OnePlus TV Q/U Series update will bring a MultiCast feature for casting up to 4 devices simultaneously

OnePlus has been busy bringing new features to its OnePlus TV Q and U Series, and it’s prepping even more goodies in an update scheduled for November.

OnePlus posted on its forums detailing the new features coming in OTA6, with the main highlight being MultiCast. The feature allows up to four devices to cast to a single OnePlus TV, which OnePlus says can come in handy in multiple scenarios, including multiplayer gaming, working on group projects, or simply watching multiple content at the same time.

Here’s the full changelog of everything that’s coming in OTA6:

• Support new features on OnePlus Connect: User Metrics (check Screen time and Data usage), Power-off Timer, other feedback points
• OxygenPlay: add a new page – “My Video”, which provides a more personalized watching experience.
• Optimize screen casting with Miracast and MultiCast (casting up to four devices to the OnePlus TV)

OnePlus said the update is also introducing features based on user feedback. One of which is a power-off timer, allowing users to set a timer to turn their TV off automatically, such as when they’re going to bed. There’s also a new user metrics feature, which provides feedback for stats like screen time and date usage.

OTA6 builds on an update that was released over the summer and introduced features like Data Saver Plus, Kids Mode, and OxygenPlay. Speaking of OxygenPlay, the upcoming update will introduce a “My Videos” page, which features watch history, watchlist, and reminders. “You’ll be able to freely resume the episode you stopped a night ago, and easily catch up with shows and movies that were added to your watchlist.”

OnePlus said the new system update will be available in November for OnePlus TV Q and U Series. If you own a OnePlus TV Y Series, the company said a third system update is coming, but they didn’t provide an exact timeframe.

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[Update: Continued Support] Google has discontinued the Nest Secure alarm system

Update 1 (10/28/2020 @ 04:57 PM ET): In an email sent to customers, Google has announced its “continued commitment to Nest Secure”. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on October 20, 2020, is preserved below.

Google has confirmed to AndroidPolice that the Nest Secure alarm system it launched in 2017 has been discontinued. The product, made up of a combination keypad and siren called the Nest Guard and a series of sensors has been unavailable on the Google Store for a week or so, and now we have confirmation that it’s gone for good.

Google has confirmed that although the Nest Secure system is no longer available, it will continue to service customers’ existing devices including the Nest Guard, Nest Connect motion sensors, Nest Tags, and Nest Detect door/window sensors. You may even find products still in stock in some places and can rest assured they will be supported.

Google recently confirmed that its Nest Hub devices will gain presence detection for Google Home in a coming firmware update. Although not a direct successor, it seems that Google is banking on a house full of Nest Hubs and cameras to replace the sensors. Additionally, Google Assistant will accept a PIN-code by voice and emit a siren, negating the need for Nest Guard.

The reality is that Nest Secure was a “legacy” product designed to appeal to those who wanted a smart alarm system that was in a more familiar form factor. But with smart speakers and mobile handsets capable of filling all of Nest Secure’s features, it has become somewhat superfluous. The danger with this direction of travel is that it assumes customers will embrace smart assistants, and yet many people want the benefits of a smart home without any reliance on Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa.

Google is not the only smart home player not to have fully supported its traditional alarm system. Arlo’s equivalent product was quietly withdrawn earlier this year without a replacement, and without ever reaching beyond the US market.

Amazon-owned Ring offers its alarm system and accessories worldwide, but its products remain stubbornly incompatible with the Google Home ecosystem. Other third-party products exist, offering different features and compatibility.

Last week, Google announced its latest Nest thermostat, which also features presence detection which can be applied to an environment protected by Nest.

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Update 1: Google’s Continued Commitment

Earlier today, Google sent customers of the Nest Secure an email to announce that the product has been discontinued but will continue to receive software support and work with other Nest products. In addition, Google says that Nest Detect sensors will be available for sale on the Google Store in mid-December. Here’s the email in full:

We’re reaching out to give you an update on your Nest Secure alarm system. We sold out of Nest Secure and won’t be making the full system available for sale any longer. We are committed to bringing you the same feature and software support you’ve always had with Nest Secure, including existing cross-product integrations within the Nest ecosystem. We will also continue to deliver critical security updates and software fixes. You shouldn’t notice any change with your Nest Secure experience.

Nest Tags are currently available on the Google Store, and we’re working to have more Nest Detect sensors available for sale by mid-December.

Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions, you can contact support and find more info in our help center.

The Google Nest team.

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[Update: Rollout Continues] Google has paused the Chrome OS 86 stable rollout

Update 1 (10/28/2020 @ 04:46 PM ET): It looks like the Chrome OS 86 rollout was merely delayed for many Chromebook models rather than actually halted. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on October 26, 2020, is preserved below.

Google started rolling out Chrome OS 86 on the stable channel earlier this month, featuring flags for menu icons, back-forward cache, security improvements, and more. Shortly after the initial rollout began, Google introduced new accessibility features for the visually impaired in Chrome OS 86. But while the update is yet to make its way to a vast majority of Chromebooks, Google has reportedly pulled the update due to unknown reasons.

As per a recent Chrome Unboxed report, the Chrome OS 86 stable rollout has been halted abruptly and Google has released no information regarding this decision. The Chrome OS Releases blog doesn’t shed any light on the matter, but the Chrome OS release matrix website now lists Chrome OS 85 as the most recent stable channel version for a majority of supported devices.

It’s worth noting that Google recently discovered a vulnerability in Chrome’s memory system in version 86. However, the company promptly released a patch to address the security bug. This leads us to believe that the vulnerability isn’t the reason behind Google’s decision to pause the rollout. Chrome Unboxed speculates that the update has been paused as users have reported facing a number of issues, ranging from Family link login errors to Play Store app crashes, following the update.

As of now, it isn’t clear when Google will resume Chrome 86 rollout for the remaining devices or if the company will jump straight to the Chrome 87 release. In case you’ve already updated to Chrome OS 86 and are facing issues on your device, you can roll back to version 85 by using the Powerwash and Revert feature.

Update 1: Chrome OS 86 Rollout Continues

According to a Google representative speaking to ChromeUnboxed, the Chrome OS 86 stable update should roll out to all supported Chromebooks by the end of this week. The stable release was scheduled to roll out starting on October 13th, but some users have yet to see the update reach their machine. Many users monitoring Chrome OS update checking websites believed this was because the update was actually halted, but it turns out that that’s not the case. These websites, according to ChromeUnboxed, have a bug that causes them to display Chrome OS versions in an inconsistent and incorrect way.

In any case, it’s good to know that the update hasn’t actually been halted for unforeseen security vulnerabilities or bugs. You no longer have to hold your breath when you see an update reach your machine — go ahead and pull the plug.

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Sony PlayStation App receives new UI, voice chat ahead of PS5 launch

Ahead of the PlayStation 5’s launch on November 12, Sony has introduced a big update to its PlayStation App for Android and iOS. The update introduces a completely revamped UI, voice chat support, native PlayStation Store integration, and what Sony claims is a much more refined experience.

The redesigned PlayStation App is rolling out globally and is available for Android 6.0 and later. Here are the key changes in today’s update:

• The PlayStation App features an updated user interface, including a refreshed home screen that allows users to see what their friends are playing and also access details about recently played games.
• The PS Messages app has been integrated into the PS App, making it easier to keep in contact with friends. As a result, the PS Messages app will be discontinued.
• Users can create party groups from the PS App and also voice chat with up to 15 people.
• The PS Store is now native to the PS App, providing users with a faster, smoother shopping experience. Users can remotely download games and add-ons directly to their PS4 and PS5.
• When the PS5 becomes available, users will be able to remotely launch games, manage storage, and more right from the PS App.

As part of the update, Sony said it’s looking into feedback regarding changes made to Parties in the 8.00 update. “There are no updates to share today, but thanks for speaking up about your concerns — we’re listening and evaluating,” Sony said.

You need a PlayStation account in order to take full advantage of the PS App’s big update, which is available starting today.

PlayStation App (Free, Google Play) →

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Microsoft Edge is getting a slick Vertical Tabs layout

Back in March, Microsoft said its Chromium-based Edge browser would get a vertical tabs option, allowing users to see a list of the tabs they had open. Now, the company has rolled out a preview of vertical tabs to the Edge Dev channel, giving intrepid testers the opportunity to see the new feature in action (via BleepingComputer).

We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve had far too many open tabs. The arrival of vertical tabs makes organizing and finding these open tabs much easier. Microsoft describes it as a “feature that helps you easily find and manage many open tabs at once,” adding that Edge is the only browser that allows users to manage tabs on the side with a single click.

A horizontal tab strip is the standard across today’s most popular browsers, but tabs can become unruly as they pile up. The addition of vertical tabs in Edge sounds like a decent solution for people who are regularly drowning in multiple open tabs.

If you’re part of the Edge Dev channel, you’ll be able to enable the new layout by going to Settings > Appearance and then toggling the “show vertical tabs button” option. Then, you’ll see a new vertical tabs icon in the top-left corner of the browser. Tabs can be reordered, muted, and pinned, just like they normally would in a horizontal view. The vertical tabs pane can also be minimized by clicking on the arrow icon in the tabs pane.

Now that this feature is available in the Edge Dev channel, hopefully, that means their arrival in a stable build will happen sooner rather than later. They’d go nicely with Microsoft Edge’s “Sleeping Tabs” feature, which unloads background tabs automatically.

If you don’t want to wait for a stable release and you’re looking for an alternative browser with better tab management, you might want to check out Vivaldi, which features a Window Panel in the sidebar for a “tree-style overview” of tabs. Vivaldi allows users to customize how and where their tabs appear in the browser and even search through them right from the sidebar. Alternatively, if you’re one of the millions who use Google Chrome, you can get similar functionality by installing the Vertical Tabs extension.

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Get lifetime access to award-winning language learning app Memrise for $100

Travel is difficult right now. But you can still prepare for your next adventure by learning the native tongue of your dream destination. Memrise is considered one of the best language learning apps around, with native speaker audio and a focus on everyday vocabulary. You can currently get lifetime access to the app and all 22 languages for just $99.99 at the XDA Developers Depot.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-rnR_ptxB7E

There are many ways to learn languages nowadays, but few feel as intuitive as Memrise. Previously named Best App at the Google Play Awards and rated at 4.6 stars on Android, this app fills the role of a personal tutor.

After you decide which language to study, Memrise gives you real-life words and phrases to learn. But instead of making you read lists over and over again, the app provides audio and video clips of native speakers. It’s the next best thing to spending time in the home country of that language.

As you progress, Memrise asks you to start using your new vocabulary. The app simulates real conversations, using speech recognition technology to pick up your responses. Talking like this makes it much easier to remember words.

Memrise also lets you set daily goals and compete with others in a progress leaderboard. It works on Android, iOS, and online, with unlimited learning.

You would normally pay $139 for a lifetime subscription, but the price is now only $99.99 with this deal.

 

Memrise Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription – $99.99

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

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AMD Radeon RX 6000 GPU series officially takes the stage

The year 2020 hasn’t been kind to most of us, but there is no doubt that this year has had some exciting moments for gamers. We’ve seen NVIDIA announce its new RTX 3000 GPU range and we will see the new Xbox Series X and Series S and PlayStation 5 consoles hitting shelves next month. Today, AMD is joining the fray of major gaming-related launches by announcing its new Radeon RX 6000 series of GPUs.

The new range is based on the new AMD RDNA 2 gaming architecture. The company claims that the top-of-the-line RX 6900 XT offers up to two times higher performance in select titles compared to the last-gen Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card. The Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card offers 54 percent higher performance-per-watt when compared to the Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card.

Credits: AMD

According to Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit at AMD, “The new AMD Radeon RX 6800, RX 6800 XT and RX 6900 XT graphics cards deliver 4K and 1440p performance in major AAA titles, new levels of immersion with breathtaking life-like visuals, and must-have features that provide the ultimate gaming experiences. I can’t wait for gamers to get these incredible new graphics cards in their hands.”

The new AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics cards also support PCIe 4.0 technology and offer up to 16GB of GDDR6 memory. It is claimed to deliver enough power to handle 4K workloads. AMD has announced three models — the Radeon 6900 XT, the Radeon 6800 XT, and the Radeon 6800. The Radeon RX 6900 XT and Radeon 6900 both offer 16GB of DDR6 memory and 2015MHz clock speeds with 2250Mhz boost clock speeds. The only difference between the two is that the 6900XT comes with 80 compute units while the 6900 comes with 72 compute units. The Radeon 6800, on the other hand, comes with the same 16GB DDR6 memory but slower clock speeds of 1815MHz with a 2105Mhz boost clock and 60 compute units.

As for the pricing, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 and Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics cards will be available starting November 18, 2020, for $579 and $649, respectively. The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is expected to be available on December 8, 2020, for $999. Expect all AMD board partners, including ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, SAPPHIRE, and XFX to start shipping the new Radeon GPUs starting November 2020. To learn more about the new Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics card, visit AMD’s website.

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