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Daily updated technology newsNetflix: No more free trials in the U.S. 14 Oct 2020, 2:59 am
For years, Netflix would tempt customers with 30 days of full access to its entire library. Potential customers could cancel before paying a monthly subscription fee for the world's largest streaming service. However, with more than 200 million subscribers, Netflix has decided to pull the plug on the freebie.
"We're looking at different marketing promotions in the U.S. to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience", a Netflix spokesperson said while confirming the reports, according to Reuters.
Competing services have started to eliminate similar options. Disney halted the free trial for its Disney+ service back in June.
Netflix does still offer its free portal for potential customers to watch some of its original content without paying.
Apple unveils new 5G iPhone 12 models 14 Oct 2020, 2:50 am
The four models include the Apple iPhone 12 mini, Apple iPhone 12, Apple iPhone 12 Pro, and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. All of them support 5G wireless networks, which will be used when the operating system of the device determines it is required. For low-data requirements, it will drop to LTE 4G connectivity to save battery.
All models also run on Apple's proprietary A14 Bionic system chip. Each features an OLED display including its lower-end iPhone models for the first time. MagSafe wireless charging is also supported.
As leaks suggested, the iPhone 12 models have squared off edges rather than rounded edges, and each has a protective glass developed in conjunction with Corning, which develops Gorilla Glass.
Another previously leaked detail that turns out to be true is that the iPhone 12 models do not come with a charger or headphones. They do come with a USB-C compatible Lightning charging cable. Apple justifies the omissions on environmental grounds, finding that most people already have multiple chargers and also that by removing chargers the iPhones can be packed more tightly for shipping.
Here is a look at the specs of the individual iPhone 12 models.
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12
Apple says that the iPhone 12 mini is the smallest, thinnest, and lightest 5G smartphone available.
- Display: 5.4 inches (2340 x 1080) , True Tone
- Dimensions: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm
- Weight: 133 grams
- SoC: Apple A14 Bionic
- Storage space: 64/128/256 GB
- Rear cameras: 12 megapixel ultra wide angle (f / 2.4), 12 megapixel wide angle (f / 1.6) aperture, OIS
- Front camera: 12 megapixels (f / 2.2)
- Connectivity: 5G
- Priced from: $699
iPhone 12 Cameras
iPhone 12
- Display: 6.1 inches (2532 x 1170) , True Tone, 625 staples maximum brightness (typical)
- Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm
- Weight: 162 grams
- SoC: Apple A14 Bionic
- Storage space: 64/128/256 GB
- Rear cameras: 12 megapixel ultra wide angle (f / 2.4), 12 megapixel wide angle (f / 1.6) aperture, OIS
- Front camera: 12 megapixels (f / 2.2)
- Connectivity: 5G
- Rates from: $799
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini share more or less the same interior features, just differing in size. In terms of durability, the phones offer an IP68 rating, which means water resistance up to a depth of 6 meters for 30 minutes.
On the rear of each, there are two 12-megapixel cameras that take advantage of the new powerful A14 Bionic platform. The main camera (f / 1.6) is faster than ever before on the iPhone and provides 27 percent more light for photos and videos. Alongside is an ultra-wide-angle camera. For video, you can shoot up to 4K 60fps video. The smaller phone offers up to 15 hours of battery life for video playback and the larger model offers 17 hours.
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro screen is similar in size and resolution to the iPhone 12 screen. However, the Pro screen is brighter. In addition, the phone is larger in size and uses stainless steel as the body material.
- Display: 6.1 inches (2532 x 1170) , True Tone, 800 nin maximum brightness (typical)
- Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm
- Weight: 187 grams
- SoC: Apple A14 Bionic
- Storage space: 128/256/512 gigabytes
- Rear cameras: 12 megapixel ultra wide angle (f / 2.4), 12 megapixel wide angle (f / 1.6), 12 megapixel TV camera (f / 2.0); two optical image stabilizers
- Front camera: 12 megapixels (f / 2.2)
- Connectivity: 5G
- Priced from: $999
iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Display: 6.7 inches (2778 x 1284) , True Tone, 800 nin maximum brightness (typical)
Dimensions: 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm - Weight: 226 grams
- SoC: Apple A14 Bionic
- Storage space: 128/256/512 gigabytes
- Rear cameras: 12 megapixel ultra-wide (f2.4), 12 megapixel wide angle (f / 1.6), 12 megapixel camera (f / 2.2); optical image stabilizer moving the cell
- Front camera: 12 megapixels (f / 2.2)
- Connectivity: 5G
- Priced from: $1,099
U.S. Congress: Internet giants are monopolies 9 Oct 2020, 7:15 pm
The report, which can be found here (pdf), goes into detail of four dominant online platforms: Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple. Apple and Amazon the report claims have "significant and durable market power" and dominance in their respective fields.
Google, and Facebook, are said to have a straight-up monopoly in their segments.
However, it also says that Amazon has a monopoly power over many small and medium-sized businesses, and Apple exerts monopoly power in the app store market.
These allegations seem a little less drastic than in the case of Google and Facebook, but nonetheless are seen as some of the more egregious antitrust issues.
The report says the the scrappy startups of the yester year are now "the kinds of monopolies we last saw in the era of oil barons and railroad tycoons" and that it's not clear whether the companies think they are above the law.
While the report doesn't equate to new laws or policies against the monopolistic nature of these internet giants, it does include proposals how to avoid their ever-increasing power.
It suggests that the companies would be further barred from certain lines of businesses where they could exert their power, that they would have to offer equal chance of selling products and services on their platforms for smaller players, and in general new Congressional anti-trust regulations to be put in place.
While there's still a lot to do in terms of legislation and policy, there seems to be a strong bipartisan support for much stricter antitrust protections against the internet monopolies.
AMD announced new Zen 3 based Ryzens, new flagship beats i9-10900K 9 Oct 2020, 6:23 pm
The company promises as significant leap in performance from previous generation. According to AMD, the new CPU architecture brings along up to 19 percent improvement in computing using the same clock speeds as the predecessor.
Not only are the chip more powerful, they also provide a better efficiency which means less heat generation.
The new models that will be landing soon are as follows:
| Processor | Cores | Threads | Clock speed | Clock speed (turbo) | L3 cache | Price |
| 16 | 32 | 3400 MHz | 4900 MHz | 64 MB | $799 | |
| Ryzen 9 5900X | 12 | 24 | 3700 MHz | 4800 MHz | 64 MB | $549 |
| Ryzen 7 5800X | 8 | 16 | 3800 MHz | 4700 MHz | 32 MB | $419 |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 6 | 12 | 3700 MHz | 4600 MHz | 32 MB | $299 |
AMD believes that their new flagship is currently the fastest consumer CPU available, and handily beats Intel's Core i9-10900K. Acccording to their tests, the difference is 6 to 59 percent in utilities and up to 11 percent in games.
One of the more interesting products among the new Zen 3 chips is the most affordable Ryzen 5 5600X that will be replacing 3600 series Ryzen 5. The popular entry level gaming CPU is going to gain a lot more performance but initially the price difference is going to be nearly $100.
All new chips are going come available on November 5.
Google's Stadia works now on mobile networks 9 Oct 2020, 6:08 pm
The toughest one to do properly is mobile internet. Mobile phones and their data plans aren't well suited for the latency driven entertainment. That is why while Google has promised mobile data gaming on Stadia, it has been under the Experimental umbrella for the past few months.
Now, Google has decided that its stable enough that it can be enjoyed by everyone.
There are some disclaimers, though. The gaming quality is limited to 720p, and there's now word if or when this will go up.
Also, one has to consider the data transfer rates in a country that doesn't offer many unlimited plans. Google says that Stadia will use up to 2.7 GB/hr of 4G or 5G mobile data.
That translates to average of 45 megabytes a minute or around 750kB per second. That should be easily accessible with both 5G and good 4G connections.
In games where latency is a problem at all, the transfer speed isn't usually the problem. That is unfortunately largely a luck of the draw, since you cannot really choose where Google's servers are located, and mobile data pings are very unreliable to begin with, at least on 4G.
There's also an issue with the Stadia controller because of the WiFi connection it requires. You can't use it in wireless mode while playing on mobile data.
Nonetheless, it is nice that Google has finally made mobile data gaming available to all.
Mobile Data is no longer under experimental and under performance instead
-- Gem Stadia (@GemStadia) October 6, 2020
Thanks to Stadia Reddit for the newshttps://t.co/4o6V3CwMrN pic.twitter.com/AxQAqAfjf2
Apple quietly removes audio competitors from the Apple Store 7 Oct 2020, 9:51 pm
Previously you could find the likes of Bose's popular ANC headphones (pictured) and Sonos speakers on Apple's online offerings. Now Bloomberg reports that there's no Bose, no Sonos, and no Logitech headphones, although other Logitech products are found.
All Bose product have disappeared as well as Sonos smart speakers, and the Ultimate Ears branded Logitech headphones. Bose and Logitech have confirmed that Apple no longer sells those products but there's no word on why this is the case.
One can predict that Apple is soon ready to launch new audio products, perhaps a new take on HomePod and on-ea/over-ear headphones.
Apple's iPhone event is slated for next week, so stay tuned and come back on the 13th to see whether this was indeed the case.
Sony releases an official teardown of PlayStation 5 7 Oct 2020, 6:57 pm
However, there's still things we don't know, and we learn new things about the next-gen consoles constantly, like is the case with Xbox Series X and its load speeds.
Sony themselves have now released a YouTube video showing the internals of the upcoming PlayStation 5. This official teardown lasts seven minutes and takes a close look at the structure, connectivity and tech inside.
The VP of Mechanical Design Dept. Yasuhiro Ootori goes through how the console's stand can be used to prop the console up both in horizontal and vertical fashion, how to easily open the the console and access the M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot for storage expansion, and how to take part the entire console while going through most specs.
It's perhaps worth mentioning that this is the teardown of PlayStation 5 with the Blu-ray player, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition doesn't include that but is likely otherwise nearly identical.
If you'd really like an in-depth look at thing like thermal and chip design as well as good all-round undestanding of the consoles built, you should definitely take a look. As the video is in Japanese, you might want to turn on the captions.
Xbox Series X load speeds out of this world! Doom Eternal loads in 5 seconds 7 Oct 2020, 6:39 pm
Even with pre-orders sold out we still don't know everything about the consoles. We have a good idea about the specs inside Xbox Series X, for example, but how does it translate to real-life performance.
One thing that's going to make the new generation much more speedier than the previous are the new SSDs. Xbox Series X has a custom 1 TB NVMe SSD. This storage solution means that games will load up faster than ever.
A twitter user and an Xbox insider by the name of astaranx has posted a video showing current generation Doom Eternal loading up a map on Xbox Series X. The loading sequence blazes through the percentages and lasts only five seconds.
Another Twitter user wanted to make sure the game isn't a fast loader even on Xbox One X. To make it even more fair, the One X had an SSD installed instead of an HDD that would obviously lose to the SSD of Xbox Series X.
Still, it took more than twice as long at 10 seconds to load out the map.
For reference, this is my SSD swapped Xbox One X pic.twitter.com/c2gej9jdkg
-- Psygnosis 7 (@Psygnosis7) October 3, 2020
There's probably no use in testing it with an HDD, the results would be embarrassing.
Clearly Xbox Series X has some speed prowess, although it remains to be seen how fast it loads next-gen games with much more power-hungry clutter. One thing Xbox Series X has going for it in that case is that the games are actually developed for the console, not for previous generation.
Blizzard has postponed World of Warcraft: Shadowlands launch 2 Oct 2020, 4:06 pm
Hight details that they want the expansion in the hands of players but the right decision was to postpone the launch. At this point there is no release date, but for now the launch will happen later this year.
Originally World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was slated for October 26 release.
According to the statement the essentials of the game seem ready for release but due to feedback there are endgame issues that still need to be resolved. Also working from home is mentioned as a reason that the endgame content hasn't been properly tuned yet.
This was an incredibly difficult decision for the team, as we're as eager to get the expansion into your hands as you are to play it--but ultimately, we feel it's the right decision for the game--and for our players.
John Hight, Executive Producer of World of Warcraft
The company announced that it will be releasing Shadowlands pre-patch on October 13. This will work as a transitionary stage towards the new expansion. It includes features such as revamped character leveling, new starting zone in Exile's Reach, and improved character customizations.
Pre-launch event, where players a called to fight against the resurfacing Scourge, will happen closer to Shadowlands launch.
Some of the more important new features in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands include a leveling experince with a cap at level 60, new starting zone and experience, Covenant factions, new Shadowlands zone, and endgame scenario Torghast, Tower of the Damned with unlockable Anima Powers.
-- World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) October 1, 2020
Microsoft announced new Surface Laptop Go and updated Surface X 2 Oct 2020, 3:31 pm
The new Surface Laptop Go starts at $549.99 and the newly-updated Surface X 2-in-1 starts at $1,499.99.
Each version of Surface Laptop Go is equipped with a 10th gen Intel Core i5. RAM and storage options vary from 4 GB of LPDDR4x and 64 GB eMMC up to the 8 GB and 256 GB SSD on the highest-end version.
All of them have the same 12.4 inch and 3:2 touchscreen PixelSense display with a resolution of 1536 x 1024, and PPI of 148. Microsoft promises up to 13 hours of battery life, and charging via 39 watt charger.
The laptop is 15.69 mm (0.61") thick and weight 1110 grams (2.44 lbs). It's built from aluminum, polycarbonate and composite resin.
Connectivity options include one USB-C, one USB-A, 3.5 mm headphone jack and Surface Connect port. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6.
Power button has a fingerprint sensor (not on cheapest model) but there is no Windows Hello for face recognition, although it has an HD capable camera.
All versions run Windows 10 Home S by default.
Surface Laptop Go is available for pre-order now and starts shipping on October 13.
- Surface Laptop Go (Core i5, 4 GB, 64 GB) $549.99 (Platinum)
- Surface Laptop Go (Core i5, 8 GB, 128 GB) $699.99 (Platinum, Sandstone, Ice Blue)
- Surface Laptop Go (Core i5, 8 GB, 256 GB) $899.99 (Platinum, Sandstone, Ice Blue)
Surface X
As mentioned, Microsoft also updated the 2-in-1 Surface X. The refresh includes a few upgrades but the device has largely stayed the same, especially from the outside.
The most important upgrade is the addition of a new SQ 2 chip designed with the help of Qualcomm. This allows better support from ARM based apps and makes them run smoother and use less battery.
Microsoft also announced that it is going to improve the ARM support in x64 applications with a new emulator that is going to launch later this year. That should allow it to run all Windows apps, ARM or x64.
Surface Pro X has a 13 inch PixelSense touch display with a resolution of 2,880 x 1,920 (267 PPI). Depending on the version, you'll get 8 or 16 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128, 256 or 512 GB of SSD storage. There's two USB-C ports, Surface Connect port, as well as Surface Keyboard connector. Surface Pro X also has SIM slot for mobile connectivity.
The new Surface Pro starts at $1,499.99 and you can still get the old with SQ 1 one starting at $999.99.
- Surface X (SQ 1, 8 GB, 128 GB) $999.99 (Matte Black)
- Surface X (SQ 1, 8 GB, 256 GB) $1,149.00 (Matte Black)
- Surface X (SQ 1, 16 GB, 256 GB) $1,399.78 (Matte Black)
- Surface X (SQ 2, 16 GB, 256 GB) $1,499.99 (Matte Black, Platinum)
- Surface X (SQ 1, 16 GB, 512 GB) $1,598.00 (Matte Black)
- Surface X (SQ 2, 16 GB, 512 GB) $1,799.99 (Matte Black, Platinum)
Google's latest smart speaker is for listening to music 1 Oct 2020, 5:38 pm
This is the company's latest smart speaker that is aimed at people who want a great listening experience from their smart speaker. The single speaker comes with a 19 mm tweeter and a 75 mm woofer.
Unlike many of the smart speakers aimed toward Assistant functionality, this one doesn't have a 360 degree audio but instead is projected clearly to the front allowing better experience when listening to music in the designated area.
You can also combine multiple speakers to an array or room configuration like with Sonos.
As you might imagine the speaker works great with YouTube Music and Google has some celebrities, including Selena Gomez, demoing it with their own music service.
Nest Audio will be available on October 5 for $99.
Google has a new Chromecast with Google TV interface 1 Oct 2020, 5:29 pm
The new Chromecast with Google TV offers now a remote control in addition to the dongle. You might ask what do I do with the remote, since Chromecast is traditionally controlled via other smart devices.
That's where the Google TV part comes in. The company also announced a new app, or user interface, called Google TV. Initially this comes with the new Chromecast but it will also be available to other Android TV devices and even smartphones.
The UI offers a compilation of all the different video and streaming services in one place and controllable via the remote. Also included in the remote is a separate Assistant button that can be used to control the Chromecast but also smart home devices.
Chromecast with Google TV became immediately available in three color options for $49.99 at Google Store. There's also a bundle with Netflix offering the device and six months of Netflix (dual screen plan) for $89.99, although it's out of stock now.
Ikea stops selling regular batteries, only allows rechargeable ones 1 Oct 2020, 9:54 am
The change will come into effect in October 2021 after which date, company will only sell rechargeable batteries in its stores.
"By phasing out alkaline batteries and focusing on our range of rechargeable batteries, we are taking one step on that journey, offering customers an affordable and convenient solution to prolong the life of products and materials and reduce waste."
-Ikea Sustainability Development Manager Caroline Reid
According to Ikea, by switching to rechargeable batteries, customers could help it reduce more than 5,000 tons of electrical waste, as Ikea sold about 300 million standard alkaline batteries between September 2018 and August 2019. The 5,000 figure is based on calculation where company assumes customer would charge the rechargeable battery 50 times.
Source: Ikea press release
Google announces Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G 30 Sep 2020, 9:24 pm
These two new models actually have more in common than you'd think, and Pixel 4a 5G (pictured at the top) shares much more of its DNA with the new Pixel 5 than the namesake from earlier this year, Pixel 4a.
In fact, there aren't that many things at all that differentiate Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. Both have the exact same camera setup with a 12.2 MP default shooter and a 16 MP super wide camera, as well as the 8MP f/2.0 selfie shooter. Both also feature the higher mid tier Snapdragon 765G chipset.
There is a little more RAM, 8GB vs 6GB, in the Pixel 5, and while the display is slightly smaller, 6.0 vs 6.2, the Pixel 5 does have 90 Hz refresh rate. Battery life should also be better on the Pixel 5 with slightly more capacity, 4080 mAh vs 3885 mAh, and you can charge it wirelessly.
Both also share much of the functionality in terms of the operating system and user experience. New additions with the Android 11 include Hold for Me, which allows you to relax while Google Assistant holds for you on the phone, Extreme Battery Saver, making the phone increase battery life to 48 hours, and camera features like Night Sight on Portrait Mode and improved HDR.
Looks-wise you can't tell them apart easily either, except for the fact that Pixel 4a 5G comes in white and Pixel 5 in olive green, in addition to the black color option for both.
One thing that you can't find on Pixel 5 but you do have on Pixel 4a 5G is a 3.5 mm headphone jack. So if you prefer wired headphones – there must be one or two of you still – you might want to consider the cheaper Pixel.
Speaking of price, the Pixel 5 is $699 and Pixel 4a 5G only $499. Only the Pixel 5 is currently available for pre-order, with official sales starting on October 15, and you can join the waitlist to know when Pixel 4a 5G comes available.
Samsung released a new cheaper Galaxy S20 variant: Here's Galaxy S20 FE 24 Sep 2020, 4:27 pm
The new phone is called Galaxy S20 FE and is thus a continuation of the company's flagship brand. Specs-wise it is a lower high-end or perhaps a top notch mid tier device, one that would challenge the likes of OnePlus 8, for example.
To fit neatly into S20 family it needs some specs from the higher end, and that is where the large 120 Hz display, triple camera with Space Zoom, and 5G connectivity comes in.
The display is 6.5 inches which fits nicely between the regular S20 and the S20+, but the resolution has been lowered to Full HD (1080 x 2400).
Triple camera is similar to S20 but slightly downgraded as well. Instead of four cameras, there are three, and while the regular wide angle as well as super wide angle shooters are the same, the zoom camera is a little less impressive.
One thing they've actually made better is the selfie camera. Like often with mid tier phones, perhaps because they are directed towards the younger folk, this one has a nice 32 megapixel shooter.
Other features include a 4500 mAh battery with fast charging (25W wired, 15W wireless), IP68 certification for water proofing, and either a Exynos 990 (4G version) or Snapdragon 865 (5G version). Only the 5G version seems to be landing in America.
The phone is available already for preorder and sales starts on October 2. Officially prices start for the 5G version at $699, although Best Buy and Amazon are currently selling it for $599
Specs:
- Chipset: Exynos 990 / Snapdragon 865 (5G)
- RAM: 6 / 8 GB
- Storage: 128 / 256 GB + microSD
- Back cameras: 12 MP f/1.8 + 12 MP f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 8 MP f/2.4 (Space Zoom)
- Selfie camera: 32 MP f/2.2
- Display: 6.5", 1080 x 2400, 120 Hz
- Battery: 4500 mAh, fast charging 25 W + 15 W (wireless)
- Biometric: Face recognition + in-screen fingerprint sensor
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 6, NFC, 5G
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