Tech News

Google has started investigating an issue with its Home Mini smart speaker that users say causes the device to crash or reboot. Specifically, the behavior is observed when certain songs are played at high volume. There's a dedicated Reddit thread discussing this issue, where-in the original poster says they get the crash/reboot when music is played on max volume. Another user chimes in, saying they can observe the behavior with songs including Royals...

A number of Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ users are reporting issues with wireless charging on their units. Most of those affected say a recent update has completely broken the feature. @SamsungHelpUK @SamsungUK Firmware update has screwed up my fast charging feature on S8+; tested charging block on S7 Edge and all is fine! Good ol' Samsung and there software updates again. Bunch of idiots who accept no responsibility!— 🇬🇧 ShaVerZ™ (@_ShaVerZ_) November...

Microsoft Edge for iOS and Android is finally out of private beta and available for everyone. Users on iOS and Android can go to their respective stores and should be able to download it freely. As far as browsers go, there certainly isn't any shortage on either platforms, not even considering the excellent options that come by default. Still, if you are an Edge user on Windows 10 and wanted an easy way for your browsing history, passwords, logins,...

Today the US FDA has approved the first medical device accessory for the Apple Watch range. It's a watch strap called Kardiaband, it's made by a company called AliveCor, and it serves as an EKG reader for your wrist. This is a pretty solid development, considering that EKG machines are usually only available in doctors' offices and hospitals, and are mainly used after life-threatening events. The Kardiaband, tied with AliveCor's new software feature...

We publish a lot of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap. Here’s what we covered today. Firmware News Verizon’s Galaxy S6, S6 edge and Note 5 get November security...

It’s Thursday, which means that it’s time for another exciting  edition of our weekly Themes Thursday segment. This week, a number of new themes found their way onto the Store. Unfortunately, they aren’t all worth of your attention, because the majority are priced too high. Check out three of the best new themes below: Love Arrow Neon Donut Strix The post Themes Thursday: Here are this week’s hottest themes appeared first on SamMobile. Read...

The Android 8.0 Oreo update for the HTC U11 Life is rolling out starting today. As always, it may take a few days (or even weeks) for it to reach every single device out there. If you're confused because you thought this handset actually launched running Oreo, read on. While the international Android One version of the U11 Life did have Google's latest tasty treat pre-installed, that wasn't the case for the HTC Sense-infused units sold in the US....

The Galaxy Note 8, in danger of suffering a similar kind of software support neglect as the Galaxy Note 4, received an update this week after what seemed like eternity despite the few months that the phone has been on sale. There’s more than just the regular stability and performance enhancements in the new Note 8 update, but one thing Samsung hasn’t talked about in the changelog is the more intuitive Live Focus controls in the camera app. Verizon...

OnePlus announced its new flagship — the OnePlus 5T — at an event in New York a couple of weeks ago. The new model comes a scant six months after the launch of the previous flagship, the OnePlus 5. Naturally, it's not a big upgrade, as the name clearly suggests, but the phone does feature some notable changes, one of them being the camera. Like the OnePlus 5, the OnePlus 5T features a dual camera system on the back but with one key difference. While...

If you were expecting to see M, MX, or Pro branding on the first flagship smartphone duo that Meizu will be launching next year, then you're in for a surprise. The phones will be called Meizu 15 and Meizu 15 Plus, to mark the fact that the Chinese company celebrates its 15-year anniversary in 2018. This has been revealed today by none other than Meizu founder and CEO Jack Wong. Furthermore, he's shared this picture showing the box of the 15 Plus....

Samsung's flipphone-to-be, W2018, is getting closer to a debut, as evidenced by its FCC application. The application shares details relating to the phone's communications abilities, such as NFC, LTE, Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy and Wi-Fi. The FCC application also reveals ANT+ support and the model number - R38J906NX2E. The Samsung W2018 will have two 4.2-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screens, a 12MP camera on one side and a 5MP on the other. It will be powered...

The third quarter LG financial results showed profit from almost all divisions, with only Mobile Communications being in decline. In an attempt to "enhance competitiveness", the Korean company announced new appointments and promotions. There are new chiefs of the mobile, technology and marketing departments and an entirely new company for overseeing B2B product sales. The current president of LG Mobile Communications Company takes on a new role...

Last week we reported that OnePlus started pushing the Oreo update to the OnePlus 3/3T duo and the OnePlus 5. Now all three phones are getting the Face Unlock feature that OnePlus introduced in their latest flagship. Enabling the feature is quite easy. Just head to the Security menu in Settings, then select Smart Lock. Trusted face option should be available, and it sets up with holding the phone at a face level in a room with normal light (not...

Fast.com, a service by Netflix, was launched last year as a way to quickly and easily check the download speed of your internet connection. Since then, the company has generated a quarter billion speed test results from around the world. According to some Fast.com data, the top countries using the service are the U.S., Brazil, India, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Italy, Great Britain and Egypt. Users are evenly split between the desktop and...

Samsung is proud for having the highest number of security features on its latest flagships, offering no less than five different methods (iris, facial recognition, fingerprint, pattern, and pin) for keeping the device locked and protected. Samsung also seems to be working on ways to ensure those who use a password for their device and tend to forget it can easily get a hint for what their password might be, or at least that’s what a patent application...

Qualcomm should announce the Snapdragon 845 chipset by the end of the year but some unconfirmed info is making the rounds. The new flagship chip will be built on a 10nm Low Power Early process (from TSMC rather than Samsung). So we can't expect performance gains due to the process. Gains will be had, however, as new chip will use 3rd gen Kryo cores - four of them, based on Cortex-A75. Those will be paired with four A53 cores for efficiency. The...

Amazon might be the biggest online retailer, but the company wants to be even more influential, launching a set of AI products. The subsidiary Amazon Web Services introduced a $250 AI camera called DeepLens, a new platform named SageMaker for deploying machine learning and a new AI service for transcription and translation, all aimed at developers and businesses. The DeepLens camera comes with pre-installed AI tools, including object, image and...

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ haven’t been getting updates as frequently as one would like for flagship phones. They’re also not getting them quickly enough, as evident by the fact that many regions saw the October security patch hitting the devices in mid-November. If some reports from S8 and S8+ users are to be believed, the November update, which started rolling out a few days back, couldn’t come sooner, as the update with the October patch may...

Xiaomi Redmi 5 will arrive on December 7, but with so many leaks there might not be much left to announce. We already saw what the phone will look like and learned a bunch of its key specs. Latest information reveals that the Redmi 5 will have a dual hybrid SIM slot and run MIUI 9 out of the box. According to a leaked PDF that appears to be the warranty card, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 can have either two nano SIM cards or one, coupled with a micro SD....

Suspected to be a sequel to the HTC U Play, the HTC X2 is actually an Android One phone for Japanese carrier SoftBank - specifically it's a local version of the U11 Life. As such, it sports a 5.2" 1080p screen and its body is IP67 certified. There's a fingerprint reader/home button below the screen (this design predates HTC's jump to 18:9). The increasingly popular Snapdragon 630 chipset is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage (there's a microSD...

Huawei just announced the Honor V10 and we're already seeing glimpses of its upcoming projects. The latest leak comes brings us images and specs of the Huawei nova 2S. The phone looks similar to the Huawei Mate 10 Lite and might end up to be a new name for the previously rumored Huawei nova 3. Huawei nova 2S The Huawei nova 2S has a 6-inch 18:9 screen with FHD+ resolution, a 20MP+16MP dual camera on the back, a dual 20MP camera on the front and...

Verizon seems to be working around the clock to update Samsung phones on its network every time a major new Android vulnerability rears its head. It was only last week that we saw the November security patch update, with a fix for the KRACK exploit that affects almost every modern Wi-Fi-enabled device, hit the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge on Verizon. A similar update is now making its way to the Galaxy...

Right on schedule, Xiaomi has announced the Redmi 5A in India. The phone starts selling on December 7 at a price of INR 5,999 for the 2GB/16GB model (first 5 million units will sell at a INR 1,000 discount - INR 4,999) and the 3GB/32GB variant will retail for 6,999. Both models come in either Grey or Gold. The Xiaomi Redmi 5A was marketed as the Desh ka SMartphone - meaning the country's smartphone - and is Made in India. The Xiaomi Redmi 5A launched...

During its most recent Q&A session on Reddit, Essential promised that the Camera app on its PH-1 smartphone will shortly get an update, enabling Portrait Mode as well as bringing along some other changes. Well, that update is now live. In addition to Portrait Mode, the update also includes reduced JPEG compression (aimed to improve image quality) and some stability fixes. It also adds exposure compensation for all regular camera modes. During...

Google has launched aimed at helping you track, control and save on mobile data dubbed Datally. It tracks real-time mobile data usage for individual apps, as well as overall usage through hourly, daily, weekly and monthly stats. It also lets you control background apps data usage by turning on the Data Saver bubble, and helps you save data by offering personalized recommendations and notifying if you're near public Wi-Fi. The company has been testing...

After updating the Samsung Galaxy Note8 units on its network, Verizon has also started pushing out a new update to some former Samsung flagships - the Galaxy Note5 and the S6 series (S6, S6 edge, and S6 edge+). The update in question includes a fix for the KRACK Wi-Fi WPA2 security vulnerability as well as Android fixes for November. It arrives as software version N920VVRS3CQK1, G920VVRS4DQK1, G925VVRS4DQK1, and G928VVRS3CQK1 for the Note5 and S6...

Do you feel frustrated when someone around you tries to peek at your phone when you're using it (especially when looking at sensitive info)? Well, good news is that a solution to the problem is in the works. Google is currently working on a technology that uses the phone's front camera in combination with eye-detecting artificial intelligence to alert you when more than one person is looking at the screen. The following video gives a good idea about...

Huawei appears to be the first manufacturer to partner up with Google in creating a non-Google Daydream VR headset. This comes as a surprise as we've not heard of Huawei making such a device. We do, however, recall Huawei talking about Daydream compatibility at its Keynote at CES early this year, even before Google opened the platform to all developers. So Huawei has shown special interest in the platform in the past. Since the Daydream controller...

Community-based traffic and navigation app Waze has started receiving a new update that brings some new features, including motorcycle mode, carpool lanes support, and 'OK Waze' voice commands for hands-free operation. Lets begin with the voice command support. The hot-word OK Waze activates this feature, allowing you to request useful information or even report things like accidents and traffic conditions without using your hands, effectively making...

YouTube has unveiled a new feature for creators called "Reels". This is YouTube's official spin on the popular stories format first popularized by Snapchat before it took off on Instagram. The feature is an expansion to YouTube's efforts to join creators with their fans on a more intimate level with YouTube Community, a place where creators can post updates and snippets between video releases. Unlike Instagram and Snapchat stories, YouTube's Reels...

Essential promised to hold AMA (Ask me anything) sessions on Reddit to keep the transparency and intimacy between customers and fans, alike. Today's AMA session came and went and we're going to take a look at some of the points that were touched on earlier today. Probably the most significant piece of information from the AMA is that the camera will be receiving and update that will enable portrait mode on the Essential PH-1 and Android Oreo Beta...

Yesterday a very nasty bug was discovered in Apple's macOS High Sierra, the latest version of its software for computers. In short, this bug allowed anyone with access to your computer to log in as the 'root' user. That's bad, because the 'root' user has access to everything and read and write permissions on all the files on your Mac, including system files. Thankfully, Apple has already issued a fix for this problem, which is part of a new security...

Yesterday some leaked press renders of the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi 5 were making the rounds, and a few hours ago the Chinese company decided to officially tease it, while also revealing that it will be made official on December 7. Ahead of that, the Redmi 5 has today received TENAA's certification, a prerequisite for every device that's to be sold in China. As usual, this means we have a couple of new images of the phone to look at. What's more, a...

Sony is rumored to finally cut the bezels of its premier smartphones next year, adhering to the biggest trend of 2017 in the mobile world. Better late than never, then. The company's first flagship 'bezelless' offering is allegedly going to have the model number H8541, and its specs have been leaked today. Through a spec sheet that's claimed to be authentic we get to know the upcoming device a little bit better. It will apparently have a 5.7" 4K...

Once Motorola's flagship phone, the X went through an episode of multiple personality disorder in 2015 (remember the Style, Play and Force?) only to be replaced at the top by the Moto Z last year. Feeling at home in the midrange, the X-series is now in its fourth generation. Meet the Moto X4. Read More........

A couple of days ago the Razer Phone was put through a grueling scratch, burn, and bend test - and now it's time to take things to the next level. We're talking about a video teardown of the gaming device company's first smartphone. The insides of the Razer Phone are all on display in this production, so if you like your handsets in one piece perhaps do some mental preparation before watching. It all starts with a razor blade doing nasty things...

Owners of the global unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note8 are getting their first update. It comes with the November security patch brings improved performance to some apps, bugfixes and more secure Wi-Fi. Samsung started pushing the new 840 MB update to devices in China last week and now started arriving to devices all over the world. One Taiwanese owner of the Galaxy Note8 shared a screenshot, revealing the Calendar, Gallery, Voice Recorder and Reminder...

The HDMI forum has published the specs for version 2.1 and give gamers and multimedia perfectionists everything they could ever want for years to come. Many, many years. 4K, 8K and even 10K video streams can be pushed up to 120fps (with the new Display Stream Compression). Without compression, the maximum is 8K/60 and 4K/120. It will be a long while before broadcast TV (even movie studios) adopt 8K, but these will be awesome for VR gaming... though...

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Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re highlighting five Material Design-esque Christmas backgrounds. All of the images are available in a suitable resolution for the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ — and just about any other smartphone on the market. If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your wallpaper, simply tap on the photo to maximise...

It's the end of the road for the ZTE Axon 7, certainly the US version. A company representative told an inquiring customer that the product has reached its end of life and will no longer be manufactured. There are no units left at zteusa.com, stock in Europe seems to be almost depleted as well. For a while, the Axon 7 was one of the cheapest ways to get Snapdragon 820 power. And it was definitely the cheapest if you wanted Google Daydream VR support...

We publish a lot of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap. Here’s what we covered today. Firmware News International unlocked Galaxy Note 8 is getting an update...

Samsung has been cranking out Oreo Betas for the Galaxy S8. After a quick fix released on the 27th, today brings another release. It fixes two major bugs: being unable to answer/decline an incoming call and the camera opening to a blank screen. Another big annoyance was removed - Oreo's "apps running in the background" notification. Is it just us or is that notification overly eager to rat out apps (including music players)? Anyway, there are further...

Samsung Foundry Business has begun mass production of chips built on the second generation 10nm FinFET process. This is a refinement on the current 10nm chips offering up to 10% higher performance or 15% lower power use. The new chips will be ready for early 2018 phones and become more and more available by the end of the year. Qualcomm picked TSMC over Samsung for the Snapdragon 845 so the first 10nm LPP chips out of the factory will likely be...

Yesterday Xiaomi said it's launchin a new phone in India on November 30 codenamed Desh ka. Today we learn that it's not an entirely new device - the smartphone is actually the Xiaomi Redmi 5a that's just having its local launch. The information was uncovered from the source code of the teaser page, which contains the 'Redmi 5A' name. Xiaomi still sells the Redmi 4a in India, while the Redmi 5a has been selling in China since October. Source Read...

Allegations of sexual misconduct reached Andy Rubin, Android creator, and currently Essential CEO. According to The Information, Rubin left Google after an internal investigation from the HR department. The allegations are that he maintained an "inappropriate relationship" with a woman, working directly under him. Andy Rubin has taken a leave of absence at Essential for "personal reasons" after The Information released the details about it to the...