Rumors have suggested that next year's Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup is going to more fully embrace Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset at the expense of Samsung's own Exynos chip. And now we have another indicator that Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S phones will appear beyond the U.S.

According to smartphone leaker Ice Universe(opens in new tab), the rumored Samsung Galaxy S23 series is now “confirmed” to get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the chipset announced by the chip maker this week. 

Ice Universe is basing that claim on leaked Geekbench 5 benchmark testing that shows model “Samsung SM-S918B,” rumored to be a European-market Galaxy S23 device. The testing results were a 1,504 single-core score and a 4,580 multi-core score, both of which are in line with other leaked benchmarks of other rumored S23 devices.

This is great news for European and U.K. customers, who now look set to get the latest Qualcomm silicon in their versions of the Galaxy S23. Previous versions of Samsung's flagship phone released in Europe had been powered by Samsung Exynos chips, which traditionally lag behind their Snapdragon equivalents.

We've already heard rumors that Qualcomm was going to be the global chipset provider for the S23 phones. Now it seems that not only will Samsung's upcoming flagship phones get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but they will receive a high-frequency version exclusive to Samsung.  

Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup: Benchmark roundup 

So far we’ve seen a fair amount of leaked benchmarks for rumored Samsung Galaxy S23 phones. It’s partially why this new rumor of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-based Galaxy S23 headed to Europe checks out — it lines up with the current benchmarks.

Rumored Samsung Galaxy S23 benchmarks

This was similar to the leaked Galaxy S23 Plus benchmarks (rumored model SM-S916U), which scored 1,485 and 4,844 for single-core and multi-core respectively and the leaked S23 Ultra benchmarks (SM-S918U) which scored 1,521 and 4,689 for single-core and multi-core.

Given that this rumored Galaxy S23 European market phone (rumored model SM-S918B) scored 1,504 and 4,580 for single-core and multi-core performance, it does seem likely that whatever chipset these S23 phones are using, it's the same one showing up in other leaked models. 

There’s an established range now of 1,485 to 1,524 for single-core performance and 4,580 to 4,844 for multi-core performance. So anything we see come out with similar numbers should add weight to the theory that it's the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powering all these devices.

(Image credit: Volodymyr Lenard/Tom's Guide)

Unfortunately, it also potentially confirms that this next generation of Samsung phones will fall short of the iPhone's performance — though the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 numbers appear to be inching closer. In fact, the rumored multi-core performance for the S23 lineup beats the base iPhone 14 powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. But both the single-core and multi-core numbers fall well short of the Geekbench 5 scores for the A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro. That $999 Apple phone scored 1,891 and 5,469 for single-core and multi-core respectively, well ahead of the range we are seeing for the leaked Galaxy S23 benchmarks.

As always, the leaked benchmarks aren't official numbers, and we won't fully know how phones powered by the new chipset will perform until we get the chance to test the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ourselves. At this point, though, it looks like if you want the best performance from your mobile processor you’ll need to get an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max — luckily there are some decent iPhone 14 Pro Max deals. Otherwise, stay tuned for all the latest rumors and leaks for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which will almost certainly be the most powerful Android phone when it comes out next year.

Source

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brings Wi-Fi 7, sticks with some 32-bit support

Amazon has become the retail behemoth it is in part thanks to third-party sellers. Amazon doesn’t need to stock or ship many of the things sold on the site, giving it a much wider selection than smaller competitors. One notable exception is Apple, which has an agreement in place with Amazon to limit the number of sellers allowed to list its products. A new lawsuit claims this is an unlawful violation of antitrust law that has cost consumers big bucks.

As recently as 2018, there were more than 600 entities selling Apple products on Amazon. This ensured robust competition, which kept prices a bit lower than Apple’s own store. However, that all changed in late 2018 when Amazon and Apple teamed up to bring more Apple hardware to the site. As part of the agreement, Amazon would only allow third parties to sell Apple hardware if they were approved by Apple. Today, there are just seven companies offering the products on Amazon.

According to the law firm Hagens Berman, which has filed a class-action antitrust case, Apple and Amazon have benefited hugely from the agreement while consumers have been paying higher prices. Amazon reportedly got access to a continuous supply of Apple devices to sell at a 10 percent discount, provided it kept third-party sellers off the site. The suit claims this is known as “naked restraint,” and is illegal under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

This graph shows the alleged relationship between prices and the drop in sellers. (via Hagens Berman)

Following the start of the retail agreement in January 2019, Amazon became much more likely to get placement in the “buy box,” increasing its revenue from Apple devices. Apple, meanwhile, no longer had to worry about sellers on Amazon undercutting it.

The suit contends that buyers are paying up to 20 percent more than they otherwise would. There is some precedent for this case. Italian regulators slapped Amazon with a fine last year for a similar deal involving Apple’s Beats audio products, reports Ars Technica.

Hagens Berman will be familiar to those who follow Apple news. The firm was involved in numerous legal actions against Apple over the years, including the ebook price-fixing case and a battle over touchscreen patents. Hagens Berman clearly feels there’s money to be made going after Apple, and this time, consumers might be able to benefit. The law firm is asking anyone who purchased an Apple product via the Amazon buy box in 2019 or later to join the class action. In a few years, you might get part of your purchase refunded, and Hagens Berman will get a big heap of cash.

Source

While Microsoft had previously only talked about all the new functionalities it will be adding as a part of this redesign, it's perhaps expected that some features would be on the chopping block too. To that end, the Redmond tech firm has now detailed two capabilities that will be axed in the Office mobile apps by the end of this year.

The first is Transfer Files, which allows you to transmit files between your Office app and your computer. The process involves opening a URL and scanning a QR code in order to pair the two devices and transfer content. Microsoft thinks that this can easily be replaced by OneDrive, which is "seamlessly" integrated to Office so that you can access shared content regardless of device. As such, Transfer Files will be retired on December 31, 2022, but your previous files will remain unaffected.

The other feature being killed off in the Office mobile app is Share Nearby. As the name suggests, this allowed content sharing between Android devices in close vicinity. However, Microsoft believes that this capability does not meet all the current needs of its customers ads. Therefore, it will be getting the ax on December 31, 2022. Previous files will remain unaffected.

Microsoft has emphasized that these measures are being taken to evolve the Microsoft 365 app on mobile to offer the best value to customers, powered by solutions that are consistent, reliable, and enable productivity. These removals are part of the streamlining process for Microsoft 365 apps and it wouldn't be surprising to see similar announcements in the future as development continues.

Microsoft is killing off two features in the Office mobile app

We all have at least one of those friends.

They're likable. They're interesting. They're definitely not stupid.

Somehow, though, they keep making decisions that lead to disasters.

Worse, you can see those disasters coming. You try to warn them. You get tired of warning them. But they just don't listen and glide headlong into a solid brick wall.

That's how Samsung feels about iPhone users. And, well, Apple buyers in general.

How do I know this? Because Samsung has just emitted an ad that fully expresses such thoughts and positively screams: "What is wrong with you, Apple fanperson?"

Perhaps that should have been "negatively screams."

Here, you see, we have a man who's climbed onto the wall of Apple's garden. You're familiar with that garden. It's the walled one, the one where Apple tells you all you need is Apple, more Apple, and whatever new thing Apple comes along with next.

Many people don't even think about what's on the other side of the wall. They've heard about Android, but those Android people, well, even their texts are green instead of blue.

Why would you want to do that yourself?

This intrepid Apple customer, though, is curious enough to peer into Samsung's garden -- which, of course, goes on forever into infinity.

"Hey, what are you doing up there?" wonders an Apple employee. "You can't sit on the fence."

Apple has rules, you understand. Lots of rules.

"But on the Samsung side they have folding phones and epic cameras," says our putative escapee.

The Apple employee is concerned. "You don't want to leave," he said. "We're waiting for all that to come over here."

Oddly, I've heard that Apple has quite good cameras these days, but what do I know? I still have an iPhone 12.

But why, wonders our escapee, should he wait?

"Because that's what we do," explains the Apple employee. "We wait."

It's a contentious one, this. Yes, Apple does, indeed, often wait and then attempts to improve on someone else's version for quite a few things.

Then again, the company does occasionally get ahead quite quickly, so much so that its product names become generic. Tablets are iPads.

Watches are Apple Watches. AirPods are, oh, still so ugly.

But Samsung wants you to mount that wall and take the leap toward its folding phones. The company insists it makes them specifically to be ahead and different.

Then again, when it advertises its Z Flip 4, it says one of the main reasons for using it is to take selfies more easily.

Still, these Apple people just won't change, will they?

It's maddening for Samsung. The Apple people just keep on buying the next Apple thing, signing up for Apple Care, going to the Apple store when they have a problem and generally believing that Apple offers them a relatively easy -- and occasionally aesthetic -- way of navigating their earthly needs.

Yes, the Android world has its positives. But if you start to consider Samsung phones, then you should also consider Google's Pixel. That makes things so troublingly complicated.

Apple is pretty. Apple is pretty soothing. Apple lets you plug and play. And hey, the company even acts as if it believes in privacy.

There's lots of privacy in that walled garden, people believe -- whether rightly or wrongly.

Privacy is a new thing, right?

Source

Apple and Amazon colluded to raise iPhone and iPad prices, class action claims

Pixel 8 hardware leaks suggest faster chip, tweaked screen ratios

According to a recent report by Sammobile, the new firmware update R8xxXXU1GVI3 is bricking Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic devices. Affected users are saying that once they have applied the update and turned off their device, they cannot get their watch to turn back on again.

This means that the problem cannot be fixed by another software update unless a user can keep their device powered on until a fix arrives.

It's not known if the issue occurs to every Galaxy Watch4 device, but some complaints online confirm the problem's existence. Fortunately, Samsung has halted the rollout and plans to release another update soon. The company has also issued an official statement, which reads:

Dear Samsung Customer,

We are aware that a limited number of Galaxy Watch4 series models are not turning on following a recent software (GVI3) update.

We have halted the update and will release a new software shortly.

We recommend consumers experiencing this issue with their Galaxy Watch4 series to visit their nearest Samsung service center or call a contact center.

Thank you.

If you've experienced the problem on your Galaxy Watch4 or Watch4 Classic, you can try getting in touch with Samsung’s customer support to have the device replaced. Steer clear of the update if you haven't installed it yet.

Source: Sammobile via BGR

Firmware update is bricking Samsung Galaxy Watch4 models

Telegram Topics in Groups

The instant messaging service is introducing Topics in Groups. This feature allows users to discuss things as a subgroup, without disturbing the others in the group.

Admins can enable Topics from the Groups settings, and control who is allowed to create subjects for discussion. Members of the group can participate in the topics that they like. These function like individual chats, and based on the video demo, it almost looks like old-school chat rooms.

Images: via Telegram

Telegram Topics have their own shared media, notifications, and also support pinned messages, polls and bots. It also works in public groups. The feature is only available for large groups, to be precise, groups that have over 200 members. Telegram is planning to add some features for smaller groups later this year.

Improved night mode in iOS

The Dark themes in Telegram's iOS app have been updated. The colors are balanced, and scrolling down a chat has a better blurring effect.

The above screenshot looks way too brighter than it actually is. I tried this on an iPhone, and noticed that the colors appear slightly darker both for the background wallpaper, and the chat bubbles, which makes it a bit easier on the eyes. It actually looks quite similar in the Android app.

Resizing Text on Android

When you change the size of the text from the Chat settings (Message Text Size slider) in the Android app, it also resizes the text size for link previews, reply bubbles, etc.

Telegram's blog article mentions that there have been some minor improvements to animations such as swipe left to reply, a pulsing placeholder which appears like a blank message when the app loads the chats. I couldn't really tell the difference in the animations. There is a new menu with various calling options appears when you tap on a user's phone number from their profile page.

New features for Telegram Premium users

Telegram's latest update also brings a few features that are exclusive to the Premium tier. The messaging service has added support for voice-to-text for video messages. The feature displays an instant text transcript when you get a video message. Telegram Premium users now has 12 new emoji packs, which can be used for texting, statuses, and captions.

The update adds 4 new animated emojis that play full screen effects in individual chats (sleeping face, nerd face, technologist, and eyes). They can also be used as reactions in chats. And to celebrate Halloween, the messaging app has brought three more animated reactions - Ghost, Jack-O'-Lantern and a Loudly Crying Face. These emojis also seem to be working with free accounts.

Users can now have multiple collectible usernames associated with their Telegram account, in addition to the basic one. Example: username.t.me and t.me/username. These aren't free though, users can buy and sell the usernames through TON (The Open Network) blockchain. Collectible usernames can be less than 5 characters in length, so unique names such as @news or @game or possible. This could be more useful for brands than individuals.

Having a unique username also makes it easier for users to be found via global search results. But this is optional, you can disable your username from appearing in the search results.

Telegram's announcement took another swipe at Apple for delaying the update. The company's founder, Pavel Durov, said that Apple doesn't approve updates to the app for 7-10 days. He also noted that the new Digital Markets Act enforced by the European Union will end such gatekeeping methods by Apple and Google.

Telegram update brings Topics in Groups, improved night mode on iOS and more

iFixit starts selling parts for the Google Pixel 6A

Apple reportedly wants to swap the ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase for just ‘Siri’

If you’ve been following Twitter coverage in recent days, you may have seen that buying Twitter Blue is also expected to give users some other perks. The other features, that are on their way, are as follows – this is taken from the release notes:

Coming soon…

• Half the ads & much better ones: Since you’re supporting Twitter in the battle against the bots, we’re going to reward you with half the ads and make them twice as relevant.

• Post longer videos: You’ll finally be able to post longer videos to Twitter.

• Priority ranking for quality content: Your content will get priority ranking in replies, mentions and search. This helps lower the visibility of scams, spam, and bots.

It’s not clear if this update is only available for iOS users right now because the Play Store release notes on Android do not mention anything about Twitter Blue yet. It could be the case that the option to sign up and get a blue checkmark is being rolled out gradually to ensure nothing goes wrong with the implementation.

Aside from cross-platform availability, it’s not clear when the service will open up to the rest of the world. There are no indications of the company’s plans in the release notes.

Source: App Store

Twitter brings $7.99 blue checkmark to latest iOS update

New EU law allows installation of apps from third-party stores on iOS

The new antitrust law states that gatekeepers, i.e., controllers of large online platforms, (such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc) should allow the installation of software applications from third-parties. That means users can sideload iOS apps on their iPhone and iPad.

The DMA's new Act also mentions that users should be able to access these apps (read download) from other services than that of the gatekeeper, i.e., the App Store.  So, we could see the rise of new app stores on iOS just like we have on Android and Windows such as Amazon's App Store, Google Play Store, Microsoft Store, F-Droid.

It doesn't end there, the law also requires gatekeepers to allow users to choose whether they want to set the downloaded app or the app store as their default choice. The gatekeeper will need to ensure that users can change the default app easily. Maybe the EU should take a look at Windows 11 too?

The law gives some leeway for gatekeepers for security reasons. If a gatekeeper finds that a third-party app or store endangers the integrity of the hardware or operating system, they will be allowed to take measures against such apps. This means Apple could block malicious apps and/or remove them automatically.

You can find the documentation about the new law on the EU's website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click on the download button next to "Regulation on Digital markets act".  It's a bit of a long read, the part about allowing installation of apps from third-party stores can be found under Article 6, section 4. The press release for the DMA is available here.

The DMA will move into the implementation phase from May 2, 2023. It requires potential gatekeepers to notify their core platform services to the European Commission by 3 July 2023. Once a gatekeeper has been designated, they will have to comply with the DMA's requirements by March 6, 2024.

iMessage interoperability

Article 7 of the new Digital Markets Act (linked above), states that a gatekeeper shall allow the basic functionalities of its number-independent interpersonal communications to be interoperable with that of third-party services.

So, this means iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc., will have to allow users to communicate across apps to send messages, and make voice calls and video calls. That should be interesting.

The EU has been on a roll lately, it passed a law in October to make USB Type-C the standard charging port on mobile phones. This brought an end to the lightning port on Apple's iPhones. The law will come into effect in 2024.

This new EU law could be a real game changer, Apple has always played the security card to defend its policy about the App Store, claiming that allowing apps from third-party sources could make iPhones vulnerable to security risks. This argument never really made sense, since Apple has always allowed users to sideload apps on macOS, somehow that's secure, but iOS isn't?  The real reason why the Cupertino company didn't want to allow iOS apps from third-party sources is quite simple, it earns a sweet 30% commission from every single transaction that is made through the App Store.

This is something that has been criticized by many developers and companies, Epic Games lost a legal battle in a bid to find a solution for this problem. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has also been particularly vocal about App Store fees since it affected the revenue of the instant messenger's premium subscription. And, Apple also charges app developers an annual fee just to host their software on the App Store, even if an app is completely free. So, this is a big win for users and developers.

Source

Apple confirms it will leave Lightning behind in future iPhones

Apple could release a 16-inch iPad next year

You can learn what is new in iOS 16 in our dedicated coverage.

What is new in iOS 16.1?

Here is how Apple describes iOS 16.1:

This update introduces iCloud Shared Photo Library making it easy to keep your family photos up to date. This release also adds support for third party apps in Live Activities, support for Apple Fitness+ on iPhone even if you don’t have an Apple Watch, and includes other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

And here is the full changelog:

• iCloud Shared Photo Library (also available in iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura) lets you add five people to share photos and videos, set permissions for adding, editing, and deleting photos, and set the Camera app to add every photo you take to the Shared Library.
• Live Activities data from third-party apps is now available in the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
• Fitness+ is now available for iPhone users without an Apple Watch.
• Wallet Improvements allow sharing cars, hotel rooms and other keys with other people using various messaging apps. Also, Apple Card customers can open new "high-yield" savings accounts.
• Matter in Home: the Home app now supports the new smart home connectivity standard available across ecosystems and platforms.
• Clean Energy Charging: iPhone users in the United States can enable the new Clean Energy Charging feature that attempts to reduce their carbon emissions by charging when the grid uses cleaner energy.

iOS 16.1 also includes fixes for the following bugs:

• Deleted conversations may appear in the conversations list in Messages
• Dynamic Island content is not available when using Reachability
• CarPlay may fail to connect when using a VPN app

You can download iOS 16.1 by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update.

iOS 16.1 is out with iCloud Shared Photo Library, Live Activities, Clean Energy, more

Apple has started rolling out iPadOS 16—the next major iPadOS release with various improvements and new features, such as improved external display support, Stage Manager, customizable UI scaling, new collaboration tools, and all the changes found in iOS 16 Apple released in September 2022.

What iPad models support iPadOS 16?

iPadOS 16 is available for the following tablets:

• iPad Pro (all models)
• iPad Air 3, Air 4, and Air 5
• iPad 5, iPad 6, iPad 7, iPad 8, iPad 9, and iPad 10
• iPad mini 5 and iPad mini 6

With iPadOS 16, Apple ends mainstream support for the iPad mini 4 and iPad Air 2. Tablets with the Apple A8 CPU will no longer receive feature updates. However, Apple might continue releasing periodical updates for now-unsupported devices to fix security issues or perform other types of maintenance.

What is new in iPadOS 16?

Besides the new features and improvements introduced in iOS 16 (editable iMessage, passkeys, intelligent features, and more), iPadOS 16 contains the following iPad-exclusive novelties:

• Stage Manager: a new way to multitask on your iPad with resizable, floating, and overlapping windows. Users can create groups of apps for specific tasks and seamlessly switch between them with a single tap or mouse/trackpad click. Stage Manager is available on iPad Pro tablets with the Apple A12X CPU (and newer) and the fifth-generation iPad Air (M1-based).

  

   

• External Display support: iPadOS 16 significantly improves how the M1 and M2-based iPads work with external monitors. You can now connect monitors with up to 6K resolutions and work with multiple apps on the iPad and external monitor. Note that this feature is not available today, and Apple says it will arrive "later this year." Also, it requires a tablet with the Apple M1 or M2 processor.

  

   

• Reference mode on 12.9-inch iPad Pro: the largest iPads with the Retina XDR display can now work as reference monitors for popular color standards and SDR/HDR video formats.
• Display Zoom: Your iPad now supports different display zoom levels to give more space for apps and content. Like Stage Manager, Display Zoom works on the iPad Air 5 and iPad Pro models with the Apple A12X (or newer) processor.
• Weather app: iPads finally have a fully-fledged Weather app, and it does not require the latest model or the Apple M1 processor. The app is available on all iPadOS 16-compatible tablets.

  

   

• Desktop-class apps: iPadOS 16 opens the door for more "desktop-class" applications. Developers can equip their programs with customizable toolbars, redesigned buttons, new context menus with multiselect, find and replace, global undo/redo, lists, and more.
• DriverKit: a new set of tools and APIs for developers to build support for various peripheral audio, USB, and PCI devices.

It is worth noting that iOS 16's best feature is not available in iPadOS 16. Apple's latest tablet operating system lacks new Lock Screen customization, leaving users with the same old interface. If you want to dig into the deepest depths of iPadOS 16, a comprehensive list of all changes and new features is available on the official Apple website.

How to download iPadOS 16?

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Navigate to General > Software Update and wait for your iPad to find iPadOS 16.
3. Tap iPadOS 16 and proceed with on-screen instructions. Note that you can stay on iPadOS 15 even on supported tablets. It is a great option for those wanting to wait until Apple irons-out bugs and delivers a couple of maintenance updates for a better experience with fewer bugs.

Do you plan to update your iPad to iPadOS 16 today? What feature excites you the most? Let us know in the comments.

iPadOS 16 is now available with external display support, Stage Manager, more

The primary areas that this will be visible to users is within the Today page, where Apple features certain apps based on current events or a particular theme or topic such as productivity, or customisation. This will now include adverts paid for by developers or other companies for their apps and will show between these posts.

Additionally, Apple will be adding in adverts at the bottom of app pages, in a "You May Also Like" section that will sit below the app listing. This will effectively allow for competitors to advertise on their rival's pages, or increase the cost to a developer to buy out this space to shield against this.

This follows on from recent moves by Apple to increase their advertising income, with hints that it will be advertising within the Maps app coming through in August this year, as well as the moves today to increase ad placement throughout the app store.

Source: MacRumors

More ads will be appearing in Apple's App Store starting from next week

One of the key features that was added earlier in the year was the ability to see emoji reactions that iOS users have sent, now Google has added the ability to react to SMS texts from iOS users with emoji as well.

Google does take the opportunity with this update to further tout RCS as the end goal for messaging between the two platforms, and utilizing its #GetTheMessage tag on Twitter, this will improve messaging for users in the short term.

Additionally, Google has added the ability to reply to a message using RCS when it is enabled, view audio messages transcribed on screen (on Pixel 6 series and 7 series, and Samsung's Galaxy S22 and Fold 4), and with full integration of other rich media and app features.

Reminders integrates seamlessly within messages, allowing new reminders to be created directly from Messages, and YouTube videos can be watched directly within Messages. It will recognize certain phrases and suggest actions, such as showing a Meet call icon next to a message containing "Can you talk now?"

There are more features for business and integration between devices available in this latest update, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store today.

Google updates Messages to support reactions from iOS users

Users with an Apple Watch can see real-time metrics on their Apple devices and experience features like Time to Run, whereas individuals without an Apple TV can access Fitness+ workouts through AirPlay or AirPlay-enabled Roku devices, although onscreen metrics on these products will launch next month.

October's update brings an Artist Spotlight series dedicated to Taylor Swift and her new album “Midnights,” releasing on October 21. Under the spotlight series, Taylor’s songs will be featured in a separate dedicated workout playlist and several workout playlists like Dance and Cycling.

Fitness+ is also adding a new Yoga program, Yoga for Every Runner, that features Scott Jurek, an ultramarathon - a race longer than 42 km - athlete, and is led by Yoga trainer Jessica Skye. There are 10-minute yoga workout sessions users can either complete separately or combine with other Fitness+ workouts. They can also have personalized workout programs, like Workout for Beginners and Stay Active During Pregnancy.

September’s launch starred Regina Hall and Leslie Jordan, among others. October’s launch brings singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, Emmy-winning actress Hannah Waddingham, and former astronaut and colonel Eileen M. Collins. Furthermore, the update adds three new collections: Best Mindful Cooldowns for Athletes, Totally ’80s Cycling, and 14-Day HIIT and Strength Challenge. According to Apple, these collections inspire users or help them achieve their goals.

Here are the details Apple provided:

• Totally ’80s Cycling: featuring eight spirited workouts that can boost cardio fitness. Every workout has the energy of a party and is set to a playlist full of songs from the 1980s.
• Best Mindful Cooldowns for Athletes: offering a series of total-body stretches and short visualizations that are curated to help athletes mentally prepare for their sport and recover more easily after any athletic endeavor.
• 14-Day HIIT and Strength Challenge: featuring 30-minute Strength and HIIT workouts that help motivate users to take their fitness routines to the next level.

Additionally, users can sign up for Fitness+ at no additional charge through offers with Target, SilverSneakers, Mobile Health, and UnitedHealthcare. SilverSneakers will provide a Fitness+ subscription without additional charges starting from January 2023, which can be activated via the SilverSneakers GO app or the web using their SilverSneakers member account. Members of Target Circle will be getting a free four-month Fitness+ trial and a three-month trial for Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud+, Apple Arcade, and News+. UnitedHealthcare is providing users with an annual subscription, and similarly, Mobile Health is offering its employer customers a chance to add Fitness+ as an employee benefit.

More details by Apple include:

• SilverSneakers: the nation’s leading fitness program for older adults, will now offer members a Fitness+ subscription at no additional cost starting in January 2023 through select Medicare Advantage plans. Members will also have access to the Workouts for Older Adults program on Fitness+, which helps users stay active at any age with a focus on strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and mobility. They can activate their Fitness+ subscription through the SilverSneakers GO app on the App Store or through their SilverSneakers member account on silversneakers.com
• Target: will now offer a four-month free trial of Fitness+ for members of Target Circle, the retailer’s free-to-join loyalty program. Members of Target Circle also have free access to three months of Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud+, Apple Arcade, and News+, with no purchase required.
• UnitedHealthcare: continues to offer Fitness+ as an annual subscription at no additional cost to millions of members as part of their fully insured employer-sponsored health benefit. Employers with self-funded health plans can make a similar offer available to their employees.
• Mobile Health: a fast-growing digital health and well-being technology company, will offer its employer customers the opportunity to add Fitness+ as a wellness benefit for their employees and allow them to earn an Apple Watch by staying active.

The update will roll out on October 24. Apple Fitness+ subscription costs $9.99 (US) per month or $79.99 (US) per year. Users can also share the subscription with up to five family members. Fitness+ requires models above an iPhone 8 running iOS 16.1, or models after Apple Watch Series 3 paired with iPhone 6s models or later running iOS 14.3 or later. While users require an iPhone to sign up, they can access Fitness+ on iPad and Apple TV as well.

Apple unveils the release date for Fitness+ update launching in 21 select countries

Hot on the heels of this milestone, the search giant also unveiled the newest version of Android Go, called Android 13 (Go Edition). With this new release, Google said that they focused on "reliability, usability, and customization."

One of the key features of Android 13 (Go Edition) is Google Play System Updates, which ensures that devices can quickly and regularly receive important software updates. "The result is a phone that stays up to date over time — and you don’t have to wait for the next release or a software push from your phone’s manufacturer to have the latest and greatest," Google said.

Material You on Android 13 (Go Edition) | Image via Google

Aside from this, Google also introduced the Material You interface, which was first available on Android 12. Material You allows users to customize their entire phone’s color scheme to coordinate with their wallpaper. Once a user sets their wallpaper, they will see four corresponding color schemes to choose from. According to Google, this dynamic coloring will make the smartphone feel unique to the owner.

Android 13 (Go Edition) even has the Google Discover feed, which will show users personalized articles and content by swiping right from the home screen.

Finally, the new version brings some features that were initially available to Android 13, such as Notification Permissions and the ability to change languages per app.

Google says that devices running Android 13 (Go Edition) can be expected in 2023.

Source: Google via TechCrunch

Google announces Android 13 (Go Edition), celebrates 250 million devices

If you are using Firefox on your phone, you are probably aware that the stable channel supports just a handful of add-ons, for the sake of compatibility.

Sure, uBlock Origin and Bitwarden are fantastic extensions, but many other add-ons do work perfectly with the mobile browser. Mozilla is restricting users to the collection that it curates, this can be frustrating for many users, and even for developers. This is why some people prefer using the Nightly builds instead, even though these fresh-out-of-the-oven builds could be a little on the buggier side.

The Nightly channel has supported custom add-on collections for 2 years. It is not a particularly convenient way to use it, since it isn't available out of the box. You need a Firefox account, and you have to manually create a collection of add-ons. It doesn't end there, you also have to do a couple of extra steps in the mobile browser to subscribe to your add-on collections. The same goes for the Beta version too, the feature is still hidden but the steps to enable custom add-on collections are identical to those in the Nightly channel.

The advantage that Firefox Beta has over the Nightly builds is that it has fewer bugs, so it might be a better option to go with as your daily driver. And now that it has gained support for custom add-on collections, maybe you should give it a try.

How to enable custom add-on collections in Firefox Beta for Android

1. Go to the Settings page, scroll down to the bottom.

2. Tap on "About Firefox Beta".

3. Tap on the Firefox logo 5 times. It will display a message that says "Debug Menu enabled".

If you go to the previous screen, you'll notice that a new option is available under the Advanced section. It's called Custom Add-on Collections. Tap on it, and it will ask you to enter the collection owner's ID, and the collection's name.

The ID is a unique 6-digit number that can be found in your add-on collection's URL. The name of course refers to the collection's name, unlike the number this is something that you can choose. For example, the ID for the Ghacks.net collection is 926754 and the name is ghacks.

Tap the OK button, and the app should close to apply the changes. Open the browser and go to the Add-ons section, and you will be able to choose the extensions that you want to install in Firefox Beta for Android.

Note: Creating a custom add-ons collection will remove the default plugins from the add-ons manager. That's not a big issue since you can just re-add them to your own collection. It's also worth noting that not all add-ons support the mobile version of the browser. So you may have to experiment with them to see if they work or not.

Custom add-on collections are available in Firefox Beta 107.0 b1. You can download the app from the Google Play Store, or from the project's GitHub releases page.

Since the feature has been introduced in Firefox Beta, it may not take long for custom add-on collections to be added to the stable release channel. You can follow the issue on GitHub to observe the progress.

Personally, I use Firefox Nightly as my primary browser on my phone, and this won't change even with the release of Beta 107, because the Nightly channel still has something that the Beta and Stable channels don't, pull to refresh.

Source

The perk isn’t actually available to Pixel 7 owners just yet, but 9to5Google spotted an official support document that confirms a launch window. More specifically, the document points to Pixel 7 availability “as of December 2022.”

Unfortunately, the VPN by Google One service isn’t available in India and Singapore, and the document indeed notes that Pixel 7 series owners in these markets aren’t eligible for the service.

We’re not quite sure why the VPN service wasn’t available to Pixel 7 owners from the get-go, especially when it’s already available to eligible Google One subscribers. Nevertheless, we at least have a rough release window now.

Source : https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-7-google-vpn-3222131/

If you own an older entry-level iPad and the new model tempts you with its vivid colors, all-screen design, and a more powerful CPU, this article will help you figure out all the differences between four generations of Apple's budget-friendly tablets. You can jump to the list of key changes or the table with the specs.

In a nutshell, the iPad 10 is the iPad 4 with some downgrades. It has the same all-screen design with symmetrical bezels, squared chassis, and rounded corners. Also, please welcome USB-C instead of Lightning. Another feature inherited from the iPad Air 4 is the A14 Bionic CPU, which makes the baseline iPad insanely powerful for its price category.

The iPad 10 is the first affordable iPad to feature 5G connectivity. Still, potential buyers should note that the tablet does not support mmWave, only sub-6 networks. On the upside, there is Wi-FI 6 support and Bluetooth 5.2.

Another noteworthy upgrade in the iPad 10 compared to its four previous generations is the cameras. The rear-facing camera can now record video in 4K 60 fps and 1080p 240 fps. We are not here to judge those recording videos with their iPads, but it is a considerable upgrade, nothing to scoff at.

Speaking of cameras, the iPad 10 has a unique feature: its front-facing camera now sits alongside the longer edge of the display, allowing perfect framing for video calls. We cannot tell whether a repositioned front-facing camera is worth $120 extra over the iPad 9, but it is still a considerable change for Apple's tablets.

Despite having a new design, the iPad 10 still lacks a fully-laminated display, and it does not support the Apple Pencil 2. It is great news for those upgrading from older generations—your existing Apple Pencil will continue working. Unfortunately, there is one caveat: you need a $9 adapter to charge and pair the original Apple Pencil with the iPad 10.

Another thing potential buyers should consider is that the iPad 10 is incompatible with the Folio Keyboard for the iPad 9 and iPad 8. If you want to convert this tablet into a laptop-looking thing, prepare to buy new accessories, such as the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio.

If the $449 price tag feels too much to swallow, you can opt for the ninth-gen iPad, which remains in the lineup for $329. Granted, it has no fancy chassis or all-screen design, but it is still a powerful device that features a classic look with the Home button on the front. The iPad 9 will provide you with enough power for years (including iPadOS upgrades), plus you can get the iPad 9 and the first-gen Apple Pencil for the price of the new model. If the looks do not matter to you that much, we recommend picking the iPad 9 instead of the iPad 10.

Here are the key changes summed up in a list:

• A bigger display with an all-screen design
• Four new bright chassis colors
• A newer and more powerful A14 processor with a faster Neural Engine
• Newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards plus optional 5G (sub-6 only)
• A front-facing camera on the longer side of the display with Smart HDR 3 support for photos
• A higher-res rear-facing camera with 4K video support
• USB-C port and no 3.5 mm audio jack
• Relocated Smart Connector, which means no support for existing folio keyboards
• A $120 price hike

The iPad 10 is available for pre-order, with shipping scheduled for October 24, 2022. What do you think about Apple's latest "cheap" iPad? Do you think its upgrades justify the $120 price increase? Would you rather opt for the cheaper $329 iPad 9? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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