Three years after its launch, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S6 is done getting software updates.
Samsung has quietly removed the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge from its Android Security Updates page, suggesting that those devices will not receive any more updates going forward. The S6 edge+ and S6 Active are still in the Monthly Security Updates section, so it appears that they’ll still get updates for now.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge came out 3 years ago, so it’s not too surprising that Samsung has decided to end update support for them. That’s actually a pretty long run of update support compared to most other Android devices. Now it looks like the GS6 and GS6 edge will remain on the software that they’ve got, though, so owners may want to start thinking about picking up a new device.
Starting today, Google’s Chrome Web Store will no longer accept extensions that mine cryptocurrency. The company says there had been a rise in “malicious extensions” over the past few months which appear to be useful, but are actually embedding hidden cryptocurrency mining scripts that run in the background without consent, consuming valuable computing resources. Google says existing extensions will be delisted from the Chrome Web Store in late June, though extensions with blockchain-related purposes “other than mining” will still be permitted.
Google had previously allowed cryptocurrency mining in extensions as long as it was the extension’s single purpose and the user was informed about the process. However, Google said that around 90…
Here’s iPhone X Vs Galaxy S9 battery life test comparison. This report explores a battery test that reveals the iPhone X lasts longer than Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ whereas the latter charge faster than Apple’s offering.
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 was released in Q2 of 2015 and marked a new chapter for Samsung as it shed itself of cheap plastic body’s and went towards glass and metal for the Galaxy S. The phone launched with Lollipop (5.0) out of the box and received the latest version of Nougat as its latest major Android update. Since then, it has been receiving regular security updates that help to protect against new vulnerabilities as per Google’s monthly security bulletin. Samsung’s security website no longer lists the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, and Galaxy S6 Active as devices that are…
Being a literal lab rat has its perks. Free room and board. Plus all your diseases, from blindness to cancer, get cured. Suddenly one day you realize you’re no longer thirsty… how neat!
There are downsides, like the fact that the researchers give you those diseases in the first place. And now you can’t even make your own way to the other side of a damn maze without having your brain controlled by a device that tells you where to go.
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology recently created cyborg mice that obeyed the commands of their human overlords, ignoring sex and food cravings entirely, to make it thorough a maze. To do this, the team of researchers “hacked” into the mice’s brains using a technique called optogenetics — a process in which fiberoptic threads (or similar tools) are inserted into the brain to manipulate the activity of neurons in living tissue. Turning these threads on and off affect light-responsive proteins, influencing their function.
For this experiment, researchers made a mouse crave a ball that was placed in front of it, then chase it wildly. Turning the signal off immediately made the mouse completely disinterested in the ball. Whether the mice seemed completely bewildered by their dramatic change in desires was not altogether clear (or, at least, observable).
Next, the researchers took control of the cyborg mouse, steering it through a vicious trial maze of distractions: a female mouse in heat, an Indiana-Jones-like bridge obstacle, and plenty of delicious food. With the mind-control switch flipped to “on,” the scientists were able to steer the mouse straight to the other end of the maze.
And what’s the point, you may rightfully ask? The team imagines the technology could help officials control animals needed to complete scent-sensitive missions, like search and rescue, landmine detection, and sniffing out drugs.
Compared to the stiff, stumble-prone (yet determined) robots of today, animals are far more agile and able to cross treacherous terrain. “Animals are naturally able to live and move through complex environments and, of course, do not need batteries,” Daesoo Kim, project lead, tells IEEE Spectrum.
Indeed, scientists have created “remote-controlled” animals before, mostly as a proof of concept. Last year the team developed a “parasitic robot” that was mounted to the back of a turtle, and controlled its movements with a “heads-up LED display” and feeder. In 2012, researchers created cyborg cockroaches that manipulated its sensory organs with the use of a wireless transmitter glued to its back, but with external stimuli, not optogenetics.
You might wonder when this kind of technology could be used in humans. There are medical uses for deep brain stimulation, such as treatments of Parkinson’s disease. But as for using optogenetics to help us avoid snack foods, seems like we’re a ways off.
Last year’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are some exceptional smartphones, but they didn’t land without causing a few controversies. A number of early criticisms centered around the displays these two phones were using, complaining about possible burn-in, under-saturated colors, and an annoying blue tint. While none of these problems were so severe as to sink the fortunes of either model, Google still had to acknowledge that customers were upset, and we saw it reach out to do so by extending the manufacturer warranties of both phones from one year to two.
Facebook announced today that it’s disabling a form of advertising targeting called Partner Categories, which allowed prominent third-party data aggregators like Experian and Acxiom to provide clients with offline data like purchasing activity to inform ad targeting. The move comes amid the fallout from the ongoing Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal, and it follows similar moves from the social network to curtail abusive ad practices. Those include a momentary pause on third-party app approval announced today and new limitations imposed on the volume and type of data third-party apps are given through APIs like Facebook Login announced last week.
As we edge past the first quarter of 2018, KGI Securities is firing up the Apple rumor mill with info about the company’s next smartwatch. The fourth-generation wearable is said to feature a display that’s 15 percent larger than the ones on existing models, which are available in 38mm and 42mm sizes. Hopefully that means slimmer bezels, as well as a higher-capacity battery that’ll keep the Watch Series 4 humming longer than a day on a single charge. The current-gen Apple Watch was a big step-up from its predecessor, as it added SIM support so it could work independent of…
Apple Watch Series 4 models set to be released this fall will feature a new design and a display that’s 15 percent larger, according to predictions shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new note that was sent out to investors this morning (via 9to5Mac).
In addition to a new design with larger displays, the new fourth-generation Apple Watch models will feature a longer battery life enabled through more battery capacity and improved health monitoring capabilities. The display size of the watch could increase due to smaller bezels, and it’s not quite clear what impact a larger display would have on physical device size.
The Apple Watch’s design has remained unchanged since the first-generation Apple Watch was introduced in 2015, so a redesign three years later in 2018 would make sense.
Kuo also does not go into detail about what new health monitoring capabilities the fourth-generation Apple Watch might offer. Rumors have suggested Apple is exploring a sensor that would allow for continuous electrocardiograph monitoring to better detect serious heart conditions.
Apple is also pursuing a method for non-invasively monitoring blood glucose levels, but that technology seems to be a bit away and may not make it into a 2018 Apple Watch update.
Ming-Chi Kuo often shares accurate predictions about Apple’s plans, so it’s likely we can expect to see some kind of Apple Watch redesign this year. We’ll be hearing more about Apple’s plans as the watch’s likely September release date gets closer.
If you’re interested in buying a OnePlus 5T in North America, doing so just became a bit more difficult.
OnePlus has revealed that it’s done selling the OnePlus 5T in North America. The company has confirmed to Engadget that it’s sold every 5T it made for the North American market, pointing to stronger-than-expected demand as the reason for the device selling out.
When OnePlus was asked by it doesn’t divert some of its OnePlus 5T stock for other markets to North America, a spokesperson said that swapping the AC adapters for these devices would be too cumbersome.
The OnePlus 5T launched in the U.S. in late November 2017, which means it was available for around four months. The news that it’ll no longer be available to North Americans is kind of a bummer, but the way OnePlus works is that it stops production of a device once it reaches a forecast target. The company believes that what it’s doing is working since it’s growing, so it doesn’t appear that that strategy will be changing any time soon.
So what can North American consumers interested in a OnePlus 5T do now? There are two options: buy a used model or wait for the next OnePlus flagship. OnePlus previously said that it’s targeting a late Q2 2018 launch for its next phone, which means that we’ll likely see it in May or June.
Here’s iPhone X Vs Galaxy S9 battery life test comparison. This report explores a battery test that reveals the iPhone X lasts longer than Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ whereas the latter charge faster than Apple’s offering.
