Galaxy S24 enters production amid early launch rumors

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Galaxy S24 enters production amid early launch rumors
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A January 2024 launch of the Galaxy S24 series is looking increasingly likely. While we don’t yet have a date, industry insiders have claimed that Samsung is looking to unveil the new flagships a few weeks earlier than the Galaxy S23. Well-known tipster Ice Universe has just added fuel to this rumor (via Revegnus). They claim the devices will go official in the second half of January next year.

The Galaxy S24 series launch is once again tipped for January 2024

Samsung has regularly shuffled its Galaxy S flagship launch schedules in recent years. The Galaxy S23 series debuted on February 1, while the Galaxy S22 went official on February 9. The Galaxy S21 before it was unveiled on January 14. The preceding three lineups—Galaxy S9, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S20—all arrived in February. So a January launch for the Galaxy S24 series won’t be a huge surprise.

The company even unveiled its 2023 foldables a couple of weeks earlier than the 2022 models. It appears Samsung will do the same for the Galaxy S24 next year. The main reason this is looking likely is the Korean firm’s production schedule. The new flagships have already entered the production stage, almost a month before the Galaxy S23 series. An early production run should mean an early launch too.

As far as the date is concerned, we might see Samsung unveil the Galaxy S24 on January 17 or January 24, 2024. It’s a calculated guess based on the rumors and the history of the company’s major Galaxy Unpacked events. Those events usually take place on Wednesdays. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 debuted on a Wednesday too, and so did the Galaxy S23.

Some reports have even hinted at an early January launch of the 2024 Samsung flagships. In that case, the event could fall on January 10. Well, a Wednesday launch isn’t set in stone, so all of this is mere speculation for now. With leaks about the Galaxy S24 coming thick and fast, we should soon get a confirmation about the launch date. We will keep you posted accordingly.

Only the Ultra model may feature a Snapdragon chip globally

Like the last few years, Samsung will launch four Galaxy S24 models. However, only the Ultra model may ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip globally. The base Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ are expected to feature the company’s in-house Exynos 2400 chip in some markets, including Europe. Hopefully, Samsung has fixed its Exynos troubles or this move might prove costly.


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Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 faces Apple’s A17 Pro: Benchmarks standoff

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Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 faces Apple’s A17 Pro: Benchmarks standoff
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In the ever-evolving world of smartphone technology, Qualcomm has thrown down the gauntlet with the launch of its latest flagship chip for Android devices: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Benchmarks reveal that this new chip is not just holding its own but even rivaling Apple’s cutting-edge 3nm chip found in the iPhone 15 Pro.

Qualcomm asserts that this chip offers a remarkable 30% increase in raw processing power while being significantly more power-efficient. Furthermore, it places a heavy emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. It features the new Hexagon NPU, which is touted to be 98% faster. Besides that, it also enables impressive on-device AI models like stable diffusion and photo expansion.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a 4nm chipset with a 1+5+2 core layout. At its core is the powerful Cortex-X4 at 3.3 GHz, supported by five Cortex-A720 performance cores at 3.2 GHz and two Cortex-A520 efficiency cores at 2.3 GHz, as reported by 9to5Google.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in benchmarks

Qualcomm has shared a short video highlighting benchmark results, and the numbers are indeed intriguing. Especially the performance retention in back-to-back tests on the 8 Gen 3 is worth noting. But how does the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 stack up against its competition?

GSMArena provides a comprehensive context for these results (image below). In AnTuTu the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 achieved an impressive score of 2,139,281, eclipsing Apple’s score of 1,487,203.

In essence, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is entering the ring as a challenger to Apple’s flagship A17 Pro chip. What makes this feat even more remarkable is that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a 4nm chip, whereas Apple’s A17 Pro operates on a 3nm architecture.

Will it surpass the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro/Max in real life?

Last year the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brought a significant improvement over the 8 Gen 1. This year’s story seems to be no different, with even improved efficiency and the result in benchmarks. But whether this new chip on Android will perform better than the iPhone 15 Pro/Max depends on the operating system and specific tasks too.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is rivaling the best of Apple’s in benchmarks. However, real-life tasks in completely different software environments may still tell a different story. For that, we’ll have to wait for the global release of the Xiaomi 14 series (the first to boast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) which might give us a perspective of real-life performance.


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Adware apps with 2 million installs spotted on Google Play Store

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Adware apps with 2 million installs spotted on Google Play Store
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Four Android adware apps have been spotted on the Google Play Store, and they have 2 million installs in total. These apps were spotted by Dr.Web, an IT security solutions provider. The information has been relayed by Bleeping Computer.

Four adware apps managed to accumulate 2 million downloads on the Google Play Store

That being said, we’re looking at four apps here: Super Skibydi Killer, Agent Shooter, Rubber Punch 3D, and Rainbow Stretch. The first app here, amassed 1 million installs, while the second and third reached 500,000. The last app stands at 50,000 installs.

All of these apps are using something called HiddenAds malware. These apps are basically games, but they will try going invisible on you once you install them. How? Well, they will use a different icon to camouflage themselves, or possibly a transparent one.

These apps will run in the background on your phone, and launch ads on your phone’s browser in order to gain revenue.

Malware apps from the FakeApp family were also spotted

These are not all the apps that Dr.Web spotted, not at all. A different group of apps are a part of the ‘FakeApp’ family. These apps will try to get you to go to investment scam websites.

Six such apps were highlighted: Eternal Maze (Yana Pospyelova), Jungle Jewels (Vaibhav Wable), Stellar Secrets (Pepperstocks), Fire Fruits (Sandr Sevill), Cowboy’s Frontier (Precipice Game Studios), and the Enchanted Elixir (Acomadyi).

The first app reached the 50,000 downloads mark, while the other five crossed the 10,000 downloads threshold. If you thought that’s all, well, it’s not.

Two malware apps from the ‘Joker’ family are also wreaking havoc

The last roundup relates to the ‘Joker’ family of malware apps. We’re very familiar with such apps. They will try to make you sign up for premium paid services. Two apps were highlighted, Love Emoji Messenger (Korsinka Vimoipan) and Beauty Wallpaper HD (fm0989184). The first one reached the 50,000 downloads mark, while the second one hit a 1,000 downloads level.

Do note that all of these apps have been removed from the Google Play Store. Still, if you do have them installed on your phone, you’ll need to remove them manually.


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Google Fiber Labs is bringing residential 20 Gig internet with Wi-Fi 7

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Google Fiber Labs is bringing residential 20 Gig internet with Wi-Fi 7
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The year is coming to an end and Google Fiber Labs is preparing to launch residential 20 Gig internet with Wi-Fi 7 connectivity technology. Already, this technology is available for usage by large corporations and organizations around the US, but not residents. For now, residents are stuck with 1 Gig, 2 Gig, 5 Gig or 10 Gig depending on the area where they live.

With time, there is a need for more stable and smooth internet access, and the available residential connection technology is no longer sufficient. Google Fiber is now working to achieve its goal of rolling out 20 Gig to residential areas by the end of the year. At this point, they only have two months to roll out this technology for everyday usage.

Many might worry that for Google Fiber to offer 20 Gig to residential areas around the state, they’ll need some major work. This work should include installing new fibreglass cables in the ground in place of the existing ones. Well, that’s not the case here, as Google already has the necessary tools on hand to upgrade residential areas to 20 Gig without any cable replacement.

Google Fiber Labs might be bringing 20 Gig with Wi-Fi 7 soon

Back in September, Google Fiber Labs set out to explore “what’s possible for the internet” in regions like the US. With this goal came the need to improve internet access in residential areas. This means that the existing connectivity options available in these areas need to see some upgrades.

For this upgrade, Google Fiber Lab will be rolling out 20 Gig for these residential areas. Already, some large corporations and organizations in the US make use of 20 Gig connectivity. This is much faster than 1 Gig, 2 Gig, 5 Gig, and 10 Gig that residential areas have access to.

Also, the cost of using a 20 Gig internet connection is high, but for the speed it offers, users won’t mind upgrading. Some users in areas where this technology is coming might worry about how Google intends to install it for usage. Instead of replacing the current fibreglass cables, Google will use Nokia’s 25G PON technology.

With this technology, users will be able to break the 10 Gig limits they currently have, hence accessing a 10x faster connection. By using this technology, Google Fiber Labs won’t need to replace any fibreglass cable, hence making the upgrade smooth. Once a 20 Gig connection is available in residential areas, it’ll bring Wi-Fi 7 pre-certification.

The roll-out of this connection technology will be gradual, with a few Google Fiber users having access to it first. Other users will also get access to the technology a few weeks after it officially becomes available. Pricing to use this service will become available in the coming weeks, and users can expect it to exceed $200 per month.


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Google addresses Android 14 storage issue for Pixel phones

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Google addresses Android 14 storage issue for Pixel phones
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Google has officially responded to the Android 14 storage issue affecting some Pixel devices. The issue is preventing users from accessing the media storage, with some devices even facing boot-loops.

“Depending on the device, this issue can result in the primary user being unable to access media storage. Alternatively, the issue can reboot the device with a “Factory data reset” message. If this message is accepted, data that is not backed up can be lost, and if it is declined, the device repeatedly reboots with the “Pixel is starting” message.” Google responded (via 9to5Google).

This problem has impacted only Pixel 6 and later models with multiple users after being updated to Android 14. These secondary user profiles include guests, restricted profiles, and child users. Note that it’s not just about having multiple Google Accounts signed in within the primary user or work profiles.

For those who have encountered this problem, it has proven to be a major inconvenience, making media storage inaccessible.

Google is working on fixing the Android 14 storage issue at the earliest

To prevent further devices from experiencing these problems, the company has already issued a Google Play system update. You can access this update by going to Settings, then Security & privacy, System & update, and finally Google Play system update. As of the latest information available, the system update rolled out on October 1, 2023.

For those locked out of their media storage, Google is working on a system update that will not only resolve the issue but also restore access to your precious media files.

Google is also working on potential data recovery methods for devices that are stuck in a boot loop displaying the “Pixel is starting” message. While the specifics are still pending, Google has assured affected users that more information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

How to Stay Safe? (for those who have proven lucky so far)

For users with a Pixel 6 or newer device who haven’t encountered the Android 14 storage issue yet, Google recommends avoiding the creation or login of secondary users on the device until the OTA (over-the-air) update containing the fix becomes available. This precaution should help prevent potential issues associated with this storage problem in the meantime.


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The Beatles are releasing their final song with the help of AI

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The Beatles are releasing their final song with the help of AI
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Artificial Intelligence systems have always had their fair share of concerns, ranging from mimicking other’s work to training on copyrighted data. However, one such AI system is now responsible for the debut of the Beatles’ final song, “Now and Then.”

How did AI make the song possible?

According to the reports, before John Lennon’s untimely passing, he recorded three songs—Free As a Bird, Real Love, and Now and Then—on a cassette in the late 1970s. While McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison successfully finished and released the first two songs, limited technology at the time prevented them from separating Lennon’s vocals and piano from the third song.

However, everything changed when Peter Jackson used AI in the Beatles documentary “Get Back” to isolate instruments, vocals, and conversations, thereby paving the way for the completion of the final song. This is because by employing this technology, the team succeeded in isolating Lennon’s original vocal performance from his piano, enabling other members to complete the song by incorporating new elements. These elements included guitar parts recorded by Harrison in 1995, a string arrangement by McCartney, Giles Martin, and Ben Foster, and backing vocals sourced from original recordings of famous Beatles tracks.

After first hearing the song, Paul McCartney stated, “There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it. It’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.”

Concerns about AI

Despite concerns about AI’s involvement in regenerating Lennon’s performance, McCartney reassured fans that nothing synthetic was added, emphasizing that the process primarily involved refining existing recordings. Moreover, it is also important to note that this process of cleaning up audio has been an industry standard for years.

“It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us,” said Ringo Starr.


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Google CEO Pichai testifies in court: We once asked Apple to preload Search on iOS

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Google CEO Pichai testifies in court: We once asked Apple to preload Search on iOS
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As you probably have figured out by now if you’re an iPhone user, Apple does not allow third-party firms to have their apps pre-loaded on iOS. The YouTube and Google Maps apps that were pre-loaded on the iPhone were created by Apple and removed in iOS 6. Google Maps was famously replaced by the original iteration of Apple Maps, a disaster if there ever was one. But that’s a story for another day.
Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified Monday in DC District Court as the U.S. vs. Google antitrust trial continued. No surprise, the executive’s testimony mostly revolved around the deal that Google has with Apple to be the default search engine on Safari. The judge will have to determine if the deal with Apple dampens competition in the search engine market.
Google Search on the original iPhone in 2007. Image credit-Search Engine Land - Google CEO Pichai testifies in court: We once asked Apple to preload Search on iOS

Google Search on the original iPhone in 2007. Image credit-Search Engine Land

During his testimony, Pichai revealed that he and Apple CEO Tim Cook meet once a year to discuss how the arrangement is working out for both firms. On the stand, Pichai said that in 2018 Apple was concerned about a drop in revenue from the deal it has with Google because of a drop in traffic to Google Search on iOS. According to The Verge, notes written after a meeting between Google and Apple pointed out that “Google is not in control of the amount or type of traffic received by Safari; Apple is.”
According to emailed notes related to the meeting five years ago between the two CEOs and shared with the court by Google’s partnerships executive Don Harrison, “When discussing how to encourage search, [Pichai] spoke about the fact that this is what we do — people trust us to get this right and trust us with the content of what they are searching for — and weaved in them considering us building an app or other experience that people associate with us and connect to us (vs. flowing through Siri/suggest.) Tim listened but did not react to this specifically other than noting we had different strengths.”

Pichai was asked about the emails in court and stated, “We said one of the things that works well on Android, which drives increased usage, is a Google Search application. So I proposed that we could build a Google search application for iOS… and we would be committed to supporting the product for many years.” But allowing Google Search to be pre-loaded on iOS was considered too fraught with danger to consider. With billions and billions at stake, neither Google nor Apple wanted to do anything that might stop the cash from flowing.


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Black Friday Deals 2023 – Early sales at Amazon, Best Buy, Crutchfield & More

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Black Friday Deals 2023 – Early sales at Amazon, Best Buy, Crutchfield & More
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Black Friday has really taken a life of its own in the past few years. Now it’s always been longer than just a single day, but since the pandemic, Black Friday sales with guaranteed Black Friday prices, have been taking place all month, with some happening as early as October.

To be sure you don’t waste your money, and miss out on a great deal, we have rounded up the very best early Black Friday deals that are currently available. This post will be updated continuously from now until Black Friday on November 24. So make sure you bookmark this page, so you don’t miss anything. And also follow us on Twitter/X, as we’ll post even more deals there.

Retailers with early Black Friday deals

Amazon: There are deals on just about everything right now. From coffee makers, to apparel, to smartphones.

Walmart: There will be four sales events for early Black Friday deals throughout November. With discounts on laptops, smartphones, tablets and much more.

Best Buy: Continuing its daily deals, Best Buy is going to be offering even steeper discounts throughout the rest of October and November. It is also offering a Black Friday price match Guarantee.

Best Black Friday deals available now

While Amazon did kind of kickstart its Black Friday deals back in October, we are starting to see even more products on sale. These all include a “Black Friday Guarantee” from most major retailers. Basically ensuring that you won’t see this at a lower price on Black Friday. So you can purchase now and not worry about it dropping in price in a couple of weeks.

With the many different shortages that are plaguing retailers this year, it’s a good idea to start shopping early. That is why Amazon is pushing so hard to get people to start their big holiday shopping now. So that it will all arrive in time for the holidays.

Below, you will find the best deals for Amazon, Best Buy, Dell and Walmart. These are updated daily, so you can rest assured that these prices are accurate.


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RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses are here with Snapdragon’s AR1 chip

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RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses are here with Snapdragon’s AR1 chip
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During the just concluded Snapdragon Summit 2023 event, the RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses were unveiled. These pairs of AR smart glasses are not yet available for global release, as prospective users need to wait till next year. But they made the stage during the Summit event because they are using the new Snapdragon AR1 chip.

In addition to using this new AR chip from Qualcomm Snapdragon, this new pair of glasses is the first of their kind. They are the first full-color 3D display smart AR glasses that use the Snapdragon AR1 chip. This new product is paving the way for more like it that’ll be launched in the coming future.

Fans around the world can’t wait to try on this new piece of technology from RayNeo. With its AR capabilities, the new RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses will help users get productive while on the go. This pair of glasses show how technology is blending into users’ everyday life and how AR is shaping the future in various ways.

Specs & features of the RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses might make you consider getting a pair

During the Snapdragon Summit 2023 event, the main focus of this product was the chip that’s powering it. However, there was also notable mention of the other features that this pair of AR glasses bring to the table. Among these features is its full-color 3D display, which users will benefit a lot from once it hits the market.

For its processor, this pair of AR glasses comes with the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip under the hood. This is Qualcomm’s latest AR processor for lightweight smart glasses. With this processor, users of the new smart glasses from RayNeo can enjoy a ton of AI capabilities for use throughout the day.

To interact with the AI assistant on the new RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses, users need a display screen. Here is this new pair of smart glasses from RayNeo use a full-colour 3D display. This screen display boasts cutting-edge MicroLED optical waveguide technology for impressive image quality.

The display offers users a 30-degree field of view and up to 1,500 nits brightness. RayNeo assures prospective users that this screen display will hold up under varying lighting conditions thanks to the adaptive display. With these, users don’t have to worry about how they can interact with their AI assistant as they go about their everyday activities. 

All these features and technology bring the weight of this pair of smart glasses to just 60 grams. User comfort is also up to par with modern technology offering skin-friendly materials, compact ergonomics, cushion-like adjustable nose pads and so much more. RayNeo will start retailing the new X2 Lite smart glasses next year, and more details on its pricing will be available in the coming weeks.


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Facebook and Instagram will be ad-free, but at a cost

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Facebook and Instagram will be ad-free, but at a cost
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Right now, when you’re scrolling your Instagram or Facebook feed, you’re inundated with ads. That’s to be expected, as all major platforms do. However, Meta might have a solution. According to a new report, Facebook and Instagram are going ad-free, but there are some things you need to know.

X recently unveiled a new ad-free subscription tier, and it’s the new X Premium+ tier. This $16 tier will remove the ads and offer you more perks that you can enjoy if you really need them. If you want to part with that much money each month, then you can check it out on the support page.

Facebook and Instagram could go ad-free

So, as you can expect, this won’t be free. Meta is testing out a new subscription service that will remove the ads from both platforms. If you’re in the US, and you’re excited about scrubbing ads off of your feed, you’re going to be disappointed. Meta is only testing this out in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. If you live in either of those regions, then you’ll be able to sign up for the service starting in November.

The plan costs €9.99/month if you sign up through the web and €12.99/month if you sign up through the Android or iOS app. The difference in price is because Google and Apple charge companies a fee for every transaction that happens on their stores.

If you have multiple accounts, here’s something that you’ll need to know. Starting in March 2024, if you want to make any additional accounts ad-free, that will incur a €6.99/month fee.

Will this come to other markets? There’s a chance that it won’t

Naturally, you’d assume that this subscription will make it to other parts of the world. Sometimes, companies test services in certain countries before making them globally available.

However, Meta is doing this because of the strict data privacy regulations that the EU laid down. The company brought this service to comply with the EU’s regulation, so it might only be available there. This is much the same as the chronological feed in TikTok. That’s a feature that much of the world wants, but it’s only doing that in the EU because of the regulations.

Hopefully, Meta will decide to bring this to more markets. The company said that it believes in an ad-supported internet, so don’t get your hopes up.


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