Apple will make it harder for its AirTags to track people

Following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag earlier this year, Apple introduced its location tracking AirTags. Thanks to Apple’s tight ecosystem integration, the AirTags proved to be far more powerful than all alternatives, allowing users to track their belongings accurately.

To prevent users from tracking others, Apple implemented a feature that would alert users if an unknown AirTag followed them longer than a predefined duration. However, we soon learned that one could easily bypass this security measure if the person being tracked didn’t own an iPhone running iOS 14.5 or later. While Apple has pushed the software update to most of its devices, it still doesn’t have an app to alert Android users if an AirTag is tracking them. Thankfully, Apple has now announced that it’s developing an Android app that will help users detect unknown AirTags.

According to CNET, Apple will release the Android app later this year, further bolstering AirTags privacy and security. On top of that, the company is also planning to make some changes to the time it takes for the AirTags to play an alert when it’s separated from its owner. Apple has already started pushing an update, which changes the window of time it takes to play a sound when tracking another person. Previously, the AirTags played a sound three days after following an unsuspecting person. But with the update, the sound will begin to play at a random time within an 8-24 hour window.

Apple AirTags XDA Review

In a statement regarding the changes, Apple said, “The recent introduction of AirTag included industry-first proactive features that discourage unwanted tracking.” The new changes represent a continued commitment to improve AirTags privacy and security, the company added. Apple hasn’t shared any more details about the Find My accessory detection app for Android at the moment. We’ll update this post as soon as we have more information.

The post Apple will make it harder for its AirTags to track people appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3ifJgVe
via IFTTT

Xiaomi’s newer Redmi Note 10 Pro may launch globally as the POCO X3 GT

It’s no secret at this point that most POCO phones are basically the rebranded versions of the Redmi phones. Take, for example, the newly released POCO M3 Pro 5G, which has the same dimensions and internals as the Redmi Note 10 5G, with the Galaxy S21-Esque back panel being the only thing setting both phones apart. And it looks like it will be the same story with this upcoming POCO phone as well.

XDA member and known Xiaomi tipster kacskrz late last month found evidence of a new POCO device called the POCO X3 GT. Now he has found further evidence of the device in MIUI firmware. Strings uncovered by kacskrz confirm the existence of the POCO X3 GT codenamed “chopin_global.” “Chopin” is actually the codename of the Chinese Redmi Note 10 Pro, which leads us to believe that the POCO X3 GT will be a rebadged model of the former.

#POCOX3GT might come soon (India? I don’t know…). I suspect what is it but will have to wait for confirmation.@MishaalRahman @aamirXDA pic.twitter.com/15dpppvKc8

— Kacper Skrzypek (@kacskrz) May 29, 2021

Kacskrz believes the POCO X3 GT won’t be launching anytime soon in Europe as he hasn’t spotted any MIUI builds for the device in the wild yet. The Chinese Redmi Note Pro is wildly different from the global and Indian Redmi Note 10 Pro models. It has a totally different back, an LCD panel instead of an AMOLED, and a MediaTek Dimensity chip instead of a Snapdragon one.

If previous POCO rebrands are any indications, the POCO X3 GT will likely retain most of the hardware of the Chinese Redmi Note 10 Pro but make some cosmetic changes to the overall design to differentiate itself. Assuming POCO won’t change anything internally, we can expect the POCO X3 GT to sport a 6.6-inch IPS 120Hz display, MediaTek Dimensity 1100 chipset, a triple camera setup headlined by a 64MP shooter, and a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging support.

---

Featured image: Redmi Note 10 Pro (China)

The post Xiaomi’s newer Redmi Note 10 Pro may launch globally as the POCO X3 GT appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3wX1OO4
via IFTTT

Apple’s next iPad Pro may support wireless charging

Apple recently refreshed its iPad Pro lineup with the Apple M1 chip, and it’s undoubtedly a beast of a machine. But even though it’s more powerful than any tablet on the market today, it still has a few shortcomings. iPadOS, for instance, is one of the major drawbacks of the iPad Pro 2021, as it holds it back from achieving its true potential. Secondly, it lacks a couple of features that you’d find on most major flagship smartphones these days, like wireless charging support. However, according to recent reports, Apple may introduce some of these features in next year’s model.

iPad Pro 2021 Review: Apple’s M1 is too powerful for “just” an iPad

Industry sources familiar with Apple’s operations recently told Bloomberg that Apple is planning to introduce wireless charging support in the iPad Pro 2022. As per the report, the company is currently looking to switch the iPad Pro’s aluminum enclosure with a glass back to enable wireless charging. The material change would bring its design closer to the latest Apple iPhone lineup, which also transitioned from aluminum to glass in recent years.

Along with the new iPad Pro design, Apple is also working on a new iPad mini model that will hit the shelves later this year. The updated iPad mini will reportedly feature slimmer bezels than the current model, and it may not feature a home button. If Apple goes ahead with this new design, it will be the first iPad mini design change in six years.

At the moment, we don’t have any further details about the upcoming iPad Pro 2022 or the new iPad mini. But we believe that Apple may include its rumored M1X chip in the next-gen model. As far as the iPad mini is concerned, Apple may offer a hardware upgrade on the upcoming model, along with the design changes mentioned above.

The post Apple’s next iPad Pro may support wireless charging appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3yUnkou
via IFTTT

Walmart will officially release its first Android TV devices next week

Walmart sells various tech products under its own “Onn.” brand, most of which are cables, adapters, and other accessories. However, the company has also ventured into producing Android tablets, and it has also been working on two Android TV devices. The super-cheap TV dongle and box have now been confirmed to arrive sometime next week.

Last month, Walmart listed its own Onn-branded Android TV box online, which advertised 4K support and access to Google Assistant. The promised price of $30 was especially interesting, as there are few Android TV products available in that price range with 4K output. Earlier this month, another listing appeared for a 1080p-only Android TV streaming stick, with an even lower cost of $24.88.

Walmart has now confirmed to TechCrunch that both products will be officially released next week. However, some Walmart stores have already been stocking them on shelves, and a few people have even managed to buy them. Oops.

Both the box and stick are advertised as supporting Dolby Audio, 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi, Google Assistant, and Android TV. The remote for both devices appears to be Google’s generic “G10” remote for Android TV devices, with dedicated buttons for Google Assistant, YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. Both products seem to use micro USB for power. We’d imagine these devices won’t have long-term software support given how cheap they are, so don’t expect an update to the newer Google TV interface. Given the price you’re paying, though, this is understandable.

According to AFTVNews, the 4K UHD Streaming Device runs Android TV 10, features an Amlogic S905Y2 SoC, has 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and supports HDR10 but not Dolby Vision, HDR10+, or Dolby Atmos. The 4K model reportedly comes with an HDMI cable and a pair of AAA batteries, which is impressive considering how cheap it is. We don’t have specific details on the FHD Streaming Stick yet, but it’s only a matter of time before they end up in someone’s hands.

The post Walmart will officially release its first Android TV devices next week appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3z0AxfD
via IFTTT

Google unveils a more affordable pair of earbuds called Pixel Buds A

The Pixel Buds lineup has a rocky, and oddly Google-worthy, story. The first ones were introduced to the market in 2017, and featured a braided cable between both buds, so they weren’t truly wireless. They also suffered from other flaws that detracted from their overall appeal, at least compared to other earbuds in the market. I owned ones and I loved them despite those flaws, but they suffered from criticism from both users and reviewers alike, and I saw where the criticism came from. The second-gen Pixel Buds introduced years later were all-around a better product, but at $179, they could still be considered a hard pass for some, especially compared to their competition. Now, Google has introduced a more affordable pair of wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds A.

As the “A” moniker might suggest (as we’ve seen in devices like the Pixel 4a), these are a mid-range product. But they’re also pretty similar to the existing second-gen Pixel Buds, down to the same exact physical design. Some color differences here and there, but mostly the same design. According to the announcement post, they also keep features like Adaptive Sound, increasing or decreasing your volume depending on the surrounding sounds. They also feature the same sound and microphone quality as the more expensive models.

There are even some improvements in tow. 9to5Google discovered that both buds connect directly to the device rather than one connecting to the other and then to the device. This is a win-win situation as it makes the Bluetooth connection of the Pixel Buds A more reliable while also allowing for slower draining and, in turn, better battery life, at least in theory. The second-gen Pixel Buds had inconsistent Bluetooth connection reliability and for some users, the earbuds would just randomly cut out while listening. This new approach should be able to fix, or at least greatly cut down, on these issues.

On the subject of battery life, the Pixel Buds A comes with 5 hours of continuous listening time and up to 24 hours using the charging case. This means that you should expect to get the same battery life out of these as to what you would expect from the regular Pixel Buds, and the improved, more reliable Bluetooth connection should mean that battery life should, at the very least, be more consistent. They also feature quick charging: a quick 15-minute top-up should be able to give you up to three hours of listening time. The Pixel Buds A do not support wireless charging, so if that’s something you’re interested in, you should fork up for the more expensive version.

The best part of them, however, is the price. They’re $99, down from the $179 the regular Pixel Buds usually go for. Given that these come with most of the features that make the regular Pixel Buds what they are, these are a no-brainer if you’re looking for Google earbuds but don’t want to spend too much money. The regular Pixel Buds are better in features, but the Pixel Buds A come with 90% of the features for almost half the price.

The Pixel Buds A are now available for pre-order in the U.S. and Canada, and Google expects to begin shipping them out in June 17th. For information about availability on other countries, check here. The earbuds will be available in both Clearly White, as well as a new Dark Olive colorway if you’re not into white earbuds.

 

The post Google unveils a more affordable pair of earbuds called Pixel Buds A appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2SVMJxu
via IFTTT

Google Chrome can now warn you before you install untrusted extensions

It’s difficult if not impossible to totally prevent your data from ever leaking online, so the best thing you can do is take steps to mitigate damage and avoid as much exposure to attackers as possible. Being careful about what websites you visit, what apps you install, and what passwords you use are all steps you can take to protect your data, but knowing what’s safe to use is not obvious to everyone. That’s why Google Chrome offers a feature called “enhanced safe browsing” which proactively warns and protects users from dangerous websites or downloads. Starting today, the feature will also warn users when they try to install an untrusted browser extension.

With the release of Chrome 83 last year, Google launched “enhanced safe browsing” to give users more proactive and tailored protection from web-based threats. “Enhanced safe browsing” later came to Android with the release of Google Chrome 86 late last year.

When the feature is enabled, Google Safe Browsing checks the websites you visit and the files you download against its online database to determine if they’re dangerous. It also warns you if any passwords you’ve saved to Google Chrome have been exposed in a data breach, and it also automatically disables any installed extensions that Google has deemed malicious.

“Enhanced safe browsing” toggle in desktop Chrome

According to Google, users who enabled “enhanced safe browsing” are successfully phished 35% less often than other users. Google says that the number of malicious extensions that Chrome disabled in 2020 grew by 81%. Now, to give “enhanced safe browsing” users peace of mind when installing a browser extension from the Chrome Web Store, Google Chrome will show a dialog informing them if the extension is trusted. Google says that developers who follow the Chrome Web Store Developer Program Policies will have their extensions trusted by “enhanced safe browsing,” but it could take months for extensions to be trusted from new developers. Currently, 75% of all extensions on the Chrome Web Store are compliant, but Google expects that number to grow.

Another new feature coming to “enhanced safe browsing” is the ability to send a potentially dangerous file to Google Safe Browsing for analysis. Chrome will currently block files from being downloaded if Google Safe Browsing thinks they’re clearly unsafe, but for those files it deems are potentially risky, users will instead be given a warning and an option to upload the file for a more in-depth analysis. Chrome’s first-level check uses metadata about the downloaded file, while this more in-depth analysis uses “static and dynamic analysis classifiers in real time”. “After a short wait”, Google says, Chrome will display a warning “if Safe Browsing determines the file is unsafe.” However, users can still bypass the warning if they trust the download.

These changes to “enhanced safe browsing” are arriving as part of the Chrome 91 update which started rolling out to users last week. Users can enable “enhanced safe browsing” in Chrome settings as follows:

• On PC: Settings > Privacy and security > Security
• On Android: Settings > Privacy and security > Safe Browsing

The post Google Chrome can now warn you before you install untrusted extensions appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2RiPXL8
via IFTTT

The successor to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 will have Arm’s new v9 CPU designs

Thanks to the ongoing global chip shortage, chip design firm Qualcomm is struggling to meet the demand for its premium-tier Snapdragon 888 chip, so they’ve resorted to launching products like the Snapdragon 860 and 778 in recent months. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t still working on their next major chipset. We already know that Qualcomm is working on a new chipset aimed at high-performance laptops after they acquired Nuvia earlier this year, but we don’t expect products based on that design to launch until late next year at the earliest. Meanwhile, we now have the first details of Qualcomm’s next premium-tier chipset for mobile devices.

Famed leaker Evan Blass took to Twitter today to share some details on “SM8450”, the presumed part number for Qualcomm’s “next-gen premium system-on-chip.” The Snapdragon 888’s part number was “SM8350”, which is why we expect “SM8450” to be its successor. Given the lack of consistency in Qualcomm’s chip naming process, we have no idea what “SM8450” will be marketed as. Nonetheless, we now know what to expect from it thanks to a list of “key components” that Blass shared on Twitter.

“SM8450 is Qualcomm’s next-gen premium system-on-chip (SoC). It has an integrated Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF system. It is fabricated on a 4nm process.” pic.twitter.com/u1GXMhOWBf

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) June 3, 2021

According to Blass, SM8450 will integrate Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 5G modem-RF system. The Snapdragon X65 is the successor to the Snapdragon X60 modem integrated into the Snapdragon 888. The modem is built on a 4nm process just like the AP. Phones built on the SoC can support connecting to mmWave or sub-6GHz 5G frequencies on either non-standalone or standalone 5G networks.

The CPU consists of Qualcomm Kryo 780 cores “built on Arm Cortex v9 technology.” The Armv9 architecture was announced earlier this year, and the first CPU designs to be announced using the new technology were the Cortex-X2, Cortex-A710, and Cortex-A510. Thus, we expect the Snapdragon 888’s successor to be using these three CPU core designs, likely in a 1 x 3 x 4 configuration (1X Cortex-X2, 3X-Cortex-A710, 4X Cortex-A510.)

The GPU is Qualcomm’s Adreno 730, but we don’t have any technical details on it yet. The Snapdragon 888 had Qualcomm’s Adreno 660, though, and we can usually tell how Qualcomm’s GPU compare to one another by their names. The Adreno 730 could be a big step up from the Adreno 660, or it might not be.

Similarly, the integrated signal processor (ISP) is getting a bump to Spectra 680 from the Spectra 580 in the Snapdragon 888. The Spectra 580 was Qualcomm’s first Spectra with a triple ISP enabling triple concurrency. If we were to guess, the Spectra 680 could enable quadruple concurrency depending on how fast its processing speed is.

Other features mentioned in the leak include support for Qualcomm’s Aqstic WCD9380/WCD9385 audio codec, Qualcomm’s secure processing unit (SPU260), Qualcomm’s FastConnect 6900 subsystem for Bluetooth LE Audio/5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E, quad-channel package-on-package LPDDR5 RAM, Adreno 665 video processing unit (VPU), and Adreno 1195 display processing unit (DPU).

The post The successor to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 will have Arm’s new v9 CPU designs appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2RhRUaC
via IFTTT