Thursday 30 November 2017

The next Essential phone should be easier to repair than the PH-1


While Andy Rubin, the founder and CEO of Essential Products, is currently on leave of absence, the company doesn't seem to be affected by this - which is great news for folks looking forward to finding out what's next for Essential.   Not long after launching its very first smartphone - dubbed PH-1, or Essential Phone - the company is already planning its moves related to future handsets. More exactly, in a recent Reddit AMA (ask me anything) session, Essential confirmed a "next generation phone", though it gave little details about it. In fact, the only thing that Essential shared about ...

Apple iPhone X online orders now ship in approximately a week

Remember when online orders placed for the Apple iPhone X wouldn't ship for five to seven weeks? Apple has finally been able to work down that backlog to the point that orders placed online will ship in about one week. In fact, to be more specific, orders placed online tonight will ship in just five business days. Apple is selling a version of the tenth anniversary model with 64GB of native storage for $999. The variant with 256GB of storage comes with a price tag of $1,149. Both units are available in Silver or Space Gray.

A few days ago, Rosenblatt China Technology analyst Jun Zhang estimated ...

The best kickstand cases for iPhone X


So, you've bought yourself a new and shiny Apple iPhone X. Congratulations! But have you also got a protective case for your handset? If not, perhaps you'll want to buy one of the many kickstand cases out there, as these are made for convenient hands-free media viewing (in addition to providing at least some basic protection, of course).   
 
In our opinion, the iPhone X kickstand cases listed in this article are among the best that you can currently get in the US, so we're inviting you to discover them below. For those wondering, ...

Deal: Samsung Gear 360 (2017 Edition) is 30% off on Amazon


Samsung's 4K camera, the Gear 360 is on sale for a limited time on Amazon. Although it usually sells for $230, consumers can now buy one for just $163 (30% off).

If VR content is your thing, then Samsung's Gear 360 (2017 Edition) might be a good deal, especially if you own a Galaxy S8 or S8+, which will allow you to preview and edit videos captured with the camera or share them directly to social networks and Samsung VR.

The camera is IP53 certified, so it offers some protection against water. It can capture 4K videos and 15-megapixel photos thanks to dual ...

Google Search adds support for audiobooks

Audiobooks are great for the person who loves to read, but can't seem to find enough time in his/her busy day to actually pick up a book. So during the morning and evening commute, you can slip in the CD or tape and use your car's entertainment center to "read" a book. So let's say you've been listening to Donald J. Trump narrating the Harry Potter series and you're up to "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," but you can't seem to find this audiobook anywhere.

Now, you can conduct a Google Search and find out where you can pick up that special audiobook you've been looking for. A ...

Samsung claims the Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition was just a myth


Although Samsung planned to sell a Microsoft Edition of Galaxy S8 at some point this year, the South Korean company backtracked on its previous statements and now says that particular version of its flagship never existed.

The Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition should have been available for purchase at Microsoft's retail stores, and while they didn't include anything different in terms of hardware or software over the standard models, a Microsoft customization was applied to these phones when the devices were unboxed and connected to Wi-Fi.

Basically, the customization ...

Intel Z370 Motherboard Roundup

This roundup of Intel Z370 Coffee Lake motherboards pulls from our in-depth reviews, and includes recommendations for gaming, value & overall performance.

Deal: Verizon Galaxy S8 and S8+ are $300 cheaper at Best Buy


Best Buy is running another promotion on two of Samsung's flagships, the Galaxy S8 and S8+. They are locked on Verizon, but you can buy them $300 cheaper than the MSRP if you agree with a 2-year agreement.

For a limited time, Verizon Galaxy S8 is just $420 ($17.50/month) at Best Buy. The phone comes in four color variations: Black, Coral Blue, Orchid Gray and Arctic Silver. The slightly bigger Verizon Galaxy S8+ is on sale as well for $516 ($21.50/month) and it's available in the same color options.

You can't get either of the two by paying upfront the retail ...

Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Mate 10 now unofficially available in the US


Announced last month on the same day, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are Huawei's latest high-end smartphones, offering the best features that the company can commercialize at the moment.   While Huawei didn't say when its two new handsets would be officially launched in the US, we've heard that the Mate 10 Pro could be released in early 2018 on AT&T. Until then, if you want to buy the two devices, you can already find them on Amazon. However, the phones that currently show up on Amazon are sold by third-party vendors, and they're international models - this means they do not come with ...

Nokia 2 is now in stock at Amazon, you can buy one for just $99


Nokia 2, HMD's cheapest Android smartphone went on sale in the United States last week, but only two retailers were able to offer it: B&H and Best Buy. Starting today, Amazon has the Nokia 2 available as well, and you can get one for the same price - $99.

For that amount, you'll be getting a pretty decent smartphone that's likely to run Android Oreo at some point, even though it ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat at the moment.

Under the hood, the Nokia 2 packs a 1.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB expandable storage. These ...

Qualcomm seeks to ban the AT&T and T-Mobile Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

The back and forth legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm picked up some steam during the last two days. As we told you last night, Apple is now accusing the chipmaker of infringing on eight Apple patents related to power efficiency. Today, Qualcomm sued Apple, claiming that the latter was rifling through the closet where Qualcomm keeps its intellectual property.

With today's suit, Qualcomm accused Apple of using five patents without obtaining the proper licensing. The intellectual property involved is related to cellular connectivity, power efficiency, and 3D imagery on the Apple iPhone ...

Samsung's latest patent reveals smartphone with fully curved display


Samsung is known for experimenting with all sorts of technologies under the curtains, but we're only offered glimpses at the company's failed or successful projects. Many of these projects reveal themselves whenever the South Korean giant files for a new patent to protect its innovative ideas from the competition.

The latest patent filed by Samsung at the WIPO (World International Property Office) reveals a rather unusual smartphone with a fully curved display. Although such a device might be far from being mass-produced, it's interesting that Samsung experiments ...

Vine co-founder says he'll soon start working on a follow-up, but calls it "outside project"


Vine, the popular app that was bought by Twitter back in 2012 and shut down earlier this year, is likely to have a follow-up at some point. Former Vine co-founder and CEO Dom Hofmann has decided to revive the app in some form that will make it more appealing than the now-defunct Vine app.

Hofmann recently tweeted about his plans to work on a follow-up to Vine, but said he does not want to share more details on the matter. He did say that he will fund it himself as an “outside project,” since he's already involved in another exciting project, a startup called Interspace.

However, ...

Google Home Max could go on sale on December 11 for $399


Announced back in October, Google Home Max is not yet available for purchase, but Google promised the speaker will hit the shelves by the end of the year. Two months after the announcement and Google still didn't say when the Home Max will go on sale.

However, one US retailer might have jumped the gun and listed the Google Home Max on its online store. Best Buy now has the speaker listed with a “Notify me” tag for those who want to find out when it goes on sale.

Speaking of availability, Best Buy claims the Google Home Max will hit the shelves on December ...

Google adds iPhone X support to Maps and Home iOS apps


In early November, when the iPhone X was released, not all apps fully supported its unusual 5.8-inch display (which, as you likely know, has a notch on the upper-middle side - where the front camera and various sensors reside). This was also the case with Google Maps, one of the top apps available on iOS.   Thankfully, today, Google updated the Maps app with iPhone X support, so its content now occupies the entire display - including the left and right sides of the handset's famous notch. The new update includes unspecified bug fixes as well, but, if you own an iPhone that isn't the ...

5 Best External Microphones for Smartphones


If there's one thing that's high on my priority list when it comes to choosing a smartphone, the camera has to probably be somewhere in the top three. When it comes to convenience, there's nothing more reliable than the smartphone camera because it has proven itself time-after-time in being adaptable to almost any situation – so you never miss a moment! Not only is the convenience there, but the quality, modes, and features of the smartphone camera have been quantified to propel them over most basic point-and-shoot cameras.

From 4K video capture, to ridiculous slow-motion, ...

Google Assistant will get improved localized support in the US

Google has just announced it will offer improved support for Assistant, but only in the United States. The changes should help Google Assistant users get a better experience when looking for a house cleaner or information about local traffic.

More importantly, these improvements will be available for both Android and iOS users in the US, so no matter what smartphone you're using, you will now benefit from improved localized support when using Google Assistant.

But how does this work? Let's say you're looking for an electrician via Google Assistant. Start by saying “Ok Google, ...

MSI Details Infinite X U.S. Desktop Models

MSI detailed the full specifications of the U.S. versions of its Infinite X desktop gaming PC.

Intel's Diane Bryant Heads To Google Cloud

Diane Bryant has left Intel and joined Google Cloud as the Chief Operating Officer.

Analyst sees iPhone X leading to a 'super long cycle' for Apple

Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson wrote a note to the firm's clients today that is very bullish as far as Apple is concerned. Of course, the securities house has been high on the tech titan going back to the days when Gene Munster was covering the company for Piper Jaffray. Today, Olson wrote that thanks to the iPhone X, Apple is in line "to experience a strong multi-year iPhone trajectory, not the short-lived 'super cycle' that was anticipated."

The analyst cites a growing interest in augmented reality, led by developers pushing out new, interesting AR based apps for the App Store. Also ...

Toshiba Levels Up The XG5-P NVMe SSD

Toshiba elevates the XG5 like with a new premium option that increases performance and the capacity to 2TB.

Recent Samsung Galaxy S8 update breaks fast charging for some owners


It appears that a recent update for the Galaxy S8/S8+ might have caused some units to malfunction. The problem seems to come from last month's software upgrade which contained the October Android Security patch. After installation, the update breaks fast charging on certain devices.

Unsurprisingly, affected users have voiced their concerns over the internet. There are multiple appeals for help on Twitter as well as a number of threads on the Samsung community forums:
@SamsungSupport my s8 stopped fast charging after the latest update.  ...

Investors And Politicians Take Notice Of 'Battlefront II' Controversy

Both gamers and game investors are no stranger to the concept of microtransactions. Although gamers have grown to accept them as a fact of reality, the recent "Star Wars Battlefront II" debacle shows that there is still a line that can’t be crossed.

Nokia 6 receives new OTA update, here's what's changed


A new update has started rolling out for the Nokia 6. With a size of 149.3MB, the software upgrade should bump the version of HMD's mid-ranger to 00WW_3_72A. 

Sadly, HMD's changelog for this update is rather laconic. It mentions that there are enhancements to the user interface and improvements to stability, but there are no precise details of what actually has been changed. Although not mentioned in the log, the update also brings the latest Android Security patch (November 6th, 2017). 


The ...

Thermaltake Releases Corner-Shaped Core C90 Open-Frame Chassis

Thermaltake announced a new open-frame chassis called the Core P90 TG (tempered glass).

Apple developing "the most advanced" power management chips, could premiere on iPhones as soon as 2018


Apple seems to be aiming to reduce its dependence on suppliers. Earlier this year, Cupertino cut its ties with GPU maker Imagination Technologies and later introduced an in-house graphics chip on its latest A11 SoC. Now, word has it that the US tech giant is designing its very own power management chips which could be featured in iPhones as early as 2018. 

According to sources of Nikkei Asian Review, the new power management chips would be "the most advanced in the industry". A power management chip controls ...

Huawei nova 2S coming soon with 6-inch display, 20MP dual-camera and Kirin 960 CPU


Although we're just one month away from the end of the year, there might be just enough time for some companies to release their last smartphones for 2018. Huawei recently launched its second flagship of the year, the Mate 10 Pro, but the Chinese handset maker may have a few more aces up its sleeve.

One of them could be the unannounced Huawei nova 2S, which has just popped up in China. The nova 2S is a high-end smartphone that's likely to be launched worldwide, although Huawei may use different names.

Aside from a handful of pictures showing some dummy nova ...

Jony Ive is dismissive of the Apple iPhone 7, Apple iPhone 7 Plus design

What does it mean when a chef dismisses the taste of his own food? We'd say it would be similar to what Apple's design guru Jony Ive thinks about his own work on the 2016 Apple iPhone 7 and Apple iPhone 7 Plus. During an interview with Smithsonian Magazine, which you're not going to find on your local Seven-Eleven magazine rack, the executive had a rather dismissive comment about last year's iPhone model. "It now seems to me a rather disconnected component housed in an enclosure," Ive stated.

Of course, this comment must be weighed against the beauty of the Apple iPhone X, which was just ...

IRS Gains Access To Data On 14,355 Coinbase Customers

A federal court in California approved IRS' request to access the data on 14,355 Coinbase customers that have traded more than $20,000 per transaction between 2013 and 2015. The request is narrower than IRS' original request to obtain all customers' data.

OnePlus 3 and 3T getting lots of improvements with OxygenOS Open Beta 28 and 19


After rolling out OxygenOS 5.0-based on Android Oreo update last week, OnePlus is now releasing the first open beta build for OnePlus 3 and 3T. The updates are identical in terms of changes, at least according to OnePlus.

Most of the changes are aimed at the core of the software that comes pre-installed on these phones, but there are a few for Launcher, Gallery, and Contacts as well. Also, there's at least one known issue that will hopefully be patched in the next update. You can find below the full changelog of OxygenOS Open Beta 28 and 19, depending on what smartphone ...

AMD Teases New 'Adrenalin' Radeon Software

AMD quietly teased a new version of its Radeon Software in a video published on the company’s YouTube page.

Battery life still poor? You can save 30% to 50% on mophie's power banks and charging cases

Does the battery inside your smartphone continuously let you down? Are you using power saving modes all day just to make sure that you have a little speck of power available for your commute home? Are you wedded to the power outlets in your office? If you answered in the affirmative for any of these questions, you need to check out mophie's website. The company, known for its battery enhancing solutions, is offering discounts in the range of 30% to 50% on selected power banks and charging cases.

The juice pack air line of charging cases is priced on mophie's website at 30% off at $69.95. ...

Quantum Break on Xbox One X: 1440p Upgrade ruined by Visual bugs

The Xbox One X version of Quantum Break is a big upgrade in terms of resolution and performance. The game looks quite good

The post Quantum Break on Xbox One X: 1440p Upgrade ruined by Visual bugs appeared first on DigiWorthy.


Prepare For 'Doom VFR' With Another Nvidia Driver

The software also brings back the NV Tray function.

'Total War: Rome II' Is Getting A Free Update, More DLC (Updated)

You're in control of one of ten factions that sprang up as the mighty Roman Empire crumbled to chaos.

HTC U11 Life gets an official Android 8 Oreo update


On Monday, HTC USA started updating its U11 flagship phone to Android 8 Oreo. Today, the company is bringing Oreo to another smartphone - the U11 Life, a new mid-range handset launched in early November with Android 7 Nougat on board.   For now, only the unlocked version of the HTC U11 Life (which works on AT&T and T-Mobile, plus their prepaid brands) is being updated to Android Oreo. The T-Mobile variant of the device is certainly getting Oreo, too, but it's not clear when this will happen.   The U11 Life is HTC's first mid-range phone to come with Edge Sense. Borrowed from ...

Results: life on beta builds is exciting!

Device manufacturers have slowly begun to embrace the benefits of running a public beta for their future OS updates. They get tons of free testing done, gather more data than they could in private tests, and keep their devoted fans happy and loyal. That's a 3 for 1! Apple has a running beta program for iOS releases, Sony has had it for the Xperia flagships and their Android builds, and Samsung currently has one running for the Galaxy S8 and Android 8 Oreo, to name a few.

Now, it's always a good idea to backup your phone and be mentally ready that something might go terribly wrong and you ...

Snapdragon 845 tipped to use older 10nm production, bummer for the US-bound Galaxy S9

It's been a familiar refrain for years now - the US gets a Snapdragon-equipped Galaxy S line flagship, because... Qualcomm patents, but also Verizon and Sprint's legacy CDMA voice networks. The rest of the world, however, usually basks in the battery life efficiency coming with Samsung's homebrew Exynos line of processors, and often the added benefit of a better audio processor.

Next year, with the introduction of the eventual Galaxy S9 and S9+, we thought that the roles may get reversed. Samsung just announced that its second-generation 10nm LPP processors are entering mass production, ...

These premium Android icon packs are free for a limited time, grab them while you can!


If you love to customize your Android phone, you might be pleased to hear that several icon packs that are usually paid are now available for free on Google Play. Typically, the price of these icon packs is $1 or more, but now it's possible to download them free of charge.

This assortment should give you some ideas for your next custom home screen masterpiece, just make sure you pick a nice wallpaper to match. Keep in mind that the freebie period on some of these ends soon, so act swiftly!

You can get a preview of each icon pack in the gallery above. ...

Apple and Stanford team up to monitor irregular heart rhythms with the Apple Watch


Apple has been quite determined to make the Apple Watch more than just an accessory or iPhone companion — it wants its readings to be able to help with healthcare in any way they can. As part of that mission, the company has teamed up with Stanford scientists to observe and study irregular heart rhythms.

The study is open to anyone who wishes to participate — as long as they are at least 22 years of age and they own an Apple Watch Series 1 (not 1st generation) or above. The app Apple Heart Study is up on the App Store and available for download right now (link below).

The ...

LG Mobile scores a new chief, hints that it wants to come on top by innovating


Effective from December 1, LG's mobile department will have a new head - Hwang Jeong-hwan, a former head of LG's Home Entertainment branch, is taking the reins from Juno Cho, who will continue working for the South Korean giant. This move is definitely hinting at an upcoming shift in LG Mobile's strategy and state of affairs.

Hwang Jeong-hwan has been rather involved with R&D in LG's Home Entertainment branch for years, but this seems to be a recurring theme for the executive, who seems to have a gusto for creativity and not so much for sales-oriented ...

Bungie Outlines Additions, Improvements Coming To 'Destiny 2'

Bungie is making some some significant changes with new and existing mechanics to improve the "Destiny 2" experience.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp gets its first holiday special event


Nintendo's Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has had a strong first week on the App Store and Google Play store, hitting a cumulative 15 million downloads worldwide in under 7 days. In comparison, Super Mario Run reached 32 million downloads one week after launch, while Fire Emblem Heroes amassed only 7 million within its first six days of availability. However, the latter remains the most profitable mobile game launched by the Japanese company, as per Nintendo's statement.

But millions upon millions of downloads often mean nothing in the mobile ...

AMD’s Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.11.4 Driver Now Available

AMD released the Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.11.4 driver with support for Oculus Dash Open Beta and "Doom VFR."

Samsung PM981 NVMe SSD Review

We have Samsung's new high-performance NVMe SSD under the microscope.

Supreme Court to rule on a landmark cell phone tracking and search privacy case


The Supreme Court just received a landmark citizen privacy case yesterday, and is deliberating on the rules that police and other authorities should follow when tracking and searching your cell phone. The "Carpenter vs United States" case is pivotal in terms of warrant regulations, as it was precisely grey area location pindowns and wiretaps (or, in this case, wireless taps) that led to the conviction of armed robber Timothy Carpenter in 2013.

FBI asked the carriers to track Carpenter's whereabouts, buoyed by a court order issued under the Stored Communications ...

OnePlus 3 and 3T include face unlock feature with OxygenOS 5.0 update


The face unlock feature was limited to OnePlus' newest flagship, the 5T, at least that's what we thought until recently. However, as many of you probably know by now, OnePlus 3 and 3T recently received OxygenOS 5.0 update based on Android 8.0 Oreo.

Although OnePlus shared an official changelog when the update was released, it did not contain any mentions of a face unlock feature. Well, great news, as both OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T benefit from the security feature after the update.

If you want to use it, you can head over to “Security & fingerprint” menu, ...

This is the best widget for Android released in 2017


Not everyone uses widgets on their Android device, and for a reason: the regular user is either unaware that their phone can do that, or they simply don't care about these for one reason or another.

Admittedly, the majority of widgets available for download on the Play Store aren't exactly catwalk stars in appearance, there exist a ton of widgets that not only have the stunning appearance, but also match that one in terms of overall functionality. And with tools like KWGT, you can even hit reach the next level and create a full-blown bespoke widget for your ...

Funxim's wireless charger to take on AirPower, top up iPhones and Apple Watches at low price


Apple's AirPower wireless charger is still a pie in the sky, postponed for early 2018 release, but there are already a few good options on the market to top off your new iPhones or Apple Watches sans cables. How about both? Yes, there is now a Kickstarter project called Funxim that is building a wireless charger which mimics the AirPower's featured ability to charge two Apple devices at once.

Granted, the Apple Watch will have to be put at a certain spot on the charger, and the iPhone next to it, unlike AirPower's free placement option, but that's a ...

Robocars Should Be 'Disconnected,' Warns Former EFF Chief

Brad Templeton, who used to advise Google's own self-driving car team and was an EFF chair for 10 years, laid out a plan for how car companies should secure their robocars against cyber attacks in an interview with Tom's Hardware.

Tetris comes to Facebook Messenger as instant game, here's how you can play it


Tetris, one of the most beloved games of all time, can now be played on Facebook Messenger. The title is already available on the Instant Games platform of the Messenger app.

The Messenger adaptation plays out much like the classic Tetris game - players need to arrange the falling blocks and clear lines with the goal of achieving the highest score possible. However, there are also some more modern features, such as daily missions, online high-score leaderboards, and Group play - an asynchronous multiplayer mode where one player plays solo and then ...