Pixel fans in India faced disappointment when Google decided to not release the Pixel series in the country. The last Pixel phone that company launched in India was Pixel 4a LTE, and the Pixel fans have been waiting for a new Pixel ever since then. To put an end to this monotonous waiting, Google might introduce a new Pixel smartphone in India very soon.

According to popular Indian tipster Yogesh Brar, Google could launch a new Pixel phone at the end of 2022. The tipster claims that there is a strong possibility that it’ll be the upcoming Pixel 6a smartphone. However, those wanting Google to launch the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro should not raise their hopes high as the possibility of Google launching a new Pixel in India doesn’t necessarily mean that the Pixel 6 series will make its debut in India.

Google Pixel 4a 5G and newer models weren’t launched in India due to a number of reasons, including the poor sales performance of the previous Pixel phones, the Project Soli that was not available in India due to the lack of 60Hz frequency range. Another factor that might have contributed to Google not releasing Pixel phones in India is that the market was already crowded with Chinese phones that offer similar or better hardware at lower prices.

Luckily for Google fans in India, the Mountain View tech giant may finally have a change of heart and has apparently decided to re-enter the Indian market.

As for the design of the upcoming Pixel 6a, the smartphone will reportedly mimic the Pixel 6 series in a lot of ways. For instance, the smartphone will feature a design that is nearly identical to the Pixel 6 series. Not only that, but the Pixel 6a might also get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack, thus becoming the first ‘a’ series Pixel phone to rely solely on Bluetooth for the transfer of sound waves through headphones.

PIXEL 6a RUMORED SPECS

The tipster also says that the Google Pixel 6a will feature a 6.2-inch flat OLED display with a single centered punch-hole camera. The 6a is also expected to have dual rear cameras and single a LED flash. Rumor has it that Google Pixel 6a will use the same 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor as the original Pixel 6.

The tipster hasn’t given us the complete information about the specs of the smartphone. For example, details related to camera details, processors are not known. But it’s being said that the company might use a mid-range Tensor processor or a Snapdragon 778G in the Pixel 6a. It’s expected to be available in 6GB or 8GB of RAM with up to 128GB of storage.

Other features include a USB Type-C, in-display fingerprint sensor.

PIXEL 6A PRICE, RELEASE DATE, AND AVAILABILITY

Currently, we don’t have any information about the price, release date, and availability of the Google Pixel 6a smartphone. Rest assured. we’ll keep you posted about all the latest leaks related to the new Pixel 6a smartphone, so stay tuned.

Users in India could soon get a new Pixel phone

Key services, including network provisioning, will shut down January 4th.

End of the line finally coming for BlackBerry devices

Google pulls back the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro December update to fix dropped calls

The full release notes for this release are as follows:

App Privacy Report

New Features

• iOS & iPadOS 15 introduced the Record App Activity feature in the privacy settings, allowing people to save a summary of sensor, data, and internet access by apps on their device. In iOS & iPadOS 15.2, this activity is presented in Settings in a new UI called App Privacy Report. This is a great opportunity to review your app’s sensor, data, and internet usage. To view your activity in the report, go to Settings > Privacy > App Privacy Report > Turn On App Privacy Report. Activity will show once you use your app. (78696668)

App Store

New Features

• StoreKit APIs that present a refund request sheet can be tested with StoreKit Testing in Xcode. Use beginRefundRequest(in:) or beginRefundRequest(for:in:) when working with UIKit or the refundRequestSheet(for:isPresented:onDismiss:) view modifier when working with SwiftUI. (70794860)
• StoreKit APIs that present a sheet in your app to manage subscriptions can be tested with StoreKit Testing in Xcode. Use showManageSubscriptions(in:) when working with UIKit or the manageSubscriptionsSheet(isPresented:) view modifier when working with SwiftUI. (79975963)
• New SKTestSession.TimeRate values are available to use in automated tests with the StoreKit Test framework. (82680742)

Resolved Issues

• Subscriptions no longer continue to auto-renew after calling expireSubscription(productIdentifier:) in automated tests using StoreKit Test. (82800700)
• Pay-as-you-go offers are no longer displayed incorrectly in payment sheets when testing subscriptions with StoreKit Testing in Xcode. (74165210)

Apple ID

New Features

• Legacy Contacts has been added to iOS & iPadOS 15.2, allowing users to designate people as legacy contacts for their accounts, as part of the Digital Legacy program. (84536375)

iCloud Mail

New Features

• iCloud+ subscribers can now access and use Hide My Email directly from the Mail app. (84956894)

Core Media

Known Issues

• Streaming in the Music app could result in higher CPU usage, causing faster battery drain in some scenarios. (84861891, 85326575)

Location Emergency

New Features

• Auto Call can now be set up to use one of two methods for initiating an emergency call: holding the side button together with a volume button, or rapidly pressing the side button multiple times. Both methods now show a longer, 8-second countdown before placing an emergency call. (84620050)

Reminders

New Features

• Tags can now be bulk renamed and deleted. (82177979)

SwiftUI

Resolved Issues

• Using alert(_:isPresented:actions:message:) and confirmationDialog(_:isPresented:titleVisibility:actions:) now present. (83731075)
• Pushing a ScrollView that has a background applied while inside of a stack style NavigationView when inside a TabView is now correctly tracked by the navigationBar and tabBar. (83686857)
• List correctly respects safe area insets. (83312573)
• Views are no longer hidden when using the iPad pointer to present a context menu. (83953549)

Known Issues

• A TextField won’t attempt to localize the raw string TextField("Placeholder", text: $text) when building against iOS 15 and running on older releases.
• Workaround: Wrap the string in a LocalizedStringKey. (82076857)

Updating to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS is simple enough. Make sure your device is plugged into a reliable power source and connected to the internet with Wi-Fi then head to Settings > General > Software Update. As long as you’re running iOS or iPadOS 15 already, you should see version 15.2 available. Just tap Install Now and the update should begin.

Apple releases iOS & iPadOS 15.2, this is what's new

Yesterday, Google announced the much-awaited audio and video calling feature in Gmail mobile apps. With this update, you can start or join meetings and audio calls from 1:1 chats in Google Chat in Gmail on Android and iOS.

As you can see from the screenshots above, you can tap the phone or video icon in the top right corner of a 1:1 chat to call someone. If you are already on a call, you’ll see a banner of the person you’re on a call with, the call duration and a Meet icon in the chat roster.

This feature is available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers. Also, it is available to users with personal Google accounts.

Source: Google

Gmail app on iOS and Android now allows you to make audio and video calls

In September, Microsoft announced that it is working on an improved, faster, reliable, and super modern-looking Skype. After testing the redesigned app for the past few months, Microsoft recently released the updated Skype app for iOS and Android users. Along with the redesign, this update also includes some new improvements, read about them below.

• Together mode now works for all group calls, there is
• New camera experience for taking pictures
• New search bar and updated avatars
• Bug fixes and stability improvements

You can download the updated Skype app here from App Store and here from Play Store.

Microsoft releases redesigned Skype app on iOS and Android

Faster performance, better cameras, improved AI, and more

 

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip is here to power the Android flagships of 2022

OnePlus launched the much-hyped OnePlus 9 RT and OnePlus Buds Z2 in China a few days ago, but the company shared nothing on when they’d be launched in India and Europe. But thanks to 91mobiles, we now know that both the OnePlus 9 RT and OnePlus Buds Z2 may go official in India as early as next month.

However, the publication has no information about the exact release date of the smartphone and the earbuds. That said, since we’re almost at the end of November, the Shenzhen-based tech firm could soon drop an announcement regarding the official launch of these two products.

It’s also interesting to note that the OnePlus 9 RT could also launch OnePlus RT in India, according to some rumors. However, we don’t have solid proof to back the rumors, so we’ll have to wait until the official launch. Whatever the case may be, OnePlus is probably the only big brand that’ll release a high-end smartphone in India next month.

Now talking about the OnePlus 9 RT and OnePlus Buds Z2, we already know quite a lot about these two products, thanks to previous leaks. But just for a quick recap, the OnePlus Buds Z2 TWS will offer Active Noise Cancellation(ANC) and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. They will also have the IP55 certification, meaning they’re immune to damages from dust and water. The new Buds Z2 will offer a 38-hour of battery life on a full charge. And 10 minutes of charging will give you 5 hours of playback time. Meanwhile, it will be available in two colors—Black and White.

Meanwhile, the OnePlus 9 RT, or whatever the company ends up calling it, will be equipped with Snapdragon 888 chipset, Samsung’s E4 AMOLED display, UFS 3.1 storage, Sony IMX766 sensor, 4,500 mAh battery, 65W fast charging, USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, under-display fingerprint reader, Bluetooth 5.2. The smartphone gets benefits from a 50 MP main camera, 16 MP wide-angle, 2 MP macro, and 16 MP selfie camera. The rear camera can record 4K videos at 60 fps, while the front camera can record 1080p at 30 fps.

The OnePlus 9 RT is expected to be priced between INR 40,000 to INR 44,000 in India.

OnePlus 9 RT and OnePlus Buds Z2 could launch in India next month

The discovery of the flaws is the result of reverse-engineering the Taiwanese company's audio digital signal processor (DSP) unit by Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point Research, ultimately finding that by stringing them together with other flaws present in a smartphone manufacturer's libraries, the issues uncovered in the chip could lead to local privilege escalation from an Android application.

"A malformed inter-processor message could potentially be used by an attacker to execute and hide malicious code inside the DSP firmware," Check Point security researcher Slava Makkaveev said in a report. "Since the DSP firmware has access to the audio data flow, an attack on the DSP could potentially be used to eavesdrop on the user."

Tracked as CVE-2021-0661, CVE-2021-0662, and CVE-2021-0663, the three security issues concern a heap-based buffer overflow in the audio DSP component that could be exploited to achieve elevated privileges. The flaws impact chipsets MT6779, MT6781, MT6785, MT6853, MT6853T, MT6873, MT6875, MT6877, MT6883, MT6885, MT6889, MT6891, MT6893, and MT8797 spanning across versions 9.0, 10.0, and 11.0 of Android.

"In audio DSP, there is a possible out of bounds write due to an incorrect bounds check. This could lead to local escalation of privilege with System execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation," the chipmaker said in an advisory published last month.

A fourth issue uncovered in the MediaTek audio hardware abstraction layer aka HAL (CVE-2021-0673) has been fixed as of October and is expected to be published in the December 2021 MediaTek Security Bulletin.

In a hypothetical attack scenario, a rogue app installed via social engineering means could leverage its access to Android's AudioManager API to target a specialized library — named Android Aurisys HAL — that's provisioned to communicate with the audio drivers on the device and send specially crafted messages, which could result in the execution of attack code and theft of audio-related information.

MediaTek, following disclosure, said it has made appropriate mitigations available to all original equipment manufacturers, adding it found no evidence that the flaws are currently being exploited. Furthermore, the company has recommended users to update their devices as and when patches become available and to only install applications from trusted marketplaces such as the Google Play Store.

Source

Back in September, it was reported that Apple is introducing the capability to add digital IDs such as state-issued identification and driver's license to its Wallet app. The feature was slated to arrive in late 2021 according to the company's website and there were also reports that taxpayers would be footing the bill for it. Now, it seems that Apple has delayed the capability to early next year.

As spotted by MacRumors, Apple has quietly updated its dedicated iOS 15 website to indicate that the ability to add a state ID or a driver's license to Apple ID has been delayed to "early 2022". No official reasoning has been provided for the delay. The time frame is a bit vague as well but at this time, it's safe to say that the feature will be rolled out in the first half of 2022. That said, it is important to note that the latest iOS 15.2 beta does not include this capability either.

Apple had previously stated that the first states to support digital IDs in Apple Wallet would be Arizona and Georgia, with Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah to follow later. The company had highlighted that due to its integration, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will enable select checkpoints at airports where Apple Wallet users can verify their identity before boarding a plane.

Apple said that this gives people a more secure and convenient way to present their driver's license and state IDs to authorities. The Cupertino firm has emphasized that IDs are encrypted so they cannot be tampered with, and that Apple Wallet will communicate with identity readers using secure channels. It remains to be seen when the capability will eventually become available to Apple customers.

Apple Wallet's digital ID capability delayed to 2022

An APK teardown by 9to5Google has revealed details regarding its cameras and processor.

The Google Pixel 6a will feature 3 cameras, 2 rear and one front-facing:

• 12.2-megapixel IMX363 primary – the same camera sensor as the Google Pixel 5a.
• 12-megapixel IMX386 ultrawide
• 8-megapixel IMX355 front-facing – this is the same sensor as the Google Pixel 6

The team was also able to confirm the Google Pixel 6a will use the same Google Tensor GS101 chip as the Pixel 6, meaning good performance at a much lower price.

Renders of the device have already been leaked, courtesy of tipster @OnLeaks(via 91mobiles).

Pixel 6a design

According to the leaked renders, the upcoming Google Pixel 6a looks no different than the original Pixel 6 smartphone. The smartphone features the same camera bar like the one in Pixel 6. It also features a glass back and a dual-tone design, similar to its elder brother.

Google Pixel 6a confirmed to have Google Tensor processor

When your phone's battery level is low, you probably only have yourself to blame. But it's nice to have someone else to pin it on, too—or rather, something. Phone-storage app company pCloud decided to help out by analyzing app permissions to find which are operating in your phone whether you're using them or not.

The methodology involved looking at which functions the apps used (such as location or camera), how much battery power those require, and whether the apps in question have a dark-mode setting. By those standards, the top five biggest drains are Facebook, Fitbit, Skype, Uber, and Verizon.

Not so coincidentally, the apps that are the biggest time sucks are also among the biggest battery drainers. Social media and dating apps are the most guilty of this. Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, YouTube, and WhatsApp are in the top 20, and all permit 11 features to run in the background. Online dating can be emotionally exhausting, and your phone feels the same way. Bumble, Grindr, and Tinder account for 15% of the top battery-draining apps. They let about 11 features run while you swipe on potential matches.

You can see which apps are using the most battery power on your own device by going into settings, selecting battery, and looking at battery usage by app. You just might find that your Twitter habit is 59% of your phone activity. (I'm not naming names here. OK, it's me.)

Changing your behavior is obviously one way to save battery life, but if you want to go the path of least resistance, we've got easy battery-saving tips for iPhone and Android users that are more set-it-and-forget-it.

Source

 

Image: Google

 

Google announced it’s updating the Gmail iOS widget with a new one that’s actually useful, showing you the subjects and senders of the emails sitting in your inbox. The company says the new widget will be “launching in the next few weeks,” to replace the previous version that wasn’t particularly well-received. This also means that, as 9to5Google points out, this means that Gmail’s iOS widget will have the same functionality as the current Android one.

 

When the first version of the Gmail widget launched, we pointed out that it isn’t particularly helpful. It really only provides shortcuts to different screens on the app like your inbox and the email composer. Critically, it doesn’t actually show you much information about the emails you’ve received, though it does tell you how many are sitting unread in your inbox.

Part of the old widget’s lack of functionality was due to Apple’s limitations. You’re currently not allowed to build interactivity into your widget, and any tapping the user does has to be handled by launching the app. Those rules haven’t substantially changed since the first widget was introduced, but the new design shows that there’s still room for useful information. You may not be able to archive an email from your home screen, for example, but you’ll at least be able to get a feel for what’s waiting in your inbox.

  Image: Google

Google also announced other upcoming improvements to its apps that could be useful for heavy users of its services. Meet (it’s business-focused video chat app) is getting support for iOS’s picture-in-picture feature, so you can still see your co-workers or the presentation while you switch apps to check on a file or email. Google also says it’ll expand the keyboard shortcuts available for people who use Google Sheets with an external keyboard (including Apple’s Magic Keyboard case).

Gmail’s upcoming iOS widget could actually be useful

Judge orders Apple to allow external payment options for App Store by December 9th, denying stay

A collection of 151 scam apps have been discovered and removed from the Google Play Store, but Android users need to check they don't have any of them installed (or did in the past).

As BGR reports, the cybersecurity software company Avast recently discovered a widespread premium SMS scam operating on the official Play Store. Avast has dubbed it the UltimaSMS campaign (because the first scam app the firm discovered in its investigation was Ultima Keyboard 3D Pro), and it consists of 151 fake apps that have been downloaded over 10.5 million times in more than 80 different countries.

The apps disguise themselves as legitimate tools across multiple app categories including custom keyboards, QR code scanners, video and photo editors, spam call blockers, camera filters, and games. However, they all ultimately have the same aim of signing users up to premium SMS services.

Each app follows the same pattern: Once installed, the phone's location, International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), and phone number are checked to discover the area code and language to use. Prompts then ask the user for their phone number and sometimes their email address, too. This information is then used to subscribe the user to premium SMS services without them realizing. The charges are typically $40 or more a month and it can take weeks or months for a user to realize.

Once an UltimaSMS app has achieved its goal it either stops working or offers more subscription options rather than the promised functionality it was downloaded for. The problem is, even if a user uninstalls the app at this point the premium subscriptions will continue to take money from their accounts.

Avast created a list of all 151 apps that are part of this scam, and they are listed in the chart below; every Android user should take a look. If you have any of these apps installed (or did in the past), uninstall them immediately, but also check your statements and contact your carrier if you spot any unusual charges. It should also be possible to ask your carrier to disable premium SMS options on your account if you want to avoid this type of scam in the future.

This isn't the first time and certainly won't be the last time we see phone users targeted with scam apps. Malware is also a serious problem, with over 10 million Android phones found to be infected with the GriftHorse malware last month.

< View the list of 151 apps on the source page. >

Source

Steve Wozniak on Apple’s iPhone 13: “I can’t tell the difference”

The Google Pixel lineup of smartphones has had a history of issues, including the original Pixel, Pixel 2 XL, and last year's Pixel 5 as well. This year, however, Google says that the flickering issue can be fixed with a software update on the Pixel 6 Pro.

Pixel 6 Pro users noticed that when the device is off, pressing the power button with even a slight pressure activates a strange flicker on the screen. Do note that this pressure is very slight and does not actually turn the phone on. Google acknowledged this issue on its support website.

In order to avoid seeing this, according to Google, do not cycle the power button. Hold the power button down long enough to turn it on. Additionally, the company notes that it's not a hardware issue.

Google says that the issue will be fixed with the December software update for the Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 6 Pro comes with a 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is slightly curved at the edges and blends with the aluminium rails along the sides.

Google: Pixel 6 Pro screen flickering will be fixed with a software update

Apple is always keen to add health and safety features to its devices, and it looks as though car accident detection could be the next one rolled out.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, documents reviewed by the newspaper and people familiar with the feature have revealed a "crash detection" system for iPhones and Apple Watches. Either device would gain the ability to detect when a car accident occurs and react to it by automatically dialing 911, potentially saving lives.

The detection would rely on data collected from the sensors contained in both Apple's smartphones and smartwatches. In order for it to be reliable, Apple's engineers must have discovered a way to accurately detect a car accident from motion sensing data, most likely from the accelerometer. A sudden spike in gravity forces is one example given as a way of detecting such an accident.

Apple has apparently been testing the feature for a year using data collected anonymously from iPhone and Apple Watch users. Over 10 million vehicle impacts have been detected this way, 50,000 of which resulted in a call to 911. The information from the impacts and emergency call is fed back into the crash detection system to improve its accuracy.

It's unclear when exactly Apple will introduce the new detection feature, but it's expected to be next year. The company may wait until the launch of the iPhone 14, but a lot will depend on how reliable the system already is in testing and how many existing generations of iPhone and Apple Watch it's capable of working with.

Source

Microsoft is working on an update for email service Outlook that will help users eliminate mistakes from their messages.

As per a new entry in the company’s product roadmap, Outlook will soon benefit from Microsoft Editor functionality on mobile platforms.

“This feature brings the goodness of Microsoft Editor to Outlook mobile,” Microsoft explained. “We’ll offer users spelling, grammar and refinement suggestions as they type.”

The new integration is currently still under development, but is scheduled to roll out to users of the mobile email clients by the end of next month.

Microsoft Outlook on mobile

With many workers still preferring to work from home than return to the office, the number of emails flying back and forth is still at an all-time high. The latest data from Statista suggests 319.6 billion emails are currently delivered each day, up from 306.4 billion in 2020.

Inevitably, with many of us composing a larger number of emails (and working a greater number of hours), mistakes are more likely to creep in - sometimes with embarrassing or even disastrous consequences.

Although Outlook on desktop (along with the rest of the Microsoft 365 suite) has benefited from Microsoft Editor functionality for a while now, the move to bring spelling and grammar checks to the mobile client will hopefully minimize the opportunity for typos and other mistakes.

In a similar vein, Microsoft also recently announced it is bringing text predictions to Outlook for Android and iOS. In addition to providing an efficiency boost for users in a hurry, the text predictions feature also acts as another route to eliminating language errors from emails.

This pair of updates also caters to the large section of employees that have transitioned to a hybrid working model, whereby their time is split between the home, office and any other location. With the partial return of the commute, a larger number of people are likely to be using the Outlook mobile clients, and will therefore benefit from the new facilities Microsoft is rolling out.

Source

iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 most notably add SharePlay, a flagship feature intended for iOS 15 that didn't make the annual release's launch last month.

SharePlay is Apple's word for a suite of features that allows consumption of content with other callers inside a FaceTime call, like watching synchronized streams of Apple TV+ shows and Apple Fitness+ workouts. There's also an API to allow third-party applications to offer the same features.

The update additionally brings ProRes video-capture support to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max—another feature that missed the initial launch window.

Other additions include the ability to store proof of COVID-19 vaccination in the Wallet app, a toggle for automatic camera switching when taking macro photos, and several bug fixes.

Here are the full release notes for iOS 15.1:

iOS 15.1 adds SharePlay, an entirely new way to have shared experiences with family and friends in FaceTime. This release also adds the ability to capture ProRes video using iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, as well as verifiable COVID-19 vaccination cards in Apple Wallet, and includes other features and bug fixes for your iPhone.

SharePlay

- SharePlay is a new way to share synchronized experiences in FaceTime with content from the Apple TV app, Apple Music, Fitness+, and other supported App Store apps
- Shared controls give everyone the ability to pause, play, rewind or fast forward
- Smart volume automatically lowers the audio of a movie, TV show or song when your friends speak
- Apple TV supports the option to watch the shared video on your big screen while you continue the FaceTime call on iPhone
- Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out

Camera

- ProRes video capture using iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Setting to turn off automatic camera switching when taking macro photos and videos on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple Wallet

- COVID-19 vaccination card support allows you to add and present verifiable vaccination information from Apple Wallet

Translate

- Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and for system-wide translation

Home

- New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensor

Shortcuts

- New pre-built actions let you overlay text on images or gifs, plus a new collection of games lets you pass the time with Siri

This release also fixes the following issues:

- Photos app may incorrectly report storage is full when importing photos and videos
- Weather app may not show current temperature for My Location, and may display colors of animated backgrounds incorrectly
- Audio playing from an app may pause when locking the screen
- Wallet may unexpectedly quit when using VoiceOver with multiple passes
- Available Wi-Fi networks may not be detected
- Battery algorithms updated on iPhone 12 models to better estimate battery capacity over time

On the iPad, the update adds the above listed features and support for Live Text in the Camera app. With Live Text, the Camera can detect text, phone numbers, addresses, and more, with the feature available on iPads that have an A12 Bionic chip or later. Live Text was already available on the iPhone.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Apple also launched watchOS 8.1, which mostly fixes bugs, but which also adds the same COVID-19 proof-of-vaccination feature we just saw in iOS. It also includes support for SharePlay on Fitness+ content.

Likewise, tvOS 15.1 is a minor update that fixes bugs and implements SharePlay support in tandem with iOS.

All three updates should be available globally to most users on supported devices today.

iOS 15.1 brings delayed SharePlay feature to iPhones and iPads

October 23rd, 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the most iconic music player in history, the iPod. Apple's once leading music product has seen sales of over 400 million units to date as reported by Cult of Mac. Although there had been rumors swirling about a Fall 2021 revision of the iPod Touch, nothing has come of it quite yet. Even though the iPad has been relegated to a product buried in the Apple Store online not immediately apparent to purchase, it has seen such popularity through the years that more than 10 models in total ranging from the original iPods, iPod minis, iPod shuffles, and iPod nanos have been released.

Blog writer from Panic, Cabel Sasser, has shared a first look at a very early prototype of the original iPod intended to mask the actual product design while development was occurring. Having seemingly aged through the years, what was most likely a white body has now taken on a yellowish appearance.

Despite the behemoth size of this unit, it shares a display identical in size to the original consumer iPod. The prototype unit also included a standard headphone port as well as FireWire like the original iPod. A large scroll wheel was featured at the top left of the unit which, according to one of the founders of the iPod Tony Fadell, was poorly functional.

Other parts of the button interface include an Up, Down, Left, and Right selection that may have corresponded to Menu, Play/Pause, Back, and Forward respectively.

Despite the lack of similarity in physical aesthetics between this prototype and the original iPod released, the unit does date to September 3rd, 2001 indicating a date close to the release of the original iPod on October 23rd, 2001.

For more pictures, and a much more detailed look at the prototype unit, check out the Panic's blog.

20th Anniversary of iPod and a look at an early prototype

The design appears to be similar to the original AirPods Pro, except it is missing the optical sensor, corroborating the move to a new skin sensor as found in the AirPods 3. If this design proves accurate it appears Apple has abandoned its plans to go stem-less.

The case also has speaker holes, reportedly because Apple will introduce Find My for the case and buds separately, allowing the case to play a sound when you can not locate it.

The case also appears to feature a metal loop which would allow a strap, a new feature for Apple’s bud cases.

The AirPods 2 are expected to launch some time in 2022.

via MacRumors.

Don’t buy the AirPods 3, the AirPods Pro 2 are coming soon

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has only been officially released two days ago, and Microsoft is already ready with its first post-launch firmware update.

As can be expected the update is designed to address any bugs not caught before shipping.  It takes the firmware to version  2021.827.34 and has the following changelog:

• 2021.827.34 – Improves the stability of the device

Like the Surface Duo, Microsoft has promised 3 years of software updates for the Surface Duo 2, though we know when it comes to OS updates Microsoft has been rather lacklustre, still not shipping Android 11 for the original device of course.

Three years is also not the best in the industry with all the latest Galaxy smartphones eligible to get the benefit from fours years of software updates. To put it in perspective, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will get fours years of updates, while Surface Duo 2 will stop receiving them three years after launch.

On the bright side, however, Surface Duo is confirmed to get the Android 11 update by the end of this year, though the exact release date is still not known.

The new Surface Duo 2 features Dual PixelSense Fusion Displays (5.8” touchscreens open to 8.3”). The displays also support a 90Hz screen refresh rate and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The dual-screen smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and has a triple camera setup, which is consists of a 12 MP telephoto, a 12 MP wide-angle, and a 16 MP ultra-wide. The Surface Duo also has what is called a Glance Bar, allowing you to check incoming calls and messages, adjust the volume, and check battery life while charging. You can check the full Surface Duo specs here or purchase one starting from $1499 at Microsoft here (Microsoft Surface Duo 2).

via WBI

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 gets its first post-launch firmware update

For the first time ever, Google’s new phones are powered by a Google-designed chip, giving the company an Apple-like level of control over the inner workings of the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. But if you were hoping that meant they’d also get an Apple-like level of new OS updates, the company is throwing a bit of cold water on that. Google’s support page shows it’s only promising to offer Android updates through October 2024 (via Android Police), a total of three years after release.

“Users will still get at least 3 years of OS updates, after which we’re committing to ensure that Pixels will stay up-to-date and secure,” Google tells The Verge. “The frequency and categories of updates will depend on the capabilities and needs of the hardware.”

While Google prominently announced during its Tuesday keynote that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro would get five years of security updates — two years more! — it seems that Android version updates (like Android 11, Android 12, etc) are another story. And though Google is technically saying it will offer new versions of Android until “at least” October 2024, the company hasn’t historically gone above and beyond those sorts of promises.

Meanwhile, the six-year-old iPhone 6S recently got an update to iOS 15.

Google’s Pixel 6 doesn’t come with five years of Android updates — only three

Google has already outlined the new abilities of its Tensor chip so now it’d be an ideal time to focus on what the Camera Bar delivers. Both phones feature a 1/1.3 inch sensor on the back which captures up to 150% more light compared to the primary camera on the Pixel 5. This ensures that your pictures and videos pick up greater detail and use richer colours.

Accompanying the main camera are new ultrawide lenses that feature larger sensors meaning your photos still look great when you want to fit more in. If you’re lucky enough to pick up a Pixel 6 Pro, you’ll also get a telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom and up to 20x zoom with Pixel’s improved Super Res Zoom. In terms of video, both models are capable of capturing in 4K.

While the hardware is nice, Google has included several software solutions that professional photographers will find very helpful. Probably the most impressive software tool is Magic Eraser which Pixel 6 owners can use through Google Photos. It lets you make a ring around items that you wished weren’t in your shot and as if by magic they’re removed from the photo.

Other nice features available with these cameras include Motion Mode which offers you tools such as Action Pan and Long Exposure which bring movement to shots and Real Tone which attempts to take more equitable photos. According to Google, cameras have been designed to take photos of people with light skin for decades and with Real Tone it hopes that photos will look good no matter a person’s skin colour.

Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro come with Android 12 which has received a significant revamp compared to Android 11. Both phones also have great security features with the inclusion of the next generation Titan M2TM which works to protect your data, PINs and passwords. To ensure you get more bang for your buck, Google has promised to supply five years worth of security updates to these devices, although, it’s not clear how many Android upgrades that includes.

You can pre-order these devices now from the Google Store, they will ship out on October 28.

Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will cost $599 and $899 respectively