HTC has sued Gionee and Meizu in China over alleged patent infringement. The patent being infringed is the concept of a mobile device with a metal chassis, with a specific antenna structure. The invention aims to solve the technical problem of poor radiation signals caused by the shielding of the metal casing, and to design an antenna structure that can be combined with a metal appearance.

If you’re aware of any of HTC’s metal devices, you’ll be familiar with this setup. HTC has been using it since the One M7. Now for the case, HTC claims that Gionee infringed on the patent with the Gionee M6, another full metal device that to be frank, does use the same setup of antennae like the HTC devices. Meizu’s device on the other hand is their M5 Note, another mid-range full metal device.

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The Beijing Court of Intellectual Property concluded the two cases did in fact infringe the patent right of the invention. The M6 ​​mobile phone infringed on the invention patent right of “mobile device” No. 201310032515.5, and sentenced the defendants to stop infringement and compensate for economic losses and reasonable expenses.

HTC requested that Meizu compensate 30 million for economic losses. Gionee on the other hand was asked to compensate for economic losses of 24 million yuan, as well as pay for a temporary protection period of 1.6 million yuan. Meizu and Gionee argued against non-infringement, and argued that the plaintiff claimed that the amount of compensation was too high.

During the pre-trial meeting, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court organized the parties to determine the matters of entrusted identification. The appraisal agency issued a “Judicial Appraisal Opinion”, which states that both devices infringe on multiple aspects:

1. The product involved in the case includes components on the metal layer;
2. The antenna structure of the product involved includes the following components: First feed Parts, upper parts of the metal layer, connecting parts, first slot holes, metal shell;
3. The first slot holes are not configured with metal or electronic parts.

Beijing Intellectual Property Court held that some of the data provided by HTC were extrapolated, and the profit margin and patent contribution also lacked sufficient evidence to support it. However, even with a lower profit margin and patent contribution, the calculated amount of compensation has clearly exceeded the statutory maximum limit of one million yuan stipulated in the Patent Law.

Therefore, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, on the basis of the statutory compensation ceiling, determined that Meizu needs to compensate 3 million yuan for economic losses, while Gionee Corporation compensated 2.6 million yuan for economic losses. This, paired with payments for lawyer fees, totals at 6.5 million yuan in terms of total compensation.

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Founder of Huawei, Ren Zhengfei, claimed at Davos that he suspects the U.S. will take more actions against the company while Huawei continues to survive. “We got the experience now,” he said during a session at the Winter Davos. “We have poured hundreds of billions of money into our Plan B, and that’s why we can withstand the first wave of U.S. attack.”

The comments by Huawei chief executive and founder Ren Zhengfei to business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos come amid a bitter court fight in Canada over a US demand to extradite Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is his eldest daughter. Huawei has also been banned from working with American firms on the grounds that it poses a national security threat – an accusation the company has consistently denied.

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In response to the U.S. attacks, Huawei disclosed some “Plan B” products that can be used to replace U.S. parts, including Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), a replacement of its Google counterpart. Huawei also started porting its IoT operating system “Harmony” to smartphones.

Ren also stressed that Huawei is a “pro-U.S.” company that hired tens of U.S. consulting firms to teach Huawei how to manage a big company. “The U.S. should be proud that their experience on management brought development to other places,” he said.

Ren also discussed aspects of the concurrent AI race, telling us that the fear of AI will fade away, comparing it to the fear of nuclear energy. “I was born around the time of Hiroshima, and I saw people around me being afraid of nuclear bombs,” he said. “But eventually nuclear power plants and the use of radiation in hospitals have benefited so many people. The same can be true for AI,” Ren stressed.

He also weighs in about the current fear of a split between the tech world due to the ongoing problems between the US and China. “In my opinion, the Chinese government has not even started to think about the consequences of AI development,” he told Davos.

According to Ren, the U.S. is overthinking about China’s sci-tech power. “China’s education is still trying to train engineers instead of scientists, which means China does not have enough basic science research power to compete with the U.S.,” he explained. “There is only one truth. That’s why the tech world will not split,” he said. “Whoever gets the truth will share it with everyone else.”

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Earlier today, Xiaomi‘s XiaoAi division officially announced that the XiaoAi Shortcut app has added a “Real-Time Pneumonia Epidemic” card. This is obviously in response to the current coronavirus epidemic. Users can view the latest updates regarding the coronavirus epidemic information through the AI ​​key on any Xiaomi smartphone, or by saying “real-time pneumonia epidemic” to the program.

The recent outbreak of a new coronavirus in China has killed nine people and sickened more than 400, and has spread to several other countries. The first case outside of Asia was announced on Tuesday, as federal health officials confirmed that a Washington State man who had recently traveled to China had been hospitalized. It is possibly one of the worst possible epidemics to take place in recent years.

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Coronaviruses are named for the spikes that protrude from their membranes, which resemble the sun’s corona. They can infect both animals and people, and cause illnesses of the respiratory tract, ranging from the common cold to severe conditions like SARS, which sickened thousands of people around the world — and killed nearly 800 — during a 2003 outbreak.

It’s good to see that Xiaomi are taking the outbreak seriously and providing users with the relevant information as easily as possible. This quick response and addition will hopefully help Xiaomi users keep up-to-date with the current situation, as well as hopefully keep them safer. Users can also add the a shortcut to the XiaoAi card in the notification bar for quicker access.

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Xiaomi CFO Chew Shou Zhi recently went on Bloomberg for an interview, and he revealed some quite interesting information. According to Chew, Xiaomi is planning to make a huge push for the 5G market in China in 2020. More interestingly however, he also claims that the Xiaomi‘s plan for 2020 includes a big emphasis on Western Europe due to them gaining plenty of traction there.

Chew claims that the company has made huge strides in Western Europe, becoming the 4th largest smartphone maker there. In Spain, Xiaomi is even the LARG, a solid acheivement. The company’s success doesn’t end at smartphones however as they also conquer a big chunk of Western Europe’s wearable market, being the 2nd largest wearable company there.

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Perhaps the biggest surprise when it comes to Western Europe however is that Xiaomi’s Scooters are big sellers. The company’s scooters conquer more than 70% of the market share in many countries in Western Europe, though he doesn’t specify which ones. He also mentions that Xiaomi grew by 90% in Western Europe over 2019, making them one of the top 4 fastest growing companies there.

Chew goes on to talk about how Xiaomi plans to launch 10 5G smartphones in China for 2020, and they’re also planning to bring their 5G product portfolio to their other countries of operation, which includes South-East Asian markets, African markets, Latin American markets, the Indian market and of course, the Western European market. When asked about whether Xiaomi plans to bring 5G devices the US however, Chew remains coy, meaning American Mi Fans will probably have to continue waiting.

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(Source)

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Canalys reports that after 8 long years of stagnation, the PC market has finally recorded its first full year of growth. According to Canalys, a total of 268.1 million units were shipped globally in 2019, which is a 2.7% over 2018. The top three vendors of vendors this year were Lenovo, HP and Dell who make up the bulk of sales for desktops, notebooks and workstations.

Ishan Dutt, an analyst at Canalys, claims that PCs had a very impressive holiday turnout. “This is impressive given the market registered record growth in Q3. Despite supply chain issues, vendors remain bullish, especially in commercial. Intel’s continued efforts to improve supply will help maintain volume in 2020, but constraints are unlikely to ease quickly. The upshot, however, is the upgrade opportunities OEMs have with SMBs who have delayed refreshes in anticipation of new chipsets.”

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Lenovo has shipped 64.8 million units registering an 8.6 per cent growth. This was closely followed by HP that has registered a 4.7 per cent growth. Dell took the third spot with 46.5 million PCs shipped, recording a 5.3 per cent growth this year. Apple took the fourth spot with 19.1 million units and 3.3 per cent annual growth. Acer, at number fifth position, shipped a total of 17 million units, registering an annual decline of 5.3 per cent. Whereas Acer maintained the fifth spot.

“This past year was a wild one in the PC world, which resulted in impressive market growth that ultimately ended seven consecutive years of market contraction,” said IDC program veep Ryan Reith. He said that despite emerging form factors and demand for mobile computing, the bounce was a “clear sign PC demand is still there.” Shipments in three of the four quarters last year were up, IDC added.

Both research houses concurred that businesses fleeing Windows 7 – which has ran out of official support – was the main driver. Mikako Kitagawa, senior principal analyst, described it as “vibrant business demand.” “Contrasted against the ongoing weakness in consumer PC demand, business PC demand has led to unit growth in five of the last seven quarter,” she added.

Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC, sounded a note of caution before the PC vendors get carried away on a way of growth. “Despite the positivity surrounding 2019, the next 12 to 18 months will be challenging for traditional PCs, as the majority of Windows 10 upgrades will be in the rearview mirror and lingering concerns around component shortages and trade negotiations get ironed out.”

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While it seems like AMOLED displays are quickly becoming the norm for Chinese smartphone developers when it comes to flagship devices, the good old TFT-LCD still dominates the mid-range and budget markets. It’s very rare to find a cheap device with an AMOLED display, and the sales reflect this as TFT-LCD remains as the most popular choice for smartphones in China.

The latest statistics show that TFT-LCDs still account for 64.3% of China’s smartphone display market, giving it the lion’s share when it comes to shipments. AMOLED screens on the other hand, while definitely growing in popularity, account for less than 20% of the market. We’re definitely going to see this number grow in the future, but for now AMOLED will have to settle for a lower spot.

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The China Academy of Information and Communication Technology (yes, it’s a mouthful) issued the “Monitoring Report on the Characteristics of Domestic Mobile Phone Product Interactive Carriers (2019 Issue 4)”. The report reveals that the display market in China has reached a stable point in terms of screen size and resolution, with the last big change being the adoption of full screen displays.

According to statistics, in the fourth quarter of 2019, smartphones with displays 5 inches and above accounted for 55.0% of the mobile phones listed in China, thanks to the influx of 18:9 displays. On top of this, 75.9% of these devices were 4G smartphones, which means that the 3G market is slowly disappearing as 5G becomes the new high-end flagship standard and 4G becomes the new average.

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Zong Changqing, China’s Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, recently did an interview regarding the country’s commercial performance. He reveals a few interesting details, including that many foreign companies like SK Hynix, Corning and even Samsung have increased their investments in manufacturing in China, which is a bit of a surprise.

In manufacturing, foreign investment in electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing, and instrumentation manufacturing increased by 41.2% and 48.2%, respectively. According to the First Financial Report, Zong Changqing also stated that Samsung, SK Hynix, Corning Display, Caterpillar, Ineos, Panasonic, Exxon Mobil and other manufacturing giants have increased their investment in China by over $100 million.

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The reason why it’s somewhat surprising is because a lot of companies were pulling out slightly from production in China since the whole Huawei debacle last year. The biggest example of this was Apple opening up new production plants in companies like India and Vietnam. To see the industry regain confidence in manufacturing in China could mean that things between US and China are calming down.

Along with this, in terms of attracting investment structure, China’s service industry will absorb 681.77 billion yuan of foreign capital in 2019, an increase of 12.5%. Foreign investment in information transmission, software and information technology services increased by 29.4%, and foreign investment in the leasing and business services industry increased by 20.6%.

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A man traveling through Portland International Airport apparently had a layover long enough that he decided to play some video games. Playing games at the airport isn’t such a big deal if you’re using something like a Nintendo Switch, laptop, or smartphone. Where gaming at the airport can become a big deal is if your preferred gaming platform is a PlayStation 4.

An Apex Legends player made headlines after he decided to kill some time while waiting on a flight the old-fashioned way – by plugging his trusty PlayStation 4 into one of the airport’s many monitors and getting in some game time. Unfortunately, he discovered that one isn’t exactly allowed to do such things at an airport, to absolutely no one’s surprise.

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When approached and asked “to unplug and cease using the monitors at the airport” by operations supervisors, he reportedly asked “very politely” if he could finish up his round first. That request was denied, and Port of Portland spokesperson Kama Simonds took the opportunity to use the incident as “a good reminder of what not to do at the airport.”

Simonds added that power outlets are fair game to travelers, but monitors are out of the question. She said this incident demonstrates the addictive nature of screens and urges travelers to keep their game systems in their luggage until they arrive at their final destination. She adds that it’s extremely important not to use airport information monitors to play them. “Don’t try to set them up and play them in the airport,” she says.

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According to a recent report by Nikkei, Japan has begun planning a comprehensive strategy for “post-5G” (6G) technology that achieves communication speeds that are 10 times faster than 5G by 2030. The report claims that China, South Korea, and Finland have also started research and development and investment this segment, but Japan have been surprisingly slow with the adoption of 5G technology, and are hoping to make up with an early push toward 6G.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan will set up a government-civilian research society in January, under the chairmanship of the University of Tokyo Goshinjin, and under the direct supervision of the general affairs minister Takao Sanae. Relevant people from NTT and Toshiba will also be invited to discuss 6G performance goals and policy support by June.

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Japan claims that through using “post-5G” (6G) high-speed communication technology, it is possible to depict a future society in which individual stereoscopic images emerge from conference rooms or classrooms far away, and robots take care of people.

The country will invest $2.03 billion in the research and development of 6G. It’s expected to provide a speed 10 times faster than what the world will witness in terms of 5G technology, which sounds frankly ridiculous. Unused high-frequency waves will be used in the 6G network.

Other countries have begun to take action as well. The Chinese government announced in November 2019 that it will establish two 6G R & D institutions. Finnish universities and government-affiliated institutions have also launched 6G R & D projects. In South Korea, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics each set up research centers in 2019.

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(Source)

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BT and Vodafone are reportedly set to support Huawei’s involvement in the development of the UK’s 5G network. The companies are preparing a letter to be sent to the Prime Minister to lobby him to support the move, saying a ban on Huawei could stunt the growth of the UK’s digital economy. Britain is set to take a final decision on Huawei’s role in building new 5G networks this month.

The government is facing pressure from the US to prohibit Huawei from any involvement with the 5G communications network. British and American security staff reportedly met in London this week to discuss the issue, and the US’s view is that it would be “nothing short of madness” to allow the Chinese firm to work on the project. US security chiefs reportedly handed UK officials a dossier of evidence on Huawei’s alleged vulnerablities in an attempt to get Downing Street to block the company.

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Telecoms industry sources said that Philip Jansen, BT chief executive, and Nick Read, who runs Vodafone, were contemplating writing to Mr Johnson during the early part of next week. One source familiar with its prospective content said it would emphasise the priority which both companies placed on the security of their networks, while arguing that they had seen no evidence that would justify an outright ban on Huawei.

Vodafone, which uses Huawei’s telecom equipment in its radio network, has previously said a blanket ban on the Chinese company would costs it millions of pounds and significantly slow down the roll-out of 5G networks. Vodafone has already paused the deployment of Huawei’s equipment in its data-heavy core networks, a year ago until Western governments give the company a full security clearance.

BT also uses Huawei’s equipment in networks, but it is not deployed in the intelligent core of its fixed-line network and it is removing Huawei from the core of its mobile network. In addition, BT has already excluded Huawei from the bidding process for its future 5G network.

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Meizu has today announced that it has now started rolling out the latest Flyme 8 stable version update to the 2nd batch of compatible smartphones. The announcement from the company added that users can check for the update by going to System Updates app. This means that the rollout for Flyme 8 is now essentially complete, and all devices scheduled to get the update will be receiving it soon.

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Meizu will now start rolling out the stable build for Meizu 16Xs , Meizu 15 Lite, PRO 7 Standard Edition, Meizu Note9 (M9 Note), Meizu Note8 (M8 Note), Meizu X8 , PRO 6 Plus, PRO 6s, PRO 6, PRO 5, MX6 , Meizu E3 (Blue Charm) , Meizu S6 (Blue Charm), Meizu M6 (Blue Charm), Meizu M5 Note (Blue Charm), Meizu M3 Max (Blue Charm), Meizu M3E (Blue Charm).

For those who are unaware, the Flyme 8 operating system was announced at the end of August last year alongside the Meizu 16S Pro flagship smartphone. The company had promised that this new version of the user interface will come to a total of 27 Meizu models by the end of last year, and now they’re finally delivering. We’ve made a detailed list of features that are available through this new update which you can check out here.

UP NEXT: Users report that new AirPods Pro update ruins noise cancellation

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Apple often rolls out background software updates to its truly wireless earbuds like the AirPods Pro. Usually, these updates focus on minor bug fixes, but a recent AirPods Pro update appears to have made some notable changes to sound quality and noise cancellation. Following user reports on Reddit and other outlets, RTINGS decided to retest AirPods Pro after updating to firm 2C54. The testing revealed a few notable changes, for better and for worse.

RTINGS tests found the AirPods Pro’s noise canceling capabilities to be worse after firmware update 2C54. But affected customers say the trouble began even earlier with firmware version 2B588, which rolled out in November. According to the audio testing firm however, not everything is really bad. The update also brought some marked improvements to the performance of the AirPods Pro.

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One of the biggest improvements, according to RTINGS testing, came to frequency response consistency. This describes the “variations in a headphones’ frequency response due to their fit on your head.” Prior to firmware 2C54, RTINGS described the frequency response consistency of AirPods Pro as “just okay.” The update, however, made things ”significantly better.”

Another significant improvement came to bass accuracy. While RTINGS had already described AirPods Pro bass accuracy as “excellent,” the 2C54 update makes another “fairly significant improvement.” Elsewhere, RTINGS says the update included a “very slight reduction in mid accuracy” as well as a slightly reduction in treble accuracy.

While Apple has not formally acknowledged these complaints from users, it has pulled the the 2C54 for AirPods Pro. This prevents additional users from installing the update, but it doesn’t do much for those users who had already installed it. The update was initially released on December 16 and was pulled shortly after that. Whether this is in acknowledgement of the worse noise cancelling or otherwise, we don’t really know.

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Google has always been surprisingly quiet when it comes to user and revenue numbers for Android. Google hasn’t even updated its own dashboard of how many devices are on each version of Android since May, so for months we haven’t had any Android OS adoption figures. So this recent bit of news revealing revenue numbers for Android, Apple’s iOS and other operating systems is pretty interesting.

These numbers were revealed at Huawei Developer Day in a slide from Francisco Jeronimo, Associate VP at IDC. He shared an image showing the revenue distribution among different platforms and Apple has generated 50% of the revenue. Google Play on the other hand manages much smaller 27%, while China wracks a surprisingly large 20% of revenue. No wonder Google’s never released this data before.

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• App Store [$33bn] (50%)
• Google Play [$18bn] (27%)
• China [$13bn] (20%)
• Other [$2bn] (3%)

In terms of their install bases, Apple is believed to have around 1 billion users, while Google has said there are more than 2.5 billion Android users. Despite this numerical advantage, each iOS user generates $33 for developers and each Android user only $13.2. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that apps and games tend to still come first to iOS, despite its much smaller user base.

Between this little bit of news, Huawei fighting back to reassert itself in the mobile phone market with the full release of HMS Core 4.0 to the world and the rise of other operating systems like Kai OS, it’s going to be interesting to see how things shape up in the future. We doubt anything will have a significant effect on Apple’s dominance, but everything else could change very soon.

UP NEXT: Huawei launches HMS Core 4.0 globally with a slew of new services in tow

(Source)

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After a rocky 2019 for Huawei – what with the US handing a Google ban, which hasn’t been resolved despite new US-China trade talks in 2020 – the Chinese company is fighting back to reassert itself in the mobile phone market with the full release of HMS Core 4.0 to the world. Huawei hopes that this move will assist global developers in making content for their Play Store contender, AppGallery.

HMS Core is a collection of tools that will help prospective app developers produce apps for the Huawei ecosystem. It includes a complete set of open HMS Apps and HMS Core, HMS Capabilities, HMS Connect, as well IDE tools for development and testing. The launch of HMS Core 4.0 is an important milestone for Huawei in building a global ecosystem for themselves.

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Here’s a list of new services that are now integrated with HMS Core 4.0:-

• Machine learning services
  
• Text awareness services
• Unified services 
• Code scanning services
• Short-range communication services
• Panoramic services, security detection services
• Dynamic tag manager services
• Online fast authentication service
• Location services
• Fast application services
• Digital rights services
• Sports health services
• User identification services

Developers have long been waiting for these features to finally be incorporated into the HMS Core, and now that they’re finally here we can expect to see a lot more development come out for it. The audience is already there, given how Huawei’s AppGallery already has over 400m monthly users – most of which are in China, of course. It’s still a pretty good incentive.

Huawei has come out with guns blazing when it comes to their HMS Core. According to them, over 1.3 million developers have been signed up so far and over 50,000 apps have been integrated with the HMS Core. The App Gallery also laid claim to 180 billion downloads last year, not a bad number all things considered. With HMS Core 4.0, we can only expect these numbers to go up soon.

The figures are, however, unlikely to trouble Apple and Google, both of which number the content of their respective stores in the millions. For its part, Huawei pointed to the saturation of apps in stores (citing the Google Play Store in particular), and highlighted the difficulty and expense in getting noticed. “We make the alternative market interesting,” a representative said.

The company also presented a new strategy for its consumer devices business over the next few years as it looks to offer a “seamless AI experience”. This new “1+8+N” approach keeps the smartphone (1) at the centre, with related Huawei smart devices such as wearables, tablets and PCs (8) bridging to the wider world of connected products such as televisions, appliances and even cars (N).

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(Source)

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Here’s some news for the Realme community. The Realme X2’s “early adopter” UI program registrations have opened for the limited batch of 500 people. You can only register if you have a Chinese variant of the Realme X2 and the early adopter realme UI will obviously be very buggy. In case you’re thinking of signing up, backup your personal data before updating.

So now, how exactly does this update work? Well, once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an update for the device to test out unfinished software. At least he first batch will be essentially untested software, and making it highly risky to use on a daily basis. For users who want to experience a relatively stable experience are recommended to wait for the second batch which will come with a bunch of fixes.

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The information we have shows that the first batch is limited to 500 people, and the system push time is before the Chinese Spring Festival. Then once that’s out of the way, the second batch of registration deadline is February 1, while the update itself takes place between February 7-8. In addition, the official version of realme UI will be launched in February 2020.

With realme UI, users are able to design the icons and can choose their transparency as well. The sizes of the icons are also customizable and are personalized, even for the actual image in the icon. Alongside the fresh look, the UI brings 11 new background wallpapers for the home screen of Realme smartphones. Notably, the wallpapers are based on “natural elements” and will users can always find a match with a particular color scheme.

The Android 10 based Realme UI also brings performance improvements as well. It arrives with new power saving features and a lot more. A new Focus Mode helps disconnect from the outside world and even plays relaxing music to help improve concentration.

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ZTE has not been able to fully recover since after their US ban was lifted. Despite all problems and obstacles however, the company has managed to push forward, even making a break for the 5G smartphone race with the Axon 5G last year. Now, the company is once again looking up to 5G R&D to mount a serious push for a slice of the market, but they’re going to need funding to achieve that.

ZTE said it was looking to raise 11.51 billion yuan ($1.7 billion) from a private placement of A shares, and that it plans to use the proceeds for research and development of 5G networks and working capital. ZTE claims it will issue about 381 million A shares, which are denominated in RMB and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges to ten independent institutional investors in China at CNY30.21 a share.

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In a statement, ZTE said the fundraising will enable it to maintain its “high level of investment in research and development, ensure its technological competitive edge and develop its main products and businesses with core advantages”. The investors buying the shares will be subject to a 12-month lock-up period. ZTE already has approval from shareholders to proceed with the offering.

“It is because of the lock up period which give investors confidence of a stable stock price during the period, and that support the shares from advancing despite the discount,” said Steven Leung, a sales director at UOB Kay Hian in Hong Kong. “Its a vote of confidence to the prospect of 5G and related companies,” Leung added.

ZTE’s Shenzhen-listed shares rose as much as 4% to 38.10 yuan in early trade. Hong Kong-listed stock briefly rose 3.7% to HK$28.05, the highest since March 2018.

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Xiaomi Youpin is back with one of their oddest products yet. The crowdfunding platform’s latest item is the Uah Gene Test for Cats and Dogs, starting at 99 yuan ($15). Genetic testing can allow owners to understand the pet’s pedigree, health risks, and genetic diseases, on top of knowing more about the pet’s personality, behavior, and intelligence. It’s certainly an interesting product.

It’s also very useful to check what allergens your pet cat or dog may have. As an example, many dogs are allergic to ivermectin in anthelmintics, and long-term use can cause poisoning. Pets will have different medication reactions, ranging from rashes and edema to shock poisoning. DNA can be used for scientific medicine and dose evaluation for pets to prevent misuse.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi India says Android 10 coming to Mi A3 next month

All of these features come bundled via a smartphone app, allowing you to check on your pet’s condition easily. The app is fairly simple to use, showing you relevant information regarding your pet based on the gene test done. It’s a good idea for a product, and one that can be endlessly useful for pet owners.

There are four different packages for the Uah Gene Test for Cats and Dogs, and each one comes with more features. For now the only available is the Early Adopter’s Edition for 99 yuan. The rest haven’t had any pricing details announced. They’re as follows:-

• Early adopters Edition (2 genetic screening tests for typical genetic diseases)
• Standard Edition (strain identification, corresponding to 3 genetic diseases of cat species, pedigree certificate)
• Ultimate Edition (strain identification, 10 common genetic diseases, pedigree certificate, intelligence assessment, diet advice)
• Exploratory Edition (strain identification, full set of 16 genetic diseases, pedigree certificate, intelligence assessment, diet advice, breeding advice, personality behavior, hair beauty, health certificate)

The method of use is also relatively simple. There is no need to collect blood or collect saliva, just hold the sampling swab on the pet’s oral buccal mucosa (The inside of the cheek and mouth) and take 8-10 samples. Uah will extract DNA from the samples, perform gene sequencing, and do multiple tests on cats and dogs based on genetic loci and biological genetic algorithms, resulting in a scientific report.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi’s crowdfunded Morror Art floating speaker found to have copied the Lyrics Speaker

(Source)

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Huawei are currently making a big push towards the 5G industry, but the company also has other interests they’re hoping to pursue, namely assisting in building cars. Rotating Huawei chairman Xu Zhijun, the car is changing along with the needs of the users, and that driverless cars are the future. They’re even drawing inspiration from Tesla in their hopes to achieve this.

“Our ultimate goal is to achieve complete driverlessness, but in the process of moving towards the ultimate goal, it can create value. At present, Tesla is already creating value for everyone” says Xu. When asked about whether Huawei can truly go far in this industry, Xu claims that “If Tesla can do it now, we can all do it.”

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei shipped over 240 million phones in 2019 spurred by the Mate/P series

It’s important to note however that they company doesn’t want to make their own cars. According to Lu Xiaofeng, general manager of Huawei’s V2X product line, Huawei does not build cars, but will help car companies build good cars through collaboration. They’ll achieve this through contributions in ICT technology and becoming a supplier of smart automotive components in making better cars.

As of right now, Huawei are using their expertise in 5G together with SAIC and China Mobile to build 5G connected cars. These cars have 5G / LTE-V capabilities, support C-ITS assisted driving functions, feature intelligent voice interactions and even have live video calling functions built in. We’re hoping to see Huawei grow in the automotive market, and we can’t wait to see what they bring to the table.

UP NEXT: Huawei offers £20 million to developers to create apps and services

(Source)

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Chinese real estate giant Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd. opened its first restaurant operated mainly by robots in Guangzhou over the weekend. The restaurant, named Foodom, located in Zhujiang New Town, mainly serves cuisine from Shunde, the hometown of founder Yang Guoqiang.

Robot waiters greet customers at the entrance. Using an AI system, they guide customers to their seats, recommend specials of the day and take orders. Food is delivered to the tables via a conveyor belt. The restaurant uses robots to cook, deliver food, take orders and guide customers.

EDITOR’S PICK: US tech companies like Qualcomm and Ford hope to bolster cooperation with China

It is said that the robots are “learning” their skills from the top 10 Shunde chefs, using a computer program to follow every detail such as temperature control, ingredients, and cooking time. The program is repeatedly fine-tuned to reach the precision level required. In the kitchen alone, there are 32 robots preparing and cooking food.

After trying the dishes, famous local chef Lin Chao gave the restaurant the thumbs up. While there is no doubt about the sophisticated technology being used at Foodom, cost may be a deciding factor when it comes to commercial viability.

SoftBank-backed Zume Pizza, which also employs a high degree of automation, has suffered a serious setback due to excessive money burning and lack of continued funding support. Zume shuttered its pizza business and pivoted into food-truck tech and services in November 2019. Then, in January 2020, the company laid off 400 employees to further cut costs.

Country Garden has reportedly spent around 200 million yuan (US$29 million) setting up the new restaurant. One can’t help but wonder how long it would take for it to break even. The top developer, which sold more than 770 billion yuan worth of properties last year, is not worried at all. The deep-pocketed Yang is said to be planning to open 1,000 such robotic restaurants across China within two years, hoping to drive down costs through economies of scale.

UP NEXT: Exclusive! Huawei P40 case renders leak to reveal the front and rear designs

(Source)

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With CES 2020 having just concluded, many companies have come forward pushing prospects for future cooperation and exchanges with Chinese companies very soon. Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon claims he is “super excited” about Qualcomm’s business in China. The company hopes to continue their successful partnerships with Chinese companies like Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus and vivo.

“We are not backing down on our China cooperation. We’re increasing our cooperation in resources towards or partnerships in China in the 5G transition,” claimed Amon. This partnership, according to Amon, allows Chinese partners to not only grow in domestic consumption, but also expand outside China, making it very mutually beneficial for both parties involved.

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm slashing Snapdragon 765 prices will affect MediaTek 5G chips orders: Ming Chi Kuo

Josh Cross, founder and CEO of American power and tracking technology company Elios, told Xinhua the company’s cooperation with China dates back to 2015. Elios’ software design is done in the United States and the hardware part is done in China. Currently it is cooperating with three Chinese companies in GPS products, power, and sourcing, Cross said.

China has very good infrastructure, years of experience and high efficiency, he said. Elios also expects to cooperate with more Chinese partners in the near future. Ford Motor also plans to step up its business in China. The company’s new all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV, will be on show in the Chinese market in April this year, and be available in the Chinese market next year, according to the company.

“Ford plans to further enhance cooperation with China in the five years to come, explore local strategic partners for joint innovation,” she said. Some tech companies value China’s huge market, manufacturing and labor costs, while some others value China’s innovation technologies, and its geological location which can be considered as a logistics hub towards southeast Asian countries.

You can find more CES2020 coverage from here.

UP NEXT: Honor 9X launched in India for Rs. 13,999 (~$197); Specifications, features and price

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Lu Weibing, Vice President of Xiaomi Group and President of Xiaomi in China, recently went to his personal Weibo to announce some fairly big news. The post reads “#Redmi K30 5GPioneer # Xiaomi Mobile customized 5G phone card is here!” announcing the launch of Xiaomi’s first foray into the realm of 5G providing, with their new Redmi K30 5G bundle.

From this point on, any users who purchase the Redmi K30 5G through Xiaomi Mall will receive a Xiaomi mobile customized sim card, not including phone charges. This card is a 5G customized card specially launched by Xiaomi Mobile for Mi Fans, and supports China Unicom 5G, 4G, 3G networks. Of course, consumers who want to try 5G first need to ensure that their location has 5G signal coverage.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi officially confirms MIUI 12; launching later this year

The 5G exclusive custom card launched by Xiaomi Mobile includes three packages of 49 yuan, 69 yuan and 99 yuan. The packages are rated as such:-

1. The 49 yuan ($7) economic package includes 20GB of data and 50 minutes of voice;
2. The 69 yuan ($10) value package includes 30GB of data and 100 minutes of voice;
3. The 99 yuan ($15) package includes 40GB of data and a 200 minute of voice calls.

Xiaomi is clearly attempting to take an upper hand in the 5G race, and it’s a pretty smart move on their part. They’re the first company truly trying to take advantage of the mainstream market by offering a cheap 5G device to their customers, as well as a fairly affordable set of 5G plans to go with it. If this continues, we could see the Chinese giants take an early lead in the race for 5G dominance.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi was once almost called Xuande when founded, says Lei Jun

(Source)

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Xiaomi has patented two new and fairly peculiar smartphone concepts in China. These two patents feature designs that are familiar to what we’ve seen from other companies before, but they’re also slightly different in their own way. These two concepts revolve around the idea of displays that only wrap around the device ala the Mi MIX Alpha, instead of folding like the Galaxy Fold and Mate X.

The first design shows a phone that reminds us of the Huawei Mate X, and it’s the more practical of the two patented devices. The display wraps around the side of the device, leaving it sized like a normal sized device. Unlike the Huawei Mate X however, the device doesn’t unfold, allowing the device to be more contained. The camera strip on the patent is much more subtle when compared to the Mate X’s. We actually saw earlier patents for this device recently, so it’s good to see that it’s making rounds.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi officially confirms MIUI 12; launching later this year

The second patented device on the other hand is VASTLY more bizarre than the previous device. Instead of forming a wider display, this device features a much longer display that folds over the top of the device. There’s also a small chin at the bottom probably for the sensors, and what appears to be a triple camera setup integrated into display, like some super huge hole punch selfie camera.

It seems a bit more unconventional than the previous device, but if Xiaomi can find a reasonable way to make it more interesting than we’re all for it. While it’s fully possible neither one of these devices will ever fully materialize, it’s certainly interesting to discuss and imagine what they’d be like if they were real. It’s also quite nice to see that Xiaomi are taking a different direction from other companies.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi was once almost called Xuande when founded, says Lei Jun

(Source)

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As the UK government prepares to decide whether or not to allow Huawei to be involved in setting up a key portion of the nation’s infrastructure, US officials have issued a stark warning that allowing the Chinese firm a role would put transatlantic intelligence sharing at risk. Senior U.S. officials visited London on Monday with the last-ditch plea to disallow Huawei from the country’s 5G development.

The officials handed over a dossier of technical information which sources claim challenged British intelligence’s own technical assessment that it would be possible to use Huawei in the 5G infrastructure without risks to national security. US sources refused to comment on the content of the file, only saying that it would be “nothing short of madness” to go ahead.

EDITOR’S PICK: Honor 9X launched in India for Rs. 13,999 (~$197); Specifications, features and price

Britain is currently weighing whether to use Huawei equipment as part of its 5G infrastructure. Supporters argue that the company’s equipment can be used in non-core areas in a way that keeps the network secure. But the U.S. warns that the effects of the leap to 5G technology are so poorly understood that the safest and best solution is to keep the Chinese company out altogether.

The head of Britain’s MI5 security service, Andrew Parker, has dismissed suggestions UK-US intelligence sharing could be damaged if Chinese telecoms giant Huawei develops Britain’s 5G network. “Perhaps the thing that needs more focus and more discussion is how do we get to a future where there’s a wider range of competition… than defaulting to a yes or no about Chinese technology,” added Parker, who is standing down in April.

Huawei insists it has never been built any backdoor into its technology by the Chinese government and has offered to sign a “no spy agreement” with countries adopting it. Addressing concerns that the Chinese government could force Huawei’s hand, the firm’s former chairman Liang Hua said last May there were “no laws requiring the companies to collect intelligence from foreign governments”.

UP NEXT: Apple reportedly refused to Unlock US Navy Base Shooter’s iPhone

(Source)

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Some of Broadcom’s cable modems come with flawed firmware which could mean more than 200 million vulnerable homes. Four Danish researchers, Alexander Dalsgaard Krog, Jens Hegner Stærmose, Kasper Kohsel Terndrup (from Lyrebirds) and freelancer Simon Vandel Sillesen uncovered CVE-2019-19494, a flaw which could enable man-in-the-middle attacks, information theft, communications eavesdropping, DDoS attacks and so on.

“The cable modems are vulnerable to remote code execution through a web-socket connection, bypassing normal CORS and SOC rules, and then subsequently by overflowing the registers and executing malicious functionality. The exploit is possible due to lack of protection proper authorization of the web-socket client, default credentials and a programming error in the spectrum analyzer,” the researchers explained.

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm slashing Snapdragon 765 prices will affect MediaTek 5G chips orders: Ming Chi Kuo

“These vulnerabilities can give an attacker full remote control over the entire unit, and all the traffic that flows through it, while being invisible for both the user and ISP and able to ignore remote system updates.”

While the problem is clearly widespread, the researchers said it’s difficult to get a precise estimate of Cable Haunt reach. “The reason for this is that the vulnerability originated in reference software, which has seemingly been copied by different cable modems manufacturers when creating their cable modem firmware,” the researchers said on their website.

“This means that we have not been able to track the exact spread of the vulnerability and that it might present itself in slightly different ways for different manufacturers.”

The good news is that most Scandinavian Internet service providers (ISPs) report that they have already patched the affected devices, while the team responsible for the discovery has set up a dedicated Cable Haunt website for users to track developments.

UP NEXT: OnePlus 8 to feature 2K OLED Display with 120Hz refresh rate

(Source)

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Meizu aren’t strangers to bizarre and weird concepts, and for the year 2020 they’ve got a brand new product, or rather a set of new products to reveal. The company unveiled their 2020 New Year Gift Box, a box of items for your desktop. They’re all designed to feature a unique design theme, with this year’s items all being built out of solid concrete.

The Meizu 2020 New Year Gift Box consists of a desktop storage unit for putting all your stationary and stuff, a concrete desk clock, a smartphone holder and a stationary holder. As you’d expect, the products are all gray and very minimalist, giving them an interesting look. We can’t say we’ve seen something like this before, and it’s pretty nice to see a material like concrete get some love from tech companies.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip renders showcase upcoming foldable smartphone’s design

In addition to the storage set, there is also a card in the gift box with a New Year’s greeting: “The beautiful things are different. The resonance will help you find your confidant. May you abandon the clutter and restructure the order in the new year to make it beautiful and strong.” This is a rough translation, but the general gist of the message comes across just fine.

Alongside the announcement, Meizu also talked about how their product lines have been getting convoluted, with hopes to streamline their product lines for 2020. We’re hoping they succeed with this considering how good their last devices have been. We’re definitely looking forward to what the company has in store for us, and we’re hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

UP NEXT: iPhone SE 2 reported to have 5.4-inch display, TouchID and smaller bezels

(Source)

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Citing supply chain sources who displayed wares at CES 2020, MacOtakara reports Apple could be developing a Face ID-toting iPhone 8 follow-up alongside a much-rumored Touch ID version media outlets have tentatively dubbed “iPhone SE 2.” The rumored handset will pack a 5.4-inch screen into a case close in size to that of the iPhone 8, which itself was just over 5.4 inches tall.

A switch to Face ID and the alleged deletion of iPhone 8’s top and bottom bezels — affectionately referred to as its “forehead” and “chin” — will free up space for the larger display, the sources said. On the back is a “much bigger” camera as compared to iPhone 8, while the True Tone flash is said to “return” to a size seen on iPhone 7. While a bigger camera is expected, both in terms of megapixels and physical size, the True Tone flash comment is confusing as the part is identical on iPhone 7 and 8.

This report is confusing for several reasons. First and foremost, MacOtakara explicitly describes this mysterious device as “an updated version of the iPhone 8 using the A13 Bionic chip.” Every other rumor until now has said that the “iPhone SE 2” or “iPhone 9” that we see this spring will feature Touch ID with a design almost identical to that of the iPhone 8, and there’s been no mention of demolished bezels.

Ming Chi Kuo had earlier announced Apple’s intentions of revealing a mid-cycle handset in March. The device promised to follow in the footsteps of the iPhone SE, delivering better hardware at a lower price. Kuo believes the SE 2 will arrest Apple’s faltering sales in 2020. He estimates suppliers selling anywhere between 2 and 4 million devices every month with a total of 30 million devices sold at the end of 2020.

(Source)

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The fifth generation of mobile communication technology, referred to as 5G, is the latest generation of its kind, and 2019 marks the first year of commercial 5G use in China. This doesn’t mean technology has been slow to grow however, as companies are all scrambling to get their 5G smartphones out of the gate. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the 5G devices that released in 2019.

In May 2019, we saw the first commercial 5G device launch, that being ZTE’s Axon 10 Pro 5G. Two months later in July, Huawei ‘s first 5G mobile phone Mate20 X 5G was released, using the Kirin 980 chip + Balong 5000 set. In August, we got the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G, iQOO Pro 5G and the China Mobile pioneer X1 5G. September got us the Vivo NEX 3 5G version, Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G version and Huawei Mate 30 5G.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus 8 to feature 2K OLED Display with 120Hz refresh rate

In October, the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G and Huawei Mate X 5G were released. In November the Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G, Samsung W20 5G and Honor V30 5G saw launches. Finally, in December we saw a high number of launches with the Huawei nova 6 5G, Redmi K30 5G, Vivo X30 5G and OPPO Reno3 5G. Among these, the Redmi K30 5G is currently the lowest-priced 5G mobile phone in China start at 1999 yuan ($291).

It’s been a wild year for 5G development, though it hasn’t been progressing as fast as it could be. Thankfully, things are looking really good for the future. “2020 is the year 5G goes mainstream,” according to Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon, and he expects more than 200 million 5G smartphones will ship in 2020. Whether we hit that remains to be seen.

UP NEXT: Honor HLK-AL00a full specifications appear on TENAA; New Honor 9X variant could be coming

(Source)

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The Motorola Razr, despite discussions and criticisms, is still one of the hottest smartphones coming soon, and with the device’s Chinese launch coming soon, the company has been drumming up hype for it on Weibo with pictures of the production unit and the device’s box.

The box is rather unique next to the plethora of other boxes in the smartphone market. It’s triangular in shape, and stands tall instead of flat on the ground. There’s still all the information you expect on the back, showing us the device’s name, specifications and details. It’s very good looking box, and it complements the device very well.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirms development of 120Hz screen

After launching the Motorola Razr smartphone in November in the United States, Yang Yuanging, Chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group confirmed that the phone’s sale in the U.S. has been postponed due to demand and supply issues.

The Motorola Razr has a 6.2-inch Flex View P-OLED display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a notch for a 5MP selfie camera. When folded, there is a smaller 2.69-inch 800 x 600display on the back that displays notifications and caller IDs.

Inside the Razr is a Snapdragon 710 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Due to its design, the Razr packs a measly 2510mAh battery capacity but has support for 15W TurboPower fast charge. There is a 16MP camera on the back of the phone as well as a fingerprint scanner under the Motorola logo.

The Motorola Razr also has NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and an eSIM. It runs Android 9 Pie though but we hope an Android 10 update is released shortly after it goes on sale because asking for $1499 for a device that doesn’t run the latest version of Android is a bit outrageous.

UP NEXT: Redmi K30 5G 6GB RAM model to go on sale in China tomorrow

(Source)

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Xiaomi has patented two new vastly different foldable smartphone concepts in China. These two patents feature designs that are familiar to what we’ve seen from other companies before, but they’re also slightly different in their own way. The first device folds horizontally making a wider display, while the second folds vertically for a longer display.

The first design shows a phone that reminds us of the Huawei Mate X, and it’s the more practical of the two patented devices. The display folds over to the back, making the device feel like a normal sized smartphone. When folded out however, the device will be similar in size to your standard 8-inch+ tablet. The camera strip on the patent is much more subtle when compared to the Mate X’s camera strip.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi officially confirms MIUI 12; launching later this year

The second patented device on the other hand is VASTLY more bizarre than the previous device. Instead of forming a wider display, this device features a much longer display in a clamshell form. The main thing however is that the display is always on the outside of the device, which means that folding the phone is only for making the device shorter. The camera bump also interestingly seems to sit on the display.

While it seems to have been inspired by things like the Motorola Razr, the fact that the display is always on the outside of the device is just such a weird decision to us. This leaves it exposed to the elements at all times for what seems to be no practical reason. We’d much prefer to see a standard clamshell design like the upcoming Galaxy Fold 2.

While it’s fully possible neither one of these devices will ever fully materialize, it’s certainly interesting to discuss and imagine what they’d be like if they were real. This second device especially seems to be rather pointless, so it’d be nice to see what sort of counter arguments and features we could see in favor of it.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi was once almost called Xuande when founded, says Lei Jun

(Source)

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Xiaomi‘s Youpin crowdfunding platform has brought us plenty of oddities and interesting gadgets, but today’s product is a lot more conventional. The IQUNIX F96 is a new mechanical keyboard featuring Cherry MX keys and key-line separation. The wired version starts at 896 yuan ($130), while the wired + Bluetooth variant goes for 1188 yuan ($172).

So, let’s take a closer look at the dimensions of the colourful little mechanical keyboard here. The dimensions for the IQUNIX F96 measure in at 372 × 123.5 × 42mm with a weight of 1060g. It adopts an all-aluminum alloy shell with three colors of dark blue, coral orange and white, as well as built-in RGB lights with a variety of lighting effects.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi officially confirms MIUI 12; launching later this year

The IQUNIX mechanical keyboard uses Cherry MX switches, ensuring that the keys have a nice and satisfying click with every press. These come in red, green, brown and muted red options, as you’d expect from any mechanical keyboard. On top of that, they also come in backlit and non-backlit versions in case you need it.

As for connectivity, the wireless version of the IQUNIX F96 utilizes Bluetooth 4.0 for its wireless connection. The device can seamlessly switch between three different paired devices, and in case you suddenly need it, you can also use a USB Type-C cable for a wired connection. Overall, the IQUNIX looks like a solid mechanical keyboard, especially with its smaller size making it more portable.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi was once almost called Xuande when founded, says Lei Jun

(Source)

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Android users in Europe will see something unusual when setting up their new phones for the first time: the option to pick a default search engine that isn’t Google. Google will soon start offering Android users alternatives to its own search engine in the form of a choice screen that will appear on their phones.

The “choice screen” is being introduced by Google following an antitrust ruling from the European Union last March. Google was fined a record $5 billion by EU regulators, who said the company had to stop “illegally tying” its search engine and browser to its mobile OS. As a result, Google has done a blind auction for three alternative search engines in each market.

EDITOR’S PICK: Top 10 coolest products of CES 2020

In this blind auction, search providers that met Google’s criteria provide “the price that they are willing to pay each time a user selects them from the choice screen in the given country.” A minimum bid was set for each country and the three highest bidders for each market will appear during setup on Android phones in that country.

As a result, DuckDuckGo will be one of three alternative search engines offered by Google during new Android phone setups in every European country, while Bing will be an option only in the U.K. However, given that this was a closed auction process, it’s difficult to know which search providers applied for inclusion in which markets. You can see the full list here.

This auction hasn’t gone without its fair share of critcism however. Search engine Ecosia, which uses its profits to plant trees in areas of deforestation, told BBC News it had boycotted the process altogether. Chief executive Christian Kroll said: “We believe this auction is at odds with the spirit of the July 2018 EU Commission ruling.

“Internet users deserve a free choice over which search engine they use and the response of Google with this auction is an affront to our right to a free, open and federated internet. Why is Google able to pick and choose who gets default status on Android?”

Ecosia is also already planning to raise its concerns with European regulators. “Now that this process has come to a conclusion, we’ll raise our broader concerns over Google’s monopolistic behaviour with European Union legislators — we’ll also look at other ways to work with regulators to challenge this result,” claimed Kroll.

UP NEXT: MediaTek Dimensity 800 with integrated 5G modem for low priced phones announced

(Source)

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While CES 2020 has been an absolute hotbed for interesting new tech these past few days, it seems Samsung has something that they don’t want to reveal to the public just yet. According to Korean media reports, Samsung had a private booth at the expo and invited a few officials to demonstrate a secret prototype sliding notebook.

Unfortunately, it seems images were not allowed, so all we have to go off of are claims by people who were invited to the booth. From what we can gather, the product revealed was a 13.3-inch notebook, but sliding the display to the right apparently makes it twice as big. We’ve seen a patent by the company that seems to lineup with this, though no specifics.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD has a fingerprint scanner

Reception seems to be very positive. According to people who officially got to witness and experience the device, it’s a very innovative change to the standard laptop form factor. We heard previous rumors that Samsung were going to show off a sliding smartphone, but we definitely didn’t expect them to one up the idea with a brand new concept device instead.

Samsung has done surprise launches at CES before to gauge interest like with the Galaxy Fold, but this is the first time they’ve really done something so secretive like this. It’s also not all that surprising as to why they’re doing like this. This is a brand new concept, and though the idea is simple enough to imagine, it’s understandable that Samsung wouldn’t want to reveal their method or design in fear of copycats.

What’s going to be interesting from this point on is how exactly this tech pans out. We can probably expect to see the device go official soon enough, especially since it already sounds like it’s passable for a final product. We’ll be keeping tabs on any updates regarding Samsung’s secret sliding notebook, so stay tuned on Gizmochina as the story develops.

You can find more CES2020 coverage from here.

UP NEXT: Samsung says the Galaxy Home Mini will finally be released in early 2020

(Source)

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Cybersecurity research firm Check Point Research says it found “multiple vulnerabilities” within video sharing app TikTok that demonstrated its insecurity as scrutiny for the Chinese-owned company continues to grow. Check Point found that it was possible to spoof text messages to make them appear to come from TikTok, among other issues.

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With Samsung’s announcement official, it’s expected that the Korean giant will unveil both the Galaxy Fold 2 and the Galaxy S20/S11 lineup on February 11. What’s not official are the Galaxy Fold 2 specs, and according to a new report, the SoC powering the new foldable handset may disappoint a lot of people who want the very best and capable hardware.

A few months ago, a report said that Samsung wants to make the Galaxy Fold 2 more affordable than its predecessor. The device would be priced at around $1,000, the rumor said, or half of what the Fold costs. Apparently to achieve this, Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold 2 will feature last generation’s Snapdragon 855 SoC instead of this generation’s 865.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus Concept One phone with electrochromic glass to hide rear cameras announced at CES 2020

This leak comes from Ishan Agarwal, whose leaks have often turned out to be accurate over the last few years. Now, this isn’t exactly a bad thing. The Snapdragon 855 is still a fantastic processor, and it’s much better than most current mid-range processors. On top of that, there’s the obvious reason of producing a more affordable folding phone.

Other specifications include a 10MP front camera, which isn’t the most ambitious, but will get the job done. We’ve also heard rumors it’ll feature dual rear cameras, as opposed to the original Galaxy Fold’s triple camera setup. Once again, this move could be done to reduce the overall cost, so let us keep our fingers crossed for February 11.

UP NEXT: Samsung will showcase a brand new sliding phone concept at CES 2020

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Samsung‘s been using their flexible displays for many different devices lately. They’ve had the infamous Samsung Galaxy Fold, and the sequel to that device is coming soon as well, So, what’s next on the list for Samsung? Apparently it’s sliding phones according to reports.

We’ve heard Korean media report that Samsung has set up a private booth over at CES 2020 to showcase its concept slideable display phone to potential customers. If this is true, it’s fully possible the company might showcase a device like this at said booth. It’s not a stretch, and it would be an impressive showcase of the company’s engineering prowess. The question is, what exactly would these devices look like?

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus Concept One phone with electrochromic glass to hide rear cameras announced at CES 2020

These sliding phone patents (courtesy of LetsGoDigital) show us a few Samsung sliding phone concepts for two devices, one extremely long, and another that’s wider. They’re fairly unconventional, but it’s possible the company can find some practical use for it. What’s interesting about these however is that we might be able to see them very soon.

Samsung has done this before  with foldable phones the last few CES expos to gauge acceptance, and those actually materialized, so the slide-out handset may be commercialized at some point, too. It’d be interesting to see if Samsung can push out their first sliding device before competitors like Xiaomi and LG come out with theirs.

You can find more CES2020 coverage from here.

UP NEXT: Redmi 8 Phantom Red edition releasing in China tomorrow

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For most, the best time to charge your phone is when you’re sleeping, simply for the fact that you’re not using it during those hours, but this isn’t necessarily the best thing for your battery life in the long term. To solve this battery issue, OnePlus has unveiled a new feature coming soon to their devices called “Optimized Charging.”

So, what exactly does Optimized Charging do and how does it help? Well, when you put your OnePlus phone to charge before going to bed, it will refill its power cell to 80 percent of its maximum capacity and then temporarily stop. A hundred minutes before you usually wake up, your first alarm or event of the day, the phone will then charge to full.

EDITOR’S PICK: MediaTek Dimensity 800 with integrated 5G modem for low priced phones announced

According to OnePlus, while charging technology has changed, batteries themselves have not changed at all in terms of chemical substances. The only way to charge a battery fast is to increase either the voltage or, in OnePlus’ case, the current that comes from the charger. While now generally safe, fast charging can lead to faster degradation of the battery cells, especially when left plugged in at 100%. Optimized Charging hopes to help with that.

If you have access to a OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7 Pro and the company’s Open Beta software, you check out the feature by pulling down the notification shade on your phone, tapping the cog icon to launch the Settings app and then tapping on the “Battery” heading. You’ll then see a toggle to turn on Optimized Charging. If you try it, tell us how it turns out.

UP NEXT: OnePlus Concept One phone with electrochromic glass to hide rear cameras announced at CES 2020

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While e-ink displays on smartphones have been on the rise for the past few years, no company has really pushed the tech forward until now. Hisense, known for their TVs, have launched a smartphone with a color e-ink display at CES 2020. This is the first instance of a coloured e-ink display on a smartphone that we’ve ever seen, and it’s a fresh push forward.

According to Hisense, the production process of e-ink displays for smartphones has matured to the point that even these coloured e-ink displays can be mass produced. They also claim these new displays feature better refresh rates than previous e-ink phones, and that they’re also more vivid if that weren’t already obvious enough.

EDITOR’S PICK: MediaTek Dimensity 800 with integrated 5G modem for low priced phones announced

Last year we saw Hisense release an e-ink smartphone called the A5, but that one followed its contemporaries with a black and white e-ink display. Now that we have this coloured e-ink display, the technology has just become a lot more viable for most users. If this follows the A5’s concept, then it’ll probably end up being a mid-range device too.

The first E Ink enabled smartphone came out in 2012. This was the original YotaPhone and it featured a full color display on the main screen and an e Ink one on the back. In 2013 Onyx developed their own smartphone, which only had a single E Ink screen. The reception was lukewarm, primarily because it wasn’t really marketed in North America. Now with this recent development, we’re looking forward to seeing how this trend turns out.

You can find more CES2020 coverage from here.

UP NEXT: OnePlus Concept One phone with electrochromic glass to hide rear cameras announced at CES 2020

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Engraving is not a new thing and Apple has long offered such the option for selected products. The engraving option has been available for AirPods as well, but it was limited to text only. Now the company is expanding the engraving option for AirPods to include emojis as well. Yes, you heard that right, you engrave an emoji onto your AirPods case.

“New personal engraving options, from A to emoji” states Apple in a new banner featured on the home page of its website. You can now customize AirPods in the Apple Online Store through the “Personalize it for free” option that appears when you select the earphones. The current options are fairly limited, but all the most popular emojis are mostly there.

EDITOR’S PICK: The Alienware Concept UFO prototype is a gaming PC in the Nintendo Switch form factor

Users can also add text to personalize their devices, with Apple introducing a new uppercase typeface that offers more pop than the original typeface, which was lower case and smaller on the AirPods. Right now, it’s not possible to mix emoji and text – you must choose one or the other, though, for text-based options, you can add numbers and dates.

Once you add a pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro to your basket, you can click on the ‘Add Engraving’ option and run through the short engraving process. The offer right now is available in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and a few other countries where iPhone maker can exercise direct online sale.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 concept video showcases the upcoming foldable smartphone’s design

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Protecting phones from malware and viruses is necessary in this current day and age, but it could carry another possible threat to its user – bacteria. While that may sound out of place, it’s actually quite true and Otterbox has upgraded its glass screen protectors with technology that protects users from the harmful microorganisms.

At CES, OtterBox has announced the world’s first glass screen protector for smartphones with integrated antimicrobial technology registered with the EPA. The new Amplify Glass screen protector offers protection against scratches and drops and germs and comes to Google and Samsung smartphones after first arriving for iPhone later this year.

EDITOR’S PICK: The Alienware Concept UFO prototype is a gaming PC in the Nintendo Switch form factor

Otterbox CEO Jim Parke says, “Amplify Glass now features proprietary anti-microbial technology that suppresses the growth of several common stains and odor-causing bacteria to protect the surface of the screen protector.” So you will be able to put your face against your phone’s display when making a call without fear of random diseases we suppose.

It also allegedly protects the display on a phone up to five times better than rival screen protectors and keeps the screen on your phone from succumbing to drops, bumps and falls. OtterBox has not yet released information about the release or pricing, but shared that it will be arriving “soon” on OtterBox.com.

You can find more CES2020 coverage from here.

UP NEXT: Lenovo unveils the IdeaPad Duet and IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebooks at CES 2020

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The quest to play demanding AAA games on the go has long been a dream of PC makers. The closest we’ve come is the Nintendo Switch, which made console gaming portable in a way no previous handheld gaming device was ever really able to do. Companies like Razer have tried to replicate this in the PC market, but now Dell is taking a crack at it with the Alienware Concept UFO handheld at CES 2020.

Featured above, the new handheld is a full Windows PC, and is reportedly focused, unsurprisingly, on gaming. The Concept UFO packs an 8-inch screen and a 1900 x 1200 display into a portable form factor with detachable controllers. The device overall seems a bit chunkier than the Switch, which also appears to make the controller more ergonomic.

EDITOR’S PICK: Lenovo unveils the IdeaPad Duet and IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebooks at CES 2020

Flip the Alienware Concept UFO over and you’ll see the rear of the display panel is made of more white aluminum with hexagonal, honeycombed-shaped vents — similar to what’s used on the cool the Area-51m. However, the panel also functions as a downward-folding kickstand revealing a black metallic back.

The device on the show floor uses an Intel 10th-gen Ice Lake processor and is powered by a 65-watt power brick. It plays F1 2019, World War Z, and Mortal Kombat 11 at decent frames, albeit at fairly low settings. Above the display, you’ll find the power and volume buttons, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack.

Now normally Nintendo, a company that’s extremely protective of its intellectual property, would try to prevent something like this from coming to market, but we feel that wouldn’t apply here. This is because it’s not really a Switch competitor. Alienware PCs are expensive, and you can expect this to be priced more like a gaming laptop than a portable console.

Unfortunately, it’s just a concept. Though the press got to go hands-on and the unit seemed to perform well, Dell (which owns Alienware) isn’t promising it’ll actually come to market. And though the company has working prototypes, it isn’t providing any specifications beyond the display and the fact it uses a 10th gen Intel processor.

You can find more CES2020 coverage from here.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi rumored to release the Mi 10 just before the Galaxy S11 on February 11

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