Category: News

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 starts receiving Android 9 Pie

Samsung has officially started rolling out the latest Android 9 Pie update for the Galaxy Note 9. Reports suggest that the rollout has kicked off in Germany, and there’s a good chance that more Galaxy Note 9 devices in other parts of the globe would follow suit.
The Android 9 Pie update for the Galaxy Note 9 comes as N960FXXU2CRLT. Besides, installing the update also brings the handset to the January 2019 security patch.

For now, Android 9 Pie update for the Galaxy Note 9 doesn’t seem to be available anywhere besides Germany. It’s also worth noting that the availabilty of Android 9 Piw update for the Note 9 could take longer than usual, as Samsung typically takes a long time to make the update available for everyone.

As something similar happened with the Galaxy S9 Android 9 Pie update also. The rollout started in late 2018, however, only limited countries across the world received the Android 9 Pie on the Galaxy S9. The rollout will liley continue throughout 2019.

Samsung is also busy planning the release of the next-gen Galaxy S10 series, which is expected to go official next month with Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box. Besides, Samsung is reportedly prepping Android Pie beta program for the Galaxy S8 as well, but details about that remain slim for the moment.

January 4, 2019
Windows 10 reportedly surpasses Windows 7

Windows 10 has finally surpassed Windows 7 in terms of users. Officially released back in 2015, the latest version of Windows now has more users than Windows 7. According to a report by Net Market Share, Windows 10 has now captured a user base of 39.22 percent, beating Windows 7’s user base of 36.90 percent.

Hence, Windows 10 becomes the most popular OS in the world, way ahead of macOS X which has userbase of 9.61 percent, followed by Windows XP and Windows 8.1.

Microsoft originally hoped to achieve over one billion Windows 10 devices in a span of three years, though that did not happen. The company announced back in May last year that nearly 700 million PCs are running Windows 10. It’s also worth noting that Windows 10 growth was impacted ever since the end of the free upgrade offer for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users.

The latest version of Windows did see an increase market share, though at a much slower pace, as more and more businesses moved away from Windows 7. With that being said, one can’t deny the fact that Windows 10 adoption accelerated throughout 2017-18.

Users still running older versions of Windows

That said, the majority of users are still running older versions of the OS even now. Extended support for Windows 7 will come to end in 2020, and by that time Microsoft should be able to achieve that 1 billion target.

During the initial launch of the OS, Microsoft said it won’t have much trouble getting users to upgrade to newer versions of Windows in the near future. The company’s Windows as a Service strategy has performed rather well so far, with more than 20 percent of all Windows 10 users already using the latest feature update for the OS, which rolled out in October.

Not to mention, Microsoft has a huge year ahead of itself with one major update planned for the first half of 2019, while another in the second half of 2019.

January 2, 2019
Epic Games surprises Fortnite players on New Year’s eve

Epic Games has a special surpise for everyone playing Fortnite on New Year’s Eve. To celebrate new year around the world, Fortnite is offering an in-game live event, where gigantic disco balls appears on the map every hour.

Besides, the descending ball drop mimcs the same affect for players as the boogie bomb, implying that everyone playing Fortnite on New Year’s eve is dancing collectively every time the clock hits midnight. 2019 has already arrived in some parts of the world, however, the in-game virtual ball drop was a rather delightful surprise for everyone playing Fortnite tonight.

“Woke up to learn that many Fortnite players are unaware of time zones. We’re an educational and international game. Happy New Year to you if you’re already in 2019!”, tweeted Nick Chester, Epic’s PR spokesperson.

While 2018 was already a massive year for Fortnite, Epic Games also has huge plans for Fortnite in 2019. The publisher has promised to make single-player and co-op mode ‘Save the World’ free, instead of the paid addition it is for now.

Fornite is now available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android with cross-play support.

December 31, 2018
Jio Phone explosion in India burns elderly owner alive

We’ve come across several incidents of phones catching fire, but they don’t cause serious harm to their owners. However, a recent phone explosion in India has tuned out to be fatal, as an elderly man was reportedly burnt alive after his phone exploded.

According to local reports, a phone exploded in the man’s pocket and set his clothes on flame while he was sleeping. The owner’s wife, shocked by the whole incident, called the ambulance and rushed the man to the hospital. Sadly, due to severe burns, the man was declared dead a few minutes later.

The phone was a Jio model

The phone in question was a Jio model the victim purcahsed under the governemt scheme for INR 1100, which translates to around $15. Jio is an Indian brand owned by Reliance, which manufactures feature phones for the masses at very economical prices.

According to the victim’s family, the phone was barely a month old before the explosion happened. Following the incident, other customers who bought the same model have ditched their devices over safety concerns. For now, it appears the handset’s quality was really poor, however, no specifics are available right now as to what caused the explosion.

Police investigation is now underway and more specifcs about the incident are likley to surface upon further investigation. Besides, the company is yet to offer an official statement about the matter, and are likely looking into the incident themselves.

In other related news, a man from Ohio also claimed that his iPhone XS Max caught fire while it was in his back pocket. The handset was barley 3 weeks old when it caught fire out of the blue.

Such incidents remind us that exploding smartphones can be fatal. Hence, readers are advised to make use of authorized accessories and batteries with their smartphones. Besides, industry experts also suggest that smartphone users should not leave their device plugged into the charger overnight.

December 31, 2018
Google denies withdrawal of two-year updates for Android One phones

A Reddit user earlier spotted some missing text from the official Android One page that promised 2-year software updates for Android One phones. This led to worries that the tech giant isn’t going to live up to its promise to offer timley updates for devices sold under the program. However, Google has now responded with an official statement stating it has no intentions of doing so.

“We confirm that our promise to provide 2 years of updates on Android One devices still stands and our website design does not impact the promise of this program,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

A little bit of text from the official webpage which indicated that participating devices would be receive guaranteed OS updates for two years went missing. The text removal was pointed out by a Reddit user.

Though, with Google now denying the withdrawal of two-year software updates, it appears the removal of update-related text isn’t that big a deal as some of us thought to be.

That said, it’s worth pointing out that the original text that guaranteed two year updates is still missing from the official webpage. The reason, according to Google, is because they’re redesigning the website.

Android One is Google’s effort to offer timely updates

Google launched the program a few years ago in an effort to unite the fragmented Android market and offer timley software updates. With so many smartphone manufacturers, most companies choose to modify the stock Android OS, which eventually disrupts the update process.

With the initiative, Google wanted to bring more companies under the program so that system and security updates can land much quicker on all handsets. All smartphones under the program are free of any bloatware, which makes it the purest form of Android.

December 30, 2018
RIP Essential Phone: The Essential PH1 officially discontinued

Essential Phone, the brainchild of Andriod co-founder Andy Rubin, has finally reached the end of its lifetime. The company officially announced it’ll discontinue the handset and won’t produce anymore units of the device. However, the news shouldn’t come as a surprise as the Essential Phone is nearly a year and half old. In addition, a rather hefty launch price and camera issues also hampered the device’s popularity with consumers.

Besides, the company even had to deal with poor initial sales, data breach, layoffs, and other woes which may have led Essential to discontinue the device. That said, it’s not all gloomy as Essential also announced it’s working on a new ‘mobile product.’

“We are sold out of Essential Phone on essential.com and won’t be adding any new inventory. We are now hard at work on our next mobile product and will continue to sell accessories and provide speedy software updates and customer support to our existing community,’ said the company’s spokeswoman in a statement.

The next mobile product referred to above is rumored to be a phone powered by AI to answer text messages and emails. Besides, the company promises timley software updates for the Essential Phone, despite the fact it has been discontinued. To recall, the Essential Phone got upgraded to Android 9 Pie on the same day as Google’sPixel range of handsets. Now, that’s pretty commendable for a company who appears to be struggling to survive. In fact, it could be one major reason for fans to look forward to the company’s next mobile product.

December 28, 2018
Next-gen iPhone could pack Sony’s 3D camera sensors

Smartphone manufacturers have always tried to push the limits with smartphone cameras, but size constraints and other limitations have posed a roadblock for manufacturers. However, that could all change with the next-gen iPhone, as key sources suggest that Apple plans to equip the iPhone 11 with 3D sensing cameras.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Sony has increased the production of 3D camera units. The report further notes that Apple has shown keen interest in Sony’s next-generation camera sensors. These sensors will power both the front and rear facing cameras, and Sony plans to setup mass production of 3D sensors by next year to meet demand, the report adds.

The news comes directly from head of Sony’s sensor division, Satoshi Yoshihara, who stated during an interview with Bloomberg that 3D sensors business could have a major impact on Sony’s Q1 earnings next year.

Sony’s 3D camera uses a technology called TOF (time of flight), which essentially emits invisible laser beams and measures in how much they take to come back. This technology can be used to make advanced 3D models of objects, which can be used in augmented reality games as well as apps.

“Cameras revolutionized phones, and based on what I’ve seen, I have the same expectation for 3D. The pace will vary by field, but we’re definitely going to see adoption of 3D. I’m certain of it,” said Yoshihara in an interview with Bloomberg.

He also demonstrated a few examples of 3D camera sensors using a custom phone. In one app, the phone was able to calculate a room’s depth, while in another it allowed users to make hand gestures to cast magic spells in a virtual game.

Sony hasn’t revealed specifically which companies are eager to buy its 3D sensors, but Bloomberg suggests Apple is among them. This certainly make sense and lines up with earlier reports as well, which indicated Apple’s plans to invest heavily in augmented reality (AR).

December 28, 2018
Google seemingly removes two-year OS updates for Android One devices

Google appears to have removed some text from its official Android One webpage which claimed that partcipating handsets would receive guranteed OS updates for two years. However, now there’s no mention of the OS updates on the official website. The original text on the website was as follows:

“With Android One, your phone will receive at least two years of OS upgrades to the latest version of Android. That means access to the latest innovations and a phone that always runs as smoothly as the day you bought it.”

The removal of text was spotted by a Reddit user, which already suggests that the community is slightly baffled with the text removal. It could either be a mistake or appears to have gone for some reason, but it suggests Google is no longer interested in living up to that promise. The only devices to receive regular OS updates would be Google’s Pixel range of devices. And for obvious reasons, users aren’t going to be happy if this turns out to be true.

It’s also unclear what will happen to these devices that are already listed on the website. There’s also a possibilty that the update poilcy could only apply for new devices. That said, nothing can be said for certain until Google clears the air about the issue.

To recall, Google launched the Android One program a few years ago in an effort to unite the fragmented Android market and offer timley OS updates. With so many smartphone manufacturers, most companies choose to modify the stock Android OS, which led to delay in OS and security updates.

All smartphones under the program are free of any bloatware, and are meant to receive timley software updates. With the Android One inititaive, Google wanted to bring more companies under the program, so that system and security updates can land much quicker on all handsets.

December 27, 2018
After China, Apple could face iPhone sales ban in Germany

After China, a German court has now ruled that all iPhone models since the iPhone 5s are infringing upon a Qualcomm patent. A sales ban will be imposed on Apple if the company does not appeal the German court’s ruling.

According to a report by Reuetrs, Qualcomm is seeking a ban on iPhone models that run Intel chips. The court ruled that iPhones which feature a combination of chips from Intel and Apple supplier Qorvo infringe upon one of Qualcomm’s patents related to envelope tracking, a feature which essentially allows smartphones to save battery while sending and receiving wireless signals.

The judge ruled that Apple should stop selling all iPhones models that run Intel modems in Germany. In response to the court’s ruling, Apple, as expected, retaliated with a fierce reponse.

“Qualcomm’s campaign is a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues between our companies. Their tactics, in the courts and in their everyday business, are harming innovation and harming consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees based on work they didn’t do, and they are being investigated by governments all around the world for their behavior. We are of course disappointed by this verdict, and we plan to appeal,” said Apple in a statement for CNBC.

Apple and Qualcomm are engaged in a similar legal battle in China. A Chinese court issued a ban on iPhone sales in the country for violating Qualcomm patents. Apple was found to be infringing upon two patents as per the Chinese court’s ruling. These include a patent for changing and reformatting the size and appearance of photographs, and one for managing apps when viewing, navigating and dismissing apps using a touchscreen.

December 20, 2018
Qualcomm now pursuing ban on iPhone XS and iPhone XR

The legal spat between Apple and Qualcomm goes on. Last week, a Chinese court issued an order to ban sales of all iPhone models in the country since the iPhone 6s upto the iPhone X. Now, it appears Qualcomm is seeking a ban on the newly launched iPhone XS and iPhone XR as well.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Qualcomm’s general counsel Don Rosenberg stated that the only reason why the newly launched iPhone range were not impacted by the court’s ruling, is because they weren’t launched at the time of the appeal.

“It affects older iPhones. It affects the iPhone 6s right through the X, and the only reason it doesn’t apply at the moment to the later devices is because when we brought the suit they didn’t exist. The new models will be coming very soon. We are already in the process of seeking an order covering the new models as well,” said Rosenberg.

To recall, a Chinese court issued a ban on iPhone sales in the country for violating Qualcomm patents. Apple was found to be infringing upon two patents as per the Chinese court’s ruling. These include a patent for changing and reformatting the size and appearance of photographs, and one for managing apps when viewing, navigating and dismissing apps using a touchscreen.

Apple still selling iPhones in China

Following the court’s ruling, Apple announced it would address the issue with an iOS update, which began rolling out on Monday. However, Qualcomm says that Apple should take the court order seriously and stop selling iPhones in China.

“It should’ve been taken a bite and it should take a bite of Apple sales right now in China. The order requires them to stop selling, stop offering for sale, and stop importing any devices between these model numbers I suggested,” further added Rosenberg.

Despite the court’s ruling, Apple is still selling iPhone models in China. The Cupertino-based company says that the latest iOS 12.1.2 update addresses the alleged patent violations.

December 19, 2018
Windows 10 October 2018 update now available for all

Microsoft has finally resolved several bugs that stopped some Windows 10 users from downloading the latest Windows 10 October 2018 update. The update is now available for everyone to download via Windows Update. In an update on its support page, Microsoft confirmed that ‘Windows 10, version 1809, is now fully available for advanced users who manually select ‘Check for Updates’ via Windows Update.

You can now download and install Windows 10 version 1809 on your system by heading over to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

The availability comes more than two months after Microsoft orignally released the October 2018 update. Besides, the software giant had to re-release the update last month after a file deletion issue eventually led Microsoft to halt the rollout.

Following which, Microsoft opted for a slower rollout to ensure a smoother update experience for all PCs. In the wake of this, the company also prevented the manual download option from Windows Update, even for systems that were fully compatible. Since then, Microsoft has been working to ensure that all PCs get this update, though it was blocked on systems that were found incompatible.

“If we detect that your device may have an issue, such as an application incompatibility, we will not install the update until that issue is resolved, even if you ‘Check for updates,’ so you avoid encountering any related problems,” explained Microsoft.

After a buggy year of updates, Microsoft plans to now focus on the quality of updates in Windows 10. The Windows-maker also promised it’ll make sure such glitches don’t happen with forthcoming Windows 10 updates. The company says it’ll pay more attention to the quality of updates it offers to Windows 10 users in the future.

December 18, 2018
Google removes millions of fake ratings and reviews from the Play Store

Google is obvioulsy irked by the increasing number of fake app reviews and ratings on the Play Store. However, it appears the company has finally taken stringent measures to combat fake reviews and improve authenticity on Google Play. The search engine giant has introduced a system that uses both AI and human insights to combat fake reviews and ratings on the Play Store.

“In 2018, the Google Play Trust & Safety teams deployed a system that combines human intelligence with machine learning to detect and enforce policy violations in ratings and reviews. A team of engineers and analysts closely monitor and study suspicious activities in Play’s ratings and reviews, and improve the model’s precision and recall on a regular basis. We also regularly ask skilled reviewers to check the decisions made by our models for quality assurance,” explained Fei Ye, software engineer at Google.

Google further adds that it has removed millions of fake ratings and reviews, along with thousands of apps that exhbhit such shady behavior. The search engine giant is essentially targeting a sudden surge in ratings, along with reviews that are hateful, vulgar, profane, or off-topic.

An example of incentivized ratings on the Play Store

Besides, Google urges developers to not run incentivized campaigns in order to improve Play Store ratings. “Don’t run campaigns, in-app or otherwise, like “Give us 5 stars and we’ll give you this in-app item!” That counts as incentivized ratings, and it’s prohibited by policy,” Google further adds in the blog post.

Finally, Google advises users to send feedback if they come across bad ratings and reviews on Google Play.Users can mark reviews as Spam if they sound hateful, gibberish, sexual, or profane.

December 18, 2018
iOS 12.1.2 update starts rolling out, fixes the eSIM bug
Apple starts rolling out the new iOS 12.1.2 update for compatible iPhones. The latest iOS update is primarily aimed at fixing the eSIM activation bug for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and the iPhone XR.

To recall, eSIM functionality first arrived with iOS 12.1. All major carriers in the US such as Verizon, T Mobile, as well as AT&T are now supporting this feature. Apart from addressing issues with eSIM activation, the update also fixes an issue that could impact cellular connectivity in Turkey for Apple’s 2018 iPhone line-up.

According to Apple’s release notes:

iOS 12.1.2 includes bug fixes for your iPhone. This update includes:
- Fixes bugs with eSIM activation for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
- Addresses an issue that could affect cellular connectivity in Turkey for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
The latest iOS 12.1.2 update could also include software tweaks for the Chinese market to negate Qualcomm’s patents. A court recently issued a ban on iPhone sales in China as Apple was found to infringe on two of Qualcomm’s patents. These include a patent for changing and reformatting the size and appearance of photographs, and one for managing apps when viewing, navigating and dismissing apps using a touchscreen.

However, Apple said it would roll out an iOS update specifically to neutralize the ban imposed on iPhone sales in China. The Cupertino giant also added that the update will directly address patent violation claims made by Qualcomm.

How to download iOS 12.1.2 on your iPhone

To download the latest update, just head over to the Settings Menu. To check the update, go to Settings> General> Software Update. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12.1.2 is available as an over-the-air update and is free to download.
December 17, 2018
Apple plans to release iOS update to evade iPhone ban in China

Apple plans to roll out an iOS update specifically to evade the ban imposed on iPhone sales in China. The Cupertino giant announced that the update directly addresses patent violations claim made by Qualcomm.

Earlier this week, a Chinese court issued a ban on sale of all iPhone models in the country, since the iPhone 6s. The court found Apple to be infringing upon two separate Qualcomm patents.

However, Apple says it won’t stop selling iPhones in China despite the alleged patent violation. The Cupertino giant claims that such patent-infringement claims are only limited to older versions of iOS, and the latest iOS update no longer breaches these patent claims.

Apple is now reporteldy planning to roll out a software update next week, and it appears iPhones running older versions of iOS may be specifically targeted by the new update.

“Based on the iPhone models we offer today in China, we believe we are in compliance. Early next week we will deliver a software update for iPhone users in China addressing the minor functionality of the two patents at issue in the case,” Apple said in a statement to Reuters.

Specific details about the update remain slim for now, however, Apple is likley to reveal more information by next week when it rolls out the update.

As per the ruling by Chinese court, iPhone models that breach Qualcomm patents include the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and the iPhone 6s. That said, Qualcomm suggests it’s looking into more such patent infringement claims on the new iPhone Xs and iPhone Xr.

The legal spat between Apple and Qualcomm goes on. And from the looks of it, we aren’t going to see the two tech giants come to a mutual agreement.

December 14, 2018
Intel unveils next-generation Sunny Cove microprocessor architecture

Intel has announced its next-generation microprocessor architecture, dubbed as Sunny Cove. According to the company, this new architecture is designed to improve performance per clock as well as power efficiency for general computing tasks. The new Sunny Cove architecture is built using a 10nm process, and the next-generation Core and Xeon processors will be built around it.

Intel claims Sunny Cove architecture can execute more instructions in parallel, with new algorithms to reduce latency, as well as increased key buffer and cache sizes to optimize heavy workloads.

The company also unveiled the new Gen 11 integrated graphics, claimed to offer up to 2x performace improvements over Gen 9 graphics coupled with Skylake-based chipsets. Besides, Gen 11 graphics are also equipped to support 4K video streams and 8K content creation, even under restrained power environments. They also feature Intel’s Adaptive Sync technology for a smooth and immersive gaming experience. Besides, Intel also announced its plan to provide a discrete graphics processor by 2020, but did not reveal any further details.

Finally, Intel also announced the use of 3D stacking of logic chips. The company touts it as an industry first technology, which essentially allows logic-on-logic integration between layers. Put simply, 3D stacking of logic chips would allow manufacturers to pack the processor into much tighter spaces, thereby freeing up area for other PC components.

Intel’s had a rough year so far. They’ve had to fire their former CEO, Brian Krzanich, over violating the company’s policies. Besides, Intel has also been hit by low sales numbers compared to its rivals. Not to mention, they’ve been stuck with the Skylake microarchitecture since 2015. That said, it appears the company has finally come up with something new and exciting for its next-generation processors with Sunny Cove.

December 12, 2018