T-Mobile finally gives Android users this functionality after 5 years on iOS

andreasc
-
0
T-Mobile finally gives Android users this functionality after 5 years on iOS
[ad_1]

When you want to activate a phone, you would either need to go to a brick-and-mortar store or have a SIM card sent to you. There’s not really a way to just activate the phone instantly from the comfort of your home. Well, that’s not true; you can do this if your phone has eSIM support…. and if you have an iPhone. Well, T-Mobile is finally letting Android users activate their eSIM phones after five long years.

T-Mobile has a dedicated app that people can use to activate their phones right from their home. It released this app for iPhones back in, get this, 2018. It’s been an iPhone-exclusive app for the past five years, which is annoying, seeing as more Android phones are adopting the eSIM tech over time.

Now, T-Mobile lets Android users activate their eSIM phones from the app

If you don’t know what eSIM technology is, it’s been a pretty polarizing subject. We’re all used to using SIM cards; physical programmed cards that we insert into our phones. Well, eSIM technology ditches that. With eSIM, the card is embedded into the phone, and it can be activated with different services.

So, rather than getting one SIM card that’s tied to one service, the eSIM can be told to change services. However, it can still be bound to a certain carrier.

T-Mobile finally made the eSIM app available to Android users. All you have to do is download the app and follow the on-screen instructions to activate your phone. Since your phone won’t have service until you activate your SIM, you might want to jump on a secure Wi-Fi connection.

Once you follow the steps, you’ll be able to use your phone just like any other phone. Also, if you activate your phone through eSIM, you won’t have to pay an activation fee. This makes activating your phone easier in an age when T-Mobile is deprioritizing physical stores.


[ad_2]
Source link

YouTube launches new features for teens’ protection

andreasc
-
0
YouTube launches new features for teens’ protection
[ad_1]
YouTube continues to add more features to prevent harmful content exposure for teens. The video company already has in place strict rules that protect teens on its platform, but there will always be people who find a way around them.

Earlier this week, YouTube announced a new set of features that will further enhance teens’ protection. The company developed these features in partnership with the Youth and Families Advisory Committee and will be implemented in the coming weeks.

That being said, YouTube revealed that it is now limiting repeated recommendations of videos related to content that compares physical features and idealizes some types over other, idealizes specific fitness levels or body weights, or displays social aggression in the form of intimidation.
YouTube launches new features for teens’ protection

Another change announced this week is the complete revamp of the Take a Break and Bedtime reminders features to be more visually prominent and appear more frequently. The changes will be more prevalent for viewers under 18 whose accounts have these reminders turned on by default.

It’s also important to add that these features should pop up as across Shorts and long-form videos, with a default setting for Take a Break reminders every hour, which can be adjusted.

Finally, YouTube announced that it’s expanding crisis resources panels into a new full-page experience, which will hopefully help viewers pause and explore help topics when they search on YouTube for certain queries related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

[ad_2]
Source link

Samsung still wants to build the S Pen into its foldable phones

andreasc
-
0
Samsung still wants to build the S Pen into its foldable phones
[ad_1]

Since the Galaxy Z Fold 3, we’ve known about Samsung’s mission to build the S Pen into the Z Fold experience. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t been able to so far, and we’ve only gotten unique cases. However, some new patents show that Samsung is still looking to integrate the S Pen into its Z Fold phones.

It’s important to note that this news comes to us from patent images spotted on Studimo (via Android Central). Since these are patent images, you shouldn’t expect anything to come from them.

This means that Samsung is interested in securing the technology. It doesn’t mean Samsung is actively working on a product with this design. So, if Samsung is working on the technology, we don’t know if it is planning on integrating it with the next Galaxy Z Fold or in future years.

Samsung is working on building a stylus into a future Galaxy Z Fold

Patent images are always a great source for eccentric designs. These are no different, as they show some ways that Samsung wants to build the S Pen into its future Galaxy Z Fold devices. One involves a notable change to the smartphone’s form factor.

1st design

The first image shows the Galaxy Z Fold with an extended bezel. The bezel around the top third of the phone will stick out a couple of millimeters. The S Pen will sit comfortably within that bezel. If you want to take the stylus out, you’ll click it and pull it downward.

That’s a pretty convenient way of accessing your stylus, but it might have an effect on the handling of the phone. Also, we’re not sure that Samsung is going to release a product that looks that eccentric. One of the things that Samsung prides itself on is its refinement of the foldable phone formula over the years. We’re not sure if the company wants to walk back the refinement of its device to experiment.

galaxy fold built in stylus 1
Image Credit: Studimo

2nd design

The next design shows the S Pen being integrated into the back of the phone. Similar to how the S Pen sticks to the back of the Galaxy Tab magnetically, the S Pen will sit in a little cavity right below the camera. It will most likely stick magnetically. This will be hard to do without adding thickness to the phone, but it might not disrupt the fundamental design as much as the first design.

galaxy fold built in stylus 2
Image Credit: Studimo

In any case, we hope to see Samsung finally add the S Pen to its Galaxy Z Fold devices.


[ad_2]
Source link

WhatsApp is still working on email verification, don’t worry

andreasc
-
0
WhatsApp is still working on email verification, don’t worry
[ad_1]

Any person who uses WhatsApp should know the struggle with using the service across different devices. You’re not able to simply sign in using an email or username; however, that’s set to change. According to a new report, WhatsApp is working on bringing email verification.

People have used WhatsApp for years, and they’ve dealt with the company’s sign-up process. You use your phone number when making a new account. This means that if you switch to a new number, you will lose access to all of your chats and files.

Despite this, WhatsApp has pretty much been at the top of the messaging platform game for some time. With other companies offering strong competition like Google and Telegram, WhatsApp is going to need to fix this issue in order to stay competitive.

WhatsApp is working on email verification

While the company is working on bringing this feature to the public, it’s still a while away. The feature for email verification was found in the beta version of the app (version 2.23.24.10). Even then, it’s not showing up for all beta testers. so, the company is only testing it on a limited number of testers.

If you’re lucky enough to have the feature, you’ll find it by going to your settings and going to the Account page. In the email section, you’ll see the email setup screen. You’ll enter your email address. After that, we’re sure WhatsApp will send a verification email to the address prompting you to verify your address.

WhatsApp email verification

In the screenshot, we see that the address entered is still pending verification. So, you’ll see that until you verify your email address.

Another thing to note is that your email address won’t be visible to other people on the app. This is for people who want to maintain their privacy. This way, your email isn’t visible to random people who happen to use the app.

Right now, we don’t know when WhatsApp plans to release this to the stable channel. However, it’s nice to see that the company is making steps in the right direction.


[ad_2]
Source link

LEGO Marketplace BrickLink Hacked? Website Down Amid Unusual Activity

andreasc
-
0
LEGO Marketplace BrickLink Hacked? Website Down Amid Unusual Activity
[ad_1]

Key Points

  • The official website of BrickLink displays a message stating that it experienced unusual activity.
  • Ransom messages were reportedly sent out to many BrickLink users’ accounts.
  • Apparently, hackers are demanding payments in cryptocurrency in exchange for not deleting store inventories and other items.
  • BrickLink is yet to release an official statement about the incident, and there is no confirmation that the company has become a target of cyberattack.

The website of BrickLink, the world’s leading LEGO marketplace and fan community, is currently down, allegedly due to a hacking incident. The company is investigating the issue and has taken down the website as a precautionary measure.

Usually, BrickLink’s website goes under maintenance regularly, but this lasts for a few minutes only. This time, the maintenance mode has lasted for over five hours, according to Jay’sBrickBlog. Users who visited the site saw the following message:

“Bricklink is currently investigating some unusual activity, so it’s too early to speculate further. We will share more information once it’s available.”

The company posted another update on November 4 at 3:58 a.m. EST, “We continue to investigate the unusual activity. We want to make sure we take the time to investigate fully. We will be back up and running as soon as possible”.

LEGO Marketplace BrickLink Hacked? Website Down After Suspected Cyberattack
Bricklink website down (Screenshot: Hackread.com)

Several BrickLink users have reported receiving or viewing ransom messages allegedly from the hacker(s). A user wrote this message on Reddit, “I saw ransom messages on the forum and now can’t access the site. Any info?”

Another user wrote that BrickLink has gone into “preventive shutdown” and that “BrickLink had 30 minutes to pay EUR 50,000 to a bitcoin account or they would start deleting inventories from big stores. The shutdown appears to be an effort to get the hackers out of the system.”

According to the messages shared by BrickLink users, Sellers and Stores accounts have been hacked, and attackers are demanding payments in cryptocurrencies in exchange for not deleting items and store inventories. Instagram user exabrickslegogo_ claims that attackers are allegedly asking €50,000 for site restoration.

LEGO Marketplace BrickLink Hacked? Website Down After Suspected Cyberattack
Ransom message received by users

BrickLink was founded by Dan Jezek in 2020. It boasts over a million members, 10,000+ seller stores in 70 countries, and hosts the BrickLink Designer Program that lets fans create personalized sets that become physical builds if they attract 10,000 votes. It became a wholly owned Lego subsidiary in 2019 but is managed as a standalone platform where fans can buy specific pieces, get instructions on models, and locate hard-to-find sets.

Since the company is yet to release an official statement, there’s no clarity on what could have happened and what data may have been compromised. BrickLink is investigating the incident but hasn’t provided any timeline for when the site will be online again. Meanwhile, BrickLink users must exercise caution and avoid clicking on links/attachments in emails or messages from unknown senders.

  1. Disney+ accounts being sold on dark web marketplaces
  2. Fashion marketplace giant 21 Buttons exposes millions of users’ data
  3. Brazilian marketplace integrator Hariexpress exposed billion of records

[ad_2]
Source link

Do you want an unused Twitter handle? Well, you’d better have $50,000

andreasc
-
0
Do you want an unused Twitter handle? Well, you’d better have $50,000
[ad_1]

You just REALLY love Hot Wheels, and you think that @HotweelzGuy fits your tastes perfectly; however, someone else claimed it. Well, if it’s gone unused, there’s still hope to have it. You can buy an unused Twitter handle from the company, but you’re probably going to have to sell your house to do it.

According to an email seen by Forbes (via SamMobile), the company is working on a handle marketplace where people can sell their old and unused handles. So, these will be user-to-user sales only. The company started deactivating unused and bot accounts earlier this year. However, X is not currently planning to sell those purged accounts.

You can buy an unused Twitter handle, but it’s a bit pricey

So, if you’re wondering about the pricing, it’s not pretty. You wouldn’t expect a Twitter handle to cost much; it’s literally a line of text/numbers. But, apparently, it’s worth a lot to Elon Musk. If you move to buy a handle from a user, you’ll need to pay a $50,000 flat fee to X.

That’s already high, but 100% of that fee will go to X; the seller doesn’t see any of that, so the seller will need to charge more on top of that to make any money. So, the price you pay could be much higher.

As you can imagine, the mass majority of people will not want to pay that much money for a handle. It’s much cheaper just to add a few characters to the end of their dream handle and call it a day. This way, they could have a good handle and not go into debt.

At this point, we don’t know when this marketplace is going to open up. When it eventually does, who knows if this will be a revenue stream for the company or just another failed attempt to make the app profitable.


[ad_2]
Source link

Xiaomi 14 Ultra to launch with a new powerful camera sensor

andreasc
-
0
Xiaomi 14 Ultra to launch with a new powerful camera sensor
[ad_1]

As many of you know, both the Xiaomi 13 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Ultra include a 1-inch camera sensor. The ‘Ultra’ model did get the advantage of variable aperture, though. Having said that, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is rumored to include a new powerful camera sensor.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra will include a new camera sensor

One of the most prominent Chinese tipsters, Digital Chat Station, claims it will be the Sony LYT-900 (LYTIA). That is a 50-megapixel camera, just like the Sony IMX989 that Xiaomi used, but improved, of course.

Other sources claim it could be the OmniVision OV50K, which is also a 50-megapixel camera sensor. That camera sensor has been mentioned in context with Huawei too.

If we had to guess, we’d say that Xiaomi will stick with Sony. Why? Well, Xiaomi has been doing that for quite some time, and all three Xiaomi 13 series flagships used a main camera sensor from Sony.

The Xiaomi 14 & Xiaomi 14 Pro use the ‘Light Hunter 900’

Also, Xiaomi did confirm that both Xiaomi 14 series smartphones utilize the ‘Light Hunter 900’ camera sensor. That is a direct translation from Chinese, though, and considering that the number 900 is included in both that name, and the LYT-900 camera sensor, we presume it’s the same thing. We’re not sure, though.

The ‘Ultra’ model will likely come with some camera hardware advantages over the Xiaomi 14 Pro. That is what happened with the Xiaomi 13 series, and we expect the same to be the case with the Xiaomi 14 series phones.

What about the OmniVision OV50H? Well, it’s also a 1/1.3-inch camera sensor, just like the ‘Light Hunter 900’. They should be on the same playing field, at least to a degree. Software will play a huge part in the results, of course.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is not expected to launch that soon, however. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra arrived around half a year after its siblings. The upcoming ‘Ultra’ phone is tipped to arrive in Q2 next year, or the very end of Q1 at the earliest. Xiaomi could still surprise us, though, this is just an assumption.


[ad_2]
Source link

Trusted source confirms Galaxy S24 series colors

andreasc
-
0
Trusted source confirms Galaxy S24 series colors
[ad_1]

Last month, a well-known display analyst shared what color variants we can expect for Samsung’s upcoming flagships. Well, Ice Universe has just confirmed the Galaxy S24 series colors, basically.

Trusted source shares the Galaxy S24 series colors

Ice Universe is one of the most prominent tipsters out there, and he basically confirmed what Ross Young said. Considering how accurate both sources usually are, we have no reason to doubt this information.

The Galaxy S24 series is coming in Black, Blue, Gray, Green, Orange, Violet, and Yellow color options, says Ice Universe. Out of those colors, four will be standard ones, Black, Gray, Violet, and Yellow. Blue, Green, and Orange colors will be online exclusive. Do note that those will be Light Blue and Light Green colors, according to Ross Young.

So, there will be plenty to choose from. Do note that not all models will be available in all of these colors, probably. As many of you already know, Samsung is expected to announce three smartphones as part of the series. The Galaxy S24 is coming, along with the Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 series is expected to launch in January

Those three smartphones are expected to launch in January next year. We still don’t know the exact launch date, even the month is just an assumption at this point. Samsung will confirm everything in the near future.

Based on what we’ve seen thus far, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will have a flat display, unlike its predecessor. In fact, all three smartphones will have flat displays. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will differentiate from its siblings in terms of the design, though.

The company seems to be set to use both Snapdragon and Exynos chips once again, after skipping Exynos for last-gen models. Chances are that users in Europe will once again get an Exynos chip, though it’ll hopefully be considerably better this time around.


[ad_2]
Source link

Samsung has a golden Galaxy S24 Ultra in the pipeline

andreasc
-
0
Samsung has a golden Galaxy S24 Ultra in the pipeline
[ad_1]

The yellow color variant of Samsung‘s Galaxy S24 Ultra will reportedly feature a golden frame. The revelation came from noted tipster Ice Universe. The source shared a concept image of the device to show what it looks like from the front. The phone will also come in black, gray, violet, green, blue, and orange colors.

Samsung is readying a golden Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung usually offers its flagship phones in a host of colors, though some are limited to select markets or its online shop. For the 2024 lineup, the company is readying at least seven color options for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Among those is a yellow variant, which we have seen in concept images in the past.

We now have confirmation that the device will feature a golden frame. The image shared by the tipster shows a sleek Galaxy S24 Ultra with symmetrical display bezels. The same source reports that the design looks “great” in real life, better than what leaked renders have suggested. The punch hole cutout for the selfie camera is smaller and sits a little lower than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra “real mobile phone looks great, better than I expected,” the tipster said in a recent post on X. They have been very critical of Samsung’s flagship designs in recent years, particularly the display bezels. So the company seems to have done a great job this time around. While it’s impossible to please everyone, the new flagship may not disappoint many with its design.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra golden concept image

Only the Ultra model may have a titanium frame

As usual, Samsung will launch three flagship smartphones next year. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be accompanied by the base Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+. All three models are expected to come in a wide range of colors. However, only the Ultra mode may feature a titanium frame. The Korean media reports that Samsung doesn’t plan to equip the other two models with a titanium frame in 2024.

Like the 2023 models, the base Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ will feature an aluminum frame. The company may upgrade them to titanium in the future. Since titanium is harder to cut and finish, it’s costlier to make than aluminum frames, which reportedly cost less than $20 each. It remains to be seen if Samsung will absorb this cost and reduce its profit margin or pass it to consumers, increasing the price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The new flagships arrive in January 2024.


[ad_2]
Source link

Dual Wallpaper app can change wallpapers for you

andreasc
-
0
Dual Wallpaper app can change wallpapers for you
[ad_1]

Most Android smartphones these days have both light and dark modes. Many of you probably prefer having one during the day, one the other when the sun sets. Well, we stumbled upon an app that you may be interested in, if you belong to that group, the app’s name is Dual Wallpaper.

The Dual Wallpaper app can change your wallpapers automatically

This app changes the wallpapers for you, based on your theme. So when your theme changes to light mode, a new wallpaper will appear, the same goes when it flips into dark mode.

You can, of course, set which wallpapers you’d like to be representative of which mode. That way, you’ll always have the exact layout you want. You won’t need to worry about bright wallpapers during the night.

Now, if you do not change your themes, but would still like for the app to change your wallpaper, that’s also possible. You can set a time schedule for the change to occur.

In regards to wallpapers, you can either choose your own, or set plain color gradients from within the app. Dual Wallpaper allows you to use a color picker to select the colors you prefer.

It doesn’t include ads, and it’s completely free

This application is completely free and it doesn’t include ads. That is something many of you will know how to appreciate. On top of that, the app’s design is very nice. It looks clean, and quite straightforward, and it works great.

Chances are you won’t be spending much time in the app, though, but still, it’s nice to see nice UI designs. Once you set everything as you like it, the only time you’ll come back is when you want to change the wallpaper(s) or the schedule you’ve chosen.

Take a look at the gallery below to see some images of the app’s UI. If you’re interested in checking it out, we’ve included the download link below. It will take you directly to the app’s Google Play Store listing.

Dual Wallpaper app (Google Play Store)


[ad_2]
Source link
1...753754755...1,483Page 754 of 1,483