Samsung One UI beta update squashes a ton of bugs, breaks some things in the process

Samsung has just rolled out a new One UI update for users running the Android 9 Pie beta. This is only the second One UI beta update, so don’t expect it to be packed with features — this is simply a bug-fixing update.
The new update brings the November 1 Android security patch and weighs 748.52MB, so make sure you’re on a decent Wi-Fi connection before accepting the update.
Samsung squashed a good amount of bugs with this new update. We’re not going to type all of them out, but you can find the main bug fixes below:

• Delay of displaying a screen with an incoming call
• Impossible to join a group call
• Swiping left or right does not work in recent apps menu
• Application closes when moving an image to another folder in the Gallery app
• Alarm go off with vibration only
• Another alarm is displayed on the lock screen even though there is no set alarm
• Alarm doesn’t ring on scheduled time
• Screen gets cut off when switching YouTube from landscape to portrait mode
• While playing music, speed changes and sound breaks
• Apps screen and app name is overlapped or there is an empty space instead of it

The One UI beta 2 update isn’t all sunshine and roses. Some users on Reddit are experiencing a handful of new bugs after the update. For instance, some folks are seeing the close all button in the recent apps menu is gone if they use a third-party launcher. Others have noticed a buggier animation when using the gesture navigation to go back to the home screen.
The official consumer-ready version of One UI is slated to roll out sometime in January 2019 for the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, and Galaxy Note 9. If you’re a Note 9 owner, you can finally sign up to join the One UI beta program.

Galaxy S10 specs, price and release date rumors: 5G? 3 models? 6 cameras?

Technically, we don't know anything about the Galaxy S10, the next flagship Galaxy phone we expect Samsung to announce. Samsung hasn't made the S10 official, unlike the upcoming foldable phone that it flashed on stage in November. But after nine years of Galaxy S phones fueling Samsung's rise to the top, the Korean tech giant would be crazy to stop before its 10th anniversary Galaxy S.
Samsung's position as the world's top phone-maker is in peril. Slow phone salesare troublesome enough, but increased pressure from China's Huawei, which ousted Apple to take the No. 2 slot, should cause alarm within Samsung's ranks. Although Huawei phones are no longer sold in the US amid the government's security concerns, the phone-maker has increased global sales without America's help, and has released state-of-the-art phones like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Samsung needs to counter Huawei's advance with everything it's got.
Rumors paint a picture of the Galaxy S10 as a series of three phones packed to the gills with the biggest mobile trends. Here's what we think we know about the upcoming S10.

The Galaxy S10 is not the same as the Galaxy X

The Galaxy X is one rumored name for Samsung's foldable phone, and as far as we know, it and the Galaxy S10 are separate devices. This makes perfect sense. The Galaxy S is a tried and true phone series, and Samsung wouldn't miss an enormous opportunity to crow about a special 10th anniversary edition.
Meanwhile, a foldable phone is an untested concept that's just getting its footing. As of today, there's one foldable phone on the market, the Royole FlexPai, and a lot of intentions from Huawei, LG and others. Samsung and other phone-makers will want to tread cautiously to see how buyers respond before bringing a foldable design into the mainstream Galaxy S lineup.
Plus, if you believe the rumors, the Galaxy S10 code name is "Beyond." The Galaxy X reportedly has the moniker of "Winner."

Galaxy S10 might come in 5G, Plus, budget models

The Galaxy S10 is rumored to come in three configurations:

• A standard model about the same size as today's Galaxy S9, but with even slimmer bezels.
• A larger Plus variant like the Galaxy S9 Plus.
• A budget version modeled on the iPhone XR that has fewer hardware embellishments, like straight edges instead of the two curved sides, and no fancy in-screen fingerprint reader (more on that below). There's also a suggestion the budget Galaxy S10 could lose the headphone jack.

The rumors suggest that the Plus version (said to be code-named "Beyond X") will have 5G capabilities, most likely as a way to differentiate the device other than its size. The current Galaxy S9 Plus, for example, has two rear cameras while the standard S9 has one.
Don't hold your breath for the Galaxy S10 to be Samsung's first 5G phone. Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh told Korean reporters in November that a separate device launching in March on Korean carriers will be its first 5G phone instead. (Here's what you need to know about 5G on phones.)

Six cameras for the Galaxy S10?

Fours cameras will adorn the back of the Galaxy S10, according to one report, and two will sit up front. Multiple rear cameras have the ability to offer more zoom options, more fine detail (especially if one camera is monochrome), and depth mapping for portrait mode (the "bokeh effect") and AR.
The rumor is further bolstered by the existence of the Galaxy A9, a phone with four rear cameras that Samsung announced in October for Asian markets. Samsung could be using the A9 as a testbed for the design and software, before implementing refinements in the all-important Galaxy S10. However, frequent Twitter leaker Evan Blass has suggested there will be three rear cameras on the Galaxy S10, not four.

Galaxy S10 Plus could have a 6.7-inch screen... and what about a notch?

We could see the larger S10 Plus sized with a 6.7-inch screen, according to one rumor. To achieve such a large screen, Samsung could shrink the bezels further could potentially expand the usable screen space without increasing the size of the phone.
At this point, a screen notch -- where the screen divots to make room for a front-facing camera and other sensors -- seems inevitable. Samsung even showed off notched screen styles for its Infinity Display at its developer conference in November, the Infinity-U (a U-shaped notch), Infinity V (you guessed it, a V-shaped notch) and Infinity-O (like someone took a hole punch to the corner of the screen).
Samsung is clearly ready to embrace the design in the name of screen edges that stretch clear to the phone's shoulders.

The selfie camera could peer out of a punch-hole screen design

So which notch would the Galaxy S10 use? Evan Blass says it's the Infinity-O, with a hole punched out of it for at least one camera lens. Fellow Twitter leaker Ice Universe also supports the theory with an image of a screen that could be the Infinity-O.

Will the Galaxy S10 toss out the iris scanner and finally get 3D 'Face ID'?

When the Galaxy S9 first arrived, we were disappointed it didn't use secure 3D depth-mapping technology to unlock the phone like the iPhone's Face ID. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip inside the S9 supports mapping with 50,000 infrared dots, compared to Apple's 30,000 infrared dots. Instead, the Galaxy S9 retained Samsung's secure iris unlocking and unsecure face unlock, the latter a staple on Android phones.
Now might be the time for Samsung to step up its face unlocking game. Rumors point to both the Galaxy S10 losing the iris scanner and gaining a rival to Face ID.
In addition to unlocking the phone securely with a face scan, a depth mapping selfie cam could enable better AR apps and effects, like the disastrously creepy AR Emoji, a rival that predated Apple's much more skillfully executed Memoji.

Fingerprint sensor should be in-screen and 'ultrasonic'

In-screen fingerprint sensors are ramping up as a must-have feature in high-end phones. The OnePlus 6T beat Samsung to become the first US carrier phone to have one. But rumors reaching as far back as the Galaxy S9 have pegged the feature for a Galaxy.
Not only will the Galaxy S10 reportedly get an in-screen fingerprint sensor, it will apparently also use ultrasonic technology, which uses sound to capture the ridges and valleys of your unique fingerprint in order to unlock the phone. We've seen this technology under development for years -- the video below shows it in action.

The Galaxy S10 will run Samsung's One UI interface on top of Android 9

Samsung confirmed to CNET that all future phones, including the foldable phone, will use the new One UI interface that Samsung unveiled at its November Developer Conference. The One UI interface design declutters the current Samsung Experience and tries to group icons for easier one-handed use. It'll work with Android Pie, version 9 of Google's mobile software, but not with earlier versions of Android.

Possible February launch and a March release date?

Samsung typically announces Galaxy S phones in the last days of February at the annual Mobile World Congress, or within the weeks following. However, the foldable Galaxy X is also rumored to appear in March.
I'm skeptical of Samsung announcing both phones at the same time. A foldable phone would quickly overshadow the Galaxy S10. Based on Samsung's release patterns, an MWC reveal of the Galaxy S10 makes sense, with a teaser video for a Galaxy X launch event held later in March in New York. Samsung could have a busy spring.

Tips and Tricks for the New 11 and 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Models

Apple in October released completely redesigned 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with edge-to-edge displays, no Home button, Face ID for authentication purposes, super fast processors, and slimmer, smaller bodies.
For people who are new to iPad or who are upgrading from an older model, we've compiled a list of some of the best iPad-related tips and tricks that are well worth checking out if you want to get the most out of your tablet. While some of these tips are specific to the iPad Pro, many are relevant to customers who own other iPad models as well.

• Keyboard Flicking - As of iOS 11, Apple has offered a special keyboard feature on the iPad that's designed to let you use a flick gesture to quickly type letters and numbers without having to lift your fingers from the keys. A "flick" is a downward swiping gesture that brings up an alternate keyboard view.
• Text Selection - To quickly select text on an iPad, tap the screen with two fingers and then swipe upwards or downwards to select several paragraphs of text at one time. You can also hold your two fingers on the screen to be more selective with the amount of text that you're highlighting.
• Cursor Adjustment - If you want to change the location of your cursor, you can hold two fingers on the display of the iPad and move them around to adjust where your cursor is located, useful for making quick edits in a document. You can achieve the same effect by holding a finger down on the spacebar.
• External Keyboard Shortcuts - When you're using an external keyboard with the iPad, such as the new Smart Keyboard Folio, there are a number of keyboard shortcuts that are worth knowing. You can use Command + Tab, for example, to switch between open applications, Command + Space to bring up Spotlight search, and you can use the spacebar to scroll through long webpages in Safari. You can see all of the available keyboard commands by holding down the Command key on an external keyboard.
• Spacebar Wake Up - On the 2018 iPad Pro models, if you have an external keyboard attached, you can double tap on the spacebar to wake the iPad up and activate Face ID. This gives you a way to get into the iPad without having to touch the screen.
• Animoji and Memoji - New 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models have Face ID, which means you can use Animoji and Memoji in the Messages and FaceTime apps.
• Apple Pencil 2 Customization - If you want to customize the double tap gesture on your Apple Pencil 2, you can go into the Settings app under Apple Pencil to adjust it.
• Instant Notes - With either the Apple Pencil or the Apple Pencil 2, you can tap the device on the screen of an iPad to wake it up and launch right into the Notes app, which is handy for starting a note right away. You don't even need to unlock the iPad first. Instant Notes can be customized in the Settings app under "Notes."
• USB-C - Apple's new iPad Pro models are the first to use USB-C, which means you can do new things that you couldn't do before. The iPad Pro models can be plugged into a 4K monitor and connected directly to some cameras, drones, and other devices. You can't connect external storage, though, and you can't use the USB-C cable that ships with the iPad to connect to a 4K monitor. You'll need Apple's Thunderbolt 3 cable for that or USB-C to USB-C cable like this one from Belkin.
• Charging Your iPhone - With a USB-C to Lightning cable, which Apple sells for $19, you can plug your iPhone into your iPad Pro, which will allow the tablet to charge the iPhone.

Here's a Bunch of Fun Microsoft Surface Rumors

The year is winding down, and it’s very unlikely Microsoft will announce another major product, so naturally, we need to look forward to 2019 and beyond. Brad Sams of Thurrot has plenty of delectable rumors in his new book Beneath a Surface. Some of his claims about Microsoft’s product roadmap reinforce things we’ve heard before, while other bits are entirely new.
Microsoft declined to comment on Sams’ book, and the author himself warned us that a roadmap is never a totally accurate picture of what a company is going to release. But if he’s right, we’ve got a lot of fun stuff to look forward to.

New budget Xbox One

Why buy a used Xbox One S when you can have a new cheap Xbox One? Sams says that Microsoft will launch not one, but two different Xbox One consoles in 2019.
Both devices will be revisions to the 4K capable Xbox One S. The first will cut out the optical drive that allows you to play games and UHD Blu-rays. The other will be similar to the current Xbox One S, but start at a lower price. The Xbox One S, when it launched in 2016, started at $300.

Surface Studio... Display

The display on the Surface Studio, and its recent successor the Surface Studio 2, is glorious, and the hinge that attaches the display to its stand and allows you to adjust it with no more than a finger, is a marvel of consumer electronics engineering.
But as Sams notes, the price of that display alone has always been too high to warrant Microsoft spinning it off and selling it sans computer.

Surface Studio had a starting price of $2999 and when I asked Microsoft following the announcement how much it would cost just to sell the display, they quoted a figure of about $2000. Knowing this, you can understand why Microsoft has yet to offer a standalone Surface display: The price would be too high.

Sams claims that’s going to change in 2020 when Microsoft launches a third Surface Studio heavily informed by the Surface Hub smart display currently in the market. Essentially the Studio would become more modular, with different parts consumers can upgrade independently and even use without the other components.

A dual-screen Surface

We’ve heard about Microsoft’s plans for a dual screen Surface-branded device for a while, and the company has been working on different iterations of dual-screen devices for over a decade. The latest version is code-named Andromedaand was rumored to launch this year. Sams now claims it will launch in late 2019 which isn’t that surprising. Microsoft made a big show of Windows 10'sdual-screen support at Computex in Taiwan this year.
Sams notes the original version of Andromeda was an LTE-capable device that could fit in your pocket, but ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft killed the project this year. According to Sams, the new device will be larger.

A redesigned Surface Pro with USB-C

Mark this one as virtually guaranteed. We’ve been hearing rumors of a refresh to the Surface Pro all year. The device will have slimmer bezels and gentle curves like the Surface Go. It will also have USB-C, which was glaringly absent from this year’s refresh.
Interestingly, Sams claims Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay is personally responsible for its absence on current Surface devices.

“With the company’s two previous Surface releases including USB-C, it was puzzling that the newer Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Pro 6 did not. This was especially true because these are the two Surface products that had sold in the highest volume in the previous years.
And there was a reason: Panay didn’t want it. This was not a technical limitation. Instead, Panay is said to have made the decision himself, so his engineers did not include the ports when refreshing the internals of the devices for the updated Intel chips.”

An AMD-powered Surface Laptop

Microsoft may delay the next batch of Surface devices owing to delays in producing Intel’s next x86 chipset, Ice Lake. Still, Sams suggests that Microsoft could experiment with working with other CPU makers again.
Microsoft’s very first Surface, the Surface RT, had an ARM-based processor. But according to Sams the Intel relationship has driven Microsoft to stick mainly with Intel chips since then. Sams says that this year’s excellent Surface Go has a Pentium processor inside instead of a Qualcomm chip because of the importance of maintaining that relationship.
However, that doesn’t stop him from later claiming that Microsoft could turn to AMD for a later Surface Laptop, which would appear in Q4 2019.

New Android Auto update brings enhanced media and messaging services

Back in May of this year, we had the opportunity to preview a new version of Android Auto that’s built right into the car. This allowed for things like music and messaging independent of the user’s phone, with an embedded SIM specific to that vehicle.
That version of Auto isn’t here quite yet, but Google is still issuing updates to the traditional Android Auto app to make the user’s experience more enjoyable and much more useful.
Today, Google is pushing updates to media and messaging on the Auto platform. Here are the four big changes:

Media browse

Google has shifted media content to the top of the app browser. This helps to keep your focus point on the media and not what you’re switching to.

Media search

You can now ask the Google Assistant to search for a song, artist, podcast or book. If it doesn’t come up with the results you need initially, it will narrow down results so you can select the content you want manually.

Messaging preview

In order to help keep you focused on the road, Android Auto can now show you your message preview when the vehicle comes to a stop. This is an opt-in setting, so it won’t be enabled by default.

Group messaging support

Android Auto now supports MMS and RCS messages in addition to SMS, meaning you can take part in group conversations in apps like Android Messages and WhatsApp.
It’s nice to see Google focused on bringing a stellar Auto experience for users, and these updates should make the whole experience better and safer for users. With Apple CarPlay becoming an enticing reason to use iOS for a lot of users, Google needs to ensure it has one of the best services on the market for the integrated car.

All the Incoming Foldable Phones for 2019

With Google betting on a foldable future for Android, it seems all phone manufacturers are getting these type of devices ready. Even Apple is looking into this form factor that offers the convenience of extreme portability when folded and a larger screen whenever you need it.
Clearly, foldable phones and the return of the slider phone will be the hottest trends of 2019. Our foldable phone guide shows the cats that are already out of the bag, but here are all the companies working on transformer phones right now:

Huawei Foldable Phone

The Huawei foldable phone (see pic above) seems to be the most impressive so far. It will have 5G and a full 5-inch screen on the front (with a notch for facial ID recognition), as well as an almost bezelless 8-inch screen outside. Huawei’s CEO Ken Hu says it’s so powerful it will be able to “replace a PC”.
The device is reportedly being announced at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

Samsung Galaxy F or Galaxy Flex

The technology behind the upcoming Samsung foldable was announced in early November. The Infinity Flex display Samsung will be using for the Galaxy F (or Galaxy X) will expand to 7.3 inches and sport a resolution of 2152 x 1536 pixels.
When closed, the display will measure 4.58 inches with a resolution of 1960 x 480 pixels.
Samsung hasn’t revealed many other details as of yet, but we do know the device will be able to run three apps on the screen at once, thanks to the new OneUI interface. The Korean company should officially show the phone at the MWC 2019. Without its boxy camouflage, it may look like the above render.

Royole FlexPai

The world’s first foldable phone came on November 1. It isn’t as polished as Huawei or Samsung’s but, hey, the little Chinese David beat the two Goliaths to be first to market. Called the FlexPai, it has a 7.8-inch AMOLED screen with a 1920 x 1440 resolution and measures 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches.
The Flexpai has two cameras rated at 16 and 20 megapixels, and comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

LG

Another foldable coming out at MWC 2019, according to reliable rumormonger Ice Universe, is the one from LG. That phone may be the one that showed up in a recent patent uncovered by Letsgodigital. That phone, however, has two displays rather than a foldable one.
It’s hard to understand why LG would choose such a design when they are the undisputed leaders in flexible OLED technology, however, so I wouldn’t count on this being their bet against Samsung and Huawei.
In a filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, LG has applied to register three brand names: Flex, Foldi, and Duplex. The latter may refer to the dual-screen phone. Flex is already in use in of LG’s curved phone, the G Flex 2. It seems logical to think that Foldi may refer to a foldable screen phone.
There’s also a new patent — filed on November 20, 2018 — that shows this strange foldable by LG:

Motorola

The brand now owned by Lenovo may resuscitate its legendary RAZR model in the form of a foldable phone, at least judging from US Patent and Trademark Office patents found by Dutch tech blog Mobielkopen.
According to Techradar, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing said that foldable screens may be the key to reintroduce the RAZR, a really compact flip phone that expands into a full screen similar to the 6.5-inch phones we have today.
“With the new technology, especially folding screens, I think you will see more and more innovation in our smartphone design," he told TechRadar. "so hopefully what you just described [the RAZR] will be developed or realized very soon."

ZTE

The 2017 Axon M was more flop than foldable, thanks to a dual-screen design that reminds me of the LG patent. But that’s not the end of the line for ZTE. In an interview, ZTE Marketing VP Jeff Yee said that they will get “something that’s truly bendable.” There are no more details about this true folding device yet.

Oppo

Uncovered by Mobielkopen, the Oppo foldable is the last to appear in this transformer Android lineup.
It has showed up in a filing with the Chinese patent office. The document includes four variants of the same design, with the display on the outside, like the Royole. There’s not any other details about it, though.

2020: Apple?

And finally, there’s Apple. The Cupertino company is not talking about its foldable plans at all, but there’s no doubt they are working on exploring different designs, as this patent on hinge designs show.
Most likely, Tim Cook and Jony Ive will wait until Google, Samsung, Huawei, and company iron out all the many technological kinks. But perhaps, if the format takes off as these companies and the Westworld scriptwriters think it will, Apple may be left behind in the Next Big Thing.

Google Pixel Slate is the Mirror Universe iPad Pro

I have a dream of a tablet that can also be my laptop. The Microsoft Surfacealready does that. The iPad Pro tries for that, but delivers only half of the equation. And now the Google Pixel Slate claims to offer the exact things the iPad Pro lacks most, but at an equally high price. But it brings with it a host of weaknesses -- oddly, the stuff that the iPad Pro does really well.
The Pixel Slate is like the mirror universe iPad Pro, and at nearly the same price. It has what the other lacks, and lacks what the other has. And what I'd rather have is a fusion of both products. As a work machine, the Pixel Slate gets to my writing and websurfing goals faster, and in a more laptop-like way. But it's not my perfect portable computer, either. Far from it. Despite all that it does right, I wouldn't shell out $599 (£549) or, likely, even more for this -- plus $160-$200 more for one of the must-have keyboards.
Unlike Google's last Google Chromebook product, the laptop-like premium Pixelbook, the Pixel Slate turns into a convertible along the lines of the Microsoft Surface Pro, with a version of ChromeOS that leans more towards the feel of a Google Pixel phone. It sounds like a great idea on paper, but the idea is sometimes better than the execution.
But after a long Thanksgiving weekend with the Pixel Slate, I kept wondering: Who is this product for? If it's aimed at everyone, the price is too high. If it's aimed at pro computer users, why not a Surface Pro or something similar with Windows 10? And if aimed at pro-minded artists and those who want a stellar tablet. why not an iPad Pro?
That's not to say a Chrome tablet isn't a good idea, and useful as a general work device. I'm sitting here, typing away on the Pixel Slate with a Brydge keyboard, and that's pretty great. It has a good keyboard and a desktop-like web browser. So what's not to like?
Well, for one, the price. And, the hardware and software seem to still be a little buggy in my daily use so far... sometimes fast, sometimes oddly sluggish. The Pixel Slate may be Google's model for Chrome's future, but at the moment it feels more experimental than perfect, like a product in beta -- with software that can sometimes be smooth, and sometimes be anything but.
Here's what the Pixel Slate gets right, and gets wrong.

What's great

Keyboard is laptop-perfect (but which to choose?)

I received two keyboard accessories with the Pixel Slate: Google's own Pixel Slate Keyboard ($199), and the G-Type, made by Brydge ($160). Both are really good, and both have large trackpads that help add some laptop-like feel. But they have really different uses and drawbacks.
Google's Pixel Slate keyboard is a lot like the Microsoft Surface Pro keyboard. It's meant to sit on a desk, and its rear cover turns into a magnetic adjustable stand. The keys are round, but have a satisfying mechanism and are generously spaced. The case attaches through a magnetic connector on the side of the Pixel Slate, powering the keyboard. It also doubles as a folio case. But unlike Apple's new iPad Pro keyboard, this isn't lap-usable at all. And it's an odd folio case, too. The plastic keyboard cover seems to slide across the Pixel Slate's display when closed.
The G-Type from Brydge has been more my go-to. It turns the Pixel Slate into a clamshell laptop, and feels great to type on. But it doesn't fold back to enable the Slate to be used as a tablet, which means it'll have to be removed. It pairs via Bluetooth, and needs to be charged separately. And it attaches by sliding the Slate into rubberized brackets that hold the tablet in place, which feels less elegant and secure than Google's keyboard. It doesn't offer any protection to the Slate, either.
I like the G-Type a little more, but the Pixel Slate Keyboard has backlit keys, and does a better job as a tablet case on the go.

ChromeOS does exactly what I want it to do

The Chrome browser on the Pixel Slate works like a regular desktop version of Chrome, which is all I need it to do. With lots of tabs open at once, web pages open and read normally, and everything works. This has been the appeal of Chromebooks since the beginning, and the Pixel Slate does the same. Not a surprise, but it's nice versus the iPad Pro, which is more of a hassle for office work. The efficient feel of Chrome makes it a quick tool to pick up and do something at home or fire off an email. When the keyboard's connected, it's essentially a laptop.

The fingerprint reader is a nice touch

Signing in without a password is pretty quick with the side button on the Pixel Slate, which doubles as a fingerprint reader. But it's not hooked into a lot of uses, as far as I can tell, and it's not as seamlessly integrated as Face ID is into the iPad Pro.

Battery life is good

A relatively full day of use on a full charge is what I got from the Pixel Slate. It seems more than good enough, and kept a decent charge even while playing games, streaming videos and keeping a bunch of tabs open.

Instant always-on Google Assistant is helpful

Being able to tap to request things, search for information or do anything similar gives the Pixel Slate more of a Pixel phone feel on a big screen. I like the way it's integrated at the press of a keyboard. I had a few problems getting it to listen in a cafeteria over office Wi-Fi, but getting restaurant recommendations hands-free by saying, "Hey, Google" is cool, and Google Assistant talks just like you'd expect it to, so it's like having another Google assistant-equipped smart screen.

Display: Looks good

The Pixel Slate's high-resolution, 12.3-inch, 3,000x2,000-pixel "Molecular Display" is very good, but not always great. Colors and text sometimes seemed washed out at off angles, compared to the most recent iPad Pro display. The display's glass is also rather prone to glare. On an NJ Transit train car, writing this review, I had to squint at times. At home, with brightness up, it looked much nicer.

Two USB-C ports are better than one

If you're comparing to an iPad, at least the Pixel Slate has an extra USB-C port. That could mean using wired headphones while charging, or connecting to a display and charging at the same time.

What I didn't like

The price

Chromebooks started as something you could get for a song, a modern alternative to the netbook. It was the Dream of the $200 Laptop.
Now, if the Pixel Slate was $400-$500, keyboard and pen included, it could also be tempting. But at its outrageous iPad Pro-level price, it's something I can't imagine anyone actually buying. Sure, the Pixel Slate starts at $599. But the faster systems you probably would want climb up fast. I didn't get to test all the configuration options, but the review unit Google sent me is the $1,000 (£969) one with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. But all you get in the box is the tablet and a headphone adapter: the $199 (£189) Pixel Slate keyboard and $100 (£99) Pixelbook Pen are sold separately.
There are plenty of more affordable Chromebooks, including the HP Chromebook X2, which does most of what the Pixel Slate does for a lot less, and hybrids that can fold their keyboards back, such as the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2. And Windows touchscreen tablet-laptop hybrids such as the Surface Pro 6 do more for those who need a work machine. And for a tablet, I'd still go with an iPad.

No expandable storage

There's no SD or microSD card slot on the Pixel Slate, which means you'll have to settle for the onboard storage that's included or use a USB-C connected external drive. The 32GB on the $599 configuration should be fine for basic Chromebook purposes, but it's annoying to not have the microSD option.

You're stuck with Chrome OS, and Google Play isn't as good as iOS' App Store

Chrome has its advantages: It updates automatically, it's clean and secure, and it starts up instantly. But it also means Google's OS is the only way to get things done. Multitasking between apps doesn't always feel fluid, although apps can be moved around in windows like a PC.
Google Play's selection of apps is larger than you might think, and the Pixel Slate supports many Android apps, but almost all ChromeOS apps I've need to be online to work. A few offline apps do exist, but the whole offline experience is still far worse than an iPad Pro. Chrome is a great environment for kids, and for everyday light computing. But I'm less forgiving of it at a higher price.
Similarly, being able to work with standard Android apps on Google Play is great, and would be even more impressive for a lower-priced device. App performance and selection, while better than the last time I lived on a Chromebook years ago, still doesn't win me over compared to an iPad. The Pixel Slate wouldn't be my weekend entertainment tablet of choice. Microsoft's Office apps and Adobe's Creative Cloud apps are present to download onto the Pixel Slate, though.

The Pen pales in comparison to Apple's Pencil

The Pixelbook Pen allows pressure-sensitive drawing, much like the Surface Pen and Apple Pencil, but it seemed to me like the worst option. The chunkier pen uses a AAA battery, and using it with a variety of sketch and note-taking apps from Google Keep (which you can instantly take notes to) and Adobe Photoshop Sketch, it exhibits a lot of lag. Google's OS also seems to approximate where strokes are going, which created a subtle repositioning of line curves as I was doodling. I didn't love it.

No headphone jack

The needless ditching of headphone jacks continues: first phones, now tablets. Apple's iPad Pro got rid of the headphone jack this year, and the Pixel Slate does the same, only having two USB-C ports instead. Two USB-C ports are better than one, surely, and Google also includes a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter in the box -- something Apple, insanely, doesn't do. But that doesn't make the death of the 3.5mm jack any less annoying.

It's heavy, for a tablet

At 1.6 pounds (731 grams), the Pixel Slate feels oddly dense. As a laptop with one of the optional keyboards, it feels more normal. Either way, it's not a comfortable casual tablet to hold while reading.

Sometimes, it's buggy

I've had weird things pop up occasionally. Sometimes a web page wouldn't scroll properly, and would just hang. Other times, an app wouldn't properly launch. I had a hard time getting the Brydge keyboard to pair a few times. The Pixel Slate's touch tools also feel unintuitive when used with the keyboard and trackpad controls. Are these early bugs to be tweaked with Chrome updates, or is this the nature of the Pixel Slate? It's hard to tell.

Who is this for?

I'll still be using the Pixel Slate more before a final review and rating, but I keep wondering who would be attracted to a $600-and-up Chrome tablet over a more affordable Chromebook, a Surface Pro or an iPad. As a reference design for where Chrome tablet convertibles can go next, the Pixel Slate is a solid step forward. But it's not a product I would recommend anyone run out and buy... unless you've been dreaming of having a high-end Chrome tablet that can run Linux and have the money to burn.
The Pixel Slate proves that a great keyboard and trackpad and a great browser make a difference, and they're the missing links that the iPad Pro desperately needs. But the Pixel Slate doesn't feel like it's good enough at everything else for its high price.

I’m even more obsessed than I thought with the hidden second screen on this new phone

When it comes to smartphone design trends, 2018 was all about copying the notched display design the Apple used on last year’s iPhone X. Apple wasn’t the first company to slice a notch out of the top of its screen, but the iPhone X’s notch was unlike either of the two that came before it. Needless to say, this is the design that dozens of Android phone makers decided to copy. Now that 2018 is winding down and we’re heading into 2019, however, things are changing. The focus among phone makers is moving away from copying Apple and toward trying to get even closer to true all-screen smartphone designs.
Phone vendors plan to use all sorts of interesting new designs in an effort to get the bezels around their smartphone screens as narrow as possible. We’ve already seen things like selfie cameras that pop up from the top edge of a phone, but that solution is frankly ridiculous. A motorized selfie camera is just asking to break, especially when you can’t put a protective case on the phone or it will stop the camera from opening. But now there’s another smartphone vendor that has come up with a new solution, and I’m even more obsessed than I thought with it.
It looks like the solution most vendors will use to minimizing the bezels on 2019 smartphones is drilling holes through their display panels. Samsung’s Galaxy S10 will be among the first big-name smartphone makers to release a phone that has a hole for the selfie camera instead of a notch, and it may end up looking something like this concept whipped up by a Twitter user:
It’s a nifty design indeed, but there’s another smartphone maker I recently told you about that came up with a different solution for hiding the selfie camera. Actually, instead of hiding the front-facing camera, it was removed completely.
The Nubia X is a bizarre phone that we first covered last month. What makes this phone so special? Instead of trying to squeeze the selfie camera into a slender bezel or cutting a hole in the screen, Nubia decided to just eliminate it completely. In its place, the Nubia X has a second display on the back of the phone that’s hidden when it’s not in use. Here’s the video that we showed you last month:
How cool is that!? I said I was obsessed with it at the time even though it’s so, so silly, but it turns out we didn’t even fully appreciate how awesome this ridiculous second screen was. Check out this new video!
How cool is that? The hidden screen blends with the back of the phone and lights up when you want to take a selfie. For reasons unknown, it also apparently can be used as a normal phone screen. But there’s also apparently a mode that’s sort of like a screen saver, but any pixels not in use by the animated graphics remain blended with the rest of the back of the phone. The result is pretty darn cool, albeit entirely useless.
The Nubia X will never make its way to US shores in any official capacity, so it’s best to put it out of your mind… after you’ve watched the video above a few times on loop, of course.

Huawei poised to launch a phone with a hole in the screen instead of a notch

Display notches are, to put it kindly, an inelegant solution to a vexing design problem. How can you get as much screen as possible in a phone while still offering a front-facing camera? Most OEMs are going to notch route, but Huawei is about to try something different: a hole. Huawei is teasing a device believed to be the Nova 4, which could beat Samsung's hole-punch phone to market.
So far, the device has appeared in a promo image as well as part of a live Chinese web broadcast. The camera hole is clearly visible in the upper left corner of the display. It's closer to the top than the side, presumably to fit inside the status bar. Despite the space-saving hole, there's still a chin at the bottom of the phone. Although, it doesn't seem too egregious. Huawei is probably using an LCD panel, which makes bezel-less designs more difficult.
Samsung  revealed a series of concept designs at its recent developer conference, including the Infinity-O design. Like the Huawei phone, this display includes a hole in the upper left for the front-facing camera. Rumors point to the Galaxy A8S as the first Infinity-O device as soon as next month. Huawei will announce the Nova 4 in December as well. Time will tell who's first.

The Apple Watch Series 4’s electrocardiogram feature is reportedly coming with watchOS 5.1.2

The Apple Watch Series 4’s long-promised electrocardiogram (EKG) feature may finally get support in the upcoming watchOS 5.1.2 update, according to an Apple Store training document obtained by MacRumors.
The feature will let the wearable device take EKG measurements using electrodes built into the back of the Watch and the digital crown, improving the Apple Watch’s ability to measure and monitor users’ hearts. Apple has received Type II FDA clearance for the Apple Watch in the US, which, as Angela Chen explains, isn’t quite the same thing as full Type III FDA approval.
According to the training document, the EKG features will only be available in regions where the Apple Watch has been cleared for use, which seems to only be the US at the initial launch. That said, it’s hard to imagine that Apple isn’t already working to get medical approval for other countries.
The updated watchOS 5.1.2 is in beta testing for developers, but there’s no word yet as to when the final version will be released.

Class action suit accuses Apple of selling Macs without needed dust filters

A new class action lawsuit charges that Apple is selling iMacs and MacBooks without air filters, knowing it can lead to dust damage with processors and displays.
The company has simply "failed to install filters for the computers' vents," according to lawfirm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, representing plaintiffs Kim Ahern, Nikolas Frenzel, and Justin Evans. The firm is actively recruiting more plaintiffs, specifically anyone with a dust-crippled iMac or MacBook made since 2013.
Affected computers may have "dark smudges or spots" on the inside of their displays, and/or slowdowns and crashes caused by dust accumulating on the logic board. The suit charges that people have had to pay for expensive repairs as a result, spending as much as $650 for non-warranty screen replacements when the fix might be as simple as removing the screen and wiping with a rag.
Ahern, who bought a 27-inch iMac, is said to have encountered screen smudges after just nine months, and learned through Google that many other people were dealing with the same problem. Apple's support staff were purportedly unable to help, further denying knowledge of any widespread issue.
"Apple's own message boards are full of reports of these widespread problems caused by the filter defect," said Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro.
Evans had the screen on his iMac replaced three times, twice at his own expense, and also paid $900 to have his logic board replaced after his computer began to overheat and slow down.
The case is being handled through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose. The plaintiffs' lawyers are asking for a halt to "Apple's unfair and/or deceptive acts or practices," plus damage payments, including up to $5,000 for class action members who qualify as senior citizens or disabled.

YOUTUBERS ARE GOING TO GO NUTS FOR THE NEW DJI OSMO POCKET

BACK IN 2015, drone-maker DJI began putting some of its image-stabilization technology into hand-held camera gimbals. The first, called the Osmo, was well-received among the prosumer crowd, because it let users capture unshaky video on either a smartphone or on the device itself. Since then, DJI has released a series of updates to the Osmo, including the smartphone-supporting Osmo Mobile.
Now DJI is putting out its most pocketable Osmo ever—suitably named the Osmo Pocket. It’s DJI’s smallest three-axis gimbal so far, measuring slightly over four inches tall. It has a tiny color touchscreen, so you can see and control your video capture directly from the device, or you can attach your smartphone via USB-C or Lightning and use your phone as a viewfinder. And since the Pocket has the same camera sensor as the Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, and Mavic 2 Zoomdrones, it captures 12-megapixel still images and 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.
At the risk of droning on, there are also some interesting software features included with the Osmo Pocket. DJI's ActiveTrack feature, which trains the smartphone camera lens to follow a subject, has been available in its mobile app for awhile. Now ActiveTrack will work directly on the Pocket’s built-in camera.
On top of that, there’s a new feature called FaceTrack, which enables the on-device camera to identify a human face and lock it in frame, even as that person starts to move out of frame or looks up and down. During a brief demo of the new Osmo Pocket, the camera module swiveled around to keep me in frame when FaceTrack mode was enabled, like a tiny robot head following me around the room.
Other capture settings will be available in DJI’s newest mobile app, called Mimo. This includes “Pro Mode,” which automatically detects low light scenes and lets you adjust exposure settings, and “Story Mode,” which stitches together select video clips for you. The Pocket also captures wide-angle still photos, ideal for large-group selfies, and appears to make capturing panoramic photos stupidly simple.
The Osmo Pocket will be available for pre-order today for $349, and will ship in mid-December. $349 isn't cheap, and buyers will likely want to invest in accessories at some point, whether a WiFi module, a mount, or an extension rod. DJI also plans to ship a 3.5mm adapter for an external microphone, in case the onboard audio capture and noise cancellation doesn’t cut it; we have yet to test this out.
But DJI has still managed to undercut GoPro, which sells the Hero 7 for $400. Given the Osmo’s size and on-device capture abilities, it’s not a stretch to think that DJI might be looking to eat some of GoPro’s lunch with this thing. Often these kinds of gimbals are used in conjunction with a GoPro, but if the on-device capture is this good with the Osmo, then you could see how someone might decide not to buy an additional camera with it. DJI even claims that the tiny Osmo’s battery will last for up to two hours of continuous 4K video shooting, which, if true, could very well surpass any GoPro’s battery life.
Of course, the Osmo Pocket isn’t waterproof (though DJI says a waterproof case is in the works) and it’s hard to imagine propping it up on your helmet or wearing it as part of a chest harness while you’re crushing it on the slopes. GoPro still has all the advantages of that small, square form factor. And the Hero7 has its own impressive, “HyperSmooth” image stabilization technology.
But for YouTubers and others aspiring to be video influencers, a small, sub-$400, stabilized video camera that actually tracks your face and follows you around while you’re living your Best Life™ might just be the best thing since, well, the previous Osmo. DJI says it will continue to sell all of its earlier handheld camera models, including the original Osmo and the Osmo Mobile 2, although availability will depend on region. Right now the Osmo Mobile 2 is selling in the US for just $139.

Google Fi’s iPhone debut comes with caveats

Three years after its debut, Google's Fi is no longer just a "project." The company announced today that its wireless service has matured enough to not only get a rebrand but also much wider device support. More importantly, not only will Fi be compatible with more Android phones, it'll work with the iPhone too (at least, it's in beta). It's a big step forward for Google Fi, which until today has been self-limited in reach. The question now is, will this be enough to get people to switch over?
As a reminder, Fi is an MVNO, or a mobile virtual network operator, that piggybacks on existing wireless networks to deliver service similar to how Boost Mobile or Republic Wireless work. The big difference with Fi is that it switches between three wireless networks -- T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular -- instead of using just the one. The idea is that it'll switch to the best-performing network wherever you happen to be.
The catch is that only certain phones are equipped with this ability to switch carriers dynamically. At the time of writing, those phones include any Pixel, the Moto G6, the LG V35 ThinQ, the LG G7 ThinQ and the Moto X4. If you don't have any of these phones, Fi will still work, but it'll stick to just one carrier: T-Mobile.
I should explain that even before today's announcement, you could get Fi to work with a non-supported phone, and yes, I've used a Fi in an iPhone before too. But there were a few hoops you needed to jump through. For one, you needed the right data settings or some things just wouldn't work, like MMS or web browsing. You also had to have the Fi SIM activated in a supported phone to begin with, or it wouldn't work at all.
But now, that's no longer the case. However, there are still a few issues, especially for those with iPhones. At this point in time, the Fi support for iPhones is still in beta, and it shows. According to Google, iPhones with Fi are cut out of visual voicemail, won't be able to call or text over Wi-Fi (iMessage is exempt) and can't be used as a data hotspot outside of the US. Like a lot of other non-supported devices, the iPhone also doesn't have the ability to switch carriers dynamically. Also, if you have an iPhone 5, 5c or older, you're out of luck entirely.
I popped a Fi SIM card into my iPhone XS and opened the Google Fi for iOS app that was released today. The app gave me sufficient warning that not all Fi features are supported on the iPhone and then walked me through the changes that I needed to make to my Cellular Data settings. I changed the APN (Access Point Name) values to "h2g2" and entered in a new URL for MMSC (Multimedia Messaging Service Center) as instructed, and voila, I was able to send and receive text messages just as before. I also got on the web without much issue. I should note here though that Google did say that you'll likely have to adjust these settings every so often whenever there's an iOS update. Aside from that, you can also use the Fi app to check your data usage as well as your monthly statements.
Clearly, the experience on the iPhone isn't perfect, and though it'll certainly be much better on previously "incompatible" Android phones (you might not have to change your data settings and international tethering is supported), they still won't have the dynamic carrier-switching and you won't be able to route data through Fi's VPN like you would be able to on designed-for-Fi phones.
With so many caveats, why bother with Fi at all? Well, there are a few significant benefits. For one thing, if you live in the US and don't use a lot of data, then Fi could prove to be a good deal. You pay $20 a month for unlimited calls and texts and then $10 per GB until you hit 6GB of use, after which Google will stop charging you altogether. Google does kick you down to EDGE speeds once you hit the 15GB threshold (which the company claims only affects 1 percent of users), but you can also decide to pay $15 for every gig past 10GB if you really need all that speed and data.
That might sound like a lot of money, but in practice, it works out. I use Fi every so often on phones I'm testing and I usually only pay about $30 or less a month since I'm almost always surrounded by WiFi. My co-worker, who uses Fi as his primary carrier, only pays $80 a month for him and his wife. That's a lot less than the $150 or so that I pay for me and my husband's monthly plan on T-Mobile. That's the beauty of the pay-as-you-go model instead of the monthly unlimited data catchall that most traditional carriers have. When I do go data heavy, I pay more. When I skimp, I pay less. That's the way it should be.
Fi really comes into its own when traveling abroad. Thanks to partnerships with carriers in over 170 countries, that same $10 per GB of data usage is applied internationally as well. Calls cost 20 cents a minute, which is pretty expensive, but there are always alternatives like Skype or WhatsApp. T-Mobile has a similar international unlimited data plan where you don't pay per gigabyte, but you're relegated to 2G speeds. With Google Fi, at least, you'll enjoy LTE-level speeds abroad without having to pay more than you usually do.
Another big benefit is that you can order a data-only SIM for other devices like tablets, though this is bundled in with the collective 6GB data threshold. And when I decide I don't want Fi at all, I can cancel without having to make a phone call -- I can do it via the app, or online.
Of course, Fi isn't for everyone, especially if you use a lot of data on a constant basis. And as I mentioned, if you use an iPhone, it's not exactly the best carrier option, though not having visual voicemail might not be a dealbreaker for some people. The lack of international tethering is a rather big setback in my mind, as I sometimes rely on that when I'm traveling abroad. Fi also doesn't support number-sharing, which means you can't pair it with your LTE smartwatch, for example.
With all of these caveats, Fi seems destined to remain something of a niche option, even after widening adoption to other phones. That said, that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, that's what an MVNO is supposed to do: offer up an alternative to the Big Four. Fi might not be the "game-changer"that Google wanted it to be back in 2015, but maybe it doesn't have to be to get a loyal following regardless.

Apple says the iPhone XR is its best-selling phone, but doesn’t provide sales figures

Apple vice president of product marketing Greg Joswiak has commented in an interview withCNET that the iPhone XR has “been our most popular iPhone each and every day since the day it became available,” seemingly in an attempt to downplay analyst reports earlier this week that the iPhone XR was performing worse than Apple had intended.
It’s the first official word from Apple as to how the new iPhones are performing. It arrives at a time when the company’s lineup now includes its priciest phones ever — even the “budget” $750 XR costs more than any base model iPhone ever has — along with reports of slashed shipment orders earlier this month that have led to concerns that sales may be down.
And while the XR may in fact be Apple’s best-selling iPhone, the issue is that Apple isn’t giving any hard numbers as to how many iPhones it’s selling. Without concrete data, there’s no way to know if the XR is a runaway success or just selling better than even weaker numbers for the pricier XS and XS Max. Both of the pricier phones are just updated versions of last year’s X, suggesting they could be selling worse than expected, making the XR’s sales seem stronger in comparison.
That said, while there’s plenty of speculation as to Apple’s iPhone future, there may not be real reason for concern, at least where Apple is concerned. After all, there were similar reports of cut down shipment orders before with last year’s iPhone X, that ultimately turned out to have resulted in drastically increased revenue for the company despite flatter unit sales. And Apple’s strategy in general has seemed to shift toward selling fewer, more lucrative devices than a race to the bottom, which may not be a bad thing.
Unfortunately, chances are that the industry and Wall Street will have to get used to this kind of iPhone uncertainty. Even if revenue is up when Apple announces its next quarterly earnings, it’ll be hard to make a judgement call as to how well the new iPhones are really doing, seeing as Apple decided not to reveal unit sales for its devices going forward.

Apple has destroyed the potential of the Smart Connector on the new iPad Pro

Apple moved the Smart Connector in the latest iPad Pros that debuted this fall. Many blushed over the change, but this is not only bad for the iPad Pro now, but has also hurt future expansion in this space.
The Smart Connector on the iPad Pro had a lot of promise that wasn't fully realized. Located along the long-axis of the iPad, it allowed for some very conventional use cases with a similar footprint to that of a laptop. Advertising for the iPad Pro with this connector was probably the origin of Apple's latest push to use the device as a laptop replacement.
There are two primary issues with the port on the new iPad Pro — one that can be at least partially overlooked, and the other is going to be a show-stopper.

Moving the wrong way

The location shift of the Smart Connector is workable, but isn't a great call.
Apple most certainly had its own reason for this change, but it's bound to be a thorn in my side. We saw some of the ramifications of this when we examined the redesigned Smart Keyboard Folio. The biggest criticism of the case was the requirement of having a full back cover that added unnecessary bulk and weight on an otherwise slim device. I'd have preferred a two-piece design that allows for a removable keyboard with an optional back cover.
As it stands, you are stuck with both a keyboard and a back cover, or neither. If you wanted to remove the keyboard but keep the back, sorry, that's too bad.
By removing the port from the edge of the device, not only does Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio require a back panel, any future third-party keyboards will as well. This leaves those of us who don't want or need that rear protection stuck with lackluster Bluetooth options that don't use the Smart Connector.
We also have no chance of docking stations for the updated Pros. Unless the dock is exceptionally wide to reach all the way to the Smart Connector —which would be different for the 12.9-inch versus the 11-inch model. They could be docked in portrait mode, but iOS and iPad software as it stands today has far more utility in landscape mode, particularly when docked. We've used it as a picture frame, HomeKit control panel, and a second monitor all in landscape.

More keyboards, more options

Second is the poor adoption we've seen from outside companies, which the shift will not help. Apple touted at launch that third-parties could make use of the port, and they even reiterated strong supportwith products in the pipeline just last year. Now that the port has completely moved, anything in the works based on the previous port location is dead-on-arrival.
Since the original incarnation, only Logitech has put accessories on the market. They've launched multiple versions of their popular Slim Combo Keyboard (review) as well as a simple charging dock, the Base, which we also examined.
These accessories were well received, building on what Apple had already put forth. Logitech includes both function keys and backlights to their keyboard — aspects Apple frustratingly omits. With the new Smart Keyboard placement, both of these products wouldn't be possible.

A bleak outlook

The biggest issue we heard third-companies voice unhappiness with was the pogo-pin implementation, but that design remains the same. Apple opting to move the port and not fix common complaints made by those who rely on it for their own products outside of themselves doesn't seem like the best move.
At the moment I don't have high hopes for Apple's once-promising port. Apple has made compromises on their own Smart Keyboard Folio and handicapped hopes of other third-parties running with the technology.

Google makes it easier to pair Bluetooth headphones to all your Android devices

Bluetooth headphones sound a lot better than they did a few years ago, but they’re still generally a pain in the butt to pair to multiple devices. Relatively few headphones allow you to be paired multiple devices, and even then, you still have to go through the pairing process with each new device.
Apple is the only company that’s really simplified the multi-device pairing process, tieing Bluetooth headphones with its W1 chip to your Apple ID, and allowing them to automatically work across your Apple devices – and only your Apple devices. Now Google is taking a page out of Apple’s book, implementing similar functionality on Android devices, with Chromebooks soon to follow.
According to Google, accessories that have implemented the company’s Fast Pair protocol will be tied to your account and be able to work on any of your current devices running Android 6.0 or higher. Support for Chromebooks is coming in 2019.
Fast Pair devices are still pretty rare, but naturally, Google says it’s working to implement the protocol on more headphones, citing Jaybird, Anker, and Bose in particular.
Of course, the new pairing abilities won’t solve all your Bluetooth woes, as you won’t be able to sync the headphones to your PC or Mac; I assume more people will want to sync headphones between their laptop and phone than between multiple Android devices.
Still, it’s a step forward. Who knows, maybe one day Bluetooth headphones will actually be as convenient as every company wants you to believe.

DriveSavers claims it has a way to break into locked iPhones with 100 percent success

Data recovery company DriveSavers is advertising a new service that claims it can recover sensitive data from a locked smartphone, including notably difficult-to-crack iOS devices. The company’s service, called Passcode Lockout Data Recovery, is advertised for regular consumers and not seemingly designed for law enforcement or any other type of official cybersecurity business. Yet The Verge was unable to directly verify the efficacy of the tool, and the offer goes against many promises made by Apple about the security of its storage.
“The first-of-its-kind service is being offered exclusively to consumers who have forgotten device passwords, been locked out after too many incorrect attempts, and for those who need access to data stored on the device of a deceased family member,” reads the company’s press release. “Other companies offer a similar service only to law enforcement. DriveSavers is the first to offer a Passcode Lockout Data Recovery service to consumers. The DriveSavers service is not available for law enforcement and requires proof of ownership prior to unlocking a device.”
In an email to The Verge, a DriveSavers spokesperson says the service costs $3,900 per device, but the company claims it will return your phone or tablet to you unlocked. “Depending on the situation, we may request death certificates, probate documents, court documents, or other legal documents. In the case of a death, we verify who is the executor of the state through interview and documentation,” the spokesperson said.
The company says the service is primarily designed for the family members of deceased loved ones to access locked devices, but it would not disclose exactly how it’s able to bypass security protocols on iOS or on Android devices. DriveSavers is also advertising its service for Windows machines, and the devices of numerous manufacturers like Huawei, Lenovo, LG, and ZTE.
Of course, these claims invite some serious skepticism. Apple’s iPhone is protected by a passcode lock system that not even the FBI were able to bypass on its own, instigating an infamous showdown between Apple and the agency two years ago over the unlocking of the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5C. (Apple refused to build a special version of its operating system for the FBI that would include a backdoor. The FBI sued, but eventually dropped the case.)
That’s because the passcode on an iPhone is encrypted, so not even Apple is able to access a device once it is locked. There are ways to remotely wipe the device, but retrieving information like texts, photos, and other on-device data not stored in the cloud is supposed to be technically impossible, at least not without exploiting a high-level vulnerability.
The FBI ultimately purchased the service of a third-party company, reportedly for upward of $1 million, the details of which a federal judge ruled the FBI did not have to ultimately disclose to the public for fear it could be used by foreign adversaries. Nevertheless, the exploit used in that case is believed to no longer work, as it relied on the software architecture of an older version of iOS.
There are methods to retrieve information from a locked iPhone via iCloud by going through Apple directly with a search warrant, but that’s not a standard procedure for your everyday consumer, and it does not appear to be what DriveSavers claim to have access to. There are also ways to spoof fingerprint data to access a device via Touch ID, as well as methods law enforcement have used to exploit weaknesses in the way iOS treats USB devices, most notably the GrayKey hacking tool used by some law enforcement agencies until Apple developed a method to block it completely.
DriveSavers does not appear to be employing any of these methods that we know of right now, but it’s a possibility the company does have some one-of-a-kind tool that lets it read the data.

Google’s Project Fi Could Be Coming to the iPhone, OnePlus, and Samsung Devices

Google’s Project Fi service could be getting a serious upgrade very soon. According to a now-removed post from BGR, which seems to be a broken embargo on an upcoming Google announcement, Google is opening up Project Fi to more devices.
More specifically, Google could be adding support for devices from Samsung, OnePlus, as well as LG and Motorola, reports Droid Life. Some LG and Motorola devices already work with Project Fi, but Google could potentially be adding more devices from these brands to its arsenal.
And if OnePlus and Samsung weren’t enough, Google could be adding support for Apple’s iPhone devices — in beta.
The only catch here is that you might not get the full “Google Fi” experience on these devices. And for the full Fi experience, you will have to get devices that are “designed for Fi” and are officially sold by Google and its partners.
And notice the Google Fi branding? Google could finally drop the Project Fi branding and replace it with the Google Fi branding, as we reported earlier this month.

Canon to Unleash a 75MP+ EOS R Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera: Report

Canon is reportedly planning to launch an high-resolution EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera with at least 75 megapixels.
Canon Rumors is hearing from multiple known sources that Canon is developing an EOS R camera with “slightly more than 75MP.”
While the timeframe for launch isn’t clear (and is likely far from being decided internally at Canon), the camera could show up in the second half of 2019.
“One source added that the high megapixel EOS R will come once 4 or 5 more native RF mount lenses are announced, with one of the new lenses being ‘the best landscape lens in the Canon lineup,'” Canon Rumors writes.
What’s more, the sources are confirming speculation that Canon isn’t planning to replace the 50-megapixel EOS 5DS and 5DS R with new high-megapixel DSLRs but will instead be turning its high-megapixel camera efforts toward the new EOS R line.
Canon has long been reported to have more than one full-frame mirrorless camera in development, and the $2,299, 30MP EOS R announced in September 2018 isn’t considered to be the company’s pro-grade flagship full-frame mirrorless camera.
This rumored 75-megapixel EOS R camera would more closely fit the bill, but Canon Rumors is also hearing that the next EOS R camera to be announced in 2019 may be an even lower tier “entry level” mirrorless camera, so professional Canon shooters may have to wait a bit for this high-res camera to appear.

Social music app Playlist lets you listen to music with others in real time

A new app called Playlist aims to make music a more social experience than what’s offered today by the major music platforms like Apple Music, Pandora or Spotify, for example. In Playlist, you can find others who share your musical tastes and join group chats where you listen to playlists together in real time. You can collaborate on playlists, too.
The app, backed by investment from Stanford’s StartX fund, was founded by Karen Katz and Steve Petersen, both Stanford engineers and serial entrepreneurs. Katz previously co-founded AdSpace Networks and another social music platform, Jam Music. She also was a founding executive team member at Photobucket, and founded a company called Project Playlist, which was like a Google search for music back in the Myspace era.
Peterson, meanwhile, has 35 patents and more than a decade of experience in digital music. In the early 2000s he created the software architecture and ran the team at PortalPlayer Inc., which powered the iPod’s music player and was later sold to Nvidia for $357 million. Afterwards, he was CTO at Concert Technology, a technology incubator and intellectual property company with a focus on mobile, social and digital music services.
“The world has gone social, but music has been largely left behind. That’s a real gap,” explains Katz, as to why the founders wanted to build Playlist in the first place.
“Ever since we started listening to music from our mobile phones, it’s become an isolated experience. And music is the number one thing we do on our phones,” she says.
The idea they came up with was to unite music and messaging by synchronizing streams, so people could listen to songs together at the same time and chat while they do so.
During last year’s beta testing period, Playlist (which was listed under a different name on the App Store), saw a huge number of engagements as a result of its real-time nature.
“Out of the gate, we saw 10 times the engagement of Pandora.People have, on average, 60 interactions per hour — like chats, likes,follows, joins, adds and creates,” Katz says.
Under the hood, the app uses a lot of technology beyond just its synchronized streaming. It also leverages machine learning for its social recommendations, as well as collaborative playlists, large-scale group chat, and behavior-based music programming, and has “Music Match” algorithms to help you find people who listen to the same sort of things you do.
The social aspects of the app involves a following/follower model, and presents playlists from the people you follow in your home feed, much like a music-focused version of Instagram. A separate Discover section lets you find more people to follow or join in other popular listening and chat sessions.
At launch, the app has a catalog of more than 45 million songs and has a music license for the U.S. It plans to monetize through advertising.
The core idea here — real-time music listening and chat — is interesting. It’s like a Turntable.fm for the Instagram age. But the app sometimes overcomplicates things, it seems. For example, importing a playlist from another music app involves switching over to that app, finding the playlist and copying its sharing URL, then switching back to Playlist to paste it in a pop-up box. It then offers a way for you to add your own custom photo to the playlist, which feels a little unnecessary as the default is album art.
Another odd choice is that it’s difficult to figure out how to leave a group chat once you’ve joined. You can mute the playlist that’s streaming or you can minimize the player, but the option to “leave” is tucked away under another menu, making it harder to find.
The player interface also offers a heart, a plus (+), a share button, a mute button and a skip button all on the bottom row. It’s… well… it’s a lot.
But Katz says that the design choices they’ve made here are based on extensive user testing and feedback. Plus, the app’s younger users — often high schoolers, and not much older than 21 — are the ones demanding all the buttons and options.
It’s hard to argue with the results. The beta app acquired more than 500,000 users during last year’s test period, and those users are being switched over to the now publicly available Playlist app, which has some 80K installs as of last week, according to Sensor Tower data.
The company also plans to leverage the assets it acquired from the old Project Playlist, which includes some 30 million emails, 21 million Facebook IDs and 14 million Twitter IDs. A “Throwback Thursday” marketing campaign will reach out to those users to offer them a way to listen to their old playlists.
The startup has raised $5 million in funding (convertible notes) from Stanford StartX Fund, Garage Technology Ventures, Miramar Ventures, IT-Farm, Dixon Doll (DCM founder), Stanford Farmers & Angels, Zapis Capital and Amino Capital.
The Palo Alto-based company is a team of six full-time.
Playlist is a free download for iOS. An Android version is in the works.

Microsoft patches several versions of Windows 10

Microsoft has provided a number of fixes and updates to several older variants of Windows 10. The October 2018 Update/1809 did not get a new generally-available update today, however.
It's not Patch Tuesday, but that doesn't mean Microsoft can't deliver a boatload of patches for various flavors of Windows 10 via Cumulative Updates (CUs). On November 27, Microsoft made available for download CUs for several of its older variants of Windows 10.
By "older," I don't mean ancient. Microsoft rolled out today updates for Windows 10 1803 (the April 2018 Update); Windows 110 1709 (the Fall Creators Update); Windows 10 1703 (the Creators Update); and Windows 10 1607 (the Anniversary Update). The list of the various bug fixes and patches for each of the associated KBs is listed on the Windows 10 Update history support page.
The one obvious version of Windows 10 that didn't get a set of patches today is Windows 10 1809 a k a, the October 2018 Update. (Mainstream customers who managed to grab Windows 10 1809 before Microsoft pulled the release because of a data-loss issue did get a Cumulative Update to 1809 on November 13.) Testers in Microsoft's Windows Insider "Release Preview" ring did get a Cumulative Update to 1809 earlier this week, as noted by Computerworld.
Since Microsoft re-released that version of Windows 10 on November 13 to mainstream users, the company has acknowledged there are several known issues and problems with it, including ZIP files, mapped drives, and Intel display drivers. There are additional issues which have cropped up with 1809, including a problem with specifying Win32 default apps -- including Notepad -- for opening specific file types, as well as a problem with accessing the Seek Bar in Windows Media Player.
Update (November 27): MSPoweruser is reporting that the Release Preview test build fixes the file-association and mapped drive bugs in 1809. Just to be clear: This Cumulative Update is for Insiders only; it's not yet available to mainstream users.
If it's any consolation to 1809 users, it looks like the Cumulative Updates to the older versions of Windows 10 released today all introduce the problem with the Seek Bar in Windows Media Player to Windows 10.

The Google Pixel Slate is the anti-iPad Pro, in good ways and bad

A week with Google's new tablet shows me what I miss most... and what I've taken for granted.
I have a dream of a tablet that can also be my laptop. The Microsoft Surface already does that. The iPad Pro tries for that, but delivers only half of the equation. And now the Google Pixel Slate claims to offer the exact things the iPad Pro lacks most, but at an equally high price. But it brings with it a host of weaknesses -- oddly, the stuff that the iPad Pro does really well.
The Pixel Slate is like the mirror universe iPad Pro, and at nearly the same price. It has what the other lacks, and lacks what the other has. And what I'd rather have is a fusion of both products. As a work machine, the Pixel Slate gets to my writing and websurfing goals faster, and in a more laptop-like way. But it's not my perfect portable computer, either. Far from it. Despite all that it does right, I wouldn't shell out $599 (£549) or, likely, even more for this -- plus $160-$200 more for one of the must-have keyboards.
Unlike Google's last Google Chromebook product, the laptop-like premium Pixelbook, the Pixel Slate turns into a convertible along the lines of the Microsoft Surface Pro, with a version of ChromeOS that leans more towards the feel of a Google Pixel phone. It sounds like a great idea on paper, but the idea is sometimes better than the execution.
But after a long Thanksgiving weekend with the Pixel Slate, I kept wondering: Who is this product for? If it's aimed at everyone, the price is too high. If it's aimed at pro computer users, why not a Surface Pro or something similar with Windows 10? And if aimed at pro-minded artists and those who want a stellar tablet. why not an iPad Pro?
That's not to say a Chrome tablet isn't a good idea, and useful as a general work device. I'm sitting here, typing away on the Pixel Slate with a Brydge keyboard, and that's pretty great. It has a good keyboard and a desktop-like web browser. So what's not to like?
Well, for one, the price. And, the hardware and software seem to still be a little buggy in my daily use so far... sometimes fast, sometimes oddly sluggish. The Pixel Slate may be Google's model for Chrome's future, but at the moment it feels more experimental than perfect, like a product in beta -- with software that can sometimes be smooth, and sometimes be anything but.
Here's what the Pixel Slate gets right, and gets wrong.

What's great

Keyboard is laptop-perfect (but which to choose?)

I received two keyboard accessories with the Pixel Slate: Google's own Pixel Slate Keyboard ($199), and the G-Type, made by Brydge ($160). Both are really good, and both have large trackpads that help add some laptop-like feel. But they have really different uses and drawbacks.
Google's Pixel Slate keyboard is a lot like the Microsoft Surface Pro keyboard. It's meant to sit on a desk, and its rear cover turns into a magnetic adjustable stand. The keys are round, but have a satisfying mechanism and are generously spaced. The case attaches through a magnetic connector on the side of the Pixel Slate, powering the keyboard. It also doubles as a folio case. But unlike Apple's new iPad Pro keyboard, this isn't lap-usable at all. And it's an odd folio case, too. The plastic keyboard cover seems to slide across the Pixel Slate's display when closed.
The G-Type from Brydge has been more my go-to. It turns the Pixel Slate into a clamshell laptop, and feels great to type on. But it doesn't fold back to enable the Slate to be used as a tablet, which means it'll have to be removed. It pairs via Bluetooth, and needs to be charged separately. And it attaches by sliding the Slate into rubberized brackets that hold the tablet in place, which feels less elegant and secure than Google's keyboard. It doesn't offer any protection to the Slate, either.
I like the G-Type a little more, but the Pixel Slate Keyboard has backlit keys, and does a better job as a tablet case on the go.

ChromeOS does exactly what I want it to do

The Chrome browser on the Pixel Slate works like a regular desktop version of Chrome, which is all I need it to do. With lots of tabs open at once, web pages open and read normally, and everything works. This has been the appeal of Chromebooks since the beginning, and the Pixel Slate does the same. Not a surprise, but it's nice versus the iPad Pro, which is more of a hassle for office work. The efficient feel of Chrome makes it a quick tool to pick up and do something at home or fire off an email. When the keyboard's connected, it's essentially a laptop.

The fingerprint reader is a nice touch

Signing in without a password is pretty quick with the side button on the Pixel Slate, which doubles as a fingerprint reader. But it's not hooked into a lot of uses, as far as I can tell, and it's not as seamlessly integrated as Face ID is into the iPad Pro.

Battery life is good

A relatively full day of use on a full charge is what I got from the Pixel Slate. It seems more than good enough, and kept a decent charge even while playing games, streaming videos and keeping a bunch of tabs open.

Instant always-on Google Assistant is helpful

Being able to tap to request things, search for information or do anything similar gives the Pixel Slate more of a Pixel phone feel on a big screen. I like the way it's integrated at the press of a keyboard. I had a few problems getting it to listen in a cafeteria over office Wi-Fi, but getting restaurant recommendations hands-free by saying, "Hey, Google" is cool, and Google Assistant talks just like you'd expect it to, so it's like having another Google assistant-equipped smart screen.

Display: Looks good

The Pixel Slate's high-resolution, 12.3-inch, 3,000x2,000-pixel "Molecular Display" is very good, but not always great. Colors and text sometimes seemed washed out at off angles, compared to the most recent iPad Pro display. The display's glass is also rather prone to glare. On an NJ Transit train car, writing this review, I had to squint at times. At home, with brightness up, it looked much nicer.

Two USB-C ports are better than one

If you're comparing to an iPad, at least the Pixel Slate has an extra USB-C port. That could mean using wired headphones while charging, or connecting to a display and charging at the same time.

What I didn't like

The price

Chromebooks started as something you could get for a song, a modern alternative to the netbook. It was the Dream of the $200 Laptop.
Now, if the Pixel Slate was $400-$500, keyboard and pen included, it could also be tempting. But at its outrageous iPad Pro-level price, it's something I can't imagine anyone actually buying. Sure, the Pixel Slate starts at $599. But the faster systems you probably would want climb up fast. I didn't get to test all the configuration options, but the review unit Google sent me is the $1,000 (£969) one with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. But all you get in the box is the tablet and a headphone adapter: the $199 (£189) Pixel Slate keyboard and $100 (£99) Pixelbook Pen are sold separately.
There are plenty of more affordable Chromebooks, including the HP Chromebook X2, which does most of what the Pixel Slate does for a lot less, and hybrids that can fold their keyboards back, such as the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2. And Windows touchscreen tablet-laptop hybrids such as the Surface Pro 6 do more for those who need a work machine. And for a tablet, I'd still go with an iPad.

No expandable storage

There's no SD or microSD card slot on the Pixel Slate, which means you'll have to settle for the onboard storage that's included or use a USB-C connected external drive. The 32GB on the $599 configuration should be fine for basic Chromebook purposes, but it's annoying to not have the microSD option.

You're stuck with Chrome OS, and Google Play isn't as good as iOS' App Store

Chrome has its advantages: It updates automatically, it's clean and secure, and it starts up instantly. But it also means Google's OS is the only way to get things done. Multitasking between apps doesn't always feel fluid, although apps can be moved around in windows like a PC.
Google Play's selection of apps is larger than you might think, and the Pixel Slate supports many Android apps, but almost all ChromeOS apps I've need to be online to work. A few offline apps do exist, but the whole offline experience is still far worse than an iPad Pro. Chrome is a great environment for kids, and for everyday light computing. But I'm less forgiving of it at a higher price.
Similarly, being able to work with standard Android apps on Google Play is great, and would be even more impressive for a lower-priced device. App performance and selection, while better than the last time I lived on a Chromebook years ago, still doesn't win me over compared to an iPad. The Pixel Slate wouldn't be my weekend entertainment tablet of choice. Microsoft's Office apps and Adobe's Creative Cloud apps are present to download onto the Pixel Slate, though.

The Pen pales in comparison to Apple's Pencil

The Pixelbook Pen allows pressure-sensitive drawing, much like the Surface Pen and Apple Pencil, but it seemed to me like the worst option. The chunkier pen uses a AAA battery, and using it with a variety of sketch and note-taking apps from Google Keep (which you can instantly take notes to) and Adobe Photoshop Sketch, it exhibits a lot of lag. Google's OS also seems to approximate where strokes are going, which created a subtle repositioning of line curves as I was doodling. I didn't love it.

No headphone jack

The needless ditching of headphone jacks continues: first phones, now tablets. Apple's iPad Pro got rid of the headphone jack this year, and the Pixel Slate does the same, only having two USB-C ports instead. Two USB-C ports are better than one, surely, and Google also includes a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter in the box -- something Apple, insanely, doesn't do. But that doesn't make the death of the 3.5mm jack any less annoying.

It's heavy, for a tablet

At 1.6 pounds (731 grams), the Pixel Slate feels oddly dense. As a laptop with one of the optional keyboards, it feels more normal. Either way, it's not a comfortable casual tablet to hold while reading.

Sometimes, it's buggy

I've had weird things pop up occasionally. Sometimes a web page wouldn't scroll properly, and would just hang. Other times, an app wouldn't properly launch. I had a hard time getting the Brydge keyboard to pair a few times. The Pixel Slate's touch tools also feel unintuitive when used with the keyboard and trackpad controls. Are these early bugs to be tweaked with Chrome updates, or is this the nature of the Pixel Slate? It's hard to tell.

Who is this for?

I'll still be using the Pixel Slate more before a final review and rating, but I keep wondering who would be attracted to a $600-and-up Chrome tablet over a more affordable Chromebook, a Surface Pro or an iPad. As a reference design for where Chrome tablet convertibles can go next, the Pixel Slate is a solid step forward. But it's not a product I would recommend anyone run out and buy... unless you've been dreaming of having a high-end Chrome tablet that can run Linux and have the money to burn.
The Pixel Slate proves that a great keyboard and trackpad and a great browser make a difference, and they're the missing links that the iPad Pro desperately needs. But the Pixel Slate doesn't feel like it's good enough at everything else for its high price.

Lenovo Smart Display update delivers new cooking features, additional Home Hub functionality, more

Lenovo delivered the first Google Assistant smart display to market, but the Google Home Hub recently debuted with a lot of extra functions and features. Now, a new update heading out to the Lenovo Smart Display is adding more functionality to the Home Hub, as well as new cooking features, and more.
Announced on Lenovo’s forums last week (via Droid-Life), the Lenovo Smart Display is getting a lot of extra features with its latest update. With the version 4.4.1.16+prod, owners of the 8-inch or 10-inch variants of this product will firstly be getting a lot of extra functionality that we see on Google’s Home Hub.
This includes Nest Hello integration for 2-way talk via touch, as well as support for the “Turn off the screen” command. If you happen to use this product in a bedroom, trust me when I say that’s a welcome addition for bedtime. Further, Lenovo has adjusted the timeout to “Dark Screen” when the surroundings are dark and it’s also adopted the full-screen clock from the Home Hub. When in this mode, the display also adjusts to the lowest brightness setting rather than auto-brightness.
As we noted from an update to the Home Hub last week, Google has also added a touch shortcut for alarms. This allows you to access and manage your alarms without relying solely on voice commands.
Lenovo also notes some new cooking features with this update. These include a “My Cookbook” feature for saving recipes and accessing them at a later time. There’s also a Thanksgiving Recipe Recommendations card. Lenovo also notes that this update allows users to “remove, favorite, and share” photos.
From what we can tell, this latest update brings the Lenovo Smart Display to feature parity with the Google Home Hub on version 1.36. While the version numbers between smart displays are a bit confusing and updates arrive at different times for different models, all features should arrive everywhere eventually. For now, both seem to be on the same terms.
I’ve not gotten this latest update on my 8-inch Lenovo Smart Display (which is currently $80 and a steal by the way), but it’s noted that the rollout is “trickled.” The company does say, though, that this update will roll out faster than the previous update.

What’s New 4.4.1.16+prod:

• Touch Alarms in Quick Settings
• Remove, Favorite and Share Photos
• My Cookbook (Save & Retrieve Recipes)
• Thanksgiving Recipe Recommendations Card
• Nest Hello doorbell 2-way talk via touch
• Timeout faster to Dark Screen (instead of Home) when in low light
• Support “turn off the screen”
• Bigger dark screen clock face
• Change display to min versus auto brightness
• Show previous feature, when swiping off current feature

Use Siri to talk to Google Assistant on your iPhone

Talking to Google Assistant on an iPhone is hardly new -- Google released its Assistant app in 2017. But the process for getting to Google Assistant didn't involve its typical "OK Google" or "Hey Google" command.
Instead, you had to manually open the app or launch it using a widget. It worked, but only if you really liked Google Assistant.
With the release of iOS 12 and Siri's new Shortcuts feature, third-party apps can integrate with Apple's personal assistant. Meaning Google can now use Siri to trigger Google Assistant.
To use the new Siri Shortcut feature in Google Assistant, you'll need to make sure the Google Assistant app is updated in the App Store.
Next, open the Google Assistant app, where you should immediately see a prompt to create the shortcut. Tap Add to Siri, then on the next screen tap the red button and say the phrase you want to use to invoke Google Assistant. Sticking with "OK Google" is an easy way to remember the phrase.
Once you're done, you need to invoke Siri, then use the new Google shortcut, followed by your command to Google. So, it'd be something like "Hey, Siri. OK Google, what's the weather like?"
You'll need to try out the command a few times to get a better idea of how long after saying "OK Google" you can continue with the latter part of the command (the app needs a second to open, after all).
Obviously you'll want to use Google Assistant's more advanced features, otherwise you might as well ask Siri. But Google's AI servant is updated all the time -- here are seven ways Google Assistant was improved this year. 

Nine games on the PlayStation Classic will be PAL versions

With the PlayStation Classic coming out next week, Sony has unveiled a few more details about the miniature console. The game selection could be considered divisive, but the real problem is going to be playback on the machine. According to a recent PlayStation blog entry, the Classic will be utilizing the PAL releases of nine games in every region.
For those unaware, the PAL standard runs at 50 Hz as opposed to the NTSC standard of 60 Hz. This typically means games run at lower framerates to match the European standards of the time. This was a problem with PS2 games released on PS4 in Europe (where Sony has uploaded PAL releases). The upgrade to HDTV should have eliminated this regional discrepancy, as it defaults to 60 Hz for every region, but I'm guessing the worldwide launch forced Sony's hand with European countries.
The following games will be using PAL versions:

• Battle Arena Toshinden
• Cool Boarders 2
• Destruction Derby
• Grand Theft Auto
• Jumping Flash!
• Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
• Resident Evil Director’s Cut
• Tekken 3
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six

The worst offender has to be Tekken 3. Fighting games live or die on their performance and having the title running at a five to ten frame difference can make it pretty unplayable for some. I also question the choice to use the PAL version of Jumping Flash, which requires smooth movement to prevent dizziness.
Whatever the reason, just be aware that around 45% of the game selection won't play as you remember it (unless you're from Europe).

Latest Windows 10 update breaks Windows Media Player, Win32 apps in general

The important data loss bug that interrupted the rollout of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, version 1809, may be fixed, but it turns out there are plenty of other weird problems with the release.
As spotted by Paul Thurrott, the update also breaks the seek bar in Windows Media Player when playing "specific files."
This is the kind of bug that leaves me scratching my head, wondering what changed to break such a thing, and why. The various old and new Windows media stacks are certainly complicated beasts, but it's not clear what the October 2018 Update even changed in this area. At least this time around, it doesn't seem that the bug was reported before 1809 actually shipped, though it's hard to be definitive about this given the difficulty in finding anything in the Feedback Hub bug reporting tool. Microsoft does promise to fix the bug, but the timeframe is vaguely open-ended: it will be "in an upcoming release."
Also in the "how did that happen" category comes another bug: some Win32 programs can't be set as the default program for a given file type. So if you want certain files to always open in Notepad, for example, you're currently out of luck. A fix for this is promised by the end of the month. Setting default program associations is something that's been in Windows for 20-something years, so it's a little alarming that it should be broken. These bugs will continue to draw scrutiny to the way Windows 10 is being developed.
On top of this, there continue to be complaints that Windows 10 version 1809 doesn't work with iCloud, and machines with the iCloud client are currently blacklisted to prevent them from receiving the 1809 update. It's not immediately clear whose fault this one is—it could be Microsoft's, but it's also possible that Apple is to blame.

This could be our first look at a Samsung Infinity-O display

At its recent developer conference, Samsung teased several new notch styles that it is working on for future devices. A slide presented during the keynote showed silhouettes of four phones with the new screens, labeled Infinity-U, Infinity-V, Infinity-O, and New Infinity. Thanks to a new leak, we may now have our first real look at an Infinite-O display cover glass.
As the name implies, there is simply a circular hole in the upper left of the screen for a selfie camera. The screen cover glass (though we may also be looking at a screen protector) has curved sides and rounded bezels that are characteristic of the Galaxy line. Chinese leaker Ice Universe, a reputable source for Android information, predicts that the screen will be used on the upcoming Galaxy A8s.
As for the release date, Ice Universe speculates that it could be as early as December, in order to counter Huawei’s first “hole-screen” device, which Ice Universe pegs for release by the end of the year.
The touchscreen is arguably the most crucial feature of any phone. It’s the part we look at the most, the primary input method, and also the most delicate component. Before the notch trend took off, manufacturers typically made their displays stand out by their quality alone, ratcheting up metrics such as resolution, brightness, and contrast. Now that the notch has become ubiquitous, Samsung is working on ways to make its own take on the notch stand out from the rest. This comes as no surprise as the company is on the forefront of screen technology advancements, including the vaunted Infinity Flex foldable panel.
In related news that landed today, rumors out of Korea suggest Samsung has begun production of Infinity-O display panels, possibly for one of the Galaxy S10 variants.
As for other details for the Galaxy A8s, AllAboutSamsung reported that the phone will feature a 6.39-inch Infinity-O display with Full HD+ resolution, Snapdragon 710 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 3,400mAh battery. The Galaxy A8s might also run Android 9 Pie out of the box and feature a triple rear camera setup around back that consists of 24-, 10-, and 5-megapixel cameras. Around front is reportedly a 24MP camera.
What do you think of this design?