According to MacRumors and some Reddit posts, some users ended up with a completely frozen Apple Watch after installing watchOS 11.1 beta 3. Their smartwatches would work for a minute or two and then stop responding to any input or updating information, including time. While it is possible to restart affected Apple Watch models by pressing the crown and the power button, the problem reoccurs moments after the device turns itself back on.

What makes the situation even more unfortunate is that end users cannot restore Apple Watch software and firmware. Bringing a botched Apple Watch back to life requires taking it to Apple, which then sends it to its repair labs.

The problem with bricked Apple Watch came just a few weeks after Apple pulled the iPadOS 18 update on iPad Pro models with the M4 processors. Weeks later, Apple's latest and greatest iPads are still on iPadOS 17, with no way to get to the newest update. The same thing happened to HomePod Software 18.1 beta 2 after another wave of complaints about bricked HomePods. It is quite surprising to see Apple leaving its flagship tablet without the latest update for such a long time.

Quality control issues are not the only complaints Apple users have these days. The company advertises its Apple Intelligence features everywhere and claims the new iPhone 16 series was built for Apple Intelligence "from the ground up." Still, Apple Intelligence is nowhere to be found. It is coming later this year with iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1.

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Gmail's summary cards provide helpful information about orders and deliveries at the top of an email, and they are supported in the Gmail app for Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Today, Google announced that it is making big improvements to summary cards in Gmail. Google has refreshed the summary cards' UI and now displays new action buttons in addition to the information previously shown. Examples of action buttons include "Get directions," "Invite others," "Track package," "Check in," "Remind me," or "Mark as paid." Also, the new summary cards are dynamic, so you will always have the latest information.

The updated summary cards will be displayed for the following email categories:

• Purchases: Track packages, view order details, and easily find what you ordered.
• Events: See or add upcoming events to your calendar, invite others, or find directions with ease.
• Bills: View and pay bills, get reminded to pay later, or add a due date in Google Tasks.
• Travel: Manage reservations, check in for flights, and view important travel details like the hotel's check-out time.

In addition to summary cards in individual emails, Google is announcing the new "Happening soon" section at the top of inboxes. For now, only purchase summary cards are supported in the "Happening soon" section. This new section will display all purchase summary cards in a stack if you have multiple delivery emails. You can expand, dismiss, or click the cards to open the related email.

Google is rolling out the updated purchase summary cards to individual emails on Android and iOS. Event, bill, and travel summary cards and the "Happening soon" feature will be rolled out in the coming months. In the future, you can expect all four card categories in individual emails, the "Happening soon" section, and even Gmail search.

With these new features, users can quickly access key details and take action without having to search through their Gmail inboxes.

Source: Google

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Now, a fresh leak has popped up again, this time giving us purported information about the color options the Google Pixel 9a may be introduced in. Reportedly, the Pixel 9a could continue to be offered in Porcelain and Obsidian colors.

However, next year, Google may ditch the Aloe and Bay colors for Peony and Iris. Notably, the Peony color is speculated to look similar to the base Pixel 9 model, which is also available in Peony color. The Iris color, on the other hand, could have a bluish-purple color tint.

Also, the Pixel 9a is rumored to be a bit taller and wider than the current Pixel 8a smartphone. It is expected to come with dimensions of 154 x 73mm, which is about 2mm taller and 1mm wider than the current model. The Pixel 9a is also anticipated to be thinner measuring at 8.5mm compared to the 8.9mm thickness of Pixel 8a.

As per previous reports, the Pixel 9a is expected to be powered by a Samsung-made Tensor G4 chipset, an upgrade over the Tensor G3 chipset. Moreover, the phone will launch with Android 15 out of the box, something that the recent Pixel 9 series didn't come with (and is still waiting for). For comparison, Chinese smartphone brand VIVO has already pushed a stable Android 15 update for its flagship devices.

The design of the device, as per the renders, suggests that Pixel 9a will take no clues from the Pixel 9 series phones, and will instead adopt a minimalistic design. Speaking of the launch date, the Pixel 8a was launched this year in May. Pixel 9a could continue the tradition and you can expect a similar launch timeline.

Source: Android Headlines

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Unlike the Galaxy S24 series, the new S24 FE is powered by Samsung's own Exynos 2400 processor, which has a larger vapor chamber to maintain peak performance for longer durations. The 4,700mAh battery will deliver great battery life, and Samsung claims that the device will offer up to 28 hours of video playback.

The 6.7-inch FHD+ display with Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, a 120Hz Adaptive refresh rate (60/120Hz), and Vision Booster delivers a smooth viewing experience in all lighting conditions.

The Galaxy S24 FE's camera setup features a 50MP wide OIS lens, an 8MP telephoto OIS lens with 3x optical zoom, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP selfie camera. This camera setup is powered by Samsung's AI-powered ProVisual Engine to deliver great images. The Nightography feature improves low-light performance, while the Object-Aware Engine recognizes scenes and optimizes colors in Super High Dynamic Range (HDR) for vibrant photos and videos.

Gallery: S24 FE

 

 

 

 

Samsung has also included all the Galaxy AI features found on the flagship Galaxy S24 series in this new S24 FE smartphone.

SeaYoung Lee, Corporate EVP and Head of the Smartphone Research and Development team at Samsung Electronics said the following regarding the S24 FE:

“We want everyone to enjoy all the benefits of our latest mobile innovations. Galaxy AI opens so many new experiences for users, helping them communicate, and be more creative and productive. The Galaxy S24 FE makes the powerful performance and premium Galaxy AI capabilities of the S24 series available to even more people.”

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE will be available for order starting at $649 on October 3 in Blue, Graphite, Gray, Mint, and Yellow.

With its powerful features and attractive price, the Galaxy S24 FE is poised to be a popular choice for consumers seeking a premium smartphone experience without the premium price tag.

Source: Samsung

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Samsung today announced two new tablets: the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S10+. Samsung has switched to the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. Samsung claims the S10 Ultra delivers an 18% increase in CPU performance, a 28% increase in GPU performance, and a 14% increase in NPU performance compared to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, which was powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra can be configured with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, while the smaller S10 Plus can be configured with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Surprisingly, Samsung has ditched the 10-inch tablet model that was available in the previous S9 generation. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes with a 14.6-inch display, while the Galaxy Tab S10+ comes with a 12.4-inch display. Both feature Dynamic AMOLED 2X and advanced anti-reflective technology to offer a great viewing experience. Thanks to the quad-speaker setup and AI-powered Dialogue Boost, you will be able to enjoy a great audio experience on these tablets. Samsung also promises improved durability with an IP68 rating and an enhanced Armor Aluminum build.

Samsung has also created several new AI experiences for these new S10 series tablets:

• With PDF Overlay Translation, you can translate PDFs via an on-screen overlay.
• The new Handwriting Help feature can clean up untidy handwritten notes.
• The popular Sketch to Image feature is now available on the Galaxy Tab S10 tablets, allowing you to convert your hand-drawn sketches into polished images.
• The Circle to Search feature will allow you to easily search, translate, and solve physics and math problems on your tablet.
• The Galaxy S Pen's Air Command with AI provides instant access to Galaxy AI Assistant features without toggling between menus.
• The Galaxy Tab S10 series offers new smart home features, including large screen-optimized features such as 3D Map View.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+ will be available starting at $999 from October 3rd. These tablets will be available in two colors: Moonstone Gray and Platinum Silver.

Source: Samsung

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The email newsletter adds that the newsreader feature in the upcoming Copilot mobile revamp will even include music as the AI-based newsreader gives you the headlines.

Other aspects of the upcoming Copilot app revamp, according to Warren, will include the app using a card-based user interface. This is supposed to get users to interact with the app more than the current version. The new UI will also show users a list of topics that could help to cut down the amount of typing needed to interact with the Copilot chatbot.

The interface will be designed to give each user a unique experience, based not only on each user's interest but also their history with chatting with Copilot.

According to the Notepad newsletter, the new Copilot mobile app is already very polished. However, there's no word on when the Copilot app will get this big update for iOS and Android.

Keep in mind that Microsoft has not officially confirmed any plans to launch a new version of the Copilot app. It's possible that the company could decide to make changes to its current Copilot update plans before the app is officially announced and released.

Last week, Microsoft reveals a number of new features for Copilot users, including automated Copilot Agents that can be made in Copilot Studio, a new Copilot Pages experience, and new data protection features for people who use Copilot at work or at school. Earlier this week, Microsoft stated that in October, it would add web search query citations for Copilot answers.

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Fixes bugs in Edge 129 for mobile devices include the following:

• [iOS] Fix managed bookmarks dismiss under AAD account (without "XXX's Favorites" folder under favorites)
• [iOS] Fix downloaded files not properly moved in work profile
• [iOS] Fix a bug related to MAM Tunnel cannot be disconnected automatically when change to personal account
• [iOS] Fix disableFeatures policy - InPrivate mode disablement bug & support policy auto change (The problem is when set com.microsoft.intune.mam.managedbrowser.disabledFeatures='inprivate', the InPrivate mode can still be accessed, and the corresponding toolbar button remains functional. Expects the policy to support dynamic switching without needing to restart Edge. When InPrivate mode is disabled by the policy, the application should automatically exit InPrivate mode and close all open InPrivate tabs)

There is also a separate list of "enhancements":

• [iOS] Improve the transition user experience for account switcher in iPad
• [iOS] Improve Web SSO for CMC (copilot.microsoft.com) login in MSA
• [Android and iOS] Improve the occurrence of re-sign-in prompts by disallow user interaction for proactive-auth
• [Android and iOS] Improve account verification by consider sync and news feed status
• [Android and iOS] General enhancements to NTLMSSO policies to make it more useful

Finally, here are general updates in Edge 129:

• [iOS] Upgrade Intune MAM SDK to version 19.6.0
• [Android] Upgrade Intune MAM SDK to version 10.4.0
• [Android and iOS] Upgrade MS OneAuth SDK version 3.3.0
• [Android and iOS] Remove native AAD Copilot support

You can download Microsoft Edge for iOS from the App Store (requires iOS or iPadOS 14 and newer). Edge for Android is available in the Google Play Store via this link (requires Android 8.0 and newer).

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For the unversed, the blue checkmark helps users verify that the email they received is from a trusted source, not some scamster trying to prey on unsuspecting people on the web. The checkmark is displayed in an email on the right side of the sender's name.

It's part of a Gmail feature called BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). BIMI also allows senders with a registered trademark to verify their brand logo through a third party before displaying it as a Gmail avatar.

Google said in a blog post announcing the update:

Currently, Gmail on the web will display a verified checkmark for senders who have adopted BIMI with a registered trademark (VMC). Over the next few weeks, users will also see those verified checkmark icons while using the Gmail application on Android and iOS (Apple Mail or other mail applications are not supported). Note that this update is applicable for VMCs only.

Some senders may not have a registered trademark but want to prove their legitimacy to the receiver. For those cases, Gmail now supports a new type of BIMI certificate called Common Mark Certificate (CMC). The certificate allows "a broader range of senders to utilize BIMI, who might not have the registered trademark required for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)."

Senders can have their brand avatars displayed in Gmail with a CMC, but it won't carry a blue checkmark like VMC, the search giant added. The blue checkmark has started rolling out for Android and iOS devices and will take about two weeks to reach all users. It will be available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts.

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Delta Emulator's developer, Riley Testut, confirmed via The Verge that the beta version will receive online multiple support for Nintendo DS titles. The beta version will be first pushed to the Patreon subscribers but there is currently no public release date. Back in July, Delta Emulator, after initially arriving for iPhones, went official for iPad on the App Store.

The multiplayer support for Nintendo DS games is a significant update because the platform once featured online multiplayer support thanks to third-party Nintendo Wi-Fi connection services, including such as Kaeru, Wimmfi, AltWFC, etc. Unfortunately, the service was shut down in 2014 for both Nintendo DS and Wii, but third-party services did continue to offer the service.

Testut added, "This means all 10 million+ Delta users will be able to connect to other Delta users and users on real devices who are using these 3rd-party Nintendo WFC servers." However, "this also means it is limited to Nintendo DS games for now, but all Nintendo DS games with Nintendo WFC are supported."

According to The Verge, the Delta emulator will harness the Melon DS emulator's support for this online multiplayer support. The best part is that there isn't any shortage of Nintendo DS games with online multiplayer. You get games such as Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing Wild World, Diddy Kong Racing DS, Clubhouse Games, etc.

Ever since Apple relaxed its App Store policies, there has been a flood of emulators popping up on the app market. You can try out the iDOS 3 emulator, Folium emulator for Nintendo 3DS games, PPSSPP emulator for PlayStation games, RetroArch for playing games from multiple consoles, and much more.

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Starting with Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2, notifications that are more than two weeks old will be dismissed automatically. Users will no longer receive alerts for their old notifications. Apart from this new improvement, Google is also working on other enhancements to the notification experience on Android 15. For example, a new feature called "notification cooldown" would gradually reduce the volume of successive notification alerts if they are coming from the same app.

Earlier this month, Google made the Android 15 source code available at the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Android 15 will be available on supported Pixel devices next month, as well as on select devices from Samsung, Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi in the coming months.

Android 15 will come with several new features and improvements. The new private space feature will allow users to create a separate space with an extra layer of authentication, keeping their sensitive apps secure. The Theft Detection Lock feature uses Google AI to sense if someone snatches a user's phone from their hand and tries to run, bike, or drive away with it. If such theft motion is detected, it will quickly lock down the device to prevent misuse. Google Wallet will soon allow users to add items from a photo for quick access. Google Play Protect will offer live threat detection by using on-device AI to spot apps that might engage in fraud or phishing.

You can learn more about the Android 15 update here.

Source: Android Authority (1), (2)

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The new security feature called "Block unknown account messages" does exactly what it says. It is live for some beta testers who have installed the latest WhatsApp beta version, 2.24.20.16, from the Play Store.

The new WhatsApp security option allows users to block messages from unknown contacts if they continue to send too many messages or spam you in a short period. It helps users protect themselves against spam and potentially harmful communication.

Users can find the new security option under the "Advanced" section inside the Settings menu. Once enabled, WhatsApp will keep an eye on incoming messages from unknown contacts, and if an unknown account sends a lot of spam messages in a short period, WhatsApp will temporarily block those messages.

However, users will continue to receive important messages from unknown contacts.

WhatsApp will also suggest users enable this feature if it detects that a specific contact is sending multiple messages in a short period. It is expected to go live to more users in the future. However, that is not the only feature the messaging platform is working on.

Recently, WhatsApp has been spotted working on different design styles for its "Chat Themes" feature. Besides, WhatsApp is also developing a new option to easily transfer ownership of a community. Users will also soon be able to create a call link directly in group chats.

WhatsApp is also working on a new option that will allow users to mark all unread messages as read by tapping a single button. Apart from features for Android, iOS users are also expected to get AR effects and filters for video calls.

Source and image: WABetaInfo

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A workaround for this is to create a full-day recurring event, which isn't ideal compared to a native option. Finally, it seems like Google has understood this issue, and is rolling out a new update for the Google Calendar Android app offering the option to manually add birthdays.

On the event page, users will see a new "Birthday" option in the Google Calendar Android app. This new chip is located at the top and joins Event, Tasks, and Out of Office (for workspace accounts). Tapping on the birthday chip gives you the option to manually "Add name" and "Add birth date" with the ability to customize the notifications and set a color for quick identification.

The birthday event itself has a cover image with a cake in the middle and some confetti and is added to the "Birthdays" calendar. Google has noted a few things for those using this Google Calendar API:

• For developers, newly created birthday events will be available in the Calendar API with the eventType “birthday.” Both Events.list and Events.watch will support the “birthday” event type filter and return “birthday” events by default. Only a subset of the event properties will be supported for birthday events. To learn more, see our developer guide about working with the birthday event type.
• Birthday events do not support all event properties. If you’re using the Calendar API, we recommend reviewing your code so you don’t apply any non-supported properties.

The birthday creation feature for Google Calendar on Android is rolling out for all users over the coming weeks. Google also noted that the feature will "also become available on web and iOS devices in the future."

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The latest information involving both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 models comes from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on the social media platform X. According to Kuo, Apple is expected to continue using 3nm chips for the iPhone 17 models next year, and will only introduce 2nm chips with the 2026 iPhone 18 series.

Kuo says:

The processors for 2025 iPhone 17 models will be made by TSMC's N3P process/3-nanometer technology. The processor for 2026 iPhone 18 models is anticipated to use TSMC's 2-nanometer technology. However, due to cost concerns, not all new iPhone 18 models may be equipped with a 2-nanometer processor.

It is speculated that Apple could reserve the 2nm processors for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, while the company could use 3nm processors inside the standard iPhone 18 models, the reason being cost constraints.

The main difference between 2nm and 3nm processors is that the 2nm chips house more transistors than the 3nm counterparts, allowing them to offer better performance and power, maintaining the processors' size and efficiency. It was earlier rumored that Apple has reserved all of TSMC's 2nm chip capacity for the iPhone 17 series. So, we have to wait and watch, if this reservation applies to just the Pro models or the entire series.

Another rumor suggests that Apple could replace the "Plus" model with the iPhone 17 Slim. The iPhone 17 Slim is expected to introduce the biggest redesign since the iPhone X. Bloomberg's Gurman earlier said that Apple could introduce the new slim iPhone 17 model in the form of an "Air" iPhone, positioned between the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro.

Additionally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is also tipped to feature 12GB of RAM and upgraded cooling technology. Apple is also expected to bump the specs, and potentially introduce 24MP selfie cameras on all iPhone 17 models. For now, these are leaks and rumors and should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

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A couple of days ago, the software was finally available to everyone alongside iOS 18 and watchOS 11. Apple also released a list of its tablets which are compatible with iPadOS 18. It stated:

iPadOS 18 is available for iPad Pro (M4), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (M2), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (7th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation and later).

However, despite being in beta for three months, it looks like a major bug managed to slip through during testing for quality control and assurance as the update is bricking iPad Pro M4 models.

The issue was brought to attention by Apple iPad Pro M4 users who were kept holding on to dead tablets post-update even though their devices were perfectly fit and healthy before proceeding with the iPadOS 18 update. Essentially, the affected tablets do not turn on after the update.

Thankfully, Apple has pulled the update from its servers as it is no longer available for downloading. However, bear in mind that not every iPad Pro (M4) has been bricked after this implying that there is more to the story here and may explain how and why such a major fault managed to slip through without detection during testing.

Via: Reddit (link1, link2)

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Apart from the much-ballyhooed (and delayed) Apple Intelligence, a big change to home screen customization and app icon placement is one of iOS 18’s flagship features, alongside an overhauled Control Center.

 

With the public launch of iOS 18 this week, we’ll be delving into those flagship features one by one, and I’m starting with the home screen because I have often criticized the iPhone’s home screen experience in the past. iOS 18 promises the biggest update to home screen customization since, well, ever.

 

Let’s walk through how to use the new features, explore how they work, and try to answer the most important question: does the iPhone finally offer the kind of home screen flexibility that users have been asking for?

How to customize the home and lock screen in iOS 18

First up, let’s talk about how you access the new capabilities.

 

For the home screen, you still get to the customization options by long-pressing in the open space between the icons on any home screen page. This initiates wiggle mode. In the past, you could simply move apps from here, or you could tap a “+” button in the top-left corner to pick a widget to add.

 

Now the + button has been replaced by an “Edit” button. Tapping that brings up a drop-down menu with three options: Add Widget, Customize, and Edit Pages. Add Widget does what the + button used to do.

 

Edit Pages brings up a view of all your home screen pages, allowing you to check or uncheck each to see whether it’s included when you’re swiping around or not. (This is the same screen you got by tapping the dots representing the pages at the bottom of the home screen in wiggle mode before, and you can still get there that way, too.)

 

Customize, on the other hand, brings up a panel in the lower third of the screen that we didn’t have in this form in iOS 17. It lets you toggle between dark and light modes and change the size of icons from small to large (more on that soon).

 

• 

• 

• 

Additionally, there are four icons across the middle of the panel: Light, Dark, Automatic, and Tinted. Switching between Light and Dark changes Apple’s built-in icons (and any third-party app icons that have added support for this) to different color schemes, so an icon that was always white before is now just white in the Light setting, but it’s a dark gray in the black. (The Automatic setting switches between these are based on whether the system-wide Light or Dark mode is enabled.)

 

That’s neat, but things get really crazy with the Tinted option. This will tint every icon on the screen to one color—kind of like you could do with your home screen wallpaper before. These icons tend to resemble the dark mode versions, I’ve found, but the tint is strong. This applies to all icons, not just those of apps that have been programmed to support it.

 

• 

• 

• 

There’s also a color picker, so you can grab a color from your wallpaper to apply it to the icons, which is neat.

 

This uniform splash of color won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but it does breathe some life and uniformity into the chaos that was the old home screen of apps.

 

The biggest answer to that chaos comes in the form of freely placeable app icons, though.

The dreaded wiggle mode gets a little less dreaded

I’m not a fan of wiggle mode, that situation where all your icons shake and you drag them around your home screen as they displace one another in rows.

 

It’s visually chaotic, and it’s easy to accidentally create a folder or drop an icon in the wrong place. When widgets are involved, you can break your whole layout as a misstep cascades across pages of apps, bumping icons to pages they’re not supposed to inhabit. I found it persnickety and inefficient.

 

Whether or not everyone else feels quite as strongly about it, I’ll venture that most of us would like to at least be able to put icons wherever we want on the screen, like you’ve long been able to do with Android or a Windows (or Mac) desktop.

 

• 

• 

You still use the old wiggle mode interface to do this, unfortunately. But because it’s now possible to place an icon on the home screen’s grid without another icon in the space to its left or above it, you can avoid a lot of the pain we had to deal with before.

 

Dragging an app icon amid other closely positioned app icons on the grid still follows the same rules as old wiggle mode: It will displace whatever’s there and shift things around a bit. You’ll still have to deal with that behavior if you want to have a home page screen that’s dense with icons.

 

But placing an icon in a spot that’s not already occupied just places it there, without affecting any other icons. You can place all your icons along one edge of the screen or alternate spots or make weird shapes. You can do whatever you want!

 

Yes, each icon still has to fall into a grid spot, so it’s not totally freeform—but it’s miles ahead of what we had before.

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Up until now, you could alter the color of the sky but couldn't flip an image or video. Thankfully, according to Android expert Mishaal Rahman on social media platform X, Google Photos is getting a new button that finally allows you to flip images horizontally. This small change is now visible inside the "Crop" section of the editing tools in the Photos app on Android.

However, the feature is currently rolling out to select users and has not been widely released to all Google Photos users. It is anticipated that the feature will gradually arrive as a server-side update and may appear for more users in the coming days.

Users who haven't received the feature will see options such as rotate, resize, and improve the aspect ratio of the images in the Google Photos editing tools. After the arrival of this new button, you will see a new option to flip images horizontally. Interestingly, this feature applies to images as well as videos, allowing you to flip videos in Google Photos.

After flipping the image or video, you will have the option to save it as a copy, ensuring that the original image or video remains untouched. This feature is especially useful if you have taken a selfie or video using the selfie camera and forgot to enable the mirror option in your phone's camera app.

In addition to this update, Google has been working on several new features for the Photos app. This includes a spotlight feature for videos and the ability to create slow-motion snippets from your videos.

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Tipster Smart Pikachu on the Chinese social media platform Weibo (via PlayfulDroid), has revealed some key specifications of the Asus ROG Phone 9. The smartphone is rumored to be powered with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor and is expected to be paired with 24 GB of RAM. Xiaomi is expected to announce the Xiaomi 15 series as the world's first Snapdragon 8 Gen 4-powered smartphone.

The Asus ROG Phone 9 may feature an upgraded display, suggesting a brighter and high-resolution FHD+ 165 Hz screen than the ROG Phone 8 series. The phone could also come with 1TB of internal storage, the highest configuration of this year's ROG Phone 8.

Notably, the ROG Phone 9 is also tipped to feature 65 W fast charging, similar to that of the ROG Phone 8. The post also features a screenshot of China's 3C (China Quality Certification Centre) certification listing of the ROG Phone 9. The phone has appeared on the listing with model number ASUSAI2501A. For reference, the Asus ROG Phone 8 carries the model number ASUSAI2401D.

The rest of the specifications of the phone are under wraps. However, based on the current leaks, the alleged Asus ROG Phone 9 appears to be a beast of a gaming phone. There is no information about the design changes that the phone will bring, but it is speculated that it could take forward the ROG Phone 8's design.

The ROG Phone 9 is expected to launch in China by the end of 2024, following a similar timeline to the ROG Phone 8. There is no information about its US availability or launch in other regions, but it could launch sometime in the first quarter of 2025.

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iOS 18 brings new features for personalizing your iPhone. You can now tint Home Screen icons and place them anywhere you like or remove their labels. In addition, icons now support dark mode.

Control Center also received a big update, allowing users to add more controls from third-party apps, resize elements, scroll through different pages, and more. Many will also be happy about the ability to swap Lock Screen controls, which were locked to Flashlight and Camera, since the release of the iPhone X.

iMessage now supports text formatting, more emojis for tapback, messages via satellite, scheduled messages, and RCS (still green bubbles, though).

iOS 18 adds a new Passwords app, which is now a fully-fledged password manager with two-factor authentication, password sharing, and cross-platform support. It works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and even Windows via the iCloud app.

iPhones are now better at playing games. Dedicated Game Mode can minimize background activity to sustain performance and higher frame rates, reduce audio latency when connected to AirPods, and lower controller input lag.

Speaking of AirPods, you can now interact with Siri by nodding or shaking your head when wearing AirPods, thus replying yes or no. AirPods Pro now supports voice isolation for better mic quality when making calls in windy or noisy conditions.

The Notes app received live audio transcription, automatic calculations, collapsible sections, and text highlighting.

Other changes in iOS 18 include Eye Tracking, the ability to lock any app with FaceID, TouchID, and passcode, a reworked Calculator with Math Notes, Calendar improvements, call recording new features for the Home app, a redesigned Reader in Safari, updates to the Photos app, and more. Later this year, iOS 18 will also get Apple Intelligence support and improvements to the Mail app.

iOS 18 is compatible with the following iPhones:

• iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 and 15 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 14 and 14 Plus
• iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 and 13 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 and 12 mini
• iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone Xs and Xs Max
• iPhone Xr
• iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd generation

To update your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap iOS 18.

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Currently, when you receive a notification on one of your Android devices and you swipe to dismiss it, the same notification still appears in the notification panel of your synced Android device. Thankfully, some codes in the latest Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 update show evidence of a new notifications feature called "Sync across devices" in the Settings app.

This new option appears under Settings > Notifications between "sensitive notifications" and the new "notification cooldown" option. Here is the code:

Sync across devices

According to the report, this new feature syncs the notifications between Android devices signed into the same account. Notably, once the feature goes live, if you open or dismiss a notification on one Android device, it will disappear from the other device.

This new "SyncAcrossDevicesPreferenceController" class is located under the "com.android.settings.notification.syncacrossdevices" path in the Settings app. Additionally, the location of the class is under "com.android.settings," suggesting that it could come to all Android devices, and may not remain exclusive to Pixel devices. However, its appearance in the beta version also hints that the feature isn't ready as of yet, and Google hasn't finished testing it.

It is also possible that the feature may not ship with Android 15 at all, and Google may keep the "sync across devices" feature exclusive to the Pixel devices, since the evidence hasn't been spotted in the Google Play Services app.

Google is also reportedly working on offering more customization options for mouse pointer such as changing the color and size of the pointer with Android 15. It could also make keyboard switching much easier and better for one-hand usage.

Source: Android Authority

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Today, the original creator of Flappy Bird, South Korean-based Dong Nguyen, posted a message on his X account. His brief post made it clear he has no relation to the revival of the title.

The message also stated, "I also don't support crypto." That could be a reference to Michael Roberts, who is reportedly leading the development of the revival under the Flappy Bird Foundation name. VGC reports that Roberts is also the head of a crypto company called 1208 Productions.

The original version of the game, which Nguyen stated in the past was created in just a few days, caught the attention of the entire mobile gaming world in early 2014, several months after its debut for Android and iOS. It was estimated that it got 50 million downloads. Nguyen reportedly made as much as $50,000 a day on the free-to-play title via banner ads for a while.

However, Nguyen decided to pull the game from Google Play and the iOS app store in February 2014, claiming the unexpected success and attention the game was generating was "ruining his life".

Meanwhile, the new version of Flappy Bird, which is supposed to add new characters and modes compared to the simple original version, will still be a free-to-play game. It is scheduled to launch sometime in 2025 for iOS and Android.

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However, in the Google Contacts app version 4.40.48.672619802, code sleuth Assemble Debug managed to activate the new contacts widget, which allows users to add more than seven favorite contacts.

In fact, the tipster managed to add 16 contacts to the widget, and supposedly, users can add even more contacts, as the widget now features a scroller that lets users swipe up and down to view more contacts.

The contact's widget also shows the contact's name along with the profile avatar. If the user doesn't prefer to use the scroller to scroll through the contact list, then they can resize the contacts widget to the entire home screen. Notably, resizing the widget to take up the whole home screen option was already possible even when the widgets were introduced.

This feature was spotted in an APK Teardown post, and there is a 50-50 chance that Google will add this feature to the stable version. Moreover, even if Google decides to add this feature to the Contacts app, there is no clarity on when that would happen.

Google was also spotted working on a feature that will let users use the Contacts app without an account. This would display all the contacts that are already synced, and users would be able to get their entire contacts list back by signing in with the Google account in the Contacts app.

Also, back in July, it was spotted that Google is making it easier to share a contact, add it to the home screen, delete it, or move it to another account by providing these options at the bottom of the contact page.

Source and image: Android Authority

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The Auto Frame feature automatically adjusts the framing of the selected subject, even if it requires expanding the image by using the powers of AI. On the other hand, the Reimagine feature lets you change backgrounds, such as change the clouds, roads, waters, etc.

Ih has been reported that Google is working on bringing the two new Magic Editor features, Auto Frame and Reimagine, to older Pixel phones. Code sleuth Assemble Debug has found evidence of the two features in the Google Photos app, suggesting that they are on their way to the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 series.

According to the Assemble Debug, the Google Photos app has three variants: one for non-Pixel phones, one for Pixel 6 and above, and one for the Pixel 9 series.

The Google Photos app for the Pixel 9 series has all the necessary codes related to the Reimagine and Auto Frame features. Now, the codes have also been spotted in the latest Google Photos app, v6.99, for Pixels launched between 2021 and 2023, suggesting that both AI features are soon coming to the older Pixel flagships.

The regular version of the Google Photos app, i.e., for non-Pixel phones, doesn't yet include any strings related to the Reimagine and Auto Frame features, meaning that they aren't ready for non-Pixel phones for now and will remain exclusive to Pixel phones.

There is no clarity on when Google will push the new AI features for older Pixel models. However, the new Magic Editor features are expected to arrive via a Feature Drop update soon.

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Now that is the name I have not heard in a very long time, but Flappy Bird is making a comeback.

In 2013, a dude from Vietnam launched a casual game called Flappy Bird, where all you have to do is tap the screen to fly a pixelated bird through green tubes. Thanks to its simplicity and addictiveness, Flappy Bird exploded in popularity, ranked millions of downloads, and generated a lot of hype.

Sadly, Flappy Bird was short-lived. Dong Nguyen, the game's maker, overwhelmed by its popularity and fame, pulled it from the stores (it never made it to Windows Phone, though). The game's disappearance was quite shocking, and it led to people selling iPhones with Flappy Bird pre-installed for thousands of dollars (the same thing later happened with Fortnite). Now, eleven years later, Flappy Bird returns.

The upcoming release was announced on the flappybird.com website. The "rehatched" version of the game is coming to Android and iOS somewhere in 2025, and it promises some upgrades over the initial version. Updates include a set of new characters, "EZ mode" for the weak to build skills, rivals, hoops, and more.

Here is what the official website says about the resurrection of Flappy Bird:

Just a decade ago, I was the talk of the town and soaring to new heights with my 100 million friends. Sadly, I had to leave the fame and spotlight behind to go home and find out who I really am.

 

Thanks to my super Flappy Bird® fans, I’m refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to soar again. The decade-long mission involved acquiring legal rights and even working with my predecessor to uncage me and rehatch the official Flappy Bird® game!

While you wait for the sequel to show up, you can waste some time playing the original via an unofficial web-based version.

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The discovery confirmed earlier rumors that the iPhone 16 series would have faster wired charging (20W) than the previous iPhone 15 lineup.

Faster wired charging is not the only energy-related upgrade in the new iPhone 16 lineup. Apple also finally increased the speed of wireless charging, allowing you to top up all four models at up to 25W using the new MagSafe charging accessories. Naturally, such charging speed requires a beefier charging brick, so Apple recommends using one that can output at least 30W of power.

Apple did not mention the increased wired charging speeds during the iPhone 16 announcement, nor is there any information on the official website. Also, we do not yet know how large the batteries inside all four new iPhones are. What is known is that the latest generation offers about two hours more of video playback from a single charge thanks to more efficient chips and larger batteries in the Pro models.

The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available for pre-order tomorrow, September 13, 2024. Apple will start selling the new iPhones on Friday, September 20, 2024. Prices start at $799 for the iPhone 16 and $999 for the iPhone 16 Pro.

If you are interested in getting one for yourself, check out our detailed spec-by-spec comparisons:

• iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 14
• iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro

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