Huawei’s brand new flagship got sold out in less than a minute in its homeland
In fact, the report states that both the Huawei Pura 70 Pro and Pura 70 Ultra ended up being sold out in that time. It is worth noting that they’re only available in China as we speak. A global launch could follow soon, though.
This is not exactly surprising, as Huawei has been immensely popular in China lately. Last year, the company had issues providing enough Huawei Mate 60 units to their consumers. Those phones offered 5G connectivity for the first time in a long time when it comes to Huawei phones. That’s part of the reason why.
As many of you know, Huawei is banned by the US in a number of ways. That affected the company’s ability to include 5G connectivity on their devices. Well, until the company was able to provide its own chip which supports 5G connectivity. That chip was the Kirin 9000S.
The Huawei Pura 70 Pro & Ultra are both fueled by a new chip
Now, with the Huawei Pura 70 series, Huawei introduced a new chip, the Kirin 9010. That is a more powerful variant of the Kirin 9000S, basically. It’s a 7nm processor. A 5nm chip is allegedly coming later this year.
In any case, the demand for the Pura 70 series seems to be very high. These phones have a lot more to offer than just 5G, of course. The ‘Ultra’ model is especially impressive, in part due to its compelling camera setup.
Not even a rather high price tag prevented users in China from grabbing the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. As a reminder, the phone starts at CNY9,999 ($1,381). That’s a high price everywhere, and especially for phones in China.
Smartphones are usually considerably more affordable in China, that’s why. If this handset ends up coming to global markets, you can expect a noticeably higher price tag than this.
Twitch has been testing a TikTok-style discovery feed for nearly a year. The streaming company announced this week that the feature is finally ready for primetime, so all users on mobile devices should get the new discovery feed this month.
The discovery feed allows users to scroll through separate feeds dedicated to clips and livestreams, and it’s available as a tab from within the mobile app. According to Twitch (via The Verge), all livestreams and clips can show up on this discover feed, although they must meet the company’s content guidelines.
Just like on the desktop version of Twitch, the discovery feed in the mobile app will show live content from streamers you follow along with creators recommended by Twitch.
In addition to live streams, the discovery feed will also give users access to a feed where they’ll find shortform videos taken from Twitch livestreams. Obviously, most of these will be hilarious short videos clipped by streamers, similarly to what TikTok’s videos.
Beside enabling users to scroll through these shortform videos, Twitch will also allow users to tune in when they see the creator of a specific video goes live. On the downside, Twitch says that ads will appear within the feed, although users will be able to scroll past them without having to pause their viewing or scrolling experience.
A new zero-day Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) exploit has been put up for sale on a notorious hacker forum.
This exploit, which has not yet been assigned a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) reference, is said to be capable of granting unauthorized users elevated privileges on any Windows system.
The asking price for this dangerous tool is a staggering $220,000, indicating its potential severity and the threat actor’s confidence in its effectiveness.
Impact on Windows Users
The emergence of this exploit is particularly alarming for Windows users, both individual and corporate, as it can potentially allow attackers to gain higher-level permissions on a targeted system.
This could lead to a range of malicious activities, from data theft and espionage to the deployment of ransomware and other destructive software.
Free Webinar | Mastering WAAP/WAF ROI Analysis | Book Your Spot
Without the necessary patches and specific details, users are left in a vulnerable position.
The exploit’s ability to affect all Windows platforms suggests that no version of the operating system is safe, and the lack of a CVE reference means that there is no official acknowledgment or fix available yet.
⚠️ ALERT: A new zero-day Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) exploit targeting Windows systems has been advertised on a hacker forum. The threat actor claims it can provide unauthorized access to escalate privileges on any Windows platform. With no CVE reference and a high asking… pic.twitter.com/QiDgOjJHzp
While the exact technical specifics of the exploit have not been disclosed publicly, the nature of Local Privilege Escalation vulnerabilities can give us some insight.
Typically, LPE exploits take advantage of flaws in the operating system’s security mechanisms that manage user permissions.
By exploiting such a flaw, an attacker can elevate a standard user account to one with administrative privileges, granting them the ability to modify system settings, access restricted data, and install software.
The high price tag of the exploit implies that it is both reliable and difficult to detect, making it a valuable tool for cybercriminals.
It is also possible that the exploit is ‘wormable,’ meaning it could be used to spread malware across networks without user interaction, exponentially increasing its threat level.
Looking to Safeguard Your Company from Advanced Cyber Threats? Deploy TrustNet to Your Radar ASAP.
Slack first introduced its AI service back in 2023. With Slack AI, users can get a complete summary of conversations. This service was initially only available for Enterprise users. However, Slack is distributing its AI tools to more people. You’re still going to have to pay to use them, though.
Slack AI is now available to more people
We recently covered news about this. However, we didn’t know the price at that point. Simply put, if you’re on the Slack Pro or Slack Business+ plan, you can access Slack AI for $10/month. The Slack Pro plan costs $8.75/month and the Business+ plan costs $15/month. So, getting the AI addon will add an additional $10 to your plan each month. If you’re on an Enterprise plan, then you’ll need to contact your account rep to discuss the best pricing plan for you.
Sadly, people on the basic plan can not add Slack AI. Also, there’s no way to buy access to it as a standalone plan.
Currently, the AI service supports English, Spanish, and Japanese. Slack has promised additional language support is coming soon.
Time is valuable. Slack AI gives you more of it. 🙌✨
And starting today, every Slack user on a paid plan can start getting more time back with AI that works right where they need it to (in Slack).
Slack AI is available to more people, but what makes it worth the money? Well, has positioned its AI service as a bundle of time-saving and efficiency-boosting tools. Instead of keyword searches, users can now ask questions in a casual conversational approach. The Slack AI service promises to offer succinct answers based on relevant Slack messages. It is useful for catching up on finding specific information.
Apart from AI-generated summaries, the most anticipated feature would be Channel Recap. It claims to offer highlights of the conversation during which users were absent. Slack claims that the AI generating these recaps is intelligent enough to distinguish between different topics discussed.
Incorporating AI remains a top priority for execs, but tools must be more accessible to desk workers. Now, all paid users can use Slack AI for:
Slack AI service users will have to add a channel to their recap. Thereafter, they will receive a daily digest with anything they may have missed. Moreover, Slack AI also offers personalized channel recommendations based on users’ past Slack activity.
A similar tool, called “conversation summaries”, is available for threads, which are one-on-one or group conversations on Slack. Users can ask Slack AI to help them catch up on anything they may have missed, and generate daily summaries. The AI will also offer sources of specific entries or notes.
Besides Recap and Summaries, Slack AI should gradually get better, the workplace management platform indicated. The company stated it was working on expanding its AI’s scope to include files, Slack apps, canvases, and clips. This would allow the Slack AI service to have a much deeper as well as broader context.
OpenAI’s GPT-4 has managed to perform remarkably well against eye doctors, claims a new report. The assessments generated by the LLM (Large Language Model) Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) managed to beat non-specialist junior doctors and trainees. The Microsoft-funded Gen AI even came close to matching expert eye medics.
GPT-4 answers ophthalmology assessment MCQs
A study, published in PLOS Digital Health journal, has proven how Gen AI LLMs could help in the medical field. Speaking about the results, Arun Thirunavukarasu, the lead author of the paper said,
“What this work shows is that the knowledge and reasoning ability of these large language models in an eye health context is now almost indistinguishable from experts. We are seeing the ability to answer quite complicated questions.”
He was referring to GPT-4’s ability to answer MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) about ophthalmology. In all, the study reportedly asked GPT-4 87 MCQs. Five expert ophthalmologists, three trainee ophthalmologists, and two unspecialized junior doctors answered the same questions.
👁️ #AI is much better than non-specialist doctors at assessing eye problems and providing advice, Cambridge researchers have found.
The study designed a questionnaire from a textbook for testing trainees on everything from light sensitivity to lesions. It is interesting to note that the contents of the textbook aren’t available in the public domain. Hence, the researchers believe OpenAI may have trained its LLMs during an internal training exercise.
During the study, researchers gave ChatGPT, equipped with GPT-4 or GPT-3.5, three tries to answer definitively. If it failed, researchers marked the response as “null”.
GPT-4 beats some eye doctors but can’t match experts yet
From the 87 different patient scenarios GPT-4 reportedly outperformed the juniors, and achieved similar results to most of the specialists. Specifically speaking, GPT-4 got 60 of the 87 questions right. Junior doctors managed to get an average of 37 correct answers.
Trainees in the field of ophthalmology came pretty close with an average of 59.7 correct answers. Barring one expert, who correctly answered 56 MCQs, the remaining specialists averaged 66.4 right answers.
Comparatively, PaLM 2 managed to get 49 answers correct, GPT-3.5 got only 42, and LLaMa trailed the pack with just 28 correctly answered MCQs.
It is important to note that the study was conducted in mid-2023. In other words, the LLMs have likely gotten way better at understanding and answering complex queries.
The health industry would undoubtedly benefit from ChatGPT, Gemini, and other Gen AI platforms. However, some medical experts have cautioned against relying on Gen AI to diagnose a patient. Such platforms “lack nuance”, they stated. Hence, there could be a concerningly high probability of inaccuracy, cautioned some of the researchers.
Google is merging its Android OS (Operating System) and product hardware teams. The “super-team” will collaborate and build AI (Artificial Intelligence) in nearly all categories of products, including smartphones, TVs, watches, and more.
Google merging Android and hardware into “Platforms and Devices”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a major restructuring at Google. The most notable change would undoubtedly be the merger of Android as a platform and hardware as a product.
The new team, called “Platforms and Devices”, will reportedly oversee all of Google’s Pixel products, all of Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Photos, and more.
Rick Osterloh, who was previously the SVP of devices and services, will head this super-team. He was leading Google’s hardware, including Pixel smartphones.
$GOOG is doing it “Google is combining its Android and hardware teams — and it’s all about AI” / “Under Rick Osterloh, a new platforms and devices team will be dedicated to bringing AI to your phone, your TV, and everything else that runs Android.” https://t.co/DaqD4TH0gA
Hiroshi Lockheimer will be taking on other projects inside of Google and Alphabet. It is not clear why Google shifted him out of software platforms. He has been a key figure at the company and was instrumental in developing Android, Chrome, and ChromeOS.
This change or “consolidation” as Osterloh calls it, is meant to improve the infusion and deployment of AI within Google’s products. “Consolidating teams helps us to be able to do full-stack innovation when that’s necessary,” he said.
Some of the most notable hardware aspects that benefit tremendously from AI and ML (Machine Learning) are synthetic vision (digital camera) and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). The Pixel Camera is one of the biggest beneficiaries of rapid developments in AI.
There’s no doubt that Google has been a little late to the AI party. Microsoft is currently ahead with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but Google has Android OS. Needless to say, Google owns the world’s most widely used OS and offers services that run on millions of actively-used devices.
Owing to the new team, AI should make deeper inroads into Android. Google may ask this new super-team to rapidly deploy, tweak, and improve AI in Android Auto, Wear OS, and ChromeOS.
Google is already busy embedding its Gemini AI and chatbot in nearly every imaginable product. Hence, almost every device that runs Android OS or its fork, could have some form of AI soon.
Osterloh hinted that one of Google’s aims is to “make everything faster”. This also includes accelerating Android updates. “We can’t airdrop a new SOC into existing products, but we can design for longevity, and then update our software frequently,” he reasoned.
The new Platforms and Devices team, born from merging Android and hardware, seems to be Google’s attempt at running a tight ship. Perhaps, this integrated and consolidated approach might help Google reduce the number of products it kills.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is one of the best camera smartphones in the market at the moment. Xiaomi did a fantastic job with this phone. If you’re wondering how it compares to its predecessor, well, that’s exactly what we’re here to talk about. In this article, we’ll compare the Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is still a very compelling phone, so let’s see what’s what.
These two phones do look somewhat similar, but they have a very different in-hand feel. Xiaomi did change up the design a bit, though if you’ve used the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, you’ll be right at home with the new model. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Before we start, do note that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is limited to the Chinese market, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is not. Having said that, let’s get into it.
Design-wise, they do look very similar, but they feel different in the hand. Both phones have curved displays with a centered display camera hole. They both also offer thin bezels, and their buttons are pretty much in the same spot. You’ll find them on the right-hand side. Both phones are made out of metal (aluminum) and vegan leather, though there is also a Xiaomi 14 Ultra titanium model in China, and a glass back variant too. Globally you’ll find only the metal + vegan leather variant of the phone.
Looking at the back sides of these two phones, they do look almost identical at first. There is one glaring difference, though. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s backplate is flat, and it curves a bit towards the sides. The one on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra raises in thickness gradually towards the camera island. The weight distribution is different, and so is the in-hand feel. We definitely prefer the feel of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
Xiaomi’s new flagship is slightly shorter, slightly wider, and they’re about the same thickness. Comparing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s vegan leather model, the only one available globally, that phone is a bit lighter than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Both smartphones do come with an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. They’re both quite robust and feel like premium devices.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Display
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra features a 6.73-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. That panel is slightly curved, and it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This panel also supports Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ content too. Its brightness goes up to 3,000 nits at its peak. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, and the display is protected by the Xiaomi Shield Glass. THe screen-to-body ratio is around 89%.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 6.73-inch display too. It’s actually very similar to the one on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra spec-wise, but it offers higher brightness. It is a QHD+ (3200 x 1440) display, and it’s curved. It supports HDR10+ content and has Dolby Vision support. The display brightness goes up to 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is around 89%, while the display aspect ratio is 20:9. The Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel.
Both of these displays are outstanding. They’re not only very vivid and bright, but they have great viewing angles. The touch response is also spot on, and they both offer good protection. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s panel does technically get brighter, but that’s not something you’ll notice. Both get immensely bright and will get bright enough in pretty much any situation you find yourself in.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 fuels the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. That is Qualcomm’s most powerful chip at the moment. You’re also getting 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM here, in the global model, and the same goes for UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 fuels the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. That is still an immensely powerful processor. That phone also comes with LPDDR5X RAM, up to 16GB of it, and UFS 4.0 flash storage.
In all honesty, we did not notice much difference in the general performance between the two phones. They’re about as equally fast in day-to-day usage. They both do a great job of launching apps, multitasking, consuming multimedia, browsing, and anything else you can think of. The same is true for gaming if we’re being honest. They both handled games with ease, even the most demanding ones.
Genshin Impact was not a problem for either device. Both of them ran it perfectly fine, and after about an hour of gameplay, neither phone experienced slowdowns or anything like that. They did get really warm, but that is to be expected when it comes to such a demanding game. Either way, both phones passed the performance test with flying colors. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra does a fantastic job keeping up.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Battery
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, in a global variant. The Chinese model comes with a 5,300mAh battery pack. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra, on the other hand, includes a 5,000mAh battery on the inside. So, the two phones have the same battery capacity, is the battery life comparable? Well, yes, actually. Both smartphones do offer great battery life, in case you were wondering.
Getting over 7 hours of screen-on-time was doable on both smartphones and if we were at all careful, we were even able to reach the 8-hour screen-on-time mark. Do note that we did have a great signal and were connected to WiFi on such days, plus games were not included in the equation. The point is, they do offer great battery life, even though your mileage may vary. That’s always the case when battery life is concerned, however.
When it comes to charging, both of them support 90W wired charging. You can get them fully charged in a little bit over half an hour, presuming you’re using the included charger. 80W wireless charging is supported on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra supports 50W wireless charging. Both smartphones also offer support for 10W reverse wireless charging. They also both ship with 90W charging bricks.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Cameras
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 50-megapixel main camera with variable aperture, a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (122-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel telephoto camera (3.2x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The Xiaomi 13 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera with variable aperture, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (122-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel telephoto camera (3.2x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (5x optical zoom).
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Now, these camera setups may look very similar, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a better main camera, and the same goes for the periscope telephoto unit. The main camera on the phone supports a multi-stop variable aperture, while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a two-stop variable aperture. The one on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also has a wider reach. That does make a difference when it comes to photography, as does the new Sony LYT-900 camera sensor that Xiaomi used here.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra did a great job from the photography standpoint, it really did, but it cannot measure up to its younger brother. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is easily one of the best camera smartphones out there, if not the best. It does a better job of balancing images in general, and it’s more reliable. It also shoots better photos in low light, especially when there are plenty of light sources included. HDR performance is outstanding, and the amount of detail it can portray is also on an extremely high level. Its secondary cameras do a great job of keeping the color science of the main shooter, the same goes for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra shooters, actually. Both are very good, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is in a league of its own.
Audio
You will find a set of stereo speakers on both smartphones. The output you’ll get is very similar, even though the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s output is a bit louder. That’s not something many of you will notice, however. The speakers are good, the output is well-balanced, and you will even notice some bass here.
Neither phone has an audio jack, but you can utilize their Type-C ports to connect your headphones via a wire. If not, Bluetooth 5.4 is available on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, while Bluetooth 5.3 is included on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
A recent report from the Financial Times claims that the World’s largest chip maker, TSMC, may raise the prices of its products that are manufactured outside Taiwan, its home country. For those unfamiliar, over 90 percent of the world’s most advanced chips are fabricated in the country.
TSMC CEO CC Wei said on an earnings call (transcript) that if a customer is required to be in a certain geographical area, the customer will need to share the incremental cost. “In today’s fragmented globalization environment, cost will be higher for everyone, including TSMC, our customers, and our competitors,” he added.
TSMC CEO informs an upcoming rise in chip prices
Notably, most of the semiconductor manufacturers like Apple, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and AMD fabricate their chips from TSMC. The Chinese giant Huawei also used to fabricate their chips from TSMC before the export restrictions from the US came into place. Only a few companies, like Samsung and Intel, produce their chips in-house. It includes Samsung, Intel, and only a few others. A rise in prices from TSMC is likely to reflect on a range of products. Specifically, if device manufacturers decide to maintain their profit margin.
Now if TSMC manufactures most of the chips in their home country, then why is it even a problem in the first place? Well, under the current geopolitical situation, governments and companies are pushing the chipmaker to build their plants and start fabricating chips outside Taiwan.
The US government offered TSMC $6.6 billion in funding last week under the CHIPS ACT to work on their factories in Arizona. In response, TSMC committed to increasing its US investment by an additional $25 billion, bringing the total to $65 billion. However, the new production facilities might not function as efficiently as their existing plants. TSMC is also investing quite a lot to build plants outside Taiwan.
It’s important to mention, that TSMC has plants in Japan. They are also building a number of plants in Arizona, one of them has already started operating this month. This plant may start full production by the end of this year. So in the near future, TSMC may start mass-producing chips outside Taiwan. Which it says, will raise the prices of the products.
TSMC’s chipmaking cost in Taiwan may also increase
If all of these weren’t enough, TSMC’s chip manufacturing costs in Taiwan may also increase. Thanks to the recent electricity price hikes in Taiwan and the disruptions due to the recent earthquake. According to a recent report, TSMC estimates losses of $92.4 million due to the biggest earthquake in at least 25 years.
Meta has unveiled the latest version of its AI assistant, powered by the called Llama 3 model. This comes as Meta ramps up competition with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, another large language model chatbot, thus positioning Meta as a major player in the race to develop advanced AI assistants for consumers.
The company is also integrating its AI assistant into its core social media platforms likw Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This is something you may have already noticed in one of these apps’ search fields, with the sudden appearance of the Meta AI icon. Additionally, a standalone website (meta.ai) has been launched to allow users to interact with the AI assistant directly.
According to Meta, Llama 3 is said to outperform competing models on various benchmarks. Considering this, this update represents a significant step forward for Meta’s AI capabilities. The company has been steadily making progress in the field of artificial intelligence, and the release of Llama 3 and the integrated AI assistant mark a notable milestone.
Meta’s AI assistant is designed to answer users’ questions in a comprehensive and informative way, similar to ChatGPT. It can also be instructed to complete different creative tasks, like writing different kinds of creative content.
Beyond the social media integration, Meta’s AI assistant is now available through a dedicated website, allowing users to interact with it directly without needing to log in to any of their social media accounts. This broader accessibility could potentially introduce Meta’s AI technology to a wider audience.
The release of Llama 3 also reflects advancements in Meta’s open-source AI models. Llama 3 is the latest version of the company’s foundational open-source model, which means that the underlying code is available for public scrutiny and development. This mode of operation fosters collaboration within the AI research community and can lead to faster innovation.
One thing is that’s for sure is that competition in the AI assistant market is heating up. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has garnered significant attention for its capabilities, and other tech giants like Google are also pouring resources into developing their own AI assistants. The latter even going as far as restructuring key parts of the company’s operations in order to focus more on AI. It will be very interesting to see how Meta’s entry into the field with Llama 3 and the integrated AI assistant will affect other companies’ next steps.
It’s always an extremely scary moment when you can’t find your phone or other device. You never know if it’s simply lost or if it’s been stolen. Well, if you’re an Android User, you can rest assured. Google unveiled its Find My Device network, and this is a useful tool to help you locate your device should you lose it. But, what is the Find My Device network?
That’s what this piece is going to explain. We’re going to go over what this network is, how to use it, and other things you should know about it. Also, the Android Find My Device network is something that will be updated and improved over time. As such, this article will be updated accordingly. So, if you have any new questions about new features coming to this network, feel free to check back and see what new information has been added.
What is the Find My Device network?
The Find My Device network is a fully integrated web comprising millions of Bluetooth-enabled Android devices all communicating with one another seamlessly. Supportive devices will communicate with other devices nearby via Bluetooth. This is the premise that will power the entire network. So, using this network, you’ll be able to pinpoint your device’s location should you need to know where it is.
How does it work?
The Find My Device network works by using the devices around your device to pinpoint its location. Say, for example, you leave your phone on the table at a coffee shop. Well, unbeknownst to you and other people, your phone is actually communicating with surrounding Android devices via Bluetooth. So, if the other people sitting at the table have Android devices, your phone is basically talking back and forth with those devices.
Since these devices are communicating with your phone, they have an idea of your phone’s location. Now, if you open the Find My Device app, and try to locate your phone, Google will use the location data provided by the surrounding devices in order to pinpoint your device’s exact location.
Doesn’t Find My Device network already exist?
Well, yes and no. Yes, the platform existed before. This is a platform that you can use to pinpoint the location of your Android devices. You’ve been able to use the Android app or the website to locate your device.
However, this wasn’t truly a network. Google could only get the location of your device if it was connected to the internet. If your device wasn’t connected to the internet, then Google would have to use the last location recorded before it went offline.
The Find My Device network is different in that you will still be able to locate your device even if it’s not connected to the internet. If your phone is not connected to the internet, it will still be able to communicate with surrounding devices using Bluetooth. So, this is great news for people whose phones were not connected to the internet when they were lost. This eliminates the guessing game.
Also, since this uses Bluetooth technology, you will also be able to find the location of different types of devices. This includes smartwatches and headphones. At the time of writing this article, several companies are working on bringing their own tracker tags as well. These are AirTag-like devices that will also show up on the Find My Device network. You’ll be able to put these tags inside purses or items that you want to be able to keep track of.
So, the Find My Device network is an all-encompassing web of interconnected devices.
What devices are not included in the network?
At the time of writing this article, the Find My Device network is available in a limited number of markets. It’s currently available in the US and Canadian markets. Obviously, the company is going to spread this to more regions as time goes on. However, if you are not within the aforementioned regions, then you are playing the waiting game.
Also, we’re certain that Google is going to involve a wide range of Android devices. However, if you’re rocking a very old smartphone, then you shouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t work for you. So, if you’re using a device that is currently unsupported, then you may have to upgrade to a newer device if you want to be able to use the network.
Another thing to take into account is wearable devices. As stated before, it is possible to use headphones and smartwatches with the Find My Device network. However, your results may vary. It’s up to the manufacturer of the device to make it compatible with the Find My Device network. So, there’s no guarantee that the model you own will be compatible.
How do I know if I’m in the network?
Being on the Find My Device network doesn’t involve a huge software update or anything like that. In order to use this, you’ll have to be on the latest version of the Find My Device app. Since this is still rolling out, there’s a chance that you will not be in the network just yet. If you have the app, make sure you update it.
To update the app, you can go to the Play Store and find the Find My Device app. Also, you can hold your finger down on the app icon and tap on the app info button that appears in the resulting menu. From that point, scroll down to the bottom and tap on the app details button. This process May differ depending on the Android skin you’re using.
While you’re on the Play Store page, look for the Update button at the top of the screen. If you don’t see it, then you’ll have to wait for the update to reach your phone. For reference, we have yet to receive the update for the app, and we are on version 3.1.000-4. This version came out on March 31st, 2024. So, if you’re running that version or older, you will not be part of the network.
Does it cost money?
No. Being on the network is completely free, and Google has not indicated that it will charge for the service going forward.
Can I use the network when my phone is turned off?
At this point in time, that is a complicated question. Currently, there are only two devices that can be located on the network while powered off. These two devices are the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. This is because of the special hardware that Google put inside of these phones.
From the looks of it, it appears that these devices are using a very low-energy solution to send Bluetooth signals when the phone is not powered on. So, this functionality is limited to these two handsets.
However, Google is planning on working with other manufacturers and chipmakers to bring this sort of technology to more devices. At the time of writing this article, we don’t know if there are any devices currently planned to get this capability. However, this article will be updated with new information when that happens.
Does this pose a security risk?
At the time of writing this article, there doesn’t seem to be any blatant security risk using the Find My Device network. Nothing has come to the surface that people should be worried about. However, that’s not to say that there won’t be any bad actors who will use this as an exploit.
Will this use more battery power?
Ostensibly, this should use more battery power than before. However, we are certain that the battery drain is negligible, and you should not see a difference in your day-to-day life.
Is there a limit to the number of devices I can use on the Find My Device network?
As far as we know, there is no limit to how many devices you can use. All of your supported devices will appear on the list. So, you won’t have to worry about Google kicking your devices out of the network.
How do I remove devices from the network?
At this time, removing devices from the network will involve you removing your Google account from set devices. So, if you want to remove your device from the network while maintaining your Google account, you will not be able to.
How can I protect my data from potential thieves?
If you found out that you left your phone at the coffee shop, but didn’t find out until you’ve already gotten home, then the best option will be to secure your device. Securing your device will lock the device using the device’s PIN, pattern, or password. So, this will make sure that no strangers will be able to pick up your device and log into it. If your phone does not have a PIN, you will be able to set one using the app.
Also, securing your device will sign you out of your Google account. This means that, if a potential Thief is able to get past the PIN, they will not be able to access any information on your Google account. This means that they will not be able to log into any of your services using your Google account or have access to your passwords or other information. Once you get your phone back, you will simply be able to log back in and pick up where you left off.
What happens if my device gets stolen?
If your device is stolen, and there’s no chance of getting it back, then you’ll have to make the hard decision to factory reset it. Factory resetting your device normally requires you to physically have it in your hand. However, there is an option in the Find My Device network app that will allow you to factory reset it remotely.
In the app, look for the device that has been stolen and tap on it. You will see the map screen appear with the bottom panel under it. At the right corner of the bottom panel, you will see a little gear icon. This will take you to a new page. At the very bottom, you’ll see a button with red text that will give you the option to factory reset the device.
Once you factory reset your device, all of the data will be permanently erased. This includes your app data, call logs, text messages, apps, Etc. Once you do that, you will no longer be able to locate that device using the Find My Device network.
If your device is currently offline when you are trying to reset it, the reset will begin the moment it reconnects to the internet.
