Author: zppiot
Google recently unveiled an intriguing project dubbed “Ferrochrome,” showcasing the potential for running Chromium OS, the open-source foundation of Chrome OS, on Android devices. While this news sparked excitement and speculation about a potential merging of the two operating systems, Google has clarified that Ferrochrome was primarily a proof of concept to demonstrate the capabilities of Android 15’s virtualization framework.As reported by Android Authority, the project came to light at a private Google event for Android partners, where the company demonstrated Chromium OS running in a virtual machine on a Pixel 8 device. This fueled speculation about Google’s plans for…
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. This grim but revolutionary DNA technology is changing how we respond to mass disasters Last August, a wildfire tore through the Hawaiian island of Maui. The list of missing residents climbed into the hundreds, as friends and families desperately searched for their missing loved ones. But while some were rewarded with tearful reunions, others weren’t so lucky.Over the past several years, as fires and other climate-change-fueled disasters have become more common and more cataclysmic, the way their aftermath…
Not exactly known for its generosity until fairly recently, Verizon has certainly stepped up its smartphone-discounting game under T-Mobile’s pressure in the last couple of years. As such, Big Red is nowadays frequently matching or even eclipsing Magenta’s best device deals, with the latter essentially being the case between today and May 29 for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch buyers.If you’ve been thinking of getting the uber-powerful iPhone 15 Pro for a while but you were put off by the handset’s extravagant pricing, you can now pull the trigger at… $0 without jumping through too many hoops or meeting a…
We regularly hear about patent battles: in fact, these things have been a constant in the tech world since the dawn of time. It’s a constant thing: somebody stole someone’s invention (or did they?) and a legal fight follows. Rarely are those very impactful for regular buyers. However now, resulting from a patent dispute, some Motorola phones, including Edge 50 models, are banned in Germany. Should USA Motorola fans be worried? Let’s discuss it! What is this fight all about? In our case, it’s a WWAN module patent that’s in dispute. InterDigital, a technology research and development company, is claiming…
Up until late 2023, I had been using an iPhone for a good 3 years. On and off, of course, as there’s constantly a new phone that’s up for review, but once that was over, my SIM card went back into that trusty iPhone (12, 13, 14, 15), so you could say — it was my “daily driver”.Well, that changed a few months ago — first, I got to review the Asus ROG Phone 8 and thoroughly enjoyed using it beyond that period (minus the camera). After that, I hopped straight to the Galaxy S24 Ultra and — as shown…
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. I’m ready for summer, but if this year is anything like last year, it’s going to be a doozy. In fact, the summer of 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere was the hottest in over 2,000 years, according to a new study released this week. If you’ve been following the headlines, you probably already know that last year was a hot one. But I was gobsmacked by this paper’s title when it came across my desk. The warmest…
If you like unpretentious Android tablets with respectable features, big screens, and low prices, it’s hard not to love what’s currently happening on Lenovo’s official US website. Basically all of the company’s (new and old) slates are deeply discounted for an undoubtedly limited time, and whether you have as little as 80 bucks or close to $300 to spend on your next Google-powered tablet, Lenovo is ready to hook you up with an irresistible deal right now.The Yoga Tab 11 squeezes somewhere between those two price points, normally costing $319.99 but frequently going down below the $250 mark and even…
Nothing announced earlier this week that its Phone (2a) is among the first non-Pixel phones to offer access to Android 15 Developer Preview. Today, OnePlus announced that the first Android 15 Beta 1 for OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open is available for download.Although the two announcements might seem unrelated, they’re a testament that both Chinese companies are committed to providing their customers with the latest software updates from Google.Unfortunately, the Android 15 Beta 1 for OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open comes with a long list of known issues, so if those who want to avoid having problems with their phones…
Nissan suffered a data breach last November in a ransomware attack that exposed the Social Security numbers of thousands of former and current employees, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday. Nissan’s U.S.-based subsidiary, Nissan North America, detailed the cyberattack in a May 15 letter to affected individuals. In the letter, Nissan North America said a bad actor attacked a company virtual private network and demanded payment. Nissan did not indicate whether it paid the ransom. “[U]pon learning of the attack, Nissan promptly notified law enforcement and began taking immediate actions to investigate, contain and successfully terminate the threat,” the car maker said in the letter,…
Seven days No matter who he called—his mother, his father, his brother, his cousins—the phone would just go to voicemail. Cell service was out around Maui as devastating wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island. But as Raven Imperial kept hoping for someone to answer, he couldn’t keep a terrifying thought from sneaking into his mind: What if his family members had perished in the blaze? What if all of them were gone? Hours passed; then days. All Raven knew at that point was this: there had been a wildfire on August 8, 2023, in Lahaina, where his multigenerational, tight-knit family…
Among the more than 100 things announced by Google at I/O 2024, the search giant included a bunch of Android Auto and Android Automotive OS, proving once again its commitment to the development of its auto ecosystem.The Mountain View company revealed that there are more than 200 million cars with Android Auto in use, as well as nearly 40 car models that offer Google built-in. For these reasons and others, Google announced it’s bringing new entertainment apps like Max, Peacock, and Angry Birds to select cars with Google built-in. Additionally, the Uber Driver app is now available on Android Auto,…
Although Google’s I/O 2024 developer conference was centered almost exclusively on AI-related announcements and demonstrations, the search giant did (discreetly) unveil a few other cool features coming to Android phones soon and even an entirely new Wear OS version.That latter launch nearly went completely unnoticed, both because the wearable platform is… still not very popular around the world and because Google didn’t have much to announce about what’s new in Wear OS.All about battery life!Ironically, Wear OS 5 is based on Android 14 rather than 15, and in those two paragraphs, the main idea is that the platform aims to…
AT&T is going up in space! The telecom giant announced a deal with satellite provider AST SpaceMobile. The goal is to deliver a space-based broadband network to cell phones.The plan is to launch five satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida, into low-Earth orbit “this summer” with the intention of starting a satellite commercial service.Here’s what the joint statement reads:AT&T and AST SpaceMobile have entered a definitive commercial agreement to provide a space-based broadband network direct to everyday cell phones. This agreement extends until 2030. Previously, the companies were working together under a Memorandum of Understanding. This is not just one small…
The first leak about the unannounced Galaxy S24 FE date from back February, but Samsung seems to take its time to make the phone official. Based on previous reports, the Galaxy S24 FE will offer similar premium features as the entire Galaxy S24 lineup, but there’s bound to be some downsides since this will be cheaper than Samsung’s current flagships.But the most arduous question is when exactly Samsung will launch the Galaxy S24 FE, a solid alternative for those who are in the market for a flagship but can’t afford one.While we can’t yet answer that question yet, we believe…
Ah, AI! Seems like you are everywhere these days, huh? Well, maybe not literally, since you are not reading this, are you? Oh, wait, someone could use you to summarize this article. It is no secret that AI and smartphones have become inseparable lately. Interestingly, there was one major player that wasn’t exactly shouting the AI buzz at its events (at least not too loudly), but it looks like that is about to change. Just imagine if Apple strikes a deal with these two AI powerhouses, incorporating their top-notch features into the next iPhone 16. Now, that would be one…
Samsung has done it again. The company, which counts Apple as a rival and major customer, has a history of releasing some amazing ads making fun of the Cupertino crew. Who could forget the commercials for the Galaxy S II that made fun of the long Apple Store lines that iPhone users had to endure back in the day? Those ads introduced us to the iPhone user who said that he couldn’t buy a Samsung because he is creative (which led his pal to say, “Dude, you’re a barista”).Ah, there are so many to choose from. There is the Ingenious…