Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack can charge iPhones faster with a new firmware update
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My favorite kind of software update is the kind that unlocks secret hardware features, and the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is the latest surprise: once you apply firmware update 2.7, you’ll be able to cordlessly charge an iPhone at a faster 7.5W instead of the original 5W, via a report from 9to5Mac.
You can wait for an update over the air or plug a Lightning-to-USB cable from the pack to a connected Mac or iPad to get the fix, and then you’re off to the races, as they say.
But if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t install the update quite yet. I might wait until we hear back from Apple (or reviewers) about whether it’ll affect how warm the battery gets.
From The Verge
Realme Narzo 50A Prime India launch set for April 25, Pad Mini coming on April 29
Realme will introduce the GT Neo 3 in India next week on April 29, but before that, the company will launch the Narzo 50A Prime in its biggest market.
Realme today announced that the Narzo 50A Prime will debut in India on April 25, and its launch event will be streamed live on Realme India’s official channels starting at 12:30PM local time.
The Realme Narzo 50A Prime was unveiled in Indonesia last month, so we know what’s on offer. The smartphone is powered by the Unisoc Tiger T612 SoC and runs Android 11-based Realme UI R Edition out of the box. It has 4GB RAM on board and two storage options – 64GB and 128GB. But it’s unclear what memory configurations will be available in India.
The Narzo 50A Prime features a 6.6″ FullHD+ LCD with a notch for the 8MP selfie shooter, and around the back is a 50MP primary camera joined by the depth and macro units.
The Narzo 50A Prime has a side-mounted fingerprint reader for biometric authentication and packs a 5,000 mAh battery with 18W charging support.
In addition to announcing the Narzo 50A Prime’s India launch date, Realme also announced that it will launch the Realme Smart TV X Full HD in India on April 29, with 24W Dolby Audio Quad Stereo Speakers and two screen sizes – 40″ and 43″.
The Realme Pad Mini and Buds Q2s TWS earphones will also debut in India on April 29. You can head this way to know more about the Realme Pad Mini, and here for more details about the Buds Q2s.
From Gsmarena
Samsung Exynos 1280 chipset officially announced
Samsung finally announced the Exynos 1280 chipset found in some of its recent Galaxy A midrangers like the Galaxy A33, Galaxy A53 and Galaxy M33.
Samsung Exynos 1280 specs:
- Process technology: 5 nm EUV
- CPU: 2x Cortex-A78 @2.4Ghz + 6x Cortex-A55 @2.0GHz, 64-bit.
- GPU: Arm Mali-G68
- AI Engine: AI Engine with NPU, 4.3 TOPS.
- Modem: 5G NR Sub-6GHz + 5G NR mmWave 1, 2.55 Gbps DL, 1.28 Gbps UL, global 5G multi-SIM.
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO with Dual-band (2.4/5G).
- Camera: Single camera up to 108 MP, Triple camera up to 16 MP, 4K video @30fps recording and playback.
- Display: FHD+ @120 Hz
- Memory: LPDDR4x
- Storage: UFS v2.2
- Other: Bluetooth 5.2, FM Radio Rx, Quad-constellation multi-signal for L1 and L5 GNSS.
From Gsmarena
BLU unveils the F91 5G, its first 5G phone that doesn’t break the bank
BLU has traditionally been known for its affordable phones with decent specs, and the company’s latest device continues in that vein. The BLU F91 5G has made its debut in the U.S., marking the company’s first foray into 5G.
As you might expect, the F91 offers value for your money, retailing at $300. Fortunately, you can snag the phone for $220 via Amazon as part of BLU’s limited-time promotion.
For that price, you’ll get Mediatek’s Dimensity 810 chipset under the hood, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage that’s expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card slot.
The chipset was built using TSMC’s 6nm process, which was previously only used to build flagship-grade 5G chips. However, while the processor supports a screen refresh rate of 120Hz, the display on BLU’s latest device isn’t as smooth.
But that doesn’t make its 6.8-inch display any less impressive. It features a FullHD+ resolution, something that’s missing from some of the best Android phones under $300, such as the Nokia G50.
From Android Central
Google to kill call-recording apps on Play Store on May 11
Starting with Android 10, Google killed call recording by default and on May 11, the company is implementing new Google Play Store policies preventing third-party apps from using the Accessibility API for recording the call audio stream.
Those changes are towards improved privacy and security as call recording laws across the world vary quite a bit. However, system, pre-installed apps that already have permission to tap on the Accessibility API won’t be affected by the change.
Pixel’s and Xiaomi’s dialers, for example, are two exceptions to the rule. This is considered a native call recording functionality. And although Google didn’t disclose plans on taking care of those as well, we would assume that some additional policies will be implemented in the future.
From Gsmarena
Apple Continuing Work on M2 Chip With Help From Samsung
Samsung Electro-Mechanics supplies the flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA), a printed circuit board used to connect the semiconductor chip to the main substrate, for the M1 chip. This detail did not emerge until almost a year after the M1 chip was introduced, when it was uncovered by The Elec.
While the M1, like all of Apple’s custom silicon SoCs, is fabricated exclusively by Taiwan’s TSMC, the chip includes components from several suppliers. For example, the chip’s board is supplied by Ibiden and Unimicron, so it is necessary for Apple to coordinate multiple suppliers for its next-generation SoC for the Mac.
According to today’s report from ET News, Samsung is expected to continue to provide the FC-BGA for the M2. The company is said to be collaborating with Apple in a project to develop the M2 chip and will complete work on the FC-BGA for it this year.
From Macrumors
The latest Moto G phones include one with a stylus
Motorola has launched two new 5G phones as part of its Moto G line in North America, and one of them comes with a built-in stylus. The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 6.8-inch Max Vision FHD+ display that stretches edge to edge, as well as a 120Hz refresh rate that’s a first for the line. It also comes with a 50-megapixel camera system that’s comprised of a Macro Vision lens and a 118-degree ultra-wide angle lens. For selfies, the device has a 16-megapixel front camera that has improved light sensitivity over its predecessors. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor and is equipped with a 5000 mAh battery.
Its stylus, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note’s and S22 Ultra’s, is closely integrated with the phone. Apps that support it show up the moment you pop out the stylus, and you can start writing on the screen without unlocking the device. The phone has up to 8GB in memory and 256GB of storage with the option to expand it with a microSD card that’s up to 1TB in size.
The other new entry to the product line is the Moto G 5G, which has a 6.5-inch HD+ display that has a 20:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate. It has a 50-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel front cam, and it’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor. The phone comes in variants with up to 6GB in RAM and up to 256GB in storage, though you can expand it with a microSD card that’s up to 1TB in size. Both phones also have 3.5mm jacks, so you can still use wired earphones with them.
Motorola has yet to announce the phones’ prices and availability, but we’ll keep you posted when we hear more. It’s worth noting that Moto G phones are historically mid-range in pricing, though the Stylus 5G will most likely be a bit more expensive based on its specs.
From Engadget
God of War comes to GeForce Now with high frame rate support
Every Thursday, Nvidia announces the new games coming to its GeForce Now game streaming platform, and this week the company has a doozy. God of War is officially launching on GeForce Now, along with eight other titles, including MotoGP22 and Twin Mirror. Of course, God of War is the star of the show, and it supports gameplay at up to 1440p at 120 FPS on PC, and even mobile users can take advantage of high frame rate support at 120 FPS, though a subscription to the RTX 3080 membership will be required to hit those high frames and resolutions.
This week a total of eight games are joining GeForce Now, and a couple of them offer instant-play free demos, such as Terraformers and Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles, if you’d like to trial these games without going out of pocket.
- Lila’s Sky Ark (New release on Steam)
- Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles (New release on Steam)
- MotoGP22 (New release on Steam)
- Terraformers (New release on Steam)
- Warstride Challenges (New release on Steam)
- EQI (Steam)
- God of War (Steam and Epic Games Store)
- Twin Mirror (Steam and Epic Games Store)
As you can see, this week not only brings some quality indies and a few free demos, it also brings PlayStation’s God of War, a banger of a title that’s reviewed overwhelmingly positive on Steam, so the jump to Nvidia’s streaming platform is indeed a welcome one, especially when the RTX 3080 tier can play the game at 1440p with high frame rate support. So if you’ve yet to play God of War, perhaps because you don’t own the hardware that can play it, then this week is your time to shine as streaming is now an option.
From Android Police
Google says 2021 was a record year for zero-day hacks
Google’s in-house security team has warned that zero-day security threats are becoming a bigger risk than ever before.
In its annual round-up of the zero-day threat landscape, the Google Project Zero team noted that 58 distinct threats were identified in 2021, the biggest number seen since it began investigating back in 2014.
This is up from the 25 exploits discovered in 2020, and nearly double the amount seen for most years covered by the investigation.
From Techradar
Tesla earned over $3 billion in profit in the first quarter
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Amid supply chain constraints and production delays in China, Tesla reported that it earned a $3.3 billion profit in the first quarter of 2022. Tesla turned that profit on just over $18.7 billion in revenue, the company announced. That represents an 81 percent increase year over year, compared to $10.4 billion in revenue in Q1 2021.
The company logged $679 million in emission credit sales to other automakers, compared to $314 million in credit sales in Q4 2021. The company generates this revenue by selling these credits to automakers that make fewer “clean” vehicles than are required by the US government and the European Union.
From The Verge
