvikas, has just confirmed that the Nokia 7 Plus will get the Android 9.0 Pie stable update in September. Most ...

Codrut Nistor, 21 Aug 2018 18:51

Minecraft: Education Edition on Apple iPad tablet, launch scheduled for September 2018 (Source: Microsoft EDU)

Minecraft: Education Edition coming to iPads next month

The Minecraft: Education Edition community now consists of over 35 million licensed teachers and students in 115 countries, so it is not surprising that Microsoft is finally bringing this game to the iPad. Schools licensed through...

Codrut Nistor, 21 Aug 2018 13:25

H2OS is the Chinese version of OOS, the stock Oneplus firmware. Its latest version is based on non-preview Pie. (Source: XDA)

OnePlus 6: New Chinese-variant ROM release suggests official Pie on the way soon

The Chinese variants of OnePlus phones, which run Hydrogen OS rather than Oxygen OS, are typically first to see new updates and Android versions. The latest Hydrogen OS Open Beta is based on Pie. Therefore, OnePlus 6 units in othe...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Aug 2018 21:33

Alienware 15 R4 and 17 R5 get per-key RGB lighting

Gamescom 2018 | Alienware 15 R4 and 17 R5 refreshed with per-key RGB lighting and new Command Center software

Better late than never. Dell has updated its mainline 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch Alienware laptops from four-zone RGB lighting to per-key RGB lighting. The design and internal specifications are otherwise identical. Both systems will...

Allen Ngo, 20 Aug 2018 20:01

The XZ Premium will be one of the first devices to get the Android Pie update. (Source: Sony)

Sony releases Android Pie update roadmap

Sony has released its update roadmap for Android Pie. The company is set to continue its tradition of being one of the first OEMs to send out major updates to its devices.

Ricci Rox, 20 Aug 2018 16:34

Pie is currently being tested on the Honor 10. (Source: GSMArena)

Huawei is working on its Android Pie updates

Huawei is supposedly testing the new Android Pie on four of its devices. The company is likely to rollout out the Android P-based EMUI 9 in the near future.

Ricci Rox, 19 Aug 2018 15:17

CI Games announces Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, launch scheduled for 2019 (Source: CI Games)

CI Games announces Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, launch set for 2019

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is the next game in the popular tactical shooter series by CI Games that has just been confirmed to arrive on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2019. This new title is set in the Siberian wilderness...

Codrut Nistor, 16 Aug 2018 23:43

The Google Pixelbook could be dual-booting Windows 10 soon. (Source: Google)

Chromebooks likely to get Windows dual-boot support, but it might not be feasible for many devices

Earlier this year code commits showed up in ChromeOS that showed Google was adding support for 'AltOS.' New commits now show that the alternative operating system is likely to be Windows 10, but feasibility for the average Chromeb...

Craig Ward, 16 Aug 2018 13:36

Google wants increased market coverage of enterprise data needs. (Source: Google)

Edge TPUs revealed as the future of AI for Google at Next 2018

Google is aiming to bring its Cloud platform and AI solutions to the forefront of enterprise-level computing. The company outlined its plans to do so at its relevant Next '18 event in San Francisco this year. The Edge TPU, which c...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Aug 2018 12:37

Linux seems to do a better job of scaling up to the Threadripper 2990WX's 32 cores. (Source: Engadget)

The AMD Threadripper 2990WX shows even higher numbers when benchmarked on Linux

Phoronix has done a performance comparison of the AMD Threadripper 2990WX in Windows 10 Pro and Linux and the results show Threadripper numbers significantly lower under Windows 10 Pro than in Linux. In some tests such as 7-Zip Co...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 14 Aug 2018 23:59

Microsoft has introduced a dark theme to File Explorer. (Source: Microsoft)

Go exploring in the dark: Windows 10 File Explorer gets a dark theme

Microsoft has finally added the long-missing dark theme for File Explorer. While Windows 10 and many 'modern' apps have support for a dark theme, legacy framework used in File Explorer made this a more difficult task.

Craig Ward, 14 Aug 2018 14:40

A team of researchers has found that it is possible to compromise a Mac during its initial boot. (Source: CGTrader)

Black Hat USA briefing indicates possible set-up exploits in enterprise-level Macs

Macs are more or less impervious to hacking, right? Not any more, according to two cybersecurity researchers during a briefing at the Black Hat USA Conference 2018. However, the attacks involved are difficult to achieve and need t...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Aug 2018 11:59

Android Pie coming to the HTC U11 series and the U12+, release date yet to be confirmed as of mid-August 2018

Android 9.0 Pie confirmed for the HTC U12+ and U11 series, launch date still unknown

Although the release date is not public yet, HTC has just confirmed that Android Pie will reach the U12+, U11+, U11, and U11 Life (Android One) handsets. The company also revealed that the timeframes will be announced in a timely ...

Codrut Nistor, 13 Aug 2018 17:58

Google's Project Zero was set up to research improved data security. (Source: SteemKR)

The head of Google's Project Zero sees no future for blockchain in security

Parisa Tabriz is a director of engineering and also leads Project Zero, a cybersecurity research core, at Google. Tabriz delivered the opening keynote at a recent conference in Las Vegas, in which she dismissed blockchain's potent...

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Aug 2018 15:55

PUBG Mobile Lite now available (Source: Google Play)

PUBG Mobile Lite 0.5.0 launches in some markets, others should follow soon

This light version of the PUBG Mobile game received an update to version 0.5.0 and now features a new sniper rifle, clans, and a new War Mode. Sadly, this title is still not available in many markets, although it made its debut on...

Codrut Nistor, 10 Aug 2018 23:25

Future Google phones will only feature a gesture-based navigation UI. (Source: Liliputing)

Android Pie gesture navigation will be a mandatory feature on the Pixel 3

Android 9 brings support for gesture-based navigation but current phones can choose to retain the conventional navigation buttons. While OEMs making Android One devices are still free to choose whatever navigation UI they deem fit...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 10 Aug 2018 09:24

Meltdown alongside Spectre was originally reported as a hardware level exploit on Intel CPUs (Source: meltdownattack.com)

Qualcomm CPUs have been shown to be unprotected against the Meltdown exploit, researchers say

Earlier this year two large security exploits known as Spectre and Meltdown were reported to exist on modern day CPUs. While Spectre has been confirmed to be exploitable on AMD, Intel, IBM, and ARM, it was previously believed only...

Matthew Connatser, 09 Aug 2018 19:43

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 failure has an Android Oreo update follow-up

Samsung did it again: Android Oreo for mid-range and budget phones delayed to 2019

A week ago, we heard that Samsung is pushing the Oreo update for the Galaxy A, J, and C handsets to December. Sadly, it can get even worse: the new Oreo roadmap says that most of those devices are scheduled to get Oreo — not Andro...

Codrut Nistor, 09 Aug 2018 16:40

Vivo X21 to get Android P later this year

Android Pie coming to Vivo handsets in Q4, X21 apparently the first on the list

Android 9.0 Pie has just arrived, and Vivo is one of the first brands to reveal its update plans. According to the Chinese company, its handsets will get the update in Q4 2018. Insiders familiar with the matter claim that the Vivo...

Codrut Nistor, 08 Aug 2018 22:35

Android 9.0 Pie is now being seeded to Pixel phones. (Source: Google)

Android 9.0 P is now officially Android Pie

Android 9 is now available for all Pixel phones and is officially being christened Android Pie. This is the initial release of the OS and some of the features announced during Google I/O such as a Digital Wellbeing dashboard, and ...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 06 Aug 2018 21:56

IT admins are clearly not happy with the quality of Windows 10's monthly updates. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft in denial about concerns regarding shoddy Windows 10 patches

Microsoft MVP Susan Bradley has written an open letter to top management at Microsoft about the quality of Windows 10 patches. She has also pointed to results of her survey of IT admins who are admittedly not very happy with shodd...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 05 Aug 2018 16:33

Contact number of the UIDAI was discovered in Indian Android phones. (Source India TV)

Google admits to 'inadvertently coding' Aadhaar helpline number in Indian Android phones

Smartphone users in India are reporting seeing an entry for a contact in their phonebook that purportedly belongs to a Government authority. The number apparently was added without users' consent and Google has now issued a clarif...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 05 Aug 2018 08:44

The Asus Zenfone 5Z. (Source: Gadgets360)

Asus Zenfone 5Z OTA update brings RAW support and other camera improvements

A new OTA update is rolling out to Asus Zenfone 5Z, which focuses on improving the camera capabilities of the smartphone. This update adds support for RAW capture, Panorama mode, and a host of other camera-related improvements, im...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 04 Aug 2018 20:41

Fortnite's Android app will only be available via Epic Games' site. (Image source: Epic Games)

Fortnite's Android port won't be available in the Google Play Store

Fortnite for Android is coming (eventually), but when it does, you won't be able to find it on the Google Play Store. Instead, Epic (the developer of the game) will distribute the APK on their own website in an effort to both re-e...

Sam Medley, 03 Aug 2018 22:03

Samsung Headquarters. (Source: Social Barrel)

Samsung Galaxy A, J, C devices may not be getting the Oreo update till December

Samsung may be the biggest smartphone brand in the world but the company's policy on software updates is far from the best. According to a notice sent to users of Galaxy devices, a number of Galaxy A, J, and C smartphones will not...

Ricci Rox, 03 Aug 2018 17:35

Armored Warfare launches today on Xbox One

Almost three years since its launch as a closed beta game for Windows PCs, Armored Warfare is finally available for Xbox consoles. The Xbox One version succeeds the PlayStation 4 variant by only a few months and joins World of Tan...

Codrut Nistor, 02 Aug 2018 19:10

Recommended GPUs for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth at 60 fps and High detail level (Source: NVIDIA)

You need the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 to play World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth in 1080p at 60 fps

Although World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is not going to bring any major changes in the graphics department, NVIDA recommends a GeForce GTX 1060 to fully enjoy the game in high detail and 60 frames per second at 1,920 x 1,08...

Codrut Nistor, 02 Aug 2018 16:00

The Oneplus 3 and 3T had the same chassis but slightly different internals. (Source: wikipedia)

OnePlus 3 and 3T will now not get 8.1 – but they will get 9.0

The 3 and 3T were the OnePlus flagships two years ago. Despite this, their manufacturer appears to have committed to update them to the latest version of Android. The phones currently run stock Oxygen OS (OOS) based on Oreo 8.0.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Aug 2018 14:25

Fortnite Mobile for Android now available for a limited number of devices, Xiaomi and HTC not included

Fortnite Mobile for Android lacks support for HTC and Xiaomi handsets, as well as most Nokia smartphones

Although Fortnite Mobile is still available only for iOS-powered devices, it looks like the launch of the Android variant is near. For now, we know that the list of supported handsets does not include quite a few popular brands, s...

Codrut Nistor, 30 Jul 2018 20:55

Ron Wyden wants all US Government sites to remove Adobe Flash content by next year. (Source: Fossbytes)

US Government agencies asked to stop using Adobe Flash

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has instructed Government agencies to come up with procedures to remove Adobe Flash from all US Government sites and PCs by August 1, 2019 citing Adobe's end of Flash support by end of 2020. This move is b...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 29 Jul 2018 19:33

Google has banned crypto mining apps from the Play Store. (Source: Google)

Google puts the kibosh on cryptocurrency apps in Play Store

Google has axed all cryptocurrency mining apps from the Google Play Store. Its updated developer policies have also banned that facilitate the sale of weapons and apps that appeal to children, but contain adult content.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 28 Jul 2018 13:18

Facebook Watch Party for Groups (Source: Facebook Newsroom)

Facebook Watch Party for Groups now available worldwide

The Watch Party feature for Facebook Groups has been tested over the last few months, and now it is finally available for all users of the notorious social network. Thanks to it, people within a group can watch a video together — ...

Codrut Nistor, 26 Jul 2018 17:15

Mixed Reality Flashlight will enable interaction with the outside world without taking out the headset. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft opens the Skip Ahead ring for Windows 10 19H1 update with focus on Windows Mixed Reality

Microsoft has re-opened the Skip Ahead ring for Windows Insiders with a new build from the 19H1 branch alongside a new Redstone 5 build for Fast Ring Insiders. These builds come with a new Mixed Reality Flashlight feature that all...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 26 Jul 2018 16:41

Huawei users can no longer download VLC from the Play Store. (Source: Google Play)

Huawei phones can no longer download VLC from the Google Play Store

The VideoLAN team has blocked Google Play Store access for the widely popular VLC app for newer Huawei phones alleging poor background task management. The aggressive power management in EMUI seems to abruptly stop background play...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 26 Jul 2018 10:50

Android Oreo robot, Android Oreo now at 12 percent of the market, late July 2018

Android Oreo hits 12 percent of the market, Nougat begins to drop

After more than a month without making the Android distribution numbers public, Google reveals that Oreo is finally above the 10 percent barrier — at 12.1 percent, to be accurate — while Nougat has begun to descend, dropping by ju...

Codrut Nistor, 25 Jul 2018 20:25

Steam gets an all-new chat system for both the Steam Client and web browsers

The new stable Steam Client for Windows, Linux, and Mac brings an all-new chat feature that is also available for web browsers, GPU acceleration in web views by default, support for the PlayStation 3 controller, 15 Xbox controller...

Codrut Nistor, 25 Jul 2018 17:25

A supplemental update to address throttling issues is now available. (Source: Apple)

Apple issues software fix to address thermal throttling in new MacBook Pro

Apple has issued a supplemental update to macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 that addresses the throttling issues exhibited by the 2018 MacBook Pro. Those who have installed the update report that they are seeing improved performance in th...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 25 Jul 2018 11:05

Cloud revenue was attributed as playing a key role in Microsoft's strong fourth quarter results. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft passes US$100 billion yearly revenue and posts impressive fourth quarter results on strong cloud performance

Microsoft has released a strong set of financial results for the fourth quarter of the 2017/2018 financial year and equally impressive results for the full fiscal 2017/2018 year. Growth was strongest in cloud services (matching th...

Craig Ward, 24 Jul 2018 10:56

Snapcash being used for a different purpose than intended, shutting down August 30, 2018

Snapchat will shut down its peer-to-peer payment service Snapcash on August 30

Introduced back in November 2014 as the result of Snapchat's collaboration with Square, Snapcash ended up as a payment service mainly used for trading adult-oriented content online, far from the initial goal of allowing friends an...

Codrut Nistor, 23 Jul 2018 13:10

Ubuntu 17.10 has reached its End of Life on July 19, 2018

Ubuntu 17.10 is no longer supported

Those who are still using Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" should now update to the version 18.04 (nicknamed "Bionic Beaver") of this popular Linux distribution. Ubuntu 17.10 arrived on October 19, 2017, and it only received 9 month...

Codrut Nistor, 23 Jul 2018 10:35

The Huawei P20 Pro's AI will decide the winner of the 'Spark A Renaissance' contest.

Huawei's 'Spark A Renaissance' photography competition has an AI judge

Huawei has launched a photography contest that uses an AI judge and a Leica pro photographer to decide the winner. Photographers need to submit their photos to the 'Spark A Renaissance' competition based on 5 different themes and ...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 22 Jul 2018 17:02

Total War: Rome II - Rise of the Republic up for pre-order (Source: Steam)

Total War: Rome II - Rise of the Republic now up for pre-order

The upcoming expansion for Creative Assembly's Total War: Rome II is called "Rise of the Republic" and will launch in early August as a full prequel campaign for the game. This US$16.99 pack comes with a full map of Italy — includ...

Codrut Nistor, 20 Jul 2018 23:59

Microsoft adds Gaming and Modern Life to its core digital solutions. (Source: ZDNet / Microsoft)

Microsoft looks to win back consumers with its vision for 'Modern Life Services'

At the Inspire partner show this week, Microsoft executives talked about plans to bring back consumers into their fold with the inclusion of Gaming and Modern Life under the Modern Life Services umbrella in Microsoft's core digita...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 19 Jul 2018 23:55

Siri co-founder Tom Gruber bids adieu to Apple. (Source: Tom Gruber.org)

Tom Gruber, the last of the Siri co-founders, leaves Apple

The last of Siri's co-founders, Tom Gruber, has announced his retirement from Apple. Siri was acquired by Apple in 2010 but two of its founders left in the succeeding years. The news comes in the wake of Apple recently appointing ...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 19 Jul 2018 16:31

Apex Launcher 4.0 update negative feedback (Source: Google Play)

Apex Launcher 4.0 is a complete mess

Once a very popular Android launcher, Apex Launch has just become an example of how not to do things for the developers of such apps. The latest update reduced the number of settings available, and some of those that have not been...

Codrut Nistor, 19 Jul 2018 15:40

Sea of Thieves Cursed Sails free update coming July 31

Sea of Thieves will get skeleton ships at the end of the month

The upcoming free campaign and content update for Sea of Thieves is called "Cursed Sails" and will go live on July 31. The three-week campaign will bring skeleton ships to challenge players on the seas and bring terror to outposts...

Codrut Nistor, 19 Jul 2018 12:35

World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth pre-patch now available (Source: Blizzard Entertainment)

World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth pre-patch now rolling out

Although the new story content will be playable starting on July 25 and the Battle of Azeroth update is set to arrive on August 14, the pre-patch can be downloaded already. World of Warcraft 8.0.1 comes with multiple changes, incl...

Codrut Nistor, 18 Jul 2018 19:55

Eat Electric Death! Tempest 4000 arcade shooter now available (Source: ATARI)

Tempest 4000 brings old-school arcade fun to Windows PCs and consoles

ATARI's classic arcade game Tempest that was released in October 1981 is making a return as Eat Electric Death! Tempest 4000 with new features and 4K graphics. This title is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC...

Codrut Nistor, 18 Jul 2018 14:20

Android 8.1 Oreo finally available for the Xiaomi Mi A1 in Europe

Although the Android 8.1 Oreo update for the Xiaomi Mi A1 started to roll out last month, it was quickly stopped after the discovery of an SMS bug. Back then, most markets did not even receive it, so now it is the first time for m...

Codrut Nistor, 18 Jul 2018 11:05

Software

WhatsApp backups will no longer take up Google cloud storage

The Nokia 7 Plus will get Android 9.0 Pie stable in September

Minecraft: Education Edition coming to iPads next month

OnePlus 6: New Chinese-variant ROM release suggests official Pie on the way soon

Gamescom 2018 | Alienware 15 R4 and 17 R5 refreshed with per-key RGB lighting and new Command Center software

Sony releases Android Pie update roadmap

Huawei is working on its Android Pie updates

CI Games announces Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, launch set for 2019

Chromebooks likely to get Windows dual-boot support, but it might not be feasible for many devices

Edge TPUs revealed as the future of AI for Google at Next 2018

The AMD Threadripper 2990WX shows even higher numbers when benchmarked on Linux

Go exploring in the dark: Windows 10 File Explorer gets a dark theme

Black Hat USA briefing indicates possible set-up exploits in enterprise-level Macs

Android 9.0 Pie confirmed for the HTC U12+ and U11 series, launch date still unknown

The head of Google's Project Zero sees no future for blockchain in security

PUBG Mobile Lite 0.5.0 launches in some markets, others should follow soon

Android Pie gesture navigation will be a mandatory feature on the Pixel 3

Qualcomm CPUs have been shown to be unprotected against the Meltdown exploit, researchers say

Samsung did it again: Android Oreo for mid-range and budget phones delayed to 2019

Android Pie coming to Vivo handsets in Q4, X21 apparently the first on the list

Android 9.0 P is now officially Android Pie

Microsoft in denial about concerns regarding shoddy Windows 10 patches

Google admits to 'inadvertently coding' Aadhaar helpline number in Indian Android phones

Asus Zenfone 5Z OTA update brings RAW support and other camera improvements

Fortnite's Android port won't be available in the Google Play Store

Samsung Galaxy A, J, C devices may not be getting the Oreo update till December

Armored Warfare launches today on Xbox One

You need the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 to play World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth in 1080p at 60 fps

OnePlus 3 and 3T will now not get 8.1 – but they will get 9.0

Fortnite Mobile for Android lacks support for HTC and Xiaomi handsets, as well as most Nokia smartphones

US Government agencies asked to stop using Adobe Flash

Google puts the kibosh on cryptocurrency apps in Play Store

Facebook Watch Party for Groups now available worldwide

Microsoft opens the Skip Ahead ring for Windows 10 19H1 update with focus on Windows Mixed Reality

Huawei phones can no longer download VLC from the Google Play Store

Android Oreo hits 12 percent of the market, Nougat begins to drop

Steam gets an all-new chat system for both the Steam Client and web browsers

Apple issues software fix to address thermal throttling in new MacBook Pro

Microsoft passes US$100 billion yearly revenue and posts impressive fourth quarter results on strong cloud performance

Snapchat will shut down its peer-to-peer payment service Snapcash on August 30

Ubuntu 17.10 is no longer supported

Huawei's 'Spark A Renaissance' photography competition has an AI judge

Total War: Rome II - Rise of the Republic now up for pre-order

Microsoft looks to win back consumers with its vision for 'Modern Life Services'

Tom Gruber, the last of the Siri co-founders, leaves Apple

Apex Launcher 4.0 is a complete mess

Sea of Thieves will get skeleton ships at the end of the month

World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth pre-patch now rolling out

Tempest 4000 brings old-school arcade fun to Windows PCs and consoles

Android 8.1 Oreo finally available for the Xiaomi Mi A1 in Europe

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