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Apple fixes iCloud for Windows compatibilty issues with a new update

Apple has finally rolled out an iCloud for Windows update to fix compatibilty issues with the latest version of Windows 10. iCloud for Windows version 7.81 has been specifically released by Apple to address compatibilty issues with Windows 10 October 2018 update (version 1809).

To recall, Microsoft prevented users from downloading iCloud for Windows software after an incompatibilty was discovered by Apple. The issue led to problems updating Shared Albums after users downloaded Windows 10 version 1809.

That time, Microsoft promised it had joined hands with Apple to roll out a fix for the iCloud software that’ll work properly with the latest version of Windows 10.

“Apple has released an updated version of iCloud for Windows (version 7.8.1) that resolves compatibility issues encountered when updating or synching Shared Albums after updating to Windows 10, version 1809. We recommend that you update your iCloud for Windows to version 7.8.1 when prompted before attempting to upgrade to Windows 10, version 1809,” said Microsoft.

Users can manually check for the update by heading over to Windows Update and Check for Updates. The update is being rolled out in phases to devices that are fully compatible with Windows 10 version 1809. Hence, if your system has no compatiblity issues, the download would be ready and should show up while checking for updates.

Besides, Microsoft is also working on fixing several other bugs in Windows 10 October 2018 Update. The company has released a new cumulative update for Insiders in the Preview ring to test some of these fixes.

November 28, 2018
Company claims its software allows anyone to bypass iPhone passcode

Hacking into iPhones is always a hot topic, and now a company called DriveSavers claims that anyone can hack into an iPhone using its software, even if it’s guarded by a long passcode. The company which specializes in data recovery services, touts that its software has a success rate of 100 percent.

“Utilizing new technology, we have a 100% success rate with unlocking and recovering data from passcode-protected smartphones of every make, model and operating system with any length passcode, including phones and tablets with more complicated passcodes of six digits or more,” explains DriveSafe.

For now, it’s unclear how the company’s software allows anyone to easily hack into an iPhone, despite being passcode protected. Interestingly, DriveSavers says this service is offered to consumers at a very affordable price. The company says customers can get in touch with the them for more information about pricing and other details.

That said, the company also has safety protocols so that its services aren’t misused. DriveSavers says its software won’t unlock an iPhone if you aren’t the owner. In fact, it runs a detailed background check to make sure only the owner of an iPhone is able to unlock the device using its software.

“We attempt to validate the legal right to access the data during all phases of the recovery process. This starts with the information gathered during the intake process. We also have a legal authorization form requiring specific information identifying the right to the data,” the company says.

Though, it’s still unclear right now how the software works. Besides, one can’t even be sure whether the solution has a 100 percent rate of success.

Apple is yet to provide an official statement regarding the matter, though there’s a high possibilty the company is already looking into this software to avoid potential misuse and exploits. Hence, we won’t be surpised if Apple rolls out a patch for the same in the next iOS update.

DriveSavers also claims its software can hack into Android smartphones as well, such as handsets from BlackBerry, LG, Samsung, as well as Windows PCs.

November 28, 2018
New Galaxy S10 leak reveals camera details of all four variants

Rumours about the Galaxy S10 are flying thick and fast. Past leaks have given us a fairly good idea about wthat to expct from Samsung’s upcoming flagship. Now, we have another leak about the Galaxy S10 which reveals Samsung is prepping four different variants of the Galaxy S10.

According to a report by Korean publication The Bell, all four variants of the Galaxy S10 will feature different camera setups. Besides, some of the details revealed in this report falls in line with earlier leaks, so there’s a chance this report is accurate.

The rumoured base model, which sources refer to as the Galaxy S10 Lite, will pack dual rear cameras and a single lens shooter on the front. The handset’s secondary camera lens on the rear will get optical zoom. The report also suggests the base model’s camera setup will be a significant upgrade compared to the Galaxy S9.

The next model referred to as the Galaxy S10, is also said to pack dual rear cameras with OIS. However, the report adds this variant will also have dual front facing cameras.

The third model, however, will feature a triple lens camera setup. The report suggests that in addition to optical zoom, it’ll also offer a wide angle sensor. Up front, there’ll be two different cameras for selfies and video calls, one of which will offer wide angle support.

Finally, the top end model of the Galaxy S10 with 5G support is expected to release about a month later. The report suggests this variant could boast a quad camera setup on the back. Apart from features such as OIS and wide angle support, this model could come with a time of flight 3D sensing sensor for AR. For selfies, this one will also pack dual front facing shooters.

More details about the Galaxy S10 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.

November 27, 2018
Apple slashes iPhone XR prices with one Japanese carrier

An earlier report indicated that Apple plans to slash iPhone XR prices in Japan by offering subsidies to carriers. The reason behind this alleged move was said to be low-demand for new iPhones in the market. Now, it appears the report turns out to be true.

As Japanese carrier NTTDocomo is offering the iPhone XR with a price drop of nearly $100 when purchased with a 24-month contract. The 64GB variant of the handset can be purchased with payment of 7000 Yen ($62) per month through NTTDocomo in the country. Sources also suggest that more carriers in Japan will likley follow suit in the next few days.

That said, it’s also worth noting that this price cut doesn’t apply if the iPhone XR is bought unlocked from a different carrier or retailer. As the price of the handset remains the same, unless one gets it with a 24-month contract.

Besides, it’s still unclear whether Apple plans to offer similar price cuts in other markets across the globe, apart from Japan. Though with all reports pointing to slowing down of 2018 iPhone sales, we won’t be surprised if something like this happens in other global markets as well.

Earlier reports also indicated that Apple plans to resurrect the iPhone X. The company reportedly plans to relaunch the iPhone X at lower prices, possibly to compensate for low sales of its new iPhone lineup. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise as this won’t be the first time Apple will produce old iPhone models for markets which have sufficient demand for cheaper handsets.

The latest price cut comes shortly after a report earlier this week which claimed that Apple has slashed production orders for its latest iPhone XS and iPhone XR models, due to lower than anticipated demand.

November 26, 2018
Google removes 13 malware infested apps from the Play Store

A security researcher has found over a dozen malware infested apps have on the Play Store that trick users to install malware on their handsets. Renowned malware security researcher, Lukas Stefanko, has found 13 malicious apps on the Play Store, all of which happen to be motor racing games.

According to Stefanko, these apps were created the same cybercriminal Luiz Pinto. Stefanko also notes that these apps have been downloaded by users nearly 560,000 times. Besides, he also added that a few of them also happen to be top trending apps.

Reports suggest that once users were tricked into installing these malware infested apps, these apps never functioned properly as they crashed whenever a user tried opening them. And over a period of time, these apps could hide the icon from a user’s view and then asked users to install in-app application Game Center.

Users were mostly unaware, and without their consent it used to install malware in the background to steal sensitive information. Researcher Stefanko informed Google about such malicious apps thriving on the Play Store. Thankfully, Google came out with a swift response as the company has now removed 13 such malicious apps from Play Store.

That said, the search engine giant continues to fail in its efforts to stop such malware ridden apps popping up on the Ply Store. As this isn’t the first time malware researcher Lukas Stefanko has found malicious apps on the Play Store.

Earlier, this month, he found a Trojan-ridden call recording app which disguized itself as a normal call recording app and tricked users into downloading an additional app. While back in September, he found a Trojanized banking app which stole banking information from compromised Android devices.

Stefanko suggests that if an Android app asks you to download Flash Player from servers besides Adobe, it should be taken as a warning sign as the app is most likely infected.

One of the primary reasons that such apps are constantly showing app on the Play Store could be Google’s open source code policy. In contrast, Apple controls almost everything for its iOS store apps and allows developers to work within stringent parameters only. Hopefully, Google takes a cue from Apple to prevent such instances from happening in the future.

November 26, 2018
Microsoft dethrones Apple to become the most valuable company by market cap

Microsoft has surpassed Apple to become the world’s most valuable company. The Windows-maker is now reportedly worth $753 billion, compard to Apple which has now come down to $746 billion.

It appears Microsoft’s startegy to invertments in products like Office, Azure, and Cloud has fetched good returns for the company. Reports further add that Microosft is possibly on its way to become a trillion dollar company, something which Apple was once.

Shrinking of global iPhone demand has caused a substantial dip in Apple’s shares prices. The Cupertino giant’s shares revcently fell to $172.2, after it announced reduced production orders for the iPhone XS and iPhone XR. Not to mention, Apple also has plans to resurrect the iPhone X and reduce iPhone XR prices in Japan to mitigate losses.

Apple’s stock has shrunk by over 10 percent since November. During that time, the company also announced that it would not disclose iPhone sale units to investors. Since then, Apple’s stock has been constantly sliding.

Earlier this week, a WSJ report also claimed that Apple is offering subsidies to carriers in Japan to reduce iPhone XR prices. Besides, the report also mentioned the company’s plan to resume iPhone X production. One of the problems the company is facing is the fact that older iPhone models still have massive popularity in countries like Japan, most probably because they’re much cheaper than the latest iPhone models.

Apple has also cut down production orders because of lower than anticipated demand for new iPhone models, as well as overall shrinking of the smartphone-market. Reports further cite that weak demand in China is another reason for cutting down production of newly launched iPhone range.

Besides, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also suggests that Apple will see an year-over-year decline in iPhone shipments during the first quarter of 2019.

November 24, 2018
Apple announces Black Friday 2018 deals

Apple typically charges a premium price of its products. Hence, buyers usually wait for the holiday season sale to pick up iPhones and iPads at reasonable discounts. That said, it appears holiday season shoppers are seemingly out of luck as Apple’s Black Friday 2018 deals are disappointing to say the least.

Besides, the company’s Blackk Friday 2018 page itself confirms you’re not getting any dispcunts on iPhone, iPads, MacBooks. Instead, you’ll only get Apple Store Gift Cards if you buy any Apple product during this year’s Black Friday sale.

Apple has already set the bar for launching one of the most expensive iPhone to date, with the iPhone XS priced at a whopping $1449 in the US. That said, it appears the company still sees no reason to announce lucrative Black Friday deals to attract buyers, despite falling iPhone sales. Hence, what you’ll get if you do decide to buy an iPhone this Black Friday – a $50 Apple Store Gift Card for select SIM-free models. Eligible models for this offer include the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple Watch Series 3 also get you a $50 gift card. However, there are no deals on Apple Watch Series 4.

There are no good deals on iPads either. In case you’re interested in buying an iPad, you’ll receive a $100 Apple Store Gift Card. iPad models eligible for this promo include the latest 10.5-inch iPad Pro, iPad, and iPad Mini.

Finally, Apple is offering $200 Apple Store Gift Card with MacBooks.

Apple hasn’t announced any special deals for its 2018 product lineup. Therefore, Apple Store isn’t the best plave to go if you’re looking for a cheaper iPhone XS or the Apple Watch Series 4. It’s better to check other retailers for discounts on Apple products.

November 23, 2018
Galaxy Note 9 users complain of an annoying camera freeze bug

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is hit by a bug that freezes the handset’s camera while clicking pictures or shooting videos. According to reports, it appears only models running Snapdrgaon 845 processor are affected by this bug, as Exynos variants of the Note 9 are reportedly free of this glitch.

Several Galaxy Note 9 users in the US have reported the issue on Samsung’s support forums, adding that even software updates in the past few months haven’t resolved the issue. The camera freeze happens while using both the stock app as well third party apps. Besides, users also see a warning notification on the display which says that the ‘camera failed’. Both unlocked and carrier variants of the handset are reportedly hit by the issue.

Users did manage to find a temporary workaround to fix the issue by clearing the system partition cache. However, it appears the freezing re-occurs soon enough.

“Recently purchased the HK version of Note 9 (Snapdragon 512GB), encountered this issue within 2 weeks of purchase. Build number M1AJQ.N9600ZHU1ARJ6 with no updates available. For now only regular rebooting avoids the issue,” one user explained.

Sources also indicate that Samsung is working on an update to fix the camera freeze issue with the Galaxy Note 9. That said, an exact timeline as to when the fix will arrive remains a mystery. Besides, some reports also claim that the latest camera update rolled out in October fixed the issue. However, it’s pretty evident that users are still facing the issue, even after getting in touch with Samsung support.

The Galaxy Note 9 is now receiving the November security patch. Besides, a moderator Samsung’s US support page has also confirmed that a fix for the camera freeze issue will soon arrive on the Galaxy Note 9.

November 23, 2018
Black Friday 2018: Microsoft announces huge discounts on several Surface variants

Microsoft has announced major Black Friday discounts for several Surface variants, including the latest Surface Go model. These deals include lucrative offers for the Surface Laptop 2, Surface Pro 6, Surface Pro, and the Surface Go. Besides, Microsoft is also offering attractive discounts on special bundles which include several accessories.

To begin with, Microsoft is offering a bundle which inlcudes the Surface Pro 6 and a Type Cover, giving buyers a chance to save up to $330. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro bundle with Platinum Type Cover is available at a discount of $310.

Besides, Microsoft has also announced price cuts for the Surface Go launched earlier this year. It sports a compact design and is the cheapest Surface model to date, featuring a 10-inch display, Intel Pentium Gold processor, and up to 8GB of RAM. The Surface Go with 54GB of storage is available at $349, down $50 from the original price. While the Surface Go with 128GB is also available at a discount of $50.

Finally, Microsoft has also announced huge Black Friday discounts for the Surface Laptop 2. You can get a discount of up to $300 by purchasing the device via the company’s official store. Not to mention, Microsoft has announced other Black Friday discounts for a range of products as well. For more information on Surface deals on the Microsoft Store, head over to the source link below.

November 23, 2018
Google Pixel 3 available at a bumper deal on BestBuy

If you’re planning on picking up the Google Pixel 3, now would be the right as Best Buy is offering a bumper deal on Google’s latest smartphones. The online retailer is offering the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL at a bargain that any prospective buyer would be absolutely insane not to take advantage of.

You an get both handsets at a massive $400 discount. Buyers can get the Pixel 3 for $399 and Pixel 3 XL for $499, down from their original price of $799 and $899 respectively. That said, the deal only applies to Verizon-branded Pixel handsets. However, you might be able to get either of the two devices without being contract-locked.

Not to mention, Best Buy has also confirmed that you’ll save $400 immediately, as the remaining balance of the phone’s price will show up on your Verizon account. Now, this essentially gives you the option to pay it back in full anytime, along with the option to switch carriers instead of being chained for 24 months on Verizon.

Put simply, the contract you’ll sign for this deal is basically a $400 loan as the terms clearly mention you can back in full anytime. Besides, you can pay the phone’s total price in installments over a 24-month contract, $16.66 per month for the Pixel 3 and $20.83 for the Pixel 3 XL.

That said, you’ll still need to pay $30 activation fee in order to unlock the phone. Best Buy has also confirmed that the deal is availble at both online as well as its physical stores. Though you better hurry, the deal won’t last long. For more information, head over to BestBuy’s product page.

November 23, 2018
Google Duplex now available on a few Pixel phones in the US

Google Duplex has finally arrived on some Pixel smartphones in the US. The AI-powered chat agent that can fix appointments and make reservations over the phone is now available to a small group of Pixel users in select cities across the US.

Though for now, Duplex can only be used to make restaurant reservations. To do so, users just have to ask Google assistant to make the booking. Besides, users will be asked certain questions such as the preferred time of booking, how many people you want the booking for, and the phone number under which you want the booking to be made.

Early reports about Duplex are seemingly positive, as sources indicate the system worked every time it was used to make a reservation. However, not all restaurants are equipped with support for the AI-powered voice booking system. Now, this could be due to the fact that some restaurants have not yet opted for bookings through Duplex.

“We’re currently ramping up the ability to book restaurant reservations through the Google Assistant over the phone using Duplex technology. To help deliver a good experience to Pixel users and to businesses, we’re starting with a slow rollout and will expand to more Pixel users as we continue to ramp up,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to VentureBeat.

Besides, Google has also put some security measures to prevent Duplex from being misused. As users can only cancel a restaurant booking only once per day. In addition, users found to have cancel multiple bookings in a row will be banned from using the system.

For now, we aren’t sure when a wider rollout will begin or by when Duplex would get the ability to perform other tasks. Nonetheless, initial signs look positive as the current system seems to work as Google intended it to be.

November 22, 2018
Apple to slash iPhone XR prices in Japan to boost sales: Report

Apple has reportedly announced price cuts for the iPhone XR in Japan in an attempt to improve the handset’s sale in the country. According to a report by WSJ, the iPhone-maker is offering subsidies to carriers in Japan and these price cuts are likely to be implemented next week.

Besides, the report further notes Apple has apparently resumed production of last year’s iPhone X. Now, this suggests that the company plans to sell older iPhone models in Japan. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise as this won’t be the first time Apple will produce old iPhone models for markets which have sufficient demand for cheaper handsets.

One of the problems Apple is facing is the fact that older iPhone models still have massive popularity in countries like Japan, most probably because they’re much cheaper than the latest iPhone models.

However, the report also cites supply chain sources which claim that resuming iPhone X production is also because of Apple’s need to use OLED panels ordered from Samsung. These panels were actually planned for use in iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, however, lower than anticipated demand for new iPhone models has pushed Apple to use them on the older iPhone X.

This strategy would allow Apple to use the excess OLED screen components in a smartphone that became massively popular during its lifetime. Besides, offering it at a discounted price would allow Apple to mitigate losses suffered because of weak demand for new iPhone models. That said, it’s still not clear whether the iPhone X will go back on sale globally. As Apple no longer sells the 2017 iPhone X via its own stores.

Interestingly, the latest news comes shortly after a report earlier this week which claimed that Apple has slashed production orders for its latest iPhone XS and iPhone XR models, due to lower than anticipated demand.

November 22, 2018
Instagram working on a redesigned profile page

Instagram plans to introduce new changes to its platform, this time concerning a user’s profile page. The Facebook-owned social media platform has announced that users might soon see changes to icons and buttons, as well as navigation between tabs. That said, it isn’t as big a change compared to the recently introduced redesigned Explore tab, or changes in algorithmic feed.

Instagram said in a blog post that icons that users see above the grid displaying photos could change to words. However, the grid’s layout won’t change a bit. Once this change is implemented, a user’s profile could move to the right hand corner, while the username would moved to the top of the page in bigger fonts.

“Over the next several weeks, you may see features re-arranged at the top of your profile including changes to icons, buttons and the way you navigate between tabs, which we hope will make profiles easier and cleaner to use. The photos and videos you’ve shared on your grid won’t change,” Instagram explained in a blog post.

Besides, this change would reduce focus on follower counts as they’ll appear in a much smaller font and won’t show at the top. The ‘Message’ and ‘Follow’ buttons are placed next to each other, and users can see their mutual followers when they tap on the Following tab.

Not to mention, grids, texts, and tagged photos icons will show up as text. In addition, business accounts will get a new ‘Shop tab’ along with buttons such as Call and Start Order. You can see the potential changes coming to our profile in the photo below:

Potential changes arriving on your Instagram profile

Instagram has implemented several major changes to its platform in October and November. Earlier, the company introduced a new daily usage tracking dashboard called Your Activity.

Besides, it also introduced three new shopping features along with a new nametag feature, something similar to Snapchat’s Snap Codes. Instagram is working on making its platform more authentic instead of focusing on numbers.

The platform has finally stepped up to crack down fake followers and likes, and uses machine learning to tackle follows and likes from fake apps and accounts.

November 22, 2018
Amazon offering 12 month PlayStation Plus memberships at just $39.99

With Black Friday 2018 now upon us, there’ll be plethora of attractive deals on PlayStation 4 bundles, as well as on different PS4 games. Most retailers are offering a $100 discount across most PS4 bundles. That said, there’s one Black Friday deal PlayStation owners just cannot afford to miss.

You can get a 12 month membership for PlayStation Plus at an all-time low of just $39.99, thanks to Amazon. Now, this happens to be much lower than its standard year-round price of $60.

Put simply, it’s one heck of a deal and something to be taken advantage of during Black Friday 2018. After all, you’ll subscribe to PlayStation Plus anyways to have all the fun on your console, so why not do it now when you can save so much.

Besides, you don’t worry about your remaining PlayStation Plus balance, as this is a digital code that adds 12 months to whatever remaining balance you already have. Subscribing to PlayStation Plus lets you have all the fun on your PS4 console as you get access to multiplayer and play games online with your friends.

Not to mention, PlayStation Plus members also get popular PS4 games every month as free downloads. In addition, subscribers are also entitled to exclusive PlayStation store sales and discounts. Put simply, it’s a great Black Friday deal on Amazon that every PS4 and even PS3 owner should take advantage of. For more information, check out Amazon’s product page.

In other related news, Sony also announced in a blog post that the new PS4 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 bundle will release on November 27 for $299.99. The bundle will include the standard Jet Black 1TB PlayStation 4 console and a physical retail disc of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

Besides, the Japanese giant also revealed in the same post that PlayStation 4 sales have crossed 86.1 million units since its debut back in 2013. This implies that the PS4 has surpassed its predecessor, the PS3, which sold nearly 83.8 million units.

November 21, 2018
Samsung reportedly prepping a Galaxy S10 model with six cameras

Past leaks suggest that Samsung plans to launch three different variants of its upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship. Now, we have a new report which indicates Samsung is also working on a fourth model that’ll boast top-of-the-line specifications.

According to a report by WSJ, Samsung is prepping a top-seceret Galaxy S10 variant codenamed Beyond X, apart from the other three models. The report notes that the so called top-secret model will offer 5G support and boast a screen that’ll likely be larger than the Galaxy Note 9. It’ll be equipped with a 6.7-inch Infinity ‘O’ display with the front-facing camera embedded within the display.

Finally, the report also mentions that Samsung could deploy a total of six different cameras on this top-seceret model of the Galaxy S10. It could have four cameras on the back and two on the front, according to the report. Citing a source, the report suggests these cameras should offer ‘richer photos and better spatial perception’.

It’s still unclear whether Samsung will offer 3D sensing cameras like Apple, but the Korean giant will likely focus on AR with this model.

Eariler leaks have indicated that Samsung will launch a base Galaxy S10 variant along with two other high-end models. The largest of them is said to come with a 6.4-inch display and a dual camera setup. The Korean giant is expected to unveil these three models of the flagship in February 2019.

Besides, past leaks have tipped the release of Galaxy S10’s 5G model a month later in March. It will initially arrive in markets such as US and South Korea. As for other international markets, its release will likely depend on the region’s 5G infrastructure.

More details about the Galaxy S10 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.

November 21, 2018