The Intel Gamer Days sale continues with retailers and brands all over the internet finding more ways to get involved! Right now you can save huge on one of MSI's best laptops. The MSI Stealth 15M gaming laptop is down to just $1,259. This is the first major sale on this laptop ever on Amazon, and it's $140 off what the laptop normally sells for. Plus, as part of the Intel Gamer Days promotion you'll get full downloads of the ivdeo games Humankind and the Crysis Remastered Trilogy. Free stuff and big savings, what more could you want? How about RTX graphics? This laptop's got 'em!
The MSI Stealth 15M was updated in January this year with new specifications, including some very beefy upgrades to the processor and graphics card. It managed to get those upgrades without adding to its thickness, so it stays lightweight while getting more powerful.
The specifications include an 11th-generation Intel Core i7-11375H processor, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB solid state drive. It's a gaming laptop because it's powered by Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, which will let you play most of your favorite games at the highest settings.
MSI has a Cooler Boost technology that helps make sure your laptop's internals have the best possible thermal dissipation and don't go too hot even after long sessions. You've got state of the art fans, heat pipes, and more for the best possible airflow.
Other features include Thunderbolt 4 ports for crazy fast data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 for the best wireless connectivity, and more. It also has a 15.6-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate so you can play high octane games without the motion blur.
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Israeli company Ramon.Space, a provider of space computing solutions, announced on Tuesday that it has been selected by the Israel Space Agency to provide a space computing payload for a mission to launch in early 2022.
The Ramon.Space digital payload will perform space computing while in orbit, including software updates and upgrades as part of the mission, using the company’s programmable space computing systems.
Powered by AI and machine learning processors, Ramon.Space builds space-resilient super-computing systems that bring earth-like computing capabilities to space.
Ocean clouds seen from space. Photo by NASA on Unsplash
The company says it aims to transform the way software and hardware are used in space “so applications can be developed and adapted in real-time,” the Yokneam and Palo Alto-based firm has said.
The company’s high-performance computing systems are based on in-house Manycore Rad-Hard DSP space processor IC’s with machine learning and AI technologies, storage, and a virtual radiation shield designed to operate reliably in an outdoor space environment.
Ramon.Space has said that it uses virtual radiation-hardened technology that “doesn’t just withstand the harsh conditions of space, it thrives in it.” Its technology transforms satellites into smart and autonomous objects, drastically extending their lifetime by providing service agility and in-orbit upgrades that adapt to services and applications. Ramon.Space’s high performance, power-efficient, SW-defined systems are paving the way for smart, autonomous satellites for LEO (Low Earth Orbit), MEO (Medium Earth Orbit), and GEO (Geocentric Orbit) missions, boosting their in-orbit capabilities.
The company’s systems serve as computing infrastructure for next-generation space applications such as communication, remote sensing, and data networking.
The Ramon.Space team. Photo: Boaz Furman
“We are proud to collaborate with the Israel Space Agency and look forward to the launch which will further validate our advanced computing capabilities in space,” said Avi Shabtai, CEO of Ramon.Space. “We continue to develop and make advancements to our digital computing payloads which are targeted for many more missions to come.”
“Space missions call for earth-like flexibility and reliable computing infrastructure,” added Avi Blasberger, Director General of the Israel Space Agency. “We have been very impressed with the computing capabilities that Ramon.Space offers. Ramon.Space is a trusted partner and we are confident that their cutting edge space technology will set the direction for the future of computing in space and revolutionize digital payloads.”
Ramon.Space’s technologies have already been deployed in over 50 space and deep space missions and satellites, boasting of zero failures so far. Earlier this year, the company deployed its AI/ML processors aboard three nanosatellites built by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology as part of the Israeli Adelis-SAMSON mission to perform high-accuracy geolocation of target signals on Earth for improved emergency response.
Ramon.Space is on its way to revolutionizing orbital services with its technology and has won over investors to in doing so. In May, Ramon.Space raised $17.5 million to lead a digital transformation of computing in outer space,” said Avi Shabtai. The Series A funding was led by StageOne Ventures, Deep Insight, WorldQuant Ventures, UMC Capital, and existing investor Grove Ventures.
“Since our first seed investment, Ramon.Space’s growth has made monumental headway in the space ecosystem,” said, Dov Moran, Ramon.Space’s Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner at Grove Ventures. “Within our lifetime, we’ll experience the impact and extraordinary benefits of human technological advances in space. Ramon.Space is at the forefront of these unique innovations.”
Israel in space
According to the Israel Space Agency, Israel is known for specializing in the development of technologies for miniature satellites and methods for launching them, such as the trio of nanosatellites built and developed by the Technion and sent out in March equipped with advanced tech including AI/ML processors by Ramon. Space.
Based on this technological expertise, a number of other Israeli groups are also currently developing microsatellites and nanosatellites in order to demonstrate how various technologies and applications work.
Israel’s space industry focuses on high-resolution photographic satellites that are positioned in the LEO and communication satellites positioned in the GEO. Israel’s imaging satellites are considered the leaders in the global arena in terms of being cost-effective and high performance in relation to low weight.
Israel’s satellites in space include the Amos – a series of five communication satellites, Eros – two photography satellites and the Techsat 2 research satellite.
Israeli satellite Amos-17 was successfully launched into space overnight in August 2019 from Cape Canaveral in Florida three years after an explosion on the launchpad of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket destroyed the Amos-6 in September 2016.
Built by Boeing, the Amos-17 satellite is considered Israel’s most advanced satellite after the Amos-6. The satellite provides satellite communication services including broadband and high-speed data services to Africa as well as the Middle East and Europe.
The $250 million Amos-17, expected to operate for at least 20 years, is produced by Spacecom, the Ramat-Gan based satellite communications operator, which is the owner of the AMOS satellite fleet, providing advanced satellite services to millions of users across Africa, Europe, India, parts of Asia, and The Middle East.
Fortnite leak: Fortnite is one of the most popular battle royale games globally and it has much to do with the strategy that Epic Games employs to hook the players. It always has a very unique way of introducing a new Fortnite season and that is what it is intending to do this time too, if a Twitter report is to be believed. With the end of Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 7 inching closer, a new Fortnite leak is suggesting that disaster may be coming soon. So, is the Fortnite island doomed?.
Gamers who have been playing Fortnite for a while now will be aware that at the end of last month, an alien ship appeared above the centre of the island and hovered there with a countdown that showed an end date of August 6, following which the game saw the alien invasion that has dominated the storyline for this season. Fortnite usually has a massive event that takes place in the game when a new season is about to begin, and it usually ends with some sort of massive change to the map, which the developers can explain due to the occurrence of that “event”.
Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check Mobile Finder here.
According to a report by Gamepur, it appears that Fortnite might be preparing a powerful event that could end the alien invasion. The leak comes from Twitter user iFireMonkey, and hints that one of the upcoming Week 14 challenges says “That Mothership is coming down. Tell the civilians to get out of the way” while another challenge also suggests there could be some “collateral damage” which shows that the island could be impacted by the end of the season and changes could possibly be coming to the game’s map.
Last year, ‘The Device’ event in Fortnite directly blew up The Agency which was located in the centre of the island, while a new building was created in its place for the next season – a sinister building called The Authority. The game has also famously used a “black hole” that featured the game vanishing into thin air, until the next season was released. These events help Fortnite rewrite new content into the game, while adding some background to explain these changes.
the mission, Ramon.Space digital payload will perform computing on-orbit including software updates and upgrades using the company’s programmable space computing systems.
Ramon.Space high performance computing systems are based on in-house manycore Rad- Hard DSP space processor IC’s complete with machine learning, storage and a virtual radiation shield designed to operate reliably in the harsh space environment.
Ramon.Space systems serve as the computing infrastructure for next generation space applications such as communication, remote sensing, and data networking. The company’s proven technology enables full software defined communication systems including software- defined radio, channelizers, inter satellite links, routing in space and digital beamforming to maximum bandwidth utilization and increase flexibility and scalability for communication satellite payloads. Ramon.Space’s high performance, power efficient, SW-defined systems are paving the way for smart, autonomous satellites for LEO, MEO and GEO missions, boosting their in- orbit capabilities.
EcoFlow is kicking off a huge September sale featuring their best portable power stations. EcoFlow specializes in products that are designed to keep your electricity flowing, in the event of a power outage or off-grid situations. Some of their best DELTA and RIVER power stations are discounted throughout September, giving you an opportunity to invest in one of these important disaster-prevention solutions. Don’t wait for the power to go out, get a portable power station now and take advantage of these deals.
EcoFlow RIVER Pro
MSRP: $649
Sale:$549
Need a little extra juice for those extended getaways? The EcoFlow RIVER Pro is designed for longer vacations away from the grid. Fast recharge times allow you to spend minimal time worrying about your power, and more time enjoying nature.
EcoFlow River Pro
Step into the wild with a massive 720Wh of battery capacity. RIVER Pro is the powerhouse for your off-grid adventure. Keep up to 10 devices powered on at once and recharge in record times via car (in 8 hrs), solar (4-8 hrs), or standard AC outlets (in 96 mins).
Purchase options:
EcoFlow RIVER Max
MSRP: $549
Sale:$449
The RIVER Max is the best solution for weekend getaways where you’ll be away from the power grid. It’s small and light enough to fit in the back of any vehicle, with the rest of your camping gear. Use the host of outlets to make sure all of your devices are powered, even large appliances.
EcoFlow River Max
Double the capacity of the RIVER with RIVER Max and keep all your devices powered on at once on your weekend getaway. With a detachable extra battery, you have up to 576Wh of capacity that can be fully recharged in 1.6 hours, which is the fastest on the market. You can also power up to 10 devices simultaneously.
Purchase options:
EcoFlow 160W Solar Panel
MSRP: $449
SALE:$329
The EcoFlow 160W Solar Panel is designed to produce maximum power at any time of the day when paired with an EcoFlow power station. The solar panel has a high conversion efficiency of 21-22% and can fully charge a RIVER Pro in 6-12 hours. It is portable, foldable, and compact, weighing only 15.4lbs / 7kg.
EcoFlow 160W Solar Panel
Purchase options:
EcoFlow DELTA + 160W Solar Panel
MSRP: $1,848
Sale:$1,599
Consider getting the full solution of the power station and a solar panel, to help you keep the lights on during an unforeseeable amount of time. The combination of EcoFlow’s 160W solar panel and the DELTA, can help you be completely power-independent. While this is a great solution for emergencies, it can also be a good way to bring power to a barn, shed, or any type of structure that isn’t hooked up to the grid.
EcoFlow DELTA + 160W Solar Panel
The EcoFlow 160W Solar Panel has a high conversion efficiency of 21-22%. Combine the 160W Solar Panel with an EcoFlow Power station to enjoy improved solar charging in cold and cloudy environments (fully recharged in 10.5 to 21 hours).
Purchase options:
This is the perfect opportunity to get started with your disaster planning or off-grid adventures. Because of EcoFlow’s modular design in all of their products, you can always expand on an entry-level setup. These deals will be available through September, so take advantage of them while you can.
We thank EcoFlow for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.
The Xiaomi 12 is leaking thick and fast - one day we'll hear about a super-high-res camera, the next a report will peg it with a rumored uber-fast Android chipset. It's shaping up to be a really premium Xiaomi phone.
Case in point: a new report from popular leaker Digital Chat Station suggests the phone will have three 50MP rear sensors paired with main, ultra-wide and periscope (for 5x optical zoom) lenses. That compares to the Mi 11's 108MP main, 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP telemacro very favorably, both thanks to the high-res sensors across the board, and the presence of a periscope zoom lens.
That's much more in line with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, which had a 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide and 48MP 5x zoom periscope lens, so it sounds like the Mi 12 could be a lot like the Mi 11 Ultra.
That Ultra phone cost a princely sum, setting you back £1,199 / AU$1,799 (roughly $1,600) to get it. It would follow, then, that the Xiaomi 12 could have a similar price, or will at least be more expensive than the £749 / AU$1,099 (about $1,040) Mi 11 - specs like this don't come cheap.
Some might find that okay, with the justification 'Xiaomi is a premium phone maker, after all' but the company actually paid its dues doing something much different.
Analysis: away from the mid-range
The Xiaomi Mi 9 in 2019 wasn't the company's first phone in the west, but it was the first to launch in Europe and Asia at roughly the same time, and it really helped to put the company on the map.
The Mi 9 was a solid mid-range Android phone with commendable specs and a low price, and it certainly impressed us. But it wasn't until later that year that the Mi Note 10 came along to really blow us away.
The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 had five rear cameras including a 108MP main snapper, a 2x telephoto camera dedicated to portrait pictures, a 5x zoom camera and more. It really wowed us with its photography power and svelte design, and the super-low price was an added bonus.
These two medium-cost phones were arguably more interesting than anything Xiaomi has come up with since, at least from a consumer perspective (the Mi 11 Ultra's second screen was interesting, but more in a 'why are they doing that' kind of way).
We haven't seen anything similar since though, with the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 11 lines consisting of premium devices, and with the Mi Note 11 never materializing.
Sure, Xiaomi still makes mid-range phones - its Poco line is fairly popular, and even its top-end devices get lower-price siblings in the form of the T line, with the Xiaomi 11T expected soon.
The difference with these devices, though, is that they're lower-cost responses to pre-existing phones, not brand-new devices with unique specs and designs of their own. So while they're still worthwhile for consumers, they're not as exciting or novel for tech fans.
All these new Xiaomi 12 rumors suggest it'll be a super-premium smartphone, and we look forward to seeing what new tech the company brings. But for phone fans who can't afford top-end devices, or for people who loved Xiaomi's innovative streak, we can't help but wish for a return to the 'flagship features, mid-range price' devices that put the company on the map.
You can currently get your hands on a new Apple Mac mini or an iMac and still manage to save $50 upon purchase. The first option is now selling for $649, and it features 8GB RAM, 2567GB storage, and an M1, 8-core CPU that allows it to perform up to three times faster than its predecessor. Further, its 8-core GPU will also boost your productivity, as it is six times faster than anything seen in previous Macs, meaning that it will do great in improving your graphics-intensive apps and games. If you go for the 512GB storage model, you will find that things get better as it is now selling for $799 after getting a $100 discount.
Now, the only downside of the Apple Mac mini is that you must buy a new monitor, keyboard, and mouse if you don’t already have them. Well, that’s where the iMac comes to the rescue, as this option comes with a built-in 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, along with the same internals as the Mac mini. In other words, you get the same 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, as well as the latest M1 chip for $1,250 after a $50 price drop on its Blue and Green color variants. And you also get a matching Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard to go along with it.
You can also consider getting your hands on a new LG 27-inch QHD Ergo IPS monitor with HDR 10 compatibility, as it’s currently getting a 33 percent discount. This leaves a superb monitor with USB-C connectivity available for just $300 with $150 savings. You can also get a new UGREEN USB C Laptop Docking Station that will allow you to place your laptop a bit higher to get a better viewing angle, as well as helping to keep it from overheating. And since we’re talking about lifting your laptop or PC to make your working experience a bit more comfortable. You can also consider checking out the VIVO Height Adjustable 32 inch Stand Up Desk Converter, that’s now selling for $120, down from its regular $170 price tag, which is a $50 difference.
A former bilingual teacher that left the classrooms to join the team of Pocketnow as a news editor and content creator for the Spanish audience. An artist by nature who enjoys video games, guitars, action figures, cooking, painting, drawing and good music.
Jarred Land has posted an image on his Instagram account with the caption 2 more sleeps… This image appears to show the side of a yet-to-be-released camera.
The information on the LCD screen clearly shows that this camera is capable of recording 8K R3D files at up to 120fps. The current RED MONSTRO VV is only capable of recording 8192 x 4320 up to 60 fps.
Maybe RED will finally do away with the myriad of RAW compression ratios and just use LQ, MQ and HQ.
What is also interesting is that the recording is being done to a CFExpress card. Whether this is a CFExpress Type B or Type A card is not known.
The display also shows monitoring for four channels of audio, two of which look like they can be set to +48V. On the far left-hand side of the image, it appears to say SDI-2, so it would also be safe to assume that this camera has at least two SDI outputs.
RED KOMODO
This is most certainly some type of new camera and it does not appear to just be an 8K sensor inside a KOMODO body. The image that was released clearly shows that the controls are on the side of the camera and not on the top like the KOMODO.
RED RANGER MONSTRO 8K VV
The side LCD screen and controls look to be in a similar spot to where you would find them on a RED RANGER MONSTRO 8K VV. Whether or not this new camera will share a similar cube-style body shape to a KOMODO, or a larger body like the RED RANGER MONSTRO is unclear. What I would suspect is this will be the first new RED camera in the DSMC3 series.
There is no further information about anything else. We have no idea what type of mount it will use, whether it has a full frame, S35, or VV sensor, what batteries it will take, or what the other resolutions and frame rates will be. The display doesn’t show any in-built ND, which is something RED still hasn’t been able or willing to put into its cameras.
Like most RED teases and announcements you should expect that it won’t actually be available or shipping for quite some time.
Whether or not this is a MONSTRO replacement is also not known, but there is probably a very good chance that it may well be.
Thoughts
I think RED has slowly been trying to pivot its business strategy, especially when it comes to cameras. If you look at the KOMODO, it is by far RED’s most affordable camera. If I was to guess, I would say that whatever this new camera happens to be, that it won’t carry the hefty price of previous RED 8K cameras. This camera will have to be competitively priced to succeed, given there are quite a lot of cameras on the market now that are now capable of recording in 8K.
Matthew Allard is a multi-award-winning, ACS accredited freelance Director of Photography with 30 years' experience working in more than 50 countries around the world.
He is the Editor of Newsshooter.com and has been writing on the site since 2010.
Matthew has won 41 ACS Awards, including four prestigious Golden Tripods. In 2016 he won the Award for Best Cinematography at the 21st Asian Television Awards.
Matthew is available to hire as a DP in Japan or for work anywhere else in the world.
You may want to pay close attention to your new Google Pixel 5a 5G. Indeed, the device is an excellent option for anyone looking to get a new device with a killer camera and a very compelling price tag. But, unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a perfect product, and it seems that its flaws are already starting to surface.
The latest Google Pixel 5a 5G may not have a fantastic new design, but it’s one of the hottest devices around, or at least for some customers. Unfortunately, it seems that several devices have experienced overheating while using the camera, and the problem doesn’t stop there, as it appears that this issue will eventually disable the flash and camera of your phone. It seems that more and more people have started to report that their Google Pixel 5a 5G is having an overheating problem, including the guys from 9to5Google and Android Central.
9to5Google’s Kyle Bradshaw “found that the Pixel 5a would stop recording after about 4 minutes of recording 4K video with heat as the cause.” While Android Central’s Ara Wagoner experienced this issue while “taking a bevy of photos and some short 1080p videos on an 80-degree Florida morning.” Wagoner also mentioned that he could use the camera of the Google Pixel 5a 5G for about thirty minutes before slowing down and eventually stopped working.
Now, these issues aren’t new, as we had already experienced similar issues with the Google Pixel 5, and remember that the latest Pixel 5a 5G packs almost the same specs but in a smaller package, so this may be a design flaw. However, others believe that the problem may be linked to bugs in the Google Camera app that may be fixed with a future software update. On a positive note, Google has already confirmed to be investigating this issue and another issue that’s making some devices have touchscreen options, even though this problem disappears when using the device in safe mode.
A former bilingual teacher that left the classrooms to join the team of Pocketnow as a news editor and content creator for the Spanish audience. An artist by nature who enjoys video games, guitars, action figures, cooking, painting, drawing and good music.
Google this week announced the beta release of Chrome 94, the next update to Google’s desktop web browser. In addition to general improvements, the update also adds support for the new WebGPU API, which comes to replace WebGL and can even access Apple’s Metal API.
As described by Google in a blog post, WebGPU is a new, more advanced graphics API for the web that is able to access GPU hardware, resulting in better performance for rendering interfaces in websites and web apps.
The main difference of WebGPU to other graphics acceleration APIs for the web is that the new API is based on the device’s native technologies, such as Apple’s Metal, Microsoft’s Direct3D, or the open Vulkan standard. This should make it easier for web developers to create web apps and games with more intense graphics.
The WebGPU API is the successor to the WebGL and WebGL2 graphics APIs for the Web. It provides modern features such as “GPU compute” as well as lower overhead access to GPU hardware and better, more predictable performance. This is an improvement over the existing WebGL interfaces, which were designed for drawing images but could only be repurposed for other kinds of computations with great effort.
For those unfamiliar, Metal is an API introduced by Apple in 2014 that provides low-level access to GPU hardware for iOS, macOS, and tvOS apps. In other words, apps can access the GPU without overloading the CPU, which is one of the limitations of old APIs like OpenGL.
However, as noted by The Verge, it will probably take some time before developers adopt the new WebGPU API into their web projects as it’s still considered an experimental feature. Google says WebGPU is not expected to come enabled by default for all Chrome users until early 2022.
The final release of Chrome 94 should enable WebCodecs for everyone, which is another API designed to improve the encoding and decoding of streaming videos.
Apple currently provides access to the WebGPU API in its Safari web browser through the latest version of the Safari Technology Preview, which can be downloaded by developers. Since the API is not yet included in Safari 15 that comes with macOS Monterey, it will probably come in early 2022 with a future Safari update.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
As with all new betas, Apple recommends not installing the new macOS update on a primary machine because it is early release software and could have bugs.
macOS Monterey introduces Universal Control, a feature that lets a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard be used across multiple Mac or iPad devices, plus there's a new AirPlay to Mac feature.
Safari has been redesigned with a new tab bar (with a toggle for two different designs as of the third beta) and support for Tab Groups, and FaceTime has gained spatial audio, a Portrait Mode on M1 Macs, and Voice Isolation for cutting out background noise. There's also a new SharePlay FaceTime feature that lets Apple users watch TV, listen to music, and share their screens with one another.
Shared With You, a separate feature, keeps track of the music, links, podcasts, news, and photos that people are sent in Messages, highlighting it in the relevant apps. Notes has a new Quick Note feature for jotting down thoughts, and collaboration is easier with mentions and an Activity View.
The Shortcuts app from iOS is now available on the Mac, and Focus helps people stay on task by cutting out background distractions. There's an updated Maps app with a whole slew of new features, and with Live Text, Macs can now detect text in photos or provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more in images.
Mail Privacy Protection hides IP and prevents tracking through invisible pixels, and iCloud Private Relay keeps Safari browsing protected. There are many other new features in macOS Monterey, with a full rundown available in our macOS Monterey roundup.
A prominent leaker suggests the upcoming Xiaomi 12 series could have a triple 50MP setup.
That would mean a 50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, and 50MP telephoto.
Assuming this comes to pass, it would mean Xiaomi isn’t going for Samsung’s rumored 200MP lens. Unless, of course, it reserves that only for the 12 Ultra.
Earlier this month, Xiaomi announced it was doing away with its “Mi” branding. That means future Xiaomi phones will land with just a number after the Xiaomi name. We assume that means the next flagship phones from the brand will be within the Xiaomi 12 series.
On that note, we have a new leak from the prominent Chinese source Digital Chat Station (via GSM Arena). DCS says that the new flagships from Xiaomi could land with a triple 50MP rear camera setup. That means three 50MP lenses: a main, an ultra-wide, and a telephoto.
This would be a pretty dramatic departure considering the higher-end phones in the Xiaomi Mi 11 family have a 108MP main sensor. However, the trade-off would be that all three lenses would produce similar results, fixing the problem of ultra-wide shots not looking as good as those coming from the main sensor, for example.
Originally, we assumed the rumored 200MP sensor from Samsung would power the premium Xiaomi 12 phones. DCS suggests that’s not the case, though. Although, it is possible that the expected Xiaomi 12 Ultra could have that sensor, giving it a 200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, and 50MP telephoto. That’s just speculation, though.
Xiaomi was one of the smartphone companies that started the megapixel wars when it launched the Mi 10 series last year with a 108MP camera on the back. Now, it looks like the company is putting high-resolution phone cameras on the back burner.
A new rumor courtesy of China-based Digital Chat Station claims that the rumored Xiaomi 12 will come with three 50MP sensors instead of 108MP like the Mi 11 series. This means that Xiaomi's upcoming flagship phone could rock a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide shooter, and a 50MP telephoto camera.
If it turns out to be correct, the change marks a major scaling back of Xiaomi's flagship phones at least in terms of camera resolution. The Xiaomi 12 was previously rumored to arrive with a 200MP sensor from Samsung (via GSMArena), but the latest rumor suggests otherwise. It's possible that this resolution is being prepared for the higher-end Xiaomi 12 Ultra, which could become one of the best Android phones.
In addition, the leaker claims that the phone's telephoto camera will feature a 5x periscope zoom. It's believed to be a more practical focal length compared to a 10x periscope lens that Xiaomi was also supposedly working on given the smoother zoom quality it offers.
The rumor surfaced a week after Xiaomi confirmed that it's dropping the Mi branding to streamline its global product strategy around flagship phones. There's no official launch date for the Xiaomi 12 at this moment, but it's expected to be released early next year.
Xiaomi is the brand to beat in the value segment, and it offers excellent phones ranging from $100 entry-level options all the way to $700 flagships. These are the best Xiaomi phones you can buy in 2021.
Apple has reached its sixth beta round for macOS Monterey, as the operating system gets ever closer to its fall release.
The newest builds can be downloaded via the Apple Developer Center for those enrolled in the test program, or via an over-the-air update on devices running the beta software. Public betas typically arrive within a few days of the developer versions, via the Apple Beta Software Program website.
The fifth beta for macOS Monterey was issued by Apple on August 11, following the fourth from July 27. The third was issued on July 14, the second on June 28, and the first on June 7. A final version is expected for release this fall.
macOS Monterey includes quite a few changes to the operating system, including Universal Control with other Apple hardware, Shortcuts, Quick Note, AirPlay to Mac, and Focus. On the app-specific side, the updates include SharePlay for iMessage, Safari tab organization, Live Text support for Photos, and grid views and Spatial Audio for FaceTime.
AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly recommend users don't install the betas on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, as there is the remote possibility of data loss or other issues. Instead, testers should install betas onto secondary or non-essential devices, and to make sure there are sufficient backups of important data before updating.
Intel last week released an update for its Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) that allows users to overclock unlocked processors and monitor performance. The latest release adds support for Intel’s upcoming Alder Lake platform, including overclocking support for both core architectures inside Alder Lake processors.
Alder Lake’s hybrid architecture uses performance (P) cores and efficient (E) cores, but we weren’t sure if both cores would be unlocked for overclocking. The latest XTU updates suggests that they will, allowing users to push P- and E-cores alike for higher performance. As for how far you’ll be able to push each core type, we’ll have to wait and see.
Intel
In addition to manual overclocking, the new release adds support for Intel Speed Optimizer, which allows you to overclock with a single button. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can tweak voltages and frequencies on a per-core or package basis, as well as set a voltage/frequency curve.
Per-core overclocking has been around for a while, and it will likely be a big focus for Alder Lake. Most games only stress a single core, so if you can boost the single-core frequency, you can likely increase your frame rate. We don’t know much about package overclocking yet, but the name suggests it will allow you to overclock the entire chip at once, including both core types.
Both overclocking methods use Intel’s Turbo Velocity Boost (TVB) feature, which allows certain cores to boost higher than the rated speed. There are variations in CPU quality, so some cores may be able to reach frequencies beyond what Intel lists based on whether thermal conditions allow for it. You’ll be able to set that up in XTU once Alder Lake launches.
Ahead of the Alder Lake launch, the update brings DDR5 memory support to XTU, too. You can now tweak DDR5 memory timings in real time through Intel’s software.
XTU is an all-in-one utility that allows you to overclock and test your system. You can choose to overclock with Speed Optimizer or tweak settings manually, then test them using the built-in stress test. XTU works with desktop, laptop, and high-end desktop platforms, with support for 5th-gen Broadwell processors or newer.
Although Intel hasn’t confirmed that P- and E-cores are unlocked for overclocking, the patch notes call out both core types. Given that the E-cores are mostly there to boost multi-core workloads, it will be interesting to see how overclocking will boost performance, and by how much.
Alder Lake is set to launch later in 2021. Intel hasn’t announced a release date yet, but we suspect to hear more about the processors in October during Intel’s Innovation event. Either way, we hope to see Alder Lake in action soon. We’ve seen multiple leaked benchmarks over the last few weeks, but nothing official from Intel yet.
Jacob Preston was sitting down with his manager during his first week at Apple when he was told, with little fanfare, that he needed to link his personal Apple ID and work account.
The request struck him as odd. Like anyone who owns an Apple product, Preston’s Apple ID was intimately tied to his personal data — it connected his devices to the company’s various services, including his iCloud backups. How could he be sure his personal messages and documents wouldn’t land on his work laptop? Still, he was too giddy about his new job as a firmware engineer to care. He went ahead and linked the accounts.
Three years later, when Preston handed in his resignation, the choice came back to haunt him. His manager told him to return his work laptop, and — per Apple protocol — said he shouldn’t wipe the computer’s hard drive. His initial worry had come to pass: his personal messages were on this work laptop, as were private documents concerning his taxes and a recent home loan. Preston pushed back, saying some of the files contained highly personal information and there was no reasonable way to make sure they were all removed from the laptop without wiping it completely.
He was told the policy wasn’t negotiable.
Preston’s story is part of a growing tension inside Apple, where some employees say the company isn’t doing enough to protect their personal privacy and, at times, actively seeks to invade it for security reasons. Employees have been asked to install software builds on their phones to test out new features prior to launch — only to find the builds expose their personal messages. Others have found that when testing new products like Apple’s Face ID, images are recorded every time they open their phones. “If they did this to a customer, people would lose their goddamn minds,” says Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineering program manager.
Apple employees also can’t use their work email addresses to sign up for iCloud accounts, so many use their personal accounts.
The blurring of personal and work accounts has resulted in some unusual situations, including Gjøvik allegedly being forced to hand compromising photos of herself to Apple lawyers when her team became involved in an unrelated legal dispute.
Underpinning all of this is a stringent employment agreement that gives Apple the right to conduct extensive employee surveillance, including “physical, video, or electronic surveillance” as well as the ability to “search your workspace such as file cabinets, desks, and offices (even if locked), review phone records, or search any non-Apple property (such as backpacks, purses) on company premises.”
Apple also tells employees that they should have “no expectation of privacy when using your or someone else’s personal devices for Apple business, when using Apple systems or networks, or when on Apple premises” (emphasis added).
Many employees have a choice between getting an Apple-owned phone or having the company pay for their phone plan. But one source tells The Verge that trying to maintain two phones can become impractical. In software engineering, certain employees are expected to participate in a “live-on” program that puts out daily builds with bug fixes. “You can’t have a successful live-on program without people treating these devices exactly the same as a personal phone,” the source says. “So a work device or a work account just won’t cut it.”
None of these policies are unique. Tech companies almost always have rules in place to search employees’ corporate devices, including personal devices used for work. It’s also common practice for tech companies to ask employees to test new software, which could potentially expose personal information. But Apple sets itself apart from other tech giants through its commitment to consumer privacy. As Tim Cook said at the CPDP Computers, Privacy and Data Protection conference in January 2021, businesses built on buying and selling user data, without the knowledge or consent of consumers, “[degrade] our fundamental right to privacy first, and our social fabric by consequence.” The lack of employee privacy has made the perceived hypocrisy particularly irksome to some workers.
Now, as employees begin to push back against a variety of Apple norms and rules, these policies are coming under the spotlight, raising the question of whether the company has done enough to safeguard personal employee data. It might seem like a company obsessed with secrecy would be sympathetic to its employees’ wishes to have confidential information of their own. But at Apple, secrecy requires the opposite: extensive knowledge, and control, over its workforce.
This is how it starts: a new Apple employee is told during onboarding that collaborating with their colleagues will require them to make extensive use of iCloud storage, and their manager offers a two terabyte upgrade. This will link their personal Apple ID to their work account — in fact, the instructions for accessing this upgrade explicitly say “you must link your personal Apple ID with your AppleConnect work account.” The connection will give them access to collaborative apps like Pages and Numbers that they might need to do their jobs. (Apple employees who do not have a business need to collaborate do not go through this process.)
Employees could pause during onboarding and say they want to create a new Apple ID specifically for work or use a different phone. But most do not — it seems a little paranoid, and the Apple instructions say to go ahead and use your personal account. What’s more, most Apple devices don’t support using multiple Apple IDs. To switch between iCloud accounts on an iPhone, you have to completely sign out of one ID and into another — a clunky, disruptive process. It is far easier culturally and technically to simply link personal and work accounts, which adds a new Apple Work folder to the employee’s iCloud account.
In theory, this Apple Work folder is where all of the collaborative documents for employees are supposed to live in order to keep personal and work files separate. In practice, the owner of a document often forgets to store files in the work folder, and documents quickly become intermingled. In fact, when Apple employees create a document in, say, Pages, the app automatically enters the personal email address used for their Apple ID. “I asked my manager about it and it’s just sort of an issue everyone deals with,” Preston says.
Employees can choose to not sync certain folders, like their photo libraries. But others, like messages, can be trickier. Apple adopted Slack in 2019, but some teams still use iMessage as a primary way to communicate, which makes opting out of a message sync nearly impossible.
Over the past few weeks, employees have been discussing the difficulty of setting up different Apple IDs to keep work and personal files separate, noting that while it’s possible, there are significant technical hurdles. “I don’t understand why they didn’t create an Apple ID and iCloud account from our work email address during the onboarding process,” one employee said on Slack. “I get mad that I have to use my personal phone to text my boss,” said another.
Concerns about data privacy are not ubiquitous inside Apple. Many employees who spoke to The Verge said they were aware the company gave itself extensive rights to search their data, but — for various reasons — weren’t overly worried about the fallout.
“When I joined Apple, I personally expected it to be pretty invasive and took some serious steps to separate my work and personal life,” one source says.
For other employees, however, the mixing of personal and work data has already had real consequences. In 2018, the engineering team Ashley Gjøvik worked on was involved in a lawsuit. The case had nothing to do with Gjøvik personally, but because she’d worked on a project related to the litigation, Apple lawyers needed to collect documents from her phone and work computer.
Gjøvik asked the lawyers to confirm that they wouldn’t need to access her personal messages. She says her team discouraged the use of two phones; she used the same one for work and personal and, as a result, had private messages on her work device.
A member of the legal team responded that while the lawyers did not need to access Gjøvik’s photos, they did not want her to delete any messages. During an in-person meeting, Gjøvik says she told the lawyers the messages included nude photos she’d sent to a man she was dating — a sushi chef who lived in Hawaii. Surely, those weren’t relevant to the lawsuit. Could she delete them? She says the lawyers told her no.
In 2017, Apple rolled out an app called Gobbler that would allow employees to test Face ID before it became available to customers. The process was routine — Apple often launched new features or apps on employees’ phones, then collected data on how the technology was used to make sure it was ready for launch.
Gobbler was unique in that it was designed to test face unlock for iPhones and iPads. This meant that every time an employee picked up their phone, the device recorded a short video — hopefully of their face. They could then file “problem reports” on Radar, Apple’s bug tracking system, and include the videos if they found a glitch in the system. “All data that has your face in it is good data,” said an internal email about the project. After rumors of criticism, Apple eventually changed the codename to “Glimmer.”
Unlike other Apple features, Glimmer wasn’t automatically installed on employee phones. It required an informed consent form so employees would know what they were getting into. Still, for some people on engineering teams, participation was encouraged — even expected, according to two staff members. Once it was installed, some data that didn’t contain personally identifiable information would automatically upload to Radar, unless employees turned off this setting.
Apple was careful to instruct employees not to upload anything sensitive, confidential, or private. But it didn’t tell people what was happening with the hundreds of images they didn’t upload in Radar reports.
The reports themselves were also a cause for concern. When employees file Radar tickets, they include detailed information about the problems they are seeing. In 2019, Gjøvik filed a ticket about Apple’s photo search capabilities. “If I search for ‘infant’ in my photo library, it returns a selfie I took of myself in bed after laparoscopic surgery to treat my endometriosis,” she wrote, including four images in the ticket. The default sharing settings for the ticket included all of software engineering.
Radar tickets also are not removable. Even when the tickets are closed, they remain searchable. In training, employees say they are told: “Radar is forever.”
What’s more, when employees file Radar tickets, they are often asked to include diagnostic files, internally called “sysdiagnose” to give Apple more information about the problem. If they are filing a bug about iMessage, they might be asked to install a sysdiagnose profile that exposes their iMessages to the team tasked with fixing the issue. For employees using a live-on device, default settings can mean that, as they are filing a Radar ticket, a sysdiagnose profile is being automatically created in the background, sending data to Apple without the employee realizing it.
When sysdiagnose profiles are not included, employees have been known to post memes calling out the omission.
Gjøvik is currently on administrative leave from Apple due to an ongoing investigation into claims she made about harassment and a hostile work environment. If she leaves the company, she’ll likely face the same conundrum as Jacob Preston, related to the mixing of her personal and work files.
Employees likely wouldn’t care too much about this were it not for another Apple rule that bars them from wiping their devices when they leave the company. If they do, they’ll be in direct violation of their employment agreement, leaving them vulnerable to legal action.
After Preston gave notice, he received a checklist from his manager that explicitly said: “Do not wipe or factory reset any Apple owned units (such as laptops, Mac, ipads, and iPhones).”
“Before joining Apple I had a lot of respect for the company,” Preston says. “They’re the one tech company that takes privacy seriously. But then they go and have these policies that are hypocritical and go against their stated values. It’s sort of hard to reconcile. It’s like now that I’m leaving, my privacy isn’t a concern anymore.”
Apple did not respond to a request for comment from The Verge.
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