The Samsung Galaxy S20 series are almost on shelves, but Samsung is ahead of the curve, already prepping the chipsets set to go into the next generation of phones. Whether the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 ends up sporting the new technology or it's reserved for the inevitable Samsung Galaxy S21, competitors like Apple and Huawei are set to have serious competition.
In a blog post on Samsung's Newsroom site, it announced a 7 nanometer (nm) and 6nm mobile processor manufacturing line. According to the South Korean phone manufacturer, complicated chipset patterns need to be bigger in order to provide the phone with more processing power. Its new technology allows complicated patterns like these to be scaled down to a smaller size in a process known as EUV (extreme ultraviolet) manufacturing.
It's a move set to provide "an optimal choice for next-generation applications such as 5G, AI and Automotive." Automotive is an interesting choice of words. Just as Apple's new CarKey software comes into the limelight, it's telling Samsung is also looking at integrating its phones with cars in a big way.
Apple's feature will allow you to open and start cars that are equipped with NFC sensors, using a virtual key stored in the Apple Wallet app. Samsung could be looking towards building a rival, powered with this advanced new chipset.
Many mobile CPUs in current flagships, such as the Snapdragon 865 and Apple's latest A13 and A12 processors, are packing a 7nm architecture. If Samsung can crack 6nm processor tchnology in time for its next big launch – that would be the Samsung Galaxy Note 20, then – it will create the same incredible power with an even smaller architecture, allowing flagships to get even thinner, and use less power, while still retaining the same processing brute force of their predecessors.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 could pack even more power thanks to Samsung's new tech (Image credit: Windows United)
While all that sounds pretty impressive, Samsung's got even more great stuff lined up for the future. In the same post, Samsung stated it will "continue to adopt finer circuitry up to the 3nm process node." So expect mobile CPUs to deliver big power within even smaller sizes over the years, or include them in naturally smaller devices such as wearables and smartwatches to give them all the power of a smartphone.
Although we're expecting big things from Samsung Galaxy S20's Snapdragon 865, we can't wait to see what the future has in store for the next glut of Samsung devices, starting with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20. It's going to give iPhone 12, the Huawei P40 and other future flagships a run for their money in the specs stakes.
Google already offers fingerprint gestures on its older Pixel phones and Motion Sense gestures on its Pixel 4 series. But it looks like the firm is testing another gesture-related feature on its Pixel series.
XDA-Developers has spotted and enabled a new gesture system code-named “Columbus” in the Android 11 developer preview for Pixel phones. The system allows you to make a double-tap gesture on the back of a Pixel phone to control various functions.
According to the outlet, the double-tap gesture allows you to dismiss timers, snooze alarms, launch the camera/Google Assistant, play or pause media, collapse the status bar, silence incoming calls, unpin notifications, and start a “user selected action.” Check out a GIF of the feature below, courtesy of XDA.
Google is apparently implementing several measures to prevent accidental activation of the feature, taking charging status and other factors into account. The outlet also noted a reference to gesture training associated with the Settings app, suggesting a setup process for the feature.
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Best of all, the double-tap gesture is confirmed to work on older Pixels in addition to the Pixel 4 series. So Google is likely using the accelerometer and gyroscope to enable this feature rather than exotic hardware like Motion Sense. This theoretically means Google could bring the finished feature to other Android phones in general, but it’s probably a Pixel-exclusive capability for now.
We’re glad to see another shortcut system come to Android phones in any event, following in the footsteps of fingerprint scanner gestures, Active Edge squeezes, and the standard hardware button (e.g. Google Assistant key). But we hope Google follows through with allowing users to remap the feature.
The vibe around Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a lot less secretive now. This morning, Nintendo showed off a lengthy presentation that provided plenty of details about the latest title in its adorable life sim series, which is making its debut on the Switch on March 20th. That includes everything from the structure of the game to the multiplayer aspect and your new virtual smartphone. There was a lot packed into the 25-minute-long presentation. But if you weren’t able to catch the whole thing, here are the highlights.
The island is fairly empty in the beginning
The Animal Crossing series isn’t exactly known for its bustling metropolises, but the island in New Horizons will be quiet even by Animal Crossing standards — at least initially. When you first boot up the game, you and two other residents will set up camp on a previously deserted island. Aside from nature and your tents, the only other facilities initially will be the airport where you can access multiplayer features, and Tom Nook’s facility where you buy and sell items, as well as craft new ones.
New facilities are available to be built on your island in #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons, from a museum showcasing the island’s rich ecosystem, Nook’s Cranny, the Able Sisters’ tailor shop, a campsite, and so much more. #ACNHpic.twitter.com/Pc3pGQ6eSg
But that doesn’t mean it will stay that way for long. Nintendo says that new residents will eventually join and, more importantly, you’ll slowly unlock major facilities as well. That includes series mainstays like the museum, general store, tailer, and more. Similarly, you’ll also get access to a proper house after paying off your loan. It’s not clear how or when these will eventually unlock, but it sounds like New Horizons will be a very slow burn.
You’ll have a smartphone full of apps
Like many modern games, the main menu in New Horizons takes the form of a smartphone, or NookPhone as it’s called in the game. The phone is naturally full of apps, each one corresponding to a specific aspect of the game. There’s an app for the in-game map, for instance, and another that collects all of your crafting recipes. (It’s not clear how you get such good reception on an island in the middle of nowhere.) Most notably is an app called Nook Miles, which ties into the next major feature...
There’s a new progression system
Without trying to sound too crass, Animal Crossing has always been about money to some degree. You move into a town, and you’re then immediately saddled with debt that you have to work to pay off. (Of course, there’s no interest, so you’re free to not pay it at all if you want.) New Horizons goes in a slightly different direction, one that changes the structure of the game.
The Nook Miles app is essentially a collection of quests. When you do things like catch a certain number of fish or collect a specific amount of twigs, you’ll earn miles that go toward paying off your travel package. From what Nintendo has shown, it looks like the goals will all be tied to things you do in the game anyway, making it a fairly natural progression system. However, it’s not clear if these miles can also be used to pay off future house upgrades, though you can also use them to visit mystery islands and unlock new gear.
Exchange a Nook Miles Ticket to hop aboard a Dodo Airlines plane for a Mystery Tour in #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons! Journey to far off destinations & experience unexpected encounters, or even take home the different items you find. Each tour is a new and surprising trip! #ACNHpic.twitter.com/09WODcmsN7
Yes, Isabelle is in the game — eventually. The adorable Shih Tzu has become a mascot for the series, and she’ll be part of New Horizons when players eventually unlock the resident services office. Other notable characters will also be making an appearance. Gulliver, for instance, will wash up on shore at some point. And traveling merchants like Kicks will visit from time to time.
There are different multiplayer options
One of the most unclear aspects of New Horizons was its multiplayer options, and Nintendo provided a bit more detail in that regard. For local play, up to eight people can have characters on the same Switch. They’ll all have to live on the same island — each player will get their own tent / house — and you can have one character per user account. There’s also a four-player “party” mode where four players can run around at the same time.
When it comes to online play, you’ll be able to visit friends and have them visit your island. A new “party play” feature lets up to four players visit the same space online. But there are some restrictions. You’ll need an island code to visit other players, and to prevent griefing, axes and shovels are banned so that you can’t chop down every single tree on someone else’s island. (These restrictions are lifted if you and the other person are considered “best friends,” though it’s not clear right now how that distinction is made.)
Voice and text chat require a separate app
If you want to actually talk to friends, you’ll need to do so via a separate smartphone app. The Nintendo Switch Online mobile app is being updated to support New Horizons, and it’s required for both voice and text chat in the game. The app will also let you scan QR codes to import pattern designs from past Animal Crossing games. The update is expected later in March after New Horizons launches.
New Horizons will give you more control over nature than any of its predecessors. Not only can you pull weeds and chop down trees, you’ll also be able to demolish cliffs, create pathways across rivers, and even build stairs and bridges. Like most other features, this won’t be available right away, but it looks like it will give creative players plenty more options for customizing their island.
In addition to building bridges and inclines in #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons, you’ll be able to pave new pathways and construct your own rivers and cliffs with the Island Designer Construction Permit! You’ll need to have your island fully decked out to receive this app. #ACNHpic.twitter.com/mf86PEayVm
For those who have stuck with the mobile iteration of the series, Pocket Camp, Nintendo says there will be some connection with the new game in the form of exclusive items. It’s not clear what those items will be, but it’s a nice bonus for Pocket Camp players.
Expect plenty of free updates
Nintendo didn’t mention anything about paid DLC or expansions, but the developer did say that there will be multiple free updates coming in the future. These will primarily revolve around seasonal events, and you won’t have to wait long for them: Nintendo says that the first free update will be out on launch day, priming the game for an event later in April.
There are... ghosts?
During one sequence, Nintendo showed how different your island can look at night. This included a glimpse at what looked to be a ghost — called a “wisp” — but it was an all too brief encounter.
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The LogR tech shows an image of the Type R that moves with the pitch and roll rates.
Honda
The Honda Civic Type R enters 2020 with a number of welcome performance and driver-assistance upgrades. But there's a cool new bit of tech on offer, too. Honda officially announced its new LogR performance data recorder on Wednesday, which will be exclusive to the 2020 Civic Type R.
LogR works a lot like data recorders we've seen from other manufacturers. When you're driving, the performance monitor shows pertinent data on the Civic's 7-inch infotainment screen, including things like coolant temperature, oil pressure, gear position and more. There's also a so-called "g-meter" that displays acceleration, braking and cornering forces on a graph, or on a view of the car itself so you can get a better idea of the hatchback's pitch and roll.
The LogR tech can also record lap times through its Log Mode, using GPS data as well as sensors for cornering forces, acceleration and braking. Interestingly, the Type R's recorder isn't just to help you shave tenths of seconds off of lap times, but to encourage smooth behavior while driving hard. In fact, LogR has an Auto Score function that can take your data and compare it to a pro-driver baseline. After you're done driving, the LogR phone app can give you a more in-depth look at your performance data.
Honda will offer the LogR app for both iPhone and Android users, and it should be available for download sometime this spring. There's no word if Honda will make this tech available for other cars -- like, say, the Acura NSX supercar -- but we can't imagine this'll be a Type R-only feature for too long.
The updated 2020 Honda Civic Type R hits dealerships on Feb. 28, priced from $37,950, including $955 for destination.
Until the Pixel 3a, Google exclusively partnered with Verizon to sell phones in the US. That close relationship wound down further when the Pixel 4 launched on all four major carriers last year. A new report this evening alleges that Verizon will stop selling Google phones going forward, including the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5.
Android Police today reported that Verizon “has put on indefinite hold any plans to sell new Google Pixel smartphones.” The most immediate impact will be on the Pixel 4a, with the publication’s source believing “it’s far too late for Verizon to change its mind.”
Looking further down the road, there is currently “no intention of selling” the Pixel 5, but things could change. AP speculates that Verizon’s decision is due to tepid Google phone sales.
In announcing the mid-range Pixel 3a at I/O 2019 last May, Google also brought the Pixel 3 to T-Mobile, Sprint, and other carriers after nearly three generations of its flagships only being available at Verizon. At Made by Google in October, the company had its widest phone launch yet by having the Pixel 4 on all four major US carriers with AT&T.
However, Alphabet’s Q4 2019 earnings reported earlier this month insinuated that the Pixel 4 still declined despite the expanded reach:
That was the second time a “decline in hardware revenues” was specified for the October-December period during the call. Porat further noted that those numbers come in the context of a “fairly strong hardware revenue growth rate” for the fourth quarter of last year. In 2018, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL was already regarded to not have done well.
If Android Police’s report pans out, Google’s next mid-ranger — presumably called the Pixel 4a — will launch on only three of the major carriers come May. If Verizon stops selling Pixel phones, Google would lose out on the massive marketing spend and retail presence at carrier stores.
Update: Verizon has denied the report to one Eric Zeman from Android Authority. The company “looks forward to the new portfolio of devices,” which… doesn’t exactly mean they’re committed to carrying them.
Verizon says "There is no truth to this report" that it will stop selling Google's Pixel phones. "Verizon continues to work with Google and looks forward to the new portfolio of devices."
Apple is said to be discussing adding the ability for users to set third-party apps as defaults, overriding the built-in preference for Apple’s Safari and Mail. The news comes as Apple faces increasing scrutiny over how it operates the App Store whilst giving preferential treatment to its own apps and services.
In addition, Bloomberg says that Apple is considering opening up the HomePod to third-party music services like Spotify or Amazon Music. Right now, the HomePod can only natively interact with Apple Music.
Apple’s rules currently allow developers to offer alternative web browsers in the App Store, but they all must be based off the system WebKit’s rendering engine. It is also currently not possible for the user to tell iOS that it prefers the third-party browser over Safari; any tapped links will open in Safari every single time.
Similarly, there are many competing email apps in the App Store but shortcuts to composing a new email will only ever show the system Mail compose sheet. It sounds like Apple is now seriously weighing whether to open this up and allow other apps to appear instead of Safari and Mail.
It may also be possible to set a competing music app as the default, so that music playback requests to Siri would route to the third party audio app without having to explicitly say the name of the app in every request. Apple added support for third-party music and audio apps with SiriKit in iOS 13, but the current system will always prefer Apple Music and Apple Podcasts if the name of the third-party app is not specified.
Bloomberg says that Apple is working to add support for other music services to run natively on the HomePod. This means a HomePod owner would be able to request music from Spotify directly. As it stands today, playing music from any non-Apple source on the HomePod means AirPlaying audio from another device. In a 2019 complaint to the European Commission, lack of access to the HomePod was one of Spotify’s top criticisms of Apple’s business practices.
Assuming Apple goes ahead with these features, expect to see them unveiled in June as part of the iOS 14 feature set. However, Bloomberg stresses that these efforts are still in development and “final decisions haven’t been made”.
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If you've recently received a mysterious notification on your Samsung Galaxy device, you're not alone. The tech giant has blasted Galaxy phone users worldwide with a Find My Mobile push notification that simply says "1." That's it -- just "1." I personally got it on a Samsung Galaxy S8+ and a Galaxy A50S, and for both devices, clicking it did nothing. At least nothing that I could see: It didn't fire up the application and offer any explanation of what it could mean.
Some people reported seeing a spike in battery usage by the Find My Mobile app, but that wasn't the case for me. According to Twitter user Audrey Heather, a Verizon rep told her that Samsung "accidentally sent out" the push notification. We've also reached out to the company for a statement to assuage the fears of those who think they were hacked. Samsung has yet to get back to us, but it told Korean publication Yonhap News that it was an internal test that went wrong and that it doesn't have any effect on recipients' phones.
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