Mobile Tech & Gadgets

Microsoft launches a surprise for users who still have it on their PC

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Microsoft is preparing for the worst. Next October the Windows 10 end of supportdespite being the most used computer operating system in the world; Hundreds of millions of users must prepare to be abandoned to their fate, although first Microsoft will leave them some ‘gifts’. And, surprisingly, Windows 10 continues to receive updates periodically, as if nothing had changed; and we’re not talking about small updates. At this point, it would be normal for Microsoft to close all development for Windows 10, to focus solely on releasing security patches that prepare the system as best as possible for the end of support in October. And yet, Microsoft engineers still have some surprises in store for users. This is how he discovered it @phantomofearth on Xwhich has been able to install the latest update for Windows 10, which takes it to version 19045.5435; Although at the moment it is only available on the previous channel, it is expected that in the coming weeks the update will be available to all users. And then, they will find a curious change in the calendar. Indeed, Windows 10 calendar has been updated with new functions accessible from the taskbar, which make it more useful, although there are also some new features that are more of a curiosity than anything else. With the new update, it is possible to activate the weather forecast in the calendar, so that the weather in the coming days is shown and we can prepare. Not only that, but the Windows 10 calendar will now show national holidays and events, and even interesting days; Next to the date, an illustration will now be displayed that will inform us of these special days, as well as a list of public events at the bottom as information about the festivities. For example, On February 14, Windows 10 will now show some roses and some hearts, to indicate that it is Valentine’s Day, a reminder that many couples will probably appreciate. Another curious detail added with the latest Windows 10 update is found in the taskbar search; From now on, Windows will show a new image every day in the search barand if we press it it will take us to Bing, something that will appeal to those who also prefer Bing’s daily wallpapers. Not all news will be well received. This update also brings a change that will be hated by many users, with the iMandatory installation of the new Outlook app; In addition, it must be remembered that Microsoft is also preparing to abandon the Microsoft 365 support on Windows 10which will affect apps like Word and Excel.

The 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite is official and that’s how powerful it is

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Qualcomm hit the table at the end of 2024 with the presentation of the Snapdragon 8 Elitethe most powerful Android mobile processor on the market. Immediately, most manufacturers announced their plans to integrate the new chip into their future smartphones, with few exceptions. Now, Qualcomm has launched a new version of this processor, but the launch couldn’t be more different, because it has done so practically in secret. The new 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite is exactly what its name suggests: it is exactly the same processor that was announced a few months ago, but with 7 cores instead of 8. A difference that seems too small to be worth launching a new product, but that can actually be very important and that will be taken advantage of by several smartphone models that will be launched throughout 2025. Let us remember that The Snapdragon 8 Elite has a 2+6 core configuration to cover all types of tasks and offer leading performance in any app. The two leading cores are the Oryon Prime, capable of reaching a frequency of up to 4.32 GHz, and are the ones used in the most demanding games and tasks. They come accompanied by six Oryon Performance cores, which reach a frequency of only 3.53 GHz but consume less energy; These are the cores that are used in the vast majority of situations, activating the Prime cores only when strictly necessary. The new version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite has a 2+5 core configuration. In effect, that means that the core that has been removed is an Oryon Performance, the less powerful one. Otherwise, the rest of the features are identical, and the cores reach the same frequency and the chip has the same AI capabilities with the same NPU (neural processing unit). The core difference is enough to receive a new version number, SM8750-3-AB (the original is SM8750-AB) and technically, it is a different processor. Now, does removing one of the less powerful cores really make a difference? And why launch a chip like this? Until we have a mobile phone with this processor in our hands, we will not be able to clearly answer the first question; but the first leaks suggest that, surprisingly, yes there is a difference, but it depends on the mobile. A Geekbench 6 test has been made public, comparing the performance of the new OPPO Find N5, which will be one of the first phones to use the new 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite, with the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra that will be presented this week and it has the 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite. According to tests, the new 7-core processor has 14% lower performance in multicore tasks. However, an important detail must be clarified: the processor of the Galaxy S25 Ultra It is ‘overclocked’ and does not work at the base frequency; Its Prime cores run at 4.47 GHz instead of the usual 4.32 GHz. Additionally, single-core performance between the two chips is virtually identical. According to Mishaal Rahman, the difference between a 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite and an 8-core one at the base frequency is only 7% in Geekbench and 2% in AnTuTu. OPPO | Weibo The Free Android In practice, users are unlikely to notice much of a difference between the 7-core and 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite; although enthusiasts and gamers will probably prefer the latter. This small sacrifice has been made for a simple reason: for the new thinner folding phones. New folding mobile models like the aforementioned OPPO Find N5 are the thinnest developed to date, and that means they also have less space dedicated to heat dissipation. By having one less core, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite model emits less heat and that makes it ideal for folding phones. That also explains why Qualcomm has given so little hype to this launch: the 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite has simply appeared in Qualcomm’s documentation without any type of announcement.

Samsung confirms the update date of the Galaxy S24 and others to One UI 7 based on Android 15: it is going as planned

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Just yesterday the price of each of the Galaxy S25 which in just over 24 hours will be announced to launch Samsung’s flagship mobile phones. They will carry One UI 7, the custom layer based on Android 15, which debuts for the first time in the new S series phones and thus begins to reach the Galaxy S24, S23 and more. Samsung has now confirmed when will they be updated. From the moment it was known that One UI 7 would be released with the new Galaxy S25it was learned that Samsung would roll out the new update to the rest of the Galaxy S in the following weeks. Now it is known that first they will be those from Korea and it will take a few more weeks for the previous Galaxy S. In fact, the beta has been available for the Galaxy S24 since the month of December and part of thisso they would be the first to be updated. The peculiar thing about Samsung’s confirmation is that it has boasted that it has been able to develop the update in a way faster than One UI 6. It must be remembered that the Galaxy S24 have been the first flagship of the company that they have been left without the premiere of the new update when the previous Galaxy S23, S22 and more have done so with the respective One UI 6, One UI 5 and more. Be that as it may, Samsung has confirmed that Galaxy S series mobile devices should receive the One UI 7 update at the end of the first quarter 2025. The full deployment would end on March 31 of this year, so the first would be the Galaxy S24 to continue, supposedly, with the folding phones and the previous flagships such as the Galaxy S23 or S22. One UI 7 interface SamMobile The Free Android The curious thing about the press release is that omits the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 folding phones. We will have to wait until tomorrow at the presentation of the Galaxy S25 to find out the roadmap that Samsung has planned, since it will possibly indicate when it plans to precisely update each of its flagships. An update to Android 15 that will have more artificial intelligence functions and the premiere of Now Bar, a kind of Apple’s Dynamic Islandbut on the lock screen to assist user with recommendations according to the use you give to your mobile. Alvarez del Vayo The Free Android One UI 7, according to Gizmochinait will also apply changes in some of the spaces most used by the user such as the redesigned quick settings panelnew icons for Samsung apps, smoother animations and changes also in the interface of the camera app to continue outlining one of the most complete layers of Android.

Its arrival in Spain and the approximate date of its global presentation are confirmed.

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At the end of October last year, the launch of the new Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro in China. A series that has its loyal followers and in which work continues to take the best possible photography. Already waiting for the next one Xiaomi 15 Ultra whose release date is already known with an international debut. It had recently been reported that its presentation had been postponed. A strange moment, since it would always have been presented shortly after the launch of the first models in the series, such as this time the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro. A mobile phone that is of great importance due to the change of direction of the Chinese brand towards more expensive mobile phones and thus moving away from being known as a reference in the medium and low range. Xiaomi’s goal is to be recognized as a premium brand and the Ultra models are achieving their goal, so there is more interest than ever in knowing the details of its next Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Wei Siqi, general director of Xiaomi’s mobile marketing department, said that the mobile will arrive next month of february. She has not been the only executive who has referred to the next Chinese flagship, and Lu Weibing, president of Xiaomi Group, has confirmed that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will make a global debut. The executive, according ItHomeindicated that Xiaomi’s goal is to sell its new mobile phone simultaneously throughout the world, and according to the leak, the countries mentioned are Turkey, Indonesia, Russia, Taiwan, India and those of the European Economic Area (EEA) among which would be Spain. From the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, according to Xiaomiuisome information has been leaked such as support for eSIM, a chip designed by the Chinese brand itself (in order to improve battery efficiency and help the main one), IP68/69 certification, 90 W fast charging , 6.7-inch screen and another of the important protagonists, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. All this to bring your next smartphone to compete against the next Galaxy S25 Ultra, the iPhone 17 and many other flagship phones that compete every year for the market share of premium range phones that year after year are collecting the interest of a greater number of users. And it is an important moment for the Chinese brand, since 2024 It’s been a great year with sales figures that have placed it as the manufacturer that grew the most compared to last year with a full 12% and obtained a 14% market share; It came quite close to Apple and Samsung to continue establishing itself as one of the most attractive brands both in mobile phones and in its items for the smart home or its electric vehicle.

It is no longer independent, it is already connected with Facebook and Instagram

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If the user can be happy about new updates that allow you to create better statuses with your favorite songswhat WhatsApp has just announced breaks one of the biggest rules of the chat app since it It was purchased in 2014: your independence. Meta has announced that they will be able share WhatsApp statuses directly on Instagram and Facebook. And a line has been crossed that in some way has drawn its own, unique and independent territory, since until now Meta had left WhatsApp outside the ecosystem of its social networks. Everything was in the messaging app private. On Instagram and Facebook the game has been different, since when you create a story you can publish it directly on both (although there is always the option of not doing so). Which saves time between two apps or platforms that are still social networks, but WhatsApp has been characterized by being a private and simple messaging app so that now that feeling is completely diluted security. Instagram and Facebook are two more public social networks and WhatsApp has always remained in the area of ​​privacy and that space that is more personal to the person. Building a bridge with social networks puts uncertainty in what has always been its most important experience: being a private messaging app. Today’s announcement changes everything, as the account center is going to start supporting WhatsApp so that status updates can be forwarded or posted on all platforms where the user has an account. That border has been completely crossed, and in fact Meta has warned that those users who may fear for their privacy should not worry about anything, since none of these changes will affect the privacy and security of their messages. WhatsApp announcement with status updates WhatsApp The Free Android It has also single sign-on support announced in the WhatsApp account, which makes it easier to switch between different platforms. The American company has said that the changes in the account center to support WhatsApp will take time to apply. Goal, according to Engadgethas also confirmed that it will add more features that can be shared across multiple platforms like stickers, avatars and AI selfies; functionalities that it has been deploying last year in several regions. Manuel Ramirez The Free Android Of course, this type of content is currently being stopped by the Digital Services Law in Europe and no type of function related to generative artificial intelligence has arrived in Spain; one of the largest investments that Meta has been making in its app as well as in its social networks over the past year.

Google finally fixes the navigation gesture that was broken on older Pixels when updating them to Android 15

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Google is already working in the next Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 as was learned yesterday from an internal source. Now one of the bugs that were generated has been marked as corrected when updating old Pixels to the latest version of Android, precisely 15. This version was deployed to the new Pixel 9 like the rest of the old Pixels such as the Pixel 8 series in the middle of October. These types of updates make you enjoy the news and those new experiences who spend their daily lives better with a smartphone, a tablet or a smart watch. But not everything always goes well and with this deployment, users of the old Pixels found themselves with a very strange bug: Swiping in from the right side of the phone did not activate the back gesture, so the interaction experience failed severely with that update to Android 15. Now the issue has been marked as corrected in Issue Trackerthe web space that Google uses to record all bugs or errors on its mobile devices and where you can review the correction of errors. Pixel 7 Pro Alvarez del Vayo The Free Android In fact, a Google employee has stated that the solution will be deployed in a new imminent update of Pixel phones so that normal use of the phone can be resumed. First reported on a Pixel 8 Pro so that it would soon be confirmed in other models by more users. The error affected the gestures that are applied from both sides, not only the right one as has now been confirmed as solved since Issue Tracker. And it is a quite serious problem for the mobile gesture experience, since it has prevented the ability to navigate backwards. The only solution that had been given until now was use the navigation bar with its three buttons, but you can almost say that it is an almost retro experience so that moving with gestures is tremendously simple. The update with the back gesture fix will be deployed in the month of Februaryright in the first weeks, so any of the old Pixels can be used again as it has always been done with an error that can generate a lot of frustration according to what it maintains GSMArena.

announces an increase in the cost of all its plans, including ads

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In October of last year, the streaming platform did not even bother to apply another increase in prices. subscription prices in Spain. And now the cost of using your platform is going to increase on numerous fronts, as also applies an increase at the price you will pay to add an extra member to the plan so that you can continue playing your content. And while other content platforms like Spotify have only effective an increase in the last 12 years, Netflix has been applying one after another and without knowing for sure if this will be the last, since since it began to block shared accounts it has not stopped modifying the price of its subscriptions. Anyone who thought that 2025 was going to be left without a price increase can now abandon that idea, since the platform with the highest number of subscribers just announced another change to their subscriptionsalthough for now they will stay in the United States; It will not take long for them to be applied in the rest of the countries, as will happen in Spain. The company just announced an increase after a recent earnings presentation and the increase was verified through its website. First, the basic plan with ads goes from $6.99 to $7.99 in the monthly subscription, while the standard ad-free plan goes from $15.49 to $17.99 per month. Which results in a increase of 2.50 dollars and approximately 16.49% applied to the ad-free subscription, which was once the platform’s basic subscription before advertising came to the multimedia content that Netflix offers to its users. Scene from the second season of ‘The Squid Game’. Netflix’s premium plan also receives a raise and now it remains at $24.99 per month from the $22.99 that it has been costing the subscriber’s pocket each month. Here an increase of 2 dollars in the premium is applied to apply 8.70%. But there is more, and the platform has not forgotten the cost for the subscriber to add a new member to their plan so that they can enjoy their platform. Yeah I used to charge $7.99 a month for an extra member for ad-free playback, now goes to $8.99. Netflix The Free Android Yes, according to The New York Times, add an alternative to this experience with the option of paying $6.99 per month for an extra member, but to play the platform’s content with ads. What remains to be seen is when this increase will be applied in Spain as in the rest of the countries, which could take a while. The reason is unknown, but The Wrapat the end of last year, reported that in its own country users are consuming 23% less streaming services to reach an average per citizen of 42.38 dollars, when the previous year, in 2023, they reached the figure of 55.04 dollars per month.

your Galaxy S25, Gemini in Galaxy AI and the long-awaited One UI 7 update

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Today is the big day of Galaxy Unpacked in which the Galaxy S25 Slim will possibly be shown, Samsung’s slim flagship phone. A very special event for several reasons. One of them is the renewal of the Galaxy S25 seriesanother the premiere of One UI 7 with new AI functions and the third for the possible appearance of a mobile phone that aims to be very different from the rest of the Galaxy S25, the S25 Slim. It is the first time that Samsung announces the new One UI update at the presentation of its new flagship phones. And until now I had always left the deployment of One UI for autumn so that the flagships launched that same year could test all the new features. Last year, if One UI 7 had been launched in the fall, the Galaxy S24 would be the mobile phones that would test the virtues and benefits of Android 15 for the first time; just as it has been with the Galaxy S23 and One UI 6, or the Galaxy S22 with One UI 5. Bringing the new One UI 7 update to the announcement of its new Galaxy S25 has meant that the beta was also published later, just in December of last year. So the brand’s loyal followers have had to wait longer than necessary. So that today, at 7:00 p.m. in Spain, the Galaxy Unpacked that can be followed from the official Samsung website and thus attend all that string of news that the Korean company will show. And there are many, so last minute surprises are also expected. One UI 7 is something more Samsung is going to give the details of a major update that has been delayed to bring important news and one appears as the main protagonist: Now Bar, a personal text assistant which will be located on the lock screen to give recommendations to the user. Another important novelty is the new quick settings panel redesignthat will allow you to open notifications on the one hand and on the other hand those settings (similar to MIUI and other layers); changes to the camera app, which will improve user interaction for faster captures; and the possibility of a renewed Bixby with AI. One UI 7 on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Samsung The Free Android But there is more, and Samsung does not want to be left behind in the race for the best user experience that Apple is providing with its iPhone and those fluid animationsand from what has been seen, One UI 7 will exponentially increase interaction with apps, icons, screens and more so that everything looks very fluid; and even more so when their Ultra models enjoy a 120 Hz refresh rate on the screen. It will also give a twist to the personalization of its mobile phones so that the user can change almost everything about the interface. It will even give the possibility of freely place app icons or widgets on the home screen by removing grid limitations. One UI 7 interface SamMobile The Free Android A great review of the Good Lock modules that will allow you to make recordings with the camera app so that the file is go directly to the connected external hard drive to the USB type-C connection of the Galaxy S25 and others. Galaxy AI and Gemini from Google In One UI 7 another of the protagonists will be Gemini with Galaxy AIwhich will bring a lot of new features to Samsung phones and will be part of the system so that it is not even necessary to use the internet connection for tasks such as photo editing. @OnLeaks | x The Free Android Of course, now Gemini will appear by default to be invoked by the voice command “Hey, Gemini”, instead of the familiar “Hey, Google”. In fact, its integration will be complete with some apps such as notes or messaging apps and thus it will be a very capable assistant so that you can search for a place to go to dinner and send it directly to a contact. In fact, AI will also be part of Now Bar with Now Brief and thus give a daily summary with artificial intelligence or simply give context to the actions that the user takes with your mobile. It can be said that the experience will be much more interactive so that AI becomes part of the user’s daily life with Galaxy AI. New daily summary on the Samsung Galaxy with Gemini Technoblog The Free Android Another of the most interesting functions will be YouTube Noteswhich will be responsible for providing information or a summary of the video that is playing on the screen. Almost as if it were a kind of Rodea to search for a special good that you can interact with directly from the YouTube video platform app. The integration will also be total with the calendar, reminders and notes appso the assistant will be in charge of carrying out all kinds of tasks to save time and thus generate an experience that elevates Galaxy AI to another category, when it was first launched on the Galaxy S24; and we must not forget about multimodality in artificial intelligence for the more creative side of One UI 7. The four Galaxy S24 Another of the surprises of Galaxy Unpacked is going to be the announcement of a mobile that aims to be something very different what Samsung has been launching for years, with the exception of the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip folding phones. This is the Galaxy S25 Slimalthough its total availability will be for the month of May according to a last-minute leak. It is expected that, as happened last year with the Galaxy Ring that was shown at Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung will do the same and announce the Galaxy S25 Slim with some details or simply an image that indicates that it is on the way; The promotional image for Unpacked … Read more

China is very clear about what it has to do to free itself from US pressure: achieve technological self-sufficiency

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The geopolitical scenario in 2025 is, if possible, even more uncertain than in 2024. The two protagonists are unquestionably USA and China because they are the two great powers that are disputing world supremacy. And each one of them leads a side with notable allies with whom it shares an evident alignment in the economic, technological and military fields. China’s technological development has been deeply conditioned for more than two years now by the sanctions that the US is deploying and his allies. These bans primarily seek to stop the development of China’s semiconductor industry, but their implications reach many other industries due to the omnipresence of chips, such as the military, robots, electric cars or telecommunications, among others. others. China needs to achieve technological self-sufficiency at any price China’s medium-term economy is at stake. And the world leadership for which it competes with the United States, too. The Government led by Xi Jinping is fully aware of how important it is for its country to put an end once and for all to the dependency that still exists today of many foreign countries from a technological point of view. Precisely this dependency has been taken advantage of by the US to prevent Chinese integrated circuit manufacturers from accessing the most advanced lithography equipment it produces. the Dutch company ASML. “By managing our own affairs well, we can promote the stable and healthy development of China’s economy.” This is the situation in which The Chinese Administration has promoted the holding this Monday of a meeting in which the country’s political and social leaders urged industry executives as a whole to dedicate your resources to the technology sector. Its dual purpose is to materialize new engines of economic growth and promote China’s technological independence under the leadership of the Federation of Industry and Commerce, which will be the institution that will guide the private sector on this path. “By managing our own affairs well, we can promote the stable and healthy development of China’s economy,” has declared Premier Li Qiang. During 2024, the gross domestic product of this country has grown by 5%, and several intensely industrialized regions, including Zhejiang province, aim to grow by at least 5.5% during 2025. The fact that the meeting among Chinese leaders was celebrated on the same day that Donald Trump has returned to the White House It has a marked symbolic character. A fact that is worth not overlooking is that at last Monday’s meeting, in addition to the political and social leaders of China, several very prominent people participated. from the field of science and technology. One of them was Liang Wenfeng, the founder of the investment company High Flyer Quant that backs the startup of artificial intelligence DeepSeek. Wei Hongxing, founder of AUBO Robotics Technology, also participated in this event. What is still not entirely clear is how China is going to act in the face of a probable escalation of the tariffs imposed by the US under the mandate of Donald Trump. We probably won’t have to wait long to check it out. More information | SCMP In Xataka | Historical record for China: its chip industry has produced more than ever in 2024 despite sanctions

the complete list of fixes to numerous bugs

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Yesterday it appeared in Issue Tracker the solution to one of the biggest problems that old Pixels have suffered with a navigation gesture that was practically broken. Now it has been launched beta that will be part of the March Pixel Feature Drop of this year. And it is expected that throughout the day the first public beta of Android 16 appears which will be the first step towards the arrival of the final version in the coming months. Also, the appearance of the latest beta of Android 15 is the last one so that the following ones are already based on Android 16. The technology giant has announced the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 3 release and has shared notes on a large number of fixes that caused some pretty serious problems in the user experience of their Pixel phones. One of them caused the mobile restarted when making callsan error that is corrected with the build number BP11.241210.004 and which also includes all the security patches published in this month of January 2025. And according to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, we would be facing the latest major version of the beta build for Android 15 QPR2. And based on how Google is taking things with Android 16, there are no longer plans to release new builds in the Android 15 Quarterly Platform scheme, meaning it would be the last Android 15 beta update. Manuel Ramirez / Google The Free Android The possibility that is contemplated is that Google would launch a latest patch hotfix to fix a bug that I had solved at the last minute. This new update would already be available throughout the day for the Pixel 6 launched in 2021 and the rest of the mobile phones, tablets and folding devices launched later. The only thing that, according to Android Policeit may take 24 hours to reach all the devices that are part of the beta that you can easily participate in if you want to solve any bug that affects your daily experience with your mobile. It is done from the updates in the settings. The Complete List of Android 15 Fixes Fixed problems that could cause a device reboot when you make a phone call. Fixed another issue when trying to resume an app from preview that would take the user to the home screen. Several issues have been fixed with the language selection menu (accessed with a long tap on the space bar) that changed the window, causing the IME to be hidden in apps that had an active function (softInputMode to STATE_ALWAYS_HIDDEN). Fixed an issue that sometimes caused a clicking sound in the background while recording video. Another solution to an issue that caused wireless charging to stop in some cases. Fixed a bug that caused devices to close inappropriately when starting a workout on a connected Wear OS device. Another solution to the interface not closing with an internal problem in null selector exceptions. Fix for another bug that caused the Android Beta Feedback app to sometimes close when reporting a bug. Fixed other issues that impact the stability, connectivity and interactivity of the system in general.

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