Tech News

Google Pauses Wear OS Update for Older Pixel Watches
Tech News

Google Pauses Wear OS Update for Older Pixel Watches

Google's Pixel Watches is currently addressing issues with its Wear OS 5 update, which has been plagued by bugs. The company announced that it halted the over-the-air (OTA) update rollout on September 26th, following numerous reports from users, including my colleague Richard Lawler, indicating that their Pixel Watch 1 and 2 devices became stuck on a blank screen after attempting to install the update. The decision to pause the rollout comes after many users experienced significant functionality problems, rendering their devices unusable. Google has acknowledged the situation and plans to resume the Wear OS 5 rollout for older Google's Pixel Watches "later this year," as previously reported by Droid Life. This timeline gives users some hope that a fix will be implemented soon, allowing ...
Tech News

Specs Leak for Xiaomi Pad 7 and Pad 7 Pro

Xiaomi is poised to unveil its latest tablets, the Pad 7 and Pad 7 Pro, with key specifications recently leaked in China. These new models are intended to replace the Pad 6 and Pad 6 Pro, which were launched in April 2023, rather than serve as successors to the Pad 6S Pro. According to the leaked details, the Xiaomi Pad 7 will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, ensuring robust performance for a range of applications and multitasking scenarios. This model will also support 45W wired charging, allowing users to quickly recharge their devices and minimize downtime. Meanwhile, the more advanced Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro is set to feature the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which promises even greater performance capabilities. This tablet will also support faster 67W wired charging, ...
Tech News

AMD’s Ryzen 9000X3D Chips May Not Deliver a Significant Performance Boost

An accidental reveal has shed light on AMD’s upcoming Ryzen 9000X3D desktop processors, which were previously unannounced. However, much like Intel’s new Arrow Lake desktop CPUs, early indications suggest that these chips might not deliver a substantial performance upgrade compared to their predecessors. This is particularly disappointing given the lukewarm reception the original Ryzen 9000 series received when it launched. According to slides from an MSI presentation, which were shared by HardwareLuxx and reported by VideoCardz, the new Ryzen 9000X3D processors may show decent improvements in multicore performance. For instance, an eight-core Ryzen 9000X3D chip is said to outperform the Ryzen 7 7900X3D by as much as 28% in Cinebench R23. However, in gaming benchmarks like Black Myth: W...
Tech News

Xbox Games Coming to Android App Next Month

Microsoft has announced that beginning in November, users will have the ability to both play and purchase Xbox games directly through the Xbox app on Android devices. This exciting update was shared by Xbox President Sarah Bond in a post on X. She highlighted that the recent court ruling to open up Google's mobile store in the United States will provide greater choice and flexibility for consumers. Bond emphasized the company's mission to enable more players to enjoy gaming across a wider range of devices. She expressed enthusiasm for this development, stating, "We are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android." This move represents a significant step toward enhancing the gaming experience and ...
Tech News

WhatsApp Adds Another Instagram-Style Feature for Status Updates

WhatsApp has recently rolled out several upgrades. In a significant new development, it has introduced a private tagging feature for status updates. This feature is currently being whatsApp’s launched and will soon be accessible to users around the world. With this new feature, users can privately tag contacts in their status updates, react to others’ statuses, and even re-share statuses they are mentioned in. In a blog post, WhatsApp developers stated, “Ensure that those closest to you see your status and make it easy for them to re-share it with their audience by privately mentioning them.” The company also noted that users who are mentioned in status updates will receive a private notification, though the mention itself won’t appear on their status. In addition to the tagging f...
Tech News

Microsoft Launches Unified .NET API for AI and .NET 9 RC

Microsoft's has introduced a preview of an AI extension library aimed at creating a unified API for AI programming in C#. Additionally, it has released a .NET 9.0 release candidate with a go-live license, ahead of its general availability in November. The Microsoft.Extensions.AI library is designed as "a unified layer of C# abstractions for interacting with AI services." The goal is for developers of AI libraries, such as those for specific service providers, to implement these abstractions so that developers can interact with different AI services through a standard API. Microsoft notes that service-specific APIs can still be used where necessary, allowing developers to "pass through to proprietary APIs only when required." This approach is somewhat analogous to database interfaces ...
Tech News

Samsung Releases 5 Critical Updates for Millions of Galaxy Phones

Samsung’s October security update comes with an unusual twist, offering five critical reasons for Galaxy phone owners running Android 12, 13, or 14 to update immediately. In the past, critical updates typically addressed broader Android vulnerabilities or hardware patches. While this month includes two such Qualcomm updates delayed from September, the focus now is on Samsung’s own vulnerabilities within its UI. The five vulnerabilities (CVEs) involve "librtppayload," a Samsung-specific system component. They allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with system privileges, although some level of user interaction is required, usually by tricking users into engaging with an on-screen exploit. Fortunately, no active exploits have been detected yet, but Galaxy users are strongly advi...
Tech News

YouTube Denies Claims of Hiding Ad Skip Button

YouTube is the top video streaming platform for billions worldwide. While many people pay for Premium subscriptions to avoid ads, millions still opt to watch ads to enjoy content for free. Typically, users can skip ads after a few seconds, but some have recently accused YouTube of intentionally hiding the skip button, forcing them to watch full ads. Some users have claimed that black rectangles are blocking the skip button. In response, YouTube spokesperson Oluwa Falodun addressed these accusations in a statement to The Verge, denying the claims. Falodun clarified that YouTube isn’t removing the skip ad button but has made some changes to how ads are displayed. "YouTube is not hiding the skip button. On skippable ads, the button still appears after 5 seconds, as usual," Falodun st...
Tech News

Latest Apple Report Confirms Release Date for New MacBook Pro

The new MacBook Pro was expected to launch in October, and now reports say it could happen in the last week of the month, possibly on Halloween, with a retail release on November 1st. According to reliable source Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple will release three major MacBook Pro models, along with new versions of the Mac Mini and iPad Mini. The MacBook Pro lineup will include a 14-inch model with the entry-level M4 Apple Silicon chip, and both 14-inch and 16-inch models with the more powerful M4 Pro or M4 Max chips. Notably, there is no mention of a new MacBook Air in this update. The M4 MacBook Pro will be the cheapest option in this release, offering a boost in performance compared to the MacBook Air by adding a fan to the same internal components. The next MacBook ...
Tech News

Research Firm Predicts Apple Ring to Rival Samsung by 2026

Apple could introduce a connected ring to compete with Samsung by 2026, as predicted by CCS Insight, further emphasizing the company's growing focus on health. This prediction is part of CCS Insight's annual forecast, and if it materializes, it would mark Apple's first new product since the launch of the Vision Pro headset earlier this year. "Health has become a core focus for Apple. In fact, I’d say when Tim Cook eventually steps down, his legacy will likely be tied to Apple's contributions to personal health," Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, shared on CNBC’s Beyond the Valley podcast on Tuesday. "Given Tim Cook's deep personal investment in health, I believe a ring would be a natural extension for Apple," said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, referring to the Appl...