Sci-tech / 161

FaceTime bug lets you eavesdrop on your iPhone contacts

January 29, 2019

At the moment, there is no sure way to protect oneself against the loophole that was caused by the bug other than disabling the FaceTime feature on iPhone and Mac . Natalie Silvanovich, a Google Project Zero security researcher who has discovered numerous FaceTime issues in the past, has a theory as to how this could be happening.

Apple Might Be Making a Video Game Streaming Service

January 29, 2019

Apple's own video streaming service has been rumored for quite some time now. Apple has stopped short of making their own modern video game machine, instead depending on their already-popular devices and third-party controllers. But the long-rumored Apple vehicle seems all but dead. Now Apple could be hoping we'll do the same for games, according to a report from Cheddar .

Samsung ditches plastic packaging for more sustainable materials

January 28, 2019

First of, it will replace the plastic holder trays - which layer the phone, instructions, and accessories within the outer box - with a pulp mold instead. The company, by 2020, will use fiber materials certified by global environmental organizations for packaging and manuals. The company said it will start using sustainable materials for packaging starting this year.

Nokia is finally bringing its phones to carriers in the U.S

January 28, 2019

Under these deals, HMD will offer Nokia phones in the USA and Canada directly through carriers, kicking things off with the Nokia 3 .1 Plus for Cricket and Nokia 2 V for Verizon. There's now no word on how much it'll cost, but looking at the specs, we have to imagine it'll be a fair amount less. While this version of the phone isn't an Android One model, it will arrive running Android 9 Pie .

Nokia 9 PureView with 5-lens camera could launch in February

January 28, 2019

It has been reported that the company is planning to bring one entry-level smartphone along with the Nokia 9 .it will be the successor of the Nokia 1 and will be called Nokia 1 Plus . The leaked renders then reveal that the Nokia 1 Plus will come with a very basic design with a single rear and front camera, thick bezels on the front and more.

Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20: Everything you need to know

January 28, 2019

On the camera front, the M10 features dual cameras with ultra wide angle lens, wherein the primary sensor is a 13MP Samsung's S5K3L2 sensor with an aperture of f/1.9. The Samsung Galaxy M10 has 16GB and 32GB of internal storage options, both of which are expandable via microSD card (up to 512GB). The souped-up M20 is still a budget handset, with the 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage variant tagged at just $155, while the top-end 4GB RAM/64GB model is $180, and that sub-$200 pricing for ...

DeepMind’s AI Beats Professional Starcraft II Players

January 28, 2019

While gaming enthusiasts are bound to talk about these matched for a while, DeepMind's goal was not to see if an AI could beat a human during a video game - the matches were used as a way to chisel out AI training methods a bit more and the researchers used reinforcement learning to train AlphaStar .

Overwatch Year of the Pig is live; Go WHOLE Hog

January 28, 2019

In addition to the skins, Overwatch players are able to enjoy a festive Capture-the-Flag version of Busan, as well as previous Lunar New Year maps for Ayutthaya and Lijang Tower. With the new changes, this has now been reduced to three points of damager per shot. His Reaping ability that lets him steal health as he does damage has been bumped up from 30 percent to 50 percent.

The internet figured out Google I/O 2019 will kick off 7 May

January 27, 2019

Before this event was moved to California, it held in San Francisco for a couple of years. So, the company might make announcements related to the future of Duplex and when consumers can expect the service in their part of the world. Normally, the Google I/O puzzle takes a while longer to decipher. Like every other year, Google plays fun tricks and send puzzles for people to find out the date and place of the Google I/O developer conference.

New updates include free gold for players

January 27, 2019

As thanks to the beta players who have stuck with the early build of the multiplayer mode and helped them trouble shoot problems, Rockstar is offering a bonus to any players who log on between January 25 and January 27. If you previously had issues finding folks to play with, Rockstar encourages you to try it this weekend to see if the experience has changed. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Google Chrome browser update may kill ad blockers soon

January 26, 2019

Requests can be modified in-flight to change how the browser behaves in a wide variety of scenarios. So, this API will now be able to only read, and not modify, network requests. It essentially allows the extension to monitor, analyze and block web traffic. Google Chrome's previous versions have focused on improving experience by removing bad ads.

Google ‘Coral’ With Android Q, Snapdragon 855, 6GB RAM Visits Geekbench

January 26, 2019

Always according to what is derived from the code of Android Q , it seems that Google expects that smartphones will adopt specific hardware to support this functionality and the face can be used not only to unlock the phone but also to authorize purchases or access applications.

Redmi Note 7 will come in India to turn your head around

January 26, 2019

Last week, Xiaomi confirmed that the brand would soon update the Redmi Note 7 with the Super Night Scene mode . In an upside down tweet, Manu Kumar Jain shared a photo holding the Redmi Note 7 with Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun. It features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D curved glass. The leaked specifications reveal that the Redmi Go will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 425 SoC which will be paired with 1 GB RAM .

Apple's iOS 12.2 reveals that AirPods 2 are on the way

January 26, 2019

Apple's current AirPods have performed very well at leading retailers since their release in 2016. DigiTimes predicts that wearable devices such as the AirPods will continue to see growth in 2019, potentially making the release of a new range highly profitable for Apple.

Microsoft Office 365 Outage Reported For Some Users

January 26, 2019

With Office for Mac, Microsoft is doing more than merely bringing its popular apps to the Mac App Store. Home offers Microsoft's apps for six users. If this Mac App Store ad wasn't enough, Microsoft also recently published a support page to explain how to activate the apps on macOS Mojave . Initially on Thursday morning, the Microsoft 365 Status Twitter account posted that Microsoft was "investigating an issue where users can't access their mailboxes through multiple protocols".

PUBG Lite Open Beta Kicks Off Today

January 26, 2019

While this is no big deal for gamers who have access to a powerful computer with dedicated gaming hardware and lots of money, it is out of reach for many who don't have access to both. The Squad mode is also there where one can team up with three other players. The current paid version of PUBG was released in early 2017 by the subsidiary of a South Korean company called Bluehole.

Anthem VIP Demo Servers Are Having Issues; Other EA Games Now Impacted

January 26, 2019

You might be sitting tight anyway if you aren't part of the VIP launch: in which case just hope all of this is handled by February 1, when the public demo goes live. We'll keep you posted as more information is released. BioWare has previously explained how the Anthem demo differs from the final game , including tutorials, balance and bug fixes.

LG teases touchless interface for upcoming smartphone

January 26, 2019

In the video , the focus is on gestures; a wave of a hand from left to right over a piece of paper makes the words " Goodbye Touch " appear. So far, LG has kept the details of its upcoming event underwraps. Here touchless interface means, user, can control the functionality of this phone via Gestures without touching the screen. Along with the eighth edition of the G series phone, LG is rumored to introduce a dual display smartphone that has a second display attached to the rear of the ...

HMD Global reveals its Pie Update timeline for Nokia smartphones

January 26, 2019

What do you think about Nokia's roadmap for Android Pie update? Last year, HMD Global announced that they'd update all of their eligible devices with Android Pie, and the company has kept their word so far. Four other devices, that is, the Nokia 6 , Nokia 5 .1, Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1 are slated to receive the Pie update in Q1 2019. As noted, the Nokia 5 and Nokia 3.1 Plus will get the update this month, while the Nokia 6, Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1 will get ...

Motorola's website leaks all of the Moto G7 phones

January 26, 2019

That's the worldwide lineup, so the USA may not get all four. All of the phones mostly feature the same specs, save for lower-resolution displays on the Moto G7 Play and Power , the huge 5,000mAh battery in the Moto G7 Power , and the slightly-beefier Snapdragon 636 and 16MP primary rear camera on the Moto G7 Plus .

Honor View 20 global launch today: How to watch livestream, timings

January 26, 2019

While specifications of the phone are already known, we now have some fresh information regarding the Honor View 20's Indian price. Honor View 20 is able to simultaneously receive GPS signals from two GPS systems to locate where you are.

Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition: Specs, Features

January 26, 2019

The Heritage Edition has a couple of concessions to improve off-road ability: the side steps have been omitted to improve clearance, and those mode-specific bronze alloy wheels are 18-inch forged units from BBs instead of the oversized rims many manufacturers would fit to special models.

Nintendo throws out Metroid Prime 4 work, restarts with Retro Studios

January 26, 2019

Nintendo announced some disappointing news this morning: it will completely restart development on Metroid Prime 4 this month after the current version of the game "failed to meet its expectations". Retro's latest game was Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze for Nintendo Switch . Samus didn't appear in a game of her own again until 2002's Metroid Prime .

Facebook set to integrate WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger

January 26, 2019

Cross-platform messaging would be a real boon for all three services, and could also help Facebook better monetize the apps. Work to reconfigure the messaging functionality is expected to be complete by the end of the year or in early 2020.

Galaxy S10 leaks reveal radical 'hole punch' camera and bezel-less screen

January 25, 2019

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2019) comes with a triple-lens rear camera setup along with a 24MP camera in the front for selfies. Litecoin's latest Medium post and leaked images on Twitter have substantiated the rumours that Samsung's upcoming new smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S10 , will feature a built-in cryptocurrency wallet.

Apple dismisses over 200 staff from autonomous vehicle group

January 25, 2019

Field, who was previously employed at Apple from 2008 to 2013 as a vice president of hardware engineering, wasn't the only talent the tech giant poached from Tesla previous year. Apple has dismissed a significant number of employees from its autonomous vehicle group, Project Titan . An Apple spokesperson explained that, "We have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems and associated technologies at Apple".

Kingdom Hearts 3 Pre-Load Available for PS4

January 25, 2019

Kingdom Hearts 3 pre-load went live for PlayStation 4 users who pre-ordered the game digitally, though the game won't be officially released until January 29. As the main weapon used by the main character, Sora, Keyblades are an integral part of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. However, it also wouldn't have been surprising if the Kingdom Hearts 3 Sora voice did change since it's been almost 17 years since the launch of the first game in the series.

Farming Simulator goes esports with a €250,000 pro league

January 25, 2019

Farming Simulator has announced a new full-on European esports league - yes, Farming Simulator - with a total prize pot of €250,000 (around £220,000, $280,000, or AU$400,000). Instead of competing in bale stacking, players will compete in a three-vs-three mode that has teams challenge each other in various farming-related activities.

Apple May Ditch LCD After iPhone XR Slump

January 25, 2019

While we're expecting this year's lineup of iPhones to include at least one LCD model, 2020 may end up being the year Apple ditches those displays for good. A new report from the Wall Street Journal claims that Apple is considering going all OLED for 2020's iPhone lineup. Apple in 2017 made a bold move by introducing the Apple iPhone X, which was not only bezel-less by design but used Samsung's AMOLED panel.

Microsoft's Edge browser now warns you when you're reading fake news

January 25, 2019

The feature can be activated by visiting Settings News rating Display rating address bar . Voila! You don't have to get into the messy business of making editorial calls about what's fake news and what isn't - potentially pissing off big swaths of your user base - if you just tamp down the reach of everything that's not a personal Facebook account.

Nintendo Switch destroyed PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sales

January 25, 2019

The latest mod is still a work in progress but NyxTheShield is putting together a pretty sweet project to make the latest game a little more in line with Super Smash Bros . Ultimate became the fifth best-selling game of 2018 in the U.S. That's staggering - more so when you consider, as NPD pointed out in its report, that the figure does not include download sales, but it's being matched up against figures that do take them into account.

Anthem Launches In A Month, Here Are Some Demo Dates

January 25, 2019

Players can invite up to three of their friends to join them with friend passes. If you're in the market for a new loot-gathering obsession and you're partial to jetpacks and exosuits and seeing damage numbers fly off the screen, you'll want to maximize your time.

Samsung Gear S3 gets big update

January 25, 2019

The existing workouts are listed by default, but you'll be able customise the list to display the exercises of your choice. The Quick Panel settings can now be customized with new options such as Bluetooth and Find My Phone . Samsung rarely provides software updates for its market-leading smartphones beyond their second birthdays, but even though the company remains unable to rival Apple in terms of global smartwatch sales , the 2016-released Gear S3 hasn't been forgotten yet.

Microsoft suggests Windows 10 mobile users switch to Android

January 25, 2019

In an FAQ document , Microsoft answers several questions related to the end of support for Windows 10 Mobile. But even though security and non-security updates will cease as of 10 December, some services tied to Windows 10 Mobile and the its devices will remain active after that date.

Meizu Zero smartphone has no ports, speakers, SIM-slots or buttons

January 25, 2019

This is critical because there is no USB port on this device, so wireless is the only way you can charge it. The Meizu Zero is fitted with a curved 5.99-inch OLED screen which is embedded with an optical fingerprint sensor. Virtual buttons that are pressure sensitive are within the phone edges. As the ninja text was also accompanied by an emoji resembling a single camera module, it may have been reasonable to assume Meizu were referring to the emerging "punch-hole" trend, and may have ...

Sexy vivo Apex 2019 unveiled with no buttons, all screen fingerprint sensor

January 25, 2019

Vivo wasn't the first to the punch here though: Meizu unveiled its Zero phone just days earlier, showcasing a phone with no buttons or ports. Vivo's Apex 2018 smartphone eventually turned into Vivo Nex to be sold commercially and we could see that happening with Apex 2019 as well (fingers crossed).

Xiaomi Teases the Most Impressive Foldable Phone Yet

January 23, 2019

Only yesterday we saw another take on the foldable format from Lenovo-owned Motorola, seeking to rekindle its RAZR brand for the sleekest foldable we have seen so far, albeit only in patent drawing form. While the phone is folded, the screen at the back is still lit but only the front is functional. Notably, as Xiaomi said it is just a prototype for now which means the final design of the foldable phone will be pretty different than what the video shows.

Pixel 3, Galaxy Note 9 top new DxOMark selfie benchmarks

January 23, 2019

Moreover, the Galaxy Note 9 also comes with a single 8-megapixel selfie camera. The DxOMark team uses the same procedures and methodologies that it considers for testing the main camera performance of smartphones. The first ever performance list for front-facing cameras shows that Google Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 scored 92 points while Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 (84 points), iPhone XS Max (82 points), and Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (81 points) came third, fourth and fifth respectively.

A patent shows the possible design of Motorola RAZR 2019 foldable phone

January 22, 2019

Samsung is said to be unveiling its foldable smartphone during its event on February 20, where it's also expected to unveil its new Galaxy S10 flagship smartphone. The small screen can be used for checking notifications for calls and messages without opening the phone to see the main display. Although there's no mention of the Razr logo anywhere on the device, many believe that this could be the 2019 Moto Razr .

Resident Evil 2 to receive free post-launch mode and costumes

January 22, 2019

The Ghosts Survivors will allow players more freedom to explore in order to earn points that can be used to purchase in-shop items for the game. An all new mode that appears to have some rogue-like elements will be coming post-launch, though a date is not confirmed.

These Are the New Galaxy S10 Phones

January 21, 2019

You can assume they'll be available for purchase alongside the new Galaxy S10 phones . A separate report has also said there will be a special edition version of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus that's set to come with an impressive 12GB of RAM alongside 1TB of storage.

Speed limit feature now showing up in Google Maps for some users

January 21, 2019

The new commute tab is located in the toolbar at the bottom of the Google Maps app, between the "Explore" and "For you" tabs. On the other, come on, it's the speed limit warning that we all know and love from. Using the feature, commuters will be able to view suggested routes and the estimated auto-rickshaw fares in the Google Maps . Waze was criticized a few years ago for the speed trap notification feature, which police officers called "irresponsible".

Twitter has acknowledged a bug that revealed Android users’ private tweets

January 20, 2019

Twitter disclosed to TechCrunch today that's just one of what appears to have been multiple scenarios where Android users could have made changes to their account and it inadvertently switched the tweets from private to public, but the email address change is the only such instance Twitter has acknowledged so far.

Speed limits get the green light on Google Maps

January 20, 2019

As of July 2017, Maps' speed limit feature was only confirmed to work in two areas: the San Francisco Bay Area in California and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . High population areas are more likely to get the feature as it would gather more reliable data on speed limits. Last month, Google Maps launched a commute tab that shows live traffic and transit information, as well as updates on delays or disruptions on your daily route.

PUBG Mobile gets new Royale Pass & more

January 20, 2019

The new weapon fires 7.62mm rounds and has two firing modes. According to the official Reddit post by PUBG Mobile has, MK 47 Mutant assault rifle will be added and can be found in Erangel, Miramar and Sanhok maps. Clan benefit sharing has been tuned.Avatar display of Crew Challenge victor has been adjusted. January has been a pretty quiet month for all of PUBG thus far, so it's no surprise the latest mobile incarnation feels a bit barebones.

LG to launch phone with second screen add-on

January 20, 2019

The concept of a second screen on a case is not entirely new; Alcatel did something similar in 2014, and we've seen phone cases with an additional E Ink screen , but the idea never really caught on. And, if foldable phones turn out to be a dud, LG won't be as much in the red as, say, Samsung . LG G8 has to make new features. Once the screens are attached, the user will be able to access the phone via hand gestures.

Samsung to launch Galaxy M10 for Rs 7,990, M20 for Rs 10,990

January 19, 2019

It most likely will, at least with the base model. These phones will fall in the affordable segment to take on the likes of Xiaomi and Realme and India Today Tech has just learnt the prices of both the devices. This Galaxy S10 benchmark listing suggests that the handset will come with at least 6GB of RAM. "It features a 6.4" Quad HD+ AMOLED display and it runs on an Exynos 9810 processor that's mated with up to 8GB of RAM.

Microsoft tells last remaining mobile customers to switch to iPhone or Android

January 19, 2019

Given the company's recent embrace of Linux, open-source and third-party software in general, it's at least on brand. Microsoft writes that for Lumia 640 and 640 XL phone models, Window 10 Mobile version 1703 was the last supported OS version, which will reach end of support on June 11, 2019.

Zimbabwe in 'total internet shutdown' amid violent crackdown

January 18, 2019

We make an urgent call to SADC and worldwide community to intervene and stop this out-of-control regime from destroying human rights in Zimbabwe. A prominent pastor and activist who faces a possible 20-year prison term if he is convicted on a subversion charge is set to appear in court again on Friday.

Google Pixel 3 Lite leaks in video review

January 18, 2019

Google tried to drum up some excitement before its press conference last fall, seemingly suggesting that the rumors did not tell the whole story, but that was all in vain. The Pixel 3 Lite's main camera is said to be identical to the Pixel 3, which is a great detail for those buyers looking for a cheaper phone that can offer the same great Pixel 3 camera features.

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