作者彙整: Michael Allison

Google may be streamlining the Pixel family.

What you need to know

A new rumor from an unlikely source claims that the Google Pixel 4a will launch without an accompanying XL model.
The report attributes the lack of an XL model to sales figures, claiming that the regular Pixel 3a sold better than the XL.
The Pixel 4a will also launch with a new distinctive blue and orange color alongside the typical black and white.

The first Pixel 4a renders just came last week, and now we have a follow-up report with some meat to it. This rumor comes from an unlikely source — YouTuber Dave Lee. In the video below, Lee claims that the Google Pixel 4a will ditch the XL model that has been a staple in the Pixel line ever since Google released the original Pixel back in 2016.

Lee attributes the Pixel 4a XL’s absence to sales numbers, claiming that the Pixel 3a sold more than the 3a XL. While big phones typically outsell their smaller brethren, perhaps the Pixel 3a filled a small phone niche… 閱讀全文 →

D-Link’s Cameras get AI smarts and larger storage.

What you need to know

D-Link has released two updated home security cameras for 2020.
The cameras feature a new on-the-edge AI that helps with differentiating people from objects.
Both cameras will ship from Q2 2020.

D-Link has announced two new cameras with improved security features. These two cameras are the Full HD Pan and Tilt Pro Wi-Fi Camera and the Full HD Indoor and Outdoor Pro Wi-Fi Camera. They feature increased onboard storage capacity up to 256GB and wired Ethernet capability, in addition to Wi-Fi support.

Thie former is an indoor-only model which can provide a 360-degree view of any room it’s placed in, while the latter one is (as its name suggests) an outdoor model which sports motion sensitive spotlights and sirens.

More importantly, both devices feature the ability to tell people apart from objects, as well as glass break detection. These features are enabled by a new AI which works in-the-edge (i.e, in real-… 閱讀全文 →

Google moves its News app into 2020.

What you need to know

Google is shutting down Google News’ print-replica subscription functionality.
The announcement was made to current subscribers via email.
Users will have their payments refunded and all future-looking subscriptions canceled.

Aside from acting as a news aggregation service, Google’s News app also supported print-replica magazines for subscribers. These were essentially PDF files that retained the original layout and experience of reading a physical magazine, albeit on a phone or tablet. Users of the Google News (then Google Play Newsstand) could subscribe for a fee and have them delivered directly to their devices.

I say “could”, because Google is shutting down that service. Google sent out an email to subscribers confirming as much. Active users will get all subscriptions canceled, and the company will refund any payments that have already been made.

The message reads as follows (via Android Police):

Subject: To … 閱讀全文 →

Huawei made a similar jump when it went from the P10 to the P20.

What you need to know

Samsung may be launching its S11 line of devices as the S20.
It may also be dropping the “e” line, shipping the regular S20 as the smallest device.
A larger S20 Ultra is said to be making its debut as Samsung’s top-end phone.

Samsung may be changing the naming sequence for its Galaxy-S line of flagships if a new report is to be believed. As per Samsung leaker Ice Universe, the device we’ve been thinking of as the S11 may actually hit markets as the Samsung Galaxy S20.

Next year is 2020, and 20 is a new beginning.— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 24, 2019

While the tweet isn’t entirely clear, an additional report from WinFuture supports this interpretation, adding in a report of an even larger S20 Ultra model in addition to the company’s regular line-up.

Samsung will also not ship a successor to the excellent S10e. This means that instead of an S11e, an S11, and an S11 Plus, Samsung… 閱讀全文 →

It’s another potentially bold choice from LG.

What you need to know

LG has just published a new patent for an updated version of its Dual Screen accessory.
The new patented smart display wraps around the phone, allowing for a more traditional-looking foldable device.
Unlike the previous display, you’ll also be able to place the phone outside the display case area, allowing for an even larger canvas.

Foldable phones are nice and all, but LG’s been thinking of them in a whole other way this past year. Rather than making a full time foldable, LG’s been pushing its Dual Screen display case that lets select LG flagship phones moonlight as foldables in their spare time. It’s a nice idea, but the firm’s devices didn’t receive as much airtime as flashier rivals like the Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X.

The South Korean tech giant has been working on another version of its flexible case, revealed in patents spotted by LetsGoDigital. Like LG’s older Dual Screen case, it’s an external … 閱讀全文 →

A surprisingly competitive offering.

What you need to know

Google’s YouTube Premium has found some success in India.
The firm’s growth rate outpaces that of local behemoths like Gaana Music.
This has mostly been attributed to Google’s YouTube Music service, which pulls in more paid users than rivals.

Google’s paid YouTube Music service is actually competitive in some regions. According to a report from Bloomberg, the service has outpaced Spotify and local services like Gaana Music in India and signed up over 800,000 subscribers in the region.

To put the numbers in context, Gaana Music has over 125 million users overall and a bit more than 1 million users for its paid service. It has been around for a decade, launching in April 2010. YouTube Premium made its Indian debut in March.

According to Bloomberg, YouTube Music drives the uptake of the paid Premium service. While services like Spotify allow users to play music in the background with the occasional ads, YouTube Music need… 閱讀全文 →

Reports of its sales have been greatly exaggerated

What you need to know

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold probably didn’t sell a million units as earlier stated.
The erroneous statement was made by a Samsung exec at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this week.
A Samsung spokesperson said the exec had confused sales targets with actual units sold.

Samsung probably didn’t sell a million Galaxy Fold smartphones, contradicting an earlier statement that it did. The statement was made earlier this week by Samsung Electronics President Sohn Young-kwon at a TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin event. Samsung spokespeople later disputed the sales numbers, according to a report by the Yonhap News Agency. Instead, the suggestion was made that the President had simply mixed up the sales target with actual units sold. The key point being made was that Samsung hadn’t actually passed that milestone.

The Galaxy Fold has had a few launch issues. Crossing the one million sales threshold without those issues would have been … 閱讀全文 →

The new rules are coming into force now

What you need to know

Google has announced new changes to tackle harassment and bullying on YouTube more rigorously than it currently does.
It now prohibits implied as well as express threats.
It will also come down harder on YouTube partners who toe the line repeatedly.

As of December 9, Google is tightening up its rules as regards to harassment. The company has now instituted several policies that ban the most insidious forms of bullying on its platform, including veiled threats and repeated near-violations. “This includes content simulating violence toward an individual or language suggesting physical violence may occur,” YouTube’s Matt Halprin, Vice President, Global Head of Trust & Safety said in Wednesday’s blog post.

As it stood before this change, if a veiled threat could be interpreted innocently, YouTube moderators would be more likely to let it fly. This lead to criticism of the platform earlier in the year. Now, an applica… 閱讀全文 →

Under-display cameras are gonna be the next big thing in 2020.

What you need to know

Selfie cameras are migrating under the display soon.
OEMs like Xiaomi and OPPO have been working to eliminate the notch by moving the front camera and hiding it as part of the display.
A live OPPO prototype shows how this would work in practice.

OPPO announced at MWC Shanghai 2019 that it would be bringing its under-display cameras to smartphones in the near future, and that seems more likely than ever. This week, OPPO shared prototypes of devices with the new in-display camera.

Here is it in action. Thanks to @sisasaid for modeling the feature! pic.twitter.com/Wv2tU9yqlf— David ImeI (@DurvidImel) December 10, 2019

The new under-screen camera system blends nigh seamlessly with the front of the phone, only appearing visible in certain angles. During day to day use, you’d probably be hard-pressed to even remember it was there.

It’s the end of 2019 and our selfie cameras have gone from r… 閱讀全文 →