Google explains how the Pixel 3’s Titan M security chip works

From specs, pricing, features, and more, here’s the latest on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL.

Following months of leak after leak, Google’s officially taken the wraps off its Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones. The two handsets look exactly like what we saw in all the early photos and renders, and while the element of surprise may be gone, we’ve still got two impressive Android handsets to talk about.

Without further ado, this is everything you need to know about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL!

The latest Pixel 3 news

October 17, 2018 — Google explains how the Pixel 3’s Titan M security chip works

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have a lot of tech packed inside them, and while it’s easy to get excited about their new OLED displays and improved cameras, one of the most important features is the new Titan M security chip.

Titan M is an all-new chip that’s designed with the single goal of keep the Pixel 3 secure, and in a post on the Android Developers Blog, Google recently dived into further detail about just how Titan M works.

The chip is a security module that was made by Google itself, and it works to protect the Pixel 3 + 3 XL against all sorts of potential threats. Since Titan M is a physical piece of tech, it’ll help protect against hardware-specific exploits such as Spectre, Meltdown, and Rowhammer much more efficiently than phones without it. On the technical side of things, Google explains the following:

Titan M’s CPU is an ARM Cortex-M3 microprocessor specially hardened against side-channel attacks and augmented with defensive features to detect and respond to abnormal conditions. The Titan M CPU core also exposes several control registers, which can be used to taper access to chip configuration settings and peripherals. Once powered on, Titan M verifies the signature of its flash-based firmware using a public key built into the chip’s silicon. If the signature is valid, the flash is locked so it can’t be modified, and then the firmware begins executing.

With the chip, Google notes that it hopes to achieve “transparency and building a platform for future innovation.”

Custom hardware allows us to provide new features, capabilities, and performance not readily available in off-the-shelf components. These changes allow higher assurance use cases like two-factor authentication, medical device control, P2P payments, and others that we will help develop down the road.

October 16, 2018 — The Pixel 3 XL uses a Samsung OLED display

While last year’s Pixel 2 XL had one of the worst displays for a phone in its price range, that’s an issue that’s been completely squashed with the Pixel 3 XL.

The screen on this year’s larger Pixel is brighter, colorful, and has less blue shift + burn-in potential compared to the 2 XL. The reason for this? A Samsung OLED panel.

Google opted for an LG-made OLED display with the Pixel 2 XL, but thanks to a recent iFixIt teardown, we now have confirmation that the Pixel 3 XL is using a Samsung one.

October 16, 2018 — Google explains how the Pixel 3’s Super Res Zoom feature works

The Pixel 3 comes chock-full of neat camera tricks, but perhaps one of the coolest is Super Res Zoom. This is the name of Google’s process for improving the clarity of digital zoom by collecting data from your hands shaking as you hold the phone in preparation to snap a photo.

Recently, the Google AI team took to their official blog to detail how exactly this works.

The Super Res Zoom technology in Pixel 3 is different and better than any previous digital zoom technique based on upscaling a crop of a single image, because we merge many frames directly onto a higher resolution picture. This results in greatly improved detail that is roughly competitive with the 2x optical zoom lenses on many other smartphones. Super Res Zoom means that if you pinch-zoom before pressing the shutter, you’ll get a lot more details in your picture than if you crop afterwards.

If Super Res Zoom detects that the camera isn’t shaking (e.g. the Pixel 3 is on a tripod or propped up on a table), it’ll actually start moving around on its own to simulate natural hand movement.

The post goes on to dive into of color filter arrays, multi-frame super-resolution, and a bunch of other nitty-gritty details. If that sounds like something you want to dig into, you can check it out here.

All the big details

Check out our full review!

Here it is, folks — the full Android Central review of the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL!

These are easily two of the best Android phones you can buy right now, and no matter if you opt for the regular or XL model, you’ll be getting a fantastic display, an excellent software experience, and some of the best cameras on a smartphone in 2018.

They may not look like much on the outside, but these are two really special phones.

Google Pixel 3 review: Fewer features make incredible phones

Here are the specs!

If you’ve got a Pixel 2, a lot of the specs for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will look very similar. There’s still 4GB of RAM and a starting storage amount of 64GB, but the Snapdragon 835 processor from last year has been replaced by the newer 845.

For a full rundown on both phones, check out the link below. 👇

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL specifications

The displays are a lot better

Shortly after its release, one of the biggest controversies that popped up for the larger Pixel 2 XL was its poor display. We have an LG-made OLED panel once again, but the year-over-year difference is huge.

Google’s touting 400+ nits of brightness for both phones, 2X less burn-in potential, and less color shifting.

There are still three different color profiles to choose from so you can fine-tune your experience, and out of the box, both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been optimized so that their displays look identical next to one another.

For an extremely detailed analysis of the Pixel 3 XL’s display, check out DisplayMate’s full in-depth review in which it received a top A+ rating.

The Google Pixel 3 addresses our biggest complaint with the Pixel 2: its display

There are three colors

Google’s probably the best when it comes to naming its device colors, and this year we have Just Black and Very White. New this year is a pink hue that’s been aptly named “Not Pink.”

All three colors are available for both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL no matter where you decide to buy them.

An all-glass back brings wireless charging support

For the past two years, Google’s used a mixture of aluminum and glass on the back of its phones. This year, the Pixel 3 shakes things up by adopting an all-glass construction.

There’s still an etched section near the top that adds a nice matte finish that allows for more grip and fewer fingerprints. Google’s also integrated Qi wireless charging support and selling a new Pixel Stand wireless charging accessory that’ll charge the Pixel 3 + 3 XL and put them into a new “dashboard” UI that shows a slideshow of pictures on Google Photos and various Assistant info.

The Pixel Stand is a $79 wireless charger for Pixel 3 that unlocks special display modes

Google’s made a ton of camera improvements

The Pixel 2 and 2 XL have some of the best cameras we’ve ever seen on a smartphone, and with the Pixel 3, Google’s making the camera experience even better.

Perhaps the biggest change includes the addition of a second front-facing camera. You now have access to a regular and wide-angle lens for all of your selfies and portrait mode works no matter which one you use. Google’s also integrated an algorithm to remove any distortion caused by the wider lens.

Other changes include:

• 40% faster HDR+ processing
• Improved detail retention while zooming
• Night Sight mode improves low-light shots
• Top Shot mode captures multiple frames before and after your picture and then recommends an alternative shot compared to what you actually captured

Along with all this, Google Lens is also built right into the Pixel 3’s camera app and works automatically when it detects something.

Android 9 Pie is available out of the box

As you’d expect, Android 9 Pie is running on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL from day one. This is the same Android Pie we’ve been using on the Pixel 2 phones, including the new navigation gestures, quick settings panel, etc.

The Pixel 3 does bring a handful of new software goodies, including the full release of Digital Wellbeing outside of its beta state and a slightly updated UI for the camera app.

There’s also a new call screening feature that’ll allow you to send your caller to a system that asks them to provide information about who they are and why they’re calling. What they say comes through in real-time and you can choose to hang up or pick up at any point.

There are already a ton of accessories

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are great phones, but you can make them even better with a good collection of accessories.

Whether you’re in the market for a heavy duty case, screen protectors, or something else entirely, here are a few helpful links to get you started with outfitting your new phone.

• Best Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Accessories
• Best Cases for Google Pixel 3
• Best Cases for Google Pixel 3 XL
• These Are The Official Cases for the Google Pixel 3 lineup
• Best Screen Protectors for Google Pixel 3 XL

Here’s when and where you can buy it

If you want to pick up the Pixel 3 for yourself, pre-orders are open right now. The Pixel 3 costs $799 for the 64GB model and goes up to $899 if you get the 128GB variant. For those same storage configurations on the Pixel 3 XL, you’ll pay $899 and $999, respectively.

The Pixel 3 series will be sold at Verizon, Best Buy, the Google Store, and Project Fi.

See at Google Store

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL review
• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 3 vs. Pixel 3 XL: Which should you buy?
• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL specifications
• Join our Pixel 3 forums

Best Buy
Verizon
Google Store
Project Fi

Best Leather Cases for the Google Pixel 3 XL

Even if you’ve made piece with the notch, adding another dash of sophistication and elegance to your Google Pixel 3 XL may make you forget about it altogether. Plus, the added protection a leather case means your phone may last until Google decides to release a notchless XL model again. These are the best leather cases (so far) for the Pixel 3 XL.

Slim wallet

Bellroy Leather Phone Wallet

Purveyor of fine leather goods, Bellroy’s leather Pixel 3 XL cases are available straight from Google. This one has room for two cards inside the cover and two behind your phone, offering a slim profile and all-around protection.

$99 at Bellroy

Classic wallet

Abacus 24-7 wallet case

I’ve had great experiences with Abacus 24-7’s faux-leather wallet cases. This one has slots for three cards, a cash slot, and your Pixel 3 XL is held in place by a silicone bumper. The cover folds into a kickstand, and the magnetic closure is quite strong.

$10 at Amazon

Budget pick

Bettop leather bumper

Though not made of genuine leather, Bettop’s case has the look and feel of the real thing, with a great-looking leather pattern, as well as a smooth section to accent the back. If you’re looking for an inexpensive leather case, this one’s hard to beat.

$8 at Amazon

Luxuriously thin

Bellroy Leather Pixel Case

Bellroy’s leather back cover is slim and made from genuine leather. It has a microfiber lining so as not to scratch your Pixel 3XL, as well as precise cutouts for the fingerprint sensor, camera, and charging port. You have five colors to choose from.

$49 at Bellroy

Minimal wallet

ProCase leather wallet case

ProCase’s genuine leather wallet is an excellent option, with three gorgeous colors to choose from, room for two cards, a cash slot, and a front cover that folds into a kickstand. The cover features a magnetic closure, though without a clasp, making it seamless.

$30 at Amazon

A leather case is a great way to add some much-needed protection to your Pixel 3 XL, and it serves as a note of elegance and sophistication that complements your hardware nicely. For my money, the Bellroy Leather Pixel Case is the best option, because it has superb color options and a gorgeous design.

The Pixel 3 XL is a new phone, so there aren’t many cases available yet, but we’ll be sure to update this list when more become available.

Canada Daily Deals: Jabra wireless earphones, AMD Ryzen processors, more

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Jabra Elite Active 65t true-wireless earphones, AMD Ryzen processors, USB-C cables, Game of Thrones DVDs and much more!

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter Canada team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA, sign up for the Canadian newsletter and follow the team on Twitter.

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished 2018 13-Inch MacBook Pro Models in United States and Canada

Apple has added 2018 models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to its refurbished store in the U.S. for the first time. Prices are discounted by roughly 15 percent compared to the equivalent brand new models.

A refurbished base model with a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB of flash storage, 8GB of RAM, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 is available for $1,529 in the United States, reflecting savings of $270 off Apple’s regular price of $1,799. Available finishes include Silver and Space Gray.

A refurbished maxed-out model with a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 2TB of flash storage, 16GB of RAM, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 is available for $3,139 in the United States, reflecting savings of $560 off Apple’s regular price of $3,699. This configuration is currently limited to Space Gray.

A variety of other models, including built-to-order configurations, are currently available. Quantities are limited, however, so we recommend acting fast or using Refurb Tracker to monitor when inventory is replenished.

Apple says refurbished MacBook Pro models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged, including the manuals and cables included in the box. In our view, a refurbished MacBook Pro is virtually indistinguishable from a brand new model, so this represents a good opportunity for savings.

Note that third-party resellers sometimes offer better deals than Apple’s refurbished prices, so be sure to monitor our deals roundup.

A refurbished MacBook Pro comes with Apple’s standard one-year warranty effective on the date the notebook is delivered. The warranty can be extended to three years from the original purchase date with AppleCare+ for Mac, which costs $269 for the the 13-inch MacBook Pro in the United States.

Apple has also added refurbished 2018 models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro to its Canadian store, also at a 15 percent discount.

2018 models of the 15-inch MacBook Pro are not available refurbished at this time.

Related Roundup: MacBook ProTag: refurbishedBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Apple’s Privacy Website Updated to Reflect Latest Measures Taken in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave

Apple today updated its privacy website to reflect the latest measures it has implemented in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave to protect customers.

For example, the new page reflects that all apps submitted or updated on the App Store now require a privacy policy, a requirement that went into effect October 3. Apple already required a privacy policy for apps that accessed personal information, but even basic apps that do not share data must have one now.

In iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, Apple’s so-called Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature has been improved. Now, when third-party tracking sites attempt to create cookies or store data, they can do so only with your explicit consent.

In macOS Mojave, Apple has made it harder for trackers to create a unique device fingerprint. Meanwhile, automatic strong passwords in Safari on iOS and macOS, which are end-to-end encrypted in iCloud Keychain, make it easier to sign in to sites without using social media logins that can facilitate user tracking.

Apple has also added protections for private data, such as requiring user consent for access to the camera and microphone on macOS Mojave.

Apple has expanded its use of end-to-end encryption to include Group FaceTime and Screen Time on iOS 12, while its use of Differential Privacy now extends to the personalized Memoji features users select to help identify popular features, such as hairstyle, so Apple can expand its choices in the future.

The updated privacy website also indicates that location data sent to nearby emergency services using RapidSOS is deleted after 24 hours.

As always, Apple believes privacy is a “fundamental human right,” and aims to “minimize its collection of personal data.” Apple says “the customer is not its product,” and that its business model “does not depend on collecting personally identifiable information” to help targeted profiles marketed to advertisers.

Apple’s privacy page has been updated a week before Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to speak at the 2018 International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners next Wednesday, October 24 in Brussels.

Tag: privacy
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Apple Customers in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand Can Download a Copy of Their Data Starting Today

Apple today is extending its full-featured Data and Privacy portal to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Apple customers in those four countries will now have the option to download a copy of any data associated with their Apple ID account that Apple maintains, such as calendars, reminders, photos, and documents stored in iCloud, purchase histories, Game Center activity, and AppleCare support history.

The portal has been available to customers in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland since May to comply with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Apple said the service would be made available worldwide in the coming months, starting with today’s expansion.

In the meantime, Apple customers who live in a country or region that’s not listed above can still contact Apple to request a copy of their data.

Apple promises to fulfill all portal-based data requests within seven days, and emails customers to let them know it is preparing their data. Read our how-to for step-by-step instructions on requesting a copy of your data.

Update: The data-download option doesn’t appear to be available immediately and may take some time to roll out to all users today.

Tags: Apple ID, privacy
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SoundCloud Go+ Subscription Plan Now Supports High Quality Audio Streaming at No Extra Cost

SoundCloud today announced that users on the SoundCloud Go+ subscription plan will now gain access to lossless audio streaming at no additional cost.

SoundCloud Go is the company’s enhanced streaming service, with three tiers that start at free with 120 million tracks to stream; $4.99/month with 120 million tracks, offline saving, and ad-free streaming; and SoundCloud Go+ with everything in the previous tiers plus 30 million “premium” tracks and high quality audio.

When you discover a track on SoundCloud, it’s all about connecting as closely as possible to the creator’s sound and vision. With high quality audio streaming now part of your SoundCloud Go+ subscription, you can experience what’s new, now and next in music on a higher level.

High quality audio means that content uploaded to SoundCloud in a lossless format doesn’t lose the integrity of its engineered recording. Go+ subscribers can opt into this feature in SoundCloud settings > “Streaming quality.”

SoundCloud has been expanding its streaming service over the years, launching “The Upload” playlist in May 2017 to personally curate a list of songs for each user. In December 2017, the company debuted a new home screen in the iOS app to further lean into user personalization. The revamped launch screen offers curated recommendations, personalized playlists, and “exclusive culture-focused audio content.”

High quality streaming is a feature that has been missing from Apple Music since its launch in 2015, and one that a few of its rivals already have. Tidal launched with “HiFi” streaming as one of its premiere features, offering lossless audio using FLAC at a resolution of 44.1 kHz/16 bit, and further expanding with “Tidal Masters” that has “the highest-possible resolution” of around 96 kHz/24 bit. Tidal’s plans with HiFi cost $19.99/month.

You can download the SoundCloud app from the iOS App Store for free [Direct Link].

Tag: SoundCloud
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Hulu Gains Support for Night Mode on the Web

Starting today, when watching Hulu through the Hulu website, Hulu users will be able to use a new Night Mode feature that turns the interface a dark shade.

Hulu’s new Night Mode options come just ahead of Halloween and are ideal for the streaming service’s Halloween-related content, and it’s also a feature that matches well with the Dark Mode introduced in Apple’s macOS Mojave update.

According to Hulu, the Night Mode feature can cut down on eye strain and glare when watching content on a desktop machine via a browser.

Hulu subscribers can enable Night Mode by clicking on their profile icon at the top of the website and selecting the new “Night Mode” option from the dropdown menu.

Night Mode is rolling out today and while it’s not yet available for all users on the desktop, it should be coming soon.

Tag: Hulu
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Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update to developers, a little over one week after seeding the third beta and three weeks after releasing the macOS Mojave update.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after the initial beta has been installed using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the “Software Update” option.

The 10.14.1 update includes support for Group FaceTime, a feature that was removed during the beta testing period. Group FaceTime, which lets you chat with up to 32 people at once, is also present in the iOS 12.1 beta.

macOS Mojave 10.14.1 introduces more than 70 new emoji characters that are also available in iOS 12.1 and watchOS 5.1. There are new options for red hair, curly hair, no hair, and gray hair, along with characters to represent superheroes, cold face, party face, pleading face, and face with hearts.

There are a number of new animals and food items like kangaroo, parrot, lobster, mango, lettuce, and cupcake. Tweaks have been made to some existing emoji as well. The iPhone emoji, for example, has been updated to look like the iPhone X with no bezels or Home button.

We didn’t find any other significant new features in the first three developer betas of macOS Mojave, so it’s not clear if there are any additional changes. The update likely includes performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that have been discovered since the release of the Mojave update.

Should new features be found in the fourth beta, we’ll update this post.

macOS Mojave is a major update that brings features like a systemwide Dark Mode, stacks for organizing messy desktops, new Finder capabilities, new tools for taking screenshots, a Continuity Camera option for easily transferring photo scans and documents from iPhone to Mac, and more. For more on macOS Mojave, make sure to check out our roundup.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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TSMC to Remain Sole iPhone Chip Supplier, Could Provide ARM-Based Chips for Mac in 2020, Apple Car Chips in 2023

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company or TSMC is set to remain one of Apple’s most important suppliers in the years to come, according to a note to investors shared today by reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who now works for TF International Securities.

TSMC manufactures the A-Series chips that are used in Apple’s iPhones. The company has been Apple’s sole supplier for iPhone chips for a few years, and will continue to be Apple’s only supplier in 2019 and 2020 for the A13 and A14 chips Apple is expected to use in those devices.

According to Kuo, Apple will become increasingly dependent on TSMC in the years to come due to TSMC’s “superior design and production capabilities” compared to its competitors and the fact that TSMC, unlike Samsung and other Apple suppliers, does not compete with Apple in other markets.

In the future, Kuo believes TSMC will manufacture Apple-designed ARM-based processors for Mac models starting in 2020 or 2021. Rumors have suggested Apple is planning to transition away from Intel chips to its own custom-made chips starting as early as 2020, which Kuo reiterates in today’s report.

There are multiple benefits to custom-designed Mac chips, including no delays because of Intel’s manufacturing issues, better profits, more control over design, and differentiation from competitors’ products.

We also expect that Mac models will adopt Apple’s in-house-designed processor starting 2020 or 2021, which will create four advantages for Apple: (1) Apple could control everything about the Mac’s design and production and be rid of negative impacts from Intel’s processor shipment schedule changes. (2) Better profits thanks to lower processor cost. (3) Mac market share gain if Apple lowers the price. (4) It could differentiate Mac from peers’ products.

Kuo also suggests Apple will recruit TSMC to manufacture chips for its upcoming Apple Car starting in 2023 to 2025.

We believe that Apple Car’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) will support either Level 4 (high automation) or Level 5 (full automation). Only TSMC’s 3/5 nm process can meet Level 4 and Level 5 chip requirements.

In an August report, Kuo said that Apple will launch a full Apple Car in 2023 to 2025, reviving rumors about Apple’s work on a complete vehicle. Prior to that report, it was believed Apple had shelved plans for a vehicle and was instead focusing solely on autonomous driving software that could perhaps be integrated into partner vehicles.

Related Roundups: Apple Car, 2019 iPhones
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