France looks past Google, Apple for virus contact tracing

France, which has long been sceptical of the growing power of US tech titans, is seeking to bypass Apple and Google for a smartphone app to help trace people infected with the novel coronavirus.

The move, which leaves France relatively isolated in Europe alongside Britain and Norway, reflects differences on how such apps should be structured, who has access to sensitive data and their effectiveness.

A number of countries have already deployed "contact tracing" apps on smartphones that track a person's contacts and alert them if need be, generating vital information to help contain outbreaks and slow the spread of the virus as nations ease lockdowns and get back to work.

These apps can be based either on a decentralised or centralised architecture.

A decentralised architecture keeps the information about whom a person has been in contact with on the smartphone.

If the person declares themselves to have been infected by the coronavirus, then those people deemed to have been in close contact for an extended period receive a notification to isolate themselves and get tested.

In a centralised system the data is managed by an authority, say a national health service, that would have access to the data to ensure those who are exposed are indeed following the proper health and isolation recommendations.

Apple and Google banded together last month to develop coronavirus contact tracing technology that would work across their operating systems.

The technology, set to be released later this month, embraces a decentralised architecture that would enable smartphone users to control their own data, and choose whether to notify the authorities if they have been exposed.

- Titans setting the terms -

Numerous tech experts and privacy advocates prefer a decentralised option because of data privacy concerns, worried about governments establishing databases that could be used for surveillance, even after the pandemic.

But France, along with London, contest that argument and prefer a centralised architecture that will provide them with the information needed to ensure the spread of the disease is effectively contained.

Norway also opted for a centralised system for its "Smittestop" or "stop infection" app launched last month.


Being dependent on Apple and Google means "staying in an extremely restrictive framework for usage" of the data, said a source close to France's contract tracing effort.

"It is Google and Apple who are defining the debate" in what is essentially a public health issue, the source added.

To become an effective tool for public health authorities, a contact tracing app has to be widely used -- experts say by at least 60 percent of the population -- but also provide them with needed information about who is getting sick as well as where, which can be important for taking quick measures to close hotspots.

Decentralised apps that make use of the Bluetooth radios on smartphones can be built so they do not even record the location of where people are in contact.

Nations cannot easily go around Apple and Google and develop their own apps as Apple in particular makes it difficult to keep Bluetooth enabled in its operating system.

People would need to keep the app open at all times, an inconvenience that would likely lead to many people not having it running on their phones.

- Systems rolled out -

So far Apple has resisted pleas from France and other countries for help to get around that technical issue.

While the European Commission has not yet taken a formal position on the options, it acknowledges a decentralised system is better on data privacy grounds.

"If both approaches can be in conformity with data protection laws, from a point of view of minimising the collection of data, the decentralised approach is preferable as less data would be stored" on a centralised server, a Commission spokesman told AFP.

Several European countries are expected to roll out contact tracing apps in June, which should provide some indication as to the best strategies.

France hopes to have its app in operation on June 2, and the official leading its development has said it will work very well on an iPhone despite Apple's lack of cooperation.

The technology arm of Britain's National Health Service has been testing its centralised system on the Isle of Wight since May 5 and plans to unroll it nationwide in the coming weeks.

Germany has opted for a decentralised system compatible with the Apple/Google initiative that it hopes will be ready in several weeks.

Italy, which has also gone for a decentralised system, should have its app ready by the end of May, Innovation Minister Paola Pisano told the Corriere della Sera daily on Monday.

In Austria, the Red Cross has launched an app based on a centralised model that has 600,000 users, but it is expected to evolve into a decentralised application.

Switzerland is currently testing its decentralised app.

Agence France-Presse

Oppo continues to push envelope on smartphone technology

In an era of increasingly sophisticated smartphones, being good enough is simply not good enough.

This is why leading smartphone brand OPPO continues to churn out innovative technology that empowers the restless and relentless Filipinos, whose thirst for the best-among-the-best smartphone in the market is ever evident.

Revolutionary smartphone

OPPO’s latest revolutionary flagship smartphone, the Find X2 series was launched globally via livestream in early March, set to be a showcase of the brand’s best technologies yet, as well as a preview of other innovations the brand has in store for everyone.

The OPPO Find X2 Pro features the most advanced screen display OPPO has ever developed, with emphasis on resolution, screen refresh rate, color, and high dynamic range. The Find X2 Pro is the next generation flagship offering of OPPO that promises an all-round powerful camera experience, as well as battery life.

The device is equipped with Grade A screen quality through the 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED screen, an all-round ultra-vision-camera system, the industry’s fastest 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 flash charging technology, and the most advanced mobile platform—the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. The Find X2 Pro continues OPPO’s line of smartphones with amazing camera. It is equipped with a triple-camera combination, 48MP wide-angle lens + 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens + 13MP telephoto lens, whilst supporting 10x hybrid zoom. It uses the Sony IMX689 which has the largest sensor size among all 48MP mobile camera sensors in the industry and Dolby Atmos equipped speakers.

“We are very excited to finally unveil our latest flagship phone Find X2 Pro in the Philippines. We believe that it perfectly matches the fast-paced and highly digital lifestyle of the modern Filipino industry leaders. Its revolutionary features were carefully crafted for years before we released them in public to ensure that we’re able to offer a full and satisfying smartphone experience that can keep up with the ever-demanding lifestyle of its target consumers,” shares Raymond Xia, Marketing Head of OPPO Philippines.

The Future of Intelligent Connectivity

Over the years, OPPO has boosted its multi-billion-dollar R&D facilities across key locations in the world. This ensures that the latest cutting edge technology is always at the hands—quite literally—of its customers around the world.

With nearly 100 million active users in the APAC region, OPPO remains committed to evolve into an R&D-centric technology company. In fact, in the next three years, the brand is set to invest over $7 billion in R&D initiatives, as it continues to focus on developing state-of-the-art technologies such as 5G, 6G, AI, AR, and big data.

“In line with the announcement made during the OPPO APAC Hub launch in Malaysia, we are already evolving beyond being a smartphone company. We have recently expanded our portfolio in the IoT space for a more comprehensive personal technology experience,” said Xia.

During the recent Find X2 series online launch, OPPO announced Find X2 series 5G smartphone globally as well as its latest product innovation on smart devices: the OPPO 5G CPE Omni and OPPO Watch. Adding to its portfolio beyond its smartphone product line, plus the other IoT products that were introduced during the OPPO APAC Hub launch in Malaysia such as the OPPO Enco Free, AR Glass, and VR.

Additionally, OPPO published a whitepaper on intelligent connectivity at the OPPO INNO DAY last December 2019, in partnership with market analytics firm IHS Markit. Titled “Intelligent Connectivity: Unleashing opportunities with the power of 5G, AI, and cloud,” the whitepaper aims to enable the industry to establish a more open and collaborative understanding of the ecosystem, better informing and guiding the sustainable development of intelligent connectivity in the future. The 5G era will be driven by intelligent connectivity powered by AI, cloud, edge computing, and IoT, according to the whitepaper.

OPPO also reiterates its commitment to being a global pioneer of 5G, especially because the coming 5G era is expected to generate 170 million potential shipment units for global smartphone markets. The possibilities of 5G is immense—almost instantaneous download speeds, higher resolution video, and next-level AR and VR capabilities.

business.inquirer.net

2,000 iPhones given for free by Japanese gov’t to passengers stuck on ship due to coronavirus

The Japanese government gave away 2,000 free iPhones to passengers stranded on a cruise ship due to the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus. The country’s health minister stated that 355 people onboard the ship have tested positive for the virus.

The smartphones were handed to each cabin so passengers could access an app made by the government, as per Macotakara via 9to5mac last Friday, Feb.14.

The said app from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare will allow people on the quarantined ship to consult with a doctor. Smartphones registered outside of Japan are unable to access the app. This also prompted the ministry to hand out the devices to the passengers.

According to the report, the 2,000 devices were handed out to ensure that each cabin had one unit.

The ship arrived near the Japanese coast earlier this month with more than 3,700 people on board from over 50 countries. It was placed under quarantine after a passenger who left the vessel in Hong Kong tested positive for the virus.

The Japanese government may begin testing the travelers for the disease from Feb. 18, the captain said. Passengers with negative results will be allowed to disembark the ship starting Feb. 21.


The disease has already killed over 1,000 people and infected more than 42,000 worldwide. The World Health Organization named it COVID-19 after declaring the outbreak as a global health emergency. Ryan Arcadio/JB


source: technology.inquirer.net

Google working on call-recording feature for native smartphone app

After first spotting preliminary code for a call-recording tool in version 43 of Google’s Phone app, XDA Developers reported that the feature’s code in Version 44 has been completed enough for the media to fully enable the tool and test it out.

If the feature actually does roll out to the public build of the application, users will be able to tap a “Record” button that is added to the app’s interface when a call is ongoing. This button can be used to both start and end call recording; the audio clip can then be listened to from the call log and exported as a .wav file. Though XDA Developers were unable to activate this element of the feature, users will also be able to view a transcript of the call.


To accommodate the legal conditions of call recording, a message will pop up when the Record button is tapped, reading, “When using the call recording feature, you are responsible for complying with applicable laws related to the recording of calls. Please be aware that many jurisdictions require the consent of both parties for such recording.” Everyone else in the call will automatically be told that “this call is now being recorded” and that “call recording has now ended” when a user begins and stops recording.

As of right now, there is no indication in the code that the feature will be restricted to certain phone models or regions when and if it does roll out the public. RGA

source: technology.inquirer.net

NEX 3: The next status symbol of power and luxurious technology

Like designer bags, Swiss watches, and bespoke suits, smartphones have become not just a necessity, but a symbol of sophistication, especially among individuals who have a discerning taste for luxurious items.

And the NEX 3, the latest flagship model in Vivo’s high-end NEX series, may perhaps be the next status symbol not only of elegance but of premium technology, owing to its next-generation innovations and trendsetting design that gives a preview of the “device of the future”.


Built for those who demand the best smartphone experience, the NEX 3 harnesses the power of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855+ and 8GB RAM/128GB ROM to deliver faster cutting-edge performance and smoother multitasking capabilities.

Compared to other handsets in its price range, the Vivo NEX 3 might exude simplicity but it looks totally sophisticated and elegant with its Glowing Night-colored aluminum alloy unibody design that is rendered seamless with a notch-less and bezel-less architecture.

The NEX 3 also cleverly hid physical power and volume buttons from sight by using an X-axis Haptic Vibration motor and Touch Sense technology, whereby the unit uses haptic feedback to simulate sense of touch. In-Display Fingerprint Scanning also allows users to step into their mobile world both instantly and safely.

Matching the impressive style of its users, the NEX 3 also makes a remarkable statement with the world’s first AMOLED Waterfall FullView™ Display, stretching and curving the smartphone screen along its sides to offer its discriminating users broader, borderless views.

For a breathtaking visual experience, the NEX 3 also has 6.89-inch display with an incredible 99.6% screen-to-body ratio. At the back, a Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6, protects the NEX 3 from multiple drops, even at greater heights.

For those who not only go for amazing aesthetics but also top-notch performance, the NEX 3 sports an array of optics bannered by a 64-megapixel main camera, 13MP wide-angle camera and a 13MP telescopic camera that makes for premier photo-shooting experience as it makes “super HD clarity” as the norm for all photos. At the front, a 16MP Elevating Front Camera also paves the way for NEX 3’s perfect FullView™ Display.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Online Video Content Doubled in 4 Years

The number of young Americans watching online videos every day has more than doubled, according to survey findings released Tuesday. They’re glued to them for nearly an hour a day, twice as long as they were four years ago.

And often, the survey found, they’re seeing the videos on services such as YouTube that are supposedly off-limits to children younger than age 13.

“It is the air they breathe,” said Michael Robb, senior director of research for Common Sense Media, the nonprofit organization that issued the report.


The group tracks young people’s tech habits and offers guidance for parents.



The survey of American youth included the responses of 1,677 young people, ages 8 to 18.

Among other things, it found that 56% of 8- to 12-year-olds and 69% of 13- to 18-year-olds watch online videos every day.

In 2015, the last time the survey was conducted, those figures were 24% and 34%, respectively.
The margin of error was plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Overall screen time hasn’t changed much in those four years, the survey found.
The average tween, ages 8 to 12 for the purposes of this survey, spent four hours and 44 minutes with entertainment media on digital devices each day.

For teens, it was seven hours and 22 minutes.

That did not include the time using devices for homework, reading books or listening to music.

But the findings on video-watching indicate just how quickly this generation is shifting from traditional television to streaming services, often viewed on smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Among the teens surveyed, only a third said they enjoyed watching traditional television programming “a lot,” compared with 45% four years ago.

Half of the tweens said the same, compared with 61% in the last survey.


YouTube was their overwhelming first choice for online videos, even among the tweens who were surveyed — three-quarters of whom say they use the site despite age restrictions.

Only 23% in that age group said they watch YouTube Kids, a separate service aimed at them and even younger children.

And of those, most still said they preferred regular YouTube.

“It puts a lot of pressure on a parent to figure out what they can reasonably filter,” Robb said.

When presented with the findings, YouTube said that, in the coming months, it will share details on ways the company is rethinking its approach to kids and families.

For now, Farshad Shadloo, a spokesperson for YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, reiterated the company’s terms of use on age: “YouTube is not a site for people under 13.”

Among other things, the company also cited its restriction filters and YouTube Kids.

Even so, many children with online access are adept at getting access to regular YouTube or other streaming content — partly because their parents are overwhelmed, said Sarah Domoff, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at Central Michigan University who studies tech’s impact on youth and families.

Those parents could certainly be doing more to track screen time, she said.
But, as she sees it, filters on services such as YouTube also aren’t adequate.

“It’s really hard to block out certain things unless you’re standing over your child,” Domoff said.
That’s especially hard to do when devices are portable.

Some are skeptical about how much YouTube will change a service that easily leads its users, young and old alike, down a “rabbit hole” of video content, much of it created by everyday people.

“If your model is built on maintaining attention, it’s really hard to do something,” said Robb, of Common Sense Media.

His advice to families: “Protect homework time, family time, dinner time and bedtime.
Have device-free times or zones.”

Domoff added, “There needs to be a game plan.”

Associated Press

iOS 13 The Anti Hacking Operating System

Apple hit back Friday at a Google research report suggesting iPhones may have been targeted by a long-running hacking operation, calling it inaccurate and misleading as they prepare to launch iOS 13.

Apple spokesman Fred Sainz said in a statement the research released by Google created a “false impression” that large numbers of iPhone users may have been compromised.

Sainz said that contrary to what Google claimed, the incident was a “narrowly focused” attack which affected “fewer than a dozen websites that focus on content related to the Uighur community, an ethnic minority in China.

“Regardless of the scale of the attack, we take the safety and security of all users extremely seriously,” he wrote.

“Google’s post, issued six months after iOS patches were released, creates the false impression of ‘mass exploitation’ to ‘monitor the private activities of entire populations in real-time,’ stoking fear among all iPhone users that their devices had been compromised. This was never the case.”


Researchers with Google’s Project Zero security task force said last week that an “indiscriminate” hacking operation that targeted iPhones used websites to implant malicious software to access photos, user locations, and other data.

“Simply visiting the hacked site was enough for the exploit server to attack your device, and if it was successful, install a monitoring implant,” said Project Zero’s Ian Beer.

Sainz said Apple believes that the website attacks were operational for roughly two months, not two years as Google implied.

“We fixed the vulnerabilities in question in February — iOS 13 working extremely quickly to resolve the issue just 10 days after we learned about it,” Sainz said.

“When Google approached us, we were already in the process of fixing the exploited bugs.

Security is a never-ending journey and our customers can be confident we are working for them .”- iphone iOS 13 to be released next week.

rl/acb

© Agence France-Presse

Google Pixel 4: What we know so far

With the Pixel 4 series launch likely taking place next month, rumors and leaks about the flagship series are arriving at record pace.

It’s been nearly a year since Google launched the Pixel 3 flagship smartphone series, which means that the next generation’s reveal is imminent. Not only have rumors been circulating about the anticipated devices, but leaked images and videos allegedly of the official handsets have also emerged. The following is a collection of the most recent speculations about Google’s upcoming Pixel 4 series.

On Wednesday, the YouTube channels AnhEm TV and Rabbit TV offered us the most comprehensive looks of what is alleged to be the Pixel 4 lineup yet by posting videos 6.5 and 14 minutes long, respectively, of the largest model in the series, the Pixel 4 XL.

Late last week, 9to5Google and XDA Developers revealed information about the series’ purported camera capabilities. The former spoke with sources that claimed a new Motion Mode will help owners take clearer action shots and an improved Night Mode will improve on the already impressive shots taken in low lighting. XDA Developers, on the other hand, reported that the Pixel 4 camera with be able to zoom 8x.


Also last week, 9to5Google separately reported that the “Google Assistant on Pixel 4 will be able to step in for you while you’re on hold during a phone call.” Though the precise functioning was not outlined by the source, they did state that Google will let you know when a human being is back on the line.

A few days earlier, MySmartPrice spotted an FCC listing revealing that four Pixel 4 devices are in the works; while three are expected to be follow-up models of the 3, 3XL, and budget-friendly 3a, the fourth one is unknown. The media suspects that it is a second successor to the Pixel 3a.


If the rumors and leaks continue to flourish like they did ahead of the Pixel 3 series launch, the entire lineup and its respective model specs could be completely revealed in no time. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Apple unveils iPhone 11 models with dual cameras

CUPERTINO - Apple unveiled its iPhone 11 models Tuesday, touting dual cameras and ultra-wide lens capabilities as it updated its popular smartphone lineup.

The newest handsets come as Apple seeks to spur new upgrades in a slumping global smartphone market.

The new iPhones are "jam packed with new capabilities and an incredible new design," Apple chief executive Tim Cook told a launch event in Cupertino, California. — Agence France-Presse

Apple iPhone 11 launch expected on Sept. 10

As anticipation mounts for the launch of iOS 13 (date unknown), the seventh beta of the operating system was launched on Thursday, Aug. 15, for developers. Within the software, The Verge reported that Brazilian media organization iHelp BR uncovered an image suggesting the date when Apple’s next flagships smartphones will be announced.

The image is named “HoldForRelease,” and what appears to be a screenshot of an iPhone home screen is a calendar app icon set to Tuesday, Sept. 10. iHelp BR noted that when iOS 12 was released, the calendar app displayed on a similar image in the software displayed its respective launch date as well, Sept. 12.


The launches of the previous iPhones all took place within four days of Sept. 10 during their respective release years, so it is likely that this prediction is accurate.

Three new iPhones are expected to be announced this year that are allegedly successors of the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Huawei’s first devices powered by HongMeng OS said to launch in 2019

Since Huawei was put on the United States tech blacklist earlier this year, the Chinese company has been forced to look towards operating system alternatives to Google’s Android OS.

At the time of the blacklisting, the company already had its own operating system in development in case of such a situation. In fact, in May of this year, the operating system officially got a name, HongMeng OS.


According to China-based media outlet Global Times, a smartphone powered by HongMeng OS could hit the market as early as Q4 of this year. This device will allegedly be “targeting low- and medium-end markets” and will be priced at about $288.24 (over P14,900).

The very first devices to be powered by the Huawei operating system, however, will purportedly be Honor smart TVs, set to launch on Aug. 10.

As part of the company’s long-term plans for the OS, they intend to use HongMeng to power autonomous driving systems, remote medical services, and industrial control technology.

The first smartphone with HongMeng OS is expected to make its appearance with the Huawei Mate30 series when it launches in Q4 of this year. HM/NVG

source: technology.inquirer.net

Apple’s complete 2020 iPhone lineup to support 5G

MacRumors reported yesterday, July 28, that the highly-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reason to believe that all 2020 iPhone models will support 5G connectivity.

Though Apple has yet to officially disclose its 5G smartphone plans to the public, notable Apple analyst Kuo wrote in a document to investors that the company is planning for its entire 2020 iPhone portfolio to support 5G connectivity.

It was previously believed that only two out of three phones, the high-end iterations, would support the latest cellular network.

According to Kuo, the purpose behind this change is to ensure that Apple can offer its audience an option that will adequately compete with lower-priced Android smartphones that will support 5G.

He provided two additional reasons as to why Apple would give its lowest-tier model this flagship technology, the company now has more resources to expand this type of technology thanks to its recent acquisition of Intel’s modem chip division, and it would aid in the development of its AR ecosystem.

This year is expected to see the launch of a slew of 5G smartphones including Huawei’s Mate X, Samsung’s S10 and Galaxy Fold, and Motorola’s Moto Z3.

Though Apple will be far from the first company to offer a 5G-supporting device, when it launches next year it will have the most comprehensive product line in the industry. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

First batch of 5G phones get quality certification in China

BEIJING — The battle over 5G smartphones has intensified in China, with the first batch of eight 5G phone models having obtained the quality certificate needed to hit the market.

Huawei Technologies Co’s four 5G models, including Mate 20X 5G and Mate X 5G, have obtained China Compulsory Certification, according to the website of the China Quality Certification Centre.

Other smartphone vendors Oppo, Vivo, ZTE and One Plus also each have one 5G model that secured the certificate.

It is worth noting that Xiaomi, Samsung and Lenovo failed to make their way into the first batch. Xiaomi said on Wednesday that it will apply to conduct quality tests next week in accordance with its product launch schedule.

Smartphones in China need to acquire three licenses before they are allowed to be sold to the public. The licenses include China Compulsory Certification, a license to allow smartphones to get connected to the 5G network, and Radio Type Approval Certification.

Oppo said on Wednesday that its Oppo Reno 5G model has already secured all of the three licenses and the phone will be available in the China market in the third quarter of this year.

Tang Hai, chief 5G scientist at Oppo, said obtaining the licenses proves that the quality and the performance of Oppo’s 5G smartphone is recognised by industry regulators. The company’s Reno 5G has already been available in Switzerland since May.

Huawei announced in June that its Mate 20X 5G had obtained the country’s first license to allow terminal telecommunication equipment to enter the 5G network in China. The company is scheduled to release the phone on its home turf on July 26.

On Wednesday, the IMT-2020(5G) Promotion Group, an organisation affiliated with the country’s top industry regulator to boost the development of the superfast technology, said Huawei’s self-developed 5G chip has already passed the tests of all networks.

Qin Fei, general manager of Vivo’s telecom research institute, said the company’s 5G smartphone will hit the streets in August and the testing speed of its model has reached one gigabit per second.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, said this year will only see a very small number of 5G smartphones sold, but companies are all trying to have the first-mover advantage to appeal to consumers.

According to a report by market research company Counterpoint, global 5G smartphone shipments are expected to reach 108.2 million units in 2021, up an estimated 255 per cent year-on-year.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung expands mid-tier phone range in US with 3 new devices

Since 2014 when the segment was launched, Samsung’s Galaxy A-series smartphones have been sold in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. On Tuesday, June 11, the company announced that three of the newest models in the mid-tier range will be coming to the United States starting this month.

Galaxy A50

Leading the incoming series is the Galaxy A50, a model with a 6.4-inch full HD AMOLED display, a tear-drop shaped notch, and an in-display fingerprint reader.

The most notable feature of the handset is the triple camera set-up on the rear consisting of a 5-megapixel depth camera, 25-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Users will not only be able to take high-quality shots but also apply bokeh effects and optimize color tones and other settings thanks to an integrated scene optimizer.

With 512 gigabytes, the Galaxy A50 has a starting retail price of $349.99 (about P18,000).

Galaxy A20

Like the Galaxy A50, the A20 dons a 6.4-inch display but instead of the tear-drop shaped Infinity-U notch, the top edge of the screen features a V-shaped notch.

Only one camera can be found on the rear with 13 megapixels. The front camera, on the other hand, has an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

The Galaxy A20 has a starting retail price of $249.99 (almost P13,000).

Galaxy A10e

The Galaxy A10e has the smallest display of the trio measuring in at 5.83 inches. The single-camera on the back is 8 megapixels.


The Galaxy A10e has a starting retail price of $179.99 (about P9,000).

The Galaxy A50 will be the first to launch in the U.S. on Thursday, June 13. The release date of the other models has not yet been disclosed. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Google Duo eight-person group calling rolls out globally

After only being available in select regions for a few weeks, Google Duo’s group calling feature started rolling out Thursday, May 23, to all iOS and Android users across the globe.

After Microsoft rolled out support for 50-person Skype group calls in April 2019 and Apple’s Facetime gained group call support up to 32 members in October 2018, Google has finally entered the race, albeit only offering eight-person support, thanks to Duo’s new group calling feature that officially rolled out this week for both Android and iOS users.

This update was accompanied by two additional features, a new data saving mode and the ability to personalize video messages.

The former update allows users in designated regions like Indonesia, India and Brazil, where using data is spendy to limit data usage on mobile networks and wi-fi on Android.

Already on Android and coming soon to iOS, users can personalize video messages with text, emojis and drawings. Data saving mode will roll out in the upcoming months. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Korea officially launches 5G service via Samsung phone

SEOUL — To mark the official launch of the fifth-generation of mobile network, South Korean mobile carriers held various celebrations over the weekend, and vowed to aggressively expand their 5G infrastructure across the country in preparation for launch on smartphones in March, according to the telcos on Sunday. SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho made a video call from the mobile operator’s network control center in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province to a staff manager in the company’s Myeong-dong office in central Seoul, using a pilot 5G smartphone made by Samsung Electronics. “I feel deeply moved by this first video call on a 5G smartphone,” Park said. “It was much clearer than on LTE and the response was quick.”

Calls were subsequently made to Haeundae in Busan, Dunsan-dong in Daejeon and Geumnam-ro in Gwangju, some of the 13 cities and counties that are covered by SKT’s 5G network. SKT’s first 5G client Myunghwa Ind kick-started the 5G-AI machine vision solution that that collects and sends 24 high-definition photos from the production line to a cloud server, where they are judged for defects via artificially intelligent algorithms.The mobile carrier’s self-driving car had test-runs in Hwaseong K-City and ordinary roads in Siheung as it was communicating with SKT’s 5G control center. Despite a fire from its branch in northern district in Seoul and subsequent network blackout last week, KT also celebrated its commercial 5G launch at the 123-floor Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul. The tower’s guide robot Lota is the first client of KT’s 5G service that provides 10 gigabytes of data at 49,500 won ($44.20) per month.“We chose Lota as our first 5G client in order to highlight that 5G doesn’t just mean a replacement of the mobile network,” a company official said. “5G robot Lota will be a platform that innovates our daily lives and industries altogether.” KT said it has deployed 5G infrastructure in Seoul and six other metropolitan cities across the country. The KT network even covers Jeju, Ulleungdo and Dokdo.

The mobile carrier plans to expand the coverage to 24 major cities, including subway and bullet train KTX stations with large floating populations. LG Uplus also held a video call ceremony in Magok, northwestern Seoul, using a laptop that is connected to a 5G router. The third player in the Korean telecom market has established around 4,100 5G base stations – the largest number so far among the three telcos – and plans to set up more than 7,000 stations by the end of December, the company said. LG Uplus is the only carrier that has deployed China’s Huawei 5G equipment. LG’s first 5G client is tractor maker LS Mtron. The company has collaborated with LG Uplus to develop the country’s first 5G-enabled tractor that can be remotely controlled.

source: technology.inquirer.net

5 flagship models expected from Samsung in 2019

The Korean smartphone maker may have a total of five flagship devices to release in 2019.

Three of them may come from the next-generation Galaxy S10. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the new devices will split up the standard S10 line into three screen sizes. These will range from a 5.8-inch up to a 6.4-inch display. The smartphones have already been scheduled for a February debut.


The fourth device on the list would be a 5G version of the S10 codenamed “Beyond X.” Spring will be its time of release in the United States and Korea. It will also have six cameras, two up front and four in the back, and a large 6.7-inch display.

The fifth high-end smartphone expected to be released by 2019 is the company’s first foldable-screen device. It came under the spotlight during the Samsung Developer Conference 2018, which ran from Nov. 7 to 8 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, USA. This device will have a 7.3-inch display that closes and opens like a book. The report stated that the device’s final name is still being debated between “Samsung Flex” and “Galaxy Flex.”

Apart from the Galaxy S10, changes could still get implemented with the last two devices, which may push their release to a later date. However, as it is, consumers have big things to expect from the Korean smartphone maker in 2019.  Alfred Bayle /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

Is Samsung planning a truly notch-less and bezel-less future?

Notable tech-leaker Ice Universe managed to get a look at what is revealed at the highly exclusive 2018 Samsung OLED Forum on Friday and shared all the under-display mobile tech that’s on its way in 2019.

Samsung has a reputation for mocking smartphone notches (such as that on the Pixel 3), but honestly, who can blame them? Sure, notches have a practical purpose like housing camera lenses, speakers, and a variety of sensors, nevertheless, they have a reputation for being so unaesthetic that some Pixel 3 users have been digging into their phones’ user settings to hide the notch completely by implementing a screen-wide black bar.

And it looks like Samsung wants to avoid the notch and a black bar after what Ice Universe revealed was on show at the incredibly private 2018 Samsung OLED Forum at the Shenzhen Marriott Hotel in China with about 20 business partners present, according to Forbes.

During a PowerPoint presentation, the company revealed four new technologies that will drive their smartphone development over the upcoming year: FoD (fingerprint sensing tech under the display), UPS (under-the-screen sensor tech), HoD (touch-sensitive tech), and SoD (“screen sound tech”).

Since the FoD and SoD tech already exist on the market and HoD tech isn’t exactly novel, the key innovation here is that UPS tech. That right there is what will bring us a notchless AND bezel-less screen that is, basically, the display of our dreams that has been just out of reach of today’s tech.

Needless to say, this would be a breakthrough for the smartphone market. There’s no word yet on the public release of such an innovation or the launch of the long-awaited folding Galaxy F. Perhaps, both will be arriving soon, maybe even together. Is this the end of smartphone displays as we know it? As Samsung said themselves. CC

source: technology.inquirer.net

Apple shows off costliest iPhone yet

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Apple unveiled three new iPhones on Wednesday, including its biggest and most expensive model yet, as the company sought to widen the product’s appeal amid slowing sales.

CEO Tim Cook showed off the iPhone XS Max, which has a bigger screen than the one on last year’s dramatically designed model, the iPhone X.


The iPhone XS Max will cost about $1,100, topping the iPhone X, which at $1,000 seemed jaw-dropping at the time. An updated iPhone X, now called the XS, stays at $1,000.


As with the iPhone X, both new phones have screens that run from edge to edge, an effort to maximize the display without making the phone too awkward to hold.

Increasingly larger screens

The screen needs no backlight, so black would appear as truly black rather than simply dark. The Max model looks to be about the size of the iPhone 8 Plus, though the screen size is much larger.

The iPhone XS Max, which will be available on Sept. 21— with orders open the week before—represents Apple’s attempt to feed consumers’ appetite for increasingly larger screens as they rely on smartphones to watch and record video and to take photos wherever they are.


By making more expensive iPhones, Apple has been able to boost its profits despite waning demand as people upgrade phones less frequently.

IPhones fetched an average price of $724 during the April-June period, a nearly 20-percent increase from a year earlier.

Apple also showed off a cheaper iPhone, called the iPhone XR. It has a traditional, lower-quality screen and an aluminum body; it’s physically smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus but has a bigger screen. It’ll cost roughly $750 and come out on Oct. 26.

All three new models join the iPhone X in getting rid of the home button to make room for more screen. They will have facial-recognition technology to unlock the device.


Target: affluent households

Although it didn’t sell quite as analysts anticipated, the iPhone X still emerged as the most popular in Apple’s lineup, according to Cook.

That emboldened the company to aim an even more expensive device at the affluent households that tend to gravitate to its products, especially in the United States and Europe.

For everyone else, many of whom are still using iPhones they purchased several years ago, there’s the XR.

“I am going to go out on a limb and say the XR is going to become Apple’s top-selling iPhone,” said analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights.

“It is a smart strategy to keep more people in the Apple ecosystem and get even more people to come into it,” Moorhead added. — AP

source: technology.inquirer.net

Secondhand smartphone market takes off but far from green

Thanks to a fast-growing secondhand market, smartphones are increasingly being re-used but large-scale handset recycling is not happening as the industry struggles to go green.

Thrown in the thrash or left abandoned in a drawer, the fate of mobile phones — which consumers replace on average every two years — is starting to change amid growing criticism over their environmental impact.

“People love technology — the upgrades, the unboxing, the new features,” the EEB network of environmental groups in Europe said in a statement as the world’s largest mobile phone fair opened this week in Barcelona.

“But there’s a dirty side to our tech obsession: trainloads of e-waste trundling out of our cities and towards hellish waste dumps in Africa and Asia.”

Growth in reused mobiles

According to a recent UN report, small devices like smartphones represented nine percent of all e-waste in the world in 2016, up from seven percent in 2014.

But things in the mobile sector are slowly starting to change.

“There is very strong growth in the reused phone market,” said Bertrand Grau, a technology analyst at Deloitte, which forecasts sales of second hand mobile phones will expand by 20 percent a year between 2015 and 2020.

The surge in sales of secondhand phones — which may just need a change of battery or screen — is being fuelled in part by consumers, who are reluctant to dish out more money for new models that offer little innovation.

“Phones are becoming more and more expensive, more than 1,000 euros for the iPhone X, but the established brands are attractive so people prefer to buy a refurbished Apple phone rather than a cheaper Chinese brand,” said Grau.

As such, mobile brands and operators are increasingly offering phone exchange programs. Consumers can turn in their old model to get a discount on a new one or cash.

“Today this has become almost a mainstream practice around the world,” said Biju Nair, the head of Hyla, a Texas-based firm which helps the industry collect and repurpose used phones had a stand at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress.

Hyla and other such firms provide operators with software that checks the state of the phone, makes sure it was not stolen, erases all the data on the device and makes it reusable.

French start-up Volpy, meanwhile, has created an app that buys phones directly from consumers and sends a courier to fetch the handset.

“We realized that smartphones that had significant market value were not recycled, even though there was an interest for consumers to do so,” said Volpy head Marc Simeoni.

Phone design

The system is still in its infancy. Only 7 to 15 percent of smartphones sold in France, and 20 to 25 percent of those sold in North America, are reconditioned.

But “it’s a first step to responsibly handling phones,” said Elizabeth Jardim, an e-waste specialist with the US branch of Greenpeace.

“We advise to keep the phones in use for longer, whether it is the original owner, or whether it’s a second-hand owner” since this reduces the amount of energy and raw materials used to make a new one, she added.

A smartphone is made up of about 50 different materials, including rare materials that are sometimes extracted from nations in conflict like the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Manufacturing smartphones also requires a huge amount of energy, often fossil fuels since 60 percent of them are made in China where coal remains the main source of energy.

And only about 20 percent of all e-waste — defined as anything with a plug or a battery — is going in the official collection and recycling schemes, according to a UN report.

“One thing that makes it difficult is the way the phones are designed. They’re incredibly fragile, for instance the glass they use for the display. Often, the phones are designed to be difficult to be repaired,” said Jardim.

Faced with these problems, efforts by major brands remain slim.

Technology giant Apple said last year it wants to “one day” end the need to mine materials from the earth to make its gadgets. It has melted down iPhone aluminum enclosures to make mini computers used in its factories.

And under pressure from Greenpeace, Samsung agreed to recycle the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones it was forced to recall in 2016 because of problems with its battery. AB

source: technology.inquirer.net