Save $400 on the Sony 55-inch A80L BRAVIA XR OLED TV

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Save $400 on the Sony 55-inch A80L BRAVIA XR OLED TV
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Amazon has shaved $400 off of the regular price of the A80L BRAVIA XR OLED TV today, making it just $1,498. That’s a pretty good price for this TV, and definitely makes it worth buying. This is also an all-time low for this particular model.

Other sizes are also on sale. The other sizes are also on sale for about $400-$500 off, except for the 65-inch. That one is still sitting at its regular price.

The A80L is already a really good TV to pick up. As this is a BRAVIA XR OLED TV from Sony, providing an incredible looking picture, for really a great price. Thanks to the Cognitive Processor XR, colors look much more real to life here, compared to other panels that you might see on other TVs. Which, for Sony, that’s important. Remember, Sony is also a movie studio, so they want their movies (and TV shows) to look great on their own TVs.

OLED is a really great technology to invest into, when it comes to TVs. Sure there is the burn-in thing, though that is pretty hard to get unless you keep the same thing on the TV for hours and hours a day. Think the TVs at the airport that have CNN playing all day, everyday. But OLED is able to produce more accurate colors, because each individual pixel is light up. Instead of using a backlight to light up the whole screen as LCD does. That’s why the blacks look more like gray on those panels, versus OLED actually being black, because those pixels are not on.

You can pick up the Sony A80L 4K Google TV from Amazon by clicking the link below.

Sony A80L BRAVIA XR OLED TV – Amazon


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“Grandpa Google” begins its defense of search antitrust case

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“Grandpa Google” begins its defense of search antitrust case
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Google has officially begun its defense of the biggest antitrust case in the last 25 years. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused the company of stifling competition in the online search industry through unfair means. However, the internet giant says its search product is in a precarious position with the younger demographic. Its search head has claimed that young internet users mock the tool, calling it “Grandpa Google.”

Google SVP says young users call the company “Grandpa”

Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s senior vice president responsible for search, ads, and other related products, says young users don’t find its search tool as useful as the older demographic. They believe it’s old-fashioned and has little relevance to their needs. “Grandpa Google knows the answers and will help you with homework,” Raghavan said testifying for the company. “But when it comes to doing interesting things, they like to start elsewhere.”

It’s unclear when and where the term originated from or where Raghavan saw it. The Google executive didn’t bother to explain that. He made the comments downplaying the DOJ’s accusations that the firm violated antitrust law to maintain its online search dominance over the year. Raghavan added that Google is facing competition on all sides. It has managed to thwart the competition with sustained research and development.

According to the Google executive, Google innovates and adapts continuously to stay ahead of the curve in this ever-changing world of technology. “I feel a keen sense not to become the next roadkill,” Raghavan said. He was referring to Yahoo here. In 1998, Fortune magazine said that Yahoo had “won the search-engine wars” and was poised for “much bigger things” in the future. Google’s lawyers showed Raghavan this article in his testimony.

We all know that things didn’t pan out that way, with experts blaming the lack of innovation from Yahoo for its demise. Google doesn’t want to meet the same fate and has been continuously innovating to stay on top of the game. Raghavan mentioned several innovations the company made over the years in the search industry that have helped it reach the position it is in today.

Google is dominant because it’s better

The DOJ claims that Google paid companies like Apple billions of dollars to make its search engine the default option on their products. This has helped it gain an unfair advantage over rivals, further bolstering its dominance. However, Google argues that it is dominant because it is better. The firm says most of the users switch to Google if it isn’t already the default choice in their devices.

In his testimony on Thursday, Raghavan added that Google doesn’t only compete against traditional search engines such as Microsoft Bing. The company is competing “every day” against various “verticals” like Expedia or Yelp, “that people use to facilitate travel or dining,” the Associated Press reports. Raghavan is the first to testify in the case. Google CEO Sundar Pichai will testify on Monday.

The trial began last month with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testifying a few weeks back. Google will present its case over the next month. The court isn’t expected to rule on the matter until next year, though. It remains to be seen whether Google is found guilty of antitrust violation. If it is, the court may prohibit the company from paying device makers to offer Google as the default search engine. The firm is also facing a similar antitrust investigation over its advertising technology in Alexandria, Virginia.


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Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition is a nostalgic homage to ‘Benz Phone’

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Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition is a nostalgic homage to ‘Benz Phone’
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Samsung has a special version of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in the pipeline, called the Retro Edition. We saw the phone in leaked renders last week. It comes with a blue rear panel and silver aluminum frame with a matte finish, a color combination available for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 last year. However, Samsung isn’t calling it a “retro” model because of that. The device is reportedly a commemoration of the company’s famous “Benz Phone” from 2003.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition celebrates the 20-year-old Benz Phone

Samsung’s “Benz Phone” is an old-school flip phone that arrived on the market 20 years ago. It had the model number SGH-E700 and got its name after a Norwegian newspaper famously called it “the Mercedes Benz of cell phones.” The term was used to describe the handset’s sleek design that stood out in the crowd. The device also had a lot more going for it and was a global hit.

For starters, it was the first Samsung phone with an internal antenna. The device also featured a display, an OLED color panel that could be used to capture selfies using the rear camera. Thanks to all this, the Benz Phone went on to become the first phone from the Korean behemoth to reach a sales figure of over ten million units globally. Two decades after its launch, the company is paying homage to the device with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition.

The upcoming limited-edition foldable will feature the same dark blue and silver color combination as the Benz Phone. It will be nostalgic to those who used the 2003 model. It’s unclear why Samsung picked it for this throwback, though. Maybe it’s hoping the Galaxy Z Flip 5 to be the first foldable to sell ten million units. The company may share more information at the time of its launch, which is reportedly happening next week.

Launch date, price, and availability

According to the Korean media, Samsung will launch the Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition on November 1, 2023. It will be available in a limited quantity through the Samsung Gangnam flagship store and a pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The firm will also sell it via its online store. There’s no word yet on its price and availability outside South Korea. The standard Galaxy Z Flip 5 starts at $999 and is available globally. We will let you know as soon as we have more information about the Retro Edition.


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The new Android Auto update might bring your wallpaper to the infotainment screen

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The new Android Auto update might bring your wallpaper to the infotainment screen
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A new Android Auto update is in the development stage, and it might bring a sense of unity between the user’s phone and the infotainment screen. To do this, the update will permit the user’s smartphone’s wallpaper to sync with the car’s infotainment screen. This might be the only visible change that’ll come with the new Android Auto version 10.7 update that is currently rolling out.

Experts were able to spot a few other under-the-hood updates that are coming to the app via strings of codes. Part of these updates include battery tweaks that might be exclusive to only EVs and not regular vehicles. Additionally, there might also be some changes that the update will bring for apps in use while the car is stationary or parked.

At the moment, the beta testing version of this app update isn’t reflecting some of these features. In this article, we’ll focus on the wallpaper syncing feature and how it is useful to everyday users of the Android Auto app. Here’s all you need to know about this update that is currently rolling out to users around the world.

This new Android Auto feature coming with an app update might just bring more life to your infotainment system

Lots of car owners around the world ditch their vehicle’s navigation system for the likes of Android Auto. This gives them access to a more accurate navigation, audio, and phone connectivity system. With this system on their infotainment screen, users will be able to use navigation apps like Google Maps, and media apps like Spotify directly from their smartphone.

However, connecting their smartphone to this infotainment system with Android Auto is not unified. With the previous update to the app and other updates before it, the interface background and your device’s wallpaper don’t match. The optional wallpapers on Android Auto might not appeal to users, as they might prefer seeing their device’s wallpaper on the infotainment screen.

With the new update, Google is fixing this issue that most users around the world face. The new Android Auto version 10.7 will permit users to sync their device’s wallpaper with the infotainment system wallpaper when connected. This will bring a sense of harmony between the device and the vehicle’s infotainment system.

Once the update arrives on your device, you’ll be able to access this feature from the new settings. From there, you can choose to use your device’s wallpaper on Android Auto or not. Yes, Google isn’t forcing this new feature on users, as it is giving them the choice to make.

If you use Android Auto on your vehicle, then you can expect this update on your smartphone anytime soon. Once the update is available on your device, you’ll also get two other features for usage. The wallpaper syncing feature will be the most notable, while the other two will be more subtle.


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OnePlus Open supports a stylus after all

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OnePlus Open supports a stylus after all
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One of the main complaints regarding the OnePlus Open was the lack of stylus support. Well, it turns out that the device supports a stylus after all! This information has been revealed by Rashed341 (a Reddit user), and reshared by Mishaal Rahman.

The OnePlus Open does support a stylus… kind of

This is rather weird, as OnePlus mentioned, during the briefing, that the phone does not support a stylus. The OPPO Find N3 does support a stylus, and there’s also a ‘Stylus’ page in the settings on the OnePlus Open.

That, of course, seemed weird, so Rashed341 decided to test it. In an X post shown below, you can see a stylus in action. OnePlus is not selling a stylus for the OnePlus Open, so perhaps that’s why the company said it doesn’t support it.

If, however, you can grab a stylus from the OPPO Find N2, the OPPO Pen, you can pair it with the OnePlus Open, The OnePlus Stylo from the ONePlus Pad won’t work, though, as it doesn’t have a button for pairing.

Be careful, though, we’re not sure if using a stylus is smart considering that OnePlus didn’t approve it

One thing to note here, is that you may damage the main display over time, with a stylus. We cannot confirm nor deny that, but just keep in mind there’s a chance. Perhaps there is a reason why OnePlus didn’t mention anything about a stylus. That Stylus page is rather weird, though. On the other hand, perhaps the company plans to release a stylus later on.

Either way, if you really want to use a stylus on the OnePlus Open, and we can see why you would, grabbing the OPPO Pen is the way to go. Chances are you’ll have to import it if you live in the US, though, as it’s not being sold anywhere within the states.

If you’d like to know more about OnePlus’ first foldable, check out our full OnePlus Open review.


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Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot utilizes AI to impress people

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Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot utilizes AI to impress people
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Boston Dynamics showcased a fascinating integration of ChatGPT and other AI models into their robots yesterday. Spot, one of Boston Dynamics’ renowned robots, acted as a tour guide, demonstrating its capability to communicate and interact with humans in an engaging manner. This innovative experiment revealed how generative AI is advancing the capabilities of robots in various industries.

The robot led a tour of the Boston Dynamics facility, providing some amazing insights into its features. It includes image recognition, visual question-answering models, voice recognition, and more. The robot offered a diverse range of personalities and responded to questions with humor and creativity. This experiment showcased some of the potential use cases of AI-enabled robots.

Tasks that the AI-integrated Spot robot performed

As mentioned earlier, the Spot robot, equipped with generative AI, served as a tour guide. It performed several tasks during the tour, including providing information about various rooms and exhibits, describing its own capabilities, and explaining the use of levers and valves for grasping objects. It shared its perspective on the surroundings and even engaged in casual conversations with the human visitors. 

This demonstrated the robot’s ability to answer questions and provide context and insights about its environment. The robot, thanks to its integration with generative AI, can also adopt a diverse set of linguistic capabilities, ranging from educational to humorous.

Implications of the integration of generative AI into robots

Boston Dynamics demonstrated the integration of chatbots and AI technology into robots. It marks a significant development in the field of robotics. These robots are no longer mere mechanical devices but interactive and intelligent entities capable of engaging in conversations and providing informative, personalized experiences.

Robots have already been great at doing tasks that are repetitive, require less creativity, or are kind of dangerous to humans. Now the integration of generative AI makes them intelligent, leveling up their abilities on the creative front. It enables robots to make informed decisions on their own.


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Malicious Android Apps on Google Play With Over 2 Million Installs

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Malicious Android Apps on Google Play With Over 2 Million Installs
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On Google Play, several new malicious apps with over 2 million installations have been found to display intrusive advertisements to users. Once installed, these trojans attempted to conceal themselves from users of Android smartphones.

According to detection statistics collected by Dr.Web for Android, the following trojans were detected, such as:

  • FakeApp trojan app – Employed in various fraudulent schemes
  • Joker Trojans – Force users to subscribe to paid services
  • HiddenAds – Display annoying ads

New Malicious Apps On Google Play

Threat actors are disseminated in the form of games like Agent Shooter, Rainbow Stretch, Rubber Punch 3D, and Super Skibydi Killer via HiddenAds Trojans. After being installed on Android smartphones, these trojans attempted to conceal themselves from users.

According to statistics collected by Dr.Web for Android #drweb
According to statistics collected by Dr.Web for Android #drweb
Agent Shooter (500k+ installs), Rainbow Stretch (50k+ installs)

“They replaced their icons, located on the home screen menu, with transparent versions and also changed their names so they were left blank,” according to Dr. Web’s report.

They may even replace their icons with the matching replica to make it appear like they were using Google Chrome. When users tap on such an icon, these trojans start the browser and keep running in the background. 

This reduces the chance that they may be removed too soon and makes them less noticeable. Furthermore, if these malicious applications fail to function, users will restart them, believing they are starting a browser.

Rubber Punch 3D(500k+ installs), Super Skibydi Killer (1M+ installs)
Rubber Punch 3D(500k+ installs), Super Skibydi Killer (1M+ installs)

Under the FakeApp family, other fake apps are distributed as financial software, such as apps for stock trading, guides and reference books, home accounting, etc.

“Their primary objective was to load fraudulent sites where potential victims were encouraged to become “investors,” reads the report.

Further, cybercriminals have used other fake applications to pose as various gaming apps. These may work as games in some situations, but their primary purpose was to load online casino websites.

Here are a few apps: Eternal Maze with 50k+ installs, Jungle Jewels with 10k+ installs, Steller Secrets with 10k+ installs, Fire Fruits with 10k+ installs, and much more.

One of the Joker family was disseminated as Love Emoji Messenger, an internet messenger, while another one was disguised as the image-collecting app called Beauty Wallpaper HD.

Please pay attention to reviews and ensure your Android phone has an antivirus installed to shield it against viruses and malicious apps.

Protect yourself from vulnerabilities using Patch Manager Plus to patch over 850 third-party applications quickly. Try a free trial to ensure 100% security.


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Xiaomi’s MIUI replacement is here, say hello to HyperOS

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Xiaomi’s MIUI replacement is here, say hello to HyperOS
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Along with the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro flagships, Xiaomi also announced a new Android-based OS. Its name is HyperOS, and it has arrived to replace MIUI, though that will happen gradually.

HyperOS is also official, and it comes pre-installed on the Xiaomi 14 series

HyperOS does come pre-installed on these two smartphones, but this was a China launch of the two devices, and it will take time for it to push out MIUI. Xiaomi will use HyperOS on a global scale, though.

The company says that HyperOS was created back in 2017, but presumably under a different name. Xiaomi basically wants to unite all of its services under one OS, and HyperOS is here to serve.

HyperOS actually relies on Linux and Xiaomi’s self-developed Xiaomi Vela system. That allows it to work well on a wide range of devices, spanning from smartwatches and smartphones, to tablets and various other devices.

It is allegedly great when it comes to resource management

Xiaomi said that HyperOS does great when it comes to resource management. Thanks to that, the performance should be smooth at all times.

The company also presented something called ‘HyperConnect’. As its name says, this is a connectivity feature. It gives users control over all connected devices from basically anywhere. It will allow users to do various different things remotely, and also transfer data.

Security has been boosted here too. Xiaomi uses dedicated hardware TEE safeguards, while it also uses end-to-end encryption for data transmission.

‘HyperMind AI’ is also a part of the package

HyperOS also comes with a feature called ‘HyperMind AI’. That is basically the AI brain of sorts. It will learn your needs and adapt your devices according to them, for the best performance possible.

This OS also integrated large foundation models. It supports speech recognition, image search, and AI artwork creation. Do note that this won’t be limited to just Xiaomi’s apps.

Do note that this is a Chinese version of the software, there may be changes for the global variant.


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Google plans to bridge continents with subsea cables

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Google plans to bridge continents with subsea cables
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Google’s South Pacific Connect initiative aims to bridge the digital divide between the United States, Australia, and the Pacific islands. The cable landing stations for these new international subsea cables will be located in French Polynesia and Fiji. This project will significantly improve internet access in the region, making it more affordable and reliable. It represents a significant step forward in enhancing connectivity.

According to a White House fact sheet, the project will receive substantial investments from the Australian and US governments. To bring this ambitious plan to life, Google will receive $50 million from Australia and $15 million from the US. The critical components of this venture are two major subsea cabling systems, Honomoana and Tabua.

Honomoana, a name derived from the Polynesian language, will be the first cabling system, establishing a direct link from the United States to French Polynesia and then on to Australia. The second cabling system, Tabua, named after a Fijian word, will connect the United States to Fiji and onward to Australia.

Google’s subsea cables will ensure a reliable and secure data transfer and communication link between these countries

Furthermore, this $65 million investment is not just about infrastructure. It’s a catalyst for economic growth. It exemplifies the power of international cooperation and partnerships.

Again, Fiji and French Polynesia will receive unique cable landing stations. The two landing stations will have their own communication channel via a special interlink cable. This interlinking of cabling stations will enhance the transpacific routes’ reliability and bolster connectivity in the region.

The combined efforts of these two subsea cable lines will create a network encircling numerous Pacific islands. The lines will comprise strategically placed branching units serving the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The White House fact sheet highlights the United States’ commitment to supporting expanded internet connectivity in Pacific Island countries under the State Department’s Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP). This initiative aligns with the goal of providing fast, secure, interoperable, and reliable internet access to the region.

Google emphasizes that subsea cables play a pivotal role in enhancing internet affordability and reliability, which, in turn, fuels economic growth and productivity. Given the vast population residing in the Pacific islands, this project holds immense significance. Additionally, creating a disaster-resistant cabling infrastructure in this region is an unprecedented feat.

The South Pacific Connect initiative not only connects continents but also brings the promise of a more connected future for all the nations involved.


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X-iting changes: Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover first anniversary

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X-iting changes: Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover first anniversary
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It has been a whole year since Elon Musk took the Twitter throne, and in this time, big changes have swept through the social media platform, now rebranded as X, the everything app. Among the notable updates are extended post lengths, along with the most recent addition of video and audio calls. However, the past year has also seen the introduction of various limitations for free users, including a cap on daily tweet/post readings.Now, X is marking its first anniversary, with Linda Yaccarino, CEO of the company, reflecting on the journey in a blog post. She dives into X’s performance under new management, sharing insights on average platform usage and unveiling a vision for a global payment system.

As per the blog, the average user spends 32 minutes daily on X, contributing to a whopping 7.8 billion active minutes per day collectively. Yaccarino proudly notes that “over half a billion of the world’s most informed and influential people” visit X monthly, with an average of 1.5 million new sign-ups per day.

While these figures fall slightly short of Elon Musk’s initial expectations, the company is still on course, albeit at a slower pace.

Premium users on X are sticking around three times longer than those who aren’t shelling out, and it is no surprise- X is throwing some perks at its premium users in the form of payouts. According to the blog post, the company has handed out $20 million to creators.

However, third-party research doesn’t align with all the positivity. For instance, X is putting on a happy face, saying advertisers are making a comeback and it is all about keeping users safe by reaching out to different groups. But Reuters spilled the tea earlier this month, reporting that ad revenue on the platform is actually taking a nosedive.

The blog post delves into new features like X Hiring, enabling businesses to post job listings directly. It also mentions safety and freedom of expression, with the company stating that X “is now a place where everyone can freely express themselves, so long as they do so within the bounds of the law.”

However, regulators worldwide express dissatisfaction with X’s misinformation combat efforts, with the EU finding X is struggling to fight misinformation on its platform and Australia also joining in getting X in trouble after the company reportedly removed a tool to report election misinformation.

Yaccarino wraps up the blog post with a glimpse into X’s future ambitions. The platform aims to be Musk’s envisioned “everything app” and is actively developing new Payments feature for transactions and purchases. “We want money on X to flow as freely as information and conversation,” states Yoccarino. X has secured initial money transmitter licenses in multiple states, paving the way for a global payment system launch soon.


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