Apple abruptly shifts to a new iPadOS 16 beta, delays release to October
A few weeks ago, we reported on a rumor that the release of iPadOS 16 would be delayed to October. Today, Apple confirmed the delay along with a developer beta of iPadOS 16.1. A public beta will presumably follow this week, though it’s unclear whether iOS 16 public beta testers will automatically receive the new version.
In essence, Apple will skip iPadOS 16.0 this September and instead bring the new operating system to iPads as iPadOS 16.1 in this fall (presumably in October, together with iOS 16.1).
In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple said, “This is an especially big year for iPadOS. As its own platform with features specifically designed for iPad, we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule. This Fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS, as version 16.1 in a free software update.”
The most consequential part of the new iPadOS release is Stage Manager, a new multitasking interface for iPads with M1 or later processors which is also coming to macOS Ventura. The system has received praise for its general concept, but many of the particular details of its implantation on iPads has been met with criticism. It has undergone several meaningful changes since the beta testing began in June, but the prevailing opinion is that it still has a ways to go.
Delaying the release of iPadOS 16 may also fit in better with the timing of new iPad hardware, which is rumored to arrive in October.
From Macworld
Samsung showcases two new Odyssey gaming monitors with integrated Samsung Gaming Hub at Gamescom
After showcasing its flagship Odyssey Ark gaming monitor at CES earlier this year, Samsung recently opened pre-orders for the 55-inch Quantum Matrix Mini LED monitor. While the 4K 165Hz gaming monitor is yet to go on sale, Samsung has now showcased two new Odyssey monitors, the Odyssey G70B and Odyssey G65B, at Gamescom 2022.
Like the flagship Odyssey Ark, the new Odyssey G70B and Odyssey G65B feature Samsung Gaming Hub support. With Samsung Gaming Hub, users get access to multiple game streaming services, including Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nvidia GeForce Now, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, and more.
The monitors also offer support for Samsung’s Smart Platform, making them the first models in the Odyssey lineup to feature both Samsung’s Smart Platform and an embedded Samsung Gaming Hub. Thanks to the Smart Platform support, both the Odyssey G70B and Odyssey G65B provide smart functionality, including the ability to create a home office environment without a PC.
The monitors also offer wireless connectivity with Windows PCs and Macs, Samsung DeX support, the ability to mirror your smartphone’s screen, and access to Microsoft 365 cloud services. Furthermore, users can also view their favorite shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other OTT service providers on the monitors. But that’s not all. The Odyssey G70B and Odyssey G65B even include some IoT functionality like the Odyssey Ark, featuring a high-sensitivity Far Field Microphone to help users control their devices using Bixby and Alexa.
Smart features set aside, the Odyssey G70B will be available in two screen sizes — 28-inches and 32-inches. Both variants will feature flat UHD IPS panels with a peak refresh rate of 144Hz and a 1ms GtG response time, along with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support. The Odyssey G65B, on the other hand, will be available in 27-inch and 32-inch models with QHD 1000R curved displays, 240Hz refresh rate, a 1ms GtG response time, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support.
The Odyssey G70B and Odyssey G65B will go on sale globally starting Q4 2022. Samsung will share the pricing details for all variants at launch.
From XDA
Redmi Note 11SE announced in India, contributes to naming mess
Xiaomi’s Redmi unveiled the Redmi Note 11SE in May in China, which is powered by the Dimensity 700 SoC, sports a 90Hz LCD, and features a 48MP primary camera. Today, the company announced a new Redmi Note 11SE in India with a different design and specs.
From Gsmarena
New Interactive Website Lets You Design Your Own iPhone
If you’ve ever wanted to create your dream iPhone design, a new website has your back. Created by developer Neal Agarwal, the interactive website lets you drag and drop different elements onto a perfectly clean iPhone model to create unique, weird and out-of-this-world designs.
From Macrumors
HP-owned HyperX launches its first gaming monitors, the Armada series
HyperX – a gaming brand owned by HP since last year – has announced it’s entering the gaming monitor space for the first time with the new Armada series of monitors. The company has always focused on gaming peripherals and components, but monitors haven’t been a part of that. As part of its debut, HyperX introduced the Armada 25 and Armada 27 monitors, both aimed towards the mid-range of the gaming monitor market.
The HyperX Armada 25 is a 24.5-inch monitor, and it comes in Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) and supports a 240Hz refresh rate. This should make it ideal for e-sports gaming and titles where high frame rates and quick responses are essential. It’s Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, so it supports variable refresh rates, and the IPS panel supports 1ms response times with overdrive. The display should also be easily visible with 400 nits of brightness, and it covers 99% of sRGB.
If you want something a little more high-end, the HyperX Armada 27 is a larger 27-inch monitor, and it comes in Quad HD resolution (2560 x 1440), with a refresh rate of 165Hz, so there’s more of a balance between resolution and smoothness. Again, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible certification is also part of the package, as is the 1ms response time in overdrive mode. Color reproduction should be even better here, with the monitor covering 95% of DCI-P3, and the 400 nits of brightness also allow for DisplayHDR 400 certification, so you can get an entry-level HDR experience.
From XDA
Asus ROG Phone 6D with Dimensity 9000+ appears on AnTuTu
Asus launched the ROG Phone 6 series back in July, and the Pro phone quickly took the AnTuTu crown by the end of the month. Now another version appeared online with slightly better benchmark results, and reports are the new device will be called ROG Phone 6D, powered by a Dimensity 9000+.
The score of 1,146,594 for the phone with model number ASUS_AI2203_D may be unofficial and an outlier in AnTuTu terms, but it is still 2-3% more than the very same ROG Phone 6 Pro, powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
More importantly, the CPU scored over 290,000 which is about 15% better than any Qualcomm chipset ever recorded. The total score is a sum of four key components – CPU, GPU, memory, and user interface and experience.
Asus is still staying silent on any new ROG phone launches but we expect the 6D to arrive soon, as the device was already certified at 3C with 65W fast charging.
From Gsmarena
Facebook fixed a bug that only showed random posts to celebrities in people’s feeds
Facebook looked different for at least a couple of thousands of users when they logged in earlier today. Instead of seeing posts from their friends and from the groups they’re in, they saw their feeds spammed with random people’s posts on celebrities’ pages instead. As UK news organization Sky News reports, users posted about their dilemma on other social networks like Twitter, showing the state of their News Feeds with screenshots.
Apparently, everyone following a certain celebrity page — say, The Rock’s — were getting everything other people were posting on it in their timelines. Since users tend to follow multiple celebrities, their feeds got clogged with posts from strangers on the website. Some reportedly even used the opportunity to promote their businesses or look for jobs.
While there are no official stats on what percentage of users was affected, over 2,600 people have reported the issue to DownDetector over the past few hours. Over 80 percent of the reports came from people using the desktop version of the social network, with the rest reporting issues with the app.
From Engadget
Google research AI image noise reduction is out of this world
If you have great lighting, a good photographer can take decent photos even with the crappiest camera imaginable. In low light, though, all bets are off. Sure, some cameras can shoot haunting video lit only by the light of the moon, but for stills — and especially stills shot on a smartphone — digital noise continues to be a scourge. We may be getting close to what is possible to achieve with hardware; heat and physics are working against us making even better camera sensors. But then Google Research came along, releasing an open source project it calls MultiNerf, and I get the sense that we’re at the precipice of everything changing.
I can write a million words about how awesome this is, but I can do better; here’s a 1-minute-51-second video, which, at 30 frames per second and “a picture tells a thousand words,” is at least 1.5 million words worth of magic.
From Techcrunch
Plex data breach exposed email addresses and encrypted passwords
A Plex data breach has exposed usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords. The scale of the security failure is not yet known, but the company is requiring all users to change their passwords.
The issue was compounded by Plex servers not having sufficient capacity to cope with the number of users attempting to do so, and a series of other problems …
Plex this morning emailed all users to advise them that a third party was able to access “a limited subset of data,” but did not reveal how many accounts were affected.
From 9to5Mac
Tinder owner files antitrust case against Apple in India over ‘monopolist conduct’
Datings apps plan to give no break for Apple, as Tinder owner Match Group filed an antitrust case against the Cupertino company, now in India. It accuses Apple of “monopolist conduct” by forcing developers to pay high commissions for in-app purchases.
If you’re familiar with companies filing antitrust cases against Apple, you know that recently the Dutch watchdog required the Cupertino company to allow dating apps to offer third-party payment options. Here’s what the Authority for Consumers and Markets of the Netherlands said in June:
Apple has changed its unfair conditions, and will now allow different methods of payment in Dutch dating apps. (…) Until recently, customers of dating apps had only been able to pay using the payment method that Apple imposed. In ACM’s opinion, Apple abused its dominant position with those practices. From now on, dating-app providers are able to let their customers pay in different ways. ACM forced these changes by imposing an order subject to periodic penalty payments. In the end, the sum of all penalty payments totaled 50 million euros.
Now, according to Reuters, Tinder-owner Match Group argues, “Apple’s conduct restricts innovation and development of app developers that offer digital services by enforcing the use of its proprietary in-app purchase system and ‘excessive’ 30% commission”
“Apple is therefore leveraging its dominant position in the iOS App Store market, to promote the exclusive use of its own payment solution,” Mark Buse, head of global government relations for Match, said in the filing.
From 9to5Mac
