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iOS 9 was released in 2015 and is found on millions of devices. (Source: Apple)

Apple in damage-limiting exercise over code leak

Leaked code for the iBoot section of iOS 9 was uploaded to GitHub this week, leading to concerns that the software may have fallen into the wrong hands. Apple has already made maneuvers to try to limit the damage caused, but the c...

Daniel R Deakin, 09 Feb 2018 19:11

Apple iPhone 6 and 7 to get more battery settings in iOS 11.3

New beta of iOS 11.3 allows you to disable battery performance throttling

Thanks to the Battery Health settings that appeared in the latest beta, owners of iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 handsets will be able to disable performance throttling and to keep their devices running at full speed. However, iOS 11.3 has...

Codrut Nistor, 07 Feb 2018 18:45

Apple reduced the price for replacement batteries. (Source: BGR)

Apple may offer battery rebate in regard to Batterygate controversy

In a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee chairman, Apple has hinted at possibly offering a rebate to customers who bought replacement batteries at full price because of the "Batterygate" controversy. Apple reduced battery pric...

Daniel R Deakin, 07 Feb 2018 17:24

ADB.Miner worm global infection map (Source: 360 Netlab Blog)

ADB.Miner worm turns your Android device into a mining rig

Although it quickly infected a few thousand devices worldwide, the spread of the cryptocurrency mining malware ADB.Miner seems to be quite limited at this time. However, there is still time for this piece of code to become a serio...

Codrut Nistor, 07 Feb 2018 16:35

Loose screws: Partial recall of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017

The Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo has issued a partial recall of its flagship ThinkPad today. The reason for this recall: A potentially loose screw, which might damage the battery.

Benjamin Herzig, 06 Feb 2018 15:04

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 display flickering (Source: George Visvikis)

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 flickering screen? Ice it down

While the Surface Book had screen flickering issues that were solved with a software update, this time the Surface Pro 4 seems to be facing a classic case of overheating-induced flickering. Although it might not be a good solution...

Codrut Nistor, 02 Feb 2018 22:43

Oukitel's U18 is a courageous copycat of the iPhone X, complete with a "notched-display."

Are you an Android user wishes your phone had a huge notch in the display, a la the iPhone X? Chinese OEM Oukitel has you covered. Their new U18, available for pre-order today, is a USD $159 Android alternative to Apple's flagship...

Sam Medley, 02 Feb 2018 00:43

Qualcomm headquarters. (Source: recode.net)

European Union fines Qualcomm EU€997 million (US$1.2 billion) for anti-competitive practices

Qualcomm is facing a EU€997 million (US$1.2 billion) fine from the European Union for anti-competitive practices based around a five year contract (2011 - 2016) with Apple which imposed a financial penalty if Apple sourced 4G LTE ...

Craig Ward, 25 Jan 2018 18:04

The Pebble is going out in a (Fitbit) Blaze of glory.

Fitbit will "show Pebblers love" by killing off support for the Pebble this summer

Fitbit, which acquired the Pebble brand in 2016, has announced that they will support the Pebble smartwatch line until June 20th, 2018. In other words, support for Pebble services and devices will end on June 30th of this year, ma...

Sam Medley, 25 Jan 2018 16:01

Image: OnePlus (w/ edits by article author)

Up to 40,000 OnePlus customers may have had their credit card information stolen

The darling of the mobile phone enthusiast community is in hot water once again. Less than a week after it was discovered that OnePlus was sending user data to servers in China without permission, the Chinese OEM's merchant platfo...

Sam Medley, 19 Jan 2018 21:38

Spectre variant 2 got AMD involved in the double class action suit. (Source: Google)

AMD hit by double class action suit over Spectre vulnerabilites

Rosen and Pomerantz law firms representing AMDs investors claim that the processor maker had prior knowledge about the Spectre variant 2 vulnerability. Investors are also claiming that the stock prices have dropped upon the releas...

Bogdan Solca, 18 Jan 2018 16:13

It's been a crazy month for Bitcoin owners. (Image: CryptoCompare)

BTC dives under USD $10,000 for first time since December, loses 50% over the past 30 days

Bitcoin has proved that it's not for the faint of heart this week. At one point today, BTC swooped down 10% for the day and hit a 35% loss for the week. Just in today's trading, BTC has seen losses and gains between 10% on each si...

Sam Medley, 17 Jan 2018 23:49

The new AMT hack can bypass all known security measures. (Source: Anandtech)

Gone in 30 seconds: New Intel AMT exploit is scarier than you can ever fathom

F-Secure's security researchers discovered another flaw in Intel's Active Management Technology (AMT) that a hacker can potentially misuse to gain remote access to a system.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 14 Jan 2018 14:54

'Haswell' CPU owners are getting increased security at the expense of reliability. (Source: Overclock3D)

Intel 'Haswell' and 'Broadwell' CPU users complain of higher system reboots after applying Meltdown and Spectre patches

Users of older generation 'Haswell' and 'Broadwell' Intel CPUs are reporting of constant reboots after applying patches to address the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities. Intel is looking at issuing a revised firmware to address...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 14 Jan 2018 13:05

The Nokia 8's camera belongs in 2015, DxOMark report reveals

The Nokia 8 made its way to DxOMark over the week, with the first-gen HMD flagship registering camera scores that wouldn't look out of place on a device straight out of 2015.

Ricci Rox, 13 Jan 2018 20:57

Meltdown and Spectre threats could also hit Chromebooks with the exception of those with ARM processors

Meltdown and Spectre patches not coming to older Chromebooks

Although some ARM-driven Chromebooks do not need patching, there are also a few Chrome OS-powered notebooks that will not get any sort of protection from Meltdown and Spectre, including the Acer C7 and the Samsung Chromebook 5.

Codrut Nistor, 12 Jan 2018 19:47

OnePlus caught swiping user data again, only this time also sending it to China-controlled servers

OnePlus has been caught manhandling user data again, with a OnePlus 3T user on the OnePlus forums showing proof of his clipboard app sending data to an Alibaba-controlled server.

Ricci Rox, 11 Jan 2018 15:52

CES 2018 | The eOneBook is an expensive dual-E ink display device that can only be used to read one manga

Do you have $300 burning a hole in your pocket and really like the manga Fist of the North Star? The eOneBook by Progress Technologies may be the device for you. Featuring two E ink displays that fold out like a book, the device c...

Sam Medley, 10 Jan 2018 23:53

Huawei Mate 10 Pro Android phablet no longer coming to AT&T

No Huawei phones coming to AT&T after all

Although February is not here yet and the situation might change until then, unconfirmed rumors claim that Huawei and AT&T's deal is off and the two brands will no longer team up as expected.

Codrut Nistor, 09 Jan 2018 20:10

Microsoft blames the security update bricking systems on AMD. (Source: basstechintl)

Microsoft's Meltdown and Spectre security updates have been bricking AMD machines

Microsoft has halted some security updates for AMD-powered computers due to said updates apparently bricking people's machines. Microsoft blames inaccurate documentation provided by AMD.

Douglas Black, 09 Jan 2018 11:15

Product lines which include affected units. (Source: HP)

Charred and melted: HP issues a battery recall for some models

HP has issued a battery recall that covers 15 models using a specific battery supplier. A utility has been provided to verify if yours is at risk and HP is providing free battery replacements at authorised repair centers.

Craig Ward, 05 Jan 2018 23:52

Users reporting DirectX 9 issues with Radeon Adrenaline software, AMD doesn't seem to care (Image source: AMD)

Update | Users reporting DirectX 9 issues with Radeon Adrenaline, AMD doesn't seem to care

AMD's latest graphics driver software has introduced fatal conflicts with a number of classic DX9 titles. The games have been deemed "too old" for AMD to address.

Allen Ngo, 02 Jan 2018 09:34

WhatsApp had a brief outage at the dawn of the New Year. (Source: VentureBeat)

WhatsApp outages greet users in the New Year

WhatsApp went down in many parts of the world on the occasion of New Year much to the dismay of users. The outage, however, was quickly resolved and the service is now back online.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 01 Jan 2018 07:56

Xiaomi Mi A1 with Android Oreo update, software details

Xiaomi Mi A1 gets Android Oreo as promised

After a short time spent as a beta release, Android Oreo is now rolling out to Xiaomi Mi A1 handsets across the globe. Unfortunately, it also carries a minor bug that makes the Phone app shortcut disappear from the home screen, bu...

Codrut Nistor, 31 Dec 2017 12:15

Apple had a lot of explaining to do after the recent reports of iPhone slowdowns. (Source: Steemit)

HTC and Motorola say slowing down older phones is not their cup of tea

In emails to The Verge, HTC and Motorola have clarified that they do not slow down phones as the batteries start wearing out. This comes in the wake of Apple's now controversial policy of slowing down phones with ageing batteries.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 29 Dec 2017 12:45

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Android phablet battery drain bricked units problems late 2017

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 facing serious problems

According to multiple Galaxy Note 8 users, their high-end phablets simply died after the battery ran out, refusing to charge and boot up. For now, Samsung is investigating the problem and advises all those affected to contact its ...

Codrut Nistor, 28 Dec 2017 12:32

Downloads for the desktop version of Ubuntu 17.10 have been temporarily stalled. (Source: OMG! Ubuntu)

Ubuntu 17.10 'Artful Aardvark' burrows into PC BIOSs causing boot issues

The latest Ubuntu release has a bug in the Intel SPI driver in the Linux kernel that seems to be corrupting UEFI firmware on certain Lenovo and Acer laptops leaving users with no options to change UEFI settings or select an altern...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 28 Dec 2017 09:14

If user benchmarks are correct, then Apple might be throttling CPU speed on older iPhones to preserve battery life. (Source: Pixabay)

UPDATE | More evidence of Apple throttling the CPU in iPhones with worn batteries

More users of older iPhones are now claiming an improvement in performance after a battery replacement. One posted a couple of screenshots on Twitter showing the CPU being underclocked to less than half of its stock speed before r...

Craig Ward, 21 Dec 2017 13:17

Mozilla in hot water after installing a browser add-on for some users without their permission

Some Firefox users recently found an unwarranted add-on installed in their browsers. The add-on, which is a page tool tied to the popular online show "Mr. Robot," was installed for some users that are a part of Mozilla's Studies p...

Sam Medley, 18 Dec 2017 06:08

Your iPhone could slow down due to an ageing battery. (Source: User TeckFire on Reddit)

Apple allegedly throttling older iPhones with degraded batteries

A user on Reddit has posted potential evidence that Apple could be throttling older iPhones relative to the output battery voltage to prevent them from drawing too much power. Although this is not the first instance of throttling ...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 11 Dec 2017 17:55

Pre-installed keylogger found in 460 HP laptop models in December 2017 (Source: Dash Force News)

More than 460 HP laptop models come with a pre-installed keylogger

Although this is not the first time it happens this year, HP has been caught red-handed once again. This time, the keylogger has been found in the Synaptics touchpad driver that ships with more than 460 HP notebook models.

Codrut Nistor, 11 Dec 2017 09:45

You can no longer use Bitcoin to buy games on Steam (and with good reason)

Due to the high volatility and growing transaction fees associated with Bitcoin, Valve is no longer accepting the cryptocurrency as a payment method for purchases made on Steam. This decision sheds some light on the economic ramif...

Sam Medley, 07 Dec 2017 16:16

Image: BLU Twitter (highlighting added by news editor)

BLU releases software fix for bricked Life One X2 phones, but it may not work for everyone

BLU has released a fix for the phone-bricking OTA update they issued last week. While many users are reporting success, some customers will be left out to dry. Affected users are understandably upset at the latest misstep by BLU.

Sam Medley, 05 Dec 2017 17:03

Huawei Mate 10 Pro teardown (Source: iFixIt)

Huawei Mate 10 Pro gets a 4/10 from iFixIt

The teardown of the Huawei 10 Pro by iFixIt revealed that replacing the display involves the removal of almost every component, and fixing the front camera requires switching the whole display, including its frame.

Codrut Nistor, 05 Dec 2017 14:55

BLU Life One X3 with MediaTek MT6753 (Source: BLU Products)

BLU Life One X3 silently debuts with a 5,000 mAh battery onboard

While many users with bricked phones are still waiting for an official solution to their problem, BLU Products forgets about the mayhem caused by its latest OTA update and silently intros the Life One X3 mid-ranger.

Codrut Nistor, 04 Dec 2017 17:50

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 "Deep Sea Blue" Android flagship (Source: Samsung)

There is no such thing as a "Microsoft Edition" Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8

Although the so-called "Microsoft Edition" Galaxy S8 has been available in the Microsoft Store for a few months, Samsung finally decided to let the world know that these flagships sold by the Redmond giant's store are not special ...

Codrut Nistor, 01 Dec 2017 23:10

Lock screen advertising on Android (Source: Android Police)

Google Play removes most apps with lock screen ads

A few years after removing apps that showed ads as push notifications, Google takes one more step in the right direction and forbids apps that display ads in the device's lock screen from being distributed via Google Play.

Codrut Nistor, 30 Nov 2017 23:59

System76 to disable Intel Management Engine on its notebooks

While Intel is working with the big brands to patch the major security holes recently discovered in its Management Engine firmware, System76 plans to take it all to the next level by disabling IME entirely via a firmware update.

Codrut Nistor, 30 Nov 2017 23:45

Skyforge MMORPG now available on Xbox One (Source: My.com)

Skyforge now available on Xbox One

After five years in development, Skyforge entered the open beta stage in early 2015. This free-to-play MMORPG was released for PlayStation 4 in April, and now the time has finally arrived for the Xbox One console to get it as well...

Codrut Nistor, 30 Nov 2017 11:05

Samsung Galaxy S8 Android flagship has camera focus problems

Shake your Samsung Galaxy S8 to help its camera focus properly

As strange as it may seem, Samsung recommends a "gentle tap to the back" or "a small shake" of their Galaxy S8 to those who complain that their phone's main camera is taking blurry photos and has problems focusing.

Codrut Nistor, 29 Nov 2017 22:50

BLU Products releases phone-bricking OTA update

The latest OTA update for the phones of the popular US-based BLU Products apparently managed to brick a lot of phones and a lot of people are (very) angry about it. Sadly, there is no official solution for this problem that does n...

Codrut Nistor, 29 Nov 2017 12:58

They may take everything but never our freedom. Never our right to choose.

The fight for Net Neutrality is on...you should take action today

The US Federal Communications Commission is set to cast a vote that will repeal the Net Neutrality laws that keep the Internet fun for everyone. American or not, it's time you had a say in this matter. Let your voice be heard toda...

Ricci Rox, 26 Nov 2017 10:19

A new set of Intel Management Engine vulnerabilities confirmed

Not long after a few security research groups discovered new vulnerabilities in the Intel Management Engine remote administration subsystem, the chipmaker confirmed these issues in a new security advisory that also lists other bug...

Codrut Nistor, 21 Nov 2017 14:10

Surface Book 2 suffering from performance throttling, charging issues, and heavy ghosting

Surface Book 2 suffers from performance throttling, charging abnormalities, and slower response times

Though a visual delight, the new Surface Book isn't doing anything to buck the trend of notorious hardware headaches that has become the norm across the Surface lineup.

Allen Ngo, 18 Nov 2017 21:05

Yet another Android exploit. (Source: Pixabay)

New Android security flaw allows screen recording without direct user permission

A security research firm has revealed an Android exploit which allows a rogue application to record all on-screen activity without the user's permission. This has been fixed in Android 8, but users on older versions are still vuln...

Craig Ward, 18 Nov 2017 19:16

Smartwatches targetted at children, like the VTech Kidizoom, are now banned in Germany. (Image: VTech)

Germany bans smartwatches marketed at children

Children's smartwatches have been found to have glaring security holes, some of which can present a serious threat to the safety of the children that wear them. These security issues, along with privacy concerns, have led German o...

Sam Medley, 18 Nov 2017 04:09

The mask that turned Face ID into Farce ID (Source: Bkav Corp on YouTube)

Face ID tricked using a mask

A Vietnamese security firm managed to trick Apple's Face ID into unlocking the new iPhone X with the help of a custom mask that was created for a cost of around US$150. Perfecting the whole process took them about a week.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Nov 2017 18:25

Saygus V Squared crowdfunded Android smartphone (Source: FCC)

Saygus V Squared surfaces online once again

Back in August, the Saygus team revealed that the long-awaited V Squared flagship had finally reached the FCC. It took "just" a few months to get the agency's certifications, but at least now we know that this phone is not vaporwa...

Codrut Nistor, 08 Nov 2017 12:55

IDC analytics point to 3-year decline in tablet sales

Marking the twelfth straight quarter of year-over-year decline, the third quarter of 2017 saw the tablet market slump 5.4%. Despite a bump in sales growth from 4 of the top 5 tablet retailers, the market as a whole continues its d...

Sam Medley, 06 Nov 2017 21:15