ARM’s DynamIQ is a next-gen chip platform for phones, cars, and connected devices

Why it matters to you

DynamIQ, ARM’s new chip design, aims to deliver better performance without sacrificing efficiency.

ARM, the holding company that designs chips powering billions of smartphones, cars, and mobile devices, announced a platform on Monday that promises drastic improvements in performance and efficiency. It’s called DynamIQ, and it’ll launch in new devices beginning later this year.

DynamIQ, which ARM calls the “biggest [architectural] shift since [the] 64-bit ARMv8-A in 2011,” targets automotive, networking, server, and personal computing devices. It’s aimed at the roughly 100-plus billion devices expected to ship with ARM-based chips by 2021.

More: Qualcomm ARM-based servers to make way into Microsoft’s cloud data centers

ARM is projected to ship 100 billion chips between 2017 and 2021 to its more than 450 silicon partners and 1,000 community partners, which doubles the 50 billion it shipped between 2013 and 2017. More than 3.5 billion people use ARM-based devices today, the company said in a press release.

“We see it as our responsibility to address the industry’s demand of ubiquitous AI, autonomous systems, and accelerating the integration of virtual worlds toward a mixed-reality experience,” an ARM spokesperson said. “DynamIQ technology is a monumental shift in multicore microarchitecture for the industry, and the foundation for future ARM Cortex-A processors.”

ARM’s DynamIQ chips boast features that improve performance without compromising efficiency. A redesigned memory interface enables faster data access and enhanced power management. A compact “single-cluster” design consolidates multiple components in a single chip, and enhanced big.LITTLE, an ARM technology that intelligently switches between processor cores, shares memory between cores more efficiently.

More: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors now fully support Windows 10

DynamIQ isn’t just about big-picture improvements — individual CPU cores are now a lot more capable as well. They feature fine-grained speed control that ramps them up and down as needed, and redesigned scaling that responds to changes in power and thermal conditions. And thanks to DynamIQ’s anticipatory systems, they can switch between on and off quicker than ARM’s current chip generation.

Those performance improvements translate to meaningful gains in the areas of artificial intelligence and automation. DynamIQ’s dedicated set of AI instructions will offer a boost of up to 50 times in machine-learning routines within 3-5 years, ARM said, and optimized connections between CPU cores and specialized “accelerator hardware” will deliver up to 10 times better performance.

Autonomous and connected cars also stand to gain. DynamIQ’s built-in technologies will bring “increased safety capabilities” and “enable partners to build systems for safe operation under failure conditions.”

More: Supply channels hint that ARM-based Windows 10 machines are due in 2017

“DynamIQ is just the latest in ARM’s growing list of technology leadership milestones to get the industry one step closer to our ultimate vision,” an ARM spokesperson said. “[We want to] transform technology experiences through a total computing approach that creates a vast network of securely connected smart devices that enhance every aspect of peoples’ lives,”

Android 7.1.2 beta 2 for Pixel C adds Pixel launcher, brand new multitasking interface

A great sign of cohesion for the old Pixel C getting with the times.

Android 7.1.2 beta 2 has started rolling out for Pixels and Nexuses, bringing some older devices up to speed with some new features. Sliding under the radar, at first, was the Pixel C, which actually seems to have received the largest changes. The latest beta release includes the Pixel launcher, as well as a brand new multitasking interface that makes multi-window management a bit more natural and altogether better looking.

As soon as your Pixel C reboots after the update it will prompt you to select a default launcher again — yes, that’s because the previously phone-exclusive Pixel launcher is here. It’s of course roughly a scaled-up version of the launcher you see on Pixel phones today, but that’s a good thing! The navigation buttons are now the filled-in white icons like the Pixel phones, and you get the small “G” tab and weather information at the top of the screen.

You can swipe to the right to reveal the Google Now Feed, and swipe up from anywhere on the home screen to pull up the app drawer. You’ll also now notice that any icon that plays nice with Google’s latest design guidelines will be circular to match the circular folder style, and include long-press actions if the developer supports them.

Something that’s surprisingly changed is the Recents menu and multi-window management … at least part of it. Tapping the Recents button now reveals a large set of tiles that no longer overlap or scroll — you simply get up to eight mini previews of the most recently used apps, and can tap on them to jump into that app or tap an X to close it. Where this gets neat is when you long-press an app, and now have the option to drag it to the left or right edge to start the multi-window interface. The rest of the available apps then shrink down over to the opposite side to launch in the other half of the screen to complete the look.

With a single update, the Pixel C feels much more like a part of the Pixel family.

What hasn’t changed (yet, potentially) is the somewhat clunky multi-window experience thereafter. You still get an awkward situation where if you hit the Home button your first multi-window app is simply minimized, and it can be a little weird to manage. But considering how much improved this new interface of long-pressing and dragging is, I wouldn’t be surprised to see things elsewhere in multi-window be tweaked as well. Either way, it’s a big improvement so far to my eyes, and feels more natural on a large screen.

Up until this point it was kind of surprising that the Pixel phones were on a notably different software track in terms of looks and exclusive features from the Pixel C, which was launched first of course and therefore followed the Nexus line of interface. Now with Android 7.1.2 beta 2 it seems to be lining back up with the new Pixel phones to create a more consistent user experience across the devices of the Pixel family.

If you’re holding onto your Pixel C and want to get in on the new software action, you can join the Android Beta Program and start to receive over-the-air updates like this one as soon as they’re released.

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• Join the Discussion

Xiaomi Redmi 4A hands-on: A decent phone at an unbeatable price

The Redmi 4A solidifies Xiaomi’s place in India’s budget segment.

Xiaomi is sailing high in India — the company’s Redmi Note 4 sold a million units in just 45 days, and the entry-level Redmi 3S is faring remarkably well in the country. Coupled with the immense success of the Redmi Note 3, Xiaomi is well on its way to continuing its dominance in the online segment.

The company is far from resting on its laurels, as evidenced by the launch of the Redmi 4A. With Samsung somehow managing to sell millions of units of the thoroughly underwhelming Galaxy J2, Xiaomi is positioning the Redmi 4A as a viable alternative.

Xiaomi’s offering has much more going for it in the form of a 720p display, Snapdragon 425 SoC, 13-megapixel camera, and 3,120mAh battery. We’ve seen several decent phones often get waylaid on account of the price, but that isn’t an issue for the Redmi 4A. With a retail price of ₹5,999 ($90), Xiaomi will be lucky if it can meet the insatiable demand for the device in the coming weeks.

The Redmi 4A sports a polycarbonate back with a matte finish, and the result is a device whose looks belie its sub-$100 price tag. The phone definitely feels much more upmarket, even more so than the Redmi 3S. And while the naming suggests that the Redmi 4A is a successor to the Redmi 3S, that isn’t the case. The Redmi 4A carries on from the Redmi 2, which launched in India in 2015.

The 5-inch 720p display is in line with what we’ve seen on the Redmi 3S, which essentially means that you won’t have any issues with the quality of the panel. There are options to adjust the color temperature, and the phone offers a blue light filter that reduces glare at night. The same can be said of the design of the Redmi 4A — the handset has rounded corners and gentle curves round the back, resulting in a comfortable in-hand feel.

Instead of the usual silver or grey color options, Xiaomi is rolling out blue and pink hues in addition to the gold variant, and that’s a good thing. The blue model in particular looks stunning, and it makes the device stand out in a sea of similar-looking metal phones.

The Redmi 4A looks like a device that costs three times as much.

The Redmi 4A also offers an IR blaster, a feature that is becoming a mainstay on all Xiaomi phones. Given the sheer number of devices compatible with the corresponding Mi Remote app, its inclusion is a welcome move by Xiaomi.

The phone comes with the latest version of MIUI 8 out of the box, and for better or worse, the interface has retained its quirks. MIUI lets you sign into your Google account during initial setup, but there’s no way to restore apps and settings from your Google account. Instead, Xiaomi offers the ability to restore content through its in-house solution called Mi Cloud. The functionality is similar to that of iCloud: just sign in with your Mi account and select the Xiaomi phone you want to restore from, and your apps and settings will propagate to the new device.

That said, Xiaomi has steadily added new features to MIUI 8 over the course of the year, and one nifty addition that will make its debut with the Redmi 4A is the ability to parse text messages. The messaging client will convert your IRCTC ticket confirmations into a card that resembles a real ticket, making the information much more readable. You also get the option to add the upcoming train timing to your calendar and see the status of the reservation with a PNR lookup. The popular Dual Apps feature is intact, allowing you to run two WhatsApp or Facebook accounts on the same device.

The Redmi 4A features 16GB of internal storage, of which 10.30GB is available to the user. That’s serviceable considering the price tag, but if you’re looking to store music or multimedia content locally, you’ll have to invest in a microSD card. The Redmi 4A offers a hybrid dual-SIM slot, allowing you to either use two SIM cards or a SIM card along with a microSD card.

I noticed the occasional stutter while browsing, and for a phone offering 2GB of RAM in 2017, that was always going to be an issue. But overall, the Redmi 4A feels like a fantastic deal for the price. We’ll have more to share over the coming week, so stay tuned for a detailed review. In the meantime, share your thoughts regarding the phone in the comments below.

ARM’s latest CPUs are ready for an AI-powered future

ARM processor technology already powers many of the devices you use every day, and now the company is showing off its plans for the future with DynamIQ. Aimed squarely at pushing the artificial intelligence and machine learning systems we’re expecting to see in cars, phones, gaming consoles and everything else, it’s what the company claims is an evolution on the existing “big.Little” technology.

Originally unveiled in 2011, that design allowed for multicore CPU designs with powerful, power-hungry chips to do the heavy lifting tethered to smaller, low-power chips that could handle background processing when a device is idle. It’s why your phone can edit HD or even 4K video at one moment before sleeping throughout the night without losing all of the battery’s charge. DynamIQ lays out a strategy for processors that combine cores specifically designed for whatever task is needed.

That could make for a 1+3 (quad-core) or 1+7 (octacore) layout, where each individual core has its own performance and power characteristics. The claim it’s making is that this setup can improve responsiveness for AI, with a 50x boost in AI performance over the next 3-5 years, and 10x between the (still Cortex-A9) CPU and specialized “accelerator hardware.” That matters, especially when one of these chips is using machine learning to drive your car, scanning the road ahead for potential hazards.

Of course, it also could be extremely profitable for ARM and the companies that build on its technology (like Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Samsung, Apple and even Intel), as it claims that after shipping over 50 billion ARM-based chips between 2013 and 2017, it projects the world will buy over 100 billion by 2021.

Source: ARM Blog

The next round of Xbox One tweaks include custom avatars

The next update for Xbox One Insiders doesn’t have any one huge feature defining it. Rather, the collection of them outlined on Xbox Wire add up to something noteworthy as a whole. Perhaps the addition that’s most emblematic of that is Captive Portal support. With it, you’ll be able to use the built-in browser for logging into WiFi networks at places like college campuses and hotels. Finally.

Other additions are mostly just quality-of-life improvements for the Clubs and Looking For Group system (player stats on a per-game basis, along with copying and pasting previous LFG posts are chief among them). What’s more, custom profile pictures are making a comeback. “We’re excited to bring this top fan-requested feature to Xbox Live and expect it to be in preview longer than other features to ensure it’s great for everyone when released,” Xbox Wire says.

So, it sounds like once the Xbox crew has a way to ensure that no one is adding anything obscene to their profiles, the greater Xbox Live community will have access to the feature. For the rest of the update notes, hit the source link below.

Source: Xbox Wire

How to link your Instagram to Facebook for unrivalled social synchronization

Instagram and Facebook go hand in hand. The two services offer the kind of integration that you simply won’t find across other social platforms. Unlike Twitter, which publishes your Instagram posts as basic web links, Facebook actually lets you share images directly from the photo-sharing app to your timeline and the News Feed.

More: Looking to back up your memories? Here’s how save photos from Instagram

It makes sense for Facebook to provide streamlined features for a popular app like Instagram, especially given the former bought the platform for $1 billion in cash and stock nearly five years ago. That said, the best thing about syncing is how effortless it is. Before guiding you through the process, let’s take a look at the benefits.

What’s not to like?

There are several reasons why you should consider linking your accounts. The overall benefit is straightforward: It will allow you to post the pics and videos you take using the photo-sharing app directly to Facebook.

More: Facebook ‘City Guides’ can help you find local sights on your travels

If you’re someone who enjoys getting likes on Instagram — and who doesn’t? — then that should translate to Facebook, too. Each image or video shared from one platform to the other links back to its original source, allowing you to potentially drive engagement, whether from your friends or a wider audience (if your posts are public).

The social network has a significantly larger user base (1.86 billion) than Instagram (600 million), so there’s a chance it could help you to reach more people. And, seeing as Instagram’s algorithmic feed is thought to prioritize posts with higher engagement, the extra likes could help your content rank higher in the News Feed. Even for those who are not looking for more exposure, cross-posting could allow your Facebook contacts that aren’t on Instagram to keep up with your activity.

Finally, due to the seamless integration between the two platforms, your Instagram post details (including captions) will be shared to Facebook, complete with any location data, hashtags, and emojis you’ve added. Your uploads will also be saved to Facebook — in their own album, titled “Instagram photos” — allowing you to quickly tag your friends on the social network.

Laptops and tablets expected to be banned from some flights to the U.S. over security fears

Why it matters to you

If you’re about to fly to the U.S. and you think your airline could be affected, you might want to check ahead so you can sort out your tech gear before you board.

U.S. security officials have reportedly told twelves airlines from around eight different countries to prevent passengers from taking particular tech devices into the cabin on flights heading to the U.S.

Multiple news outlets, among them Reuters and the Associated Press, suggested the move by the Transport Security Administration (TSA) was in response to a possible terror threat. An official announcement about the new rule is expected on Tuesday.

Passengers on mostly Middle Eastern and African airlines will be asked to check in electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, e-readers, and cameras rather than carry them on as hand luggage. Mobile phones and medical devices are expected to be allowed into the cabin.

U.S. airlines are unlikely to be affected by the new rule, the reports said.

Notification of the ban went out in a TSA email described as “confidential” on Monday, with airlines given 96 hours to comply, according to the Guardian.

More: TSA partners with American to improve airport security

An unnamed U.S. government official told CNN that embassy officials have been contacting affected airlines to inform them of the change in rules.

In a tweet that has since been deleted, Royal Jordanian Airlines told its passengers that on flights to and from the U.S., “carrying any electronic or electrical device on board the flight cabins is strictly prohibited.”

It added that “laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players and electronic games … etc, can be carried in the checked baggage only.”

Sam Thielman/Twitter

The airline said the rule will go into effect on March 21, suggesting an official announcement could be coming from the TSA in the next 24 hours.

It’s currently unclear which specific airlines are likely to be impacted by the new regulations, though full details are expected to be disclosed some time on Tuesday.

The advice to passengers who don’t want to be caught up at check-in having to repack their possessions is to keep an eye on the news in the coming days, and, if in any doubt, to check with their carrier before heading to the airport.

Laptops and tablets expected to be banned from some flights to the U.S. over security fears

Why it matters to you

If you’re about to fly to the U.S. and you think your airline could be affected, you might want to check ahead so you can sort out your tech gear before you board.

U.S. security officials have reportedly told twelves airlines from around eight different countries to prevent passengers from taking particular tech devices into the cabin on flights heading to the U.S.

Multiple news outlets, among them Reuters and the Associated Press, suggested the move by the Transport Security Administration (TSA) was in response to a possible terror threat. An official announcement about the new rule is expected on Tuesday.

Passengers on mostly Middle Eastern and African airlines will be asked to check in electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, e-readers, and cameras rather than carry them on as hand luggage. Mobile phones and medical devices are expected to be allowed into the cabin.

U.S. airlines are unlikely to be affected by the new rule, the reports said.

Notification of the ban went out in a TSA email described as “confidential” on Monday, with airlines given 96 hours to comply, according to the Guardian.

More: TSA partners with American to improve airport security

An unnamed U.S. government official told CNN that embassy officials have been contacting affected airlines to inform them of the change in rules.

In a tweet that has since been deleted, Royal Jordanian Airlines told its passengers that on flights to and from the U.S., “carrying any electronic or electrical device on board the flight cabins is strictly prohibited.”

It added that “laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players and electronic games … etc, can be carried in the checked baggage only.”

Sam Thielman/Twitter

The airline said the rule will go into effect on March 21, suggesting an official announcement could be coming from the TSA in the next 24 hours.

It’s currently unclear which specific airlines are likely to be impacted by the new regulations, though full details are expected to be disclosed some time on Tuesday.

The advice to passengers who don’t want to be caught up at check-in having to repack their possessions is to keep an eye on the news in the coming days, and, if in any doubt, to check with their carrier before heading to the airport.

Walmart is opening its own tech incubator in Silicon Valley

Like Target and Amazon, Walmart is trying to figure out what the future of retail looks like. The company already bought up startups like Jet.com and clothing store ModCloth to better compete online, but Walmart’s next move will invest some of its sizable coffers directly in the next generation of retail technology startups through its own tech incubator. According to Jet.com founder Marc Lore — now CEO of Walmart’s e-commerce division — the group will be called “Store No. 8” and will focus on investing in companies that cover all the buzzwords from virtual and augmented reality, to machine learning, robotics and artificial intelligence.

As Bloomberg reports, the new tech incubator was named after a shop in Arkansas where Sam Walton used to experiment with store layouts and will be based in (where else) Silicon Valley. While Lore didn’t reveal how much Walmart would be investing in the project, Store No. 8 will be headed up by Walmart SVP of Digital Store operations Seth Beal and VP of Incubation Katie Finnegan, who also came from Jet.com. While the companies at Store No. 8 will be operate independently of Walmart corporate and its research company @WalmartLabs in San Francisco, the end goal here is to create new tech that will help Walmart’s bottom line — whether that be through new online boutiques like ModCloth or new ways to skip the checkout lines in the store. Plus, when your competition is riding robots and planning a delivery service for the moon, the only smart move is to respond by opening a tech incubator.

Source: Bloomberg

YouTube pledges to ‘fix’ Restricted Mode’s LGBTQ+ censorship

After a post by Rowan Ellis, many people recently noticed that YouTube’s Restricted Mode filter consistently blocked videos containing LGBTQ+ related content. Despite tweeting that it is supposed to only filter mature content, users tracked down selections like this Tegan & Sarah video that were blocked despite being incredibly tame. In a blog post tonight, YouTube VP Johanna Wright stated that “we must and will do a better job.”

The exec admitted that “…this feature isn’t working the way it should. We’re sorry and we’re going to fix it.” While claiming that only 1.5 percent of traffic comes with Restricted Mode turned on, Wright also said that as a matter of principle, access to “important content and different points of view” should be allowed. YouTube has already manually unblocked a few videos where the system made “mistakes in understanding context and nuances,” but she also writes that it will take time to roll out more changes.

Source: YouTube Creators Blog