Google Pixel XL’s modular components can be easily replaced
iFixit gave Google’s Pixel XL a middling repairability score of 6 out of 10 partly because its display was poorly assembled. Still, the team found a lot of modular components that can be easily replaced when they cracked Mountain View’s new flagship open. They also noted that HTC acted as the perfect silent partner, barely leaving a mark on the device despite manufacturing it for the tech giant. The only indication that HTC was involved is a logo on the XL’s battery, which you can peel off — it’s right in the middle of a tab you need to pull if you want to pop the phone’s battery out.
By the way, the Pixel XL has a 13.28 Wh battery that’s much better than the iPhone 7 Plus’ (11.1 Wh), but not as good as Samsung S7 Edge’s (13.86 Wh). If you want to see what the phone’s back-mounted fingerprint sensor, 12.3-megapixel rear camera and other notable parts look like outside the device itself, check out the full teardown process on iFixit’s website or watch the video below.
Source: iFixit
Instagram is testing Live videos
A Russian publication has spotted an experimental Instagram feature it obviously got its from parent corporation’s repertoire: live videos. One of T Journal’s readers sent in screenshots and a video of a curious icon lined up with Instagram Stories on top that’s clearly marked “Live.” It led to a “popular live broadcasts” page, but it refused to load — not surprising since the company hasn’t even officially announced the feature yet. T Journal also posted a screenshot of the app’s camera screen that says “Go Insta!” at the bottom, which we’re assuming starts a live broadcast.
Facebook, Instagram’s overlord, launched Live videos to the masses back in January following Periscope’s and Meerkat’s success. While Meerkat had to shut down after being eclipsed by Periscope, Facebook’s Live videos continue to thrive. It makes sense for the mega-social network to bring the capability to its popular photo app, but at this point, it’s still unclear if and when it’ll get a wider release. Those hoping and wishing to get an early glimpse of Instagram Live, though, take note: T Journal’s reader was using a Nexus 6P.
Via: The Verge
Source: TJournal
Introducing ‘The Morning After’
Look, we get it. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up on all the latest happenings in the world of tech. That’s why Engadget has a newsletter that delivers the top stories of the day directly to your inbox. Sure, it’s functional, but honestly, it doesn’t live up to our standards. So, Saturday morning will see the launch of our new and improved newsletter: The Morning After.
The Morning After doesn’t just give you the headlines — it distills the biggest stories of the previous day down to their most essential parts, and delivers them with the wit and insight you’ve come to expect from Engadget. But we don’t just want to tell you what you missed, we want to tell you what to look out for too. Is there a big liveblog coming up or major tech conference to get excited about? We’ll give you a heads-up. Plus, every Saturday morning you’ll get the weekend edition, complete with a letter from the editor.
If you’re already subscribed to the Engadget newsletter, then you don’t need to change a thing. Starting Saturday morning The Morning After will replace it in your inbox. But if you’re not a subscriber, now is a good time to change that.
Watch HP’s Elite X3 Windows Phone simulate a desktop
After spending plenty of time with HP’s Elite X3 Windows Phone, it’s hard not to be impressed by the company’s ambition. It’s just too bad the execution isn’t so great. The Elite X3 builds on Microsoft’s Continuum feature, which gives phones pseudo-desktop interfaces on larger monitors, with Workspace, a virtual environment that lets you run full Windows apps. Together with a Desk Dock and Lap Dock, HP intends for the X3 to serve as both a laptop and desktop replacement. But while Workspace is a decent fix for Continuum’s issues, I don’t think it’s enough to make the X3 a viable option for most workers.
Windows 10 Insiders can use Ink to draw on photos
Microsoft is developing some cool new features for the Windows Ink Workspace, and Insiders are getting the first look. Insiders in the Fast ring who install the latest Windows 10 Preview for PC and Mobile will be able to doodle and write on their photos with Ink. They simply have to tap the Draw option while viewing a picture in the Photos app to bring up Workspace’s toolbar. There they can choose from the pen, the pencil and all the new calligraphy pen tools.
Microsoft has also combined Ink’s protractor and compass into a single tool called Stencil, so people can draw arcs and circles quickly and easily. Even better, Ink saves not just the final product, but also the drawing process, so they can share their masterpieces with friends either as a photo or a short video.
Besides Ink’s new abilities, the latest Windows 10 Preview also comes with a beefed up Camera app. It has a better photo timer and capture button, more accessible camera roll placement and zoom slider and a more prominent front- and rear-facing camera switch icon. PC users can also tap on the space bar to capture pictures. Microsoft tossed in more features and a slew of bug fixes with the preview version, as well, which it listed in detail on the Windows blog.
Source: Microsoft
There’s an inactive one-handed keyboard hidden inside iOS code
In these days of big iPhones, smaller-handed individuals have trouble typing up a storm on their iOS devices. However, since iOS 8 (at least), Apple has toyed with an edge-swipe activated one-hand keyboard. To keep characters closer to your thumb, it squishes character keys and expands copy and paste buttons, keeping the word prediction rail above the keys. Alas, it still remains unfinished and inaccessible, hidden away in the iPhone’s Xcode.
Developer Steve Troughton-Smith spotted the code inside Apple’s iOS simulator, noting that the code for it has likely existed for several years, even if it hasn’t surfaced in iPhones yet. Big Android phone makers like Samsung and LG have offered truncated and even floating keyboard windows after the companies moved into smartphones larger than four inches. Android’s native keyboard also has a one-handed option if you need it.
Troughton-Smith even released the code chunk for jail-breakers to make a reality… if you jailbreak your iPhone. And here it is in action, albeit steered with a mouse:
Video or it didn’t happen: (very hard to engage in the Simulator with a mouse cursor) pic.twitter.com/vw2wpCgiLJ
— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) October 19, 2016
Via: Apple Insider
Source: Twitter (@stroughtonsmith)
Apple lawsuit reveals most chargers sold on Amazon are fake
Apple has filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star LLC for manufacturing fake Apple chargers and cables and passing them off on Amazon as authentic goods. According to the details of the lawsuit posted by Patently Apple, Cupertino bought and tested over 100 Lightning cables and chargers marked “Fulfilled by Amazon” over the past nine months. The result? Around 90 percent of the chargers were fake. Now, we all know there’s an abundance of counterfeit Apple goods out there, but people tend to trust listings sold by Amazon itself. And in this case, Amazon clearly stated that the items were “original.” Check out one example below the fold to see what we mean.
When Apple got in touch with Amazon about the issue, the website told the former that it got most of its chargers from Mobile Star LLC. The iPhone-maker stressed that since counterfeit cables and chargers don’t go through consumer safety testing and could be poorly designed, they’re prone to overheating and catching fire. They might even electrocute users. Tim Cook and co. are now asking the court to issue an injunction against the defendant. They also want the court to order the seizure and destruction of all the fake chargers in addition to asking for damages.
As for Amazon, it told 9to5mac that it “has zero tolerance for the sale of counterfeits on [its] site” and the the company “work[s] closely with manufacturers and brands, and pursue wrongdoers aggressively.”
[Image credit: Patently Apple]
Via: 9to5mac, ABC News
Source: Patently Apple
Galaxy Note 7 recall becomes a presidential punchline
Samsung is having a tough time. The fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 is one the biggest blunders ever in tech and now President Obama is using it as a punchline.
During a speech about the Affordable Care Act at Miami Dade college in Florida, the Commander in Chief made an analogy about issues with Obamacare to new smartphones hitting the market:
When one of these companies comes out with a new smartphone, and it has a few bugs, what do they do? They fix it, they upgrade. Unless it catches fire and then they just, then they pull it off the market.
But you don’t go back to using a rotary phone! You don’t say, well we’re repealing smartphones — we’re just gonna do the dial-up thing
Ouch.
This is a simultaneous 🔥🔥🔥 on Samsung, Republicans and rotary phones. pic.twitter.com/HkHJeUfbL7
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) October 20, 2016
Neither Samsung or the Galaxy Note 7 are ever mentioned by name, but we all know which phone Obama is referencing.
While Samsung might not like this, it’s not like they can send a bogus copyright infringement claim to keep the joke off the Internet.
Via: Techcrunch
Source: CBS
Microsoft’s Surface business is still booming
Microsoft’s Surface concept has gone from being a joke to becoming a significant part of its business. Sales of Surfaces devices jumped 38 percent during the last quarter (Q1 2017) reaching $926 million, compared to a year ago when they were just $672 million, according to Microsoft’s latest earnings report. The company points to increased sales of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book for the drive. CEO Satya Nadella also noted that enterprise orders of 500 or more Surface devices have increased by 70 percent.
The Surface’s success isn’t too surprising, though. The product line crossed the billion-dollar mark in early 2015, and it’s been steadily growing over the past year. While Patriots coach Bill Belichick might disagree, Microsoft’s most recent Surface devices are perfectly positioned to satiate the increasing desire for convertible laptops and tablets. Heck, Microsoft pretty much started the category (though the initial going was admittedly rough).
Source: Microsoft
WikiLeaks dump reveals Obama’s personal email address
Hacked files published by WikiLeaks reveal that Barack Obama’s personal email address in 2008, just before he secured the US presidency, was bobama@ameritech.net. The information comes via emails stolen from Hillary Clinton campaign chief John Podesta and published on WikiLeaks, CNBC reports. Messages to and from Obama’s personal email account largely focus on planning his new administration (yes, before he actually won the election).
In one email, Podesta offers advice on how to deal with a potential invitation to a G-20 meeting from exiting President George W. Bush — sent just 20 minutes before the election was called in Obama’s favor. Podesta and other advisers all recommended that Obama decline the invitation, noting, “If, for example, the meeting is widely regarded as an anemic response to grave systemic problems, you will be tied to that perception.” Plus, attending with Bush would be “extremely awkward,” the attached memo read, according to CNBC. In the end, Obama did not attend the G-20 meeting.
Obama replied to one email at close to midnight on October 30th, and the signature noted it was sent from the president-elect’s long-beloved BlackBerry via AT&T.
US intelligence authorities concluded in early October that top Russian officials orchestrated the hacks behind the WikiLeaks dumps and directed the recent invasion of the Democratic National Committee. These were an attempt to disrupt the US presidential election, intelligence officials found. In August, it came to light that WikiLeaks published sensitive information for hundreds of innocent people and distributed more than 80 different malware variants in one batch of emails from Turkey’s ruling AKP political party.
This week, Ecuador cut off internet service to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been granted asylum in the country. The Ecuadorean government justified its decision with the following reasoning: “The Government of Ecuador respects the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states.”
Source: CNBC
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