Category: News

Google plans to rebrand Google Home to Nest Home

Key sources indicate that all Google Home products might be renamed to the Nest brand. According to a listing spotted on Google Store, the Connected Home Accessories section for old swappable bases for Google Home is showing as Nest Home bases.

The official product page still mentions them as ‘Base for Google Home’, however, the disocunt listing had renamed it to ‘Nest Home Base’.

That said, after multiple reports about the new name change were published, Google has apparently removed all references to ‘Nest Home’ today. Now, this essentially implies that the rebranding was wasn’t ready to go live.

To recall, Google did confirm during I/O 2019 that all its smart-home products in the future would be rebranded to Google Nest. The first product under the new brand name is the Nest Hub Max, while Google Home Hub was immediately rebranded as Nest Hub. The Google Nest branding has already started rolling out to multiple already-available smart home products in the company’s portfolio. These include the classic Nest Thermostat, security cams, as well as Hello Video Doorbell.

For now, it appears Google hasn’t rebranded any smart speakers with the new brand name. That said, it could all change in the near future. Google VP Rishi Chandra has already confirmed that the Nest rebrand will eventually come to Google Home speakers. That said, it appears the rebranding isn’t happening right away, and would likely apply to next-generation products, instead of current ones.

June 21, 2019
Cellebrite claims its hacking tools can bypass any iPhone or iPad

Israeli forensics company Cellebrite claims its hacking tools can break into any iPhone or iPad. The company also adds that devices running the latest version of iOS can be broken into.

Cellebrite recently announced that it has ability to perform a ‘full system extraction on any iOS device’, and notably, its services are for sale, though only to law enforcement agencies.

In case you didn’t know, Cellebrite is a well-known Israeli security company whose expertise was used by the FBI in 2016 in order to crack into the iPhone 5c belonging to San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook. And the company’s latest product, called UEFD Premium, can nullify any and all passcodes on an iOS device to unlock them. The company also brags that its newest product can even unlock iPhones and iPads running latest iOS 12.3.

However, the good news is that Cellebrite promised its hacking devices are specifically designed for law enforcement agencies. The company explains that agencies can use its tools to unlock devices belonging to a suspect who is unwilling to provide his passcode or biometric authentication.

Besides, Celleibrite also stated that its tools require you to physically have possession of the iPhone or iPad, if you want to use its brute force methods to hack into smartphones and tablets. Additionally, the Israeli-company also claims it performs proper security checks to determine whether its hacking tools fall in the right hands.

That said, despite all the security measures, there’s always a risk that these hacking tools could fall into the wrong hands. Not to mention, some of Cellebrite’s iPhone hacking tools have been found listed on eBay for as little as $100. Besides iOS devices, Cellebrite also claims its hacking tools can infiltrate Android devices from Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, and Xiaomi.

June 16, 2019
Google accused of stealing song lyrics from Genius.com

Genius.com has accused Google of stealing lyrics from its site and then reposting them for use in search results. Genius further claims it has irrefutable evidence against Google of lifting songs directly off its website thanks to a Morse code embedded within their lyrics.

Key sources indicate that Genius witnessed a significant drop in web traffic in recent years. The reason being that Google started posting lyrics on its search page within ‘information boxes’, instead of redirecting users to lyric sites like Genius. While Google posting song lyrics is not a crime, however, Genius accuses Google of directly copying lyrics from its site.

Back in 2016, Genius made a change to its site where it began alternating the lyrics apostrophies between straight and curly, which is essentially a water mark for every copy. With this change, when the apostrophies are converted into morse code, it spelled out the words red-handed. Genius claims it found over 100 different instances of this happening on several songs.

“Over the last two years, we’ve shown Google irrefutable evidence again and again that they are displaying lyrics copied from Genius. We noticed that Google’s lyrics matched our lyrics down to the character,” Genius’s chief strategy officer Ben Gross told the Wall Street Journal. “

In response, Google denied such accusations stating that lyrics were licensed from partners. The search engine giant further adds that it is going to investigate the matter and terminate agreements with any of those partners who were not complying to ethical practices.

June 16, 2019
iPhone 11, Pixel 4, and Galaxy Note 10 release dates tipped

A bunch of highly-anticipated handsets are slated for a release in the second half of 2019. These include the likes of iPhone 11, Pixel 4, and the Galaxy Note 10. We already know that all the above-mentioned devices are set to go official this year, though few specifics are available on the actual release dates of these devices.

Now, however, credible tipster Evan Blass has given us an expected launch date of the three hotly-anticipated launches this year. These inlcude the Galaxy Note 10, the iPhone 11, and the Pixel 4.

Samsung will likely be the first to unveil its Galaxy Note 10 flagship, late in the month of August. Apple, meanwhile, will most likely unveil the iPhone 11 in the second half of September. Apple usually unveils its new iPhone range in September, so the timing shouldn’t come as a surprise.

iPhone 11 launch in September?

To recall, the iPhone 7 was made official on September 16, 2016, the iPhone 8 on September 22, 2017, while the iPhone Xs was released on September 21, 2018.

Given the fact that sales of new iPhones typically start on Friday, the iPhone 11 could go official on September 20 or September 27. Both timelines fall in the second half of September and is in line with the dates suggested by Evan Blass.

Google’s Pixel 4 will be the last major flagship launch sometime in late October. Readers, however, are reminded that the dates here concern the day when these devices will go on sale. Hence, the official unveiling can take place a week or so before they go on sale. Blass has cited Verizon’s marketing calender for the second half of 2019 in regards to the launch date of these devices.

More leaks about these flagships are likely to surface as we near their offiicial release dates. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

June 14, 2019
Galaxy Note 10 leaked renders spotted online

The Galaxy Note 10 is the next major release from Samsung, and we’re only a few months away before its official unveiling. Hence, rumors about the upcoming phablet are flying thick and fast.

The latest leaks comes via 91Mobiles in collaboration with popular tipster @OnLeaks. High resolotion renders published online give us a closer look at Samsung’s upcoming flagship. Besides, the latest renders also confirm some of the earlier rumored features about the upcoming handset.

To begin with, the biggest change on the handset’s front is the selfie camera which is housed in the centre. Samsung will likley adopt the same approach as it did with the Galaxy S10, with a punch hole which houses the selfie camera. However, the punch hole won’t be made on the right hand corner, instead it’ll be made precisely in the middle. This change is likley to make the camera less intrusive in the Galaxy Note 10 compared to the Galaxy S10.

However, it apppears the fingerprint scanner would be embedded within the display in the Galaxy Note 10, just like S10 flgahsip. Being a top-end handset, the Galaxy Note 10 will certainly feature an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

No headphone jack

Elsewhere, the leaked renders suggest Galaxy Note 10 might feature vertically-aligned triple rear cameras, much like the iPhone X. The upcoming phablet is expected to feature a 12MP primary sensor, a 12MP secondary sensor with 2x telephoto zoom, along with a 16MP super-wide angle sensor.

Key sources also suggest that the Galaxy Note 10 will sport a 6.3-inch curved AMOLED display. Other major changes would be the removal of the headphone jack, so users will need wireless earphones or earphones with USB-C connector. Not to mention, the top-end variant of the handset is expected to pack 12GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Note 10 is rumored to launch in early August, while shipments should begin in early September. More details about the Galaxy Note 10 are likely to surface as we near its official release. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

June 6, 2019
iOS 13 to bring wireless support for PS4 and Xbox One controllers

Apple has officially confirmed that iOS 13 and iPadOS will get support for Sony’s DualShock 4 and Bluetooth-equipped Xbox One controllers.

Hence, with the rollout of iOS 13, your iPhone or iPad will essentially transform into a portable PS4 or Xbox One. Users will come across all of the standard PS4 or Xbox One related controls. Besides, they will also get full access to the console’s dashboard, user profiles, as well as their respective Stores. Not to mention, players can also access the iOS microphone to talk to other gamers in a party or through game chat.

Elsewhere, Apple soon plans to launch its own gaming subscription service called Apple Arcade. The service aims to offer access to over 100 new and exclusive games to play across multiple platforms. Users can play these games on demand for a monthly subscription fee.

Apple Arcade will offer a large suite of games that players can download and play on their iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, as well as Mac laptop or desktop. Though unlike Google Stadia and Microsoft’s Project xCloud, Apple’s upcoming gaming service won’t offer gamers triple-A games over an internet connection. The reason being that Apple Arcade is primraily designed to work on iOS devices.

June 5, 2019
Apple rolls out iOS 12.1.3 and watchOS 5.1.3 updates
Apple has rolled out the final version of iOS 12.1.3 and watchOS 5.1.3 updates for users. Both updates are primarily aimed at bug fixes and patching security issues to further improve the stabilty and performance of devices. Available via the OTA (Over-the-Air) update process, users can install these latest updates on supported devices running earlier versions of iOS 12.1 and watchOS 5.1.

The iOS 12.1.3 update for supported iPhones and iPads brings several bug fixes. These include a fix for a bug in the Messages app that affects scrolling photos in the Details View. Besides, the update also resolves an issue with the newly launched iPad Pro 2018 models, which leads to distorted audio when using an external audio input. It also resolves an issue on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR, which automatically leads to disconnection with certain CarPlay systems.

For the HomePod, iOS 12.1.3 fixes a bug that caused the HomePod to abruptly restart. In addition, it also arrives with a fix for a bug that caused Siri to stop listening. You can find the complete changelog below:

iPhone 12.1.3 release notes:

iOS 12.1.3 includes bug fixes for your iPhone or iPad

This update:
- Fixes an issue in Messages that could impact scrolling through photos in the Details view
- Addresses an issue where photos could have striped artifacts after being sent from the Share Sheet
- Fixes an issue that may cause audio distortion when using external audio input devices on iPad Pro (2018)
- Resolves an issue that could cause certain CarPlay systems to disconnect from iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
HomePod iOS 12.1.3 release notes:

This update includes general improvements for stability and quality.
- Fixes an issue that could cause HomePod to restart
- Addresses an issue that could cause Siri to stop listening
Besides, Apple has also released tvOS 12.1.2 and macOS 10.14.3 updates that also resolves security, stability and compatibility issues with your Mac.
January 23, 2019
Upcoming Moto Razr’s design possibly revealed in a patent

We’ve already come across reports that Lenovo-owned Motorola plans to resurrect the iconic Moto Razr. Now, a patent filing by Motorola Mobility has possibly revealed the design of the upcoming handset.

91Mobiles spotted the patent filing of a Motorola handset with World Intellectual Property Organization. The filing contains several diagrams that show a folding handset with a clamshell form factor. Accoring to the filing, the Moto Razr will have two screens, a small screen on the outside and a folding screen on the inside.

However, there’s no mention of the Razr brand in the filing. That said, the illustrations are largely similar to the Moto Razr V3’s design. For dsintance, it shows the same iconic hinge as well as the same chin.

Credits: WIPO

The newly found Motorola patent comes shortly after a report by WSJ which claimed Lenovo plans to bring back the iconic Razr phone. Besides, the report also notes that the upcoming Razr will be a Verizon exclusive in the US. Also, Lenovo is reportedly planning to launch the handset in February at a price tag of $1500. That said, the report also adds that the device is undergoing testing, and exact details are yet to be finalized.

Other details such as specifications, screen size, and design remain a mystery for the moment. The report, however, does note that Lenovo plans to manufacture over 200,000 units of the new RAZRs, which is rather surprising given it’s a $1500 luxury phone.

January 21, 2019
LG to announce a foldable phone at MWC 2019 alongside the LG G8

It’s not just Samsung and Huawei who are planning to launch foldable smartphones. As reports suggest LG is also prepping a foldable smartphone which could launch as early as next month. According to a report by South Korean publication Naver, the company plans to launch the G8 flagship at MWC 2019, as well as a foldable smartphone with a unique form factor.

The report explains that unlike the upcoming foldable phone from Samsung, the Galaxy F, which features a large flexible display which can be folded to be used as a phone, LG’s foldable offering will have much different approach.

LG plans to use an add-on display to increase the screen real estate. The report explains that LG’s foldable phone can be used as a normal smartphone, though users can attach a secondary display if they need a larger screen for watching movies, videos, and more.

Apart from this, not much can be gleaned from the report. As additional key details about the LG’s foldable phone are still a mystery.

LG’s vice chairman said during CES 2019 that the company is going for changes with the form factor to stay competitive in the market. Besides, reports of LG’s foldable phone emerged for the first time back in November last year, suggesting that LG might give us a glimpse of the smartphone at CES 2019. But nothing has happened since then, and we’re now looking forward to MWC 2019 for LG’s foldable phone.

As far as pricing goes, the report suggests LG plans to price its foldable phone in the range of KRW 1 miilion (roughly $900). The report also adds that LG plans to announce several handsets at MWC 2019, including the flagship, the LG G8 or the LG G8 ThinQ.

January 17, 2019
Massive breach exposes 773 million emails, 21 million passwords

We’ve come across security hacks time and again. However, the latest breach takes it a whole new level exposing 773 million email addresses and over 21 million unique passwords. Experts believe it’s possibly the largest data breach in history, as more than 87GB of emails addresses and passwords were leaked by hackers.

The breach was first reported by security researcher Troy Hunt, who explains that the hack was a collection of numerous other data breaches, going all the way back to 2008. The trove of leaked data was posted popular hacking forum, Mega, though was shortly taken down. The leaked data was dumped in a folder called #Collection1, which had over 12,000 files with a size of over 87GB.

“Collection #1 is a set of email addresses and passwords totalling 2,692,818,238 rows. It’s made up of many different individual data breaches from literally thousands of different sources,” explained Hunt.

Is it a big deal?

So, how serious is this issue? Hunt suggests it’s pretty big despite the fact that information such as credit card and social security numbers have not been leaked. For one, he says the way in which passwords were dumped in #Collection1. They were all in plain text, compared to other data breaches where passwords were cryptographically hashed, making them very difficult to read. Besides, Hunt found that nearly 140 million email accounts and over 100 million unique passowrds in the breach were new to his new database.

Hunt has also loaded the email addresses and passwords on Have I Been Pwned. It’s a database where you can check whether your email or password was affected by the breach. He further advises users to look into Password Manager to secure all their sensitive information such as passwords and banking info.

“A password manager provides you with a secure vault for all your secrets to be stored in (not just passwords, I store things like credit card and banking info in mine too), and its sole purpose is to focus on keeping them safe and secure”, further added Hunt.

January 16, 2019
Moto RAZR to be resurrected as foldable phone: Report

The Moto RAZR phone was a 90’s fashion icon and the king of flip phones, with worldwide sales of nearly 130 million units. Now, a new report claims that the iconic flip phone could be revived as a foldable screen phone. According to a report by Wall Street Journal, Motorola’s parent company Lenovo is looking to cash in on the popularity of the original Razr phone, with an upgraded foldable model.

Besides, the report further notes that the upcoming Razr will be a Verizon exclusive in the US. Also, Lenovo is reportedly planning to launch them in February at a price tag of $1500. That said, the report also adds that the device is undergoing testing, and exact details are yet to be finalized.

Lenovo plans to manufacture over 200,000 units of the new Razr

Other details such as specifications, screen size, and design remain a mystery for the moment. The report, however, does note that Lenovo plans to manufacture over 200,000 units of the new RAZRs, which is rather surprising given it’s a $1,500 luxury smartphone.

Well, this isn’t the first time that the RAZR has been planned to make a comeback. Back in 2016, Motorola Mobility showcased a video showcasing the handset being used in a high school. Flip phones and old-school handsets in brand new avatars is becoming a popular trend among manufacturers. HMD-Global re-launched the iconic brick phone from the 90s – the Nokia 3310 to inject a dose of fun and nostalgia among users.

The same could happen with the new RAZR, giving users that satisfying feeling of flipping the phone. Beware! Apple, the iPhone’s popularity could take a hit with this slick and stylish revival.

January 16, 2019
RCS Chat finally arrives on Google Fi

Google officially announced that RCS Chat support has arrived on Google Fi network. It’s the next-generation chat standard that allows users to share high quality images and video, texting over Wi-Fi, read-receipts, as well as better group chats. That said, the RCS standard doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption in order to protect users’ privacy.

“With RCS in Messages, you can do and share more when you message friends, family members, groups, and even businesses who are on RCS. You’ll be able to see typing indicators and read receipts, share high-resolution videos, and message over Wi-Fi or data with others that have RCS enabled,” explained Product Manager Punyabrata Ray explained in a blog post. ”

As long as you have a ‘designed for Fi’ phone, RCS support will be automatically enabled on your device. It’s available on several handsets such as the likes of Pixel phones, LG G7, LG V35, Moto G6, as well as Moto X (Android One variant). Besides, RCS also supports other Android smartphones as well. All you’ll need to do is donwload the Google Messages app and set is as your default messaging app.

Google Fi will support faster LTE data in 33 countries

Apart from announcing RCS Chat support, the search engine giant also announced that it’s improving data sppeds for users on roaming. Google says it’ll offer 4G LTE data speeds for users who travel internationally. Users on roaming are expected to get faster 4G LTE speeds on their travels in the ‘next few weeks’.

Google Fi will support faster LTE data in 33 countries it covers. These include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, as well as the UK.

January 15, 2019
Apple to launch three new iPhone models in 2019: Report

Apple reportedly plans to release three new iPhone models in 2019. These will include the successor to the iPhone XR, while the other two will also be direct successors to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

According to a report by Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to stick with last year’s trend and launch three iPhone models this year as well. All three models will be direct successors to the current-gen iPhone lineup.

However, the report notes that top-end iPhone model will feature a triple rear camera setup, while the other will have dual rear cameras. The report further adds that the company will stick with LCD screens for the iPhone XR successor.

However, come 2020, the report notes that Apple plans to ditch LCD panels entirely. Apart from this, not much is known about Apple’s future plans, but they better be good as current iPhone models aren’t selling like hot cakes like past iPhone models. For one, we can blame the atrocious price tag. Besides, customers still prefer older iPhone models in several markets.

Over the past few months, key sources have also claimed that Apple has had to cut down production orders for its 2018 iPhone lineup due to sluggish demand. Sale of iPhone units falling short of expectations has always been rumored shortly after their official release in September 2018. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, also admitted they have had a severe blow because of weakening sales in China, which has traditionally been one of the biggest overseas market of Apple iPhone after the US.

January 11, 2019
AMD announces the world’s first 7nm gaming GPUs and CPUs at CES 2019

AMD has announced the Radeon VII, the latest high-end GPU for gamers and developers. Based on the company’s second-gen Radeon Vega architecture, it’s the world’s first dektop GPU built using the 7nm manufacturing process. AMD CEO, Lisa Su, during the ongoing CES 2019, unveiled the high-end GPU during a keynote.

According to Su, the Radeon VII is equipped to deliver performance exceeding 60fps in the latest games while playing on highest settings. The new GPU is promised to deliver 29 percent improved gaming performance compared to the Radeon Vega 64, as well as 36 percent better performance for content creation. For gamers who aren’t playing at 4K resolution, the Radeon VII is claimed to churn out high refresh rates with HDR enabled at 1080p.

Based on AMD’s latest 7nm manufacturing techonolgy, the latest GPU packs more transistors on a smaller chip which boosts performance even at lower power. Compared to the Radeon Vega 64, the latest Radeon VII is said to deliver 35 percent improved performance in Battlefield V, up to 25 percent better in Fortnite, and around 42 percent better in Strange Brigade.

AMD will start shipping the Radeon VII from February 7 for an approximate retail price of $699. It’ll come bundled with three free games: Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry 5, and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.

Meet the Gen. 3 Ryzen CPU

Elsewhere, AMD also showed off a preview of the forthcoming 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen CPU, slated for a release in the middle of 2019. The upcoming AMD Ryzen CPU will be the first desktop processor for customers built using the 7nm manufacturing process. It also happens to be the world’s first PC platform to support the ultra-fast PCIe 4.0 standard. More details will be revealed during its launch in mid-2019. However, Su did mention that Ryzen III consumed 30 percent less power compared to Intel’s Core i9 CPU processor.

Finally, AMD also teased the EPYC series, a server based processor for data centers, also the world’s first 7nm datacenter CPU. AMD also announced that Google has joined hands with the company to use Radeon graphics chips on its recently announced streaming service, Project Stream.

January 10, 2019
Amazon overtakes Microsoft and Apple to become the most valuable company

Amazon has now become the world’s most valuable company, as it manages to surpass Microsoft, who has enjoyed the top spot since November last year. According to a report by BBC, Amazon has become worth $810 billion, while Microsoft is now valued at $789 billion. The duo are followed by Google’s parent company Alphabet at $752 billion, while Apple is now valued at $702 billion.

The report further notes that Microsoft overtook Apple in late 2018, while Amazon edged past the iPhone-maker in December to take the runner-up spot.

Apple, the once most valued company in the world, keeps going down. Last year, the Cupertino giant became the world’s first trillion dollar company. However, the company has been on a steady decline over the past 6 months.

Now, this is primarily because of low sales of its most popular product – the iPhone. Apple’s latest iPhone-lineup, which was supposed help the company get back at the top, is selling well below expectations. This led to a decline in the value of Apple’s shares. However, CEO Tim Cook asserts Apple is still well positioned in the market as a leader.

“I’m never surprised by the market, to be honest with you, because I think the market is quite emotional in the short term. We sort of look through all of that. We think about the long term. And so when I look at the long-term health of the company, it has never been better. The product pipeline has never been better. The ecosystem has never been stronger. The services are on a tear,” Cook said in an interview with CNBC.

Meanwhile, Amazon has enjoyed a constant growth since early 2017. The company’s Founder, Jeff Bezos, also became the richest person in the world last year at a net worth of $150 billion.

January 9, 2019